Bella Dancerella

We've had this for a while, but Madison got it in her mind to set things up this morning, dress up as a black swan, and do some ballet exercises in the great room.  This kit is neat, because there before you is a plastic ballet bar and a mat with the places to put your feet as you dance and do various ballerina positions.  Of course, you do all this as you watch the screen in front of you.  Madison is quite the little dancer!

It was a long day at work, and a long day for Mommy too.  She was packing and putting things together for our upcoming vacation, a quick trip to Florida and back.

Meanwhile, Madison was dancing, and drawing too.  She did a great Mickey Mouse from memory today!  Daddy is desperately trying to finish up with the messages for the new series.  The last ones seem to be coming a bit more slowly, and involve a lot more reworking and researching as well.  The latest effort has to do with Cavemen, which are the characters we've always liked, but haven't quite figured out what to do, message-wise.  That is, until today.  I think we got it all worked out!

“Quest for Fire”

     Deep in the heart of the museum, you just might see a cave, although it’s just a display.  Inside that cave, you might see a caveman, crouched over and trying to figure out how to start a fire.  That’s the quest of the caveman, and it seems to be all he’s about.        

     But it’s what we’re all about too.  Like Adam and Eve, we’re all longing for that fire again – that close relationship with God.  They lost it, and ever since that terrible moment, we’ve been on a quest for fire, a way that to rekindle that closeness we had with our Creator.   
     As we look back at early man in the Bible, we can see and learn from the ways they burned with passion.  Abel, for example, made it appear as if mankind was starting off on the right foot.  The Lord was pleased with Abel and his offering, because Abel brought his very best to Him.  Abel’s life shows us the way:  If you want to reignite the flames of passion for God, one great thing to do is to give the best of your time, money and effort in service to Him and His church.
     Abel’s brother Cain, however, just didn’t get it.  He lost focus on his quest!  He instead began focusing jealousy on his brother Abel.  He ignored God’s warning, and went down a path that hurt others and brought himself to ruin.  Cain sinned greatly, and he would sadly tell us today the words he remembers hearing God say:  “Do what is right. Then you will be accepted. If you don’t do what is right, sin is waiting at your door to grab you. It longs to have you. But you must rule over it.”

     It was another early tragedy, but we can draw hope from a boy named Enoch, born just a few years later.  He too was one of the earliest men to walk the earth.  But what a walk!  The Bible tells us twice that Enoch walked with God – it’s what he was known for.  He walked so close with God that he was taken to be with Him in heaven. 

     What a happy thought.  And it will happen with many of us some day – hopefully with you as well.  How close are you with your Heavenly Father?  God has promised to never leave us or forsake us, so why not go for walk with Him?  It’s an easy decision.  In fact, it’s so easy, a caveman can do it.

     Are you smarter than a caveman?  Maybe, but that doesn’t mean they weren’t intelligent people:  the Bible talks about several men who spent time living in caves:  King David himself was a caveman for a while.  A man named Lot spent some time in a cave, as did the prophet Elijah, the mighty man Samson, and many others.  Each one stayed there pretty much because there was no other place to spend the night!

     The picture we have of the early caveman isn’t that far off from reality.  In fact, imagine some guy sitting there with his wife, both dressed in animal skins.  Read it for yourself in Genesis 3:21 – “The Lord God made clothes out of animal skins for Adam and his wife to wear.”

     Think about it: this is the only time in the Bible that God created an outfit for man to wear.  He makes everything perfectly, so they must have been very fashionable items to wear.  Still, they needed more than just clothing now:  these two needed some shelter – a cave just might be a good idea to begin with.  But what about that fire?  Of course, that’s a quest that takes us all through the Bible…

“But then your message burns in my heart.  It’s like a fire inside my very bones.” Jeremiah 20:9 NIrV

“They said to each other, ‘He talked with us on the road. He opened the Scriptures to us. Weren’t our hearts burning inside us during that time?’” Luke 24:32 NIrV

“The day of Pentecost came. The believers all gathered in one place. Suddenly a sound came from heaven. It was like a strong wind blowing. It filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw something that looked like tongues of fire. The flames separated and settled on each of them.” Acts 2:1-3 NIrV

“Quest for Fire, Over!” – Larry Daley