Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Don't Fall For The World's Deception!

I haven't seen the latest Shrek movie, but I do like this clip as Donkey is tempted the bait in a trap...WAFFLES!


Okay, so what's the deal? Well, here's the "deal"....really...it was a deal...about half off at Amazon, and given my new desire to eat healthy (did I mention I've lost 35lbs this summer?), I had to get this grill...

Wow! Five interchangeable (and therefore easily washable) plates! It was perfect for someone transitioning to a healthier diet. Imagine the joy I had when my treasure arrived from Amazon this past Friday. I open the box and carefully slid out the main unit and then started the "plate extraction" process. Oh, there were five plates in the box BUT FOUR OF THEM WERE FOR MAKING WAFFLES!!!!!! Donkey would have thought it a bonus! I then decided to find something good about this mistake and decided to use it for my children's sermon this past Sunday.

I brought the box, gave them the buildup and then began to take out the plates. At the third waffle plate, there was laughter....and a deacon shouted "You get what you pay for!"... more laughter.

I warned the kids (like Shrek warned Donkey in the clip)...don't fall for the promises of the world. I asked, "have you ever gotten a toy that didn't seem quite as good or exciting as it did in a TV commercial?" Heads started shaking. Yep, they knew already...and then I reminded them that God isn't into false advertising and that He always tells us what is right and what is true and that we need to trust Him above everyone and everything else. So be careful out there! Don't fall for the world's trap, no matter how tasty something might seem! Don't be a donkey and believe every promise the world makes, no matter how "tasty" it may seem! Oh, and the George Foreman people are sending the missing plates... until then....waffles anyone?

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Sittin' in the Dark on a Sunday Morning!

Good morning everyone! It’s 6:21 am and I’m sitting in the church office where I’ve been since just before six setting up to put finishing touches on my sermon/Sunday School lesson/children’s sermon. I awoke this morning at 4:40 and a mere two minutes later my electricity went out. I looked out the window and saw that everyone else had lights so I took a quick shower (hot water only retains its heat so long) and headed to the church. I called the electric company. I very nice lady answered and said a limb was down and they were fixing it. I asked her if that meant the power here at the church might be interrupted it.

An…..WAIT…THE STORY JUST GOT BETTER….I was just scared out of my skin by someone banging on the window a mere three feet in front of me! It was my church member (and deacon!) who is on my alarm list who was called by the alarm company when the power went out! He had been at my house trying to get me up and was circling the church when he saw a dim, mysterious glow from the church office. I’m glad no inappropriate words were screamed at his knock! Sitting in a dark, big old church in the dark is creepy enough!

Anyway, what I was saying is that as the lady from the power company was assuring me that there would be no interruption of service….mid-sentence the power at the church went off, so here I sit wasting valuable battery life (two hours remaining) blogging about my early Sunday adventure…which is continuing the theme of this roller coaster summer in a little town where exciting drama is always in the making! May you all have a blessed power-filled day of worship, joy, celebration, air-conditioning, and electricity! Oh, and God bless all power employees hard at work at all hours of the night in all kinds of conditions making life comfortable for the rest of us, often at the risk of their own lives!


"I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them." Isaiah 42:16

Live in the Light!

Saturday, August 07, 2010

What Upsets You? Make Sure It's Not YOU!

I have found in life that often the things that upset us are things of our own making, and/or our perspective. Here a dog seems to think the water is alive, and he attacks, but also contributes to its movement toward him. Maybe he's upset because he can't control this strange "flow." Maybe he really is crazy. Still, it reminds us all whenever we get upset to first stop and ask ourselves, "what am I contributing to this situation?" "Is this something God wants me to get upset over?" "What do I get for being this upset?" So be careful when attacked by a stream of water in the sand...it maybe be just a stream of water. Relax, reflect, response, rejoice!