Riches From the Dumpster

It's been a long time since 4:00 a.m.! But here I am at almost 9:30 p.m. and haven't taken a nap - unless you count that stretch of interstate on the way back from Gulfport. Ok, I'm kidding. Mostly. We got all of the workers to their flights on time and it was great to have that last few minutes with them. John Sanders and Gary Boswell helped me drive, since our church bus was at Six Flags in Atlanta this weekend. John Sanders has recently gotten an excellent job and will be staying here in Pascagoula, Praise the Lord! He is a very genuine young man with deep faith. Gary Boswell has been one of our deacons for a long time. His band played last night on the riverfront at Moss Point and he didn't get to sleep until after midnight, but he still got up and helped me drive the folks to the airport. We enjoyed steak and cheese omelets at Waffle House afterwards and as always, our conversation lasted long past our meal. Please say a prayer for tomorrow, as we appoint four new elders for Central Church of Christ. I hope to tell you all about that tomorrow ... but for today ... your prayers are coveted. The group from Brentwood Hills Church of Christ are doing several things this weekend, and with a great spirit. There was a big thunder boomer this morning, and we saw lots of lightning, and finally a downpour. That held us up a bit, but it did cool things off. We need the rain, as does the rest of the country. How valuable is your Bible to you? Did you read today's news story about a man who retrieved a Bible out of a dumpster - in three pieces. He took it home and put it together. It had obviously been near a fire, and had some water damage. But it was printed in 1818, and there are only six known copies of this particular printing left. So far he's been offered up to $900 for the find, but he feels that is not enough for his trash that became treasure. Almost a thousand dollars for a Bible in three pieces, burned and waterlogged? So, when's the last time you picked up your Bible? Have you actually read what it says, or simply relied on what others have said? Are you soaking in His word daily? Today I walked around Lifeway bookstore. I always enjoy looking around in there, although the 'Christian' merchandising is really silly and lame. There's a new book out about Swashbucklers...trying to gain off of the Pirates of the Carribean franchise. I saw "christian" books that used Superman and other movies as takeoffs on Christian thought. I can see doing that on a blog, but do we really need to print that? People might see it. Shiver. Anyway, I'm losing my point here ... all of these books flood the bookstore and we gobble them up. I'm guilty as anyone! Are we reading more McLaren than Matthew? Are we turning the pages of Elderidge more than Ephesians? And yes, N. T. Wright is brilliant, but much less important than THE N. T. That's a silly way to say to all of us, let's keep THE BOOK open at all times. Please remember our need for at least one more fifteen passenger van. I know that not everyone can do this, but I believe in asking. Sometimes, as Scriptures say, 'ye have not because ye ask not.' I hope you have a wonderful weekend and that tomorrow's time of worship will touch your heart and move you to become more like Him than you already are.