and then there was OKI

After meeting with Shawn for lunch, I headed north from Ft Myers to Tampa, where I had the immense pleasure of getting to meet one of my two WOW best friends: OKI!! Dave B. has been dear to me since the first day I heard him talking in vent about his belief in God. Since that time, we've played alot together in the game and had even more times when we didn't do anything in game at all; rather stood around with our characters just running and jumping in circles while we just talked and joked and laughed.

Dave is funny, sensitive, thoughtful, and an extremely caring person. He's always looking out for his friends. And he gives the greatest of gifts. His main character Oki, was a warlock, and while I don't want to play a warlock for the spiritual implications, I do love the warlock mount: the horse with the firey hooves. Once when we were on this Kara run together, the first boss in the instance dropped the Firey Warhorse Reins, which is a horse very similar to the warlock mount. Oki won the roll for it, but gave it to me. It's goofy I know, but I love this thing. I still ride my Firey Warhorse around in the game all the time.

The only game item I've ever received that was better was when my son saved up alot in the game of Lineage II to buy me a crystal dagger. LOL! He gave it to me for my birthday. Didn't cost him any money, but the time and effort and thought that went into it meant alot to me.

Anyway, back to the Florida story. I went to Dave's house and he was there with Dynn (Dave C. in RL). I also got to meet the best dog in the world: Matty... Dave B's half golden retriever / half chow pup. Matty is the coolest of dogs... extremely playful, yet careful not to overwhelm you.

Dave and Dave and I went out to eat at this Shrooms place... pizza... not drugs! We hung out eating and talking and joking around. I'm blessed to have both of these guys as friends, and I would later get Dave C. to come out to Texas where he interviewed for a job at GameStop Corp, which is yet to come through.

I spent the night at Dave B's under the hospitality of his wonderful parents. The next morning we went to breakfast, where he told me about the things God is doing in his life... the book he's writing... the books he's reading... working with his dad. He'd quit the game at that point and started to focus on his health issues. I'm truly proud of him, and I know God is going to bless him and use him in many ways. I'm just happy to get to pray for him and watch as the adventure unfolds.

the quest for guildies

To really deal with this subject, i must back up several months... all the way to March. It's always great to go on a trip paid for by your company, and also get to have a little fun. In March, I found myself on a flight to Florida, for the purpose of checking out an AutoPacker system that Gamestop is interested in for the shipment of Internet orders.

I flew into Miami, but once business was done, I took my rental car and headed directly across the state to Ft Myers, to meet one of my favorite WOW guildies: Demise. He was my Hunter class leader for a long time, and taught me most of what I know as a hunter in the game. He's always been funny and easy going, and willing to help an almost total hunter noob. I should back up however, and state that it was truly Dynn, on his hunter Hroken, who got me started and pushed me to find out more about the game and the gear I needed, etc, etc. But it was Demise who taught me about shot rotations and how to maximize my DPS (damage per second).

Okay, I know... i know... i sound like a total nerd. I am. I admit it.

I once made up new lyrics to the song "Bells will be ringin', the sad sad news... oh what a Christmas, to have the blues..." I changed it to "Bells will be ringin', the sad sad news... oh what a guild run, to have the blues. My kitty's gone. I have no friends... cuz i've wiped my raid group, once again... (many more lines I won't post at this time) ... Friends and relations, send salutations... sayin' 'Surely you're addicted to this game.' But this is Warcraft, yes, Warcraft my dear... and all my friends here, are addicted, just the same..."

I met Demise at his GameStop store in Ft Myers. I'd helped him get a job at GameStop because he struck me as being such a good guy with a great work ethic... and he has been a great addition to our company. We had lunch at a Carribean style restaurant, sitting out on the patio enjoying the beautiful weather. We talked about the game and RL ("real life" for you non-gamers).

He shared his amazing story of mountain biking, taking a highly risky downhill (practically a cliff jump) trail, and ending up with a crushed wrist. He'd hiked 3 miles back out of the area, and I'm surprised he made it. But that's the kind of guy Demise, Shawn in RL, is. He's an adventurer, a risk taker, and yet also a sensitive, caring kind of guy.

It's for that very reason that I longed to share with him about the God who made him into such a thrill-seeker, but he shut me down pretty quickly saying he didn't want any of that "stuff" pushed on him. I didn't want to push, but I did wish he would have let me share. It didn't matter. It caused me to want to pray for him more passionately than ever, and I have been praying for him ever since that day we met.

sheepish grin

A couple of my favorite Canadian friends turned me onto this new CD, just released in late May, by a band called mewithoutyou. I bought a couple and shipped one of these "It's All Crazy! It's All False! It's All A Dream! It's Alright!" CDs (what a long title) to one of the guys stuck out in the little town of MooseJaw, somewhere in the Canadian wilderness. Not many stores around and even the WalMart in Winnipeg was out of stock. It struck me as funny as I walked through the metal detectors at the post office with 2 packages bearing Canadian addresses, that I sure ship alot to Canada... but... that's another post coming soon... about Canadians and all.

