A Prayer for Newtown

Just like a lot of people I have been trying to come to grips with the tragedy in Connecticut. I have 2 daughters and a granddaughter. I have 14 neices and nephews and 16 great neices and nephews. I really don't know how I would react if any of them, especially my children or grandchild, were in that school and lost their life. I know it is normal to feel anger, guilt and so on. But what is normal? You hear the phrase, "the new normal" thrown around all of the time and I get it, but for these people having a new normal that is minus a precious life, and worse yet they were taken so violently, words can not explain what they must be going through. One of the toughest books in the bible to process sometimes is Job. Job was a man of God that was allowed to walk through losing everything in his life so God would be glorified and the Devil would be put in his place. Job lost his family, and his livelyhood. All through the book of Job there were so called friends of his trying to disuade him into beleiving God was evil, that he should not accept what happened and be bitter, but Job stood his ground. Now he was irritated and had moments thoughts that seem trite towards God, but he continued to walk the path set before him. After the trial, God blessed him 10 fold for his faithfullness. I am not saying that everyone involved will be like Job, but I am saying that God can walk beside them and us in this situation. He equips us to be able to see the other side of an issue. He walks along side us and carries us when needed. He is always faithful. This week we studied the story of Jonah in small group and Jonah, when asked to go back to the hostile land, he ran. Until God brought a huge storm while he was in a boat. The storm was so bad they were on the verge of sinking, but God said if Jonah were to be cast into the sea, it would become calm, they were reluctant, until it was obvious there was no other way, so Jonah insisted they comply. You know the rest, he was swallowed by a huge fish, where he was able to come to grips with what God wanted of him and he was spit out of the fishes mouth. These 2 examples show one man who through tragedy fought the good fight and another, just the mere thought of it ran away. But both were eventually used by God for good and his glory.

   My prayer for the folks directly affected by this tragedy is that they seek God and his plan in this and use it to help with healing, and try to discern how he wants to use this in their lives. I also pray that for those running from the prosepct of a Godly intervention, that they too sense his calling and hear the knock upon their heart, and invite him to do a miracle even in this situation. When we are in the midst of a horrible situation, it is hard to see any light in the darkness. This is an extremely dark time for these people, and I pray that somehow the light will begin to shine through and they can feel the warmth again. I pray God's blessings on all of the people of Newtown and all of the extended families affected. Amen

Church Speak

I noticed lately that I have a hard time hearing what churchie folks are saying. I am not saying I don't understand, but their church speak gets in the way of the message. It is almost like we Christians have a special code we use when we talk. I saw a video recently that made fun of that and it really brought it home. Too many times we seem to sit above it all and speak like a Lord of the realm to his servants. We say things that frankly some people would need to look up to know what we mean and they are not going to do that. When the King James version of the bible was comissioned, it was the relevant up to date translated for the "now" word of God. Is it irrelevant today? Not neccessarily, but do we need to use the old kings english to understand the word of God, no we do not. As a matter of fact, I submit we are doing others a disservice if we are trying to witness and reading from a centuries old translation that is no more accurate or God breathed than any other. Meet the people where they live. Show them God, show them his love in their present situation, and don't drag them into a confusing diatribe of church speak that will most likely alienate the unchurched among us. When talking to a friend we are relaxed, we say what we mean and don't try to put icing on the top of anything, but when speaking about God sometimes it seems we are almost trying to convince others of his unreachable majesty rather than his loving arms. We have entire religions/denominations that are more dedicated to their liturgical course than their spiritual path. All Chritians need to open our eyes, look around, see what is going on, and find a way to walk into this mess of a world and share the good news that God will meet them where they are and take them on a journey from there.

How do YOU answer God?

God has called all of us. Some think he only calls some to the ministry, the others he just lets do "their thing" but that is not the case at all, we are all called for his purposes. And yes I said all...He wants all of us to come to him as Lord and savior, and to put that individual calling into the hearts of all of us to do his work. But have you heard his call? Have you taken the time to get close enough to his mouth to hear his words to you? If so, how do you answer God? One of my favorite bible lessons is that of Abraham and Isaac in Genesis 22. There are a lot of good lessons in what Abraham did, but one of the most over looked comments is how Abraham answers God's call. God called out to Abraham, he could have said, Who is it? or Just a minute..but now what he said was ...Here I am. He basically told the Lord that whatever was commanded of him he was willing to do. And it was no more evident than when he was asked to sacrifice his son on an altar. The story shows a lot of things from faith, to obedience, to love, and of course sacrifice. But I want to focus on obedience to God. I submit that at the moment that God asked Abraham to sacrifice his beloved son, it was that moment in Abraham's mind that it was done. He was so in tune with what he knew of God that he set out to carry out the task secure in the knowledge that even though he would sacrifice Isaac, God would still fulfill his promises. Sometimes we look to this story and see Abraham as being a shaky optimist, that all the way along the path, was believing that God would somehow not have him sacrifice Isaac, that somehow Isaac would be spared, because there was no other way God's promises could be fulfilled without him, and at the last minute, provided a replacement or a way out from killing Isaac. Well we do know that God did just that by providing the Ram stuck in the thicket and commanded Abraham to use it instead, however was it Abraham's commitment to the process that God rewarded or was it  his obedience that existed from the instant he was asked, I submit it to be latter. From beginning to the end of this incredible story we see a glimpse of a man called from humble beginnings to a man who knew God's voice, listened to his calling and carried out God's tasks in his heart and feet to God's glory. What a testimony. Abraham had his failings as do we all, but this example shows us how important it is to be close enough to God to hear that still, small voice, and when we hear it to say, Here I am...and to go and do with all of our hearts and mind whatever he asks of us. It will not always be easy, and he does not always provide the ram in the thicket, but as long as we are in tune to him we are on the right path. How do you answer God? Are you close enough to hear the whisper of his voice into your soul?

