Who’d a Thunk it?
I’m in a philosophical frame of mind today. My wife and I are winding down our study on Hermeneutics and we are finishing up our written essay. It’s one of the modules of a bigger course on Biblical Counseling which we started last year. I admit we study this a bit late in our lives but we feel this is where the Lord is leading us. We’ve been helping out a few friends who are going through issues and so we thought we might as well get trained so we’d be better equipped to help whoever else comes along. We’re not doing this for the money. We’ve been through our own trials and it is our turn to pass on what we learned. Who’d a thunk we would get into this?
Mr. Gomez wears a map of tattoos all over his body. This macho guy works in a shop that maintains huge garbage trucks. But don’t let his persona fool you. He’s actually quite sensitive. He just self-published a book (The Curious Minds of My Children Left Behind) for his young kids who wondered why he had to leave them for work every morning. In fact, he’d rather write children’s books than his macho job. Who’d a thunk it? Buy his book and support his passion.
JJ has been a property manager for 30 years but he recently started teaching American and African History. He drives 3 hours round trip for his classes. He doesn’t do it for the money either. He does it because he believes he can make a difference in his students’ lives. Who’d a thunk it?
Ivan is a car and motorcycle enthusiast. Not only does he build and rebuild fast cars and motorcycles but he also races them. He has appeared in cable TV shows fabricating multi-million dollar vehicles. But now he wants to be a pastor. Who’d a thunk it?
Saul was a Jew who lived in the 1st century. He was a pure-bred Pharisee, a scholar, a zealous preacher who followed the law without fault. But one day, on his way to persecute his detractors, he was blinded by a bright light and a voice gave him his “marching order.” You can read this account in the book of Acts Chapter 9. Instead of going LEFT he went RIGHT. Who’d a thunk it?
Where are you in your career today? Is this a job (just to earn money) or is it your passion? Are you retired? Are your best years behind you? Sez who? I believe that as long as you breathe, God has something in store for you. You may be confined in a wheelchair, far from the madding crowd, barely able to focus, barely able to hear, but there’s a reason God is allowing you to be among us. You may think you live on your terms but actually, it is His. He’s going to squeeze out every toothpaste on that tube of life he gave you. The big question of course is, will you listen to His instructions? Will you follow the signs?
Look around. Are you doing what you love to do and do people appreciate it? If you do, who’d a thunk it, right?. If not, what are you waiting for?
Of course, this is just me.
“For I know the plans that I have made for you, declares the Lord. Plans for welfare and not for calamity… to give you a future and a hope.”
— Jeremiah 29:11
TGIF people!
Doctor in the House
Shared by Ray of Burbank, CA
Strange O Fortuna Song
Sent by Sam of Southern California
Do you know the music O Fortuna? Neither did I until I watched this video. It’s the background music they use in horror movies. This video is a bad lip reading of the piece.
WARNING: Some crude language used here.
Slave Auction
Sent by Peter Paul of South Pasadena, CA
It’s really encouraging to see African Americans see humor in such a race-sensitive subject. Only they could pull this off. Such a contrast to super sensitive people out there. This is genius.
John Gokongwei Success Story
Sent by Charlie of New Jersey
Unless you are a Filipino, you probably have never heard of him but he is one of the most successful entrepreneurs in Asia. It’s not a video but a blog.
Don’s Puns
From Don’s collection of puns
Parting Shot
Thanks to Rodney of Manitoba, B.C. who shared this photo
People from all over the world send him jokes and Raoul sends those jokes back with his original sketches. 
Tom
September 3, 2018 at 8:32 am
Brilliant reminder of our eventual date with eternity. Time spent preparing for that eventual event is well spent. Loved the slave auction and it is refreshing to see them seeing the humor in something unjust.
Your attention to homiletic and scripture are to be commended.
Tom
Marilyn
September 3, 2018 at 8:32 am
thank you; the world need humor now
marilyn
Art
September 3, 2018 at 8:33 am
Good story Raoul. Tgif!
Please pray for one of my coworkers. He’s got cancer in his throat and it doesn’t look good. He’s one of the nicest guys I’ve met here at work.
