I'm so excited. I'm so worried. I'm feeling so anxious. I'm filled with joy. I'm filled with peace. The Father's heart in me is overflowing and about to spill over.
I'm excited to see my friends again and for them to meet my bride. I'm worried that some of the kids I held there in Swaziland will be dead because of disease when I return. I pray protection from death over them, now. I'm so anxious for Jan to see that this is where she will flourish. She has a Mother Theresa type heart that just flourishes in a place where pain is evident, but compassion is needed.
I'm filled with joy to be able to have a shared journey, shared mission, shared passion, and a shared vision with my best buddy, Jan. Joyous in regards to how God is gonna rock our worlds again. I'm filled with peace, knowing that Noah and Samuel will be safe with trusted friends, tribe, that is of most preciousness to us.
When I asked God to transplant my heart of stone, with His heart, and he did, it gave me new eyes. Eyes to see his kids, and his heart for his people. All of the people on this planet are His, and he wants to hold them in his arms. And if he wants to use my arms and my family's to do it, than here we are Father. His heart within me weeps for the fatherless and motherless. For the widow/single mom and for those hurting from life. But more than anything, I am excited for how this will be experienced together with Jan.
I hope I see my little buddy above at Tembutini. Once again, so many feelings, so many emotions. This is awesome stuff. Sometimes, you gotta just go for it, even if it seems impossible. It is in those situations that I have learned, that that is where God steps in, and makes it happen, not me or my strength. Please pray for Jan's headaches to be healed completely while we are in Africa. That, would be awesome.
I have a buddy who is in the middle of a battle. Of course, we all are, but today, this is in honor of him. He is being awakened to the fight. More each day, he is finding that the battle rages, even in the midst of his very own territory, his home.
He is being awakened to the sphere of influence he has in his life. He is seeing the impact he can have, even on his own father. His dad, is awakening to the battle also. What a powerful front they will form for The Kingdom.
He has chosen to step into the battle, not as a spectator who is critical of how others should be fighting, but as a doer. Not always making the best choices on how to address the battle plan, but nonetheless, he is fighting.
He has chosen new weapons. Weapons that he has had all along, but now the dust has been shaken off them and they are alive and active. He has chosen the weapon of prayer. Prayer for his wife, kids, parents, friends, and family. Prayer for his employees. He has chosen Truth. Truth that will be never threatened. Truth that his feet will stand firm in, in the middle of this battle. Truth, of who he is, a royal son of The King.
His main weapon though, is love. The kind that disarms even the most hostile of enemies. Love that comes with no strings attached. Love, that conquers the hearts of unruly kings and tyrants. The kind of love, that is always waiting to be shown, so it can reveal it's true source and point of origin. The Love that is from The Father's Heart.
The battle never comes the way we have planned for it. It never looks the way we want it to. We sometimes focus on where it manifests itself in the physical world, but it is of the spiritual realm. It is a warfare that attacks the hearts of children and knows no boundaries. It is from hell itself, and the only weapon that can defeat it, is Love. Pure, un-adulterated, un-conditional, disarming Love. Standing firm in the truth, accompanied by this Love, the enemy has no chance. Man, you should see my buddy when he loves. It's awesome.
On the right, is Mt. Madison in New Hampshire. Me and a few buddies climbed this mountain this past weekend. It was a good time to press into the mountains and re-focus on what is important in life.
As soon as I get into the mountains, I am overwhelmed by the smallness of my life, and at the same time, the greatness of the call that God has entrusted to us. The authority we have been given by Him, and the tenderness of the lives he has put in front of us.
I brought with me the thoughts of our upcoming trip to Swaziland and how all of the details would work out. I saw tasks in front of me that are too big for me alone and heard God say, "What CAN'T you do with me. Nothing is too great." It was a time of reflection and re-assurance, initiation and confirmation.
I thought of my wife, more than anything. I thought of our sons. I couldn't believe that I am where I am, in life today. I started to count the blessings that have been given to me, and then watched the hurts I'd been through, fade away. It started out being focused on me that climb, and then as it went on, all I could do was think about others. Others that have been there for me, others that I want to be there for. And then it washed over me, again. The fact that this time here, on this Earth is not all about me. It's all about me, helping others, and being there for those who would want the shared journey of life.
We haven't been created to be loved by others. We have been created, to be loved by God, so that we can go love others. It's pretty simple, but we really screw it up. Love someone new today. Someone who might not love you back. I dare you.
Posted in Father's Love by Marc Schifano on 8/23/2010
We have been gone for a week on vacation. We never get away, just the four of us, never mind for a whole week. We were blessed by a friend who took us away for a week and covered all the costs. It was a cool setting in which all the people got to know each other and you could see by the end of the week, that a small community had begun to arise. Some were there for the first time, and some had been returning for their thirtieth year. But nonetheless we had mixed emotions when leaving.
