How to Collect Deer Drool

This weekend some of us Moody students went on a road trip to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, to check out the boardwalk. After rounding the entire boardwalk in about ten minutes, Brian (from California) said what we were all thinking: "Well, that was disappointing." So we went to Canada.

Here are some things we learned about Canada:
1) Canadians supposedly sell milk in a bag.
2) Even Canadians haven't heard of milk in a bag. Maybe it's an Eastern Canada thing.
3) 80 kilometers per hour is 50 miles per hour.
4) Canadian stores do sell in bulk.
5) Canadian border gas stations don't have soap.
6) Most people don't live in igloos in Nelson, Canada.
7) Most people don't live in igloos in Nelson, Canada because the ice would melt whenever they smoke their weed.
8) Turns are easy to miss in Canada.
9) Canadian turns can be taken at 64 kilometers per hour.
10) Canadians do say "eh?"
11) Canadians don't say "hoser."

I also learned some stuff about northern Washington on the way back home:
1) American Border Patrol guards are fairly nice.
2) Black bears like to cross roads near border stations.
3) Black bears don't like to have their picture taken (the same goes for Canadian Border Patrol guards).
4) Animals like to stay near highways in northern Washington.
5) Deer are animals.
6) Deer have bad traction on highways.
7) Deer make a "thud" sound when hitting your driver's side door.
8) Contrary to popular belief, a doe can do somersaults.
9) Driver's side doors make a good collection area for deer drool.
10) Deer can jump off into a field within 10 seconds of being hit (they probably don't like to have their picture taken either).

The Day a Grown (Young) Man Cried

Just thought I'd put in a shameless plug for Kristie Braselton's newest CD: "Composition". Her 3rd song on there: "Faith without Fire" is amazing. The song tells the story of Bonnie Codier, evbc's "resident Job," as Kristie says. Bonnie has been in the hospital for months on end... through intense pain and numerous surgeries. When "Faith without Fire" came on and I figured out who the song was about, I cried.

For those of you that know Bonnie's story (which is anybody reading this), please use this link and sign her guestbook.

Then buy Kristie's CD. It's amazing.

God Isn't My Mechanic

A few weeks ago I took my car in to a shop to prepare it for the trip to Washington. The windshield wiper fluid wasn't spraying, among some of the car's minor problems.

"Can you check the wiper fluid spray nozzles, and maybe replace them?" I asked the mechanic at the front desk. He answered with a question: "Have you already checked the fluid levels?"

"Not recently," I replied, turning my keys over, "that could be my problem I guess."

Later that day, I came back to pick up the car, and the same mechanic told me the work they'd performed. When I asked if the fluid sprayed right, he said my wiper fluid reservoir was almost empty, so they had filled it. I didn't really care at the time, because they had done the major work I asked them to do.

A few days later I actually tried spraying my windshield. Lo and behold, the nozzles started to foam like a 4-year-old trying to spit for the first time. Nothing actually hit my windshield. The reservoir was now full, but that still hadn't solved the problem.

I realized the mistake: I told the mechanic my problem, and a possible solution, and he gave me a different possible solution. Instead of trying to fix the problem, he just filled the tank and stopped there. He did exactly what he wanted to do (the easier thing), without solving the problem. He was more interested in trying a solution than in actually fixing what was wrong... and there's a difference.

The point of this illustration is this: don't we ask God to try a solution, rather than fix our problem? It may look something like this: "God, please give me ________, so I can feel better." We may insert a girl, or a better job, or more money, or whatever else into that blank, thinking that it will solve our problem (feeling bad). He may even grant us our prayer, just to show that our "solution" still leaves us empty, sinful, and hurting.

How often are we honest and bold enough to ask, "God, I'm feeling down. Sometimes I'm not even sure what will fix this, but You know. I'm not even sure if feeling better will be the best thing for me right now. All I ask is that You do what's best... and that I take joy in Your solution."