What next.com

So the title is from one of the most hilarious ads its some guy who is about to propose after dinner so the dishes are being cleared - the fiance to be comes rushing in with dirty plates just as he is about to pop the ring out of the box it falls into the sink drain.He looks up at the camera and the words whatnext.com flash across the screen.basically its an ad for that website where you can get yourself out of a situation when you feel stuck....So this week has been one of those what next kind of weeks - a good and dear friend of mine found himself in a situation where its an okay what next??There was the tornado in Joplin, MO that left the city totally devastated - like a whole city flattened like flat chapati flat. Wednesday Oprah had her last show - after 25 years of gracing our scree...So anyhu I have been thinking about different situations in life - especially this media driven society where news is good once its hot after that its stale bread.But then I think so what happens after the cameras are not flashing , after the curtain comes down, after the music stops - what happens to the lives of people who today are making waves and then tommorrow its like boom - the tide just drifted them away.I mean the media is so quick to shine a light on something happening in a certain part of the world and then when the next thing comes along its like the current story was a myth.I have so many examples - I think of the guy with the golden voice - the beggar discovered in Cleaveland with a radio voice - he was a hit for two days and then boom vanished into rehab - where is he? how is he doing? did he survive hollywood?I think of the people of Japan - the earthquake struck they made headlines for a week and then bam on to the next story - how are the families rebuilding their lives?how are the ones who were injured coping?I think of the earthquake in Haiti - we donated billions and then ok let them fend for themselves --how about that woman who lost her whole family how is she doing?The young girl with amputated legs - how is she coping?Oh my I think this was my main aim of this story Gabby Giffords - after the Arizona shooting she made headlines for a two weeks and then the last we heard she was in rehab - but how is she progressing? is she able to speak? Can she walk?I mean gosh my list is endless - so many times we get so caught up in the general story we forget to dig a bit deeper into the individual piece.I call it the power of follow up - and no not the after business meeting email - to thank the other party for their input and bla bla bla I mean the hey am checking up on you after what happened ho can I make this transition easier.Many a times until we are personally struck by a tragedy we tend to move on with our daily routine as long as whats happening does not affect us personally.Its easier to sit in the side lines specatate and pity party all day than it is to say hey I may not know what you are going through or have gone through but I hope just my prescence will show am genuinely concerned...Ok thats just me trying to be Mother Theresa - I guess as Denzz always tells me actions speak louder than words so let me practice what am preaching....through the window ;)

What does it mean to you?

So the service last Sunday was entitled - Loving others more than life.It basically described Christs love for mankind that he was willing to take all the scum sin and dirt and carry it to the cross.You know how you feel after you have done something you know you should not have - like lie to a good friend, cheat on your spouse or cheat on an exam - that guilt feeling you experience.Now imagine putting all those bad feelings from millions of people in one soul - murderers, adulterers, thieves, con-men and saying hey I will take it all so that you do not have to feel that way.I mean its mind boggling - the whole week I have been confronting what salvation means to me - was driving to work teh other day then a line from a song made me almost weep, "I know you had me on your mind when you climbed upon that cross.....every stripe upon your battered back, every thorn that pierced your brow and every nail drove through guiltless hands knows that your love knows no end.." When I think of salvation the scenario of a kidnapping always comes to my mind.The kidnappers have asked for such a huge ransom that the family cannot come up with.In the same way sin is like the kidnappers and the ransom was just too high for man to pay and then here steps this gentle priceless savior - I say priceless because he paid all the ransom for everyone and I mean everyone in double portion so what bound us (sin) says okay you can have your child back....yeah I know weird but thats what I think of the whole process of salvation.And I call it a process because as much as the ransom was paid the kidnapper is always on the prowl looking to take hostage but you see after the cross its makes this time different because the ransom has already been paid and all one needs to do seek repentance and so remaining hostage is more of a choice.Okay am I going off on a tangent here - someone catch me....I just thought of that and thought I should rant and rave a bit - seeing it has been a loong minute....so thats what I think what does salvation mean to you??