Fair Fried Fare
"Why do you spend your money on junk food, your hard-earned cash on cotton candy? Listen to me, listen well: Eat only the best, fill yourself with only the finest...you'll summon nations you've never heard of, and nations who have never heard of you will come running to you." Isaiah 55:2;4-5 The Message
Each Monday night when I find myself state side, all three of my children come over to my house for dinner, "Monday@Mom's." It's a tradition we started at the beginning of this year and we have managed to carry it through with only a few absences (aside from my schedule).
My first week back from Russia, both my sons were at a friends "destination wedding." This week, knowing I would be leaving for China next Monday, my oldest son suggested we all go to the State Fair. It is a paradise of food, though mostly fried, of all varieties. There is even an annual contest for the Best Taste and Most Creative. Last year the grand dame of TV Talk herself appeared (Oprah) to try the award winning Fried Butter!
When I read the passage in Isaiah on Monday, I took note of the way The Message translated it. "Cotton Candy!" Okay, I would have none of that, and perhaps I could justify some of the items I would select that evening as having health benefits: protein rich (sausage on a stick), vegetables (corn on the cob slathered with butter), etc...
We come by our need of justification naturally. This "little" bit-o-bad we do, really isn't all that bad. What we do and how we give to support and follow the Great Commission is due to the economic downturn. We are building up storehouses when tonight our very lives may be required of us! (See Luke 12:16-21)
The calendar for our Fall Ministry may seem ambitious. October will find us in China and a few days after our return we will serve the Wounded Warriors in San Antonio. The following week will take us back to India. Impossible, nothing is too hard for the King we serve.
Each day as the "bad news" scrolls across the bottom of the TV channel, I see it as an invitation to share the Good News more, and more often.
I did eat the fried food Monday, but every day I feast on the Word of the Living God. Nations are crying out, "Come, tell us of the Savior." In the heavenlies, the Lord of all creation is still inquiring, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?"
I still answer with a smile, "Here I am, send me!"
There is still time and a great need for your prayerful financial participation in the upcoming Fall Ministry activities. You can impact the lives of over 2000 orphans, university students in China, wounded soldiers, their families in America, and rural village men, women and children who have never heard the name of Jesus in India. That's three continents of the Kingdom advancing!
To make a donation by credit card visit our website:
Remember each day to "taste and see the Lord is good."
And just in case you are wondering about the bad stuff of the 2010 Big Tex Choice Award winners:
Best Taste
Texas Fried Frito Pie: a generous portion of chili accented with a hint of sharp cheddar cheese, encased in everybody's favorite corn chip. Lightly battered and fried to a golden brown perfection.
Most Creative
Fried Beer: Beer-filled pretzel pocket deep fried to a golden brown. One bite and the escaping beer serves as a dipping sauce.
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