Our Comfort Zone

All too often we sit back and let comfort rule what we do (I am preaching to the choir on this one). We will take the well beaten path, we would rather not drive during rush hour, take our clothes to the cleaners to avoid ironing....and we sit around our church building complaining and watching the few get the work done and even fewer yet get the blessings. Periodically in any church small group I have attended, the question pops up asking, "Has anything ever happened in your life , that at the time, was completely unexpected or even frightening, but in retrospect you see God's hand in it?" I want to take that one step further, have you EVER asked God for something, something vague or something you never expect to get, but when you do you are shocked at HOW he answered you? Years ago we were asking God to make a change in my work situation. We prayed and even asked others to pray that prayer with us, well God answered, and we had to move to a smaller city where he had no friends and were forced to start over. I can see God's hands all over this in hindsight, but at the time I thought he was punishing us, but he always knows what he is doing. He is forced at times to shake us up, to awaken that old spirit, to give us what need not always what we want. Churches and their people can fall into those traps as well, and sometimes his shaking causes disention from those unwilling to learn from the shakes. He may move certain people out of the way to pave the road for others. I know in my past certain things have been asked of me and my reaction was simply, that I can not do that, but looking back I am glad I did, because God used me and grew me. We sometimes feel so comfortable in our little role that we don't even look for opportunities that are staring us right in the face. The opposite can also be true, we jump into everything trying to please God and forget to include him in those efforts. We try to do it all on our own and soon we burn out and fade away (I know a lame Def Leppard reference). But it's true, we try to "please" God, instead of Worship him. Our actions that are done to his glory should be done in a pleasing way yes, but it should always be done as an act of worship. I had an awesome lunch today that I know was God ordained, I happened to meet up with a dear man from our last church at a place the two of us never eat. We had a wonderful lunch discussing basically what God means to us, what his plan is and can be, it was an awesome time of fellowship. It gave me the peace that some of what we have gone through lately has an eternal purpose, we are doing what God wants us to be about. And I gain a strength of purpose from that. So even though sometimes you feel that you are being drug outside of your comfort zone, or your church is getting too comfortable, ask yourself, Am I worshipping God in this situation? Am I being that man that Paul said he was when he said I don't always do as I should and even the things I do right are not perfect? We are saved by Grace unto good works by Faith. We are NOT saved unto comfort. We are not saved unto peaceful existence. we are saved and are commanded to proclaim his good works. So the next time you start feeling that ahhh feeling, start asking God to reveal himself and ask him what you can do to not be comfortable in a lost world. To drive this point home...I have some dear friends who listened to God's call and sold everything and took their 4 children to the mission Field that god called them to in Africa. I read a posting from there today saying right now they have no electricity or lights, only a few moments of battery power for the computer. There was an 8 foot deadly Black Mamba snake in their yard this morning and the reality of where they are and what they are doing is sinking in. But the reality part is that GOD is still in charge, he is the rock, he loves the indigenous people there and wants them to know him so much that he called others out of their comfortable life to move into a country with horrible snakes and limited amenities. Yet he honors that sacrifice. Every time I read a post from them of the latest, I always read and feel the presence of a holy loving God that even though they made a great sacrifice he loves them and honors and blesses them even in the midst of it all. Are you comfortable? Are you on the proverbial couch of Christianity? If so get up, start asking God to make you restless again, ask for his heart to be yours, comfort to a Christian is the Devil's playground.

What Counts

If you have ever heard the saying, Make your dash count, you will understand this. We all are born and then we die.....what happens in between is what matters. I was brought into introspection this past week as a good friend went to be with the Lord. His UNwillingness to be negative was an inspiration. He was always upbeat and thankful for those around him who were lifting him up in prayer and was always thankful to God for his provision. He really invoked in me some examination of myself. Am I willing to submit to being that faithful, even unto death? We always point to Jesus and his sacrifice to be an example as we should, but all around us daily are those here on earth that are going through struggles with grace and dignity. From another set of observations, also was witness to something that we should all be aware of. I was talking to someone about another person very close to me. They were extolling the virtues of that person highly and said they were always positive and never down. While we all know that to "never" be down is impossible we must realize there are those around us that need to vent sometimes. That person I am close to I have cried with many times and cried for privately many more times. Although we see the strong exterior of a person, be aware that we all have the need to let go of the armor and let down the wall sometimes. I pray I can be available when someone needs a shoulder or an ear. I can point to many individuals in my life that have made the dash count. I can also look to those in my past that are no longer with us and see their influence even in my life today. I can also see in hindsight those I have come into contact with that never seemed to get on track, always doing want seemed to be irreversible things that did them and everyone around them no good at all. Some doing major harm to people long after they have left their lives. The two are in stark contrast to one another. Have you ever been to a funeral of a person that by all assumptions is not spending eternity in Heaven? I think that is the hardest funeral a pastor will ever have to do, yet I have seen may get saved because they don't want to be where that person is. Giving of our selves in this life, is giving to the Lord. Writing about virtues and giving is easier said than done in this world I know. We all have a plethora of distractions and built in excuses to side step integrity. We all have moments where we look back and wish we had said or done something. While in reality a choice to do nothing, IS an action in and of itself. You make the choices to not do the right thing. I urge all of us today to look deep inside and see what we can do (as the song says) Live like we were dying. One of the greatest testimonies I have ever heard was one sentence long. My brother in law died of cancer. He was more than an in law, he and my sister were married prior to my birth, he WAS my brother. As he lay dying some of his very last words before he went to hug Jesus, he looked at my sister and said "I Love you....but I Love Jesus more" What a testimony to a life that had come full circle, for a man that realized many years before his death, that God was more important than earthly things. That we are called to make this life count. That we are called not unto ourselves or unto our own desires, we are called, we are equipped, we are blessed to be able to do What Counts every day until; Jesus, our one true Love comes and takes us to be with him. Amen

