A great pizza story!

Steve Lambert, publisher of the Five in a Row curriculum shared this story on the boards. It blessed me so I really wanted to share it with you all. Enjoy!
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A woman got up in church about 30 years ago at a midweek service and wanted to give a testimony. Now this woman was NOT emotionally stable for any variety of reasons and I half cringed when she stood up.

Sure enough, she told how last Friday night she and a girl friend had been so broke. They were just sitting in the parking lot of their apartment complex in her car talking and praying. It was past midnight on a hot summer night. Their windows were rolled down and as they prayed they began to pray for a pizza. They asked God to just send them a pizza; like manna from heaven. They poured out their hearts earnestly and how they had absolutely NO money but really wanted a pizza. Suddenly a large, warm, fresh pepperoni pizza in a box came floating in the driver's side window and slid to a stop on the dash.



Oh groan. Come ON!! Just how GULLIBLE do you think we are? A few people applauded nervously. Most just stared at the floor- me included. SO embarrassing!!

About 2 or 3 years later I was talking with a friend. We were comparing notes about ministry, jobs, tentmaking, etc. He mentioned that he had even worked as a pizza delivery driver for a few months several years earlier.

I commented that it must have been a weird job.

He agreed, saying, "I was robbed, beaten, not tipped, etc. I barely covered the cost of gas on some nights. And we got pranked from time to time too. Like one Friday night about 11:30 a guy called in an order for 12 large pizzas to go. He never showed up even though I had to wait till past closing time for him. The boss gave up and finally let us go about 12:15. He gave each of us several pizzas from the bogus order to take home."

He continued... "It was kind of fun though. Do you remember "so-and-so" (insert the woman's name who had given the 'pizza testimony' several years earlier.) At the time she lived in the same apartment complex as I did. I got home about 12:30 and I saw she and a friend sitting in their car talking with the windows rolled down. I thought it would be fun to prank them- and bless them at the same time, so I crept up between the parked cars and then kind of SAILED a large pepperoni in her window like a Frisbie. It went right under her nose and slid to a stop on her dash! So that was kind of fun!"



I responded, "Um.... did she ever see you or know you were there?"

"Nope. I crept up and she was so excited about the pizza she never even bothered to look around and see where it came from and I got away scott free. It was a hoot!!"



Moral: I REPENT GOD! Forgive my UNBELIEF!! I am a cynic and a doubter. Please, please forgive me!!

I've NEVER forgotten that story. Even the most IMPOSSIBLE testimonies are possible with God!!

Sigh,

Steve __________________
Publisher
Five in a Row

Living in a Fishbowl....

So, I'm still here at Children's with Josiah. It is day16. Christalin went home a couple of days ago.

I had been trying to call my mom for a couple of weeks and haven't gotten an answer. Well, I finally got a hold of my dad. The news is not good. His cancer is back. They can't operate. They are giving him three months.

How can I deal with this information? I'm trying to be so strong for my kids. Nurses and doctors are coming in all day long, so I can't cry. It is a fishbowl here. I went to the chapel to cry and pray. I was alone and it felt good to have time to pray and cry. All too soon, someone put their hand on my shoulder. They were starting a meeting. I just want to be alone, so I left. I'm feeling like a freak trying not to cry. Where can I be alone? I went up to the 5th floor and down a seldom used hallway. I stood facing the corner and cried. People still came through the hallway so it wasn't private either. My heart hurts. Because of my kids MRSA I wont be able to hug my dad, or even touch him. Now I wont ever be able to again. How sad is that? He is in so much pain. I don't want him to suffer. But I want my daddy. I don't want to say goodbye already.

Well, here comes another therapist. Time to put my happy mask on and choke back the tears. That's what mama's do best right?

Quotes to Ponder...

I haven't kept up with my quotes to ponder for a while. This post will be a bit different from ones in the past. I'm sitting up at Children's Hospital with a bit of a heavy heart.

I just talked to my dad. He has been having pains in his stomach. The doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong with him. They did test after test and everything came back negative. Until today. The cancer is back. He already started chemotherapy, which means we will not be able to see him or my mom for at least another six months due to my kid's MRSA.

The good news is that Christalin gets to go home from the hospital today. She has been here for two weeks. The bad news is Josiah has to stay. He hasn't responded as quickly to the treatments. I don't know what to do. Please pray for logistics.

I feel like crying, but I'm kind of in a goldfish bowl here, with nurses, and doctors coming and going all the time. Please pray for my heavy heart. Thank you for your prayers!

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I was facebooking and a couple of quotes stood out to me. I hope they help you too.

“If you have one eye on yesterday, and one eye on tomorrow, you're going to be cockeyed today.”

~ Author Unknown ~

WORRYING does not take away tomorrow's TROUBLES; it takes away today's PEACE.

When you go through a trial, the sovereignty of God is the pillow upon which you lay your head.” - Spurgeon

Bucket List update

A few years ago I found this bucket list. I was looking at it again and realized I could check a few more off the list! Only 38 more to go! A lot of the ones left are traveling ones, so who knows if I'll ever get them done. Remember, this was not a list I made up. I found it on a friend's blog. There are a few I'm not interested in ever doing! (like 11, 26,& 27!)
1. Started your own blog.
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped (No Way!!!!)
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Fall pictures of the kids

Hard Work and lots of playing!

Our renter hired Josiah to mow her lawn. However, the lawn is completely hidden under piles and piles of leaves! So, we decided to help him out and the kids and I went over and raked the yard. The pile was about four feet high and three feet across!!! They had a blast jumping in the leaves for a few hours. I love fall!

Acting out...

This is the devotion I'll be doing for 65 teens at drama camp this week. :-)

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We all love to act. We come to drama camp and work hard acting as different characters. It is very rare that you go on stage and just act like yourself. Drama camp is a perfect venue for acting out.

How about real life? Do you ever find yourself acting out? Hiding behind a façade that you deem cool or popular? When was the last time you acted like yourself? Your real self?

Ephesians 6:5&6 says “Slaves be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart as to Christ: not by way of eyeservice as menpleasers, but as slaves of Christ doing the will of God from the heart.”

No, I didn’t pick that verse to say you must fear and tremble before the directors! I know your first reaction is probably, “Hey wait a minute! I am not a slave!” We don’t necessarily want to be a slave. It has a bad connotation. Another word for slave is servant.

I like the way the Message Bible translates this verse: “Servants, respectfully obey your earthly masters but with an eye to obeying the real master, Christ. Don’t just do what you have to do to get by, but work heartily as Christ’s servants doing what God wants you to do. And work with a smile on your face, always keeping in mind that no matter who happens to be giving the orders, you’re really serving God. Good work will get you good pay from the Master, regardless of whether you are slave or free.”

Jesus was a servant. He always did the Father’s will. He is our example. In this verse it talks about being obedient as to Christ. Not by eyeservice – This means we should be ourselves and not worry about what others think. We shouldn’t put on our Christian mask so all can see what good Christians we are. That’s eyeservice. Man looks at the outside, but God looks at the heart. In everything we do; we should do it as unto Christ.

I encourage you to challenge yourself to be a true servant of Christ. Be yourself. Don’t just act like you think you should act to be cool. God only made one of you. He is pleased with you personally. He doesn’t want you to be like everyone else and follow the crowd.

If we are serving God from our hearts and acting in His will; that is what counts. That is the way to be cool. Mathew 5:6 says, “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

This way of acting has eternal ramifications. So act out!