We were glad to be returning home with our sons, but sad to leave because we got to watch Noah make so many friends and just as they really start to get to know each other, it's time to leave. I remembered when my family used to go to Eastover Resort in Massachusetts and the feelings I had when it was time to leave. I hated saying goodbye. I would cry my face off, even as a teenager. There is something special about being knit together in a tight community of people. You can drive yourself crazy finding fault with everyone and why they don't do what you would do in a particular situation, or you can just love them.
It was an emotional week for Jan and I. Between her having some bad headaches, and the fact that our kids were outside the norm of their routine, it was a great chance for us to see how we could adapt. By day three, we were in a good swing of things. We found our stride. It made me think of Swaziland and how we would do there. God showed me how my wife and sons were what He used to guide me and my actions and reactions to things. It was a great week, for Jan and I, of making it all about what Noah wanted to do. It was great to watch him eat what he wanted, play what he wanted, and just simply be a fun little dude like he is.
At one point, Jan had went to the room to put Samuel down for a nap. During this time, she put some ice on her head to ease her migraine. So Noah and I were at the beach building sand castles and getting dirty. At one point I sat down and just watched him throw rocks into the water. He didn't know I was watching because he was so caught up in having fun. I just stared, and took delight in him. I rejoiced over him. I cried and thanked God for him. I loved just watching how his mind works. And of course, BOOM! In my heart, I hear God say, "That's what I do with you Marc. I love to watch how your mind works. I love to watch you in the middle of having fun. I delight in you. You make me smile."
I tried to run from God's love for years. I just didn't want it, especially the way it was shown to me by those who represented Him. But through all the bad stuff that happened in life, God made it impossible to escape his Love. He pursued me and my heart, and right now, is doing the same with you. You are reading this, because God wanted to grab your attention today and tell you that He loves you. That's all, He loves us.
Posted in Father's Love by Marc Schifano on 8/13/2010
Below is a fifty second video of a Father and Child Reunion. The look on this girls face when she realizes that the special guest in her classroom is her Daddy, back from overseas, makes me think of how we are gonna feel when re-united with those who have died that we love, and when we see Jesus face to face. It reminded me of the feeling I had in my stomach when I saw my earthly dad, who had died, in a dream before. That awesome feeling of, "Is this really happening?" This is priceless.
An excerpt from Darin Hufford's book, "The Misunderstood God."
"I've found that when you love people with every part of yourself, you actually see inside their hearts. You become extremely sensitive to every part of their souls as if they were your own. When things are spoken to them, you can see inside them and hear through their ears, see through their eyes, and understand things from their perspective. If someone says something negative to people you love, you can interpret what they heard, how they took it, and what feelings it gave them. It's not as though you see it from a distance or from the outside looking in. You actually experience it with them. Your heart is woven tightly to theirs. When they become the objects of your affection, you suddenly become one with them. Real love takes you outside yourself and allows you to enter and meld with other people's hearts. When they laugh, your heart laughs because you are one. This is the result of love."
Since reading this book, which I recommend before you buy your next book, my whole paradigm has shifted, yet again. We know God, by loving others, whether they love us or not. It is actually fun. It is the most difficult thing in the world, especially when you are trying to love those people in your life that know how to push your buttons. This is the true test.
We are all works in progress. We are all walking with a limp. Let's be patient and love one another, no matter what! Peace.
September 14-23, 2010, Jan and I are heading to Swaziland, Africa. We are gonna be checking out where we will choose to live, and start buttoning up a lot of the details that will need to be addressed.
It will be hard to be away from the boys for this long, but I am excited to be there with Jan and to see her interactions with the staff and children. There has been a lot of sacrifice so far along this journey to get to this point, and it's only just begun.
This whole thing is only going to be possible through the help of others who have a heart for helping the helpless. Orphans and widows, in need of the most basic stuff in life. And we are just saying "Here we are Lord, what can we do?" This entire journey is based on faith. Faith that our financial support will be raised monthly. And for us, and everyone who will partake in this Epic, the lives that will be affected and changed, will be worth the investment.
We will be walking away from a lot of stuff. The things that we have become so dependant on each day here, will be luxuries there in Swaziland. Part of me wonders why the heck I would ever leave the job I have to do this. Is this the best thing for us as a family? All the questions that people ask, we have allready discussed as a couple, weighed the risk, and still choose this, because it is what He made us to do and equipped us to do. It is scary and exciting all at the same time, no?