The Heart's True desire

Often times we sit back and try to remember the good ole days. We examine in our minds eye those times when we were most content, when the small things mattered, and the world seemed good. We create within us a memory of the things that were important, we forget the hurt, we forget the inconsequential failings of others. In a way we quietly forgive. They say times heals all wounds, and I believe that has some merit. Time gives us pause that we sometimes don't have otherwise, time passing gives us a reason to look back and to examine our motives, our hearts true desires. And isn't it just that? Our hearts true desire or it's true nature? Long ago before I was a Christian my hearts desire was that of any other sinner, worldly by any standard,  inherently sinful. But after the transformational power set in and given me by God's grace through the shed blood of Jesus dying for the sins of all mankind, it became new. My heart had a new nature, a new desire. Sometimes we tend to ruminate on past decisions and to place blame on others for their past mistakes. I was once reminded as to what happens when you hold something against another, it is like squeezing broken glass, it leaves you bloody and hurting, but does nothing to the other person. I am reminded daily to shed myself of the broken glass, throw out the hurt, and embrace the newness that comes with Christ Jesus. And yes I said daily, since we walk by faith and not by sight, we must continually put off the things that might push us away from our new nature, to try to see through the cloak that Satan changes every day that tries to snare us into believing that we can do it alone. Listen to me here, your heart knows nothing but what you place inside of it. We are built as people to worship God. We are designed with his purpose in mind, but we are born sinners through our (man's) selfish failing.  Although the path we walk as a Christian will sometimes be hard and rough, know that our heart when populated with God's grace will will allow us to fervently walk with faith the path laid before us. But take time today to be quiet. Take time to listen to your heart, it is in those quiet times that your hearts desire will be revealed to you, and if it is not what it should be, right then and there is the time to bring yourself back to a heart of worship. As the song reminds us that it should be all about him and not about us. A heart of worship brings about the contentment talked about in the bible, even through persecution. A contentment of daily contrast from the world because we know where our peace comes from. We know that our hearts desire is to walk with God daily through faith unto his Love everlasting!! And that is what a true heart of Love is all about!

All IS Well...God is Still in control!

I wrote this on the morning after the election. I made no bones about my stance, as I beleive there is a moral obligation for Christians to follow biblical values when voting so I do not apologize for being anti Obama when it comes to politics, but I just thought I would share some feelings and revelations I had right after the election was over....

 

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I woke up disheartened. I love to write so I sent a few emails. In most of them I talked of how God may be letting us walk the path we made. His plan may be for us to see the edge before pulling us back. He may use this to call us to himself. And a funny thing happened, I felt his voice, his calming reassurance that on an individual basis, he is still there, he is still in control and will still guide us a Christians through what could be a very trying time. Folks this may be a time of revival for this country, the silver lining is that when people search, God has the answers. We need to be proactive in getting this country on the right track, but we also need to use this as an opportunity to tell folks why we can go on(2Cor 12:9, Psalms 91:15). To tell them that God will give them rest (Matt 11: 28-30). Tell them that God will supply and not to worry (Phill 4:19) but most of all Do not be afraid, 2 Tim 1:7 says, "I did not give you a spirit of fear". Stand on those promises, give them out like candy to anyone depressed, because God may be allowing us walk this path, but he is also walking right beside us. I pray for peace on everyone that is despondant today, I ask that God gives you wisdom in your words, but most of all I pray contentment in knowing where you will spend eternity. Amen

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If this gives you encouragement good, if it shows you where God is in all of this good, but be advised, sometimes he lets us stew in our self pity,  he is still there beside us, but letting things ruminate for a while. Many times in the bible we read of men who were perplexed by what they saw as God being absent from their lives, but later on after much lamenting they find out that he never left, and the path they trod was in preperation for another one down the road. So do not farsake your time with God, he alone is our leader, our guide, our comforter. He alone is everlasting, uncontainable, all knowing. He alone gives us true peace, and contentment. He alone is what matters.

An Irrelevant Christian

I am often taken aback by the amount of people decrying that we as Christians are losing our freedoms and that government is taking control, while that may be true let me lay another take on you. Would you rather be thought of as a nuisance, or be so utterly inconsequential that you have become irrelevant? Kind of the Commodore 64 of religions(if you are young, search in on the internet). I know, God will not let Christianity become that, however, we as Christians are allowing ourselves to become so marginalized that in a lot of areas we have become irrelevant. We are now known as right wing Christian extremists. We are losing battles that Muslims are winning in this country and others. We sit back and use some scriptures out of context to explain away our apathy. We seem to want to do the right thing, but the right thing is hard and not the easy road so we sit back and watch the fringe elements in this country garner more rights all the while our silence is allowing ours to erode. Complaining about something serves only one purpose, to bring to light an issue, but without action it turns into a dead flame. I love a good sermon on civic responsibility, but the lazy people just point to Romans and say to pray for our leaders and woe is me, there is nothing we can do. While we are remanded unto prayer for those over us and to submit, we are not remanded unto being quiet, we are not remanded or charged with silence on the issues that Christians believe in. We should shout from the mountain tops that Christ has the answer and that without him, this country is doomed. We MUST be the salt and light to open the eyes of this nation and others to what is going on globally and THAT my friends is the global desensitizing influence of Christians because of our unwillingness to be heard. Our silence is making us irrelevant. Our hiding in the bushes on issues makes us seem like a fringe element in this country even though we outnumber the actual fringe elements 10000-1!! It is time to stand up as one voice, bring the good news of the gospel to the world, To cease being irrelevant, become the Christian soldiers in the war against Satan that we are meant to be. Our silence is deafening, our apathy is shrinking our influence, our capitulation is destroying our credibility, and our tolerance is taking away our values. If you do anything today, ask God to instill in you his virtues, his heart, his power, because in and of ourselves we will continue to lose this fight. Go with us in this struggle for it has been a struggle as far back as the early church. We must become relevant, we must be bold like the first generation Christians who were willing to die for their faith in order to not become.... an irrelevant Christian.

