A sad state of affairs . . .

I live on a tropical island with an average daily temperature of 88F. I work in an air conditioned office. This should be a nice combination. Instead, I am sitting in my cubicle wearing jeans, a long sleeve shirt, a cardigan, took my open toe shoes off and put on socks and have now donned winter gloves. I'm still cold and I am thinking about putting on a fleece jacket. Slight insanity, eh?

Sunday Evening Worship

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given,

and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called Wonderful Counselor,

Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:16

Last weekend, some friends and I went to a performance of Handel's Messiah. Scripture set to music has got to be one of the most beautiful things in the world. As I listened to the choir sing the Isaiah 9:16 passage, I found myself meditating on what it meant for the goverment to be on Jesus's shoulders. At first, I thought about the oppersion of the earthly government - the paranoid one that tried to have him killed as a baby and the apathetic, placating one that sentenced him to death. But that just didn't seem to complete fit. I have also been meditating on Colossians 1: 15-20:

The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth,

visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities;

all things have been created through him and for him.

He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

And he is the head of the body, the church;

he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead,

so that in everything he might have the supremacy.

For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him,

and through him to reconcile to himself all things,

whether things on earth or things in heaven,

by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

I am not a theologian by any stretch of the imagination, but as the choir sang the words proclaiming the birth of the Son of God, I was overwhelmed in praise that He is above all.

So, if you have a chance to hear a performance of the Messiah this Christmas or Easter, which will be here before you know it, take your Bible with a good concordance and a notebook and prepare yourself to have a really good Bible Study and quiet time with God.

A Star is Born

I've always had this kind of secret desire to be an actress, and I think my dream has been realized. (Although the pay wasn't as good as they say it is.) A friend of mine came down to edit her advocacy video for her people groups. I was invited to the premiere viewing in the media consultants cramped office. (I didn't get to wear a big fancy dress though.) I had made a visit to her area last spring, so I was having fun pointing to the screen saying, "I've been there, and "I've been. . .hey, that's me!" Now, of course, only my mom will be able to tell who it is in this video, but if you would like to see my acting debut . . . I'm sure my friend would enjoy your prayers for her people groups as well.