Today we went to the Dr. Pepper Stars Center in Frisco (north of Dallas). In the paper this morning we saw that the Southwest Regional Figure Skating Championships were going to be there and we thought it would be a fun, free thing to do.
We enjoyed the figure skating and watched it for about an hour or so.
After the figure skating, we walked passed the 2nd rink and the Dallas Stars were practicing. WOW!! It was unbelievable to see the size and speed of major NHL hockey. We were able to stand right on the glass while they practiced. The picture is a shot of the Stars’ top player Mike Modano (in the middle standing upright.) He was a head taller than most of the team. We jumped out of our skin several times when shots missed and hit the glass right in front of us. My ears are still ringing.
We had a great time and the chance to see the Stars was unexpected and really cool. Grant, Cooper and I could have stood there all day.
Tom,
I tripped across your blog and can’t believe that you’re missionaries. The last thing I thought I would find on a missionaries web site is “shop till you drop”, jetting all over the world, traveling “at will”. I can only cringe when I hear what you are doing with other peoples donations. I hope all your supporters read this site.
Also, to list all this under answered prayer, God’s plan, doing his work…….PLEASE!!!!! The God I worship is proud of the humble man.
MtBu,
I think you are coming to conclusions after getting just a small part of the picture. I wish you could get to know me and have a more clear picture on who I am and how I look at all this.
I’m not going to get in a big argument as I don’t see much point in that. Suffice it to say that I’m accountable to God for my actions and I’m sincerely trying to follow his leading in my life. He is the one that I have to answer to.
I think it is really hard for people who have never been missionaries and have never lived overseas serving the Lord to realize what life is like in some parts of the world.
fortunately, God can look on the heart. I am sure MtBu means well but just doesn’t understand the whole picture.
Hey!!! an annoynmous post, an annoynmous dart/shot across the bow!! Gotta love it…now – there is no room for dialogue.
You must be in church work, somewhere! PTL, for you!
he hee..
here’s a beer to all of our self-consumed, shop-til-you-drop, world traveling missionaries who left the comfort and security of their homes and families to live it up large…
*tact is for people who don’t have the gift of sarcasm…
Guys,
I would like to inform you that I have lived abroad in some very compromising places. I’m extremely educated and a very strong Christian. So, now we have that cleared up…….
To say you are “giving up so much” to live abroad, I would beg to disagree. If you were living in Kenya with none of the ammenities of life, I would agree. However, Budapest is a very progressive city (I’ve been there).
I’m very accessible. Just leave a message back on this blog site. I’ll visit it often and sometime maybe reveal who I am. You’ll be shocked when you find out.
All I’m trying to communicate is that I wouldn’t be bragging on my blog site about the many “extras you’ve given up”……please, you haven’t given up anything other then the accountability to a US organization.
I’ve lived with missionaries all my life. I’ve lived with them in multiple cities around the globe. Being in the mission field should mean something other then living like everyone else. What have you given up to follow God? I would offer that it is nothing based on your blog. The fact remains that many of the missionaries I meat are people that can’t cut it in a mainstream job and need a mission to hide behind and generate more income then you would be able to in a “real” job.
I would bet that your house is very nice. Your kids are privately educated. You travel home every summer to beg for more money so you can “rough it” another year.
I can’t question where God is leading you. I can question how you are following. How many hours do you work/week? How many weeks off this year? Are you working tirelessly to bring people to Christ? Or is that not your purpose?
Don’t get me wrong, there are alot of great missions in the world and alot of great people working for them. I’m just a firm believer that if you are raising your support, you are accountable for your results. I would question your results based on this blog site.
All for now
MtBu,
Obviously you have formed a pretty strong opinion of me, my ministry, my motives and my family through my blog. My blog is not who I am and my blog doesn’t represent my ministry. It is just some random thoughts that give my family and friends an update on my life. There is no way you can know all these things about me just by reading my blog.
I’m not accountable to you for my actions, but to God, my family, and my ministry. I don’t see any reason to continue this conversation.
ahhhhh, Tom. come on, man. you big pansy.
This could save you a bunch a money in therapy – having someone else to project on!! Dude, bro, don’t throw this chance away!
And I do have to agree with MtBu on one thing – this blog site…
I don’t think you have your blog working for you as well as you could. So – as your consumeristic brother in law – I offer my pointers in how to make this blog better…
1. Paypal. Have folks donate to you through the blog so you can travel the world and watch baseball.
2. Recent Stupid Comments plugin. Just a little nav bar on the side listing the last few comments that either were completely pointless or made you laugh.
3. a WWJB button – What Would Jesus Blog. You could possibly interchange this with a HWJB (how would jesus blog) or WKOBWJH (what kind of blog would Jesus have).