Don't be Selfish

Ok, we are inside of a week before the most important election since Abraham Lincoln was elected as President. Yes I said that. Our founding fathers and every other president until lately has espoused us as a strong country and governed as such. But we have a president now that believes we should be a country full of people beholding to the government and to the president as some kind of King. But...ALL of his Czars across the board are extreme liberal activists and some are communists, but the common ground is that they are all Anti American. So to keep it short, if you love this country vote him out and Romney in. Its our last hope to save this country. If you need a comprehensive list of who the Czars are what they believe and stand for let me know, I have it, it will blow your mind, unless your Kool Aid drinking liberal mind has you too drunk to see the truth, be Good, and vote for the country don't be selfish!!

Looking Back and being still

Have you ever sat in the dark, and just listened, I mean really listened? This time of year I get to do that Deer hunting, but it serves many purposes. It is amazing to listen to the silence. You hear your own breath, you hear your heart beating. You hear the breeze on the leaves. But it also serves another purpose, you can hear callings from long ago. As I look back into the long ago, I see times when I was bound by bitterness, consumed by passions I thought were worth pursuing. I held tight to the bonds that gave me courage to continue. Wearing the robes of righteousness, self righteousness, I marched on like a one man army content in the fact that I was right and everyone else was wrong. As I have grown older I look back on those times when God sent a correction in my life and can now recognize them as blessings. Life has a way of creeping up on us. It was only yesterday in my mind when my girls were born, now I am a grandfather to a beautiful baby girl. She holds all of the hopes and dreams any grandfather would have for their grandchild. But also that reminiscing gives me pause, time to reflect on things I should have done differently, things I regret, things that God had to slap me back into reality for. So during the quiet times, which are infrequent around here, I reflect, I watch and I listen, not easy for a loud extrovert who has no idea what solace even means. But is during those times when it is revealed to me that through all of my foibles, all of my arrogance, God still had a plan for me. He used my insecurities to strengthen me. He used my arrogance to condemn me in correction. He used my transgressions to train me in his ways. When I used to see hard times in my past, I now see where he walked beside me. Where I once saw pain while going through a set of circumstances I see where his pain was even greater. When I thought I was going to drown in my own tears I see that he was keeping my head above water and crying along with me. He listened when I called, he held on tight when I pushed away, and he taught me when I was unteachable. And now in another chapter of our life I look forward to see where he will lead us, how he will use us, and what I can do during my still time to hear his voice. Thank you Jesus for standing for us, in spite of ourselves, thank you for being the rock that can not fail, thank you for your Grace that sustains us, but most of Thank You for being You, the Loving Creator of all things that loved us so much that you sent an innocent man who was your son to die with the full weight of all the world's sin on his back in order that we might come to know the saving Grace that is Christ Jesus. Amen

Church

Attending church is like running full speed across the top of a razor thin mountain. As long as your footing is correct the view is great, the experience is beautiful, but one loose pebble and you tumble. You grasp for anything, and sometimes that is a rope thrown from above or a push from below from someone else who is struggling to get back to the top, either way it should be a place where help is only a moment away, usually before you ask. And often times it is just that. But our jaded society has allowed excuses to creep into the church and its buildings. No longer is accountability asked for, no longer is forgiveness free. There are bonds that tie us to that atmosphere. We are asked to conform or be cast out. Sadly we accept these and ignore their limitations, and go on about our churchy life as though it is the one place where we can be on Sunday who we wish we were the other 6 days. Church should be the one place we are free to express our shortcomings and get loving support, church should be the place we bring our failures and disappointments with ourselves and others to get loving prayerful people to walk along side of us while we deal with different issues in our lives. But is it? Is it being the non judgemental, loving caring entity it should be? You have to ask yourself that question. Are you being that person to others? Are you so in tune to the Holy Spirit that when someone needs a shoulder or a prayer, you sense that? Churches are made up of people, in order for "the church" to become what Jesus would want it to be, each and every individual needs to be what God wants us to be. We need to shake off the feeling of going to church as a duty and see it as an opportunity. Start being open about our failures so we can begin to see others being open about theirs. Paul said in Galatians: Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. So we should be striving as the body to serve Christ through our servitude to others and the body of believers.Likewise 1 Peter 3:8 says, Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. All of that should be directed toward God, to please him, not ourselves. Years ago I walked away from organized religion and railed on it as an evil that man created to subvert the will of God. I no longer believe that, I find fellowship with other believers a necessary part of Christian life. But hear me on this, when your church begins to get in the way of you and your relationship with God(due to to your failings or theirs), one of you needs to change. That is where I am right now. No disrespect to my wonderful friends, but when something is ticking, it is time to look for the source of the noise. God may lead us elsewhere, and due to some rather unfortunate circumstances I believe he is. But I can clearly see the blessings he has bestowed on our family while we were in the body we have been in for over 10 years. I believe he will continue to bless them and my prayer is just that. But do not let what God has done in your life suffer from bitterness, but celebrate his victory that has brought you this far. God is Good! All the time!! All the Time!! God is Good!!!

