Render Unto Caesar...Vote

When Jesus said “render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s” I believe a reasonable application of that comment to our time and culture would include participation in the voting process. We are invited to participate in this process which has an effect on the leaders who impact important issues having to do with morality, justice, and even the extent of “Caesar’s” role in our lives.

Is Anyone Else Excited About The Green Hornet? Of Course You Are!

Oh boy, I am excited!!!

Seriously, I am.  You know how a little kid gets excited about Christmas?  That’s what I’m talking about, I’m excited like that.  In fact, Nadia has to keep reminding me every few days that Santa is carefully watching to see who’s a good boy or girl because in my excitement I’m liable to do something foolish or rash.

To explain my excitement I have to go back to the time when I was about 8 or 9 years old.  I forget what year it was, but just for the sake of argument, let’s say 1984.  [Stop laughing, you punks!]  A television show called “The Green Hornet” began airing.  It was awesome!!!  And when I say “awesome”, I mean “like really totally completely awesomely awesome”.  The best part of all was Green Hornet’s sidekick, Kato (played by the legendary Bruce Lee).

I can remember sitting mesmerized, while watching this show.  “Who is this guy?” I thought, unable to take my eyes off the screen.  I was stunned, excited, curious, thrilled, fascinated…all at the same time.  Kato was an expert in kung fu.  I didn’t know the word “kung fu” then but I knew that Kato could move with breathtaking speed, grace, and agility as he easily dispatched any bad guy who dared to get in the way of his lightning-fast fists of fury.

In my mind, I had never seen a character in any TV show or movie as impressive as Kato…ever!  At that point in my life—when I was 8 or 9—if you would have sat down with me and engaged in a careful analysis of characters from literature, film, or theater, and asked, “Which character has emotionally moved you in such a way that it has resulted in the most significant impression upon your young psyche?”  I would have stopped fidgeting with the whoopee cushion that I carried around with me and answered, “Well, that’s easy.  It would be Kato.”  Then I would have stuck my gum to the bottom of your chair.

(You’ll be glad to know that I no longer carry a whoopee cushion around with me.  [Chuckling]  Yep, I’ve long outgrown that kind of humor…and moved on to fake vomit and that pack of gum that sets off an exploding cap when you pull a stick out of the package.  It’s a riot, I’m telling you!  And it’s a big hit at minister’s meetings.  Although, it’s curious that I never get invited back to minister’s meetings a second time.  Hm…oh well.)

Kato was absolutely the coolest!!!  Really.  He was.  And if you don’t agree with me then “you’re a big dummy-head.  So there!!!”

And if you’re thinking some kind of witty comeback, then you know what I say to that?  I say: “I know you are, but what am I?”

[Pretty hard to argue with that one, huh?]

Okay, now that we’ve firmly established my maturity level, I can tell you that I’m excited because a Green Hornet movie is coming out in January of 2011!!!!  Yes, you read that sentence properly, a Green Hornet movie!!!!

Stop.  Relax. Take a deep cleansing breath.  And read those words again:  A GREEN HORNET MOVIE IS COMING OUT IN JANUARY OF 2011!!!!

Whoo Hooooo!!!!

You’re all as excited about this as I am, right?  Of course you are, it would be impossible not to be excited about a Green Hornet movie, after all, gee whiz, you’re only human.

Okay, let’s stay calm and remember that overreaction is never helpful.  But let’s make sure we all go out and see the Green Hornet movie.  And let’s hope and pray…I mean, pray really hard…that they found someone really good, someone really cool, someone awesome, someone really exceptional to play Kato.

Made In The Image of God

The Latin phrase “imago Dei” means the “image of God”.  A foundational truth of Christian theology is that human beings—ALL human beings—are made in the image of God. [See Gen.1:26-27]  It is because we are created by Almighty God, in His image, that we have inherent worth and dignity; and we are deserving of respect and love.

Encountering Authenticity

In a world in which we encounter lots of hype and phoniness, AUTHENTICITY can actually make some people feel uncomfortable.  Here’s an insightful thought on the matter: “When you and I stop pretending, we expose the pretending of everyone else.” ~Mike Yaconelli.

How Does Rachel Prepare For Trunk Or Treat?

