Joy, Redemption and Beauty

 I'm gonna try to keep this entry short and sweet with lots of pictures. If you haven't had a chance to read the March 17th post, you should do that - it won't disappoint Click Here. A brief overview of the last two weeks: got to go snowboarding for the first time since covid started with a Door of Hope friend, traveled across the country to visit friends in Hayesville NC before a wedding in Virginia. Drove 1500 miles in a week which is something I haven't done since 2015(ish). From there we discovered our windshield was smashed (not sure if it was random or we were targeted. It seems targeted as no one else in the complex experienced it) and a package was stolen off of our front porch which just so happened to be a BIBLE! We will see what God does there. Pray for the thief and car assailant. Without further ado... 

Running slides for Pastor Tim Smith's last Sunday at Door of Hope. He was the Mars Hill Portland Pastor which became Redeemer, which then merged with Door of Hope

Bible Study buddy and snowboard partner, Tucker at Mt. Hood Meadows. First time shredding since covid started. 

We experienced an epic sunrise at about 3am (our time) heading from Portland to Charlotte 

Great time in Hayesville, North Carolina with great friends we love

You might be a redneck... if you use a leaf blower to get your fire pit rockin

Salem Chapel, Rice Virginia 

Anna Davidson's wedding: I didn't cry too much

Andy had us all laughing. Having known Anna for over half her life, this moment didn't seem real. 

Mr. and Mrs. Julius. We got to have lunch with the couple, Kyle's a good dude. 

Explored Liberty University... place is huge

Our car was singled out for a random(?), possibly targeted(?), attack. It's actually worse than it looks, the camera couldn't catch all the ripples etc. Check out the March 17th blog http://www.davidandrewpiper.com/2021/03/provision-past-and-present.html

After writing letters to all of our neighbors we posted this up near the car. Our prayer is that our neighbors would see Christian forgiveness modeled. 

Restoration. Thank you Lord. We know that God is our defender and we prayed a prayer of safety over our car, but not at the expense of our neighbors salvation through our ongoing testimony in this area. 

Provision Past and Present

    On March 6th I discovered a strange $420 auto-renewal charge that occurred on March 3rd 2021 to my Visa card. This lead me to discover that this wasn’t the first time this auto-renewal had happened! Another $360 charge had taken place the previous year on 3/2/20. After some sleuthing, it was determined that I had been paying for something I wasn’t using at all. Quick spoiler in the story: I was completely reimbursed and all is well. While I definitely noticed the $420 missing from this year (2021), I completely missed the $360 charge last year (2020) that came around a time when everything was being canceled (namely our church youth trip to Guatemala) and I was heading towards a sabbatical at a place with no wifi and little reception. Lauren and I were living on dual incomes and it’s clear now that the money wasn’t missed in the moment because I completely missed the charge. It happened without our knowledge and didn’t impact our lives. 

    Fast forward to today as a student on zero incomes. I quickly reached out to the company on March 6th after discovering what had happened and they immediately sent me a check a week later to cover both years of auto-renewals. The 2021 renewal charge was very much noticed while the money coming from the 2020 renewal seemingly came back to us as a free gift out of nowhere.

    On Sunday March 14th between 10:30 and 11pm in Portland, someone took a baseball bat(?) to our parked car windshield we had owned for almost a month; this was the car that replaced our totaled Prius after a person ran into me on 82nd Street in Portland. We don’t understand why someone would damage our car like this? We got the email and pictures from property management about our car while we were at a former Dungeness Community Church students wedding in Virginia. After checking windshield costs on Google from Lynchburg, we discovered that the replacement would be $350+. On Tuesday night (March 16th) when flying back from the Virginia wedding to Portland, I watched a confusing movie about time travel. In the movie people from the past and the future were working together to impact the present… at least that’s what I think happened. This got me reflecting about how God is actively inside our historic human time and outside of it, simultaneously working to achieve his goals. He had known that the year before in 2020 we wouldn’t miss that $360, but now it would definitely mean something to us… it was like balm on a discouraged heart. 

It's actually worse than it looks. 