Grocery Store Etiquette

OK in this tense time with politics and all, I want lay some future ground rules for grocery shopping. These came to me yesterday as I was in the store about to commit cart rage...so here it goes...:O)

1. If your girth plus that of the cart is equal to or greater than that of the width of the aisle, DO NOT shop next to your cart, place it in front or behind you!!

2. Pretend there are dotted lines in the middle of each aisle and STAY ON YOUR SIDE!

3. Make a list!!! standing and staring into the unknown all the while another person needs what you are standing in front of will just get you into trouble.

4. STAY OFF YOUR PHONE!!! Enough said about that one.

5. Make your children behave, if you can't then leave them with someone else, and don't beat them in front of me unless you want some too.

6. Don't fondle the produce, you can thump a melon or squeeze a cantaloupe but don't fondle stuff we eat, if you pick it up, buy it I don't want your germs!

7. If you see a friend, say hi and MOVE ON! Or at least find a good empty spot to park and talk NOT IN THE AISLE IN FRONT OF ME!!

8. If you are not disabled and only need the electric carts because you are fat....YOU ARE THE LAST PERSON THAT NEEDS IT, GET SOME EXERCISE AND WALK!!!!! LEAVE IT FOR THE TRULY HANDICAPPED FOLKS! (Big pet peeve).

9. If you have to constantly ask an employee where things are...LOOK UP! Guess what there are signs above every single aisle, who knew?? Sheese!

10. If your eyes are so bad you have to stand on one side of the aisle to see the other....Get some glasses!!

11. If you feel the need to read the ingredients on everything you buy before placing it in your cart, they are ALL on the Internet, look them up before you go shopping!

12. And last but not least, if you forget something while at the register, BUY IT NEXT TIME! Do not make other people be forced to stand there while your inept 8th grader goes to pick up your feminine products or 100 pound bag of dog food!

This is in no way an exhaustive list, just remember, you are NOT the only person in the store so don't act like you are!! Have a nice day!

A Time For Reflection

I think everyone here in the US remembers where they were on that Fateful Sept 11th day. Even Americans living outside of this country and others who may not be Americans were left silent during those horrible events. We all have a story, mine is one of a normal day, driving like I did every day to look over the equipment I was in charge of inspecting. I was on a lonely stretch of interstate highway when I came upon a car fire and 2 frightened individuals. I stopped, jumped out and grabbed my fire extinguisher and went to work putting out the fire under their dash. After it was all over and no great harm, I got back in my truck to resume my day...then I heard an odd thing, it seemed like a simulcast from NBC news, they were interviewing someone inside the Pentagon and BAM! A loud noise was heard, the reporter was not sure but thought it was a bomb. We find out later it was a hijacked Airliner. Then the rest of the story unfolded bit by bit. I pulled into a truck stop where many people were gathered around a TV, we watched in horror as the second tower was hit. The day became somber as I proceeded through my rounds. My thought turned to the family's of those killed and I felt a horrible emptiness way down in my soul. It was only then that I cried out to God to take control of this madness and put his arms around those affected. I moved on about my day. That afternoon I was standing in an area wide open as far as the eye can see, here in Oklahoma we have an abundance of that. The sky was clear, no airplanes, no contrails, nothing, just clear blue silence, it was eerie. The day went on and like the rest of you I got wrapped up in the events, I saw them played over and over on T.V. (and think they still should be).  I watched as President Bush gave the order to retaliate with force on the group or groups responsible for the horrific murder of 3000 people. I watched in awe as people dug through the ashes for ANY sign of anybody alive, then it turned to any sign of anybody dead. The devastation was so complete when the 2 towers fell that very few remains could be gathered let alone identified. We watched for weeks as the brave workers removed the rubble and began a transformation to the area that to this day continues. We then turned our attention to the people responsible, and to the country for healing. But through all of these events something happened. Something happened that exemplifies where our heart really is and should be as a nation, we turned to God. The churches were full day and night. We are people designed to be a spiritual being , we may not know why we were drawn to God, but as a country we knew we needed to be on our knees and we were. After the drama subsided and some took the visions of that day and hid them from the public, we no longer felt any urgency as a nation to go to God for answers, we once again became an inward looking society, wayward in our actions and flippant about the ongoing war on Terror. On this anniversary of that tragic day, I submit we take pause to remember where we were, but more importantly to remember what we felt. Remember the passion and compassion we felt for the families of the lost. Remember the nation and what it felt like to pull together as one voice in crying out for justice for a nation who was attacked by cowards and people of little principles. Remember the groups of people who perpetrated these acts are Muslim militants bent on the destruction of America in any way they can do it. They are still out there, they are still looking for the soft fleshy areas of our country where they can inflict more pain. So please reflect, be prayerful, but most importantly gather back that feeling from that day, we need not wait for a tragedy to come together as a country, we can do it now. And please remember our troops who are still dying to give us the right to say what we want, and to live freely in the greatest nation ever on Earth. And may God Bless America!