Thanks.
Art
Melanie
September 3, 2018 at 8:36 am
Good word! It’s right where we were four months ago and where I remain.
[My husband and I] visited China a few decades ago (late ‘80’s!) with friends who ‘work’ there. On Sunday we attended a state-run church and on exiting, [my husband] yelled ‘RAY!’ and ran off to meet this American guy with a group of young men on bikes.
Turns out [my husband] met Ray in Navigators. Ray had a vision for China ‘pre-Nixon’s Grand Opening’. Nav’s told him to go after something else; because China was a closed country. His response, ‘If we are ready God, will open a door’ and he separated from Navs. 15 years later [my husband] sees him doing what God called him to do.
Encouraging word!
All the best,
Melanie
Heather
September 3, 2018 at 8:36 am
ENJOYED YOUR ARTICLE AND THE SLAVE AUCTION WAS FUNNY.
Heather
Choy
September 3, 2018 at 8:40 am
Hi Raoul,
Again, thanks for the latest TGIF. Though i’ve read it before, i particularly liked the article on John Gokongwei and your opening message. JG donated a building in Ateneo (one of the top schools in the Philippines0, named after him. That is where they teach the business management courses. There is a new and bigger building in the area near gate 3. It looks avant-garde but it’s almost as big as a mall. It’s dedicated to the Arts. I think part of the financing came from George Ty, a banking tycoon. Ateneo now also has a medical school but is located in Pasig City near Medical City hospital. The only criticism i have is that they have not improved their science and engineering programs. The campus has changed a lot. More buildings now and Katipunan has become a congested major thoroughfare. I liked our old Ateneo. Idyllic, quiet and more conducive to learning. Lots of open spaces, the envy of other schools. Now it’s teeming with students. But that’s the way of the world. Our population is now 110 or so millions. Congestion is everywhere and it hasn’t spared our alma mater.
Choy of the Philippines
Alvin
September 19, 2018 at 5:55 pm
Raoul,
I was wondering about the biblical counseling course.
So for some reason millennial-age guys come to me for input (advice, mentoring, coaching, counseling, parenting, or whatever).
I will admit to being a survivor, but beyond that . . . I’d have to say there isn’t enough actual discipleship going on.
So as I’m called not to Christian Counseling (grad school, licensing, ministerial credentials) but to walk the walk on the entrepreneurial side. And so it would be a very expensive side hobby to my main calling.
So any information you can send my way on how to train for providing biblical counseling would be much appreciated.
Thanks and blessings
Alvin
Raoul
September 19, 2018 at 5:58 pm
Hi Alvin,
Glad you are interested in the Biblical Counseling course. My wife and I started going through this about a year ago. We do it online since many of the class are not local. There are different modules comprised of different cohorts. So if you were to join it would have to be with a group that is just starting. That way you remain classmates until the end of the course. I think it’s about 3 or 4 years to go through it all. Each module is different and different with intensity and reading. You do have to read a lot. It culminates in the last class where you are to present your assigned project to the class (online or in-person in Vancouver, Washington). The most important thing to do is attend the regular weekly classes. They are usually in the evening around 6:30pm. If you can Skype, you can do this. We actually use Zoom instead of Skype.
Here’s a link to the website:
https://www.vancouverbible.com/
The course is run by Dr. Warren Lamb who went through secular pysch with many degrees to his belt but he realized there were a lot of inconsistency with God’s word. In fact, secular psych’s success record is very low … many never fully get healed but are fooled into lifelong counseling. Dr. Warren had to leave his lucrative profession and re-educate himself with psych in light of God’s truths.
I had to admit this is a life-changing course because it touches both me and my wife and we are gearing up to help our fellow believers. We are not going through this as a career option … at least not yet … but more to be equipped to help the many who come to us for marital and personal advice. It would be beneficial if you and your wife and some of your friends were to go through this together. The world needs a more accurate understanding of scripture. Many seasoned “believers” need a richer understanding of who we are and what our role is in the bigger picture of God’s plan. This seems to be God’s calling for us.
Raoul