$50 Million

Greetings Fairy Followers,

This Wednesday, you were asked what you would do with $50 million. How did you answer? I've always said that my hubby would be happiest if we had enough to support ourselves and then become professional volunteers. Still waiting...

Talking about Solomon's "Chasing after the wind" challenged us to know our purpose in life. Right now you're at a point in your life where you are thinking about...or soon will be...what you want to be when you grow up. What your gifts are, how you can combine all of these things to better society. No pressure.

Above all your purpose is to love God and love others. Sounds simple, right? No matter what you choose to do to earn money and make a living, keep in mind that it's always about serving, loving and obeying God.

So, what would you do with fifty mil? How can you give your lives meaning right here and now? Who can you love extravagantly?

Blessings, The B.D.F.

Filter between brain and mouth

Greetings Fairy Followers,

I have long had a faulty filter that refuses to warn me when the things in my brain shouldn't leave my mouth. I'll spare you all the stories, but the feelings came back as we had a very interesting Sunday morning. First we spent some time with Francis Chan talking about the awe-factor of God. How we have come to see him, at times, as common and were reminded in Ecclesiastes of how wrong that is!

Ecclesiastes 5:1-2 "Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong. Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few."

Then we walked into Sunday service and listened to the disciples tell Christ: Mark 10:35 'Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. "Teacher," they said, "we want you to do for us whatever we ask."'

Talk about being hasty and quick with your mouth! "Here God, do this for me." Not how God operates.

So, Fairy Followers, be full of awe this week and come before him humbly. Here's a great video to "Let My Words Be Few" by Matt Redman



Blessings, The B.D.F.

The Counterfeit

Greetings Fairy Followers,

You know how they train federal treasury officers to identify counterfeit money, right? They spend hours, days and weeks looking at the real thing so that when something unreal passes their eyes it stands out like a flashing neon sign.

I was thinking that it works the same when it comes to our own faith. Instead of matching ourselves up against the amazing holiness of God, we look at those around us and decide if we are better or worse.

For if we were looking to the great, awesome, holiness of God then we would say what Isaiah said: I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple..."Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty."

I read my Crazy Love chapter last night - I know some of you already have and I couldn't stand to be behind - and Francis Chan said some of the same things. Here is the Awesomeness of God video he mentions.



And...just for fun.



Blessings,
The B.D.F.

Francis Chan...Live

Greetings Fairy Followers,

Rumor has it many of you invaded the adult Sunday School class today and were introduced to Francis Chan's book "Crazy Love." Although I understand that Pastor Steve did a truly life-like impression of Pastor Chan, thought you might like to get a look at the man himself. He does a video blog right here on blogspot at: http://francischansblog.blogspot.com/. The BDF will not be offended if you choose to check him out. This is just a sample...and we'll be seeing more from Pastor Chan as the next ten weeks play out.



What did you all think of Sunday School this morning? Check in when you've done your homework and let's discuss Chapter One: Stop Praying. I'd better get it read before you all think I'm encouraging you to cease talking to God. I'm not and I'm intrigued.

For those of you keeping track of our prayer focus: Jeff Love, his daughter was in Neillsville visiting this weekend. She granted the BDF an exclusive interview. Her dad has completed his chemo (which kills all the bad bone marrow) and has had his transplant from marrow donated by his brother. The match was nearly 100% and they are past the initial times when rejection could have occurred. He is home now and waiting for the transplant to grow new marrow. The risk for infection is high now and he's not allowed many visitors but would still welcome your prayers for fast marrow growth, no infection and no rejection.

Blessings, The B.D.F.

Set Me On Fire

The Bible Devotion Fairy has a nasty habit of igniting herself. There was the clip lamp that got too close to my feather pillow - smelled like I had roasted the Christmas goose for a week in my apartment.

The time I sat on the step too close to the citronella candle. We call that one the case of the flaming red dress.

And just today I tossed my ear buds on the table when I had to get up, as I am wont to do, and they accidentally landed smack in the middle of the candle. They only had one good ear on them anyway and that's the one that got fried. Oops.


Check out this video about being set on fire:


A few weeks ago on Sunday morning Pastor Alan made a comment about the I Peter series...something along the lines of - these are people who are not ashamed of their faith. They don't have the luxury of being lackadaisical about what they believe. They must be all or nothing - hot or cold, not lukewarm.

Perhaps this Fairy has been a little to literal in her prayers to be "set on fire" but I am praying that all of you will be a flame for the Kingdom.

Blessings,
The B.D.F.

Evening in a Funeral Home

Greetings Fairy Followers,

When the BDF was a wee glimmering spark, her babysitter's family operated the local funeral home which meant that I played hide and seek with my brother amongst caskets and grew accustomed to the smell of formaldehyde. I considered it seriously creepy that anyone would want to do that for a job.

Years later, I saw my babysitter again when she was acting in the role of funeral director for my grandmother's funeral (she died just shy of her 100th birthday). There are few ministries that touch a heart when it is most tender than those who help us grieve.

So, if you could be a fly on the wall at your own funeral what would you hope to hear? What is the hardest loss you've had to endure? Share your thoughts.

Blessings,
The B.D.F.


Here follows the outline from Pastor Alan's teaching from last night.
3.4(2).09 HaNdout Outline FILLED in Wk 2

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