Let’s set the context. Kalila’s mom is a contradiction in terms. She has homeschooled Kalila and her siblings, she is very conservative theologically (she wears a headcovering to church, which obviously indicates that she dresses conservatively), and is very careful about what the kids are exposed to (they used to edit every movie they watched to take anything close to a “negative” influence; Kalila had never seen ‘Saved By the Bell’ because her mother thought is was too negative). She is what you think of when you think of a christian mother. Very sweet, always encouraging, gentle, and positive. She has the perfect motherly tone of voice (like Cartman’s mom on Southpark) and is classy. YET, she is generally up-to-date with much of pop culture. She loves Coldplay, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, U2, Dave Matthews Band, Third Eye Blind, The Verve, Lenny Kravitz, Yellowcard, The Beatles, The White Stripes, The Goo Goo Dolls, Green Day, and many more that I don’t know about. She took my 18 year-old brother-in-law to see Dave Matthews and Coldplay.

With that in mind read her email to Kalila today:Last night was the Train concert. I was dead-center balcony with a good view, and they played all the great songs from all four albums. After the show, I wanted to get my CDs autographed so I was hanging around the stage with a small crowd. Someone came out and said the band wouldn’t be coming out, but a small backstage party was being held for people with backstage passes.Since there was alcohol no one under 21 was allowed, and they were carding . One girl with a backstage pass (How DO they get them???) was 16 and couldn’t get in, so I altruistically offered to get her pass and ticket autographed for her, if she gave me her pass. So there’s your mom, schmaltzing backstage, drinking beer with the band. The room was tiny, so they only let 15 people in! The only down side was that not all the band showed up! I got autographs from the lead guitarist (excellent) and keyboardist. Still, it was pretty cool! LOL, Mom

I have no idea how she did that, but my homeschooling, headcovered, conservative-minded mother-in-law is a groupie.

Jesus, my passion in life is to know You
May all other goals bow down to
This journey of loving You more

Jesus, You’ve showered Your goodness on me
Given Your gifts so freely
But there’s one thing I’m longing for

Hear my heart’s cry
And my prayer for this life

Above all else
Above all else
Above all else
Give me Yourself

lyrics by Vicky Beeching
from UK Vineyard CD, Holy

Acts 17:24-27

24 The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. 26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him.

Acts 13:17-40

17 The God of this people Israel chose our fathers and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with uplifted arm he led them out of it. 18 And for about forty years he put up with them in the wilderness. 19 And after destroying seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land as an inheritance. 20 All this took about 450 years. And after that he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. 21 Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. 22 And when he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king, of whom he testified and said, ‘I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will.’ 23 Of this man’s offspring God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised. 24 Before his coming, John had proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. 25 And as John was finishing his course, he said, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. No, but behold, after me one is coming, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.’26 “Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to us has been sent the message of this salvation. 27 For those who live in Jerusalem and their rulers, because they did not recognize him nor understand the utterances of the prophets, which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning him. 28 And though they found in him no guilt worthy of death, they asked Pilate to have him executed. 29 And when they had carried out all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. 30 But God raised him from the dead, 31 and for many days he appeared to those who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses to the people. 32 And we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, 33 this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus, as also it is written in the second Psalm,”‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you.’

34 And as for the fact that he raised him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, he has spoken in this way,

“‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.’

35 Therefore he says also in another psalm,

“‘You will not let your Holy One see corruption.’

36 For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers and saw corruption, 37 but he whom God raised up did not see corruption. 38 Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything 39 from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.