So this morning, we had about eight luchadors with us at church: among them Olar Fuerte, The Blue Tornado, Senor Fuego, Mucho Macho, Chupacabro and Poca Loca. With so many luchadors in one place, you can imagine that things got a little out of hand from time to time:
Still, it made for an entertaining morning. The tribe was that of Naphtali, which means "my struggle" or even "my wrestle." This morning, we spoke of ways we can win the wrestling match, based on a few examples that revolved around the Tribe of Naphtali. Good stuff! And funny stuff too: Halle-lucha!
Afterwards, we went to Hannah's birthday party over and Nana and Ye-Ye's house. This was a nice occasion with grilled chicken and corn and all kinds of great food (as usual!). Also, Nana had made this cake for Hannah that was delicious!
She used some ingredients that were safe for Mommy, and the great news is that Mommy was able to eat without any side effects whatsoever. This was great, and of course it was great just getting together with everyone again.
We got home later, and because everyone was tired, Madison and Daddy went back to the X-box for some video games. We didn't have anything luchador-related, but we did have fun playing this old game we borrowed from the church: "Madagascar 2." Sure, this game is from 2008, and is a movie license title. But don't tell that to Madison, who has been enjoying it quite a bit lately. There's a musical chairs game on it and a hot potato game too. Both set her off giggling big time!
It was a very nice weekend - the rain continued, of course. Not a day without rain yet, which is pretty wild. Neither Mommy or Daddy ever remember a summer this wet before.
As we close, here is the message about Naphtali in a nutshell - quite different, and yes, obscure:
The Tribe of Naphtali knows about wrestling – after all, that’s what their
very name means: “my struggle.” But it’s important to know that in life, we
don’t wrestle against flesh and blood. Instead, we wrestle against temptations
and the desires to do things that we know God isn’t pleased with. It’s a
struggle we all must win!
That’s why it is essential to have a few things that the Naphtali Tribe had. For example, they knew well that having worship was important. When King Solomon needed someone to help build God’s Temple, he called upon the Tribe of Naphtali. There, a skilled worker named Huram stepped up to work in excellence and create a way for all of Israel to worship. One of the most important keys to winning any struggle is worship. It empowers, and ultimately helps lead us to victory.
Another thing the Tribe of Naphtali could not do without was faith. Their belief and hope in God was so firm, that each time they were told to step forth in faith, they did. Years before the Temple was built, Israel was treated very badly by a wicked king. He had nine hundred iron chariots – imagine nine hundred tanks rolling into town!
Yet a woman named Deborah listened to God – and the Tribe of Naphtali listened closely to her. She said there’d be a huge victory, and despite what looked like very bad odds, they marched forward in faith. Many other Tribes were afraid or too busy, but Deborah’s song of praise forever reminds the world of the faithfulness of Naphtali.
Finally, and most importantly, they had Jesus. When it came time to claim their part of the Promised Land, the Naphtali struck gold. This land the Tribe of Naphtali chose was the most beautiful and celebrated in all Bible history. Years later, Jesus would speak there, and perform many miracles along the Sea of Galilee. It was there within the land of the Naphtali Tribe that we would find our ultimate justice, and mercy.
Sometimes life can be a struggle. Sometimes things can grapple with us, and seemingly pin us down. But when we remember Naphtali, we’ll remember those things we need to win the match: we must have worship, we must have faith, and we absolutely must have Jesus.
That’s why it is essential to have a few things that the Naphtali Tribe had. For example, they knew well that having worship was important. When King Solomon needed someone to help build God’s Temple, he called upon the Tribe of Naphtali. There, a skilled worker named Huram stepped up to work in excellence and create a way for all of Israel to worship. One of the most important keys to winning any struggle is worship. It empowers, and ultimately helps lead us to victory.
Another thing the Tribe of Naphtali could not do without was faith. Their belief and hope in God was so firm, that each time they were told to step forth in faith, they did. Years before the Temple was built, Israel was treated very badly by a wicked king. He had nine hundred iron chariots – imagine nine hundred tanks rolling into town!
Yet a woman named Deborah listened to God – and the Tribe of Naphtali listened closely to her. She said there’d be a huge victory, and despite what looked like very bad odds, they marched forward in faith. Many other Tribes were afraid or too busy, but Deborah’s song of praise forever reminds the world of the faithfulness of Naphtali.
Finally, and most importantly, they had Jesus. When it came time to claim their part of the Promised Land, the Naphtali struck gold. This land the Tribe of Naphtali chose was the most beautiful and celebrated in all Bible history. Years later, Jesus would speak there, and perform many miracles along the Sea of Galilee. It was there within the land of the Naphtali Tribe that we would find our ultimate justice, and mercy.
Sometimes life can be a struggle. Sometimes things can grapple with us, and seemingly pin us down. But when we remember Naphtali, we’ll remember those things we need to win the match: we must have worship, we must have faith, and we absolutely must have Jesus.
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