We squeezed in a trip to Florida, but didn't miss a morning at KidPak! This is the way we roll here, although we'll probably miss at least one day coming up this summer: we signed Madison up for that week-long camp at the Marine Science Center. Speaking of which, this week, Daddy signed up Madison for Summer Xtreme officially. It was a foregone conclusion that she'd be going, of course. But things are getting closer to summer now, so we're tying up loose ends. For example, we renewed our membership to the Quinlan Arts Center, and shortly after that we'll be signing up Madison for yet another week of art camp, maybe two. We'll see as time allows. And finally, there's the Edge's Karate Camp upcoming too, which we'll have to sign up for shortly.
Anyway, this morning, Uma made her return to stage, along with the other characters from "The Descendants," which have been very popular with the kids. The characters were upstairs last weekend, and they were pretty much swarmed for photos and conversations.
It was a good service from start to finish, but we really do have the best service on the planet. I really think that. We do so much to set up, and there is such talent in music, acting, preaching, and behind-the-scenes work. It's an amazing service each and every week. Madison can't miss one!
We got home, and we're home now. Madison was catching up on piano, and we were doing a bit of finalizing for the yearbook, which has a final due date on Tuesday. Here's the autograph page at the end of the book, at least an early version of it. Madison did most of the drawings, in fact all of them except for the kites:
We continued reading "A Wrinkle in Time" tonight, and Mrs. Which had some surprising wisdom to share, something that immediately endeared me to this book a bit more. She was talking about our ability to understand everything, although we don't have the mental ability to actually understand everything. This is something that we all face, this wanting to know how things work, or at least how to fix everything - and yet that's impossible. We're not able to know it all, even the smartest of us. The book has been a bit surreal, but it's been interesting.
The big trip tonight was the trip to Isla Nublar. Yes, we went to "Jurassic Park." This was Madison's first trip to any of the dinosaur parks, and she loved it. She knows the plots to the stories, having done all the LEGO adventures. So nothing was terribly surprising about the movie, as far as the story goes. The great thing was seeing this masterpiece of a movie again - the direction is so epic.
Not long ago, I remember we were all reading this book, along with the other Crichton books that were out at the time. The book, of course, is a bit different. Muldoon and Gennaro were actually my favorite characters, which of course is different in the movie, given that the lawyer is not quite the heroic type. Anyway, the entire Jurassic franchise has come a long way. Nothing could top that scene with the T-Rex in the theaters, where none of us on earth had ever seen special effects like that. A real dinosaur! It didn't look too bad, all these years later. Still an incredible scene, actually.
This brings up another humorous story - in 1997, me and my two friends went to see the opening showing of "The Lost World," the sequel to "Jurassic Park." There were a lot of people, as this was Atlanta and a mall, and a lot of excitement. I agreed to go in ahead of time and save three seats, dead center. I'd sit in the middle, and the guys would join me after a bit of Street Fighting. We were all at the arcade and having great runs with Street Fighter, so it was hard to tear away immediately. But time was fleeting and I volunteered to go on ahead. Anyway, the time drew close. The guys hadn't shown up yet. Time after time, I was asked if those two empty seats were saved, and I kept saying yes. It was so awkward. Prime seats, and no one sitting in them, and me by myself there fending off patron after patron. So the movie starts now, and now I'm trying to figure it out. Were they playing Street Fighter and forgot? Was there an incident? Did I get the wrong movie time? I watched that entire movie all by myself, in a full theater, with two seats on my left and right completely empty at dead center. And they never showed up.
I left the theater afterwards, trying to figure it out. And there were the guys - they were asking the same question: where was I? And that's when we realized what happened: there were two identical showings at the same exact time. I was in one theater, and they were in the other, wondering where I was!
