Hoot Owls On Watch

Speaking of Jesus, in Mark it says in part, “God’s Spirit, looking like a dove, come down on him.” 

Now in our yard are maybe a hundred trees.  I haven’t counted, but there are a lot.  There is one tree out front, bigger and taller than all the rest.  We live in a two story house and the top of the tree is outside our bedroom window.

Recently, a pair of hoot owls have claimed the very top branches as home.  The one will perch at the highest point much like a topper ornament for a Christmas tree.  Sometime in the night, they start hooting.  It drives Cora crazy and she bails out of bed and heads for a quieter place.  I enjoy the sound.  I find it peaceful.

I’m wondering.  For you Biblical scholars out there, is it possible that angelic beings may manifest themselves as hoot owls and stand watch outside my house?  Is that too far fetched?  Maybe. 

How about this?  Could it be that God has sent the owls to remind me, He loves us and is ever watchful over us.  I like the idea of God sending a couple owls as reminders.  I hear they are great hunters.

EPIC Life Group Meets Tonight! It’s a twitter.

EPIC,

Come one.  Come all.  It is EPIC night at the Rhines.  We plan on having carnival rides, photo ops, bouncing ballon rides, hot air balloon races, giveaways and much much more.  So, don’t be late.  We may even give a brand new 102″ wide screen TV to the first 100 attenders.  So, bring your friends.

.

Sorry, you know it is tough to take life too serious at the ripe old age of 55 years less one day.  Not that you care, but I do want something for my birthday.  I want 10,000 hits on my 37stories.wordpress.com personal blog.  Right now, I am at 9,748 hits.  So, bring your laptop or texting telephone.  We will have a little fun tonight.  Sure it’s at your expense, but it is my birthday.

.

If you are offended at me promoting my birthday, chill out.  Cora has had to put up with my continuous reminders that it is my birthday month.  Ha!

See you, tonight.

Archie

10,000 hits for my birthday

Well, it’s my birthday tomorrow.  I turn 55.  I know what I want for my birthday and you can help.  I want 10,000 hits on my personal blog 37stories for my birthday.  You can see on the bottom right hand side that currently as I write this, my hit count is 9,748.  It would be really cool tomorrow, if I hit 10,000. 

So, just forget work and start hitting my blog.  It will be all right.  Just tell the boss to chill.  It is my birthday and it’s all for a good cause.

I had a vision or was it a hallucination?

Wackopedial says, “A hallucination is a perception in the absence of a stimulus“.  Then goes on to say, “Visions serve to inspire or prod believers as part of a revelation or an epiphany“. 

So it seems the test of whether you had a vision or a hallucination is whether you had a stimulus that created the thing you saw.  This makes me wonder what qualifies for a stimulus.  Surely, the Holy Spirit qualifies as being a “stimulus”.  I wonder if eating a jalepeno pizza after 10:00 PM qualifies as a stimulus. 

So, what’s the test?  How do you know if it was a vision from God or just a hallucination?

The Cost of a Smile

What is the price of a smile.  Today, it was $11.  Cora and I picked up our usual at a Chinese drive through.  It was $11.  The gentleman at the window smiled when I handed him the money even before he told me how much it would be.  I had greeted him with a smile.  His smile made me feel good. $11 was a deal for two bowls of Chinese food, egg rolls and a smile.

I drive through far too many fast food restaurants, but it seems to be just part of working hard and incorporating ministry in the mix.  We leave home in the dark and return in the dark.  I am really blessed to have a wife who is running the race for Christ alongside me with just as much vigor.  Probably, even more.

I look forward to seeing a smile.  It invigorates me.  I even go out of my way to try and drag a smile out of people who really have no intention of smiling.  Sometimes, it cost $11 sometimes it free.  But it always charges my batteries.

I pray Baby Ralphie will have a chance to smile.  Vote for Baby Ralphie.

Vote for Baby Ralphie!

“Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how”.

How many times have you heard it said to not talk about religion or politics at work.  What a lie. This is not the time to be politically correct! Millions of lives are at stake.  Baby Ralphie wants to live. 

The issues are simple.  It is all about suffering.  You can suffer to protect all the things that have no lasting value, such as: money, cars, wealth, job, etc. or you can suffer to protect Baby Ralphie.  You say you want to be more Christ-like.  Now is the time.  Embrace suffering for yourself and give the gift of life to Baby Ralphie.

You say, “Oh my!  I didn’t know suffering was part of deal with being Christ-like.  I thought with Christ, everything would be grand.  I could retire in comfort.  After all, He already did all the suffering.” 

Grow up.  Get over it.  Follow Christ.  Embrace suffering.  Christ will show you how to enjoy an abundant life with Him in the midst of suffering.  Vote for life.  Vote for Baby Ralphie.

I have come…

“I have come that you might have life, abundantly” Jesus

Jesus came such that Baby Ralphie might have life.  Jesus died such that we might have life.  How long will He wait before He comes again and sets things right?

Note: Abundance – God’s perfection of HIS will and purpose in your life.  Write this on your heart.  It will change your life and your perception of God’s work in your life.

God spoke: “Earth, generate life!”

Will you vote to end life? Will you vote to protect life? Or will you vote for your 401K?

Will baby Ralphie live to vote?

I wonder what baby Ralphie here is thinking?  He’s probably not too concerned about his job, money, status, the thoughts of others or even his 401K.  He’s probably wishing he had voting rights. 

I bet baby Ralphie hopes our next president will let him live long enough to vote.  I even bet Little Ralphie could tell you which president to vote for. 

If only the economy was gooder, baby Ralphie might have had a chance.

I’m SO frustrated!

I keep hearing Christians (that I trust are believers) debate who to vote for.  How can that be?  How can you debate the value of human life?  How is it even worth your time to discuss taxes, real estate devaluation or economic collapse in the same breath as the value of human life? 

There is one candidate and platform that is ok with killing babies.  There is another candidate and plateform that believes there is value in all human life.  How can there be confusion or debate over who to vote for?

Wake up believers! Don’t be deceived!