The second one he drew was this one (which he aptly named “Triangles of King Traders”):

All I can say is this, David is the only one in the world that I would even care about to ever receive a drawing from.  What a Father’s Day present!

“I would show a commercial of Trinity Lutheran Church, and then a commercial about cheetos, so everyone would believe in Jesus and eat cheetos.”

If that is not the funniest thing you’ve heard today then I want you to post it so I can laugh even harder than I did when I read that kid’s presidential dreams.

(sent from my iPhone)

I hope you all enjoy this video filled with pictures and movies from 2008.

(just double click on the video image to make it play)

Click here to view the embedded video.

 

Hi Michael and Casey,

We are in full gear and very excited about your visit. I’ve been asked to touch base about the general program so you know what we are planning.

Everything is in full swing for the pastors/leaders and wives day seminar, hosted by a church called River of Life. We are targeting pastors, leaders and their families. two morning sessions: the leaders marraige; and the leaders family/kids. Often there is little time, energy, passion left for the home front. Often too, kids get the last shuffle when it comes to dad’s time and input. “What do I gain if I win the whole world to Christ but lose my own family in the process!”

Afternoon free.

Same night, Thursday, is our premier event, a couples dinner at the Miekels hotel. Full dinner, music by Heartsong, Zimbabwe’s best contemporary christian band, and you speaking for about 35 minutes. We hope to attract half the couples being unchurched and really encourage them to attend the Saturday seminar.

friday morning is free with a visit planned to Bally Waughn, a game park about 25 miles out of town.

Friday evening we have a youth rally scheduled at Central Baptist Church, various groups invited. Theme is open to you. Could be peer pressure; overcoming sexual temptation; marks of true love; (if you want to handle principles of dating ( term we don’t really use here in ZIM) I suggest you contact a local pastor Gary Cross for some input as our black kids particularly, have a unique system and problem).

Saturday is our couples seminar with three sessions, two am and one after lunch. Our church, Baptist Bible Church is hosting. We suggest the morning sessions focus on marriage issues and the afternoon on discipline, passing the blessing, kids, family, whatever.

Sunday am we could split the two of you. Casey could speak at one church and you Michael at BBC (ours). What do you think? Do you then want to speak or preach at a black church using an interpretor? A special opportunity and experience? It might be quite a heavy day as we then move to our final, packed out combined church rally at Northside Community Church, hosted by Gary Cross and with worship by Heartsong.

Monday we travel by van to Gweru and Antelope Park. It is an amazing place where we can walk with lions, ride elephants, fish, game view etc. I am trying to get the local pastors to organise a special dinner much like the Thursday night for Gweru’s community. Not sure yet. We sleep the night and travel back to Harare (3 hours) on Tue in time to catch flights back home.

Hope this helps.

Are you going to miss your elections? Not to worry. I already know who is going to win! We are living in facinating days aren’t we?

Much love in Christ,

Chris.

ps You are both staying in our home in Harare. We want you to share our lives and get to know us a bit. Hope you don’t mind my snoring and sharing a room with our whole family…we have seven kids sleep on the floor next to our bed (we’ll let you and Casey have the bed)…but don’t worry, we’ll put the sheep outside while you are with us!

pps. bring some spending money for Antelope Park. We might need to pay for accomodation and activities. $250 should cover it, and I’ll try to get it as free as I can! We know the owners!

pps. only kidding about the sharing of one room. Sort of. We don’t have seven kids either!

 

RUSH: Kurt in Pittsburgh , hello, sir.  Nice to have you on the EIB Network, and how about the Steelers defense?

CALLER:  How about those Steelers, huh?

RUSH:  How about that?

CALLER:  Hey, listen, Rush, longtime listener, first-time caller, one of those Bible, family, gun clingers from western Pennsylvania .

RUSH:  Thank you.

