It isn't easy to get baptized in the desert, especially if you're of the persuasion that believes in being baptized by being immersed in water. Our daughter-in-law grew up in one of those areas without much water, so she got baptized in a horse trough - minus the horse of course. Some Marines in Iraq got baptized in a small brick chapel, in a rubber dinghy filled with water. A young corporal was one of those. He decided to get baptized as his unit was preparing to attack the insurgent stronghold of Fallujah. Reports said that he came out of the water dripping wet and beaming. He explained his reason for doing it and for doing it then: "I just wanted to make sure I did this before I headed into the fight."
A young man named Jared became somewhat of an American celebrity, all because of the massive amount of weight he lost. A deli sandwich chain has featured him in a lot of their advertising the last couple of years. He says he lost basically the equivalent of another whole person, largely by eating their low-fat, low-calorie turkey sandwich for months. And as Jared's body has been shrinking, the sandwich chain has been growing!
My parents really didn't put much thought into what they named me. They decided on the way to the hospital when they saw "Ronnie's Used Car Lot" along the way. So could I interest you in a '95 Chevy with low mileage? Well, my wife and I, and then our children, have put a little more thought into the names of our kids. Sometimes we pick names that reflect something about the child's heritage. We buy those books that tell you the meanings of thousand of names and we pick one that says something. You know? For example, our daughter's name means "consecrated to God" which she really is. Sometimes a person's name is more than just a name; it's actually a statement!
Paul Harvey was probably one of the most distinctive voices in American radio. His lively newscasts and his unique delivery gave him a special niche in the lives of millions of listeners. But he did more than news. He is also known for the true stories that he told, often from American history. But he didn't let you know who the surprising subject of the story was until the end. There's a trademark phrase that accompanies Paul Harvey's great stories. He concluded this way: "And that's the rest of the story."
The American male is led to believe that "girl-watching" is just part of being a man. A lot of girls are all too aware that they are being watched, and they're not at all happy about how they're being watched. Like the young woman my wife and I saw recently at a festival. She was wearing a shirt with an arrow on the front that pointed up to her head. The shirt said just three little words by the arrow, "I'm up here!"
The battles were horrendous. The casualties were many. But the outcome changed everything. That's a very quick summary of the final episode of J. R. R. Tolkien's classic trilogy, Lord of the Rings. That trilogy jumped off of dusty bookshelves and into the popular culture with their portrayal in three of the most successful movies of all time. Tolkien weaves a tale of a world called Middle Earth where these soulless, subhuman beings are attempting to stamp out what they call the "Age of Humans." Finally, in the concluding "Return of the King," Middle Earth's rightful king, Aragorn, leads the humans in one last, all-out attempt to turn back the forces of evil. After many costly battles, there's a glorious coronation day for the triumphant king. As the crown is placed on the head of the rightful ruler before this jubilant crowd of his subjects, they know the dark days are over. And the one who crowned him makes this hope-filled announcement, "Now begin the days of the King!"
I hate to make extra trips back and forth from the car. So I have a tendency to load up with a little more than I should probably carry. At the grocery store, I would rather not be hassled with taking a cart out into the parking lot. So, if at all possible, I'll just load up all those grocery bags in my arms and start walking. It's then that I especially appreciate a particular convenience that many stores have - those doors that open automatically, without you even having to touch them. Well, I mean, you do have to do something - you have to walk toward those doors. That's when they open.
One of the large churches in our area just started a new building that they've announced will be used for community outreach. But they did something I've never seen a church do before. They gathered the congregation around the just-completed foundation of that new building and they asked them to throw something into the foundation. Now you've no doubt seen people's names on the outside of a building's foundation, especially on the cornerstone. But these folks were actually putting names inside the foundation - the names of people they care about who don't belong to Jesus yet; people they are hoping and praying will be in heaven with them some day.
Some of us were discussing roller coasters the other day. Some of us were talking about which ones were the best - which means, the wildest ride, of course. Others of us then were talking about avoiding roller coasters. One friend said that she just pleads what she calls "an inner ear condition." Now for me, most roller coasters are a non-issue because I stand next to that sign that shows how tall you have to be to ride it, and well, so far I've never been tall enough. Actually, some that I have ridden have had those moments when I was pretty sure I had made a very big mistake getting on in the first place. There are some really high ups and some really breathtaking downs.
Our son was so excited when he called us. Our year-old granddaughter had just gotten up and walked about 30 steps across the floor! We had seen her crawl for the first time - we'd seen her stand by herself and even take a step. But this time she had suddenly exploded into big-time walking. Our son seemed to have an immediate revelation about what this development was going to mean for the life of her parents. He simply introduced his announcement of her walking with these four words, "Let the games begin!" No kidding!
I think it all started when the bananas started going bad. That's when our daughter decided to bake them up into four loaves of banana bread. Then she asked their church for some folks who might need a little lift right now. With that cheer-up list in hand and our four-year-old and two-year-old grandchildren assisting, she proceeded to drop off some banana bread blessing at four homes. She took the boys with her into each house, and they actually gave the resident the gift. First house, the man's wife had just died. He was so thrilled over their gift that he gave each boy a dollar which he refused to take back. Second house, a man with a very sick wife. He insisted on thanking the boys by giving them candy. Third house, a lady living alone, very serious, until the boys gave their gift. Big smile! And the fourth house, another lonely woman and a big hug for each boy. As our daughter debriefed her little banana ambassadors, our four-year-old recounted the unexpected gifts they had received in the process of giving, including a big smile and a big hug. Then the little guy summed up his feelings about the day: "Mommy, today was such an adventure."
