Carolina, Coffee, Cope, and Mercy

Tonight our family is celebrating the Carolinas with a feast of a meal. Pulled pork sandwiches, cole slaw, chips, sweet tea & Big Red (I know - probably more of a Texas drink...) and strawberry shortcake for dessert. We are going to call our favorite UNC alumni, Ken & Lois Brown (dear friends in their 80's from RWC, CA) and include them on the Carolina celebration.

All that to say, I am already hungry and dinner isn't for another 8 hours.
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Kim started working a few hours a day at Starbucks yesterday and she absolutely loves it! I looked through some of the training manuals and other partner (they don't call them employees) material and it looked incredible. I am well aware that not everyone is a Starbucks fan, but I am impressed. Great hours, decent pay, incredible insurance, fun people, free coffee and an opportunity to be salt and light...sounds good to me.
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My buddy, Mike Cope turns 50 today! Happy B-day Bro Co!

Here is a prayer I left for him on his blog:

"“Dear Father, would you please be gracious enough to give your servant Mike another 50 years to live as salt and light? Please? I, for one, would be so grateful for the blessing of another 2500 sermons, 18,250 Blog Posts, and a million other sacred delights that you pour out through Mike. In the name of the One who makes both life and death a good option, Jesus. Amen."
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As I was writing this a small bird slammed into the window in the front of our church. Our youngest, Emily was babysitting some kids when it happened and was the first on the scene. She ran into my office as if one of the kids heads had fallen off.

"Daddy, come quick, we have got to help a hurt bird!"

So I make my way outside to find a small sparrow having a seizure of sorts. I quickly determine (armchair vet) that it has a broken neck or back and unless we can secure a tiny little birdie wheelchair, there is nothing we can do. 'Nothing' was not working with Emily.

"We have to do something!" proclaimed Emily. "We can't do nothing! Call the police."

I explained that you can't call the cops for a bird that can't fly.

That didn't fly with Emily. I called the cops. Not 911, but the number I thought was the local animal services guy."

"Denton County Sheriff Dispatch" came the voice on the line, "What is your emergency?"

"I'm an idiot!" I thought to myself.

Just as I was explaining the "emergency", Emily came running in and announced, "the birdie is okay! It just flew off!"

I stumbled my way off the phone so the Denton County Sheriff Department could tend to real emergencies and made my way out to see the site of the mini miracle.

Sure enough, no bird in sight. I asked Emily what happened.

"I touched it very gentle and it calmed down. Then I picked it up and held it for a minute very softly. Then it flew out of my hands."

To be honest (and why lie on your own blog, really?) my first reaction was rather maternal: "You're going to get all kinds of diseases! If you die of bird flu, your mom is not going to be happy! Why would you touch a dying bird?" (because...) We're my first thoughts.

But I didn't say any of that. I simply told her good job baby. Now go wash your hands.

As she walked inside and down the hall to wash, two things came to mind:

1. Her sweet smile

2. Luke 10:25-37

and I could hear the strong, tender voice of Jesus speak into my heart,

"GO AND DO LIKEWISE."