I started listening to this CD, which is not quite the style of music I prefer, but I love the lyrics. And you know how you have those moments when you hear something for the first time and the meaning hits you with something you never thought of before, yet it's so very simple. I had one of those moments.

In the song "A Stick, A Carrot, & String", it starts out describing Jesus being born in a manger... and as I heard the words "to keep him warm, the sheep drew near so grateful for His coming here... come with news of grace... come to take my place...", it hit me as such a beautiful thing. Those sheep, the sacrificial animal throughout history, saw their replacement being born. They would no longer have to be led to the slaughter for the sins of men.

Now did the sheep actually think that? I don't know, and the next typical phrase would be "I doubt it", but ya' know... I actually think it is very possible knowing some of the unusual ways God works.

The significance of it being shepherds to whom the good news was first brought has increased in my mind. The angels said "for unto you is born this day in the City of David, a Savior..." and I picture God thinking as he watched those shepherds standing on the hillside, mouths gaping as they beheld the glory of the angelic host surrounding them, "Come check out my little lamb"

the cozumel experience

Ai chee wha whaz!! Cozumel Mexico it is!! At first I thought I shouldn't mix this post with all these others that are so focused on spiritual life, but then I read my daughter's latest about Mike Yaconelli and I was reminded that as a Christian, the spiritual permeates all of my life... the serious and the fun. And in both aspects I can be as radical as I like. I have that freedom in Christ!

So here we go...

Off to Meh-He-Co. Come on people, say it correctly. This is Speedy Gonzalez territory. Ai yi yi!! Andele Andele! Arrrribbba! Okay, I know I'm not spelling any of that correctly. It's especially not the correct Esss-Pan-Yoll version, so I went with the phonetics for all you Americans (and a few Canadians) who would have no idea how to pronounce it anyway...

... if you saw it in the correct Spanich verrrr-siii-on that eeez.

Si! I just got back from 9 days and 8 beeee-U-tee-FULL nites at the Cozumel Palace. We arrived last Friday afternoon to a room on the top floor. Enter: king size bed, marble floor, split level: step down to a double-sized Jacuzzi, then on to a little sitting area, complete with wicker chairs & love seat. The whole room ends in a floor to ceiling window looking onto a balcony with a hammock and a straight-on ocean view. Twelve miles away, you can barely make out the Yucatan Penisula on the horizon. The water looks like a painter has tested every color of blue on his palette, looking for just the right color... or maybe just liking a little of each. Great job God!



Saturday, we hit the streets to do some shopping, and I got the biggest, pinkest sombrero I could find. My own person umbrella for lounging around the pool... Mexican-style. Oh yeah!



Our hotel sported an infinity pool built over the reefs out over the ocean. It was a split level creation of all blue tile that made it match the ocean colors as it spilled over multiple steps to the second level below. We enjoyed it daily. Dinner at their Flamingos restaurant featured a new and dazzling sunset each day as well. Yet another: Way to go God!!!




It was Casino night and I rocked @ Roulette, while Marty shamefully lost at Texas Hold 'Em... yeah... sadly on the first hand he bet big on a great hand against a guy who turned up pocket aces.

Sunday, we took a trip to the mainland to visit the Adventura Spa where I got one of the best massages EVER! We shopped in Cancun and ate at Senor Frogs right on the beeeesshh <-- Mexican version of beach. Took the make-you-sea-sick ferry back home and crashed.

Monday: aka 24th Anniverssary Day. We took the Atlantis Submarine to a depth of 103 ft. It was amazing to see the sting rays and sea turtles, huge crabs and angel fish up close like that. Which reminds me... due to the location of our hotel, we could walk down steps on either side of our pool area and jump directly into 20~30 feet of crystal clear Carribbean water and snorkel to our hearts' content... which we'd already done at this point. Obviously, I can't write about everything because this is a post of the highlights, and not a book.

