When the Spirit Moves

      Have you ever felt the Holy Spirit move so much that you just have to listen and I don't mean in the future. I mean now! Well, to be honest, I have not very much at all.  However, Friday night it happened and it happened big.  You see, for a few days before that I started feeling convicted that I needed to get rid of some things that were not glorifying to God.  This was a weird thing because, I have never even remotely thought about any of these things as being bad.  In fact, I have always been a huge movie and book lover.  I could spend weekends just watching movies and reading books and enjoy every second of it. 
      So, Friday night I was hanging out with a good friend Jonathan.  Every Friday night we have a Bible study.  Well, this Friday, Darin couldn't make it.  So, it was just Jonathan and me.  He came down to my place and we were just talking about our lives and how things were going.  We always talk about what we are learning and any struggles from the past week.  During the course of the conversation I told him about how I was feeling that it might be time to get rid of some of my stuff. 
      Not too long after I started going to the Bible study with the guys they told me a story about how when they came to Christ they each built an altar to God and burned things that were not godly and that would be a distraction to them. 
      Well, these stories came to my mind and I told Jonathan that I was thinking that we should maybe do that next week with Darin.  As I was saying this it was almost like I was physically pushed off of the couch and towards the shelf where my dvds and books are.  I said, we can't wait, we need to do it tonight, these no longer need to be in my house.  After stating this, I became really sick to my stomach, like I might throw up. But I knew what I had to do.  So, I grabbed a box and started throwing dvds and books into the box.  When it was full, I am ashamed to say, there was still more.  Another box later, there was still more.  So we loaded the boxes into Jonathan's truck and then I thought of a picture from a movie and another decoration item that needed to be dealt with.  In the truck they went and we drove the 40 minutes to Jonathan's house.
       On the way up there I was still feeling so sick and it was like this pressure on my chest.  The only thing I could think to do was to pray and out loud.  I started praying and at first at a whisper and then the next thing I know I am shouting out my prayers and thanking God for his moving and for victory over sin and the devil's foothold in my life.  For the rest of the time it was just like the Spirit was filling my car and I just began to sing praises to him. It was so amazing.  And the feeling lasted the rest of the night.
       After stacking the boxes and other things together I doused it with gasoline.  With a lighter, I started to light the corners of one of the boxes.  I was a little nervous with it being doused in gasoline so Jonathan says, don't worry it's not going to just flame up like in the movies.  As he said that, it did flame up, it was awesome!  The things just caught and the fire was about 6 feet in the air and the heat was immense.  We just kind of stood there for a few moments in awe, enjoying the amazing presense of God. After a few minutes a thought hit me that this was the most appropriate way to do this, by burning it.  It made me think of the sacrifices that you read about in the Old Testament.  I was sacrificing my selfish and sinful desires to the Lord.  Also,  I thought of how these desires are burned away from us through the Holy Spirit and meditation on the Word.  It takes time of dedicating ourselves to that before it can really make a big difference.  Well, the fire burned from the time we lit it, about 8:30 until the time I left, which was about midnight, and it was still going strong.  We figured that the fire was in God's hands and trusted that he would not let it harm anything, so we let it burn after, so I am not sure how long it burned after that, but it was still going strong when I left. 
        This was one of the most awesome experiences I have ever had.  To feel God's presense so prevalently and powerfully was just amazing! And to fully give over my things and my time to God.  Some may say I am crazy and I that that was unneccesary and that is okay.  But for me it was definitely the right thing to do and I am glad that I followed the Spirit's leading.

