There are days when I wonder what it would be like to be a physician or a photo journalist or a designer of advertise - ments. But these are almost always days when I feel like I'm not cutting it as a writer. There are probably men and women who feel they are always capable of the task before them. There are probably those who never feel as though the demands of vocation and their supply of talent are at odds. There are perhaps even those among us who work and never grow weary--despite result or outcome. But I suspect many of us feel otherwise. No one ever tells you on career day that the glove may fit, but the work of your hands may still cause calluses...
Earthquakes can strike without warning, and being prepared for such a disaster can mean the difference between life and death. Here are some tips to help you and your loved ones make it through a quake:
~ Those living in areas not prone to earthquakes can respond quickly to the plight of disaster victims in quake zones by complacently smirking and saying, "I told you so."
~ To minimize loss and damage in a quake, try not to own things.
~ Practice your burrowing-out-from-under-40-tons-of-rubble skills ahead of time.
~ Look out your window often. If you see a large, zig-zag-shaped crevasse moving rapidly from the horizon toward your home, step either to the right or the left.
~ Do you have a treasured childhood toy? Perhaps a stuffed animal, such as a teddy bear? Well, let's see Mr. Bear help you now!
~ For those who fear earthquakes, it may comfort you to know that a majority of the damage during the 1906 San Francisco earthquake did not come from the tremors themselves. Instead, it was from the raging, out-of-control fires that consumed most of the city.
~ A doorway is the safest place to be during a quake. Eat, sleep, and work in doorways.
~ Be sure to mail your house-insurance payments a full five business days before a major earthquake strikes.
~ In the event of a quake, get under something heavy, such as a desk, a table, or your boss.
~ If you are caught in a major earthquake in Southern California and are part of the entertainment industry, take a moment or two to reflect on how grossly you've wasted your life.
I expect to pass through life but once. If, therefore, there be any kindness I can do, or any good thing I can do to any fellow being, let me do it now, for I shall not pass the way again. - William Penn (Founder of State of Penn.)
"I don't go to any church or religious meetings now," one woman acknowledged. "My religion is being with God. I don't need any help with that."
A college student added, "The church is beyond hypocrisy for me. I see it as dull, irrelevant, afraid of life, betraying God, and trying to save its own skin. There are some great individual people inside it, but they represent about one-half of one percent of the total membership. So the church for me is dead. God is very much alive, but God doesn't need the church."
Who needs the church, anyway?
A BBC journalist once asked me why I was wasting my time trying to revive and mobilize the church. Referring to Britain as a post-Christian society, he asked, "Aren't you just flogging a dead horse?"
I replied, "There is no such thing as a post-Christian society. One generation may reject the gospel itself, but it cannot reject it for future generations. And furthermore," I gladly added, "Jesus Christ specializes in raising the dead."
Who needs the church today?
I believe that we all need the church. We need to meet together as groups of believers to devote ourselves to "teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer" (Acts 2:42).
The church, after all, is not a building or a denomination; it is people. And I believe that God is moving today among many Christians throughout our nation.
Are you already a member of a local church? Pray that God will move in a mighty way to revive the churches in this land.
If you have become discouraged with the church, remember what the Scripture says: "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching" (Hebrews 10:25).
Seek to fellowship with a church that preaches--and practices--God's Word. Too many pastors today are trying to feed their congregations social pabulum instead of truth. No wonder people are leaving the church dissatisfied!
The Lord wants to pour out His blessings in a marvelous and superlative way. And He's going to do it, I believe, as each member of the body of Christ wakes up to his or her responsibilities as an ambassador who has been called to minister within the church and to evangelize those who still need to hear the voice of God. Won't you join me in praying and working toward that end?