CALLER:  And I wanted to share a story with you.  A week ago last Saturday we went to the Palin-McCain rally in Washington , Pennsylvania , was the day after he announced her, and we have a five-year-old daughter with Down syndrome, and we made a sign that said: “We Love Kids with Down Syndrome.” So when they pulled in in their bus the sign did catch their, McCain and Palin and the rest of their family, it caught their eye, we could tell, they gave us a thumbs-up from the bus, so we were all excited just by that –

RUSH:  Wait, wait, wait.  Who gave you the thumbs up, McCain and Palin?

CALLER:  McCain, Palin, Cindy McCain, we could see them from the bus. We were in a position where we had eye contact with them –

RUSH:  Oh, cool!

CALLER:  My wife was holding our daughter.

RUSH:  Very, very, very cool.

CALLER:  It was really cool, Rush. I was like, “Wow, that’s awesome,” because I love Governor Palin and so I thought that’s really neat.  So then we moved around as the bus was getting ready to pull out, we kind of

positioned ourselves so we could just wave them on and a Secret Service agent came up to us and said, “Hey, can you come with us?”  I was like, “Do we have a choice?”

RUSH: (laughing) You shouldn’t have worried.  It’s not the Clinton administration.

CALLER: Right. So we accompanied them up the hill, we went right to the bus, where it was, and Governor Palin, Senator McCain, Cindy, Todd Palin, they’re all standing there. We’re in this inner circle with just us and them, and the Secret Service agent, and they came right up to us and thanked us for coming out, said they loved our sign, and Governor Palin immediately said, “May I hold your daughter?” and our daughter Chloe, who’s five, went right to her, and I have some pictures I’d love to send you maybe when I’m done here, but Governor Palin was hugging Chloe, and then her little daughter brought their baby Trig who has Down syndrome from the bus, he was napping, and Chloe went right over and kissed him on the cheek, and my son Nolan who’s nine, he thanked her.

RUSH: This is amazing.

CALLER: I will send you all the stuff, Senator McCain was talking to my son, and we thanked him for his service, and he asked my son if he wanted to see the bus, and we were hanging out and it was very surreal. I felt like we could have had a pizza and a beer with them, they were so warm.

RUSH: You know what? I want to put you on hold. I want Snerdley to give you our super-secret, known-only-to-three-people here, e-mail address.

CALLER: I will send you everything, Rush.

RUSH: And then could you send us these pictures? Would you mind if we put them on the website?

CALLER: I would be honored, and my main thing is they are warm, kind, genuine people, and they represent the best of this country.

RUSH:  That’s right.  And when you send these pictures, make sure you identify them.  I mean, we’ll know Palin and McCain, of course.  Identify yourselves.

CALLER:  I will, I will identify everybody in the picture, Rush, and God bless you for being a beacon of hope and truth in this country.

RUSH:  Oh, no, no.  It’s nothing, it’s nothing.  You’re doing the Lord’s work.

CALLER:  Well, we’re very blessed and I want people to know what a blessing it is to have a child with Down syndrome. These kids, they’re angels.

RUSH:  That’s the thing.  There’s always good to be found in everything that happens.  It may be a while before it reveals itself.

CALLER:  Absolutely.

CALLER:  Right, and when she hugged my daughter I said, here’s the difference, this candidate embraces life and all its limitless possibilities.

RUSH:  All right.

CALLER:  That’s what she is.

RUSH:  Terrific, okay, I gotta run here, but I’m going to put you on hold.

CALLER:  Thank you, Rush.

RUSH:  Thank you, Kurt.  I really appreciate it.

END TRANSCRIPT

Do you see how people react when we make them a priority and treat them with honor! What a great example of just taking a moment to share in someone’s life. I know that McCain and Palin are in the middle of a very tough race, but still, this feels pretty authentic, especially since they did it privately.

Here are the pics the caller talked about:

“What do you see?” Came the quiet voice.
“Well”, I said, “I see many different colors and patterns. “
“Isn’t it beautiful?” Was the reply.
“Oh yes, it looks like there was a lot of time and effort used to create it.” I reveled.

