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Everybody Loves Anoop……. and Susan Boyle…..

anoop-and-rayEverybody loves Anoop… I mean Raymond, no, I mean Anoop… Gosh, I get them so confused!   Apparently Ray Romano and American Idol contestant, Anoop Desai are not related but bear a striking resemblance and apparently, it is only Ray that everybody likes.  Anoop was voted off of American Idol last night along with Lil Rounds. I’ve really tried to like Anoop and he seems like a nice enough guy, but I will have to say I was glad that he went home.   My favorites are still in the running.  Next week’s genre…. rap….. Not really, but my family had a good time leading me to believe that one.

Another interesting singer was introduced to the world, via internet and television, this past week or so.  A lady by the name ofsusan-boyle-b_0 Susan Boyle stunned an audience of disbelievers in her singing ability and led them to a surprising standing ovation.  Her younger, Mrs. Doubtfire look raised eyebrows and shook heads from those who tend to believe that appearance is what creates ability.  Her singing debut was on a British television show which Simon Cowell also plays an all too truthful judge.  However, there is a rumor that this lady was planted by Simon and maybe so, you’ll see the look on his face when she sings… his smile is wonderful… but not quite convincing that he had known she could do what she was there to do.

So, if he placed her on stage for ratings… who knows?  And I’m not sure it really matters…. She did a beautiful job.  The crowd didn’t believe in her but because she was given the chance, she was able to prove herself and the audience learned a lesson.

But I noticed something as I was reading the other day that took me back to this video.  I’ve often wondered why someone who set up the death of another for a lustful gain..David… would be called a man after God’s own heart.  I stumbled on scripture the other day that may lend some explanation of it.  David was trying to honor Jonathan and Saul and asked for any descendants of Jonathan to be brought to him.  Jonathan’s son was crippled and David gave him a royal inheritance that might never have been his due to his physical appearance.  Looking through scripture we see that God always seems to highlight those that others think are not worthy …. David himself, Moses, Jacob, Esther, Levi, Fishermen, children, Mary Magdalene, etc, etc, etc (The King and I is on in the background…etc.)… so maybe that is the heart of God… believing in those who the world sees as less than…

In the video, watch Simon’s smile in two parts.. first, the smile with his face resting in his hands… I picture that smile being on the face of God as he looks at us as we are in the place where he wants us to be… in his will… It is a look of satisfaction and love……Then there is the second smile (A part of me hopes he did plant Susan Boyle on that stage)… the smile of pride in knowing that others finally see what he does… I picture that smile being on the face of God when he places us in a position that either we don’t think we can live up to or others don’t think we can live up to…and he smiles when others see what he sees in us….We have an incredible God who looks beyond appearance and sees the person….Thanks for smiling, Simon!

You can find the video of Susan in the right column on this page.

2 Samuel 9

David and Mephibosheth

1 David asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”

2 Now there was a servant of Saul’s household named Ziba. They called him to appear before David, and the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?”
“Your servant,” he replied.

3 The king asked, “Is there no one still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show God’s kindness?”
Ziba answered the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in both feet.”

4 “Where is he?” the king asked.
Ziba answered, “He is at the house of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar.”

5 So King David had him brought from Lo Debar, from the house of Makir son of Ammiel.

6 When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he bowed down to pay him honor.
David said, “Mephibosheth!”
“Your servant,” he replied.

7 “Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.”

8 Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?”

9 Then the king summoned Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, “I have given your master’s grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family. 10 You and your sons and your servants are to farm the land for him and bring in the crops, so that your master’s grandson may be provided for. And Mephibosheth, grandson of your master, will always eat at my table.” (Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.)

11 Then Ziba said to the king, “Your servant will do whatever my lord the king commands his servant to do.” So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table like one of the king’s sons.

12 Mephibosheth had a young son named Mica, and all the members of Ziba’s household were servants of Mephibosheth. 13 And Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king’s table, and he was crippled in both feet.