A Cleansing Breath...Ahhh

Have you ever been under water for almost too long? And when you surface, that single breath seems like it was sent from God himself? I felt that way last night watching the Convention. I did not realize how much I felt scared, or how unsure about the future Obama has made everyone in this country until I heard the stories of hope and REAL change we have ahead of us if we elect Mitt Romney. Let me set this straight, there is nothing good that would come from a second term for Obama. He did nothing right, he set us on a path of destruction and has no redeeming political qualities and those are facts folks! Last night I heard common sense from those like Clint Eastwood, who said what needed saying in a tone reserved for a backporch, sipping tea and watching fireflys(which is a good thing)! I felt so at ease with what he said I took that breath and felt a small bit of what it used to feel like in this country when we could relax and not worry that some mad man is trying to destroy, in a few years, what took many generations to create. Then came others like Marco Rubio, that so eloquently spoke of dreams and aspirations of an immigrant family that came to this country not to live under a socialist regime, but to live free unabashed lives of liberty and honor, not the type of life Obama wants us to live. And then came Mitt Romney, he teared up when speaking of America and his devotion to God and family. He spoke of a need to focus on the right things, to get this country working again, to remove the obstacles of tyranny and repression and replace them with goals to be the best again and to honor those who came before us! He gave me the willingness again for the first time in a long time to hope, and to dream. Not to dream his dream, but to dream the dreams of many Americans, the dreams which are filled with hope and contentment. The ability to once again feel as though we matter, that our voices will be heard, and to once again feel as though WE are in charge, and that those in Washington work for us not us for them. This is the time folks, time to rally around our principles, act on our passions and be heard! We need to circle the wagons, be solidly behind Mitt Romney, give him the mandate to take back America for US! It is OUR time to tell the current folks in Washington, NO MORE! We are done being told we don't matter or we can not take credit for our success! It is time to show them what we think of thier failed politics and send them packing. I am so thankful for the feeling of that clean, clear breath....it made me realize that we CAN and WILL do this, so breathe America, Breathe....it is our time once again to be Americans!! Take hold of that feeling, do not let it go....

We are Called

I have seen this posted on social media many times. It is a good example of folks in the bible who came from less that great backgrounds but rose to prominence, or had failings along the way. They were normal folks for the most part, some were worse than others as far as their deeds. And others were like us when it comes to not being totally bought in Christians. God looks into our soul, he knows what we are capable of and he equips us to plow through our shortcomings to accomplish great things if we let him. Saying David had an affair dies not quite cover the fact that he had a man killed by placing him at the head of a fierce battle to cover his affair. Jonah ran, but the sin was his disobedience. Paul murdered or had killed those who were preaching the good news of Christ, the same Christ he would later meet on that lonely stretch of dusty road. They call Thomas a doubter, however he was just the first one to wonder how this could be. Zacheaus, well, he just wanted a better view and by doing so got Jesus attention and was able to have dinner with him. Abraham, was old but faithful. The faith of Lazarus and Jesus' compassion for his family brought him back to life. The others are also examples of God's intervention in the lives and hearts of people in the bible. But dig a little deeper and you will see that even though we too have shortcomings and commit sin, Jesus still asks us to turn from those sins and follow him. Nobody in the bible whom Jesus talked to that were sinners were allowed to walk their Journey with Jesus until they got their heart straight first. Paul ceased to be a Murderer. David lamented many times and asked for forgiveness from the one true God. Moses acknowledged his shortcomings but still gave God the glory. Do you see a pattern here? Today all too often, I hear non Christians saying things like, If Jesus were here he would be on our side. Or Jesus didn't judge.....really?? He loved/Loves always has always will. He always called/calls the sinner to service after he called/calls them to himself. You are called unto him first then sent to do his will in your life for him. We are not perfect, but that fact does in no way give us the right to willfully sin and call ourselves Christians. Do not think the above named individuals were given a pass due purely to their acknowledgement of Jesus, even the Devil knows the scriptures and knows who Jesus is. We were born spiritual creatures to serve God, but with sin in the world we have sinful desires and must overcome them by Faith in Jesus and surrender to his will in our lives. Anything short of that and we are only using his name as a way to get others to shut up and go away. God can use a flawed person, because we all are flawed. But what he can not use is an unrepentant person. So do not get caught up in the talk of tolerance, tolerance is another way of saying, it is OK to sin. Today, too many Christians buy into the notion that to be a good Christian is to be tolerant of others and what they do, however our example, Jesus, did not tolerate sin in any form, however loved the sinner unto himself. I have beat this drum many times, but it needs to be ingrained into our everyday lives, until sinners no longer can use that as an excuse but rather hear the good news, and that good news is that life with Jesus is much better than any life without him, and that an unrepentant heart really will seperate them from God for all eternity, what part of that is hard to understand? Know God...Know Peace...No God....No Peace....It really is just.....that....simple....

Get back to our hearts

We are still the wealthiest nation in the world despite Obama. We create, and distribute more wealth hourly then any 2 other countries combined, but we still don't use our prosperity well. In my city there is a monstrosity of a convention center being shoe horned into a half dead downtown that the people did not want to the tune of 20 million dollars....but every day I see mentally challenged homeless sleeping behind an air conditioning unit at our church. I know of small children going without food or having proper clothing. Now I am NOT a social liberal nor even a person bent on saving everyone. But what I think all of us should be is compassionate, and leaving any human who is unable to take care of themselves to die is somehow cruel. I read in the paper today where a local community is all excited about a grant that will give them a park! Yea for them....really? The economy is in the tank and grants come from tax money folks!! Do we really need another basketball court or splash pad right now? It seems we in this country have lost sight of things, we are looking with blinders on. Our indifference to everything has become a lethal dose of what can you do for me. We build walking trails, splash pads, basketball courts etc......they did that in our town too, and the biggest turn out at the basketball court is on Tuesday night when a local group comes and feeds and ministers to the people there, what does that say for our priorities. I do not believe in a Robin Hood society, I don't think Obama's idea to take from the rich to give to the poor is the way to go, I just think those who can help, should. I also believe a community has the obligation to encourage and enable anything that can help people find a job and be a fit parent. In this country we build billion dollar skyscrapers, sell 100,000 dollar cars, we pay athletes an insane and frankly appalling amount of money to play a GAME! All the while not helping the guy next door pay a light bill while he is out of work or offering to watch the kids of the single mom so she can go job hunting. Or invite a family over for dinner that has little. We start programs in our churches that nobody follows through on. We make up excuses for our lack of compassion. The spirit of which I speak used to be ever present in America. Small communities especially would gather together for a gathering of food for a needy family, programs were started and ran for free by neighbors and church members. When a man said he would help he showed up. When people said they were committed to something they actually were and they followed through. You can blame everything in this country on others and sometimes I am guilty of that, but it really does start with you. Do something, anything, if you say you will do something follow through. Give encouragement, give of your time, be the person you would want around if you were hurting. Watch the neighbors kids so they can go out for an evening. As a country we sit around with our hands out instead of giving a hand up. Don't just say that is the governments responsibility because it is not... it is ours. And I think that when we once again become a compassionate nation, then government will become smaller and we will become who we once were. Greed has nothing to do with it, but insistent self reliance and self isolation does. We hide behind the doors of our houses to shield us from the world. We drive our fancy cars right by the homeless shelter where people we went to school with are staying. We sit in church and watch the offering plate pass by because we have too many bills this month to give. We drive by the small children sitting outside on the porch to escape the heat inside as we go to the drive in for Happy Hour Soda pops. When did we become so disconnected folks?? What's wrong here???? And how do we get back to our hearts? Beacause we must if we want this country to survive.