Nutrigrain and Fiber Plus Went on a Date

   One day Strawberry Nutri-grain, decided he wanted to go to the beach.  So he packs up his umbrella, sunscreen and volleyball and heads to the beach.  When he gets there he decided that he is a little pale so he decided to lay on the beach and get some sun.  After a few minutes he notices shadows passing over him.  When he opens his eyes he realizes that there are seagulls flying overhead.  At first he thinks this is weird, then he realizes that they are circling over him because, he is after all a nutri-grain bar.  NG gets up and moves down the beach.  Laying down to get some more sun, he falls asleep.  When he awakes he realizes he has turned to wheat from being in the sun so long.  This is not good because, who wants a wheat Nutri-Grain bar?  Sulkily, he goes home. 
      The next day NG decides that it could'nt hurt to go back, seeing as he is already now a wheat Nutri-Grain bar, what more damage could he possibly do?  So, he gets there and decides to even out his back with his front.  After a few hours he realizes he is really hot.  He jumps in the water to cool off.  Then he realizes that he is now soggy.  Who wants a Nutri-Grain bar that is wheat and soggy? 
      As he is about to leave and is gathering his stuff, he looks down the beach one last time thinking that he will never come here again,  After NG and sun and water do not really get along.  While peering down the beach, he notices the most beautiful creature he has ever seen.  She is so gorgeous and walks with a swagger.  She is FiberPlus.  He finds that he can't take his eyes off of her.  He has to meet her but is scared to death of her.  How does he approach her?  Can he approach her?  What would such an amazing creature want in a Nutri-Grain bar, let alone one that is wheat now and soggy? 
      He catches her eye and she smiles at him.  The smile only a FiberPlus woman can give.  Could she possibly be interested in him?  Could she like the soggy type?  Is there even a soggy type?  He stands frozen, not being able to move or speak.
      She approaches him finally and says, "Well, are you going to ask me out or just keep staring at me?"
"Umm," he stutters.  "Are you talking to me?"
      "Yes, are you going to ask me out." 
      "Sure, ummm, can I take you to dinner and maybe a movie." NG stammers.
      "Yes, pick me up at 8:00 on Saturday."

    Saturday rolls around and NG is really nervous. How is this possible? he thinks.  He goes to pick her up and when he gets close, he realizes that she lives in not only the nice neighborhood, but the very rich neighborhood.  Oh, gosh, what have I gotten myself into? he ponders.
    He pulls up into the driveway and looks at the clock.  7:55.  Dang, I'm early, I better wait until right at 8:00.  So, he waits nervously, and finally 8:00 comes and he heads to the door. 
    When FP opens the door, NG says, "You look beautiful," and hands her the dozen roses that he had brought with him. 
    So, they go on the first date and it goes well, and they go on a few more and on and on.  NG starts to think it is getting serious and lavishes FP with extravagant gifts, like 24 carat chocalate chips and days at the spa, with 24 carat chocalate dips. 
     What NG doesn't know is that FB doesn't really love him.  She likes his money and all the nice things that he buys her.  You see, she was not loved by her father even though he gave her everyhitng that she wanted.  So, she doesn't see real love when she has it.  Tragically, this whole time FP has also been seing Blueberry Nutri-Grain.  Now, BNG is a little younger, and much more attractive then ole NG.  He is also dirt poor. But, he is a true Casanova and knows "all the right moves" and all the right words to say.  So, she is torn between the steady and lavish NG and the exciting and young BNG. 
     This struggle goes on for awhile with NG having no idea.  Then one sad day, he finds a not on his door that FP has gone away and not to expect to see her again.  NG is crushed and he doesn't know what to do.  He tries to contact her in every way he can, to no avail.  He goes to her house and she is nowhere to be found. 
     If only poor NG know what happened, but he never knew.  And we may never know what happened to FP.

