Got the photos to work!
President Sanguma (President of the Covenant Church in Congo) and his son, Precieux. Precieux was found abandoned in a cemetary and so Sanguma and his wife (whom I haven't met yet) adopted him.

Kristin and Jodi
The traveling sleeping mat and its users.
And the yoke of Christ, which is supposed to be easy as the burden is light, is placed symbolically upon my shoulders. At that moment, I was thinking, "This is incredible. This is scary. I cannot carry this responsibility. What am I doing? Who am I to be called to this? I know how messed up I am. God, help me be true to this calling."
Rarely all four in the same city: Andrew, Tanya, me, Lara

UFOsOkay - What do you all think about UFOs? I have seen about three Larry King Lives in the last couple weeks that have been about UFOs. Today was the most in-depth. I should be writing a sermon, but instead, I am contemplating whether or not pictures of unidentified flying objects can somehow lead to the conclusion that there are aliens who have come to visit, never having landed, and who are thought to be more scientifically advanced than the most technologically sophisticated societies on earth. I learned that many people think that UFOs disarmed some U.S. missiles, that over 100 citings have been made by Air Force personnel and that supposedly the U.S. Air Force has tried to keep the photos and "evidence" under wraps. I'm not saying I don't believe most of what was said (I mean, at the very least, I believe the person talking believes what they are saying), but I agree with Bill Nye the Science Guy when he said that to see some strange objects in the air and then to conclude that they must be extra-terrestriel beings is QUITE A JUMP. I think scientists should be studying these pictures and sightings and go from there, not begin with a hypothesis and work backwards. (And thinking about this makes me understand a little more about why some who are sceptics of global warming being caused by humans do not want us to begin with this conclusion, but rather think we should keep studying global warming and conclude the causes of it later. And the contraversial topic of UFOs on tv lately has helped me understand why the latest Indiana Jones movie ended so strangely. :) ) Which reminds me of my sermon. When writing a sermon, I try to start with the text and go from there, instead of starting with what God may be teaching me or what I think people need to hear and then forming the text to fit my agenda. This is not easy to do - it is not easy to be faithful to the text. And I wouldn't even say that I do it that well most of the time. It takes more study and more work, more neutrality, more intentional distance and reflection. I also like to use the UFO example to think about so many people who look on at those who believe that Jesus was born of a virgin and that he was God who took on flesh, performed amazing miracles causing the blind to see and the lame to walk and then was killed, dead for three days, and actually brought back to life. Why is it easier for me to believe the crazy claims Jesus made than it is for me to think we have had multiple invasions by aliens in the last 60 years? I think the answer has something to do with my experience, the historical and scientific credibility of Scripture (and I'm not necessarily talking about every detail - but I mean the over-arching picture), and the implications of whether it is true or not. What are the implications if the story of Jesus is true? What are the implications if UFOs are really aliens? Both alter how we see the world, but the former alters how we see our role in this world and actually alters everything past, present and future. The former gives us an identity, a way to live, how to treat others - it offers peace, joy, wholeness. The latter adds something that we have not considered to an otherwise unaltered way of looking at the world. I'm sure I'm missing a lot of other differences that you might see. I'm just barely getting started thinking about this. But, how does this story that has lasted for 2000 years sound to those who do not find themselves in it? It sounds insane. Which is why I'm convinced it needs to be lived, experienced, tangible, wrestled with, questioned, even doubted at times. And why don't we do this together around the book we're so afraid to open? Just thoughts... okay, back to my sermon.