Archive — May, 2008
11 May
They Call Me…Batman
My phone rang, interrupting my sleep. Answering it, I was greeted by the barely recognizable sobs of my friend Tracy. She was house-sitting a large country house and something must have spooked her I thought. “Just wait Tracy, I’ll come by.”
Opening the front door I called out, “Tracy, I’m H…” I was cut off by a blood-curling scream, “SHUT THE DOOR! Don’t let any more in!” Quickly slamming the door I spun around, there stood Tracy looking awful. She informed me that while on the computer, “Something had flown past her head.” Assuring her that she was merely letting the fright of being home alone get to her, I offered to inspect the house to comfort her.
10 May
Jody Johnston
If you were to randomly meet Jody Johnston on the street, you would immediately notice a few things about him: he’s a bold, unashamed 17-year-old and he’s not the least bit afraid of sharing Jesus with complete strangers. This Josiah Road blogger was gifted at a very young age with a passion and insatiable drive for telling others about Jesus.
9 May
A Hero is Born
I love superheroes. Last Halloween I dressed up as Batman (unfortunately they never make superhero costumes in adult sizes, so my friends encouraged me never to don my juvenile caped crusader outfit again!). I grew up watching the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and they even appeared as the theme of my birthday party once or twice. I have often wished I had powers like the X-men or a secret identity like Superman (people still seem to recognize me with my glasses on!). The thought of fighting the forces of evil makes my heart race with excitement, and a couple of years ago, I had a chance to live my dream…
7 May
Savior and Lord?
If you have ever seen someone perform the old vaudeville act of plate spinning, you will have a good picture of what life has felt like lately. You know, furiously running from plate to plate to keep each one upright on its tall, wobbly stick as though the world depends upon my personal involvement and oversight to keep it spinning on its axis. Yes, I admit it. I have a control problem. It’s not really that I want control. It’s just that I am afraid that if I do not do everything myself that it won’t get done… .Sure, Jesus can be my Savior, but will I let Him be my Lord?
3 May
Spring Cleaning (Yuck!)
Spring has sprung, and although I really do love this time of year, I don’t enjoy all of the work that comes along with it. Time to clean the winter gunk out of the windows, weed the flower beds, put away the coats and sweaters we won’t need for several months, and get in some extra time exercising in order to wear our summer clothes. It’s a lot of work! Frankly, just the thought of it makes me want to throw in the towel, hunker down on the sofa, and get lost in a good book … but duty calls. I know if I will just get started that one step will lead to another, and before I know it, my work will be done. All it takes is some perseverance and a whole lot of discipline.
2 May
William Borden
William Borden
William Borden was born on November 1, 1887. He lived a privileged life as a child and teenager as the heir to Borden Dairy, Inc. When he was seven years old, he surrendered his life to Christ and dedicated himself to do whatever God wanted with his life.
A 1904 graduate of a private boarding prep school in Chicago, William’s parents gave their 16-year-old son a trip around the world as a graduation present. He traveled through Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. During his journey, he felt a growing burden for the hurting people of the world.
William wrote home about his desire to be a missionary. One friend expressed his disappointment that William was throwing his life away to be a missionary. But William wrote in the back of his Bible: “No reserves.”
1 May
Translating God
I really respect and admire anyone who is multi-lingual. What an amazing talent! Unfortunately I have also come to realize I will never be that person. Early in the semester, my seventh grade French teacher kindly “suggested” that I drop his French class and take another option instead. Expressing that maybe the French language “isn’t for everybody,” he quickly added that I had “a long list of talents…but French is not on that list.” All aspirations of becoming the next ambassador to France came to an abrupt halt in that moment.
30 Apr
Genuine Item or Fake?
I go to a college full of pranksters. You have to be constantly on guard around my friends. In the words of a cowboy friend, we’ve all “been had” at some point or another. There have been some pretty good pranks since I’ve been at college, but this week a prank was pulled that beat the rest – I mean, this was the practical joke of the century!
A friend of mine, Zach, had been pranked by another friend, David. So Zach decided to exact revenge. He created a Facebook account for a fake girl. Her name was “Kelly.” He created all of her personal information, posted pictures of one of his friends (a girl David wouldn’t recognize) and made her appear perfect. Among other things, her email address was proverbs31girl04@____.com.
Facebook and the Incarnation
I have a twenty-something friend who recently declared that a single event signaled Facebook’s imminent demise: his mother friended him.
Bizarre annoyances are nothing new for Facebook. How many times must I hit ignore in response to a barrage of loony requests? No, thank you, I don’t want to be a pirate or join in a snowball fight or poke anyone with a broccoli stalk or plant a geranium in someone’s (virtual) garden. However, this motherly intrusion unnerved my friend on quite a different level - his virtual reality collided with real life in disturbing ways.
29 Apr
Freedom’s Promise
In 1999, 33-year-old Marina answered an ad to leave the Ukraine and study abroad in Israel. When she arrived, she was taken to an apartment in Ashkelon where she was introduced to other women who explained that she was now a prostitute.
Amber Barron
Imagine her surprise! Marina became hysterical. As a result, she was beaten, raped, sold off, and finally locked in a windowless basement for a month, drinking water from the toilet and going without food.
She finally managed to escape. But now, she rarely leaves her two-bedroom home in northern Israel because she fears the government will deport her or the criminal gangs will force her back into prostitution.
This story came from the blog of Amber Barron, a 28-year-old freedom fighter for humans being trafficked all over the world.
