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Roll Up the Rim to Win? 
I hear some people were a little miffed that I ran out of time ;) and didn't finish the story about our friend, her faith journey, and her asking God for a Roll Up the Rim to Win sign. Well, the plan is to finish that story when I preach next. 
I do want to return to something I referenced toward the very end of this past Sunday's message. Last week in my devotional scripture reading I was struck by a verse in the Psalms I hadn't previously given much consideration to. 
"Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous: 'The LORD's right hand has done mighty things!'" Psalm 118.15
Let's ponder this again. 
A tent seems like a strange place for someone to be bursting into victorious shouting.
It would seem that a battlefield would be the more logical place (in the ancient world) for shouts of victory to be heard.
Why tents? 
In the ancient world, tents weren't for camping, they were homes. The idea here is that the righteous (those who are in a relationship with God that He has made right) have a unique advantage. While they are at home -and not on the battlefield- God is at work on their behalf on the battlefield. 
"The LORD's right hand has done mighty things!"
Have you ever felt helpless and hopeless in a circumstance? Me too. 
Right now, Laura's mother continues to struggle significantly. She hasn't been conscious for more than 10 days. She's had multiple emergency surgeries. There continue to be complications. 
And it feels like there is hardly anything we can do about it. 
Except pray. 
Laura and I know that so many of you in our beloved church family continue to pray for Carina and for our family. Thank you. We feel so loved, cared for, and supported in this difficult time. 
We still do not know what the outcomes will be. 
But we do know this: while we feel helpless, Jesus is on the battlefield. 
You may be facing something very difficult right now too. Almost all of us have. Almost all of us will. However, being in a relationship with God through Jesus Christ has won us a unique advantage. Regardless of temporary and present outcomes, the ultimate and final outcome won at the cross and the tomb is a triumph, for eternity.  
Shouts of joy and victory ARE in your future. 
There is no one and nothing like Jesus. 
Pastor Mike