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Posted by on April 23, 2009 in Devotions, Faith, Fun, Videos

 

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I be wantin me some treasure…. Arrrr…..

treasure-chest-1

Maybe you are like me and you can reflect over a time period and then think of something that you find to be pretty valuable.  Possibly a funny story to remember, a heart-warming incident that you never want to forget, an observation that strikes you as pretty amazing, or maybe even a lesson learned… Well, I had one of those times this weekend where I could just reflect on current little things that I would consider little treasures…. I think I’ll call it “mind booty” (what’s a treasure without pirate talk, yer know… arrrrr)… the treasure that is swiped right out of your mind…

Here’s the booty.. one jewel at a time…

Jewel #1Lesson Learned- Even if the car in front of you does it too…..the “right turn only” cardboard-box-carsign means just that

Jewel #2Funny story to remember- A stimulus package is not a high energy flavored drink package that you dump into bottled water (don’t ask)

Jewel #3Amazing observation- Children of today, who live in a high-tech society, have 24/7 communication with others (cell phones, internet….yes, even little children), have received more information by age 10 than a 15 year-old would have 15 years ago, are able to play sports, exercise their bodies and exercise military operations from the comfort of their couch with a joystick (and if they have a Wii they may possibly stand up)… all of this and they still enjoy playing in a cardboard boxdisney-ice

Jewel #4Funny Story- One who turns 7 years-old actually LIKES having people sing Happy Birthday to them in a restaurant

Jewel #5Heart warming moment- No matter how old you are and no matter if you see it every year, there is still something special about those events that  Disney puts together..

Each one of those little incidents, for whatever reason, make up memories that I don’t want to forget.. a little treasure or mind booty (arrrr…)

I love that about the Bible too.  I can read something one time and read it again later only to see something that I didn’t catch before… like yesterday… I have read the story of how Jesus was betrayed many times.  I know the whole  kiss on the cheek, ear cut off, denying of the denial, the false allegations, etc., but I caught something last night that I have either skimmed over in the past or just never seen.   It is  Mark 14:51-52.  It tells of a young man who had been following Jesus and his disciples. When all of the action of the arrest was taking place someone grabbed this guy and in doing so, his clothes ripped right off and he ran away naked…it is not mentioned in any other account of the arrest, just in Mark and it is only two little sentences.    At first I thought that it was kind of funny…  I chuckled as I pictured the scene of him being scared out of his clothes.  Then I thought about it (arrr…. searched for the treasure) ….right before that little story it said that everyone deserted Christ and ran… This guy didn’t get away in time so he did what he had to do… ran naked…

In that reflection I  wondered if I have ever run away from Christ when times got a little scary.. When Christ asked me to do something that made me feel a little fearful and instead of trusting, I ran?…My rebellious pirate answer? “Aye,”….. I have and I might just be able to say that when I felt trapped, I did what I thought I  had to do to run away from Christ …..not even considering about how I was acting or even how I looked as I took those steps….

Fortunately, we have a loving God who wants to be our treasure.  He knows when we are running scared and he is ready and waiting to give us fresh clothes, nourishment and guide us in the direction we know we should have gone in the first place.  And the best part-he doesn’t leave us running by ourselves…  I’m thankful that I ran back.

Are you running to or from your treasure?

Mark 14:43-52

43Just as he was speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, appeared. With him was a crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders.

44Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away under guard.” 45Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Rabbi!” and kissed him. 46The men seized Jesus and arrested him. 47Then one of those standing near drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.

48Am I leading a rebellion,” said Jesus, “that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? 49Every day I was with you, teaching in the temple courts, and you did not arrest me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled.50Then everyone deserted him and fled.

51A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus. When they seized him, 52he fled naked, leaving his garment behind.

 
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Posted by on March 16, 2009 in Devotions, Faith, Fun, Life Stories

 

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