Since my story earlier this week—the one about Rachel’s Trunk or Treat costume—calls, letters, and e-mails have been pouring in from all over the country.  (President Obama sent a couple of text messages and Vladimir Putin called 4 times begging for photographs and further information!)

The question on everyone’s mind is this: “Dan, how does Rachel prepare for Trunk or Treat?”

It’s an excellent question—right up there with “What is the purpose of life?” or “Where’s Waldo?”  Well, fortunately, it’s actually a very simple process and I was able to document it, firsthand, as it unfolded last night.

Step 1, began with a trip, early in the evening, to Taco Bell.  I suppose this step almost goes without saying.  EVERYONE knows that a person needs to be properly nourished in order to participate in the fun and energy-burning excitement of Trunk or Treat.  And, the perfect place to nourish the body is Taco Bell.  The Bell is well known for its life-giving, high-octane health benefits.  (Going to Taco Bell is almost like going to a health food store.)

After Rachel’s nutritious Taco Bell supper, it was straight back to the Rachel International Headquarters where her mysterious team of Hollywood designers, simply known as “La Nadia”, stood waiting to begin the costuming process.

That leads to Step 2 in the Rachel Trunk or Treat preparations, putting on the clown clothing.  This is quick and easy.  Rachel’s designers had her dressed in a few moments.  Her clown outfit was specially designed by Vera Wang for Walmart.  (I know absolutely nothing about fashion—you can tell, right?—but I thought it would be fun to see “Vera Wang” and “Walmart” used in the same sentence.)

Step 3 is the bright red hairspray.  Unfortunately, this led to a slight snafu in the evening’s costuming prep.  We had 1 can of bright red hairspray.  That’s because we assumed that we only needed 1 can of bright red hairspray.  But as we applied the bright red hairspray it became apparent that 1 can would not be enough.  To make Rachel’s hair truly bright red it appeared that we needed about 3 cans of bright red hairspray. 

When the can of hair spray ran out, Rachel’s design team, “La Nadia”, determined that 1 can would have to be sufficient.

I said, “But, hold on, her hair isn’t really bright red!”

Rachel’s design team, “La Nadia”, said, “It’s good enough.  Besides she has a hat.”

And you know what?  That ended the discussion regarding the matter of the bright red hair.  So, Rachel’s clown hair ended up being brown with red highlights.

You say, “But Dan, clowns don’t have brown hair with red highlights!”

To that comment I respond: “It’s good enough.  Besides she has a hat.”  And I’m confident that’s the right answer because that’s what Rachel’s design team told me.

The final step in Rachel’s Trunk or Treat preparation involves the application of the clown make-up.  This is where the artistry comes in.  The way that a clown makes up her face is her trademark.  It creates the essence of the clown persona.  The design of the clown make-up is part of the magic the clown brings to her adoring audience.

But the Rachel design team had never applied clown make-up before.  How do you do this?  What’s the procedure?  What kind of clown persona should be created?  Where would the make-up artist even begin?

I posed these questions out loud and the room became silent.  Only the soft crunching of a few leftover nachos could be heard.  Now what?  What do we do?  I quickly moved to the computer to research the matter.  [That means searching on Google.]  While I did that, Rachel’s design team “La Nadia” just dove in and began putting white stuff on her face.  By the time I developed a comprehensive make-up plan based on sound geometric principles and rigorous research, the design team had already transformed Rachel into…Raquel Le Clowne!  (Clowns are always just a little bit scarier if they’re French.)

You say, “Wow, Dan!  Did all that effort pay off?”

Well, a person has to be philosophical about such a question.  When we speak of the effort expended and the pay off received it’s important to carefully consider all the variables, being sure to enter this factor into the equation:  “Chocolate”.

We made a pretty good haul of chocolate last night.  So, does that make it worth the effort?  Oh yes.  In fact, I’m chuckling at the question, even as I type these words.

“Does chocolate make it worth it?”  Ba ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!

Of course it does!  After all…it’s chocolate!  Chocolate definitely makes it worth the effort.

Now, excuse me, Raquel Le Clowne has a sack containing a few Snickers bars. 

Au Revoir!

[*NOTE:  That’s “good bye” in French.]

*We're still not sure who these people
are.  They frightened us and, yet, we
felt strangely comforted by them at
at the same time.  Hmm, strange.
.