   

Special Needs Kids

        I have the privilege of working with special needs children on Wednesday evenings at a therapeutic riding center.  Basically we give handicapped children horse riding lessons. And through that it helps them work through some of their issues.  Whether it is physical or mental disabilities. Before I worked with these children, I never knew how to interact with children with special needs. I knew I needed to treat them "normal," but I still felt weird doing anything, because I thought that everything I would do would be wrong.  I also thought when I first decided to volunteer that it would be awkward and I wouldn't want to do it each week but I knew for some reason that I needed to do it.  The first time I worked with one of the children I was really nervous.  I wasn't sure what to do.  Then about half way through the lesson something happened and it was just natural and felt good to work with them.  I noticed something that day.  That is that if I just love these kids and invest in them that is the best thing I can do.  So, that is what I am trying to do.
        A funny thing happened after I worked with these children for a little bit of time.  I started looking forward to every week.  I was being ministered to by these kids.  I thought I was there to help them and I was.  But they do so much more for me than I can ever do for them. 
        If you have ever been around a special needs child at all, you see an unbeleivable spirit in each and everyone one of them.  They have such joy in spite of their trials.  And it just seems that none of them are ever beat.  They will keep trying no matter how hard it is for them, and they will be smiling the whole way.  What an inspiration they are!  I am so thankful to be able to work with these kids and see the light and hope and joy of Christ in them.  So, if you ever need some inspiration, spend a little time with some special needs children.

 

The Man and His Dream House

      A man was looking to buy his first house.  He had always known in his mind's eye what his house should look like.   Always, he had pictured everything from the flowers that his wife would plant in the garden to the base boards that would run along the wall.
      So the search started.  He looked all over town.  The first house he went to looked gorgeous on the outside.  Perfect paint, with contrasting color on the shutters.  A perfectly landscaped yard, complete with masonry and sprinklers to keep the yard nice and green.  A white picket fence, complete with a perfect little gate.  Around back the yard was perfect for little kids to run around.  A beautiful privacy fence painted white to match the front yard.  There was enough room to throw the baseball around once Junior came along.  Enough room for Junior to have a group of friends over and play a game of football.  A nice little mini-barn, full of all the landscaping tools needed to keep up the pristine grass, trees and flowerbeds.  In one corner, a perfect little garden to grow tomatoes, green beans and of course hot peppers.
      He was sure this was the one that he wanted.  No need to see any other houses.  Then, he figures he needs to go inside and see the rest of the house.  The man thinks, "surely, the inside is as immaculate as the outside.  I mean, anyone who puts this much time and effort on the outside would surely put as much if not more into the inside."  As he is walking to the beautiful front door, complete with a custom gold plated knocker, he has a feeling hit him.  Something just doesn't seem right, the outside is just too perfect.  "Nah, I'm just paranoid that it is too good to be true."
      His hand connects with the knob and he slowly turns it.  The door swings open, ever so slowly and the first thing that he notices is the smell.  A smell you never forget.  He immediately thinks of his crazy cat relative,  the one that had about thirteen cats and only three small litter boxes that were never cleaned out.  The other smell is of rotten food, like fruit had sat on the counter far too long and began to stink.
      As he steps over the threshold, he feels something crunch under his feet and it feels like he is walking on a dirt path rather than into a house.  Down he looks and there is dirt and leaves and trash strewn all over the floor .  The walls are covered with a thick, black slimy substance, that seems to just keep oozing over itself on its way to the floor.  The furniture doesn't look much better and is covered in dust and cobwebs.  By this point the man wants to vomit, but he figures that it can't be worse.  He walks through the whole house but the scene is pretty much the same.  The kitchen has rotten food strewn all over the counter with spiders and bugs crawling all over.  He heads through the hallway to the bedrooms and the scene doesn't get much better.  he makes it through to the back of the house.  There is a lone door on the back wall and he opens it and sees a set of stairs going down into the depths of the house.  There is an oppressive air of evil and a stench unlike anything he has ever smelled.  The stench is so thick that he can't think clearly.  At this point, he runs as fast as he can out of the door.

