The Big Year

Do you like birds?

The Big Year is a movie about three men entering a bird competition: Brad Harris (played by Jack Black), Stu Preissler (Steve Martin and Kenny Bostick (Owen Wilson).

In the movie, Bostick held the world record for most birds spotted in a single year: 732. That’s a lot of birds!

Meanwhile, Brad, a single divorced guy who lived with his parents, decided that he was going to set off to beat that record. Also, Stu, a CEO of a Fortune 500 company decided to retire so he can pursue winning The Big Year as well.

Throughout their adventure, Brad and Stu meet and form a tight bond over what they love. Brad helped old Stu feel younger again and Stu helped poor Brad stop going into debt over travel expenses. Stu even helped Brad get closer to his dad and meet a special bird-loving young lady.

As the competition progressed, their desires for birds was overcome by a desire for true happiness in their love lives, families and friendships with one another.

Bostick, however, was a different story.

He was no-holds barred and did whatever it took to maintain his title, becoming so consuming that he pushed away everything, even his beautiful wife Jessica. He shattered his record and walked away with another Big Year title, but did it all alone.

The overall lesson communicated in this movie was that the simple pleasures of happiness and love are far greater than the pride of a title.

As people we can do the same thing. We believe this lie about life, that when we achieve a certain goal, then we will be truly happy. So we put everything on the chopping block: even our own families!

So in Matthew 6, when Jesus said, “Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear,” do you think he had a point? When he told that rich man to “sell everything and follow me” (Luke 18:22), do you think he was issuing him another challenge, or do you think He was trying to save that man’s life?

To Whom It May Concern...Thank you!

One of the two Stop & Shop Cards I

anonymously received in the mail.

Two weeks ago I got paid!

But it was significantly lower than I thought it would be. Since Christmas ended, finances have been tight for me. Hours at work got cut and more things got taken out of my salary check for The Navigators. Things were tight and I didn't even know how I was going to get groceries for the week.

Once again I found myself nervous and praying. How was I even going to eat? Could I actually make it this time? Bills were also looming over my head, including a monthly pledge that I had to a missionary. The thought of canceling a payment for this month

Then two things happened. One of them was that I visited some friends of mine who are partnering with me in what I'm doing and they gave me a whole lot of food when they heard I was in need. Their mindset was that God has blessed them when things were tight for them, so they in turn wanted to bless me in this season when things were tight for me. So to them...thank you very much!

Now the second one was very shocking: In the mail last week I received an envelope with no return address on it. Inside it were two $20 gift cards to Stop & Shop! I couldn't believe it! I don't know who that person is, though I'm sure I'll find out one day. Thank you very much, whoever you are! You are truly a blessing!

It's interesting how over and over in the Bible we're told not to worry and not to fear, yet when things get tight we always do. The popular passage in Matthew 6, Jesus tells us how God provides for tiny birds daily who don't have food pantries in their nests. He then tells us how God clothes insignificant flowers that die every year. And then He asks us these things: "Are you not more valuable than they? Will He not much more clothe you -- you of little faith?" (6:26, 30).

God does provide! When we give sacrificially, like what my friends did, God provides. When we honor Him, He honors us. Even at times when we don't honor Him, He STILL honors us. It's called grace, which is poured out on us thanks to Jesus.

So thank God for His provision and THANK YOU , Mr. Mystery Person for following Him. This verse is for you:

"Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce, then your barns will be filled with plenty and your vats will be bursting with wine" (Proverbs 3:9-10).