The Scheele's Sojourn

Thank God for Blue Potties...

2006-09-11T21:29:00.000-05:00

I am amazed at God's intimate involvement in our lives. In Psalm 139 He tells us that we are fearfully and wonderfully made... that He knew us when we were knit together in our mother's womb. That is amazing to me! He cares for us and He cares for us even in the small details of our lives.

We recently moved to Puebla, Mexico. The last few months before moving has been challening. During this transition we have been trying to potty-train our 2 year old son, JP. JP has been very capable of using the potty, but he kept refusing. His time to be potty-trained was going to be completely on his own time. He has been telling us "I will use the potty when we get to Mexico." I think he has said this just to get us to leave him alone.

Well, the day after we arrived in Puebla we went to our new house to look at it and make sure everything was in place for us to move in. The kids and I were looking at each room until we got to the upstairs bathroom. All of a sudden the kids were jumping with excitement... the bathroom toilet and sink were blue. Well, for any of you who do not know JP well should know that his favorite of favorite colors is blue. In his mind, anything that is blue must be good and made just for him. So, as you can imagine he felt this way about the bathroom toilet and sink.

Now after being here just one week JP announced that he was ready to start using the blue potty. I am so thankful that God is interested in helping a little boy overcome his fear of using the potty by giving us a blue potty for him to start using.
This experience is reminding me to open my eyes to the little blessings and fingerprints of God all around me. He loves me, He has told me so in His Word... why wouldn't He also want to show me in the world around me. He has shown a little two year old boy how much He loves him through a little blue potty. How is He showing His love to you today? And are your eyes open to see the love that He has for you? I know my eyes aren't always open, but I am praying that God would continue to open my eyes to the little blue potties all around me.

The most underrated evangelism tool...

2006-07-18T08:41:00.000-05:00

I'm thinking of God's art... commonly called nature... creation... outdoors...

"When be begin to think about the artistry of God, we come to realize that God did not create the world out of necessity. He created it that it might praise Him and lead us to Him. God created the world because of His love." - James Bryan Smith

We can cultivate the soil of one's heart towards God, by simply taking them into God's creation and reminding them of it's purpose... and God's love for them. Most often a more clear presentation of the Gospel is necessary, but without seeing God's love through creation, you may not get the chance.

Tasting the love of Christ...

2006-07-07T10:54:00.000-05:00

Once you've tasted the love of Christ, it's hard not to want to pass that love on to everyone you know. The more you taste it, the more you want to give it away. Perhaps we would all do well to taste more the love of God, so that we might pass it along to more...

Sarah is here!

2006-05-22T21:12:00.000-05:00

Sarah Antonia is here! Sarah arrived a week ago, and has been incredibly easy so far... she's even waking up only once during the night already!

My great grandpa Anton gave us her middle name... He was the first Scheele from Germany to come over in the face of adversity and against his families advice. He settled, married, had some kids, led a hard life, and one day walked in front of a streetcar and was killed. Nothing really special about his life, except the one courageous decision he made that changed the course of his life... to leave the comforts of his home and begin a new life for himself and others... one of them being me.

Maker of Noses...

2006-04-07T09:14:00.000-05:00

My favorite music artist is Rich Mullins... has been for some time. He just always seemed to tap into my heart in ways that I couldn't even do. His lyrics are profound and deep. I still don't fully understood many of them.

One of his works that seemed to always hold deeper meaning for me is Maker of Noses... read for yourself.

I believe there is a place
Where people live in perfect peace
Where there is food on every plate
Where work is rewarded and rest is sweet
Where the color of your skin
Won't get you in or keep you out
Where justice reigns and truth finally wins
Its hard fought war against fear and doubt

And everyone I know wants to go there too
But when I ask them how to do it they seem so confused
Do I turn to the left?
Do I turn to the right?
When I turn to the world they gave me this advice

They said boy you just follow your heart
But my heart just led me into my chest
They said follow your nose
But the direction changed every time I went and turned my head
And they said boy you just follow your dreams
But my dreams were only misty notions
But the Father of hearts and the Maker of noses
And the Giver of dreams He's the one I have chosen
And I will follow Him

I believe there'll come a time
Lord, I pray it's not too far off
There'll be no poverty or crime
There'll be no greed and we will learn how to love
And children will be safe in their homes
And there'll be no violence out on the streets
The old will not be left alone
And the strong will learn how to care for the weak

And everyone I know hopes it comes real soon
But when I ask 'em where I'd find it they seem so confused
Do I find it in the day?
Do I find it in the night?
When I finally ask the world they give me this advice

Well they said boy you just follow your heart
But my heart just led me into my chest
They said follow your nose
But the direction changed every time I went and turned my head
And they said boy you just follow your dreams

Rich Mullins - The Maker of Noses

It's perfect Rich... easily understandable on the outside, and yet very profound deep within.

Artist will tell you the most difficult part of the face to draw is the nose... I've tried, and I agree. And yet God is the maker of noses... He not only drew it, he invented it... He created it out of nothing... He engineered it... He designed it... He painted it... He did a cost analysis of it even... knowing that someday, the body that goes with the nose would cost Him His only Son... And He made it anyway. I can't think of a better picture of love at the moment... and I think that was Rich's intent.

Spiritual Alzheimers...

2006-04-03T17:41:00.000-05:00

I watched The Notebook a few days ago with Wendy (by the way, great movie to watch with your wife) and we both found ourselves crying during this movie (Wendy more than me of course). If you haven't seen it (or read the book), it's about a married couple, one with Alzheimers and the other faithfully and lovingly committed by her side.

What did this movie trigger in us that made us cry so liberally?

I think I figured it out... I believe it reflects Christ's love towards us. We are the one with Alzheimers... spiritual Alzheimers... we are constantly forgetting who our first love is. And yet Jesus stays by our side, never abandoning us, always loving us, and even nurturing our memory back towards Him. And when we do "see it clearly"... He's there waiting to embrace us and lavish His love upon us. And oh how good it is to experience His love... these are the moments that really matter, and that we'll remember for eternity. May we all experience them more.

A compassionate a prayerful leader...

2006-03-13T22:58:00.000-06:00

What a great picture of our countries leader President Bush... I love this pic b/c the hand he's holding behind him is of Vonette Bright, the wife of perhaps the greatest visionary I know, Bill Bright. It was taken at the national day of prayer in Washington DC last year, and shows not only a prayerful leader, but also a compassionate leader... compassionate because Bill Bright died two years ago.

The Housing Addition...

2006-02-25T21:02:00.000-06:00

So many of you have asked to see updates of the progress on our home... we'll do our best... here is our house "before" (above - May 2005)...

and here is our house "after" (Feb 2006) ...

The inside still has a long way to go, and any help is appreciated! We are beginning to see some light at the end of the tunnel though, and hope to move in (somewhat) by April.

Pray for us!

Our Family...

2006-02-23T17:03:00.000-06:00

Welcome to our blog... we are encouraged by your interest in our lives, and hope that you will be encouraged as you follow ours...

Paul, Wendy, Rachel, and JP