Noah

While attending a conference in Singapore, a devotional was given on Noah (Genesis 6) that challenged me. It reminded me that God will not give me a dream without a reason or a way to achieve it. The point isn't that I figure out a way to reach it.

The point is what I learn in the process...dependance on His strength and might, trusting in His love, surrendering to His purpose and desires for me...growing deeper in my walk with Him. This message reminded me that my dreams for my life are much smaller than His dreams and purposes for me. How exciting! :)

Here are the main points I got out of the message:

*God extends big dreams to us as we walk with Him. Noah found favor with God and was called righteous. (v.9)

*God’s dreams are naturally impossible for us to complete ourselves. Just like God told Noah to build an ark even when Noah had no idea what rain or a flood were or even how to build an ark himself. (v.14)

*God’s dreams demand our obedience. Even when others mocked him, Noah was faithful to the impossible dream God gave him. (v.22)

Here are the 10 tips he gave us. I thought they were cute considering the topic! :)
-We are all in the same boat
-Stay fit!
-Don’t listen to critics.
-Build your future on high ground.
-For safety’s sake, always travel in pairs.
-Speed is not always an advantage.
-If you are stressed, float along.
-The ark was built by amateurs.
-No matter the storm, you are still with God.
-There is always a rainbow waiting.

*God’s dreams are fulfilled God’s way. When God commands, you say “yes” and He will bring about the results, He will take care of us.

*God’s dreams are enjoyed by the faithful. God has made us with giftings to fit us for what He called us for. He will fulfill His dreams for our lives. As long as we continue to trust Him, He will accomplish His plans for our lives.

Super Bowl XLI

This year the Super Bowl was more than funny commercials (which were disappointing once again...) or the football game --Go Colts! :) This year two men who love the Lord revealed to the Nation that putting Jesus first in your life produces far greater worth and purpose than winning any football championship.

Here's a clip from PluggedIn magazine:

Much has been made of the fact that Super Bowl XLI was the first to pit two black coaches against one another. But after his team's victory, Indianapolis coach Tony Dungy was more interested in sharing his faith than focusing on race. He told CBS Sports commentator Jim Nantz, "I'm proud to be representing African-American coaches, to be the first African-American to win this. It means an awful lot to our country. But again, more than anything, I've said it before, [Chicago Bears coach] Lovie Smith and I [are] not only the first two African-Americans, but Christian coaches showing that you can win doing it the Lord's way. And we're even more proud of that." The previous week, Lovie Smith voiced similar sentiments when he told a different reporter, "My relationship, first, is with Jesus Christ, and He is the center of my life. I try to live a Christian life. I would like for players to know my faith based on what they see on a day-to-day basis." Prior to the big game, the two coaches appeared in a full-page ad in USA Today's sports section encouraging people to visit the evangelistic Web site beyondtheultimate.org, sponsored by Athletes in Action. The advertisement testified to their faith and put their sport in eternal perspective: "On Sunday, one of us will be a world champion. It's the ultimate goal—but we know that there is more to life than football. Even when you have achieved the ultimate, something better lies beyond. We're pro football coaches, but we're also men of faith. A faith that defines who we are. It comforts us in tough times and produces hope in the midst of adversity. It is through our common faith in Jesus Christ that we have individually experienced God's love and forgiveness."

Third Culture Kid

I found this list and think it reveals just some of the odd things TCKs deal with. It's amazing because it mirrors my life so well...especially the last one! :)

*You know you're a TCK when:

-"Where are you from?" has more than one reasonable answer
-You flew before you could walk
-You had a passport years before your driver's license.
-You have frequent flyer accounts on multiple airlines.
-You constantly want to and do use said frequent flyer accounts to travel to new places.
-You know how to pack.
-You own personal appliances with 3 types of plugs, know the difference between 110 and 220 volts and realize that a transformer isn't always enough to make your appliances work.
-You fried a number of appliances during the learning process.
-You speak with authority on the quality of airline travel.
-You go into culture shock upon returning to your "home" country
-You get confused because US money isn't colour-coded.
-You feel odd being in the ethnic majority
-You wince when people mispronounce foreign words
-You sort your friends by continent
-Someone brings up the name of a team, and you get the sport wrong.
-You don't know where home is
-You realize it really is a small world, after all.
-You know the geography of the rest of the world, but you don't know the geography of your own country.

Emerald Bowl

So the Emerald Bowl was hilarious. First of all, I didn't even know such a bowl existed! But hey, it was a surprise my Seminoles made it to a bowl game...after such a horrible season. Secondly, I didn't know there were bowl games in December...again because the Seminoles usually get into a bowl game that is played in January, I guess you learn a lot when your season sucks. Thirdly...the sponsors of this bowl are just plain genius. I don't think I've laughed so hard during commercial breaks and actually looked forward to seeing commercials so much in my life. I found a snippet of an article about it and they described it so well I thought I'd quote part of it:

If you haven't caught the ads, they're as simple as they are absurd. In one, a chubby North European stands by a giant target as someone shoots arrows around the bull's-eye. The European coaches the archer, who is off-camera. Even when an arrow hits the dude in the leg, he remains cheerful. Then the tag line goes: "E. N. Encouraging Norwegians love Emerald Nuts."

Yes, it is completely ridiculous...but then again I think random things are hilarious! Like the Superbowl commercial for Tabasco sauce...there's a guy who's eating his pizza and you'll have to click the link to see what happens!

Anyways here are the four Emerald Nut commercial tag lines I saw while watching the Seminoles win the game. :)

Envious Nomads love Emerald Nuts! <--my absolute favorite one! Extreme Nurses
Electromagnetic Navigator
Entangled Nine-year-olds

I went on a hunt to try and find clips of these commercials, but alas I didn't find them. However, I did find other ones...

Official Website: (click "tv ads" at the top of the page, then click "hi" or "lo" connection speed)
Eccentric Matadors Exercising Religiously And Littering Do Not Use The Steamroller
Engrossed Manicurists Eventually Relay Advice Like Do Not Untie That String

Superbowl 2006:
Eagle-eyed Machete Enthusiasts Recognize A Little Druid Networking Under The Stairs

Superbowl 2005:
Umm...that's not true Jim. <--My siblings and I laughed so hard at this one and replayed it many times...we all decided the girl in this one is just plain strange and slightly creepy...but so much fun to imitate!