recklessly dreaming

Its 11:48. Not long ago the MSNBC site had a breaking news banner at the top of their page: Blast Reported at Polling Site.

I wonder how many people will die in Iraq as Americans sleep tonight? (The polling locations opened tonight at 10 and will close at 4am central time.)

How many will we actually hear about on the news? We will know the name of every U.S. soldier killed. How many ordinary people will not make it through the night? How many haven’t made it through the last year? 22 months?

How many Iraqi citizens, made in the image of God, will not make it through the day? Will we hear about it? Do Americans care? Are we indifferent? Do we say it is for the better good? Does our heart break? Do we say it is better than it was?

I hope that the new day in Iraq is peaceful. I pray for peace, not just today but long term. I pray for eyes that see these people forgotten by our media and often far from our thoughts as the image of the living God. I pray for a heart that breaks for, loves, and is concerned for them the way that God is.

Mr. Jimmy Pogue taught my Senior A.P. English class in High School. However, besides studying world literature, there was one computer with …. Jezzball. Now this little gem is on my PC (The only thing my PC is better at than my mac. Please note, however, that my PC is mute other than the annoying system beep.)

When I came in the office today, there was an unfinished game from yesterday. So I continued. I was bested by level 31. (With a respectable score) I will return to conquer the 32 balls bouncing back and forth on my screen and you will not be victorious again.

Today I was asked by a 3 year old to tell another story. The first one was about a sea lion in the desert and I had heard it the night before. However that was all I had. Below you will find a conversation with my chum Amanda as I tell her the story. The kids were 3, 5, and 7. Enjoy.

(Abridged version)

It was about François the antelope who loved to chase gazelles

He would run and chase them all day long

One day he chased them all day, until he was out of breath (pant pant)

Then he looked up and saw that he had never been here before and didn’t know where he was

[Amanda :This story is fun]

And it was starting to get dark

I asked them what they though he should do - a flashlight

Then we had to pause a moment to talk about opposable thumbs - and how François did not have them and so he couldn’t use a flashlight

[Amanda: hahaha]

[Yes - even better if you had been there = and then they tried to do things without thumbs before I continued]

So François was tired and he thought to himself François maybe this is all a dream so he curled up next to and under a shrub to sleep

Do you know what happened in his dream?

[Amanda:No]

He chased gazelles - because he loved to chase them
Do you ever dream about things you like to do?

[Amanda: Yes]

But then on the plain- there was a loud THUD like a rock falling from high above

François head jerked like this (sorry) but he couldn’t see

What would you do if you were an antelope, lost in the dark, with no opposable thumbs to use the flashlight, hiding next to/under a shrub? How would you feel?

[Amanda:Scared]

Well lucky for François about that time there was a noise - brief pause to ask them individually - what noise would you make if you were an antelope? Insert 3 noises one at a time

Now all together

Yes François friends and family had come to find them because they know that he loves to chase gazelles and could easily get lost

But François did not make any sound - sometimes do you get so excited that you can’t make even a sound?

(The 7 year old demonstrated - that yes in fact he did and he would show me the face)

[Amanda: Cute]

But what François did do was run as fast as he could, faster than when he chased the gazelles, to the call of the antelopes

The moral of the story - always pay attention where you are when you chase antelopes - or chase them with a buddy

The end

I am working on finishing a series (13) of small group studies on the minor prophets. One of the things on my desk is Word on the Street by Rob Lacey -if you haven’t picked up a copy get one asap. But here is what he has for Hosea 1:2-3 (yes he is British and that is why he uses the word tart. If you are confused on the meaning check out www.urbandictionary.com)

When God starts using hosea as a courier, first thing he says is, ” Go find a tart, marry her, have kids with her. Why? ‘Cos Israel’s a tart- guilty as charged; walking out on our relationship and having lurid affairs with other gods.” So he arranges the wedding with Gomer Diblaimson and makes babies with her.