Dog and Cat Theology & other things

Yesterday on the radio while I was doing bakery deliveries, I heard a minister describe the difference between dog and cat theology. The dog thinks, "You feed me, shelter me, and care for me; you must be God." The cat thinks, "You feed me, shelter me, and care for me; I must be God." Made me smile a bit.

It's been a busy week for me. Tuesday evening, I went to my church's Men's Banquet who had comedian Gordan Douglas as speaker; Wednesday evening, I was at church council (kind of needed to be there since I fill the role of chair); and Thursday evening I spent with one of the co-leaders of the January Honduras MAMA Project team helping with beginning work for giving a report to our church. And this Saturday afternoon if the weather allows, I will be helping one of my uncles sort through his historical books and other materials as he prepares to move into a personal care unit at a retirment home. Time just keeps running away.

I've been tagged - The List of Fours

Four Jobs I had:

1. Stone crusher operator in a quarry
2. Paving Crew Laborer
3. Providing basic care and teaching basic skills in a home for the developmentally challenged
4. A bakery employee in a grocery store

Four Movies I Watch Over and Over Again (or just among my favorites):

1. The Secret of Roan Inish
2. Lord of the Rings
3. the old Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
4. Veggie Tales

Four Places I've lived:

1. Pennsylvania
2. New York (college years)
3. Guatemala (1 month)
4. Belize (3 months)

Four TV Shows I watch:

1. Stargate
2. Antique Roadshow
3. Monarch of the Glen
4. MASH

Four Places I've Vacationed:

1. Maine (hiking and camping)
2. Ontario, Canada (houseboating)
3. Western United States (camping and hiking)
4. Washington, D.C.

Four of my favorite foods:

1. Baked Alaska
2. My sausage and vegetable crock pot dish
3. Hamburgers done on the grill
4. Chocolate chip cookies

Four Places I liked to be right now:

1. Germany
2. Australia
3. New Zealand
4. Argentina or Chile

Four Web Sites I visit daily:

1. My Yahoo!
2. Many on my blog roll
3. MennoLink.org
4. Google (almost)

As for tagging others, any who wish to do The List of Fours may do so. And if they tell me, I'll list them here.

The Value of Short Term Mission Trips

Since I've participated in a short term trip to help hold medical clinics in Honduras, I've been asked whether short term mission trips such as these are economically efficient. It may or may not be pertinent that both people who asked this question are business people.

In reflection on this question since then, I think they may be right that at least in the short term that these kind of mission trips may not be most cost efficient way of providing medical services. But I wonder whether the value of these trips are beyond economic calculation. I think the value for both parties is found in the personal contact and love communicated in person between two different cultures.

There's something about the giving of one's self to another that can't be accomplish through the inpersonal giving of money to an agency to do the job. Saying that, I think both have their roles; but that it is a matter of balance.

But I'd be interested in hearing other people's responses to this question.

Notice: Disregard this Notice

On a produce white board at the grocery store where I am employed were the following words:

Notice:

Disregard this notice

until further notice.

It gives me a laugh every time I see it.