I read an article a few days ago about a man in Ocean Springs, Mississippi whose last name is Unknown. This gentleman's last name really is “Unknown.” What's his name? Unknown. Almost sounds like an Abbott and Costello comedy routine.
His full name is Nikone Unknown. Unknown is 49-years-old and he owns a restaurant in Ocean Springs. Unknown acquired that name when he immigrated to the United States from Laos in 1979. Unknown feared revealing his real name to immigration officials, who simply listed his last name as "unknown." Unknown's wife is Ratchanee Unknown, and his son is Nick Unknown.
This world is filled with people who think they are unknown, lost, or forgotten.
But God knows each and everyone one of us. God knows our heart and mind. God knows our needs. God even knows the number of hairs on our head.
And even the hairs of your head are all counted. Matthew 10:30
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Devotion for the Second Week of September
Its an old story, told by many sports commentators over the years. I do not know if it is true, but it’s a great story that Billy Martin included in his book.
Billy Martin was invited to join Mickey Mantle to do some hunting down on a friends ranch in Texas. Mantle told Martin that all he had to do was to drop by his friends house to let him know he was going to be on the ranch hunting and was always given permission to hunt. When they got there, Mickey told Billy to wait in the car while he went in and cleared things with his friend. Permission was quickly granted for them to hunt, but the owner asked Mickey to do him a favor. He had a mule in the barn who had gone blind, but he did not have the heart to put him out of his misery. He asked Mickey to shoot the mule for him. Mickey agreed. On the way back to the car a plan formed in Mantle's mind.
When Mickey got to the car, he pretended to be angry. He shouted and slammed the car door shut. Billy asked him what was wrong. Mickey replied that the owner would not let them hunt there any more. "I am so mad at that guy that I am going out to that barn and shoot one of his mules," said Mantle. He drove like a mad man to the barn. Martin protested and said, "We can't do that!" But Mickey was adamant, "Just watch me," he shouted. When they got to the barn, Mantle jumped out of the car with his rifle, ran to the barn and shot the mule and killed it.
When he got back to the car he saw that Martin had also taken his gun out and smoke was curling from its barrel, too. "What are you doing, Martin?" he yelled. Martin answered, "We'll show that Son-of-a-gun. I killed two of his cows."
One of the questions we all have to deal with from time to time is what to do with our anger. Are we aware of the negative results of our anger? Are we aware how other people respond to our anger? People do stupid things when they are angry, pretend or not, like shooting someone's cows. What are you doing about your anger?
Be angry but do not sin. (Ephesians 4:26)
Billy Martin was invited to join Mickey Mantle to do some hunting down on a friends ranch in Texas. Mantle told Martin that all he had to do was to drop by his friends house to let him know he was going to be on the ranch hunting and was always given permission to hunt. When they got there, Mickey told Billy to wait in the car while he went in and cleared things with his friend. Permission was quickly granted for them to hunt, but the owner asked Mickey to do him a favor. He had a mule in the barn who had gone blind, but he did not have the heart to put him out of his misery. He asked Mickey to shoot the mule for him. Mickey agreed. On the way back to the car a plan formed in Mantle's mind.
When Mickey got to the car, he pretended to be angry. He shouted and slammed the car door shut. Billy asked him what was wrong. Mickey replied that the owner would not let them hunt there any more. "I am so mad at that guy that I am going out to that barn and shoot one of his mules," said Mantle. He drove like a mad man to the barn. Martin protested and said, "We can't do that!" But Mickey was adamant, "Just watch me," he shouted. When they got to the barn, Mantle jumped out of the car with his rifle, ran to the barn and shot the mule and killed it.
When he got back to the car he saw that Martin had also taken his gun out and smoke was curling from its barrel, too. "What are you doing, Martin?" he yelled. Martin answered, "We'll show that Son-of-a-gun. I killed two of his cows."
One of the questions we all have to deal with from time to time is what to do with our anger. Are we aware of the negative results of our anger? Are we aware how other people respond to our anger? People do stupid things when they are angry, pretend or not, like shooting someone's cows. What are you doing about your anger?
Be angry but do not sin. (Ephesians 4:26)
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Devotion for the First Week of September 2008
Many of you know that I am a history buff, and even volunteered at some at Yorktown and Jamestown in Virginia. There are many stories about those two important places in America History, that I enjoy - but none more than the following:
During the spring of 1608 the settlers at Jamestown, Virginia discovered gold (this was less than a year after they decided on building a colony there on the shores of the James River). They almost totally abandoned all efforts at planting crops, constructing buildings, and readying themselves for winter. They had found gold and devoted themselves almost entirely to steadily digging out and washing the precious metal.
The colonists probably would not even have survived the summer and fall if the Powhatan Indians had not fed them. However, they were able to send a ship back to England with a heavy load of the metal for which they had labored all spring. Unfortunately their gold turned out to be iron pyrite, also called "fools' gold." They had given a huge amount of their time, their talent, and all their energies to "fool's gold."
The colonists could say the name "fools' gold" had special meaning for them. For not only had they been deceived by the worthless look-alike mineral, but they had foolishly abandoned everything they needed for life in a quest that would have made no sense even if their discovery had indeed been real gold. If it had not been for others, they would have died chasing material riches.
Does those sound like a parable about the way many of us spend our lives? Stocking up fool's gold and ignoring the really important matters in life like building a closer relationship with God?
He has raised up a horn for his people, praise for all his faithful, for the people of Israel who are close to him. Praise the LORD! (Psalms 148:14)
During the spring of 1608 the settlers at Jamestown, Virginia discovered gold (this was less than a year after they decided on building a colony there on the shores of the James River). They almost totally abandoned all efforts at planting crops, constructing buildings, and readying themselves for winter. They had found gold and devoted themselves almost entirely to steadily digging out and washing the precious metal.
The colonists probably would not even have survived the summer and fall if the Powhatan Indians had not fed them. However, they were able to send a ship back to England with a heavy load of the metal for which they had labored all spring. Unfortunately their gold turned out to be iron pyrite, also called "fools' gold." They had given a huge amount of their time, their talent, and all their energies to "fool's gold."
The colonists could say the name "fools' gold" had special meaning for them. For not only had they been deceived by the worthless look-alike mineral, but they had foolishly abandoned everything they needed for life in a quest that would have made no sense even if their discovery had indeed been real gold. If it had not been for others, they would have died chasing material riches.
Does those sound like a parable about the way many of us spend our lives? Stocking up fool's gold and ignoring the really important matters in life like building a closer relationship with God?
He has raised up a horn for his people, praise for all his faithful, for the people of Israel who are close to him. Praise the LORD! (Psalms 148:14)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
