I want to be strong like Phoebe. — Mr E

Not dad, but Phoebe? You can set your muscle goals a little higher… at least high enough to help your dad’s self-esteem!

Who we model after matters. If our sights are set on your neighbor’s whatever (house, job, looks)… we may get there, but when we arrive we’ll discover we’re only as strong as a ten-year-old.

Certainly we model after Christ, but I look for modern examples. This week I read an article by Jessica Courtney on life in Iraq. As immigrants on mission she and her husband were both arrested, Jeremy first, then Jessica. All while their kids were in school. Witnessing their reach, with God’s love to Iraq, I am honestly afraid. But I also want their faith.

My thoughts start turning. How could we live – even in a small way – their reckless love… but the best laid plans of middle class Americans often run awry. We are derailed not by novel disasters, instead by the mundane. Last night our refrigerator started doing funny things. Halloween style, the lights would flicker every time we opened the door — which is a lot in our house. Each time, when the door closed, the fridge would kick off then reset. I started googling solutions, but before I found an answer the whole thing shut down. Just a constant click coming from the control panel… soon we were trying to save food. Some into our deep freeze. Some into the trash. By midnight I was taking laundry baskets of food to the church refrigerators. All of my thoughts now focused on finding a new fridge.

The Courtney’s… who? I need a refrigerator. I just wish I had one like my neighbors… you know, one that works.