All Narfed Up photography and words by Bryan Villarin

Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV) –

¹⁶ Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. ¹⁷ When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. ¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

You can read the Easter story from Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

*****

So, what are Easter eggs all about? They represent Jesus’ resurrection from the dead and God’s gift to us — salvation from sin. I’m not sure what purpose the bunnies serve. =/

Thank you for sacrificing Your Son, God.

Happy Easter, everyone.

At church last Sunday (2007-10-07), Senior Pastor Richard J. Anderson (SMCC) spoke about being content. Well, at least that’s what I got from it, no matter what tangents he might have taken.

We were studying the following passages:

• Exodus 20:17 (NIV) - “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”
• Philippians 4:10-13 (NIV) - ¹⁰ I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. ¹¹ I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. ¹² I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. ¹³ I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
• 1 Timothy 6:6 (NIV) - But godliness with contentment is great gain.

On index cards, I wrote this:

In the [tough] circumstances, rejoice in the LORD.

Don’t be bored! Be content that I have much less to worry about than most of the population in the world. War, food, gangs…

Understanding how many possessions someone really has lies with the observer.

Who’s point of view is it? Do we have a lot or a little?

For me, I can’t complain about food, computers, cell phones, movies, television, radio, or money. I don’t have the right to do that. There’s people out there with barely any food to live off from. Lots of people don’t have a computer. (One example: My mom’s sister in the Philippines.) Some people still have to resort to pay phones. Some people don’t own a television or DVD. (If it’s by choice, that’s a different story.) Even though our paychecks might not be keeping up with inflation, it could be much worse.

I don’t really have anything to follow “or else,” so I’m sorry about that.

Proverbs 11:15 (New Living Translation):

Guaranteeing a loan for a stranger is dangerous; it is better to refuse than to suffer later.

This verse is meant for me, to remind me of something I have a problem with. Most of the time, I can’t say “no”. I need to learn.