I recently saw a post on Facebook that posed the following query “If you could take any three people to lunch at Costco for their $1.50 hot dog and a drink deal, who would you take? Costco began this deal in 1985 and has held to that price for over 40 years with no plans to change the price. That in itself makes the meal legendary, almost like it’s a part of Americana. Admittedly, they changed the hot dog from Hebrew National to the in-house Kirkland Signature dogs, but the dogs remain “all beef hot dogs.” According to the company, they sell over 130 million of the combos annually which surpasses the number of hot dogs sold annually by Major League Baseball.
As a former businessman and accounting professor I realize that Costco does this as a loss leader. People come in for a cheap lunch and leave having spent 100’s of dollars in the rest of the store. Good strategy.
Back to the Facebook post. I found it interesting to read through the comments that people made. You take three people of your choosing to lunch at Costco for a total of $6. Who do you take? Some people responded “EWWWW! Hot dogs? No way!” Others would take celebrities, deceased friends or relatives, three random homeless people, Jesus and the Holy Trinity, among other choices. But what I observed was that the responses tended to tell me something about the person giving the answer. I don’t want to overthink this, but one could make some assumptions about the spirituality of these responses.
One respondent said that he would invite three dead people, so he would have four hot dogs all to himself. Obviously, someone who tends to be self-centered, or at least someone who doesn’t take himself very seriously.
Many responses indicated a desire for a family reunion of sorts by inviting relatives, living or dead. Strong traditional family ties would be indicated here, maybe along with some regrets that could be made right.
Many people listed various celebrities as their luncheon guests. There may be a couple of things at play here. First, these people who are star-struck and want some time with their favorite celebrities. Or they want an opportunity to get to know these stars as real people. One person even included a combination of individuals who did not see eye-to-eye so he could sit back and watch the “spirited” discussion. Choices such as Donald Trump, Barack Obama, and Hilary Clinton. Beware of thrown hot dogs!
A number of people included famous people from the past on their lists. My guess is a desire to learn more about these people and a chance to learn from them. And maybe get their take on how society has changed over the years.
There were plenty of people who wanted to invite Jesus, God, and/or the Holy Spirit. This struck me as interesting as we always have the opportunity to speak to them through prayer. But maybe a little face-to-face time would gain some new insights . One person included Jesus in hopes He would turn the Pepsi into wine. Some have poor math skills or they were rule-breakers as their list was longer than three invitees.
Several altruistic individuals would invite three homeless people. While this is obviously a worthy venture, this is something you could do anyway. Why not try it?
Please do not take offense at what I have written here. It was done in good fun and to help us think about why people would respond as they did. For me, I’m not sure who I would invite. I would like the opportunity to speak and talk with some of the many people who have meant so much to me over the 
years. Maybe some of my teachers who steered me in the right direction. Or business colleagues who were good mentors. There have been many spiritual mentors that I could include. Growing up, I must admit that I was a Yankee fan. What a delight it would be to talk with Mickey Mantle, Bobby Richardson, and Whitey Ford. It would also be nice to dine with my deceased parents and the only grandparent I ever knew. Maybe ancestors I never met. Or my late wife of 48 years. It would be fun to catch up with high school or college friends. In the end, I think I would invite people who are here today, people I know and love so I could show them some love and appreciation. My wife, Heather, comes to mind but she probably wouldn’t eat a hot dog. My two grown children and one of their spouses (of course, that gets me in the “dog” house for leaving out one spouse). Maybe my three grandchildren, at least that’s an easy number with no one left out. Perhaps some members of my step-family but there are far more than three of them.
You know what? At $1.50 a person, there is no real limit to who I could take. It’s been an interesting exercise to think about this and think of people in my life, past and present, who have meant so much to me. So, everybody, let’s all get together for a John Stancil Friends and Family reunion at the local Costco. I’m buying ($1.50 limit per person).
Think about the effect you might have by buying lunch for a youth sports team. Or maybe a group of seniors needing an outing. What about inviting local law enforcement officers, first responders, or city/county employees who provide services for you. Maybe a single parent with some young children. As Christians, we can be a (small) beacon of light in someone’s day. What’s your answer?