The hotel had put together a romantic anniversary dinner plan for us at the water's edge, but it was threatening rain. Never fear! Manuel told us "How do you say it? I have an ace in my hand hiding?" He had an ace up his sleeve alright. ;)

We had a table for two at the big picture window in the Italian restaurant with a sunset view that was to-die-for. Afterwards, the rain clouds had run away, and the International Dance show was on... pool side. We got in on the Tango competition that followed and won. Thanks primarily to Daniel who filled Marty's request for a red flower (carnation will do when no roses are around), which Marty popped in his mouth when we hit the floor. It was the Argentinians in the crowd who swayed the judges in our direction. Woohoo!!

Tuesday, we hit the jungle on ATVs and got down and dirty. More snorkeling & pool action. And then we were off to the Lobster Dinner Cruise... Lobster Dinner Cruise?!?! That totally downplays this adventure. It was aboard a Spanish Galleon - a PIRATE SHIP! And if you know me, you know I love pirates. Well, Johnny Depp, Jack Sparrow type pirates that is. And all of these adorable Mexican guys on board this ship were sporting the Jack A'Sparrow look from their boots to their bandanas. They climbed the rigging, they swung from the ropes, they looted our purses lookin' for booty - Aarrrrgh!! They danced, they sang, they threatened to make all the men walk the plank so they could have their way with all the women. It was a blast! And the lobster was pretty good to boot!

Wednesday, we hit the spa for more massage relaxations. Wowza, I could go for this stuff daily! Then we grabbed our snorkel gear and a Jeep and headed for the "ocean side" of the island. We discovered why there is only one tiny hotel on that side. The waves were fierce and beautiful, breaking over rocks, spewing up through blowholes, crashing on the white sands. Hurricanes have taken their toll on anything built on this side, and so no one puts alot of money into attempting to build much there. It was a gorgeous sight to see though as we drove along the little two-lane.

That evening it was Mexican Fiesta nite! La Cucaracha, la cucaracha, ya no puede caminar. Porque no tiene, porque le falta, marihuana que fumar.



Thursday, up early and off to the Mayan Ruins. We'd met a young honeymooning couple who told us how unimpressed they had been with them, because they were "all broken down". LoL! I guess the meaning of "ruins" didn't register. Next we attempted the offroad beach route to the northern lighthouse, but even in 4-wheel our Jeep couldn't master the path. Back to the "ocean side" we discovered the lagoons at Playa Chen Rio and did some snorkeling. I love getting face to face with a fish... just floating there motionless until they are swimming all, up close and personal. Marty's yellow fins especially attracted the yellow striped angelfish. Can you say, "Mama?!?" I guess in his case it should be "Who's your Papi?". It seems they are as curious as we are. =)

As we headed back to our hotel, we spotted fellow Cozumel Palacians, who had buried their Jeep to the back axles in the sand, and so we gave them a ride home. We played Black Jack pool side, and I once again broke the house and everyone else with an Ace & a King in the final round. I won an ankle bracelet, which went well with my new Mexican dress, and gave me the edge for placing second in the bellydancing contest later that nite after dinner. Ooo La La! The guys from Ireland all said I should have won.

Friday: manicures, facials, pedicures, seaweed wraps ~ Man! this spa treatment stuff is addicting! ;)

More snorkeling and poolside pina coladas...

Another great sunset dinner and then it was time for the "Mr & Mrs Palace Competition". And yes! We were in it. Several of the friends we'd made teasingly told us that they couldn't wait for us to go on home so they would have a chance to win things. But they were all thankful because we'd been meeting couples all week and pulling them into dancing and competing... encouraging... prompting them all out of their shells. We were constantly saying "You don't know anyone here! Who cares if you make a fool of yourself... Have FUN!!"

And so the competition began: Name that Song! Marty knows all, and had to intentionally just sit there and give the others a chance so that our score didn't get out of reach. Next came the balloon popping contest... chest-to-chest, in his lap, on his booty... ooooo cutie! But we lost that part of the game... 20 seconds to the 14 second surprise winners: our buddies from Arizona! Next was the "Suck it up!" test with frozen drinks we had to suck through a straw. The infamous "brain freeze" dropped many out of this competition, but I have this down to an art form, finishing mine and half of Marty's in a record 18 seconds.

It was close, but we sealed the deal with the Tequila, Rum, Whiskey contest. We had to dance to the music and when the M.C. called out "Tequila" we had to get cheek-to-cheek (yeah, those 'other' cheeks) and Sh Sh Sh Shake it! When he called out "Rum" we had to: Beso! Beso! Beso! (look it up... you need to know a little SpaniCH). And when he called out "Whiskey", you had to freeze, no matter what you were doing... which often came in the middle of the booty shake or the beso-ing. This was so much fun, and we made lots of new friends after receiving our new titles. We gave away all of our prizes to others in the crowd. One newlywed couple paid us a nice complement in saying that they couldn't believe it when we'd said we'd been married 24 years and that "we hope we look as good as you two when we're your age". Haha!

