Feasting on Felines

Back in my college days, rocket scientist friend and I would spend hours coming up with the sickest ideas for what to do with a cat, while sitting on my apartment floor playing with my innocent kitten.  Just in that, it was slightly morbid.

Several years later, someone published a book called, “101 Uses For A Dead Cat”.  OMG!  We laughed so hard we almost lost our meal!  Talk about demented!  Of course that was followed up with, “More Uses For A Dead Cat”.  I understand the dog version was not quite the seller the cat one was…

So, when I saw this the other day on a Filipino blog, it brought back a flood of memories:

Of course, were I a cat I would definitely use a disguise.  What do you think of this one?

Heh, heh, heh, heh…..

Hypocrites?

Troubled Daughter brought up an interesting situation:  Older Daughter wants her to participate in the wedding, but TD thinks that since what OD is doing is an affront to God – she should not support her in this wedding by being a part of it.

It is an interesting problem.  How to explain to a teenager that yes, God has said everything OD has done is wrong (and she knew better) – but it is our ministry to show her compassion and love in order to draw her back to HIM.

To which, TD countered with, in Biblical times she would have been stoned to death and we would not have to have this discussion.  ACK!

Finally, many hours later, we agreed she would not have to be a part of the ceremony, but still has to respect and pray for her older sister.  (yes she will be checked for rocks at the door…)

For those not around in September, OD has done nothing TD had not already done!  So a bit hypocritical, don’t you think?

My family has responded poorly to the pending wedding.  I have received so many emails from family members telling me how it is so inappropriate for her to wear white.  Or how she should wear black.  Or how embarrassing it is to the family that a pregnant daughter would walk the aisle.  How I am throwing away my money by helping her with this charade, etc, etc, etc…

Yet whom in my family can toss the first stone?  Not a one of them is not guilty of more egregious marital or hormonal situations. 

Then there are those whom are angered by the hypocrisy, and yet they feel their own opinions are valid, when in fact they are just as guilty as OD for the same situations!

Net result – no one in my family will be in attendance, save for me and her siblings.

And yet, all of my personal close friends will be there – as each has said, “To support me, in troubling times….”  Is it not strange that my friends are more in line with reason than my own family?  When you consider the hours of travel for them to gather here, for a 30 minute ceremony, it awes me.

This pending wedding has brought about a most interesting study in the human condition!

Keep us in your prayers as we struggle through this week…

Lost

Humor of God, Satan and Man

God populated the earth with vegetables of all kinds, so that man would live a long and healthy life.

And Satan created the 99 cent double cheeseburger.  And Satan said to man, “Would you like fries with that?”

And man said, “Supersize them!”  And man gained pounds.

And God created healthful yogurt, and Satan froze the yogurt and brought forth chocolate, nuts and brightly colored candy to put on top.  And man gained more pounds.

And God brought forth running shoes, and man resolved to lose those extra pounds.

And Satan brought forth cable TV, remote control and potato chips.  And man clutched his remote and ate his chips.  Satan saw this and said, “It is good.”

And man went into cardiac arrest.  And God sighed and created bypass surgery.

And Satan created HMOs.

Paths Not Walked

When I lost my job as a youth pastor, I also lost my fiancée.  My future father-in-law, siding with the church, had my marriage nullified (civil annulment of the license).  So, I managed to lose my job and my wife at the same time!  I was really angered with him; I was really at a loss with her as to why she put up with this!  But, I was in Mexico at the time and completely powerless to stop anything until long after it was a fact.

I should probably share that the reason I lost my job was because the elders of the church found out that I believed in the power and ministry of the Holy Spirit.  I am about the least charismatic person you will ever meet – however, I am the strongest believer in the power of God you will ever meet.

So when on Monday my best friend called to say he had stumbled into my ex-father in-law – I was really surprised.  I was more than surprised to hear that he had a message to give me from him.

I guess he is now 80 and been thinking about his life.  He came to the conclusion he had really shafted me and his oldest daughter (still unmarried and living at home).  He wanted to say he felt bad about what happened.  My friend shared other parts of the discussion to let me know what was going on and how to pray for him.

I was a little taken back.  How can you respond to an apology through a third person?  I realize the entire affair had been an odd arrangement; from almost being counter cultural by wanting a religious wedding to his pulling of favors with friends in the canton to quietly kill the license while I was away.  Nothing was normal about any aspect of it.

I mentioned last time we had all failed.  I became angry with God, I was down and felt I had then been kicked by God.  Udie turned out to be less than faithful as it was.  My then best friend betrayed everyone.  My in-laws could have gone to jail for what they had done – but if my “wife” was willing to go along with this, I was a loser already.  Especially in light of her activities with ex-best friend. 

What a mess.  But, I do wonder sometimes, when I become morose and introspective, how might life have been different?  What path would I have then walked had my Eldership been Godly, had my wife been Godly, had my in-laws been Godly, had my best friend at the time been Godly? 

Yeah, yeah, perfect world, I know…..

Yes or No?

Last time I wrote on Fleeces and how I had found my answer, then to observe my close brother in the Lord totally make a fool of himself through the same process!  But, I did have my answer and I was happy.  I loved being a youth minister; maybe one day even moving up into the pastor’s role – after finishing theology school of course.  It was the only job I have ever completely loved and wanted.  But, it was not to be.

Yes, I lost that job very shortly after this whole Fleece problem had cropped up.  How could God have given me seven ‘Yes’s and then I would lose my ministry position?  I had no doubt this was His will – yet, in the back of my mind I had to wonder what was going on!

Most every situation should have a ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ answer, at least in my mind.  But, what I have found was that often God does not answer the way we expect.  A ‘No’ answer could be a ‘Wait’ or a ‘No’.  A ‘Yes’ could be a yes for now, but not for later.  A ‘No’ could be for now or forever. 

Do you think of the silly situations you can get yourself into by trying to out guess God?  Gideon only asked about one task God had already told him about, I was trying to get direction for a life time – something God had not told me about!  God had me where he wanted me for that point in my life but shortly that was all about to change.  God was about to test me, God was about to test my fiancée, God was about to test my new in-laws, God was about to test my friends and my family.  (And admittedly we all failed.)

So, I now wait upon the Lord.  Watching for open doors and closed doors.  And by all means, keeping my fingers out of those door ways – just in case they get slammed shut!  I have spiritually gnarly fingers from all of the breakage…..

I no longer ask for a sign, I ask for His will to become so plainly known that even I can see the path He would have me follow.  If I do not see a path, I do nothing.  If an opportunity appears but I sense God has not prodded me in that direction, I do nothing.  Yes, I do a lot of nothing!  But, then I do know where He has me and what He has me doing, and that I pursue whole heartedly – at least until directed elsewhere.