Slow Down

The problem with being a passionate person is that sometimes you get so wrapped up in whats going on, you feel like everyone should be informed just like you, afterall your position is one of common sense...right?. That is why I write this blog. But sometimes that desire gets in the way and I miss the quiet solitude of other things going on around me. I don't pay as much attention to my wife as I should, I don't listen to my girls, and I sure don't spend as much time with God as I should when I get wrapped up in a whirlwind of emotions. Its those times I need to just slow down, step back and look at what I have. Reflect on the blessings, put aside the outside distractions and reel in some of that fire that fuels my other passions. It is In those times where I do that that I feel most content. It is when the world slows, the sky seems brighter, the air smells cleaner, the flowers smell better and my attitude is more even-tempered. Politics is important especially right now, but we can't forsake our own well being and those around us, for they are the reason for that passion. I am sure at times I rub people the wrong way. I may even hurt some feelings without intentionally doing so and for that I am sorry. But I also know people who live their life with no purpose, no direction, no passionate flow of ideas and I find that sad. Discourse is a human conundrum, it allows for the free exchange of ideas but on the flipside it can manifest itself into hatred and discontent if we let it. I know it is just August but resolutions need not be made only on Jan 1st, so I resolve to slow Down, check my passions and make sure they are guided by the right things. Examine my motives for purpose and clarity. Make sure my direction is clear. If not I will be like so many others whose passion has led them to sound irrational and trite and downrite mean. The ones who can not defend their position without calling others names are misguided and usually don't really know where their beleifs are rooted. So when you have a day where you feel like everything is against you and you must speak up, Slow Down, look around, take control, be intentional about your actions not reactionary. All of this is speaking to me as well. Sometimes we all need to just Slow Down....because the world is going nowhere, it will still be there when we get back.

Passion-revisited

Watching the Olympics I am struck with a type of awe. These folks have a dedication to their sport that far exceeds the ordinary dedicaton that us as spectators will ever act upon. We sit back and revel in their glory, we watch as they consume the furor that lies inside of them to force a little bit more energy into their mind and body to finish, or to win. We don't see the years of training and sacrifice they all give to be the best, and yes they are the best. Some are driven to succeed by passion, some are helped along the way by their coaches and family, and some based on their country live a long life away from their loved ones in training almost 24/7. I don't don't agree at all with the last one, but it is still a sacrifice. Why don't we have the passion shown by these athletes in our everyday life? Instead we look for excuses to not eat right. We make ways to circumvent exercise. We go out of our way to criticize others who choose to better themselves and not perpetuate poverty and non self reliance. We need to look closely during the olympians and draw on their passion. We need to suck it up, see the truth and act upon it. And the truth is we are made to be the best we can be. We are not made to pass the buck, blame others or shirk responsibility. We should not be nor allow someone to be a thought controller, a race baiter, a sub group howler or any other name that fits that does nothing constructive for themselves and this country. I am sick and tired of people throwing a fit when one person voices an opinion like the president of Chick Fi let did.... get over it, it is HIS opinion, we are all entitled to our opinion! I am also tired of carrying the burden for the thousands upon thousands that refuse to work! WE USED TO BE A NATION PREDICATED ON THE NOTION THAT WE HAD PASSION FOR OTHERS, FOR OURSELVES, FOR THE WORLD AND OUR COUNTRY! That day has long passed. We have become lazy, easily coerced, we beleive lies....we used to think for ourselves... Today we are governed by a President that does not want that day to return. His policies are such that he will not get reelected if he can't convince the country that the government is the answer. If we return to our passion, then regardless of who gets elected we will stand tall and bring this nation back to itself, and once again be a place other nations look to for guidance. So I emplore you that while you watch the olympics that you look inside of your soul and see where you should be. Examine the heart of your motives to make sure they are pure. Check your Integrity, put it more into practice. Taking away our Liberty and giving it to the government will never restore this country and the passion it was founded upon. As PAtrick Henry said, Give us Liberty, or Give us Death! That old mantra holds more true today than ever. And Benjamin Franklin said, " A country who sacrifices Liberty for Security has neither." Today, examine yourself, right the ship before it is too late....Bring back the Passion....But it starts with you!

