I guess we have travelled between Canada & U.S. enough times this summer that I got a glimpse of the humanity of the usually serious border officials. Due to our frequent crossing, they usually ask me what my line of work is. To which I cheerfully say, "I'm a pastor." Believe me, no answer sounds sweeter than that when the officer seriously doubts my credibility.

Back to the memorable encounter I had with a US officer, after he heard that I'm a pastor. He asked me this specific question: How many clean animals did Moses bring into the ark? Answer: *** (Try this: you have less than 10 seconds to give the correct answer. Remember, there's a long line up of vehicles behind you waiting to cross the border!)

A GOOD BOOK + A GOOD BREW = A HAPPY PASTOR

I sit here sipping coffee and reading Carol Cymbala's book, He's Been Faithful. The opening chapter is rather slow for me, but I kept reading. The story line is so predictable until the closing paragraph gave the yawner a wicked twist enough to keep me turning the pages. Carol talks about the shy underachieving person that she is. She did not like school, but she sure loved to sing and play the piano. Her dream is to have her own choir when she grows up.

She tells of the night the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir sang in New York City's Radio City Music Hall. In spite of her nervousness, everything went really well. It was a high point in their choir ministry and in her life as choir director and composer. Even though the choir has won several Grammys, they make it a point never to "entertain" (please) the people watching. They make it a point to sing with all their hearts before Almighty God. If that was not enough, each choir member is a miracle story of transformation.

Her point is, God uses the most unlikely people to do great things for Him, if only they are willing, broken and keeping an ever-dependent and humble posture before the Lord. Needless to say, she and her husband Jim Cymbala learned to breathe prayer. In case you may be thinking that everything is honky-dory for Carol, here's what happened later that evening in her own words: "After the concert, I walked outside. Suddenly, a wolf pack of boys emerged from the subway, ready for trouble. As they passed me, one of them punched me in the back for no good reason and nearly knocked me to the street. At any other time, I would have been shocked by such an attack. But I was too drained from the physical and emotional strain of the concert to worry. Instead, I felt encouraged because I knew that someone was obviously displeased by what had taken place in one of the city's premier theaters. That little jolt from Satan couldn't begin to rob me of my joy." (p. 28)

Though God is doing amazing things in Carol's life, they are also living in a dangerous place. She tells of the time when a man aimed a handgun to her husband Jim, while he was ministering at their church service. She tells of the time when a choir member went berserk and they had to call police.

This makes me think: how far am I willing to go to serve and live for God?

THINKING OF FFAC

It's a whopping 40+ degrees Celsius outside, appropriate summer weather for this scorching desert called Palm Springs. My mind is 2800 km (1800 mi) away - at least that's what Google map calculated to be the approximate distance between my exact location and 10115-79 Street. I'm thinking of my church family in Edmonton while I'm away. As always in my travels, I wish I could take with me as many FFACers as possible.

ricky p. mapa, pastor

*** The answer I gave the officer was: "It was Noah who brought the animals into the ark, not Moses."