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How Beautiful - What Christ Reveals in You

10/22/2022

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​Sometimes the beauty of the Gospel is concealed in a community until persecution, and like a precious fragrance, Christ in us is revealed from our very brokenness.

Furthermore, when Christ preached on beauty, he spoke as if beauty was bestowed on each individual directly by God as a gift of divine love, not to be found outside of ourselves, but a grace discoverable within, fashioned and refashioned by our Heavenly Father. (Matt 6:28-30)
"And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers... he will certainly care for you..." - Matt 6:30
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Photo by Evie S. on Unsplash
"How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace..." - Romans 10:15
Scripture confers a special beauty upon the feet of God's messengers (Isaiah 52:7; Rom 10:15), and with this in mind if we turn to the Gospels, we can better appreciate the significance of a certain moment taking place in the upper room. Christ, on the night before his betrayal, is washing the feet of his friends, the disciples who would continue to proclaim the message of salvation throughout the world after all that would soon take place. Now Peter, resisting, sees this act of servitude as unbecoming for the Messiah of God's People. Yet this washing is essential, and what an emotional moment for our Lord – for according to tradition it would be Peter who would, at his death, request that rather than to be executed by crucifixion in the same manner of Christ (an honor to which he would consider himself unworthy), this "rock" of the Church would plead to instead be crucified upside down. In other words, one day Peter would be hanging by these precious and beautiful feet, a death that is perhaps foreshadowed in some way by this holy upper room moment, 
What emotion! What beauty Christ must have apprehended in that moment, while bathing, honoring, and blessing these precious and beautiful feet, perhaps with even tears, but certainly with affection. And yet how often does our holy word, "beauty," get defiled by the world? The Gospel's definition of beauty was not engraved upon tablets of stone, nor preserved on parchment fragments, but nailed to a wooden cross, where from Christ's pierced side a mixture of water and blood would pour forth. And indeed, just as in the garden where the woman - God's most beautiful creation - was fashioned from the side of Adam, the Church would awaken to find herself miraculously made new and adorned as a bride, clothed with the righteousness of Christ through the unspeakable depths of His divine love. This is beauty!

​And oh, how we fail in our calling to preach the Gospel when we make it about arguments that appeal merely to man's reason. Did we apprehend the love of God through our reason? Or were we rather first apprehended by the beauty of Christ's love, and only then did we seek to understand the scriptures? The power of the Gospel, then, rests not in man's ability to teach or to understand all the religious meanings and theology contained therein, but rather, the transformation made possible by the Gospel is a process which takes place between two human hearts, where one is being loved and the other is being beautiful. Beautiful like Christ. Beautiful like the feet he sanctified that went to the ends of the earth.

May the beautiful heart of Christ, ever beating, ever gentle, make His message come alive again and again as each of us carry His message forward to the nations, one beautiful step at a time.​

"... I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation..." Romans 1:16 
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Written by Michael Sandy
​in affiliation with World Outreach Ministries
​Bangkok, Thailand
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How One Sunday-School Song Will Help Your Family Find the Courage to Live Cross-Culturally

4/6/2021

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When you think of family traditions, what categories come to mind?
  • Food
  • Songs
  • Activities
  • Decorations
  • Family gatherings... the list goes on.

As parents raising our children in a foreign country, we want them to maintain a part of their home culture, and one way we do that is through traditions. Like on Christmas morning, Tawni and I still do some of the same things our parents taught us. My favorite tradition is covering the presents until after the breakfast. No peeking allowed! Usually a sheet is hanging over the entry way, but sometimes overseas we've had to get creative. The point is, it's a part of my home culture. It teaches kids to keep their cool and enjoy delayed gratification.

But we also want them to embrace the positive things about their new culture in Thailand that can help them do life there. One of the first Thai songs we learned was the familiar tune, "This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it," but with the Thai lyrics. There was no conscious effort to memorialize this tune. It simply stuck in our memory until it was needed. And boy was it needed.

Six months into our Sabbatical back in the US in 2020, our family embarked on a family road trip and camped a lot. We started singing this Thai song together around the campfire to keep our mind on God, our hearts thankful, and to remind our kids that our family still had a special calling and connection to Thailand.