      After a few weeks to recover from this experience, he decides to move on and continue his search for his dream house.  The next house that he comes to has a tended yard but it is not very tidy.  Yet, somehow it is warm and inviting.  He walks through and hears birds singing in the trees, squirrels chattering and water trickling from the little stream running by the house.  One thing that he notices almost immediately is that there are not any fences surrounding the property but that it is open to the surrounding countryside.  He walks around back and there is a nice yard that has bushes and trees around.  All of the bushes and trees are just a little unkempt and not manicured perfectly.  The grass grows but not evenly and there are bald spots.  "Hmm, not too bad, but why haven't they kept up with the landscaping?  This yard could be so gorgeous with just a little attention."  The man heads around to the front of the house and reluctantly up the steps toward the front door.  He notices that the paint on the outside is done very well but over time has faded a little and one of the shutters is kind of falling off of the house.  "This house could be nice and have great street appeal if it were just fixed up a little."   He takes a deep breath and reaches toward the knob of the front door.  As his hand makes contact, he hears from behind him a voice that says, "Beautiful isn't it?"  The man turns around and says, "excuse me?"
        The stranger walks up to him and says, "This is a beautiful house isn't it?"  The man says, "If you like projects, I guess."  "Oh but I do."  the stranger says and then walks away.
        "What an odd man."  the man says.  Turning around he opens the door and the house is homey and comfortable.  The smell of warm apple pie wafts to him as the door opens all the way.  The living room is neat but lived in.  A comfortable looking, well used sofa sits in the room and there are pictures of people everywhere.  He walks into the kitchen where the smell of apple pie comes from.  It has some dirty dishes in the sink but is clean with a few crumbs on the floor.
        Walking through to the back of the house he hears some music.  The music is warm and inviting.  "What a nice place," the man thinks.
         As he is walking out of the house, he runs into the stranger.  The stranger says, "What did you think of my house?"  And the man replies, "It's really nice, but you have some work to do."  Oh, I do, do I? You should have seen this place when I first got here.  It looked a lot like the first house you visited."  "I'm sorry, the first house I looked at?" the man responded.  "How do you know about that?  And there is no way that it looked that bad, that house was beyond repair."
          The stranger looked at him with the most compassionate look and simply stated, " There is no house beyond repair, when I am the one doing the repairing."
          Startled and confused, the man just stands there for a moment.  "These houses are not like any I have ever seen, they seem to have character, feeling and almost a life of their own."
          After a few moments the stranger stirs and says, "Come with me."  The man follows him back into the house.  "Look at these pictures, what do you see."
           "Pictures of people." the man replied.
           "No, they are much more than that these are the hopes and dreams of the house." stated the stranger.
           "Okay, you are crazy, houses don't have hopes and dreams." retorted the man.
           "Not true when the houses are men's hearts."

  Jesus says, "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me."  Revelation 3:20

       

Joy! Music of the Soul

Have you ever heard a song that just made you want to dance, to smile, to share it with everyone around you?  You want to learn how to play it on an instrument?  You sing it all day long over and over again? A song that just runs through your mind and heart all day, all week, all month? I happen to love music. It is an amazing way to communicate, to edify.  It is also a great way to speak with more than just words and to speak to more than just the brain but to the heart.  My old roommate had a picture that I think summed it up so well, it said, when words fail music speaks.


Lately I have been thinking about the concept of joy.  The first reason is because my friend Mical had a post about it on her blog.  You should read it, it is great! funandfaithful.blogspot.com  The other reason is that I heard a sermon recently about joy.  I had never really given joy much of a thought before to be honest.   Not only that but is there much joy in this life?  Life is hard, and bad things happen all the time.  Most of the time things out of my control.  I guess I always figured joy is for the other side of eternity.  For Heaven.  I never really thought of joy as being essential to our faith.  Boy, I do now!  First of all, what is joy?  Well a couple dictionary definitions:


Joy


   1. the emotion evoked of well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one
       desires
   2. a state of happiness or felicity
   3. a source or cause of delight


Hmmm, this is joy?  So, it comes from our circumstances, from possessions, from outside means? Therefore, all I have to do is go out and make my circumstances the best they can be and get all the stuff I can buy.  Basically, I should live the American dream.  Really? That's it, are you sure Mr. Webster? I am confused, because you see the people I am around aren't very joyous people.  In fact, think about when we ask people how they are.  Most responses are, "I'm doing okay."  "Another day, another dollar."  "Well, I'm here."  "Can't complain too much."  "It could be worse."  Does it sound to you like these people are full of joy?  It sure doesn't to me.  Okay, so lets try another definition, look at the last definition, a source or cause of delight.  What is delight?  Another definition:


Delight


    1. a high degree of gratification, extreme satisfaction
    2. something that gives great pleasure.          