Life is an adventure best lived with God making all the travel arrangments. You never know how good it can get!

I don't doubt it

The doubts of Thomas, a disciple of Jesus, are something I've pondered from time to time. It wasn't that he didn't believe or even stopped believing, but that he questioned something more that he was being told to believe. Jesus had risen from the dead and was appearing to his followers. Thomas missed church one night and therefore missed his first opportunity to get to see Jesus in this mysterious resurrected body. Thomas boldly stated, "Unless I put my fingers where the nails were and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it."

You see, Thomas was a faithful follower of Jesus. I've only just come to realize how very strong his belief in Jesus was. In John chapter 11, when Jesus is going to see Lazarus, who had "fallen asleep", his disciples urged him not to because the Jews there had tried to stone him, and they were sure it was very dangerous. But Jesus was determined to go raise his friend from the dead, and Thomas boldly said to the others "Let's go with him, so we can die with him." If Jesus was gonna go, Thomas was gonna go. If Jesus was gonna die, Thomas was gonna die. Now that's what it means to follow Jesus. So why don't we call him "Courageous Thomas"?

A short time later, (they made that trip and lived by the way) John 14 tells us that Jesus was explaining to his disciples how he was going to His Father's house to prepare a place for all of us, and that he would come back and take us with him. Jesus said, "You know the way to the place where I'm going." And Thomas pipes up, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way???" Our guest pastor this last week said this is one of those places where it helps to know the original Greek, because this was not a passive statement. It was an impassioned plea with a good deal of urgency. Thomas was saying, "I want to know! I want to go!!!" And to this Jesus responded with his well known, "I am the Way..." answer. So why don't we call him "Passionate Thomas"?

Thomas demonstrated his faith, his beliefs, and his passion for the Christ, and yet he got stuck with the title of "Doubting Thomas". I don't think he doubted Jesus, nor his faith in Him. I think he just didn't understand the resurrection, something all of the disciples missed even when Jesus tried to spell it out for them before his death. What I think he doubted was that Jesus was walking around town being seen by everyone: post mortem. And then Jesus appearred to him and said, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out and put your hand into my side. Stop doubting and believe." To put it simply, I think Jesus was saying, "It's really Me!!"

And while most think Thomas touched his hands and his side, whenever I picture this event in my mind, I don't think he had to go that far. I think he might not even have had to look down at the hands. I imagine that if Jesus had said those words to me, knowing the claims I'd made, while still looking into His face, I would have proclaimed what Thomas did...

"My Lord and my God!!!"

There it is again; that simple, passionate faith of Thomas making a bold and beautiful statement of truth. Experiencing the wonder of the presence of the resurrected Christ.

Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you believe; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." Jesus was proclaiming blessings on all of us for generations to come who would put our faith in him without getting the opportunity to witness first hand the nail scars and the place where the spear pierced His side. How awesome to live in the light of that blessing.

You see, Thomas wanted first-hand faith. He wanted to see it; to touch it. Jesus said we're even more blessed to have first-hand faith without seeing. First-hand faith is the meat. Second-hand faith is the milk. Milk is digested by someone else for you. Are you just getting milk in your spiritual life? Is someone else digesting the Word for you? Like this blog or just going to church and listening... Or are you working out your faith first-hand? Are you going to the source, the Bible, for yourself? Are you getting to the meat?

Pearls before Swine

There's a popular comic strip with this title, and I often wonder if the people I know who like it and follow it even know that it's title is Biblical. I imagine if some of them knew, they might not even read it any more, due to their extreme distaste for the Bible, even though the comic itself is not Biblically based in it's content. So I don't mention that it's title is from a quote made by Jesus, because I like the irony of those who refuse to believe enjoying a comic under His very words of wisdom.

All of that aside, because it was just that... "a thought on the side". Yesterday, the real meaning of pearls before swine came up. I was playing my favorite game, essentially my only game: World of Warcraft. "Wow" for short. There are different ways you can chat in the game. You can send private messages (pm) with one person, get in a group and chat, chat in your guild (gchat), or chat in general. There's other ways, these are just a few examples that apply to this story.

In general chat, in the area of the map where I was located at the time, a heated conversation was going on between several people who probably didn't know each other very well, if at all... because that's how general chat tends to work. It's a place where people spout off on just about any subject. For that reason, I tend to give very little attention to general chat. I noticed there were comments being thrown around about how bad religious people are, and I saw one of my guildies, a character named Armaggedon, try to throw in a comment. Rather than jump in this "public" arena with him, I peeled him off with some of those pms (private messages ~ not P.M.S.) and asked if he believed in God. And then our conversation went on to just who this God was that he believed in...