One day, I took my five-year-old daughter out hiking. She was afraid there might be snakes in the tall grass. So I told her we ought to bang our walking sticks on the ground and sing a loud song to let all the snakes know we were coming, and they better get out of the way if they don't want to get stepped on. "Wan nee ben wan tee pra jao jat wai" could be heard echoing over the tall mountains, skipping across the Missouri river, and meandering throughout the Louis and Clark trail. We sang the song many times, whenever we feared there might be danger. It is stuck in our memory, as if the echoing in the mountains never quite stopped ringing in our hearts.

Now when people ask her to say something in Thai, she can at least sing them that song. Not only does it make her feel brave and strong, it helps her share her special connection to Thailand. And that's often what good parenting is: helping our kids find the right words to express their feelings.

So, what song can you take from your new culture and start making it a part of your everyday life? I'll tell you, anytime my kids go hiking with us, it's not long before one of us starts singing this song. It's a tradition. It's a practical way to make ourselves safer, hear where everyone is (and that's important because we're a big family), and it's just a fun tune to sing on the trail. We can switch back and forth between languages if it starts to get boring. It's easy, fun, helps us when we're feeling scared or tired, and all our kids can learn it and do it.

What is your song? What is your family doing together that keeps one another strong? Try learning a simple Sunday School tune. It might just help you feel safe when things get scary? We pray, we read Bible stories, we do a lot of things. But a simple tradition helps everyone feel like they have some stability when things get sideways.

Grace to all,
​Mike


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March 19 2020 at 01:37AM

3/18/2020

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COVID-19 // As you and yours follow the precautionary guidelines of your community, @fccnapa is encouraging you to #stayconnected and seek the Lord together in your homes. Visit fccnapa.org for more videos, resources, and updates to center your thoughts on God for continual and effectual prayer. And join our Online Gathering this Sunday at 10am. #fccnapa #coronavirusbayarea #sandystoriesblog #sandystoriesnewsletter
March 19, 2020 at 01:37AM
via Instagram https://ift.tt/2wlLbSu Follow Mike on Instagram and Twitter @mikesandytweets

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August 28 2019 at 05:45PM

8/28/2019

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Our church just celebrated 8 years! 8 years ago I had just got back from the Amazon Jungle and enrolled back into SDSU after a year leave of absence, wondering where God would send me next, with a sense of urgency to get back out to the mission field. I finished the school year with a new girlfriend, headed to Mongolia, and within a year was married and living in Chiang Mai with a baby on the way learning the Thai language. From there, we went to Bangkok, started a church, hosted teams, and adopted @wendymooch into our family. Pastor @brolins were our very first contacts in Bangkok. They reminded us of our pastors back home, and we saw them building a wonderful community of disciples. When we finally joined their team, it was like coming home. What a family, and what a miracle to celebrate 8 years of blessing our city. #faithfunfriends #sandystoriesnewsletter #sandystoriesblog
August 28, 2019 at 05:45PM
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June 20 2019 at 10:26AM

6/19/2019

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With P’Off at #TechSauce learning about social impact from tech startups in SE Asia. // #sandystoriesblog #go
June 20, 2019 at 10:26AM
via Instagram http://bit.ly/2RoF1qW Follow Mike on Instagram and Twitter @mikesandytweets

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June 12 2019 at 08:23PM

6/12/2019

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Jesus Christ immersed 100% without compromising anything. How he humbled Himself to become one of us is beyond anything I will ever know, but has convinced me that humility and meekness are keys to positively impacting society. #sandystoriesblog #faith #missionalliving
June 12, 2019 at 08:23PM
via Instagram http://bit.ly/2ZouHCi Follow Mike on Instagram and Twitter @mikesandytweets

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June 12 2019 at 07:51PM

6/12/2019

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What if God chose Bangkok to turn Asia upside down? #awakenthailand #awakentheworld #sandystoriesblog
June 12, 2019 at 07:51PM
via Instagram http://bit.ly/2F5GNs1 Follow Mike on Instagram and Twitter @mikesandytweets