God's Love Makes Forgiveness Possible

Genuine Godly love creates a powerful capacity in us for forgiveness.  This does not involve a blind unwillingness to confront the reality of wrong-doing, or its consequences. This does not mean that we pretend we haven’t been hurt, when we have been hurt. But real love fills the heart in such a way that true forgiveness becomes possible. “…Love covers over a multitude of sins.” 1Peter4:8(b)

A Question That Matters

Once a person seriously considers a question like, “what’s the point of my existence?”, it’s very hard for that person to ever go back to living as if the answer to that question does not matter.

Audio Message Titled: "Prayer For Wisdom And Understanding"

For audio message ....  Click Here!


.

Interested In Others

Arrogance and pride are destructive to genuine loving relationships. Part of the reason for this is that authentic concern for others is rare in the hearts of those whose pride has them entirely wrapped up in their own selfish interests.  Love involves being truly interested in others and concerned about their well-being.

God Has Given Us Imagination

We are made in the image of God and that means, among other things, that we have the capability of seeing things in our minds.  Sometimes, even, things that don’t yet exist.  God has given us imagination.  “…Far more than any other power, imagination is what sets human beings apart from every other species on earth.” ~Ken Robinson.

Caring, Constructive Discipline Is An Act Of Love

The one who is being disciplined may interpret discipline as a form of punishment by someone who is being mean.  But the truth is that constructive discipline is generally administered only by those who honestly care about us.  We know from the Bible that God’s discipline is a manifestation of His love for us. “The Lord disciplines those he loves…” Heb.12:6

E-Flash From Dan -- Costume Edition

Dear E-Flash Friends;

Tonight, Rachel gave Nadia and I permission to buy her a new Trunk or Treat costume.  That sure was nice of her, wasn’t it?

So after supper, we drove to the local Walmart and checked out the Halloween department.  It was crowded.  I guess that’s bound to be the case on the week of Halloween.  In fact, at one point, a couple of kids began chasing each other around with some kind of spray-on Halloween make up and I was almost caught in the crossfire.  I barely escaped with my usual lustrous hue.

In the meantime, Nadia and Rachel soberly considered several different costumes.  Rachel has gotten a little too big for the “girls” costumes but many of the “women’s” costumes are…well… they’re a bit racy.  (The “racy” ones were NOT up for consideration.)  So, some time was spent looking and deliberating. 

To be properly outfitted for Trunk or Treat requires careful analysis, you know.  But it finally came down to a decision between some Fairy-type character and a clown outfit.  The fairy costume included wings and that’s a definite attraction.  But there’s a costume spray that temporarily turns your hair a bright red color and I think that may have helped cinch it for the clown outfit.

Come on, when it comes to making an impact with an outfit, bright red hair is hard to resist!  We all know that, right?

As we walked to the check out counter, I told Rachel, “Hey, I might use some of the red hair coloring, myself.  That would be fun, huh?”

She said, “No.”

I said, “Just for a joke.  You know, just to get a few laughs.  It washes out.”

Now Rachel…AND Nadia both said, “No!”

I said, “People have a good time with that kind of joking around.”

Then they pointed off behind me and acted like they saw someone we know.  I turned around and no one was there.  When I turned back, they were gone.

This happens two or three times a week.  I always find them…after I walk home.

Sheesh, why can’t a guy have a little fun, once in a while?

(*NOTE to readers:  Shhh, don’t mention this, but I’m usually out the door early on Sunday mornings before they can stop me, so, you never know.  Imagine the spiritual impact that can be had when a guy is preaching with bright red hair.  To be honest, I’m surprised Billy Graham never tried it.)

So folks…don’t forget: Friday night, 7pm, Trunk or Treat!  It’s going to be a ball!  (It’s fun, even if you have your regular hair color.)

Also, don’t forget:  Sunday morning 9 and 11 am.  The message is titled:  “Rescued From The Kingdom of Darkness” (I didn’t even think about the fact that Sunday is Halloween day when I came up with the title of the message a couple of months ago.)  It’s based on Colossians 1:13&14.

See you then.  Hope you have a great week!

Blessings,

Dan Marler

* To have the "E-Flash" sent directly to your e-mail, send an e-mail message to:  cog111st@aol.com and type:  "Send me the E-Flash" in the "subject" field.