    When we got home to Portland from the airport we saw for ourselves the devastated windshield, but also had a check in the mailbox to cover it. The check and smashed window converged at the same time perfectly. Again, God has blown my mind and concept of provision on his timeline. It will take me weeks to unpack what fully happened here… Lauren even said “a lifetime,” to barely understand God’s work in human events which is much more accurate. Before watching “the confusing movie” on the flight home, I was reading a commentary on Hosea/Amos/Micah; three prophets who wrote across different time periods. Hosea initially lived in a time where Israel was still prosperous… but he could see this wouldn’t be the case much longer as he looked back in time (so to speak) upon what God had required of his people through the written Torah (Genesis through Deuteronomy). His calls to the people to ditch the false gods they were worshipping and the true God at the same time, went completely unheard. As Hosea read back into the past at what God required of his people, God supernaturally revealed to him what was coming shortly to this disobedient people, in the future. I could go on and on about Hosea’s story… all of this to say, we’re living under a God who is simultaneously working from our past and future to affect the present in ways we can’t even begin to understand. Lauren and I are praying that God would use our broken windshield for good in the lives of our surrounding neighbors as we have a chance to model Christian forgiveness, fully trusting that God ALREADY HAS used this moment from the beautiful future he’s creating. I’m going to stop talking now about time and other things I don’t fully understand, but I’m just in awe of the God we serve who is LORD over time which should give us greater confidence to live our lives faithfully trusting him in the present. God has provided for us in every way today, most graciously seen in his sending of Jesus to die in our place 2,000 years ago for bad things we haven’t even done yet. A faithful man named Glenn Brown from DCC (who has since gone to be with Jesus) once said, “God takes our past and creates our future.” That is true on more levels than we can even comprehend. God does this for his glory and our immense joy. Be encouraged today friend. 

Spectacular, Unreal Month.

 My apologies for the missed post on the 20th. Since we last talked we moved all of our earthly possessions (February 6th) from a 400 square foot apartment, into a 17 foot U-Haul truck to a nearly 1100 square foot apartment just 18 minutes from school. The entire move from start to finish (including the 20 minute drive to the new place) took less than three hours with our spectacular crew. Truly amazing. The move proved to be just in the nick of time looking back. We were slated to fully checkout of our tiny apartment on February 15th. Looking at the weather report, we knew it would need to happen on Feb 11th or wouldn't happen at all. On that Thursday, Lauren and I furiously scrubbed the apartment down while simultaneously checking both the snow report and sky. We were about ready to get hit by a BIG ONE. We actually had no idea how big. We wrapped up cleaning by 1pm, gave the keys back to management and booked it to our new home as freezing rain fell which eventually turned to snow. It felt like something out of a James Bond movie about weather (if there was such a thing) as we escaped from the apartment and storm. Little did we know we wouldn't be going anywhere for a week. The storm coming would put 200,000 people out of power in the Portland area alone. We experienced an inch of freezing rain, followed by a legitimate blizzard that brought a foot+ of snow. After this we experienced an 'ice-storm', something I'd never heard of, with two inches of liquid black ice. It went from being too dangerous to drive, to being too dangerous to walk outside. Covering the snow was a sheet of pure ice. Completely unreal. During this crazy week, we were so thankful to be stuck inside our new two bedroom palace. We baked cookies for neighbors and helped dig people out of the snow. The storm was a huge catalyst for meeting tons of neighbors for which I'm grateful. On February 19th we were able to break free of the snow and head to Lake Sutherland to celebrate my 35th Birthday (on the 22nd) which was wonderful. We got to attend both IBC + DCC and see beloved friends and family. We then celebrated it again the next day in Portland at BBQ with our small group. Then again at In-N-Out Burger that Saturday with Seminary friends. It was a great week. On March 2nd I was able to work off some of the food with a 15mi bike ride with a friend from Bible Study. It was 60 degrees, a massive 54 degrees swing from the historic meteorological event we had just two weeks prior. We're really loving our new place.

Getting ready to move out of the City

The dream moving team on Feb 6th

Less than one week later in the burbs...

Roughed the 'Oregon Trail' to Target - just like the original settlers

The tree in our front yard nearly buckled from the weight of ice.

The thaw begins

Survived

Our new place is mere feet from two spectacular ponds... pretty amazing

Ice storm covered the world in two inches of ice

Super dangerous

Our neighbors carport collapsed under the weight of ice

Insane Ice Storm

Chill bday weekend

Sunset paddle boarding session on Lake Sutherland

35

West Coast Beaches

Podnah's Pit BBQ in Portland w/ Homegroup (camera distorted everyones faces)

The 'Vista House' is only a 15 minute drive from our new place 

Moving Forward

    It’s been a monumental two weeks. We were graciously loaned a Subaru which allowed us to explore the area and start looking for new cars. A couple trips later and the ignition broke in the Costco parking lot on our way back out of town after watching an amazing sunset. School has been going well. I feel like I’ve hit a stride and have even learned how to increase my reading speed by three times. This has been a total game changer for studying. Lauren and I are currently preparing for two weddings in the next two months, one I’ll perform in Idaho for a childhood friend I met in 6^th grade and another one we’ll attend for a former student I met in 6^th grade. Both of these coming weddings have brought so much joy to my heart. Following the Idaho wedding, we will immediately head to Florida for the funeral of my best-man’s brother. Quite the juxtaposition between two solemn ceremonies.   