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that the nation ceased to exist in AD 138 when the Roman emperor Hadrian, crushed a revolt and banned all Jews from Palestine. After World War II Britain was given a mandate by the League of Nations to administer the territory. This area was sometimes referred to as Mandatory Palestine, but there was no Jewish nation, no Israel, until 1948 when the modern State of Israel came into existence. 
Fullness of the Gentiles. 
application of this word to me and realized that I needed to be more holy. As I meditated on this concept (be on the lookout for a separate blog in the future that delves into holiness) God prompted me to adopt this word for the year. When I mentioned the concept of an annual word to some acquaintances, they found it a new concept for them and vowed to seek God’s word for them for the coming year. Since I had originally done it more from a business perspective, I thought it might be good to apply the concept to my spiritual life.
Our word of the year is more about releasing control of our lives to God rather than just choosing a word. He is leading me to become more holy through giving me that word for the year. We have the freedom to choose any word we want, but only if God gives us that word will it come to full fruition – He alone knows what we need and when we need it. Otherwise, we may go astray. In retrospect, I see His hand in the words I previously was given. What steps can we take to choose the right word? 
or she wants unless you ask them? It is the same with God. Seek Him. Hebrews 11:6 tells us he will reward us for doing so. “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for the one who comes to God must believe that He exists, and that He proves to be One who rewards those who seek Him.” We must have faith, we must come to Him, and we must seek Him. There is no room for the attitude “Well, I don’t think it will do any good to ask God about that, but I’ll throw up a prayer.”
bad dream. It is universal. Former President Carter, stating that he and Roslyn had visited about 125, said that in many countries this song was used almost equally with national anthems. 
God, in His infinite wisdom has provided a way for us to escape Satan, his lies, and eternity in Hell. Not by our dreaming of a better world, but God sent His son to take the punishment we deserve when Jesus was crucified on the cross. God has given us a gift. All we have to do is accept it. 
that he wrote this song in a tumultuous period in his life. The Beatles had broken up, He was married to Yoko, a significant influence on his thoughts and perspectives. There is no question that Lennon abused drugs, and apparently unsuccessfully tried to break his addiction. “Imagine” seems to be a wistful song. He may have come to the realization that none of his dreams would come true. They were all his “Utopia” and it was never to be.
to directly challenge a pagan holiday. The result was that the church only succeeded in lending a Christian approach to a pagan ritual. Today Halloween has become associated with demonic activity including Satan. As Christians, I believe that we should never give Satan an inch – he will take a foot, a yard, a mile, our souls.
Trunk or Treat. Many churches have such alternatives. One word of advice here. If you’re going in this direction, get it right. I once saw a church advertising its “Trick or Trunk” event! Care must be taken to avoid anything of the devil. Some churches may hold a Fall Festival on an alternative date. This can be a valid non-confrontational approach that separates Christians from bad influences and reaches out in a positive manner.
beliefs and interpretation of the holiday’s traditions and history. Be aware that Satan is, for now, ruler of this earth. 2 Corinthians 4:4 reads “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” John 12:31 tells us he is a defeated ruler “Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.” Satan is doing his best to keep humans away from God. He is our adversary. Nowhere in the Bible are we given permission to toy with evil. We are to shun it. As Christians we are to replace the false with what is true.
designed to help us overcome attacks from our enemy. They are preparatory, we do them to enable us to proceed toward the victory. The sword of the spirit is very important, as it is designed to advance the Kingdom. The other elements of our armor prepare us. Now we are ready to do battle. Two scriptures tell us the power of the sword. Hebrews 4:12 minces no words about the power of God’s Sword “For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, even penetrating as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” In His high priestly prayer, Jesus prayed “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth” (John 17:17).
up. 
credit card debt alone. The delinquency rate of credit cards is almost 7%. If all debt is included, personal debt soars to $18.39 trillion. Of that amount, approximately $12.94 trillion is mortgage debt. With prices increasing along with interest rates, the amount of debt continues to rise. I am not opposed to debt, the issue is excessive debt, as this can indicate serious spiritual issues. There are several signs you have excessive debt. One, if your total monthly debt payments exceed 35 percent of your gross income. Two, you only pay the minimum each month. Three, you have trouble even making minimum payments.
miner. The lyrics express a feeling many people may have today. “You load sixteen tons and what do you get? You get another day older and deeper in debt.” 