The children’s book author, Linda Grayson, said, “There is nothing better than a friend, unless it is a friend with chocolate.” I might say, “Or one who brings you Starbucks in the morning and remembers just the way you like it.” 

If you were taking out a “friend wanted” ad, how would you describe the perfect friend? Loyal? Thoughtful? Caring?

If you watched the movie City Slickers, you may remember this pivotal scene (cleaned up and abbreviated):
Curly: Do you know what the secret of life is? [holds up one finger] This.

Mitch: Your finger? 

Curly: One thing. Just one thing. You stick to that and the rest don't mean (anything). 

Mitch: But, what is the "one thing?" 

Curly: [smiles] That's what you have to find out. 

I don’t know if Lenny Cacchio is a fan of the movie, but about a year ago he gave similar advice when it comes to overcoming as a Christian. I believe he gave the sermon in CGI Tyler around the spring Holy days last year on May 7th. In it, Lenny mentioned that it can be overwhelming to try to overcome all our faults and said that what he does is pick a single focus for the year. 

I was watching a part of The Sound of Music on TV last week and I had a “yelling at the TV” moment. Liesl, the eldest Von Trapp daughter and her boyfriend, Rolfe, are singing “Sixteen Going on Seventeen” and Liesl sings, “I need someone older and wiser, telling me what to do. You are 17, going on 18, I’ll depend on you.” WHAT???!!! The LAST person a 16 year old girl needs telling her what to do is a 17 year old boy! And, yes, I actually yelled at the screen, “Are you CRAZY?!”

It’s popular to ask if someone is a “glass half full” or “glass half empty” kind of a person. Often that is followed by encouraging those “glass half empty” folks to see life, lessons, trials, etc. from a perspective of the glass being half full. 

I’d like us to forget for a moment any concern over how full the glass is and think about the container itself. 

I confess that I am still learning. I can still read a scripture and gain new understanding - even realize that my previous understanding was all wrong. That was the case recently when Beth Moore used a scripture as part of one lesson in her Daniel Bible study that I had read many times before and it hit me with a fresh meaning.

The English language is interesting in that a single word can have multiple meanings. I’m sure it isn’t unique in that way, but I haven’t studied any other languages. So, I cannot comment on French or Hebrew or Pashtu. 

Take the word fall for example. I might say, “Don’t fall for that Ponzi scheme,” meaning “Don’t be taken in by it.” I might say, “Be careful so you don’t fall on the icy steps,” meaning to keep you from face planting and injuring yourself. Or I might say, “Fall is my favorite season of the year.” Any one of these is the correct use of the word in context.

From Nancy White: This week’s blog is penned by my friend and “sister from another mister,” Latresa Powell. Her passion for Christ and the word of God is an inspiration.

The Anchor

As I was checking my bank balance online this morning, the website flashed ads while I waited for my account information to load.  That’s when I saw it - one simple quote – “The storm proves the anchor’s worth”.  Maybe it caught my eye because of the recent hurricane, but it made me stop and think about the power of my spiritual anchor.

Does God love me more than Adolph Hitler? Does God love me more than your average member of ISIS? More than an abortionist? Is the message of the Old Testament that He loved Israel more than Moab (or other nations)? Before you answer, let me offer some ideas on the subject. 

Who doesn’t want to be “Daddy’s favorite” child? My mother often told about how I’d sit on my Dad’s lap and eat exotic cheeses that he liked (and I did not) just to try to become his favorite among his children. Some human parents do, in fact, show favoritism among their children and it often causes a lot of trouble in the family.

When I was a kid, my parents always insisted we clean our plates at meals. No dessert if you didn’t and no getting up from the table until you did. I remember sitting at the table long after others were gone and slowly choking down liver and onions that I really would rather have skipped.

Many of us will fast from food and water for 24 hours on the Day of Atonement.

One of my pet peeves regarding travel is the “last and final” call. First, I hear: “This is the last and final call for ABC Airlines flight 123 with service to XYZ. Doors will close soon.” And then, five minutes later, I hear, “Last and final call for ABC Airlines flight 123 to XYZ. Doors are closing and you will be left.” And then, about two minutes later, “This is the last and final…” And possibly the call will go out a few more times yet.

Really?! How many “last and final” calls are there? And why is it “last AND final?” Wouldn’t either last OR final work? Eventually, I guess they actually do shut the doors and take off. Hopefully, the tardy passengers hear the call and hustle over to their plane.

Do you look at life differently than those around you? Are you always seeking knowledge and understanding of the better way – even in non-church, non-Bible-study, everyday situations? Me too. Sometimes I am amazed at how a presentation on branding your business will give me ideas about the Christian brand and how to represent it. Or how principals on advertising will apply to how I should “advertise” Jesus to the world.

My husband tells me that I have a pronoun problem – that is, I get so wrapped up in telling a story, where I clearly know who did what, that I will throw around pronouns with abandon and without making it clear which she did what thing with whom. [Just FYI, my sister never has a problem following. But, then, that is a classic difference between men and women.]

I may have that in common with Luke. In Luke 5:1-9, we read the author’s telling about the calling of James and John, the sons of Zebedee, and Simon Peter. Who is doing what is pretty clear until you get about verse 5, but please read the entire passage (v. 1-9) before moving on in this blog.

Manfred Mann’s Earth Band had a hit song in 1977 called, “Blinded By TheLight.” It was written and originally recorded by Bruce Springteen, but Manfred Mann’s version was the hit. The chorus goes like this: “Blinded by the light. Revved up like a deuce, another runner in the night.”