Disaster Recovery Plans
Light Bulb Coffee, La Mesa, CA
I am a terrible movie watcher. I don’t cope well with plot holes. Everyone else will talk about the scenes they loved, the parts that captured their imaginations. I, however, will talk about plot holes and major oversights.
If you give me the characters’ ages for backstory, you’d better believe I’ll do the math to see if the backstory makes sense (ahem, Shang Chi.) And if you include a scene with a destructive battle, can you tell me why the protagonists don’t have to file a police report or two before hopping on a commercial airplane? (Ahem, Shang Chi again.)
Indulge me, dear reader, with one more example. I promise there’s a point.
For the most part, I enjoy the Marvel movie Ant Man. However, the plot resolution doesn’t pass muster for me. Near the end of the movie, the good guys blow up a technology company and save the day. Supposedly, all the servers that held the evil-enabling-secret-sauce technology are destroyed.
Umm… you’re telling me that these smarty parties didn’t have offsite backup servers? At my work, we have a disaster recovery plan. All of our servers’ data is replicated offsite. In the event of a disaster, the data is no more than a few hours behind. I find it hard to believe that the filmmakers themselves didn’t have a disaster recovery plan.
Oh disaster recovery plans. The point of a disaster recovery plan is to have asked all the right questions when things are calm so that you aren’t panicking when chaos strikes.
Our missionary friends who serve in Ukraine returned to Chula Vista a few days ago. Their hearts are with their people in Ukraine. They hope to return to Kyiv. Disaster is currently happening on the geo-political stage, but the recovery plan is to go back when they’re able and be part of the spiritual and humanitarian restoration process.
Sometimes, the first step of our disaster recovery plan is nothing more than to lean on our training. I’ve heard that Navy Seals regularly practice their exercises so that when they’re on an actual mission, their muscle memory kicks in.
During the siege of Sarajevo, the cellist Vedran Smailović played his cello in ruined buildings and during funerals, often under the threat of snipers. In the midst of chaos, he fell back on his training and did what he could to cut through the destruction with beauty and bravery.
The C&MA church in Kyiv has been trying to get women and children out of the battle zone. But on Sundays 2/27 and 3/6 (and on the days in between), their disaster recovery plan has been the same plan they always have - to worship Jesus with the people of God and praise Him despite what is happening around them.
Just like the coffee shop that has an “in case of emergency” stash of coffee beans, the Church has prayer, proclamation, and praise when things are “normal” and when things are in a state of emergency.
Pray for Ukraine. Pray for Russia. Pray for our leaders.
And may we not forsake the regular Christian spiritual disciplines - praying, fasting, meditating on God’s Word, meeting with fellow believers, giving generously, worshipping Jesus - so that when adversity strikes, our training kicks in and our faith in Jesus deepens.
In disaster, in recovery, and in the making of disaster recovery plans, to God be the glory.
“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
For who has known the mind of the Lord,
or who has been his counselor?
Or who has given a gift to him
that he might be repaid?For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.”
Romans 11:33-36
If you’d like to learn more about the humanitarian aid efforts in Kyiv, the C&MA has more information here: Ukraine-Russia Conflict Response.
We sat on cold metal chairs in a white room, leaning against a cold metal examining table...waiting. Our beautiful dog Sabrina had been hurried to the back of the emergency clinic without us. She was in danger and distress.
It’s been a minute.
I love that phrase. I probably overuse it. And my repetitious use of it probably annoys those in my listening (or instant messaging) range.
Why did the tomato blush? He saw the salad dressing! Thank you for laughing. I appreciate it.
When you gotta go, you gotta go.
Our friends returned to the mission field last week. They had to go.
Lakes are pretty cool places. One might say that they're refreshing.
Months ago, we taught Silas how to count to twenty. Recently, he has been skipping six. Poor six.