    Lauren was able to spend the better part of a week with a great friend in Washington and I crushed some assignments. After picking her up, we came back down to tour some new apartments in the burbs. We’ve both realized the city isn’t quite our speed. Don’t get me wrong, I just ate Ethiopian food tonight for the first time and it blew my mind, but the inner-city quality of life isn’t the same. Noise pollution. Cost. Weed smoke always finding its way into our apartment from the neighbors. Lauren not feeling safe. Scouring the streets nightly for some nook to parallel park into. Wondering if the car will be there or broken into in the morning… it all adds up. After giving up on the manufactured home search, we arrived to a new apartment complex 18 minutes away from school in an area we liked. It was alright, but we could tell with the five other complexes going up around it, it was about to be wild. We toured the next apartment at about 5:15pm in the evening of January 28th. We were blown away. At three times larger (including the deck space) than our current apartment with an additional bedroom and bathroom, our minds expanded with possibilities. It’s a complex filled with young families, has a gym, sauna, pool, hot tub and covered designated parking for the SAME price as what we pay now for 400 square feet. We never saw this coming. The next morning (Jan 29^th) we paid big $$$ to break our current lease and sign a new one. On the 30^th we bought the most amazing vehicle I’ve ever driven from a Christian woman in Salem who kept it in immaculate condition, and we sat back in awe of how fast everything was moving. On February 6^th we will move all our remaining possessions into our new place with a crew of friends from church and school. Totally wild. We will see what happens… One things for certain, you can now come visit us!  

Beautiful snow on Mt. Tabor

"As surely as I live," declares the King, whose name is the LORD Almighty, "one will come who is like Tabor among the mountains, like Carmel by the sea.

-Jeremiah 46:18

Lauren got to spend some good time with a bestie in WA

New apartment. New Car. A crazy unexpected 24 hours

New apartment. New Car. A crazy unexpected 24 hours

If you've never had Ethiopian food before... you should

 

Sunshine and Rain

Greetings Fam. Quick update. Over the last few weeks we’ve felt God’s smile in many different ways. He causes growth from both the sunshine and rain. We’re feeling a bit more settled in the city but don’t want to keep paying $1600 a month for a 400sq foot apartment so we’ve recently met with a realtor who attends our church. For our price range we’re looking at manufactured homes in the ‘burbs’. We’re just two minutes or so away from school but are looking to move twenty minutes out to save approx 50% off of rent. We will see what happens.

After more than two months of not driving since the Prius was totaled, we were loaned a car out of nowhere from another couple in our Bible study and that’s been unreal. It’s so good to have mobility again and has allowed us to explore different living options. SO incredibly thankful for a car as we look for a car (and house). School is currently going well with an additional class this semester over last as I feel like I’m hitting a good study stride. I'm now the 'older guy' around campus but it's a great place to be. In the midst of all this Lauren and I began pre-marital counseling for a childhood friend of mine I’ve know for nearly 24 years. We use to party together half my lifetime ago so this a redemptive step in the right direction. As I shared before, Lauren and I are getting more settled and know we’re here for a reason beyond school. Both of us are looking forward to getting more involved with our church here and we're eager to see what happens.

Our sweet loaner Forester 

Sunset on Mt. Tabor

Sunset on Mt. Tabor part 2

Apartment sunrise w/ sweet new mug. The epic sunrises make rent a little less painful

2020

 A whirlwind would best describe November and December 2020. These were hands down the most challenging days within a most challenging year. Within six weeks a friend was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease and covid; my wife’s sister had emergent surgery (which Lauren responded to by flying to her in Colorado and spending a month with her to assist); the brother of a close friend overdosed and died on fentanyl; I was in a traffic accident which left me very concussed and without a car; I flew to the east coast to mourn with my friend and his family, traveled to Charlotte to meet Lauren for the first time in a month and to celebrate Thanksgiving with her dad’s side of the family, mourned the loss of my grandmother and finished my first semester of seminary strong despite the concussion. In all of this, God was profoundly good to us, drawing us closer to him and teaching us how to pray. Our Portland church community was amazing and we felt loved. We were able to minister to those here through their trials and be ministered to by them. On December 15th I got to take a full day of space alone with God at the Portland Grotto where God refreshed my heart before heading to Sequim to be with family after the passing of my grandmother. On the 20th we flew out to Denver to meet with Lauren’s mom’s side of the family and even one of my lifelong friends. It was a joy to watch Lauren’s niece and nephew open presents at 6am on Christmas morning as well as explore the ‘Garden of the God’s’ in Colorado Springs with 60+ degree weather. We were blessed by Geico with a week long car rental that allowed us to see family and friends again in Sequim as well as pickup our dog from dear friends in Bremerton that drove down just to pick him up while I was concussed and needed to rest. NYE with them was much different than the previous year in Victoria, but we got to read scripture, pray and celebrate all that God had done in our lives. What a sweet time. 