As our conversation was coming to an end, I noticed another guildie, Furyian, had entered the wow arena of public debate. Furyian, who's real name is Dylan, and I prefer to use real names when I know them, was hot on the subject. He was defending the position that there is a God and that just because religious people do bad things in the name of God that does not make God bad. He was not getting anywhere with those who were ridiculing and heckling him. So I pm'd him and noted that sometimes you just can't throw your pearls before swine.

Jesus is quoted in Matthew 7:6 as saying "Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces." (New International Version)

I actually like the New King James usage of the word "swine" instead of "pigs". And today, in my dual translation Bible, I looked over at The Message version, and I actually don't like it as well as I usually do. "Don't be flip with the sacred. Banter and silliness give no honor to God. Don't reduce holy mysteries to slogans. In trying to be relevant, you're only being cute and inviting sacrilege."

While The Message does actually convict me in that I may be turning this verse into just a slogan "Pearls before Swine", I think it's about much more than being flip or silly with what is holy. I think it is actually about trying to bring to the public arena that which is holy and special. If a particular public arena is a place under the control of those who have no respect for God or don't believe in him, I don't care to try to bring God in and throw him out there for them to trample on... and because when I do... this is true: they turn and trample me.

So I pointed out to Dylan, the possible futility of what he was trying to argue, because they are swine who can't comprehend the value of his "pearls". Now I don't call them swine to degrade them. Not to open up the debate on whether it is right or wrong to eat pig here, but I happen to love bacon. I call them swine because that's their condition... their position... at this time. They can certainly come to a point where they can appreciate a fine pearl. However, when they do, it will be a life changing event, and they will no longer be swine. To be clear: I once was a swine myself.

Anyway, I point this out to Dylan, and then I sense God catching me in the midst of that thought, and I add, "However, maybe what you're arguing is getting the attention of someone who needs to hear it, so I don't mean to say don't do it... I just want to caution you because it may just be a case of casting your pearls before swine." I went on to tell him that if he was going to continue, I was feeling compelled to jump in and support him. Which I eventually did. An unknown person, Swampmoose, pm'd me saying essentially what I'd said to Dylan, though he left out that good slogan about "pearls before swine". I let him know that I was only in it because of Furyian, and that I thought it was good for Furyian to be fighting for his faith, even if it was a somewhat futile attempt as far as the opposition went.

After that, Dylan and I had a awesome chat about our Awesome God and his son Jesus. It's so good to have someone to share your pearls with. <3

I've got a contract pending on eternity

I've got a plan to lose it all. The words to Switchfoot's song come to me as I read Matthew 19:16~ "What good things must I do to get eternal life?" the rich young man asks. "Obey the commandments," Jesus says. (of course there's more to the conversation and I'm not meaning to take any of it away, so go read it for yourself! hehe) But next is the killer line... "Which ones?" the young man inquires.

Which ones?? Which ones?!?!?!

Talk about silly questions. How do you ask the Savior of the universe "which" commands you should obey? LoL! RoFl! But then I stop, and realize that I do this all the time. Actually, I don't even ask first. I simply pick and choose the ones I feel like obeying. Conviction all over again. God, you are good at it, that's for sure. And I'm so thankful for your Word working to alert me to these things; working to change me into the image of the One who died in my place so that I could live forever with you. You ARE beautiful!

Anyway, back to the original thought. Jesus gives the rich guy a short list. As if that could really cement his spot in eternity, when all it takes is childlike faith in the One who is speaking. "All these I have kept," he says... and yet he doesn't stop there. Many people would have stopped there, I think, to have received such a definitive list from the Lord. But not this guy... why? Why? Because he knows something is still missing. This is how God made us; with the keen sense, if we look deeply enough into ourselves, to know that something is still missing. "What do I still lack?" he asks.

And Jesus replies, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell all you have. Give it all away to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

Give it all away.

It used to be I couldn't fathom this concept. I wanted a house, a car, a computer, another computer, a big screen TV... But then a school teacher, Debbie Strickland, spoke at our church on how she had "simplified", getting rid of everything that she didn't really need, and how that had truly freed her. I've come to see these "things" I have as just anchors that keep me from being able to run after Jesus. Like those weights he talks about in Hebrews chapter 12. I can't just up and go anywhere to do anything. I need to get rid of all this "stuff" first!

And so... now... I'm making a plan... a plan to lose it all.