21 May, 2008
Collapse of California Carnival Ride Injures 23
Onlookers helplessly watched as the Yo-Yo attraction spiraled out of control, sending riders, most of them children, flying through the air and injuring all 23.
The Yo-Yo ride, with a spinning base and mechanical arms, uses chains to lift riders in swinging seats off the ground.
"It dropped down and dragged the kids around in circles," Phillip Coulson, whose godson was on the ride, told KTXL-TV in Sacramento, about 80 miles southeast of the annual fair. "Two girls got hurt and my godson, he just scraped his knees."
Some of the victims were thrown through the air as chains snapped, and three riders were airlifted to hospitals in Modesto and Sacramento.
Investigators were trying to determine if the accident was caused by mechanical or human error, and workers reportedly were being tested to determine if drugs may have played a role, KTXL-TV reported.
The carnival rides remained closed, but the festivities continued as police investigated.
photo & story courtesy foxnews.com, 5/18/08
Don't fall!
Jude 1:24-25 (NIV)
Doxology
24To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— 25to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.
According to today's God's Story scripture, why can we trust God to keep us from "falling"?
God's Spirit gave Jude the words to write in this letter. God wants us to know that we don't have to be afraid of falling prey to false spiritual teachers if we trust Him and keep connected to Jesus (abiding in Christ - John 15).
Jude wrote to people like you and me - they were vulnerable to false "religious" ideas and to temptations to live an immoral lifestyle. Think about our culture. Every which way we look, we are bombarded with spirituality, most of which is from Satan, our enemy, not from God's Holy Word.
The basic philosophy of the secular world is that you should believe anything you want to believe about God, regardless of truth. If your belief is true for you and feels good to you, then you will be happy. If there is life after death, your chances are good.
That sounds like a thrill ride that guarantees you a fall that lasts forever.
Following Jesus every day can be a wild ride but you can be assured that God won't let you fall from His grace. When you receive His forgiveness through Christ's death and resurrection you become one of His children. The Father takes care of His kids!
As we abide in Christ, He empowers us to remain faithful no matter the temptations and false teachings that the enemy throws at us. The real thrill of this Christian life ride comes at the end - when we come into Christ's presence forever!
How can we connect today's God's Story scripture to our own lives?
- Stay buckled up in "the belt of truth" (Ephesians 6:14). God keeps us from "falling" as we remain in Christ. We remain in Christ by knowing and obeying His Truth - God's Holy Word.
- Confess any way in which you have recently been trying to "ride" life's ups and downs on your own, rather than with Jesus.
- If you go on a ride at an amusement park this summer and find yourself spinning around, let Jesus take that moment to remind you of the scriptural truth we looked at today. God won't let you fall!
- Read the book of Jude (it's short) for a deeper understanding of today's scripture.
- You could go to an amusement park and hang out (but don't fall). Seriously, if you've been having any kind of spiritual discussions with someone and you go on a thrill ride together - it would be pretty natural for you to use this as an illustration to share more of your faith story with them.
- Make abiding in Christ (John 15) your constant discipline. As you stay buckled in the seat with Jesus, then connecting to Their Story will be natural, because Jesus is in control of the ride.
- May 2012 [14]
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