"It is not fitting, when one is in God's service, to have a gloomy face or a chilling look." Francis of Assisi

Gloomy, anxious, irritable and unpleasant to be around.  That is me today.  Granted we have some reasons to be sad.  A friend of Daniel's who always made him laugh passed suddenly last Friday.  Seems so many good ones have gone lately. But sadness and grief are not the same as self centeredness.  Feeling distracted and unable to focus on what needs to be done before Belize next week. Probably gave some chilling looks.  Blaming (secretly) everybody for not helping more and everything for not going right up to and including solar flares and global warming.  Well, maybe not global warming. What I really need is to recognize His Sufficiency and Grace.  What I really need is to remember to spend time listening for His still small voice.  I need the faith and innocence of a child.  Apparently like this child.

Support Noah's Workshop

Noah's Workshop is under the umbrella of the Global Foundation, a 501 (c)(3).  All donations are tax deductible.  Send donations to Noah's Workshop c/o the Global Foundation,  P.O. Box 58328, Nashville, TN 37205.  Checks, which are tax deductible, should be made out to the Global Foundation and a notation made "for the Butlers" or "for Noah's Workshop."  Bill Haire and Dan Buttrey are the founders and managers of the Global Foundation. They have helped many wonderful missionaries, such as Paul Ellsworth, and social service projects in countries all over the world, including Laos, Ukraine and Mexico. If you want to donate a non-monetary item or to discuss prayer requests with someone in the USA, give Bill Haire a call at 615-383-2005. See more in "About Me" sidebar.

In Alphabetical Order...Fear, Grief and Hope; In God’s Order Faith, Hope and Love

Ok, so it’s countdown time...only 13 days until we arrive in Belize to settle into new jobs, a different home, being around different people...”How can we pull this together so ‘quickly’?” “Will we have the prayers and financial support we need?” I worry in my worst moments, despite the fact that God has always been leading in this direction.  We spent the day going to doctors.  Daniel had general anesthesia for dental problems.  I am not up to date on “my list.” I could go on.  On the other hand, this week, I have been able to renew my primary care skills.  Our kind friend, Dr. Robert Rhea, has reintroduced me to general family practice.  I have recaptured my suturing skills.  Granted my patient was a very cooperative pig’s foot, but I give myself a pat on the back for getting the feel for managing a variety of cutaneous injuries. 
My buddy C.S. Lewis reminds me that “the act of cowardice is all that matters; the emotion of fear is, in itself, no sin.”  I am not so sure he is right about this but I seldom disagree with him except when it comes to pointing the finger at me.  The truth is “there is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.” 
But it is difficult to separate the fear from grief at the loss of my dear Jake.  Again for me, ol’ C.S. puts it clearly: “Grief still feels like fear.  Perhaps, more strictly, like suspense.  Or like waiting; just hanging about waiting for something to happen.  It gives life a permanently provisional feeling.”
But life on earth is not permanent.  This current earth is not our home.  Which brings us back to hope.  Lewis says “Hope...means...a continual looking forward to the eternal world...It does not mean that we are to leave the present world as it is.  If you read history you will find that the Christians who did the most for the present world were just those who thought the most of the next.”
So this is why we are going to Belize. 
“Three things will last forever--faith, hope, and love--and the greatest of these is love.”

So why the name “Noah’s Workshop”?

  The story of Noah is often remembered as a fun children’s story with lots of animals, an eccentric old man making a cool big boat and and a happy ending with rainbows. Most people just think of Noah as the guy who saved all the animals because he persevered even though everyone mocked him. This is true but there is much more. A little research shows some interesting facts. Just like other “larger-than-life” heroes of the Bible, Noah lived up to his name. His father Lamech named him Noah, for he would “comfort the poor who work the land.” Rabbinical writings suggest that Noah lived up to his name even before the flood by inventing implements for tilling the ground and new carpentry tools as well, which may have lightened the load of the people for whom he cared and to whom he preached.  Most importantly, we know that Noah preached the truth that God had given to him and tried to save the people from the flood in a very wicked and perverse time. But why did God insist on the construction of the ark? He easily could have saved Noah and his family in any number of ways, but He asked Noah to use his hands, all of his skills and the natural resources that he had available to build the ark in obedience to His very specific instructions. God entrusted Noah with the protection of all of creation through his hard work, perseverance and obedience while being mocked and jeered.  When it comes to “comforting” others and being obedient, we believe that the Lord calls us all to be ‘Noahs’ by using our hands, all of our skills and experience obediently for His glory no matter what the cost.

Noah's Workshop in Belize

 

Noah's Workshop under the umbrella of the Global Foundation, a 501 (c)(3) exists to provide medical care and education focussed on creatuve thinking so that people in needy nations may use their
God given gifts to the glory of God.

 

 Noah’s Workshop was never meant as only a place, but a “brain trust” of people walking along side needy people, so that they can develop all of their God given gifts to the glory of God.  This can be accomplished with any kind of godly mentoring, including, but not limited to, helping a sick person get well, helping a student learn a new skill and possibly start him or her on a career path,  helping a person overcome by addictions.  All of the above could be performed by mentors with Noah’s Workshop.  But we always felt that God had another meaning in mind as well... A real workshop, a place where families and children could play, be creative, learn new artistic skills, learn some basic business skills...A place where kids and families could play together or watch movies about their Creator and join in lively discussions on how He made them as creators too... A place where people could come and feel the Love of God
whether they are Presbyterians, Baptists, Catholics, agnostics, or atheists...An inclusive, non-threatening place for anyone. We believe that we can reach hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people with the Lord’s message of hope. We realize that is a big vision.  We will start small by showing hope, inspiring creativity, helping people find God’s calling on their life with weekend seminars on new skills, women’s and men’s issues, classes in artistic endeavors and movies that provoke some discussion on what it means to be God’s child. These events will at times be facilitated by us and at times together with visiting mentors.