During these uncertain times it would be easy to ask God “why,” when the better question might be “what.” What do you want to show us Lord? What do you want us to learn? Dr. Carl Laney states in his book Biblical Wisdom, that we don't need to know why when we know God (p. 29). Lauren and I are currently enjoying the uncertainty that comes from both car and house shopping at the same time while profoundly feeling the presence of God everywhere. I simultaneously hold high hopes with low expectations in tension together for 2021. Why are we in closed Portland when we could be anywhere in the world for school via Zoom? Maybe we will never know, but it doesn't matter anymore. We're here and so is God. All in all I’m profoundly grateful for what’s occurred over the last year and how God has used that to shape us. 

We love you Tutu

Immediately after finishing a journal entry at the Portland Grotto telling God I trusted him through the storm without understanding, I looked up and there was a rainbow. It lasted 5-10 minutes and was a profound moment in my life.

Pre-Christmas celebration with my family before flying to Colorado for Lauren's family

Too much fun

Ugly sweater party with my niece and nephew

Balancing Rocks

Sus Ava being super strong

Garden of the Gods is unreal

...seriously unreal

Amazingly real

Magnificent 

Brothers from different mothers

Sweet Redemption

I was asked to share my pastoral burnout story with a group of pastors at the request of a Western Seminary professor. Here's what I shared... 

There might come a point in your life where you go, “I think I’ve heard this somewhere before?” That moment came for me on March 12th, 2018 when my Lead Pastor came to me and said, “you’re doing too much, you need to slow down.” 

Around 2015 my mom began been telling me, “you’re doing too much, you need to slow down.” But… you know, that’s just mom. I’m a 30-something-year-old gainfully employed man and she still buys me socks; of course she’s going to say something like that! Then, my wife began telling me “you’re doing too much, you need to slow down.” Me being me, made up great excuses as to why she was wrong. And that’s where I was wrong. At some point in my pastoral journey of being completely sold out for Jesus, another desire was introduced. The desire for being ‘effective’ overrode my sense of what was actually right, healthy and good. This stemmed from broken personal desires to feel validated in what I did (as opposed to who I intrinsically was as a child of God) from myself and community. My ministry story is too common. It started with not maintaining margins and then sacrificing well-being to continue. At the time I knew absolutely nothing about emotional health. I went from event to event with little to no downtime between. By November of 2017, I began experiencing chest pain, pitiful sleep experiences and teeth grinding. “I just gotta get through these holidays into spring…” That December, I actually forgot about Christmas, being so consumed with the events around it. Four massive events later, my Lead Pastor came to me in March 2018 and said, “you should probably nix the fifth.” In my stubborn pride I didn’t listen. I was thrashed but didn’t want to feel like a failure if this spring break trip fell through. On that outreach, I said the right things and performed the correct motions but felt nothing on the inside. March 18^th, 2018 marked the beginning of what I would later learn was burnout. A mentor told me that “burnout occurs when physical output exceeds emotional buy in,” and that’s the single most true thing I’ve ever heard on the topic. I had done too much for too long. I didn’t listen to those who loved me. Driving home from the Seattle airport after a leadership conference in San Diego on April 25th gave me two hours to think of ways to ‘accidentally die’. I’m not sure if I was suicidal- but I knew I definitely didn’t want to be alive. In August of that year, a famous pastor in California killed himself with his wife and kids outside. In that moment I understood exactly what he had been feeling and knew something had to change for me. In March of 2019 I verbalized my feelings of not wanting to be alive off and on that past year with my Lead Pastor after my wife told me she was worried about coming home and finding me dead. Within two months of verbalizing my feelings, the darkness lifted. I began to stop feeling like a success or failure depending on the day and was able to genuinely love the people in front of me regardless of the group size.

If I was given a chance to talk to my 2017 self I would probably say something like 1) your life matters because God’s story matters and you get to be part of it 2) Your value isn’t connected to what you produce, you’re an adopted child of a KING! You could never earn more than what he’s already given to you, dummy! 3) Get off your phone 4) Tell someone how you really feel, that’s when your healing will begin 5) No one’s a failure when they’re faithful. The kids won’t remember that epic event you pulled off, but they’ll remember how you made them feel 6) Slow down and rest! Jesus changed the world walking around. Moving at ‘Godspeed’ is actually 3 miles an hour 7) LISTEN TO YOUR MOM SHE BUYS YOU SOCKS. Friend, if ‘2017-19 me’ is ‘2020 you’ and you don’t have someone you can talk to, I’d love to connect over Zoom. You can reach me at david.piper@westernseminary.edu. For the full emotional health journey check out http://www.davidandrewpiper.com/2020/03/in-my-life.html and scroll down to the part that says, “Physical Health Journey Ends.” May God bless you in 2021. Remember that you are fully known and loved by the God who spoke you and the universe into existence.

His,

piper