Rat? What Rat?

It has been said that one man's meat, is another man's poison and obviously one man's art, is another man's graffiti.

A clean-up crew was dispatched by Melbourne, Australia's deputy mayor, Susan Riley, to clean up an alley, after residents complained about the dirty conditions. Part of the crew's mandate, was to remove all graffiti from unapproved sites, simple enough. Obviously, they went about their work with a passion to do not just a good job, but to do a great job and in the process they painted over a parachuting, goggle wearing rat. And not just any parachuting, goggle wearing rat, but a parachuting, goggle wearing rat, which was created in 2003 by world-renowned British graffiti artist Banksy, one of the world's best graffiti artists; a recluse who refuses to use his real name. Needless to say, city officials are a little embarrassed.

How often in our lives and our relationships, are our problems simply a matter of miscommunications? "I thought you meant get rid of all the graffiti, even the parachuting, goggle wearing rat." Really, wouldn't life be easier if we all just said what we meant and meant what we said? Have a great week and remember: To see what is really possible, you will have to attempt the impossible.

What seems right isn’t always

So, a guy in France is being investigated, on the suspicion that he might have four wives, which in this day and age might not seem unusual. The difference is, he has them all at the same time. Lies Hebbadj, is an immigrant from Algeria, and French authorities are having some difficulties with the case, as you can imagine.

The issue isn't whether or not he has four wives; he doesn't debate that at all, the issue is how he got four wives. If he married them in France, then he has committed an illegal act, however, if he married them in Algeria, not so much. The French system simply wouldn't recognize wives 2, 3 and 4, but with that being said, they would each qualify for state aid as single moms. Interesting.

Hebbadj defends his actions by stating, "As far as I know, mistresses are not forbidden, neither in France, nor in Islam." Come to think of it, mistresses aren't forbidden in Canada either. Kind of sounds like the statement in the Old Testament, where it is recorded, "Everybody did what was right in their own eyes." But that didn't make it right then and doesn't make it right now. Have a great week and remember: To see what is really possible, you will have to attempt the impossible.

 

    

Just Stop It!

Litter bugs me? I just can't get my head around it, what possesses people to just throw their trash on the ground? This time of year seems to be the worse and Tim's cups seem to be the greatest offenders, but that might just be perception, after all, their spring cups are red and easier to spot. Or maybe people get upset with having the opportunity to play again and out of frustration, they just throw the offending cup out their car window.

I understand that in some countries, they cane people who litter. I wonder if that would take provincial or federal legislation, to make that a law in Canada?

I don't litter, but I assume that those that do think, "Well, it's just one cup, or one can or one bag, what will it hurt?" And if it was just one cup or can or bag, it probably wouldn't hurt. But if you do it once, you will do it again and the point isn't that it's not much, the point is that it's wrong and irresponsible.

And, I suppose it's the same with whatever small sins litter our Christian lives and the answer is: just stop doing it. Have a great week and remember: To see what is really possible, you will have to attempt the impossible.

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Sinners not Celebrities

What's with the Sandra Bullock, Jesse James thing? If you have caught any of the celebrity news at all, you have probably heard some of the story. Actress Sandra Bullock, who won both a Razzie and an Oscar this year, is estranged from her husband, celebrity mechanic Jessie James, after discovering he was guilty of multiple infidelities. Who did the man think he was? A professional golfer? What amazed me is how surprised and hurt she was, at the revelation of her husband's affairs.

This was, after all, his third marriage and she had met him while he was still married to wife number 2. Maybe it never crossed her mind, that Jesse might have a problem with commitment and there might be a wife number 4 out there somewhere.

The news has been filled with accounts of celebrities acting badly, but it is not limited to actors, athletes and politicians; we just hear about them because of who they are. The problem isn't that they are celebrities, the problem is that they are sinners, like all of us. And they don't need rehab nearly as much as they need Jesus, like all of us. Have a great week and remember: To see what is really possible, you will have to attempt the impossible.

When you’re Dead you’re Dead

Penn of Denn
Two women were arrested the other day in England, for trying to smuggle contraband onto a plane flying from Liverpool to Germany. I know it happens all the time; someone tries to sneak a gun aboard an airplane or worse yet, 150 ml of mouth wash or shampoo, but this was different.

It seems that the women were trying to sneak a dead relative aboard the flight, seriously, I kid you not. The 91-year-old man was being pushed through the airport in a wheel chair, wearing sunglasses, when airport personnel got suspicious. You think? The two women were charged with failing to give notification of a death and released on bail.

The news account didn't provide a motive for the crime, but I'm suspecting that it probably had to do with the price difference of shipping a dead body, as opposed to a seat sale for a live body.

In the book of the Revelation, Jesus spoke of a church that was dead, but tied to pass itself off as being alive. That didn't work either. And apparently, it takes more than the appearance of life to make you alive, for airline passengers and for churches.

Have a great week and remember: To see what is really possible, you will have to attempt the impossible.

 

 

    

He is Risen

Penn of Denn
Talk about a swing in emotions. I have been working on two separate messages this week, one for Good Friday and one for Easter Sunday. A message of despair and a message of hope. A message of defeat and a message of victory. A message about the depths that man can fall and a message about the heights that God can lift us. Two messages both need to be preached, but truthfully I prefer Easter Sunday messages to Good Friday Messages. I know that without the crucifixion, we couldn't have the resurrection, but still we killed Him!

He offered us life and we killed him. He came in love and we destroyed Him with hatred. Good Friday? For who? Jesus? They nailed him to a cross. For humanity? We showed how depraved we really can be. Good Friday, I think not. Black Friday? Maybe. Bad Friday? For sure. Without Sunday, Friday is a blot on the history of humanity. But Sunday changes all of that and turns despair to joy, defeat to victory.

We may not have been there on Friday, but we are just as guilty. We may not have been there on Sunday, but we are just as forgiven.

Have a great week and remember: He is Risen.

 

 

 

    

Look Behind You

Penn of Denn
Did you hear the one about the man who was hit by the airplane, while he was jogging? True story. Robert Jones, of Georgia, was jogging along a beach in South Carolina, with his headphones on, when he was struck from behind and killed by a small aircraft, making an emergency landing.

Seriously, you have to think about things like that, and that is why I don't jog. I don't know how many times I've thought, "I should go for a run." And then I think, "No, what happens if you get hit from behind by an airplane, that is making an emergency landing?" Better safe than sorry, that's my motto.

The story is a reminder of just how short and fragile life can be. I'm sure that when Jones went for his jog, that morning, that his death was the last thing on his mind. He was probably planning on returning home after his business trip, to be there for his daughter's third birthday. But that wasn't how the story ended. We all make plans for tomorrow, maybe even including beginning a relationship with God, but what if there is no tomorrow? Have a great week and remember: To see what is really possible, you will have to attempt the impossible.