death

A crowd of shoppers trampled a store worker to death while rushing toward Black Friday specials at a Long Island Wal-Mart. [more here]

This is so horrible on so many levels. This is greed and consumerism at its worst. This just makes me sick and saddened.

It saddens me to say that the smallest goldfish “FEESH!” didn’t make it through the night. It was Samuel’s fish and he seems to be taking it in stride.

Bombshell and Doorknob still live on.

More updates to come.

I took some of our students to a local church’s outreach event. It had a carnival theme and when it was over I noticed that there were some fish left behind with no homes. I asked the lady running the booth and she gave them to me.

So James, Aida, and Samuel awoke this morning to their first fishy pets. 3 Fish. 3 Kids. They each are going to name one. I’ll update you on the names.

I’m also taking bets to see which fish is going to die first. We all know these types of fish are pretty much disposable, so I’ve prepared the kids for the possibility of a floater.

So….place your bets (there’s a big gold, a little gold and a blond one). I’ll keep you updated as to their on going status.

Funerals are peculiar things.

Saturday, I attended a funeral of a student that died in a car accident. I didn’t know him personally, but I did know one thing: he wasn’t a believer. I was asked by our church to attend this funeral to possibly counsel with youth who had questions or needed someone to talk to. I’ve been to many funerals and there’s aways a distinct difference between those of people who know Christ and those who don’t. The feeling in the room was absolute devastation. Everyone was clinging on to something and holding on to anything they could find. There was no hope.

It just breaks my heart to think how differently that ceremony would have been if the young boy had known Christ. How it changes our view of this life, if this life isn’t all there is.

I mourn for the loss of that young man’s life because he didn’t know Jesus. I mourn for the family that’s left behind, because they don’t know Jesus. I mourn for the fact that this will all repeat itself again, if they don’t know Jesus.

But I’m getting preachy. What does it mean to me? I now have a picture of that student on my desk. It’s a sobering reminder for me. It reminds me the job I have as a youth worker. I share Christ with kids that don’t know him. And that student represents one that will never know Him. It reminds me the seriousness of the task at hand. There are lost who need to be found. I may not be the Savior, but it’s my job to point them to the Savior.

“Everything Glorious”

As we march towards Easter, remember who makes everything glorious. In death, He is glorious. In life, He is glorious. Thank you Jesus for your death and resurrection.

It’s the end scene from Braveheart. I was at a conference where John Eldredge was speaking and he described this scene as the most accurate portrayle of Christ’s death (both symbolically and physically). He was beaten, broken, taunted and defamed, but it was all for one purpose. ”Freedom” says it all.

And the scene that follows the death. Men with the heart and charge of their leader, changed forever and giving it all in a fight. Freedom was given to us by Christ, but it’s our fight to claim it and keep it.

Thank you Lord today for your gift of freedom! 

I became aware of this through my friend Kevin Bussey. It’s a testimony from Tony Dungy, the coach of the Indianapolis Colts.  

“Athletes in Action celebrated its 19th Annual Super Bowl Breakfast with Tony Dungy as the first-ever Super Bowl coach to appear in person a day before the most pivotal juncture in his coaching life.”

“Dungy was greeted by multiple standing ovations from the record crowd of 2,500 people clearly appreciative for his many expressions of his faith to the worldwide media in Miami this week in advance of Super Bowl XLI.

“I’m very proud to be the first African American head coach in the Super Bowl along with my friend Lovie Smith,” Dungy said, “but more than that the fact you have two Christian coaches who show you can do things a different way.”                                                                                                                                [BP News]

What an amazing testimony from a godly man. It really took the Super Bowl experience to a different level.