Anyway, to this day when I think of this movie, I remember that. Of course, with Jurassic Park, there are so many odd memories here or there. Daddy remembers reading that book during the slow hours at the Alpine Amusement Park, seated by the spinning Ferris wheel. Another funny moment: Nana (Daddy's mom) worked at Wal-Mart at the time, in receiving. She got to keep a promotional banner to "The Lost World," which Daddy didn't know about. Anyway, one time as Daddy was coming home, he drove into the driveway, and hanging right over that parking space was a big dinosaur banner! Another time, there was a big inflatable UFO from "Independence Day" over the parking spot one time - it was hilarious!
Back to dinosaurs: the shooter video game for "Jurassic Park" was one of the greatest video games ever. One of my favorites! Early in our relationship, Mommy and Daddy got into the Jurassic Park shooter game, and got to the very end of the game. She was trying to prove herself worthy, I guess! She passed the test, an ace shot.
So in the future, we were planning on doing a Jurassic Park sort of series at KidPak. That may or may not happen, as there are a few controversies that could pop up when talking about dinosaurs at church. Obviously, the timeline is a big deal. But the more important thing to Daddy is the fact that the movies are a little more violent than others, what with dinosaurs actually eating people and all. That being said, I didn't want to inspire any nightmares, should any kids want to go out and see the movies after experiencing our series. So it's a bit of a back-and-forth with us about this series. But in the meantime, Daddy was writing messages, some at the beach last year. It would be a fun series, something I'd want to call "Dinosaur Park" or something like that. Anyway, here's a sneak peek at it, three messages. I'd add the "The Good Dinosaur" message we have written to this one as well:
I left the theater afterwards, trying to figure it out. And there were the guys - they were asking the same question: where was I? And that's when we realized what happened: there were two identical showings at the same exact time. I was in one theater, and they were in the other, wondering where I was!
Anyway, to this day when I think of this movie, I remember that. Of course, with Jurassic Park, there are so many odd memories here or there. Daddy remembers reading that book during the slow hours at the Alpine Amusement Park, seated by the spinning Ferris wheel. Another funny moment: Nana (Daddy's mom) worked at Wal-Mart at the time, in receiving. She got to keep a promotional banner to "The Lost World," which Daddy didn't know about. Anyway, one time as Daddy was coming home, he drove into the driveway, and hanging right over that parking space was a big dinosaur banner! Another time, there was a big inflatable UFO from "Independence Day" over the parking spot one time - it was hilarious!
Back to dinosaurs: the shooter video game for "Jurassic Park" was one of the greatest video games ever. One of my favorites! Early in our relationship, Mommy and Daddy got into the Jurassic Park shooter game, and got to the very end of the game. She was trying to prove herself worthy, I guess! She passed the test, an ace shot.
So in the future, we were planning on doing a Jurassic Park sort of series at KidPak. That may or may not happen, as there are a few controversies that could pop up when talking about dinosaurs at church. Obviously, the timeline is a big deal. But the more important thing to Daddy is the fact that the movies are a little more violent than others, what with dinosaurs actually eating people and all. That being said, I didn't want to inspire any nightmares, should any kids want to go out and see the movies after experiencing our series. So it's a bit of a back-and-forth with us about this series. But in the meantime, Daddy was writing messages, some at the beach last year. It would be a fun series, something I'd want to call "Dinosaur Park" or something like that. Anyway, here's a sneak peek at it, three messages. I'd add the "The Good Dinosaur" message we have written to this one as well:
PAGE ONE
LEVIATHAN
If there’s one passage in the Bible that could describe a dinosaur, it might be what’s found in Job, chapter 41. Listen to these chilling verses, and imagine for yourself a ginormous Spinosaurus lumbering by, it’s huge footsteps crashing down:
“When Leviathan rises up, even mighty people are terrified. They run away when it moves around wildly. A sword that strikes it has no effect.” Another verse describes this frightening creature this way: “Who would try to pierce its double coat of armor? Who dares to open its jaws? Its mouth is filled with terrifying teeth.”
Rightly so, this chapter tells us the simple truth: when leviathan is nearby, “people run to get out of its way.” This sounds just like a dinosaur on a rampage, doesn’t it? It sounds like serious trouble.
