“Do You Believe In Angels” was the bold question posed in the subject field. The email blast from JCPenney was advertising their Angel Giving Tree Online Program. I took the question seriously and answered affirmatively, audibly. Sure, I believe in angels. There are the ones down in Anaheim. Then there are Michael, Gabriel and their cohorts in the Bible. Of course, there are the ones who look like Roma Downey and Della Reese. What about real angels in the present day?
All I can do is answer from my own experience. The Bible talks about entertaining angels unaware. There are times in my life that I believe my might have encountered an angel.
When I was in my mid 20’s, I was going through some extremely difficult times in my professional life. In the midst of the chaos that I found myself in, I was engaging in a typical transaction with a gentleman. A few minutes later, he returned to say, “I have a message for you”. I looked up to meet his eyes as he continued, “Be encouraged, Jesus loves you and will get you through this!” I babbled a confused., “Uhh…thanks”. Before my mind could form any other actual words, he was gone, never to be seen again. He might have not been an angel but he had right message that I needed to hear at the right time. That is a pretty gifted messenger.
Several years later, I received a frantic call from Chris. She had a flat tire on the freeway. A policeman had followed her as she drove on the rim off the freeway and into the first parking lot off the freeway. I valiantly dashed to my car to come to my love’s rescue and change the flat. We had a Toyota Minivan and tire changing was a difficult exercise. On this day I learned the crucial detail to a successful tire changing experience with that type of car was to only attempt it on a flat surface. As I cranked the crazy scissor jack on the uneven Home Depot parking lot, I was able to extract the deflated tire. However, it became clear that I was not going to elevate the car up high enough to get the inflated spare on. Nonetheless, I kept winding the jack as high as it would go and it slipped out from underneath the car. The tireless wheel dropped and landed on the asphalt. This was not good. I determined that if I could get a board underneath it could level the area the jack needed to be and could raise the jack a bit more off the ground. I ventured into the Home Depot. While I was gone, a truck with two men appeared out of nowhere. Chris explained what I said was needed. They jumped out of the truck reached into the back and pulled out the exact boards that were necessary and raised the car and changed the tire in seconds. On the way back from my quest for wood, I could see these guys talking to Chris. I put on my “tough guy” face and rushed over. Chris, amused by my “tough guy” face, assured me that things were fine. One of the guys tipped his cap as they jumped into their truck and sped off. We found it curious that these did not go into Home Depot. Why were they randomly driving through the parking lot with exactly what we needed? Who were these guys?
Well, I do believe in angels but I am not certain that these were angelic encounters. Either way God sent help in my time of need. So I am satisfied.
Have you entertained any angels unaware?
Monday, November 23, 2009
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Waiting for Patience
“Patience is a virtue”-Late 14th century proverb.
"Genius is eternal patience"-Michelangelo
"All things come to him who waits - provided he knows what he is waiting for."-Woodrow T. Wilson
"Blessed are all who wait for Him!" Isaiah 30:18
“The waiting is the hardest part"-Tom Petty
"I want it now!"-Jeff Craft
Why is it so hard to wait? Patience is a good thing but there is life to live while I'm waiting for patience.
My first recollection of having to really wait for something, was waiting for something in the mail. Of course, I remember waiting for the bell to ring signaling the end of an endless school day, but I’m talking about patiently awaiting the arrival of something very special. A very special hat.
I grew up reading Archie comics. My parents had read them in their youth and felt compelled to continuously furnish my brother and I with the latest antics of Archie, Jughead and their cohorts from Riverdale High. When I was 7, Archie was hot. Not only did The Archies have a number one hit record, best selling albums, a top rated animated TV series but they were pitchmen for Post Cereals.
It was on one of the Cereal boxes at a Lucky's supermarket that I gazed upon the mail in offer for Jughead’s hat. With several box tops from a Post cereal and 50¢ I could own my own hat just like Jughead's. I knew that I wanted that hat. I needed that hat. I would live happily ever after if I had that hat!
My Mom graciously agreed to my acquisition plan and purchased a box of cereal that I didn’t really like (probably Alpha-Bits). I had to promise to actually consume the required cereal to obtain the necessary box tops. By the time I had eaten and collected all that I needed, the deadline arrived. My order form was mailed on the day of expiration. Now I had to find the patience to wait for something that might not actually come because it took so long to eat all that cereal.
