Amazed by a 7-year old

We have several journals laying around our house. My wife, Monica, has been very intentional in encouraging our 7-year old daughter Amber to write in them. This not only affirms what she is doing in her first grade classroom, but also (we hope) expands her learning at home.

I found one of the journals left out this morning and read the following. I'm still overwhelmed by it:

He Was Cold But Put Warmth In Me

by Amber

I saw this man by the sidewalk,

nor did I know it was my God.

He was cold from the storm last night

but he put warmth in me.

The warmth of God.

"Truth is Stranger..." - Gas Station Graffiti

I typically don't take photographs in a gas station bathroom (I basically try to keep my name unconnected with the words "conduct unbecoming a member of the clergy"). However, this past weekend was the exception.

The bathroom was as unremarkable and unpleasant as one would expect at a gas station. The walls were covered with your typical bigotry-driven graffiti: anti-semitic, anti-black, anti-gay, anti-immigrant, etc. etc.

I found this one in the middle of it all and snapped a picture with the phone. I'm convinced that it was written by someone who shares my satirical sense of humor. Either that, or someone has run out of people to hate.

Turn Things Upside-Down (Amazing Video!)

So I'm wading through YouTube to find some videos to use in sermons or discussion groups etc., and I found this one posted by North Glynn UMC that really amazed me with it's use of poetry to portray what I find to be an incredible Law & Gospel message. It's definitely worth 3 minutes and 9 seconds of your time(HINT...you'll find the move from Law to Gospel hard to miss!).