Have you ever felt like you’ve had a dinosaur stomp into your life, wreaking all kinds of havoc? You’re not alone. It happens to all of us! Of course, we’re not talking about real dinosaurs here. We’re talking about all kinds of troubles, big and small.
In our Bibles, there was one guy named Job, who faced off against something very big, and very bad. It stomped in on him like a big leviathan. When things go wrong, we want to put blame here or there like a chaos theory. But keep in mind that Jesus told us it rains on the just and the unjust. Good, bad, proud or humble: trouble visits everyone from time to time, and sometimes it has big footsteps.
Job had friends that had answers, but one of the best lessons you can learn from his story is this: You don’t have all the answers, and you Neve rwill. We all have our guesses about why trouble comes, just like we all have our guesses what happened to the dinosaurs. Sometimes they’re pretty good guesses, but the truth is that God only knows why things happen the way they do. But we’ll never be God. So like Job, don’t try to understand everything. Just trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.
That’s right. The leviathan may be big, but God is bigger. Way bigger! In the book of Job, God tells us that everything on earth belongs to him. Even the mighty leviathan. So if you’re looking for help, for healing, or for hope, you know who to look for. He’s the one who is bigger than the biggest dinosaur, and larger than the most ginormous problem you’ll ever face. He’s bigger, and you know something? He can be fierce when protecting His children. Trust in Him, because he won’t let your problems swallow you up. He’s bigger and stronger than even the mighty leviathan.
PAGE TWO
LEVIATHAN
“No one can possibly control Leviathan. Just looking at it will terrify you. No one dares to wake it up. So who can possibly stand up to me? Who has a claim against me that I must pay? Everything on earth belongs to me.
Now I will speak about the Leviathan’s legs. I will talk about its strength and its graceful body. Who can strip off its outer coat? Who would try to pierce its double coat of armor? Who dares to open its jaws? Its mouth is filled with terrifying teeth. Its back has rows of shields that are close together. Each one is so close to the next one that not even air can pass between them. They are joined tightly to one another. They stick together and can’t be forced apart.
Leviathan’s snorting throws out flashes of light. Its eyes shine like the first light of day. Flames spray out of its mouth. Sparks of fire shoot out. Smoke pours out of its nose. It is like smoke from a boiling pot over burning grass. Its breath sets coals on fire. Flames fly out of its mouth.
Leviathan’s snorting throws out flashes of light. Its eyes shine like the first light of day. Flames spray out of its mouth. Sparks of fire shoot out. Smoke pours out of its nose. It is like smoke from a boiling pot over burning grass. Its breath sets coals on fire. Flames fly out of its mouth.
Its neck is very strong. People run to get out of its way. Its rolls of fat are close together. They are firm and can’t be moved. Its chest is as hard as rock. It is as hard as a lower millstone.
When Leviathan rises up, even mighty people are terrified. They run away when it moves around wildly. A sword that strikes it has no effect. Neither does a spear or dart or javelin. It treats iron as if it were straw. It crushes bronze as if it were rotten wood. Arrows do not make it run away. Stones that are thrown from slings are like straw hitting it. A club seems like a piece of straw to it. It laughs when it hears a javelin rattling.
Its undersides are like broken pieces of pottery. It leaves a trail in the mud like a threshing sled. It makes the ocean churn like a boiling pot. It stirs up the sea like perfume someone is making.
Its undersides are like broken pieces of pottery. It leaves a trail in the mud like a threshing sled. It makes the ocean churn like a boiling pot. It stirs up the sea like perfume someone is making.
It leaves a shiny trail behind it. You would think the ocean had white hair.
Nothing on earth is equal to Leviathan. That creature is not afraid of anything.
It looks down on proud people. It rules over all those who are proud.”
Job 41:9-34 NIRV
PAGE THREE
- Here comes trouble. It stomps in on all of us, like a big leviathan. When things go wrong, we want to put blame here or there like a chaos theory. But keep in mind that Jesus told us it rains on the just and the unjust. Good, bad, proud or humble: trouble visits everyone from time to time, and sometimes it has big footsteps.
