The results of the poll have been interesting.  I’ll leave the poll up for a couple of more days with the understanding that there is one particular vote that counts for about 100.

I got a call yesterday from a person who attends the Central Church of Christ in Victoria, Texas.  The caller has a relative that lives here in Stockton and said relative finds herself in need of encouragement. The caller wanted to know if someone could go check on her relative.  

The caller explained that she was searching the internet for churches in Stockton and came across Central Church of Christ on the web and figured since she attended the Central Church in Victoria that it was a good sign that the Central Church in Stockton could help.  

The caller had no idea who I was (no big surprise) and further more had no idea that it was more than just good luck.  She had no idea of another connection between these two Central Churches.

When my parents decided to move us to Central America they searched for a sponsoring church.  Even though other smaller churches and many individuals supported the mission work the Central Church in Victoria assumed the oversight of this work.

Some nine years later when we returned (for good) back to the United States we moved back to Victoria and my dad continued working for the Central Church.  During my high school / college years the Central Church in Victoria was my home church.

So, you see, I felt pretty confident that it was providence (not luck) that prompted the phone call yesterday.

I’ve had a goatee for quite some time now.

Long enough that neither myself (nor the children) remember me without a goatee.

I shaved it off yesterday and it’s still funny how long it takes people to notice.

I haven’t decided if I’m going to keep it off and keep the baby face.

So how about a little help?

Here’s me with . . .

Here’s me without . . .

Now, it’s your chance to vote, make your voice heard in the poll on the right (in the sidebar).

It’s one of those headlines that captures your attention.

Even more interesting is the setting of the turmoil.

Phnom Penh, Cambodia is a place not unfamiliar with turmoil.

The turmoil of this couple, however, appears to be a first.

The setting caught my eye because Dennis and Sharon Welch have recently arrived in Phnom Penh to work.

It seems by this article that a bit of our Western mindset has already made it to Cambodia.

We attended the first Choir concert of our number one daughter yesterday.

It was everything you would expect a freshman choir to sound like and so much more.

I had a great time.

It was fun, it was dicey and it was a delight.

In spite of the tone and pitch problems (good thing the American Idol judges were not in attendance) the singers gave it their all.

You ever find yourself in the audience at such an event and just want to start shouting “bravo, bravo”?

You don’t see very many pickup trucks these days with bench seats.

The popularity of captains chairs and split consoles for all your electronic gear did away with the bench seat and with that that ability to sit close to your sweetie.

Remember those days – those of you who can remember and those of you who rode in a truck with a bench seat?

Of course with three guys riding in a truck with a bench seat the one next to the passenger door would usually, at some point, bend down and hide to make it look like the other two guys were siting real close.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

A late model truck in oncoming traffic passed me by the other day.  

He was driving and she was sitting right next to him.

It made me smile.

And since I’ve been a preacher for way too long, it made me think of that preacher joke about the husband and wife sitting next to each other in the truck.

The street preacher came to church yesterday.

In the 2 years 1 month and 23 days that we’ve been here (but who’s counting) I’ve seen the street preacher on a few occasions but never actually in church.

He has a long history with the church here (those who have history with him call him Steve) and finds himself wandering in and out like the ocean tide.

Suffering from mental illness, Steve believes he is John the Baptist and believes he has been called by God to preach on the streets to those who are homeless.

It’s interesting, and perhaps telling, that the few people who feel called by God to speak to the homeless are crazy (or believed to be crazy).

In a way it makes more sense than anything else in this life because the call of God is crazy, the kingdom of God is about inhabiting a crazy world and those who respond are either crazy or end up crazy (in a good way?).

So yesterday in the pause between the announcements and the delivery of the message Steve stood up, faced the crowd and delivered a message straight from the playbook of John the Baptist.

After he declared his two line message he sat down.  

In that awkward “what should we do now moment” I simply said “amen” and begin my delivery.

I figured if the words of John the Baptist couldn’t get an amen we were in the wrong place.

Honestly, there is a part of me that is 100% OK with Steve being John The Baptist.

And if words of hope and encouragement are given to the downtrodden through Steve, even better.

Call me crazy.

We all need a personal psalm 105.

We all need a document that reminds us, in a personal way, of the mighty work of God.

Psalm 105 opens with:

Give thanks to the LORD and pray to him.  Tell the nations what he has done.  Sing to him; sing praises to him.  Tell about all his miracles.  Be glad that you are his; let those who seek the LORD be happy.  Depend on the LORD and his strength; always go to him for help.  Remember the miracles he has done; remember his wonders and his decisions.

The rest of the psalm reviews the mighty acts of deliverance for the benefit of God’s people.

This work of God, every single mighty act, was to inspire the people of God to follow Him with gladness and conviction.

I know it might break blog protocol to assign homework so I offer this merely as a suggestion:  Write your own personal psalm 105.

Feel free to use the opening verses as written by the psalmist but in the middle section – make it your own.

Document your own “song” of deliverance, a psalm to chronicle the work of God in your life.

Such a document might come in handy, it might make a good reminder to follow with gladness and certainty.