I’m guess wordpress. Because the Word became flesh…
4. A webcam at your desk. So we can see when you’re being a lazy hack.
5. New Catagories for your posts. The ones you have are just boring. Try these..
Materialism
Spiritually Self-Pimping
CBWR (Complete breaks with reality)
Middle School Disease
My Addictions
Other Crap
6. More cowbell.
Hope these help…
Ah, come on Tom. You have a blog site for exactly this reason. If you want only opinions shared that align with your thought process then password protect it.
Have you ever worked for a for profit organization?
I’m just wondering because you seem to have a warped sense of reality.
I noticed a comment on your recent blog that your were headed to the US to check out your back because work wasn’t very busy.
How are you not busy if you are trying to save souls? Your job should always be busy. Your partner, Hertzler, mentions that some countries in your region are starting their own web ministries without your help. Interesting…..maybe you SHOULD be busy.
Anyway, glad to see you’re passing it on to your children. Allowing them to skip school to follow a stupid baseball game. They must not be very busy either.
Well, as long as you can continue convincing other people that you are working hard for the kingdom, I wish you the best of luck.
MtBu
Well if you insist on dragging me in…..
I will do my best to remain objective here.
Campus Crusade is called to reach people with the gospel. We have not taken a vow of poverty. What this means is that if a staff member of CCC has alternate sources of income (from family, for example) they are not required to forgo them. They are allowed to earn a salary based on their ministry activity, and they are allowed to raise funds to cover that salary.
So, while it may appear that a CCC staff member is spending money they raised through donations on extravagent living, i.e., a living standard that seems inconsistent with those who give to their ministry – per Scripture’s guidelines in 2 Cor. 8:13 – it is more likely that they are spending money which they received through other means.
For example, if your grandmother gave you money to go on a cruise for your anniversary, would you tell her, “Thanks Grandma, but we will use your money on groceries instead. That way we won’t have to beg as much.” No. I am sure Grandma would not give her money for groceries. “Don’t you have a job?” would be her obvious reply. Grandma wants to give her grandkids something special, not something mundane.
Can you provide a Scriptural injunction against this? Is not the worker worthy of his wages? (1 Timothy 5:18)
The flippancy with which you view the process of support raising makes me think that you have probably never done it. It is easily the most difficult part of missionary life, and I have never met a missionary who enjoys it. While possible, it doesn’t seem likely that someone would move their family overseas and incur the need to raise a bunch of money – just so they could raise more money and have it easy. The fact that you refer to it as begging shows that your view and Scripture’s view of giving are not the same. C.f. Phillipians 4:10-20
The purpose of Tom’s blog is not to post his time sheet or describe his work. Why would you conclude that someone isn’t doing their job simply because when they chose to write about their life they didn’t write about their job? Who wants to read, “Today I led a meeting where we discussed how much money it will take to produce a new type of ministry. We spent two hours thinking about all the different aspects of this. The most surprising thing was discovering that the local phone company offered a new discount to missionary organizations.” I am not sure that Tom’s wife would want to read that!
Your feedback is valuable, MTBU, but it comes with pretty many emotional obstacles.
Given what you have revealed about your identity (not much other than generalities), I don’t see many other options than to dismiss your comments as one person’s reaction. That is, I generally don’t let strangers tell me how to run my life, but I often listen to them as an indication of what some people might think.
You have implied that you are a believer in Jesus. As such, you can’t just take a pot shot at another believer and walk away – at least not with a clear conscience. If your brother, Tom, is sinning, as you have implied, then you need to walk through it with him.
Reveal your identity and stand by your comments.
Why will we be shocked?
MTBU,
One other thing I didn’t understand. Where did you read that Tom claimed to be making sacrifices? I glanced back over things here on the site, and I can’t find it.
Are you equating sacrifice with following God and telling people about Jesus? I fail to see where the sacrifice in this is. Rather, isn’t it more of a sacrifice to spend the better part of your life’s energy on making a company profitable rather than getting to be involved in seeing God redeem people to himself through your work?
There is certainly a correlation between following Jesus and sacrifice, but I am not aware that Scripture defines all sacrifice in terms of money or inconvenience. Nor am I aware that sacrifice accomplishes God’s work of telling people about Jesus. Sacrifice is not the point, following God is.
I think I see your point that a missionary who doesn’t work should not be paid, and I wouldn’t disagree. I fail to understand why a missionary needs to sacrifice in order to do his job.
Maybe you can clarify. Which sacrifices should a good missionary make? You seem to have a list.
My goal is to hit 20 comments with this thing…that would be awesome…
The possible shocking identities of Mt Bu:
1. Boutros Boutros Galli – former Sec. Gen of UN. Has converted to Christianity but still can’t quite get rid of the militant Egyptian attitude.