“He causes his sun to shine on evil people and good people. He sends rain on those who do right and those who don’t.” Matthew 5:45 NIRV - You don’t have the answers. We all have our guesses about why trouble comes, just like we all have our guesses what happened to the dinosaurs. Sometimes they’re pretty good guesses, but the truth is that God only knows why things happen the way they do. But we’ll never be God. So like Job, don’t try to understand everything. Just trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Do not depend on your own understanding.” Proverbs 3:5 NIRV - God is bigger. In the book of Job, God tells us that everything on earth belongs to him. Even the mighty leviathan. If you’re looking for help, for healing, or for hope, just remember to look to the one who is bigger than the biggest dinosaur, and larger than the most ginormous problem you’ll ever face. He’s bigger, and He can be fierce when protecting His children.
“How great God is! We’ll never completely understand Him.” Job 36:26 NIRV
PAGE FOUR
STAMP/NOTES
MEMORY VERSE:
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Do not depend on your own understanding.” Proverbs 3:5 NIRV
PAGE FIVE:
T-REX
The T-Rex is the king of the dinosaurs, but here’s a question: Who would want to keep a Tyrannosaurus Rex around? If there’s one thing you do around a T-Rex, it’s this: STAY AWAY. This is a dinosaur that likes to chomp on any other creature in its path, and yes, that could be you if you’re not careful.
Like all other dinosaurs, the T-Rex starts out small. This isn’t unusual at all. But let’s just say you’re at a park or a zoo, and you happen to have a baby Tyrannosaurus rex around, and it looks hungry. Would you feed it, and keep it close as a pet?
As crazy as that sounds, many of us do something pretty similar. In fact, when we do things that don’t please God, it can get worse. When we invite sin into our lives, and keep disobeying God’s Word, it can be just like a T-Rex!
Firstly, it can get out of control. In movies where they try to keep a Tyrannosaurus rex contained, it is inevitable: the mighty dinosaur escapes! It finds a way, and soon enough, there are all kinds of problems. But when we keep feeding our sinful lifestyle, we’ll find ourselves in a similar predicament! Sure, things may start out small and seemingly harmless. But sin has a bad habit of growing and growing, and soon enough, it’ll be stomping and roaring and causing all kinds of trouble for you - and others too.
Just like a T-Rex, sin can consume you. Even worse, it can consume others around you too. If that happens, just be still. Not because its vision is based on movement, but because the Bible tells us to be still and know that He is God. When we stop and go to our Heavenly Father, His love and grace will keep us safe. So when you’re in trouble, tell Him you’re sorry, and promise to not feed that creature any more. God can handle things from there. No matter how big that sin is in your life, He is way bigger.
Like with a T-Rex, the best strategy is to avoid sin at all costs. Be still, and spend more time with your Heavenly Father. And don’t feed the T-Rex!
PAGE SIX
“No one lights a lamp and hides it. No one puts it under a bowl. Instead, they put a lamp on its stand. Then those who come in can see the light. Your eye is like a lamp for your body. Suppose your eyes are healthy. Then your whole body also is full of light. But suppose your eyes can’t see well. Then your body also is full of darkness. So make sure that the light inside you is not darkness. Suppose your whole body is full of light. And suppose no part of it is dark. Then your body will be full of light. It will be just as when a lamp shines its light on you.” Luke 11:33-36 NIRV
Tim: “What do you call a blind dinosaur?”
Dr. Alan Grant: “I don’t know. What do you call a blind dinosaur?”
Tim: “A Do-you-think-he-saurus.”
Dr. Alan Grant: “Ha ha. Good one.”
Tim: “What do you call a blind dinosaur’s dog?”
Dr. Alan Grant: “You got me.”
Tim: “A Do-you-think-he-saurus Rex.”
PAGE SEVEN
- Don’t _______ the T-Rex. “Rex” means king. And we don’t want sin to reign in our lives! Don’t let a small sin turn into something larger. Stop feeding it!