After only a couple of weeks, I began my daily ritual of rushing home from school and checking the mailbox. I knew that it was a 6-8 week thing but I checked anyway, hoping for some sort of favor from some unknown postal fairy. As time went on, I started to resign myself to the possibility that it would not come. I would never have that silly beanie. How could I go on with out it?
Finally, one day after school, I entered our house and a box on the dining room table caught my eye. Was my wait over? I expectantly glanced at my Mom, who
grinned widely. I can remember the butterflies I felt in my stomach and the blood rushing to my face. I ripped the box open and gingerly removed my Jughead hat. I surrendered to the excitement that I had held at bay. I engaged in a brief, awkward, happy dance (I’ve never been much of a dancer!) I loved that hat and wore it everywhere all the time. If you're living the life of a Jughead you might as well have the hat for it!
As an adult, I’ve become more discerning about my headgear choices but it is still hard to wait. Time seems to go by faster when you're older so waiting for inevitable things is easier. We even pay places like Disneyland for the privilege of waiting in lines all day long. We know that eventually we will reach the front of the line. Waiting for things that might not come or events that might not happen is still extremely hard. That’s where faith comes in. True patience for me only comes in trusting in God’s timing.
“To every thing there is a season, and a time for every purpose under the heaven…” Ecclesiastes 3:1-11
I’ve posted a picture of myse
lf wearing my beloved Jughead hat. (I’m evidently trying to strangle my neighbor Gus)
I am, of course, still waiting for "dumb" to become a term used for greatness. If you haven't read my blog on the new "dumb", click here: My Dumb Blog
"Genius is eternal patience"-Michelangelo
"All things come to him who waits - provided he knows what he is waiting for."-Woodrow T. Wilson
"Blessed are all who wait for Him!" Isaiah 30:18
“The waiting is the hardest part"-Tom Petty
"I want it now!"-Jeff Craft
Why is it so hard to wait? Patience is a good thing but there is life to live while I'm waiting for patience.
My first recollection of having to really wait for something, was waiting for something in the mail. Of course, I remember waiting for the bell to ring signaling the end of an endless school day, but I’m talking about patiently awaiting the arrival of something very special. A very special hat.
I grew up reading Archie comics. My parents had read them in their youth and felt compelled to continuously furnish my brother and I with the latest antics of Archie, Jughead and their cohorts from Riverdale High. When I was 7, Archie was hot. Not only did The Archies have a number one hit record, best selling albums, a top rated animated TV series but they were pitchmen for Post Cereals.
It was on one of the Cereal boxes at a Lucky's supermarket that I gazed upon the mail in offer for Jughead’s hat. With several box tops from a Post cereal and 50¢ I could own my own hat just like Jughead's. I knew that I wanted that hat. I needed that hat. I would live happily ever after if I had that hat!
My Mom graciously agreed to my acquisition plan and purchased a box of cereal that I didn’t really like (probably Alpha-Bits). I had to promise to actually consume the required cereal to obtain the necessary box tops. By the time I had eaten and collected all that I needed, the deadline arrived. My order form was mailed on the day of expiration. Now I had to find the patience to wait for something that might not actually come because it took so long to eat all that cereal.
After only a couple of weeks, I began my daily ritual of rushing home from school and checking the mailbox. I knew that it was a 6-8 week thing but I checked anyway, hoping for some sort of favor from some unknown postal fairy. As time went on, I started to resign myself to the possibility that it would not come. I would never have that silly beanie. How could I go on with out it?
Finally, one day after school, I entered our house and a box on the dining room table caught my eye. Was my wait over? I expectantly glanced at my Mom, who
grinned widely. I can remember the butterflies I felt in my stomach and the blood rushing to my face. I ripped the box open and gingerly removed my Jughead hat. I surrendered to the excitement that I had held at bay. I engaged in a brief, awkward, happy dance (I’ve never been much of a dancer!) I loved that hat and wore it everywhere all the time. If you're living the life of a Jughead you might as well have the hat for it!As an adult, I’ve become more discerning about my headgear choices but it is still hard to wait. Time seems to go by faster when you're older so waiting for inevitable things is easier. We even pay places like Disneyland for the privilege of waiting in lines all day long. We know that eventually we will reach the front of the line. Waiting for things that might not come or events that might not happen is still extremely hard. That’s where faith comes in. True patience for me only comes in trusting in God’s timing.