2. Upset Baylor grad – well educated and angry because can’t find meaningful employment and their football team keeps inventing ways to lose a game.
3. The Soup Nazi from Seinfield…see Boutros Boutrus description.
4. Child of prominent theologian who can’t tell the difference between T-O-M and G-R-A-N-T. (Grant is the one with more letters.)
5. MC Hammer. Think about this one. It’s possible that living in debt all these years has finally made Hammer a more simple (simpler? simplest?) less complicated man. No more Bling.
6. Joel Osteen. nahhhhh.
7. Astro’s Manager Garland. Ticked at Tommy for blogging during the game instead of cheering…missionary or not, you gotta have priorities.
I’m still trying to figure out how he used the words ‘stupid’ and ‘baseball’ in the same sentence. Boy I miss going to games…one of the sacrifices of being a missionary overseas.
MTBU,
As Tom’s pastor of their home church in the U.S., I am concerned with the accusations that you are implying and stating in your comments. I have known Tom and his family for many years now. Our children and wives are good friends. I am aware of their ministry and its fruit. I am aware of their struggles (and they are of mine). They encouraged me and our congregation greatly this past summer when they gave a church-wide report. Their webpage is a very transparent tool into their ministry and personal lives (at least to some degree).
Never once have I or anyone that I know, even remotely been concerned about their ministry integrity.
You are not only concerned, but publicly voicing your comments on their ministry web page blog. Since your accusations are quite serious and, if true, worthy of termination from a ministry position…I’m reminding you of God’s command to, “If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you” (Matthew 18:15). This conversation should be a private one between you and Tom. If that attempt doesn’t prove successful, then having another believer (or two) confront Tom with you would have been the next step (18:16). The final step would be for you to take it to the church (18:17ff).
Tom has a church that he is under the Biblical authority of and is spiritual accountability to. I currently in the pastor of that church. When you fulfill your responsibility in verses 15-16 and with the spirit of Matthew 7:3-5 (removing your own log first), then I will be available and attentive to listen to your concerns (along with other the 2-3 witnesses that you bring along).
MtBu!!! Who let you out of your room?! I am disappointed in you. I thought that we discussed this! You need to get back to your room and quit bothering these strangers.
Sorry folks! I hope that MtBu did not upset you. When his father gets home, he’s really going to get it! (Romans 14:12 – So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.)
“If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you” (Matthew 18:15). This conversation should be a private one between you and Tom. If that attempt doesn’t prove successful, then having another believer (or two) confront Tom with you would have been the next step (18:16). The final step would be for you to take it to the church (18:17ff).
I’m going to pray for you tonight MtBu. Sad thing is, I’m sure that the Seely’s will too. They are too nice to be mean – it’s obvious from all of Tom’s comments. Darn – wish I could remember the verse that says when your brother slaps you on the left cheek, turn to him also your right.
I LOVE YOU SEELY’S!!!!!!!!
ha hahahahaha..
someone busted out the mom joke already…that’s funny…
it reminds me of this post….
I’m Back………….
Now we got the pastor involved. I love it.
Just to make sure everyone knows, I’m ready to stand before my Lord and receive judgement. I’m very comfortable with where I’m at.
My frustration runs in that I’m sick of seeing missionaries misuse the resources that have been granted them. Anyone that works for CCCI, please tell me how many weeks you have taken off in the last year. Don’t come back with 2-3, I know much better. For those that choose not to go to the states to raise support in the summer, take the majority of the summer off. I witnessed this 1st hand, so please don’t ask me to prove it.
All I’m asking for is accountability. You are called to be faithful with the resources God grants you with.
I know that the job of a missionary is not easy. Raising money is not fun or easy. I just question how much $$ it should cost and how much $$ is does cost to have a missionary overseas. How quickly are you trying to eliminate your job? Who’s holding you accountable to your deadlines? Who do you report to?
I believe the missionary commuinity could use a dose of business practices. Make sure that the $$ is going to good use. 45 hour work weeks. 2-3 weeks of vacation per year. Ect.
Just some thoughts.
Please don’t get so defensive about this. That alone tells me that I’m hitting a soft spot.
Also, if you’re going to blog, be prepared for feedback. If you don’t want others opinions, then shut the blog site down.
Looking forward to your responses.
MtBu strikes again.
MtBu, It sounds like you are a part of a situation where you personally witness the poor judgement that you are talking about. May I suggest that you take your comments and apply them to a situation you are familar with, rather than a family you ‘just tripped across?’
I think if you read back through the comments that Tom is the least ‘defensive’. He wanted to talk with you about your concerns. His supporters are the defensive ones. That says something there.
Again, if you really are concerned about the situation, why don’t you just talk to Tom about it? Your random blogging just isn’t effective if your heart really is in the right place, you know?
I think this makes sense. You… make no sense.