“So don’t let sin rule your body, which is going to die. Don’t obey its evil desires.” Romans 6:12 NIRVa. feed b. escape c. eat - _______ can consume you. Without God’s help, a small sin can turn into something that can get out of control, consuming you and harming those around you.
“When these desires are allowed to remain, they lead to sin. And when sin is allowed to remain and grow, it leads to death.” James 1:15 NIRVa. Hope b. Sin c. Dinosaurs - “Keep absolutely _______.” Not because sin’s vision is based on movement, but because the Bible tells us to be still and know that He is God. When we stop and go to our Heavenly Father, His love and grace will keep us safe. So when you’re in trouble, tell Him you’re sorry, and promise to not feed that creature any more. God can handle things from there. No matter how big that sin is in your life, He is way bigger.
“Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10 NIRV
a. fearless b. still c. out
PAGE EIGHT
STAMP/NOTES
MEMORY VERSE:
“When these desires are allowed to remain, they lead to sin. And when sin is allowed to remain and grow, it leads to death.” James 1:15 NIRV
PAGE NINE
THE LOST WORLD
Dinosaur National Monument is a special place in Utah, a spot where over 1,500 dinosaur fossils stand out, exposed along a cliff wall. It’s a unique and amazing experience looking back at history. Fossils are a record of the past, printed right there in stone for all to see. Which brings to mind a dinosaur-sized question: if your life were fossilized, what would it look like? Are you a perfect specimen? Hardly! For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
Blame Mr. DNA. We have a history of sin. It’s in our blood. We became a Lost World when Adam sinned. Disobeying God brought chaos to a wonderful place. But that’s how it always starts. Then later there’s running and um, screaming. You see, sin has consequences. Trouble came thundering in with Jurassic-sized judgment.
But life found a way. Jesus said He is the way, the truth and the Life. And if you’re struggling to make it through life with the weight of sin chasing you down and wanting to gobble you up, that’s an escape you’ll want to make.
God doesn’t want to see you extinct. If you’re a part of His family, you’re a part of His bloodline. You’re part of a royal priesthood, and white as snow with the cross now a part of your very DNA. No, He doesn’t want to see anyone perish. He sent His only Son to rescuing us all from the jaws of death. He sent Jesus to save this Lost World.
PAGE TEN
John Hammond: “Don't worry, I'm not making the same mistakes again.”
Ian Malcolm: “No, you're making all new ones.”
“Sin entered the world because one man sinned. And death came because of sin. Everyone sinned, so death came to all people.” Romans 5:12 NIRV
“Then he spoke to the Israelites. He said, ‘In days to come, your children after you will ask their parents, ‘What do these stones mean?’” Joshua 4:21 NIRV
“LORD, have mercy on me. See how my enemies torment me. Snatch me back from the jaws of death.” Psalm 9:13 NLT
“The Son of Man came to look for the lost and save them.” Luke 19:10 NIRV
“The message of the cross seems foolish to those who are lost and dying. But it is God’s power to us who are being saved.” 1 Corinthians 1:18 NIRV
“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” John 14:6 NIRV
“Life finds a way.” - Ian Malcom
PAGE ELEVEN
- Blame Mr. DNA. We have a history of sin - it’s in our DNA. We became a Lost World when Adam sinned. Disobeying God brought chaos to a wonderful place. Sin has consequences, and some of them are ferocious!
“Sin entered the world because one man sinned. And death came because of sin. Everyone sinned, so death came to all people.” Romans 5:12 NIRV - What’s your record? But don’t start placing all the blame on him alone. Fossils are a record of the past, printed right there in stone for all to see. If your life was fossilized, what would it look like? Are you a perfect specimen? Hardly! For all have sinned, and fallen short of the glory of God. Before things get set in stone, ask yourself, what will your legacy look like?
“Then he spoke to the Israelites. He said, ‘In days to come, your children after you will ask their parents, ‘What do these stones mean?’” Joshua 4:21 NIRV - Life finds a way. God doesn’t want to see you extinct. He doesn’t want anyone to perish. He sent His only Son to save this Lost World, rescuing us all from the jaws of death!