Okay, that's a little better.  Yet, I still feel that we are missing something. Where does this come from?  I like the definition of delight better because it doesn't qualify it with material things.  Now lets look at some synonyms from the thesaurus:


       Bliss, cheer, comfort, delight, ecstasy, elation, exultation, gladness,
       glee, good humor, gratification, hilarity, humor, merriment, mirth,
       pride, rapture, refreshment, rejoicing, revelry, satisfaction, solace,
       treasure, treat, wonder
     
After a quick search on Bible Gateway, I found that the word joy is mentioned a lot in the Bible.  Just in Psalms it is mentioned 57 times!  I thought that was a bunch, but I know that the Psalms also deals with emotions so I wanted to check the opposite.  I searched for sorrow, in the Psalms it is mentioned 7 times.  50 times less than joy.  Well I thought lets try some other words, grief is mentioned a whole 8 times and woe is mentioned a whole 3 times.  Okay let me get this straight, joy is mentioned 57 times and sorrow, woe and grief are mentioned a grand total of 18 times?  Oh, and I forgot to mention that delight is mentioned 29 times.  There is something to be learned here.  But what?

Stuck: In an Elevator and Elsewhere

Last week I was fortunate enough to stuck in an elevator for two hours.  Fortunate?!  Yes, I say fortunate.   What happened was that some of my coworkers and I were stocking our new building's exam rooms.  It was after hours and unbeknownst to us the new building was locked up and all of the construction workers were gone for the night.  We were just about done and realized we did not have enough gloves to stock all the rooms.  Patrick walked back over to the old building to grab some while I finished putting the bio hazard boxes in the rooms.  The rest of the crew working with us went ahead and went home since we were finishing up.  When I came downstairs to see about Patrick he was waiting at the doors because they where locked.  I let him in and we started back for the elevator.  Now, by this time we have gone up and down the elevator three or four times just fine.  This time, I hit the button for the second floor and off we go.  We start up and the lights on the display go out and we stop.  So, I hit all the buttons try to open the door and nothing happens.  After about five minutes, I hit the help button which calls the elevator company.  The lady comes on and says, "are you stuck in an elevator?" I say, "I thinks so."  So she proceeds to have me try all the buttons again.  I try them and again nothing.  She tells me that she will send someone out.  Shortly after that I realize no one can get in so I go to text my boss.  No signal.  I wave my phone over my head, near the wall, everything short of crawling on top of the elevator.  Finally, I realize if I can hold it up to the top of the door then I can get a little bit of a signal.  I type out a text and wait for it to send.  It goes out and I sit on the floor assuming Patrick and I will be here for awhile.  We start chatting and I start asking him more about his culture back home in Burma.  Time goes by and periodically my boss is texting me.  At one point she says that there is only one key and the general contractor has it.  She then says that the contractor lives in Columbus......Ohio.  So I tell Patrick that we are going to be here awhile.  Then the elevator rings. (I didn't know that you could call an elevator.)  The elevator technician is on the line and states that he is at the address but that it says a different company's name.  After a little discussion we realize that he is at the west address and we are at the east.  He states that he will head that way.  Later, my boss texts and says that they can't get the door open and that they will try another one, and if they can't get in that one then they will have to break a window.  About fourty-five minutes later, we hear a loud pounding and then a breaking glass sound.  Which as you already guessed was them breaking a window to get to us.