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May 14 2019 at 01:07PM

5/14/2019

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Congrats Preschoolers! Our kids are in a few co-ops. This MK co-op has given them a lot of cool American friends. Tawni gave them all diplomas. Such a cute bunch! #sandystoriesnewsletter #sandystoriesblog
May 14, 2019 at 01:07PM
via Instagram http://bit.ly/2JCXC0x Follow Mike on Instagram and Twitter @mikesandytweets

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April 28 2019 at 03:40PM

4/28/2019

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Met with the man who imports guns from the US for the Thai military. An ABAC grad! We talked leadership, family, and entrepreneurship. Faith came up, and we were a diverse group. I shared just a parable and my testimony. A mom was there with her daughter, and something I said struck a chord with her. But I knew it was the Holy Spirit already at work in her heart. I walked away feeling like she had a bit more hope in God’s love and His good plan for her life than when when we met. There’s a lot I feel like I can’t control. It’s my fault, really. I set the bar high when so said yes to a vision to “Awaken Thailand.” Only God can do that. But when I do what I can, I often see God’s hand already at work in their hearts. Behind their amulets and religious garb, there are beating hearts and curious minds being drawn to Jesus by the goodness, grace, and glory of God. it’s His vision, His plan, and His Spirit at work. #sandystoriesblog #sandystoriesnewsletter #immerseimpactignite#awakenthailand
April 28, 2019 at 03:40PM
via Instagram http://bit.ly/2ZD81yU Follow Mike on Instagram and Twitter @mikesandytweets

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March 16 2019 at 03:23PM

3/16/2019

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????Have the kids to myself for a few days while @tawni28 takes a spiritual retreat to @hillsong color conference with some sisters in our church. Pray for prophetic words, divine appointments, and refreshment for her, and for me just pray that I can figure out how the washing machine works ? #colorconference #hillsongcolorconference #sandystoriesnewsletter #sandystoriesblog // “...but by My Spirit.” What is spirit? A ghost? A feeling? A mood? Regardless of whether or not we can wrap our heads around it, one thing is certain: the Holy Spirit is a determining factor in the Christian walk. I love David who writes about God widening the path beneath him so his ankles would not turn. The perfect man is not one who can walk alone, but one who can faithfully walk with Jesus through anything, and does so every time. Because when we fail, his mercies are new every day, and he can pick us up. I cannot give my kids all the love and attention they deserve, but I can show them the way to walk close to the Father, at all times, in all circumstances, and that gives me hope that one day, these kids will fully live out their potential. And I love that in our family, we walk together daily in such a way that every day is a clean slate, a fresh start, a new horizon. Jesus has taught our family that there is freedom through forgiveness, and out of that place our family has continued to grow closer, stronger, and sillier! We’re a young family, so there’s a long ways to go for us to learn and grow, but we’re walking together with Jesus, and I wouldn’t trade that for the world. ???? #dadjoy
March 16, 2019 at 03:23PM
via Instagram https://ift.tt/2W2TdHh Follow Mike on Instagram and Twitter @mikesandytweets

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<<Previous

    Our Story

    God called Tawni to Thailand during a mountain top experience. Her training school had planted a church in Chiang Mai and was nearing the end of their trip. The team retreated to Doi Suthep's viewpoint for prayer over the city. As she gazed out over the lush Northern province, a voice began speaking to her heart, "Will you give your life for my people here?"

    These were our dating days.

    Meanwhile I was in Mongolia working with youth, teaching city kids about prayer, worship, and evangelism. God had given me the gift of evangelism, and regardless of language or hemisphere, God would put soft people in my path. While in Ulaanbaatar, for example, I was run down by a young man asking if I could tell him about Jesus. Mongolians aren't known for their hunger for God, but God is known for sending missionaries to hungry people, wherever they are.

    When Tawni told me she felt God was calling her to Thailand, it hardly surprised me. What has surprised me, however, is just about every step since we moved.

    Michael Sandy
    THAILAND
    ​
    Mike and Tawni now have three children, all of whom were born in Thailand. They attend Life Church in Bang Na and recently celebrated five years overseas.

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  • Welcome!
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