Return of the Yeti

Here's our air hockey champion now!  Madison enjoys playing in the recreation room each service, just before going to service.  Her dad, of course, is the ultimate air hockey champion.  Undefeated, in fact.  Yep!

This morning's service went really well.  It was part two of our "Elevate" series, where the characters are attempting to climb the mountain.  But there's something else up there, perhaps....

This morning, the characters reunited, and the audience actually saw over in a cave area a little something you don't see that often.  This is just a quick shot - we can't confirm it, and the image is kind of fuzzy - we think it's a yeti.

This picture was not doctored.  It very well could be a yeti, standing there reading a newspaper and drinking a cup of coffee.  We'll see how this series continues, and what's up with the fuzzy guy there. But Madison got to see her first yeti, which is fun.

Know what else was a first today?  Hummus.  It turns out that Madison likes hummus.  She tried some this afternoon, and sure enough, she liked it.  We had a great lunch, and she was eating her own thing as we were eating soups and a spinach dip that Mommy made.  But then we brought out the hummus, and Madison tried that for the first time... and loved it.  We celebrated, because it's hard getting her to like something knew some times.  This will give us an option for lunch at school, and beyond.  So yay!

Madison played the piano this afternoon for a while, catching up on piano practice.  But that was about the only thing productive she did after church.  Church was fantastic, and she learned a whole lot.  At home, we were doing LEGO Dimensions, and then after that Spider-Man Homecoming.  It was a movie we got for Christmas, but hadn't gotten around to watching it yet. 

Tonight, we continued the fasting devotional, and a bit more from "Ahsoka."  No snow or cold tomorrow, so Madison will be going back to school - it's only her fifth day of the year so far.  We'll all get a good night's rest though.  And as we do that, you can read this devotional entry here:

“Suppose either of them falls down. Then the one can help the other one up.” Ecclesiastes 4:10 NIRV

     You can do a solo climb, but the higher up you go, the best thing to do is to climb with a friend or two. Even better, the safest climbers are attached to one another by a long rope. You may have seen these mountaineers before, each climbing separately, but each tethered together by a strong cord. The reason is simple: if one person slips, then the others can keep that climber from falling. Together they motivate one another and help each other reach the top. Consider the first person to climb to the top of Mt. Everest. Nobody knows which person got there first, because Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay reached the summit together as a team.

     That’s what a church fast is like. We’re all in it together, working as a team to go to higher levels!

The Bible has examples of entire nations fasting together. In 1 Samuel 7:6, the prophet Samuel spoke to all the Israelites, and the entire country of Israel stopped eating food, repented and committed themselves to the Lord only. Can you imagine that? Just picture this entire country fasting! Imagine the President of the United States calling a fast, and everyone going through with it.

     In Acts 13:2, we see how churches fasted as well, looking for guidance and direction. Soon after, the Lord sent Paul and Barnabas out on a mission to share God’s love with so many new places, it’s impossible to fit them all on this page!

     The point is that our Bible has plenty of examples of places where people fast together. Honestly, it’s a great way to reach the top. When you’re feeling discouraged or weak, you have that life line with one another. They can help lift you up, and lift your spirits. And you can do the same for others as well. When one is slipping, another is there to help them rise up.

     The important thing is getting closer with our Heavenly Father. And when you are climbing towards that goal together, it makes the effort easier, and more full of joy.