“The Son of Man came to look for the lost and save them.” Luke 19:10 NIRV
PAGE TWELVE
STAMP/NOTES
MEMORY VERSE:
“The Son of Man came to look for the lost and save them.” Luke 19:10 NIRV
PAGE THIRTEEN
“Show ‘em What You’re Made of!”
In the movie, "The Good Dinosaur," somehow Arlo wants to make his mark. We are all here to make our mark in life. God has us each marked for greatness, and we’re all designed by Him to do something big with our lives. In every case, it’s something different. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t going to change the world.
Here’s the problem. Arlo is scared. And we get scared of doing new things too. Maybe it’s a new school. A lot of people are scared right now of where our country could be heading to. Whatever it is, we need to remember this: fear is the opposite of faith. When you fear anything but God, you’re saying you don’t trust in Him enough to handle it.
And that's not true. He has a mark on us, a mark for something great. And if God is on our side, what do we have to fear? Fear just holds us back from all the promises of God. Sometimes you just have to get through your fear to see the beauty …on the other side.
It's not that far away. All you have to do to get there is stand up and stand out. When people are in danger, we don’t just sit on the sidelines in fear. You’re destined to make your mark in life. But there’s only one way you’ll do it right: by helping others. You see, there are many out there that are being dragged down by all kinds of problems. And look at you there. You’re able to charge in and save the day, you know that? The question is… will you do it?
Don’t forget you’ve got help. Remember how Arlo was sitting out there, and it looked like he was all alone? You just knew he was going to be okay – and why’s that? Because there were three great big T-Rex there behind him, just out of sight, ready to step up and help!
You’ve got a secret weapon too. It’s God Himself, right there with you. Our Heavenly Father is not a T-Rex, of course. He’s something even greater. Much, much greater! And when we stand up for him, even if it appears we’re all on our own… we’re not.
You're marked for greatness, and God is right there behind you. It's time to show 'em what you're made of!
PAGE FOURTEEN
“Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.” Psalm 31:24
“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7 NIV
“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise—
in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” Psalms 56:3-4 NIV
in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” Psalms 56:3-4 NIV
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27 NIV
“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.” 1 Corinthians 16:13 NIV
“The Lord is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?” Psalm 27:1 NIV
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?” Psalm 27:1 NIV
“Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, ‘Don’t be afraid; just believe.’ ” Mark 5:36 NIV
“They aren’t afraid when bad news comes. They stand firm because they trust in the Lord.” Psalms 112:7 NIRV
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.” Ephesians 6:10 NIV
“Sometimes, you gotta get through your fear to see the beauty on the other side.” – Poppa Henry
“You’ll be alright. You’re one tough kid.” - Butch
PAGE FIFTEEN
1. You’re being _________ out! We are all here to make our mark in life. God has us each marked for greatness, and we’re all designed by Him to do something big with our lives. In every case, it’s something different. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t going to change the world.
"Though you search for your enemies, you will not find them, those who wage war against you will be as nothing at all.” Isaiah 41:12 NIV
a. called b. ratted c. worn
a. called b. ratted c. worn
2. Stand up, and stand _______. When people are in danger, we don’t just sit on the sidelines in fear. You’re destined to make your mark in life. But there’s only one way you’ll do it right: by helping others. You see, there are many out there that are being dragged down by all kinds of problems. And look at you there. You’re able to charge in and save the day, you know that? The question is… will you do it?
"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2 NIV
a. around b. down c. out
3. You’ve got a secret ___________. It’s God Himself, right there with you. Our Heavenly Father is not a T-Rex standing behind us, of course. He’s something even greater. Much, much greater! And when we stand up for him, even if it appears we’re all on our own… we’re not.
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 NIV
a. goldmine b. weapon c. wish
a. goldmine b. weapon c. wish
PAGE SIXTEEN
Notes/Stamp
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 NIV
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