Zebras

ByHal Hammons

Every time I drive to my parents’ house in central Texas, I tell the family to be on the lookout for zebras.  The hot, dry environment is similar to the African savannah, making it perfect for exotic game ranches.  Of course, wild animals prefer to avoid open spaces in general, and noisy areas such as highways in particular.  So our vigilance — well, mine — went for naught.

Guess what we saw Friday, not 100 yards from the highway?  Four zebra, big as life.  I saw a few antelope as well — blackbucks, I think.  I’ll admit, I was much more excited than the circumstances called for.

But faith becoming sight is a marvelous experience.  Whether it’s a zebra sighting, a long-anticipated visit from a loved one, or your baby’s first step, seeing the reality in your mind become reality in fact brings a thrill that is beyond compare.

If we can find joy in such things, imagine what it will be like to see Jesus returning to claim His own (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).  Living by faith (2 Corinthians 5:7) means being able to accept that which is unseen (Hebrews 11:1).  It allows us to rejoice in our salvation even when it remains incomplete.  But as real as that joy is, surely it will pale in comparison to the heavenly bliss that awaits.

May God hasten the day when we finally see that for which we have been waiting in faith for our entire lives. 

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Heart

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No one is exactly sure when or why the “heart” shape we see so often, especially this time of year, came to represent love.  But one of the earliest depictions is found in the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua, Italy.  The famed painter Giotto painted a series of frescoes in the chapel; one shows a female…

Let’s get serious about Jesus

ByHal Hammons

In the late spring of 1994, as I rooted on the Houston Rockets on the way of the first of two “Thank you, Michael Jordan, for trying to play baseball” world championships, most of the world was watching another sport.  The World Cup had come to America.  (That’s a big soccer tournament, in case you were unaware.)  And the American home crowd got a thrill when the Yanks pulled off an upset victory over traditional power Colombia.  The 2-1 win was helped along when Colombian defender Andres Escobar scored an “own goal,” giving a point to the Americans and effectively eliminating Colombia from the tournament.

In related news, Andres Escobar was shot and killed in his hometown of Medallin a few days later. 

Stories from the Road: An Internet-Free Zone

ByHal Hammons

I got behind in my work during my recent vacation.  That may not sound strange; getting away from work is kind of what vacation is all about.  But my “vacations” are not entirely work-free, in most instances.  I usually have a few articles and a sermon or two that need to be ready to go before I get home, plus I have my various online obligations and my regular, run-of-the-mill Bible reading.

Some of that had to take a vacation as well, though.  My parents’ internet service was basically nonfunctional. 

A proper cause for boasting

ByHal Hammons

Like the rest of us, Paul had plenty of opportunities for boasting if he were inclined to seek them. He lists some of them in Philippians 3:5-6. Circumcised. Descended from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Devout follower of Jehovah God for his entire life. A spotless reputation for righteousness among all who knew him. Such things were, in fact, used by many Jewish Christians to distance themselves morally and spiritually from others, particularly Gentiles.

But Paul abandoned such things.

Unitaskers

ByHal Hammons

Alton Brown, my favorite foodie, has a real attitude about what he calls “unitaskers” — that is, kitchen implements that serve only one function.  Strawberry slicers, rice cookers, countertop rotisseries, basically anything sold on late-night television — scrap them all.  The only unitasker you should have in your kitchen, he says, is a fire extinguisher.

It is the exception to the unitasker rule that I would like to address here. 

Honey

ByHal Hammons

Raise bees in your home!  “BEEcosystems” are completely enclosed units that hang on your interior walls and provide access to the outdoors for the bees and access to honey for you.  The bad news is, they’re $599 apiece; however, I am promised, “for the amount of honey you will eat, they practically pay for themselves!”

The good news is, they don’t come with any bees.  That makes them a bit more workable in Tracie’s mind.