I’m a huge fan of Os Guinness (and his ministry The Trinity Forum.) If you haven’t heard of him, go look him up on your favorite podcast app or on YouTube because he is a gazillion times more articulate than I am.
In the past ten months, I have had to hold fast to Hebrews 13:1-2a, “Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers.”
Hospitality to strangers is easy to neglect.
What do you think of when you hear, “when strivings cease?”
“When the burden is too much for you to bear, you do not need stronger shoulders, you need weaker knees.”
Dr. Mitch Kim
What do you do when life is rough? If you’re a follower of Christ, what do you do when your pursuit of Christian maturity keeps calling you onward and upward, to terrain that is steeper and more challenging?
What do you do when life is rough? If you’re a follower of Christ, what do you do when your pursuit of Christian maturity keeps calling you onward and upward, to terrain that is steeper and more challenging?
Our cool-factor here at SBCA has been notched up tenfold the past month. Why you may ask? Great question!
Yesterday was Palm Sunday. We had a lovely time at church.
And while no Dickensian Ghost-of-Palm-Sunday-Past visited me, I found myself reminiscing. Holidays and rituals are meant for such a thing, I suppose.
We attended a Christmas party last December and within two minutes of our arrival, Silas (age 2) showed me a toy he had just found. We were outside, in the dark, and on time (meaning not many people were there yet.) Looking around, I asked him, “where did you find this tractor?”
I nerded out this weekend at a ‘Faith and Science’ conference held here in San Diego. Praise the Lord for paid time off and for a grandma who is willing to watch the kid.
In the summer of 2007, in the sticks of San Diego county, Jeff and I met at Indian Hills Camp.
Oh Indian Hills Camp. So dusty. So Wild West-y. So can’t-ever-forget-that-camp-song-y.
No, this isn’t about Eutychus (Acts 20:9.) This is about the first Sunday of March in 2019 when someone suddenly died at the church we were serving at.
It’s early March and the evenings are still too chilly for me, even in San Diego. Since I’ve committed to staying inside in the evening until the weather warms up, it seems like a good time to start spring cleaning.
I am a terrible movie watcher. I don’t cope well with plot holes. Everyone else will talk about the scenes they loved, the parts that captured their imaginations. I, however, will talk about plot holes and major oversights.
During a short vacation to the mountains last summer, I had the time to read a few books
A few Sundays ago, we were singing ‘Be Still My Soul’ at church and my not-so-still two-year-old ran up on stage. Uggh.
Which of the four did I pay attention to (or do I plan to pay attention to) this weekend: the Super Bowl, Valentine’s Day, my mom’s birthday, or an anniversary?
This Wednesday is the first anniversary of Cat Lawyer! I love Cat Lawyer so much that I felt it appropriate to give him an homage via blog.
I’m an institutionalist. I believe we’re stronger as a team - that’s dedicated to the mission - than we are siloed off.
Two years ago while preparing material for our homegroup leaders, I came across a word study that shifted my thinking, or at least readjusted my focus: “Created for good works…so that we would walk in them”, (Eph.2:10). The word “walk” in the Greek does not imply the simple straight line from point A to point B, but has a more spherical quality.
I live in suburban America. Here in suburbia, we have companies that come to our houses on a weekly basis and take our trash away. It’s wonderful. Until the week before Christmas, when the magic stopped. The garbage workers went on strike. Womp womp.
Last night, we ditched our Sunday night prayer meeting, packed up Silas, and drove 98 miles to see a commissioning service at Celebration Church. One of their pastors and his wife will be returning to Cambodia to share the good news of Jesus with the people of Cambodia who have not yet heard His name.
Why start a blog? Here is a list of questions that I asked myself before starting this.
Kylene Lopo
Kylene Lopo is a pastor’s wife, a BI Reports Developer, and is the mother of Silas (age 4) and Hosanna (age 0.) She has a masters in Biblical Literature from Alliance Theological Seminary and is an official worker with the C&MA in the South Pacific District.