So, it's crunch time. We've got 34 days left until we go and we need people who can start committing to support us financially each month. After we come back from this trip, we will have made out our "budget worksheet" and will have a good idea of how much support we will need to raise each month. Then, we will need to have about 80% of the next two years of support raised before we buy our one way tickets to The Kingdom of Swaziland.
This stuff is no joke to us. We are not living our lives for ourselves. We have chosen self sacrifice over self preservation. We are leaving our state pension behind. We are leaving our possessions behind. We are leaving what we know behind. For us, if the goal in our life, is to have no debt, a good secure job, a retirement to look forward to, and all that stuff, than we got it. Now what?!
We just love hearing people share with us how we need to make sure our kids are put first. We, as a couple, believe, for us, that this is the best thing for our sons. This is the best education and hands on experience for them to embrace the beliefs that are the core of who we are. We cannott and will not, turn a cheek to any kid that is in need of the basic needs in life, i.e. food, hugs, medical needs, and some education. We are excited and hope that you are too. You are as much a part of this as we are, and we need each other.
Imagine a human body trying to walk or move. It needs the different parts to function. We are all parts of one body. We need each other to get this body moving to help those in need. We need each other. Jan and I are not neccessarily the brain or the heart. And we are fine with that. We are excited to just be hands and feet. We are asking our other body parts to help us, as one body, one unit. I envision an impact that we can have in Swaziland and I see the smiles on the faces of those orphans when I was there. Their joy, and the hope that they are starting to see in their land, is worth our savings account to us. It is worth whatever we can sacrifice, no matter how big the cost to us.
We, are The Schifano Tribe. We are embarking on a shared mission, a shared vision, a shared passion, and a shared journey. We hope that you will help this Epic, this Cause. Is it worth it? We think so. We have bet our life on it.
Well, Noah chose FOOD everyone. Paula, you are the winner. Your briefcase full of hundred dollar bills is on the way. See, these little contests are worth it all.
I asked someone today to give me the first word that popped into their head when they thought of God.
Her answer was, "Majestic."
What is the first word that pops into your head or heart?
Share it in the comments section. I'd love to see what others think.
The person with the best response (picked by Noah) will get their name and their answer written in large font on the next blog. (this is supposed to be funny, please laugh)
Trying to reach out to people, with "no strings attached" can, and will create one of a few things. It will either create a platform where unconditional love will have a venue to be manifested and received, or it can create a platform of skepticism. It can create a lot of other things, but today, these two will be the focus.
Creating a platform for unconditional love to be manifested can be hard work. You gotta gird yourself up and be ready for constant rejection. It can become a balancing act of keeping your emotions in check, and loving anyway. So I notice these two tensions to be present with each other at the same time. Love and rejection.
It can be a real battlefield if you let it. The hard part is to put what you talk about into practice. And even when you do, and you know you have, some how, that chink in your armor will get exposed. Relationships are messy, but you don't stop reaching out. Sometimes, you gotta kick the dust off your feet and move on. This can be the hardest thing to do, moving on. But sometimes, you can only do so much.
Sometimes we lose the entire picture of the forest because we get so stuck on staring up close at one tree. And I know for me, that to be true. Losing the focus of the "big picture."
As I write this, I learned of a friend of mine and his story. His six year old son just died unexpectedly. He is going through something that no parent would ever, and should never have to. It puts things right back into focus. Reaching out......... really frikkin hard.
I'm so excited. I'm so worried. I'm feeling so anxious. I'm filled with joy. I'm filled with peace. The Father's heart in me is overflowing and about to spill over.
I have a buddy who is in the middle of a battle. Of course, we all are, but today, this is in honor of him. He is being awakened to the fight. More each day, he is finding that the battle rages, even in the midst of his very own territory, his home.
On the right, is Mt. Madison in New Hampshire. Me and a few buddies climbed this mountain this past weekend. It was a good time to press into the mountains and re-focus on what is important in life. 
We have been gone for a week on vacation. We never get away, just the four of us, never mind for a whole week. We were blessed by a friend who took us away for a week and covered all the costs. It was a cool setting in which all the people got to know each other and you could see by the end of the week, that a small community had begun to arise. Some were there for the first time, and some had been returning for their thirtieth year. But nonetheless we had mixed emotions when leaving.
An excerpt from Darin Hufford's book, "The Misunderstood God."
September 14-23, 2010, Jan and I are heading to Swaziland, Africa. We are gonna be checking out where we will choose to live, and start buttoning up a lot of the details that will need to be addressed.
I asked someone today to give me the first word that popped into their head when they thought of God.
Trying to reach out to people, with "no strings attached" can, and will create one of a few things. It will either create a platform where unconditional love will have a venue to be manifested and received, or it can create a platform of skepticism. It can create a lot of other things, but today, these two will be the focus.