My Sister's Morning

I received a series of text messages from my sister this morning:

Abby Thomas - A little good morning story for you....So the 350 lb beached whale of a woman flopped on the table next to me at physical therapy just exhaled and let not one but TWO catastrophically, monstrously EPIC farts rip that would have blown leaves off a tree, ripped her pants and startled King Kong...and then exhaled again with a gigantic "ahhhhhhh" of relief, pure content, and overall satisfaction. It was all I could do to not vomit while I tried to conceal my obvious embarrassment for being present at the scene of this horrific event. All the while, I have not stopped laughing. FML

She then chuckled and then acted as if she had no idea what happened. I'm just glad I witnessed it because I wouldn't have believed it otherwise. I do assure you though that in this instance, the blamer is most definitely not the flamer.

I kid you not, it was EPIC!!! I hope this was the story you needed to kick start your day!

Why this Jesus?

My wife wrote a devotional, God of the Nations, that is being published on the Salem Alliance webpage on Monday, December 28 (we think). Ever since I read her story and since it is Christmas time, I have been thinking about the Incarnation and what it means. What would it be like if God came earth; what would happen? Here are a handful of videos that I feel truly capture my thoughts:

Bait and Switch Tactics

Why does it seem that every Christian organization participates in bait and switch tactics? "Come to our Thanksgiving dinner!" "Homeless, come get your free meal!" "Hey hungry college student, come get some free pizza..." Why can't we as Christians just offer something without expecting to gain something in return? We talk about relational giving and being Christ to people. Why does this mean that when we have people over for dinner, we line up a speaker?

I for one am tired of it. I want to attend a pastor's breakfast without a sermon and the many pats on the back for those putting on the show. It would be great if we could invite our Christian and non-Christian friends over just to talk and share a meal. No agendas, no three points and eight poems; just good food, laughs, stories, and friendship that opens up true dialogue.

When this happens, what does this do to evangelism and discipleship?