I wanted to share this story because, I have learned a lot from it. What can you learn from being stuck in an elevator you ask?  Good question. I have been asking God to teach me patience recently.  Ha! God is faithful, no?  That will teach you some patience right there.  Also, I have been asking for God's calling on my life.  Being in there with Patrick got me to really take a look at my heart and evaluate where my heart was and I realized how selfish I am.  You see Patrick told me in his village back home they did not have running water or electricity in their homes.  They would have to get their water from a 30 foot deep well.  And I complain about traffic slowing me down for five minutes.  I get mad when my computer is running slow.  I get mad when I have to do a little extra work at my job.  Wow!  I have it so bad!  God used being stuck in an elevator for two hours to teach me patience and to change my selfish perspective. Whew! and He was not done.  I started looking outside myself and started feeling a calling.  God may be showing me that I just need to trust in Him and in His time I will be called.  So next time you think you might get stuck in an elevator, behind a slow driver or any other time, ask God what He is trying to teach you.

Our Crazy Diverse World

Last night I went to the Rock and Worship Roadshow.  I had never been before nor did I know what to expect.  It is a concert with a bunch of different bands, different styles, different looks and different audiences (usually).  There was everything from rock, hard rock, country, soft rock to rap.  Now, I don't like all of these types of music, and I don't know many people who genuinely does.  But, wow it was amazing.  The other thing that hits me is that at most concerts like this here in Indy you see mostly white, middle class people.  Last night, however, there was every type of person imaginable.  How awesome is that!  You see, we are all God's children, no matter what race, color, economic status or position on this earth.  I also thought that this must be a little slice of what Heaven will be like.  Everyone praising Him in their own way.  Just a cool thought from a very amazing experience.

What does it mean to be an American?

Today, I went to lunch with two coworkers of mine. One of them is a Burmese interpreter, her name is TaTa.  As the conversation moved along, she mentioned how blessed she was to be in America now.  You see, Burma is a country that is very oppressed.  From Wikipedia,

International human rights organizations including Human Rights Watch,[68] Amnesty International [69] and the American Association for the Advancement of Science[70] have repeatedly documented and condemned widespread human rights violations. There is consensus that the military regime in Burma is one of the world's most repressive and abusive regimes.[71][72] They have claimed that there is no independent judiciary in Burma. Forced labour, human trafficking, and child labour are common.[73] The military is also notorious for rampant use of sexual violence as an instrument of control, including allegations of systematic rapes and taking of sex slaves as porters for the military. A women's pro-democracy movement has formed in exile, largely along the Thai border and in Chiang Mai. There is a growing international movement to defend women's human rights issues.[74]

The Freedom in the World 2011 report by Freedom House notes that "The military junta has long ruled by decree and controlled all executive, legislative, and judicial powers; suppressed nearly all basic rights; and committed human rights abuses with impunity. The junta carefully rigged the electoral framework surrounding the 2010 national elections, which were neither free nor fair. The country’s more than 2,100 political prisoners included about 429 members of the NLD, the victors in the 1990 elections."[75] Evidence has been gathered suggesting that the Burmese regime has marked certain ethnic minorities such as the Karen for extermination or 'Burmisation'.[76] This, however, has received little attention from the international community since it has been more subtle and indirect than the mass killings in places like Rwanda.[77]

