The Bible In 50 Words

AT YOUR SERVICE

Right beside our home is a Fish Taco Restaurant. I often buy our meals there especially when we run out of energy to cook. I've gotten to know the cooks and the other staff there --- Luis, Jose, Guillermo, etc. but my favorite is Mauricio. They are decent hard working, simple people who always greet you with a smile. When you see the line of customers spilling out into the street, you know it's Wednesday when they sell their famous 99 cent special Tacos. Wednesday the kitchen crew work non-stop whipping up their delicious fish tacos until 9pm. I often leave them a tip because I know they don't make much for all their hard labor.

The other day as I was walking to the restaurant I noticed two snickering women carrying flowers and small cake. It was Mauricio's birthday. In the corner of my eye I saw the two ladies (probably his wife and Mom) laughing because they successfully pulled off a surprise. Mauricio obviously wanted to go home with them but duty called so after a few hurried minutes of celebration he was back to work. As I headed out the door with my takeout order, I cornered Mauricio and slipped him a big tip and whispered "feliz cumpleaños mi amigo!" He was shocked but his beaming smile told me it was was not an insult.

Sometimes we get so busy with life and forget the "little people." We forget that they too have dreams. They too have family. They too are bread winners whose children look up to them.
My gift to Mauricio was nothing compared to his gift --- allowing me to become his brother.

" Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love."
--- Ephesians 4:2

Wisdom from Naomi of N. Hollywood

The Bible in 50 Words
sent by Russ of Monrovia, CA

Bad News
sent by Norm of Arcadia, CA

Doctor: "I've got very bad news - you've got cancer and Alzheimer's"

Patient: "Well, at least I don't have cancer.

Videos of the week: (click on the picture)

Jonathan Winters adlibs with Dean Martin
Contributed by Tom of Pasadena

Jonthan Winters was Robin Williams' idol. Here he practically adlibs his way throughout the whole performance.

Lion Hug
Contributed by Don of Kelowna, B.C.

This woman nurses a baby lion. It grows up and lives in a zoo. She goes on with her life. Then she visits the lion. This is the famous encounter after all those years.

Singing Nuns
Contributed by Dette of Mindanao, Philippines

93 singing nuns from 24 different countries pitch in to create a virtual choir paying homage to one of their own departed saint on her 500th anniversary. Now just to be clear, they each recorded on their own system and sent that file to the conductor who then pieced the voices together. The video you see of him conducting is just theatrics. Beautiful music just the same.

A Tribute to the US Soldier Made by 15 Year Old
Contributed by Don of Kelowna. B.C.

Lizzie Palmer, a 15 year old, made this video that honors the men and women in uniform. A good reminder of their sacrifice to make America and the rest of the world safer. Henry Kissinger recently said that the fear in some countries "is not America's presence but America's inaction." Perceptive words Mr. Kissinger (go to 3:57 min of the interview)

What People Eat in Singapore
Contributed by Art of Pasadena, CA
WARNING: DO NOT WATCH IF YOU ARE ON A DIET

Art, my Singapore connection, sent me this lengthy explanation of the food culture in his native country. Talk about a "melting pot" of this diverse culture. A gastromomic delight. Art constantly gives me tips on good Asian restaurants in the Los Angeles area. I told him he should write for Travelingboy.com. He said he will.

Underground City in Turkey
Contributed by Charlie of New York

A man knocked down a wall of his home in 1963 and it opened a tunnel maze of the ancient Derinkuyu underground city. Actually this is not a forgotten political strategy but is currently going on under our noses by the Hamas. Google "Hamas Tunnels" and you'll see what regular media hide from us. Scary!

The First Israeli Fighters
Contributed by Naomi of North Hollywood, CA

In 1948, 3 years after Hitler's defeat, Israel declared its independence. Against all odds, with all of its neighboring countries determined to obliterate them from the planet, (Illogical but prophetic) they survived and have survived all these years. Here is a narrative of key players in this historical drama.

A Whole New World for Jared
Contributed by Charlie of New York

Jared Young had lifelong dreams of playing "Aladdin" but was repeatedly rejected throughout his years of auditions. Then, the Broadway star Lea Salonga asked for a random fan to join her onstage to perform the Disney classic, "A Whole New World," and Jared couldn't believe she picked him! Have a good TGIF weekend!