“There was.” It spoke again…” Look at the individual sections. Each part comes together to create something beautiful. Individually, every square looks different and a little disordered, but once they are sewn together they make sense. There is a specific purpose for each element, and every single stitch was planned long before hand to fill a unique place.

I continued to examine it, and playfully poked my fingers through the small holes in the fabric.
“You see, your life is like this blanket. You may see only sections of chaos and unrelated segments, yet I see necessary pieces of an intricate tapestry. I am taking the good and bad, and knitting them together to form an exquisite pattern of significance. Where you feel holes, I see components of a bigger picture. When you see dead ends, I see opportunity for new and different colors. When those around you are cold, I am giving you a tool to adequately warm them.”

A sense of peace passed over me, and I sat back to ponder a bit longer. How incredible is it that our God loves us as He does! He doesn’t haphazardly look at our lives and simply take the pieces as they fall. No, Instead He lovingly and painstakingly works to mold and craft something beautiful and special from each strand of experience. At times when life doesn’t make sense, we can know that His plans for us are good, and that he does indeed have a purpose behind each part! What a delightful portrait of His grace and mercy!

As I drove to work today, I listened to a popular local radio show. They were remembering that day too, by taking phone calls and playing songs. At some point a few of the phone callers commented that they thought too big a deal was made of this anniversary and that it was time “to move on”. The radio personalities struggled with this mentality greatly, not understanding how anyone could feel that way. I agree with them.

September 11th is a moment in our history that our country will never forget. We all know exactly where we were and what we were doing that day. I was on my way to work when the first plane hit and at that moment, we all thought it was an accident. I got to my office and turned on the television only to see the second plane hit a short time later. By then we knew. Stunned silence followed for quite a while as we watched mesmerized at what was happening. My co-worker had a son in those buildings who called to say he was told to stay put; then called again to say they were evacuating. Thankfully, he got out. It all seemed surreal as we made phone calls checking on people. The first thought for most of us was our family. We wanted them close. My youngest son was nine at the time and my dad was able to get him out of school and bring him to me. My normally active, joyful young man sat in a corner for hours unable to comprehend what had happened and why anyone would do this to us. My oldest had just begun his first year of high school and I had to go to the school to get him. While the school was organized in dismissing students, it was still total chaos as people scrambled to assemble their family.

We opened our church doors to anyone that felt they needed comfort and held a service that night so we could comfort each other. Our congregation had a police officer who was at the site that came into church that night with the dust still on his clothes and in his eyes. A construction worker had watched in horror from a building close by as people jumped from the towers rather than be burned. He came to service in shock.

Many New Yorkers lost someone they loved and many of us know someone who did. This loss of life changed all of our lives forever. There is no way we can ever forget what happened and no way we should ever ignore this day. To think we should just “move on” is a travesty to the memories of all those innocent people that died and those that loved them. Just watch CNN while they read the names of the almost 3,000 people that died that day.

September 11th, every year, needs to be a day of remembrance and of prayer. We need to pray for those families have to deal, not only with the loss, but the way it happened. And we need to pray for our country! No matter where you live in these United States, please remember this day in your hearts each and every year!

If you haven’t watched this video yet – please take a look.  It is the last lecture of Dr. Randy Pausch because he is dying of pancreatic cancer.  He has a young family consisting of three kids and a wife.  This will truly help you appreciate life and also learn how to live while while alive.

During my second month of college, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions until I read the last one:

What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?

Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50’s, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade.

“Absolutely,” said the professor. “In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say ‘hello.”

I’ve never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.

2. – Second Important Lesson – Pickup in the Rain

One night, at 11:3 0 p.m., an older African American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rainstorm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride.

Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car. A young white man stopped to help her, generally unheard of in those conflict-filled 60s. The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance and put her into a taxicab.

She seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote down his address and thanked him. Seven days went by and a knock came on the man’s door. To his surprise, a giant console color TV was delivered to his home. A special note was attached..

It read: “Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes, but also my spirits. Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband’s bedside just before he passed away. God bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others.”

Sincerely, Mrs. Nat King Cole

3 – Third Important Lesson – Always remember those who serve.

In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him.

“How much is an ice cream sundae?” he asked.

“Fifty cents,” replied the waitress.

The little boy pulled is hand out of his pocket and studied the coins in it.

“Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?” he inquired.

By now more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing impatient.

“Thirty-five cents,” she brusquely replied.

The little boy again counted his coins.

‘I’ll have the plain ice cream,’ he said.

The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left. When the waitress came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies.

You see, he couldn’t have the sundae, because he had to have enough left to leave her a tip.

4 – Fourth Important Lesson. – The obstacle in Our Path

In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king’s wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way.

Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Up on approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many of us never understand!

Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition.

5 – Fifth Important Lesson – Giving When it Counts

Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare & serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister.

I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, “Yes I’ll do it if it will save her.” As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheek. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded.

He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, “Will I start to die right away?”

Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her but he had chosen to save her anyway.

Now you have 2 choices.

1. Delete this email, or
2. Forward it to people you care about.

I hope that you will choose number two.

‘Work like you don’t need the money, love like you’ve never been hurt, and dance like you do when nobody’s watching.’

NOW more than ever – Peace…Pass It On

Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy, the First Couple of American Theater shared stage, screen and a stable marriage for 52 years. We should all want to be this happy with our spouse after 52 years!

Five minutes hadn’t gone by when my 9-year old daughter, Reagan, came prancing in to the kitchen where my wife was casually standing trying to admire her new hair color in the reflection of the refrigerator. Amy turned to face Reagan, to check out what she thought of the new hair color and Reagan stopped dead in her tracks. She didn’t say a word, which left time for the other two kids to come flying in to the kitchen. The boys rounded the corner and came to a sliding halt when they saw their mother, and her new hair color. All three kids just stood their trying to figure out who this strange woman was standing in their kitchen.

Amy broke the silence to ask what they all thought of her new hair color. I tried to caution the boys, but I was too late. They immediately started freaking out about Amy’s choice in hair color. But to my amazement, Reagan stood firmly in the center of the kitchen and pleaded for the boys to stop teasing mommy. She then said one of the most classic lines in Reagan’s young life, “Stop teasing mommy…she only did this for Halloween. She’ll change it back in a few days.”

I fell to the floor laughing. I couldn’t help myself. Thankfully, Amy laughed as well.

Amy’s hair is back to normal today…after her brief stint as Elvira’s hair backup.

I know, I know, you’re very impressed.

God created us for relationships so we must resist the temptation to isolate ourselves when we are hurt by them.

If we can’t see God in this place, we must not be looking at all.

Reagan, I must say – you are the sweetest, shiniest person I know! What a joy to be around such a thoughtful and sensitive girl. You always are kind to everyone no matter who they are, and that kind of attitude will take you far (she underlined far). Keep reading and trying your best. I know you will! Sincerely…

You would have thought that Reagan had won the lottery! She couldn’t wait to read it to her brother, her mother, her father, and I believe she even read it over the phone to one of her grandparents! Moments and thoughts like this can literally shape the future of a child. What a gift this special student teacher gave my child – the gift of belief, encouragement, support and so much more.

Take the time to say or do something positive for a child (especially your own) today. Just simply point out their value and preciousness as seen through the eyes of God.

I urge you to view the mistakes and trials of the past as stepping stones for growth. Let the past stay there, but let your future brim with freshness and vibrance, as the fires around you become the very mechanism of life!

My son is down to the left and the children to the right are the little brother and sister of our adopted daughter from World Vision.

Now that’s perspective.