Give kids candy, they'll do tricks.

Hump, hump, hump, hump, hump day. [That's a whole new kind of camel.]

I love it when Jason does chapel announcements. There are very few people in the world who have the innate, uncanny ability to take ten minutes to say what could be said in two and still make it entertaining. At least that's eight less minutes of sermon. . . . And I don't leave feeling the need to visit the counseling center for lowered self-esteem.

It was nice of the band to try and coordinate one of their music selections with the topic for the day. "Jesus with a tattooed arm, Jesus raising two alone. . . ." Maybe next time, though, they should pick something a little less Cheez Whiz.

You guys can go ahead and sit down now, after that standing marathon. Thanks, Jason. I'll bet the band appreciated that.

Youth in Submission.

Thank you, Rebekah, Robin, and Seth for getting up on stage and sharing your stories today. One, it's refreshing to see someone trying to work off the secretary's ass they've developed from sitting on a pew their whole lives. Two, it's nice to see that I haven't scared everyone away. [Seth . . . . miss the shirt memo?]

The only issue I took with the stories that were shared is that the students sharing seemed to be hinting at God's being involved in their fund raising efforts. Now, don't run home to your mothers and tell them that Daedalus said God doesn't care about your Youth in Submission trip. All I'm saying is that I think the fund raising can be explained and accounted for without invoking the power of the Almighty. I mean, it's not like the money magically appeared in their accounts while no one was looking.

And about the money. Here's an idea for a YIS trip: how about you guys take all the money you raise to go on your vacations to Scotland and give it to the OKC City Rescue Mission. Then, get in your cars and go find a bunch of the homeless people in Oklahoma City, Yukon, Edmond, Bethany, Moore, and Norman and fix them a nice dinner. [Please note that I said "nice dinner." Any arragement involving sack lunches or catering from Sodexho would not fulfill this requirement.] Over dinner you could give them information about job opportunities, shelters [City Rescue Mission, the Jesus House, etc.], and maybe play some table games while they tell you about their lives. Who knows, you might even learn something.

Personal reflection. I'll never forget the time I was driving south on MacArthur, about to get on I-40, and I saw a group of ten to fifteen teenagers standing in the median by the stoplight, trying to raise money for their church to go on a summer mission trip. They had signs and buckets for donations and looked very excited about the opportunity to travel abroad to "do the work of the Lord." Meanwhile, no more than one hundred feet away, a homeless man was standing in the median, the same one, with a cardboard sign informing passers-by that he hadn't eaten in several days and was in need of a little help. He was unshaven and had a tattered backpack at his feet, presumably holding everything he could call his own. No more than one hundred feet. I wonder how much money it would have cost that youth group to buy that guy a meal from McDonald's and give him a ride to a shelter downtown. I'll bet it would have been far less than the cost of their mission trip.

Also, about Youth in Submission. I especially enjoyed the part of chapel today when Mr. Missionary took the stage and tried to guilt students into giving his organization thousands of dollars so that they could get on a plane and go sight-see for a couple months overseas. [And occasionally get used for bitch-labor.] It's always entertaining to hear someone tell you that you need to "listen to the call that God is placing on your heart" and then continue, in the next sentence, to tell you exactly what that call is. I wonder if there's a YIS trip to Cabo. I really felt the Lord burdening my heart with the needs of all those tourists. [I'm sure all those celebrities in Hollywood need Jesus too. Can I please go share the love of Jesus with Topher Grace?]

Oh, and Mr. Missionary, just so you know, chapel is over at 10:50. I know you were really enjoying the sound of your own voice as it reverberated through the sleeping masses, but no one else was. So, if you ever come back to speak in chapel, please wear a watch.

I hate to say this, but right now I'd kill for another sermon on identity. These substance-less chapels are boring me.

I have posted a new discussion board thread on the Facebook group, Flying in Circles. It is titled, "Missions."

Discuss.

"Keep near me and you will be safe."

Daedalus