You Don't Need to Buy a Gift to Give a Gift

This one caught me off guard. Tis the Season, indeed.

Romania: T-minus One Month...

Head 5,751 miles due east from Colorado Springs and you'll hit the small town of Resita, Romania nestled at the south western edge of the Transylvania Alps. Actually, with about 80,000 people, it's really more of a city, now that I think about it.



That's what I've been doing a lot of these past few days. Thinking. And thinking. And more thinking. What have I signed up for? What have you donated money (thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou) for me to do? Am I going there to build something? Teach? Lead a camp? Counsel? ...Sing?

The truth of it is, yes, all of the above. 2 students, 2 teachers, and one brave principal are going to a K-12 Christian school in the city to help, learn, serve, and work with the teachers, staff, and students in whatever ways they need.







This is, hopefully, going to be the opening chapter in a great story between two schools from different cultures sharing one faith. After all, that's what it's all about, right?

Stay tuned! More to come...

mbh

Lessons From Cleaning Your House

Ok, so I was in my garage when a cop car pulled up and a police woman made a b-line right to me. She said that they had gotten a 911 call from my location. Here's a snippet of the conversation:

"Uhhhhh...I didn't call 911..." I said trying to maintain a smile.

"Is there anyone else here?" the officer said sternly.

"Uhhhhh....nooooo..." smile fading.

"Well, we tried calling back and no one answered." she said with a hint of concern and doubt.

"Huh. I've been working in my garage and cleaning windows and the siding on my house. Maybe something short circuted." I offer.

"Can I look around inside?" she said again filled with doubt.

"Uhhh....yeah, of course. No problem."

We head upstairs from my garage and it is at the top of the stairs that I realize I still have my gun (and ammo) out from cleaning it earlier in the day.

I pause before we enter my house and say something like, "Uh...just to let you know...I have my gun out because I was cleaning it..."

Visions of the cop throwing me against the wall, handcuffing me in rodeo breaking time, and shouting phrases like, "DON'T MOVE, SCUMBAG!" and "WHERE'S THE BODY?!?" filled my head.

But she just said, "Okay." and slowly moved her hand to the top of her gun, resting it there.

She walked around my house, which was in the process of being cleaned and reorganized. Clothes were strewn everywhere because I was getting ready to donate them to ARC, which is innocent enough. But when a cop enters your house due to a 911 call, add a gun laying out in the open and clothes everywhere you get more of signs of a struggle-thing happening. Not good. Soooo not good....

Her cop reasoning must've been pretty good and she was convinced that I was not a threat or hiding anything nefarious. She thanked me for my time and said I had a nice view.

I was still in a state of shock, thinking of all the ways the scene could've appeared, but said good bye and sorry for the trouble.

Growing old ain't bad

I just ran across this quote by Amazing Grace author John Newton. Pretty inspiring stuff.

"For to me, to live is Christ—and to die is gain!" Philippians 1:21

Dear friend,
You kindly inquire about my health. I am, through the grace of God—perfectly well. Yet, as healthy as I am—I labor under a growing disorder, for which there is no cure—I mean old age. I am glad that it is a mortal disease, from which I will not recover! I would not always want to live in such a poor world as this! I have a Scriptural hope of a glorious inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—reserved in heaven for me!

I am now in my seventy-second year, and have lived long enough. I have known something of the evils of life—and have had a large share of the good things of life. I know what the world can do—and what it cannot do. It can neither give nor take away that peace of God which passes all understanding; it cannot soothe a wounded conscience, nor enable us to meet death and eternity with comfort.

I have an abiding and abounding experience, that the Gospel is the "universal remedy" adapted to all our wants and all our woes; and a "suitable help" when every other help fails!

Your affectionate friend,
John Newton

http://www.gracegems.org/Grace_Gems.htm

The End is Nigh!

The End is coming! The End is coming! So much to do, so much to do! Grades! Track meets! Tie more (and better) flies! Put on new motorcycle tires! Write better (again) blogs without exclamations! Find a better summer job! Paint the upstairs! Toil in the garden!

Whew! Makes me tired just thinking about it. Maybe I need a vacation :)

Mother of All Finals

So the students had their Bible Memory Final last week, and I must say, they did jaw droppingly well. To continue with the tradition of writing something on the back of their Bible Memory sheets, I had them create a horror story based on a breakfast cereal. Here are some of the ones that I can't wait to see produced:

One day, Lucky was walking along when he was grabbed by the children. They tied Lucky to a chair and shot his shoulder, then asked him the location of the Charms. He refused to tell them, so they shot him again in the kneecap. They asked him again, but he still refused to tell them. The children cut off his ear. Lucky screamed, but there was no one around to hear. The children then asked him for a third time, and this time he told them.

The Charms were behind a magical waterfall.

They then killed Lucky.

Something a little 24-ish about that one.

One time this kid ate radioactive Raisin Bran and it ate his innards because it was taking revenge on the kid for eating him. The kid died.

No joke. Just kidding, it is. Just kidding, it's too scary and serious to be a joke. It is more like mythical folklore. Just kidding, it's not because there is no dragon. Just kidding, the kid was a dragon. Just kidding, he doesn't exist. Just kidding, he does exist in my story.

You can see why I like this one so much.

Once there was a boy named Raul. Raul loved cereal! He constantly ate cereal, he worshipped cereal, he even bathed in cereal. He prayed to the cereal gods night and day. The cereal started to consume his life. He was so enveloped by cereal he soon learned how to control cereal. He very quickly gained power. Soon he was the dictator of Mexico and ruled his people with an iron fist. He used Froot Loops to hang people.

Wheaties -- The Breakfast with Champions

Bobby Joe was a star basketball player. He was so good that Wheaties invited him to put his picture on their box. He was dropped off by his buddies and they left. After his picture was taken, they took him into a dark, dark room. They said they were going to show him how Wheaties are made.

He was never heard from again. Some say he fell down some stairs and it ended his career. Others say he moved to Guatemala for no reason. The real story? They don't make Wheaties out of wheat. Why do you think they have pictures of athletes on the cover?

Soylent Green, errr...I mean, Wheaties, is made of people!!!

mbh