“To every thing there is a season, and a time for every purpose under the heaven…” Ecclesiastes 3:1-11
I’ve posted a picture of myse
lf wearing my beloved Jughead hat. (I’m evidently trying to strangle my neighbor Gus)I am, of course, still waiting for "dumb" to become a term used for greatness. If you haven't read my blog on the new "dumb", click here: My Dumb Blog
Sunday, November 1, 2009
My Dumb Blog
Have you ever heard anyone refer to something good as “Sick”, as in “That song is sick”? If someone says to you, “Do me a solid”, are you confused or do you, through the process of osmosis, just know that a favor has been requested? Instead of the standard exclamation, “Oh no!” do you hear a “Oh Snap!”? I have and it has made wonder who gives these words new meanings. Somebody had to be the first one to use or misuse a word and make it mean something completely different. How do the first recipients of these communications of new slang understand the words and why do they have the inclination to make them part of their vocabulary? Negative words used as slang for good have always been around but how do they spread? These questions have plagued me for some time and I’m finally taking action.
I am challenging my readers to join me in my campaign to coin a new bit of slang by twisting the English language for the greater good. Yes, It will be swell, cool, neat, ginchy, fab, gear, sweet, bad, groovy, far out, sweet, tough, tight, dope, mad and sick. You’ll be a participant in the birth of something momentous. We’ll not only pump new life into a tired old word but also spoof the whole concept of frivolous metaphors and, as a result, perhaps, save the English language from further perversion.
My new superlative for something great, and outstanding is...drum roll…“Dumb”. Yes, “dumb” can be the new “dope”, the new “tight” or the new “neato”. If "bad" can mean good, why can't "dumb" be good as well? I know if sounds revolutionary but as another decade winds down, it’s time to stand for something …dumb! Are you brave enough to join me as I try to make the world a little more dumb?
I need your help. In conversations, in texts, on Twitter, MySpace and Facebook let's make dumb mean good, great and the best. Think it, use it, say it, write it and live it. Dumb is the word! Remember no more “Oh, that’s nice”, “She is so sweet” or “That dress is beautiful”. Now it’s “Oh, that’s dumb”, “She is so dumb” and “That dress is beautiful”. Statements like that will make great conversation starters!
If we work together, we can make “dumb” slang for the next generation. We can prove that slang like this is really dumb. Are you dumb enough to unite with your dumb brothers and sisters and change the world just a little?
Thank you for you time and attention. Have a dumb day!
I am challenging my readers to join me in my campaign to coin a new bit of slang by twisting the English language for the greater good. Yes, It will be swell, cool, neat, ginchy, fab, gear, sweet, bad, groovy, far out, sweet, tough, tight, dope, mad and sick. You’ll be a participant in the birth of something momentous. We’ll not only pump new life into a tired old word but also spoof the whole concept of frivolous metaphors and, as a result, perhaps, save the English language from further perversion.
My new superlative for something great, and outstanding is...drum roll…“Dumb”. Yes, “dumb” can be the new “dope”, the new “tight” or the new “neato”. If "bad" can mean good, why can't "dumb" be good as well? I know if sounds revolutionary but as another decade winds down, it’s time to stand for something …dumb! Are you brave enough to join me as I try to make the world a little more dumb?
I need your help. In conversations, in texts, on Twitter, MySpace and Facebook let's make dumb mean good, great and the best. Think it, use it, say it, write it and live it. Dumb is the word! Remember no more “Oh, that’s nice”, “She is so sweet” or “That dress is beautiful”. Now it’s “Oh, that’s dumb”, “She is so dumb” and “That dress is beautiful”. Statements like that will make great conversation starters!
If we work together, we can make “dumb” slang for the next generation. We can prove that slang like this is really dumb. Are you dumb enough to unite with your dumb brothers and sisters and change the world just a little?
Thank you for you time and attention. Have a dumb day!
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