Bunnies, bugs, birds and bobcats

I am currrently visiting my parents in Arizona, and enjoying the beautiful natural scenery. A surprising variety of wildlife can be seen right from the kitchen window.

This morning, while eating breakfast, we wondered where the quail were -- usually there are up to a couple of dozen, with their little topnots bobbing as they peck at the birdseed on the patio. A few minute later the avoidance was explained when we saw a bobcat casually walk by. Actually, there were two, but I only saw the baby, barely bigger than a large housecat, but with a short tail, and an unusual patterned gray coat. After that we noticed a naive little bunny, hopping carelessly across the very path that the bobcat had crossed. Luckily nothing dire happened (at least not while we were watching). All in all, it was a most exciting breakfast. I wonder who will show up tomorrow!

And of course, there are the bugs. Fascinating, if you are into those things. Some of them are big enough that they look like characters in a scary movie. I prefer the ones that are not too sociable, and that scurry away.

The scenery is beautiful. When I get home I post a photo of the beautiful Sedona rocks.

p.s. I changed my mind. In keeping with the wildlife theme, I've attached a shot of the scorpion in the bathtub. Sorry it's so blurry -- I didn't want to get too close!

10 minutes a week

Can you guess what this is referring to?
Let's see...

• 10 minutes a week is less time than I spend brushing my teeth. Maybe it's about how long I floss.
  
• 10 minutes a week is less time than I spend paying bills.
  
• 10 minutes a week is considerably less than I spend doing laundry.
  
• Of course, it's more time than I spend putting on makeup.
  
• It's way less time than I spend reading email. It's even a little less time than I spend dealing with spam.
  
• It's more time than I spend vacuuming. (oops, the secret is out!)
  
• It's less than the amount of time I spend waiting for the elevator at work.
  
• It's way less time than I spend worrying about things I can't control
  
• It's less than the time I spend drying my hair.
  
• It's less than the time I spend eating ice cream.
  

Did you try to guess?
Open Doorsis trying to recruit 1008 people to each spend 10 minutes a week praying for the persecuted believers in North Korea. One of the most repressive countries in the world, North Korea continues to be one of the countries with the worst persecution of Christians. The goal is to blanket the country with prayer, 24 hours a day. You can sign-up for the exact 10 minute slot you prefer.
Here are some topics they suggest:

Prayer Requests: Child Beggars: There is so much poverty in North Korea, and children, in particular, suffer the most. These children who have no parents and no home try to grab every grain of rice on the ground at the local markets, but they are often driven away without having had anything to eat. Pray for these child beggars on the streets. These children have no one to care for them. Pray for good supervision of these children and that they may one day hear the Gospel. Guards/Prisoners: There are various prison camps in North Korea; their conditions are appalling. Christians are imprisoned if it becomes known that they love the Lord Jesus. Please pray that these Christians will be able to show something of the Light of Christ to their fellow prisoners and to the guards. An ex-prisoner from one of these terrible prison camps, Soon Ok Lee, said that the Christians she met in the camps never denied God and continued to be a living testimony to their faith. Underground Christians: In North Korea any expression of faith in Christ is punished and they are in great danger of being sent to a prison camp. Pray for the Christians who continue underground, despite the difficult circumstances and pray for safe and encouraging meetings.

10 Minutes a week. Go ahead. Sign-up. You can do it! Pray in faith that the power of God can cause changes we cannot even imagine. Prayer can go through a closed border, and can go behind the walls of the concentration camps. Prayer can touch hearts that don't even share our language. Prayer can cause nations to rise, and nations to fall.

Another opportunity for humility

I guess I should have expected this. Last week I taught about the life and character of David, and I stressed his humility, and the need for us to learn humility ourselves, as an aspect of maturity.

So I shouldn't have been surprised at a perfect growth opportunity that came up this morning. Imagine another morning at the nursing home. I was busy setting up the mic and the music for the hymns, and the aides were wheeling in the residents. As they bustled back and forth I mentioned that I wouldn't be there next time, since I would be visiting my parents for Thanksgiving. And the next thing I knew, one of the old ladies yells out: "I really don't care!"

Everyone in the room froze, and then tried to shush her, but I just started laughing. If David accepted it when he was cursed by Shimei, the least I can do is accept it when I'm yelled at by a little old lady. Then again, the problem with humility is that as soon as you think you've got it, you don't have it.

Anyway, after that rather inauspicious beginning, I began to speak. I sort of fixed my attention on one lady who seemed especially alert and interested. I thought I was really getting through to her. At the end, when we went around praying for each one, I was pleased to greet her, only to find out that she doesn't even speak English. She simply has a face that looks friendly and interested, but she wasn't actually listening to, or understanding anything I said.

So I figure I'll redeem myself by singing her something in Italian, and the only thing I can think of on the spot is Caro Mio Ben (an aria I learned in college). I'm halfway through that when I vaguely realize that it's not especially appropriate, but decide that I might as well end the day with a splash, as I sing:
Caro mio ben,
credimi almen,
senza di te languisce il cor.
It's even worse in English:
My dear beloved,
believe me at least,
without you my heart languishes.
Anyway, she laughed, which was actually the high point of the day.

You couldn't make this up

Recently, an Israeli prisoner, excavating a new prison ward intended to house Palestinian prisoners, in the town of Megiddo (the Biblical place of Armageddon), discovered the ruins of an ancient Christian church. I thought it was a spoof at first -- it seemed too implausible, like a badly plotted soap opera.

So far, the archeologists believe that the church dates back to the third century. If so, it would make it the oldest church in Israel, and it could shed light on Christian practices of that era. Ironically, the historic importance is so significant that even the Israeli government is excited about this.

People from all over the world come to see Megiddo, beause it is incredibly rich archeologically, dating from the Chalcolithic period, with 26 different cities built on top of each other. I visited there myself, and was astounded by the sophistication of the ancient civilizations. If you ever go, be sure to see the iron age tunnel.

But now there is a new reason to visit Megiddo -- to see the ruins of this early church. Parenthetically, we know from inscriptions found in the ruins, that it was built with money donated by a Roman officer, and a woman named Aketous. Of course, you can't really visit it yet, because they have to figure out what to do with the prison first!