some of my web favorites
  • Notes From Dave
    • my thoughts on some of the tough issues of short-term missions
  • God's Politics
    • jim wallis' smart, political, and God centered take on the issues of today
  • Progressive Eruptions
    • the liberal side of politics from shaw kenawe. a daily read of mine.
  • Conservatism With Heart
    • a conservative take on life and politics from a well connected missouri mom
  • Truthdig
    • left of center, and very informative. bob scheer's online journal
  • Coffee Klatch
    • home of the best coffee roaster in So. Cal. and where i learned to love coffee
  • The Coffee Geek
    • everything you need to know about coffee and how to make a great cup o' joe
  • Bleacher Report
    • varied sports blog, lots of attitude, and sometimes i'm a featured writer
  • Aubievegas
    • a mix of sports in general with a bent towards vegas and auburn

About Me

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Location: Las Vegas, Nevada

I am a self proclaimed coffee addict and Executive Director of a non profit missions agency working primarily in the Mexican cities of Oaxaca, Guadalajara, and Ensenada. I've been married for over 30 years to Chelle, and we have one grown son, Joseph, a graduate of Auburn University in Alabama.

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Friday, March 29, 2013

It's Friday, but Sunday's Comin...


I think I was 19 years old when it happened.

I was up at a Christian Camp in the mountains, with my soon to be wife and hundreds of my closest friends.  The place was packed because that particular year, we had someone speaking to us who was unlike anyone else we had ever heard way back in 1978.

His name was Tony Campolo and he was to become a larger than life figure for me.

Throughout the weekend Tony weaved a call to serve the poor with Jesus call on our lives, admonishing us to do something great for God with our lives.

I remember one person shared with him that she wanted to be a doctor in the nice suburban area where she had grown up.  Tony looked right at her and asked why she would want to do that when she could serve the poor and make a real difference.  "There will always be plenty of doctors to serve the haves" he said, "why not help those who can't get to a doctor?"

She was devastated by his challenge.

I was stunned.

For the first time in my young life, the Gospel made practical sense and I made the decision that weekend to give my life to missions and serving the poor.

Almost 15 years later, in 1992, along with a friend, I founded Adventures in Life Ministry to do mission work in Mexico.  Add another 20 years on that, and today, the majority of our work in Mexico is centered in the state of Oaxaca, the second poorest state in the country.

There is no other way to say this... I am a missionary because God used Tony that weekend and over the years to touch and call me in ways I never expected.

At the end of that conference where I first met Tony, he shared his now famous "It's Friday, but Sunday's Comin'" sermon.

I think it's appropriate today on Good Friday to take a listen and reflect...

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posted by Dave Miller at 10:21 AM

Comments on "It's Friday, but Sunday's Comin..."

 

Blogger Shaw Kenawe said ... (12:02 PM) : 

Happy Easter to you and your family.

 

Blogger Lista said ... (10:30 AM) : 

Oh my Gosh! I can't Wait to read and Listen to this one. Tony Compolo had an Influence on me as well when I was in College. I just dropped by to let you know that I am Blogging Again. I took a Break from it for quite awhile, but have now gotten back into it.

As of Right now, I am a little short on time and should get to doing a few other things, yet when I realized the Subject of this Post, I realized that I am definitely going to be reading it soon and I'd like to also share with you my Tony Compolo Experience.

Meanwhile, Please do Drop by my blog, for it is Active again.

 

Blogger Lista said ... (10:47 AM) : 

Love it!!!!! Ok. It was short, so I Listened to it. I'll be back later to tell you my experience in relation to Tony Compolo.

 

Blogger Dave Miller said ... (9:47 AM) : 

Thank you mucho Shaw!

Lista, nice to see you...

 

Blogger Lista said ... (11:09 AM) : 

Thanks Dave,
And it is Nice to be Back. My Blog Focus has sort of Changed and gone more Spiritual and I did two Easter Posts, with Scripture and all. Since my Previous Audience was so Political in Nature, when I get Spiritual, they are more Quiet, so I haven't had that many Comments. I need to Draw some more Christians to my Blog, so that there will actually be a Conversation going on in the Comment Threads.

I don't Know. Maybe I'll have to still do a Non-Spiritual Post Once in awhile, so that those who don't know how to Comment on the Spiritual Stuff can still Talk to me.

As to my Tony Compolo Experience, He Spoke at a couple of our Chapel Meetings at the School when I went to Azusa Pacific University. All I remember now about his speech is that He was Talking about this Rug that was made by a Poor Women in one of the Third World Countries who was Struggling to Feed her Family and it was Sold for a really High Price, yet by the Time it went through all of these Middle Men and was Sold in America, the Middle Men are the ones who got Rich and the Poor Woman who Made the Rug got Pennies for it and Continued to Struggle to Feed her Family.

What was really Impressive, Dave, is what Happened afterwards, for I was in the Habit of going to a Certain Spot to Pray after Chapel and this time when I did, I said "God Do Something!!" and wouldn't you know it, I started Speaking in Tongues.

No One was with me Trying to Pressure me to do it. It just came out Naturally. In fact, there was a time considerably earlier in which there were people Praying for me to Receive it and I did not Receive it. This is the Reason why I knew what it was, yet I was not Trying to Speak in Tongues, was not even Asking for it at the Time and was not even thinking about it. I was Only Thinking about this Poor Lady that had spent Many Hours Making a Rug that Made a Bunch of Middle Men Rich, but that she was given Pennies for.

I was Interested in Missions for awhile, but was never sure whether or not I was actually Called and then I ended up Marrying someone who did not Share this Interest.

There is a Bit of a Political Message there in the Lady with the Rug Story, though. Don't you Think?

 

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