Wow, I can't even imagine.  What is more is I have spoken with both with TaTa and Patrick, who is another of our Burmese interpreters, about their personal experience.  TaTa hasn't talked about it in detail, but stated that she had a terrible childhood and that is all she would say.  Patrick has been much more open, possibly because he has worked there longer.  One day he and I were talking and I asked him why did he come to America.  You see, he had told us all a story in our weekly meeting about how he had been at a gas station and as he was leaving the attendant told him to, "have a good one."  He said he was so confused that he just stopped in his tracks and tried to figure out what the attendant could mean.  Have a good what?  So, finally he went back and asked the attendant, "what do you mean, have a good one?"  After much explanation, Patrick said he somewhat understood what was meant.  Seems like a small thing but Patrick is someone who actually speaks English, fluently enough to interpret in a medical setting.  Imagine being in a foreign country as different from your own as you can possibly imagine, not knowing the language with no money.  I remember that day and thinking wow that would be hard, but didn't think much further about it.  A few weeks later Patrick stood up in our meeting and shared an experience from back home in Burma.  He talked about how every so often the Junta would come around to each village and take 1 person from each family for, "volunteer work."  So one day they come to Patrick's village and he goes for his family.  He is forced to march for days on very little rest and very little food, mostly a type of broth.  Once at there destination, he is forced to dig to set up a railroad.  The only water source is a stream somewhat close by that is contaminated because of the soldiers upstream.  You see, the soldiers use the stream as a toilet which floats down to where the "volunteer" workers are to drink.  There are women, children and elders forced here to work.  So many that have no business working due to physical and age limitations, yet forced they are.  One day, Patrick collapses due to being malnourished overworked and sleep deprived and overheated.  Not only is the water contaminated but the little meat that they are given is rancid.  So, Patrick has collapsed and just can't physically move, let alone dig any more.  A soldier comes over and starts screaming at him with obscenities calling him lazy.  After a few minutes more he decides to start kicking Patrick to try to "motivate" him.  Eventually, Patrick gets up and does everything he can to put one foot in front of the other and made it through.  You know what Patrick says, "By the grace of God I made it through not only this time but the other times I had to go." By the grace of God.  Remember that.  

Back to why he had come to America.  After all of this, Patrick decided it was time to move his family out of Burma.  So he sneaks his family out of the country, it is illegal to leave the country, to Malaysia.  You would think it would get better there.  Wrong, dead wrong.  Patrick gets a job translating for the government.  Now the Burmese are illegal aliens, they have no rights.  Since he works for the government that is overlooked.  But there is still danger.  Every night he walks home Patrick has to worry about people that wait around his neighborhood to attack and rob anyone walking by.  The Burmese have no rights so if they go to the government, they will just be deported.  Unbelievably, the Thai government is in league with bounty hunters that round up illegals and take them back to the Burma.  How it works is that the Malaysian government gathers the aliens up and puts them in work camps.  Then, eventually sells them to the bounty hunters, who are human traffickers,  for a small sum, say a couple hundred dollars.  Then the bounty hunters tell the families of those they now "own" that they can buy them back for a large sum, say five hundred thousand dollars.  The Burmese people for the most part are not wealthy and in fact are very poor, so they cannot afford this, so the bounty hunters just sell them to the Burmese government for not quite as much money but still for a handsome profit.  Back to Patrick, he finally finds a way to get to America.  

Lessons From Stories

I have been thinking recently about how God speaks to us.  Have you ever read a book or watched a movie and thought, "I just learned something about God?"  I know I have, many times.  I took me awhile to realize why I love the favorite stories that I do.  First let's start with my favorite stories.  My absolute favorite story is Lord of the Rings.  I have read the trilogy many times, so many that I lost count at probably 5 and that was a few years ago.  Next, would probably be The Chronicles of Narnia, especially The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.  I believe this is one of the first stories I ever read on my own.  I also like the Circle series by Ted Dekker, and the Inheritance Cycle  by Christopher Paolini, to name a few.  What is it that draws me to these specific stories?  When I look at these stories, I look for common denominators.  First of all, I think that one thing that draws me to these is that the main characters are always swept up in something bigger than themselves.  They are a part of the story but not the whole story.  The second thing is that while they are not the whole story they have a pivotal role to play.  Also, there are companions that are there with them along the way.  To be a strengthening force and just someone to be there with them.  The final thing that hits me is that there are always some sort of "guide."  Someone that may be more powerful or knowledgeable, to help along the way.  These things are what draws me to certain stories.

The Beginning

So, I decided to start a blog.  I have a friend whose blog has really ministered to me and I have been so appreciative.  I have always enjoying writing out my thoughts and feelings.  So, I thought this was a good way to open up to other people what God is showing me and just observations about life. So here goes.