This Weekend

Tomorrow we'll be concluding our Outflow series. Isaiah responded to the call of God with, "Here am I. Send me!" But Moses had a very different reaction. "Oh Lord, please send someone else to do it." Because of the incredible story of the plagues in Egypt and God opening up the Red Sea, we tend to forget how reluctant Moses was in the beginning. We may have some of the same concerns that Moses did. But those concerns aren't concerns to God. He knows what we're made of...and what He can do through us.

Librarian Action Figure

Just when you thought you'd seen everything, along comes the Librarian Action Figure. "With Amazing push-button Shushing Action! Plus Bonus Trading card and Bookmarks."
You may think this is silly but I suppose it makes a lot of sense. Librarians seem to have tremendous power. When I was in high school, my friends and I were in dreaded fear of her. And if you were making too much noise, your heart would stop at the sight of this little 4'2" woman with huge, mousy glasses. When she'd start walking toward you, you could hear Darth Vader's Theme playing somewhere. On very soft volume, of course.

Choosing Joy Over Bitterness

This is my buddy Dennis. I talked about him today during our study. Habakkuk imagines the worst possible circumstances and then says, "Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior." (Hab.3:18)
When Dennis had a motorcycle accident and eventually had to amputate his foot, I was angry. But God just kind of whispered to me that I should be thankful he was alive. Most wouldn't have survived it.
Dennis's reaction was much different. He didn't say, "Why me?" He said, "Considering all the trouble there is in the world, why not me?" His choice to trust and grow in God instead of becoming bitter over the situation helped him to have a greater personal revelation of God. His joy wasn't found in things, or in having both feet, but in God Himself. He said he wouldn't trade what God did in his life to have the foot back.
Job 42:5 "My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you."

Living Large

This is from Psalm 138 -The Message Translation:
"Thank you! Everything in me says, "Thank you!"
Angels listen as I sing my thanks. I kneel in worship facing your holy temple and say it again: "Thank you!"
Thank you for your love, thank you for your faithfulness; Most holy is your name, most holy is your Word.
The moment I called out, you stepped in; you made my life large with strength."

This Weekend

We had a terrific showing for Bunco! It was really a kick. I was quite nervous as I had to keep score this time. You would think that would make me an automatic winner but it just didn't turn out that way. Huge heaps and piles of thanks to everyone who came. It was a fun group!
Tomorrow morning we'll be continuing our series on Outflow: Everyday Outreach For Everyday People. What is the most extravagant thing you've ever done? You'd be surprised at some of the things celebrities do. I'll mention some of those.
By contrast, Jesus didn't drive a Lamborghini around. In fact, He drove a donkey into Jerusalem. However, His love for people...wow! That's where He got extravagant.

Le MacDo

For some reason, this amuses me. This is one of two McDonalds on Tahiti. The locals call it Mac Do. They are quite popular there. I usually try to avoid all things American when I travel -just to take in the cultural experience. But sometimes it's important to stop eating all the fish, fresh fruit and vegetables, and get some healthy American food. And somehow seeing "Merci" just makes it all the more classy while partaking of this fine dining experience.

Two Year Old Fisherman

This is Taimoana. I told this story about him in our mid-week study. We went fishing with sticks and strings, and he caught a couple of fish. He did have a little help from Dad and Grandpa. He was so excited to snatch them up out of the water. They told him that it was a baby fish and he really should throw it back in the water, but he wasn't about to give up his catch. I suppose that when you're Taimoana's size, a small fish doesn't look all that small. They had it for dinner that night.