Greif and prayer

Pause and pray for the victims in Aurora Colorado and their families. This was needless and senseless and the fault of one man. Why did he do it? We don't know yet, but we do know people are hurting, and the country is looking for answers. Some are trying to blame people or circumstances, but the truth is that a deranged man walked in and committed this horrific act. Go home tonight and hug your spouse and children, do something good for your neighbor, be a friend to the friendless, put kindness back to work all over this world to help add more to this than greif. But most of all, remember the familes of the fallen and ask for God to guide the hands and hearts and minds of the physicians as the road to physical healing begins. And we also want to remember the emotional healing for those in the theater and who witnessed this that they will be made whole again as well. Trama is hard to overcome, let's all take a moment to remember everyone touched by this in any way. No matter where you live in the world, please pause and reflect and make this a day to remember them.

Slow down...

Meandering slowly down a road, kicking a can and thinking...just thinking.....about how and why our country is in this shape. I look at my own life, I am about to become a grandfather for the very first time, very cool. I stand in awe as I watch the beautiful young women that my daughters have turned out to be. I ask God why am I blessed so much.....silence. I look around me at the people who are in my life, my Lovely wife of 25 years, my 2 beautiful daughters, my Mom, sisters and thier families, and the memory of my father, why am I so blessed? I look at our country I see the people forged by adversity, born into poverty during the depression and still keeping a smile on their faces as time takes so many of that generation from us too fast. I see young children playing in parks, jumping and sliding, seemingly oblivious to anything around them, just living in that single moment. As I think about visions of these moments in time and wonder if they will continue, I feel a sense of pride, a willingness to muster the courage it will take to pull myself up and be counted and not let our country and its people down. I see a country that can continue to be one of independence, yet reaching helping hands whenever needed, I see a country that has the ability to nurture its own within families to raise citizens who have a passion for the right thing. But as progressive liberal movements are allowed to take hold in this country, core values like family and pride and self reliance are slipping away. We need to take this country back, get rid of abortions, affirm marriage between a Man and a Woman, teach responsibility to our young people so children can be raised knowing thier parents. Strengthen our military so we can support and defend ourselves and our allies. But most of all, lets make this a country that we can be proud of again. One that does not take a back seat to any nation, one that is proud of its heritage. A country that does not let politics run things but rather lets passion and courage rue the day. We did not get here overnight and it will take resolve to right the path we are on..... You know what it will take to get us there, or at least get us started. We all know what got us where we are. Will you do anything about it? Will you stop the things in your life that are counter to what God has for this country? Will you get to the point where you feel we are blessed again? I hope so...I hope so....All we need to do is slow down...walk slowly and ....listen.....

Where do YOU want to be?

These billboards once were everywhere along the border leading into East Berlin, thanks to Ronald Reagan they no longer exist.  The words are in English , Russian and German for good reason. But they bring to mind a time when being an American meant freedom, prosperity, and Integrity. They were a symbol of a country that held firm on its committments to our allies. The America represented here always went to the aide of countries who needed us without condemnation or apology. We stood for what was right and we were what was good in this world. No longer is that the case. Obama in his short tenure has removed us from that status as the world's big brother. He has turned his back on our allies and decided to ignore our promises to Israel and others. He took away individual rights and replaced them with government rights. If he has his way and gets reelected, he and his cronies will strip what's left of our dignity and pride in favor of bowing (literally) to foreign interests and nations, none of which have our best interest at heart. Sound familiar? On the opposite side of each of these signs was a city and country that went down that road. It was a dark and dreary place that had no soul. They built a wall to keep people in and towers with gun emplacements to keep people out and in. If you were able to ever go through and see the other side you were appalled at the site. Saddness prevailed, sickness was accompanied by death because the national healthcare system could not function. Is this what you want for our grandchildren? Is this what you want for our country? Don't kid yourself into thinking it could never happen, because it can. We have already been stripped of civil liberties and the supreme court gave the okie dokie to tax us into oblivion, and force unwanted mandates down our throat. These are signs of a gasping nation, trying to breathe amidst the chaos that is the Obama/Democrats. Where will we be in 5 years? It depends on all of us. If you want to be the country on the good side of this sign, get rid of Obama, if you want to be the country on the other side represented by the tower above the sign then vote him for a 2nd term. It is all up to us.....I know which side I stand on, and it is on the side of The United States of America, Liberty and prosperity...period.

Be Responsible

Who is responsible? I mean...who do we blame....Really where can we point our finger and say ....THERE! They did it?? Where? To Whom?? For what?? ......Look in the mirror, thats where! We as American citizens shirked our responsibility to this nation and ourselves for so long that WE are responsible for where we have gotten. The majority of the people do NOT vote. The majority do not help their neighbors. Most people don't even know their neighbors! We are seemingly giving in to the special interests and small minded minorities that are pushing their identity onto the rest of us, and they are winning...why? Because we sit back and say, someone else will do it. That is someone else's problem, not mine! Well I am here to tell you, it is all of our problem, this is our country! It is sad that very unpopular people are getting elected, but that is because activists vote! Wake up folks! To make a difference in this country you must be involved. If you want to make a difference you have to get off the couch! Find your medium, find your voice, get to the voting booth every single time they are open. This should be a priority to you and every single American. So the next time we as Americans start looking for someone to blame, go no farther than ourselves, we are the responsible party, our apathy caused the rise of the oppressionist mentality, they are proactive, we are passive! Get out there, be heard, make a difference, tell your friends, write a blog, do something, we can't sit this out any longer, there is too much at stake....Be responsible.....it has been too long......

Jesus is NOT....

The next time someone tells you they don't like Christians because they don't live like Jesus, tell them that Jesus was a lot of things, but there were a lot of things that he was not, Jesus did not bend, he NEVER negotiated, he never wavered, he was not needlessly indignant, he was not a hypocrite, he was not influenced, he was NOT coerced, he Never took the easy road, he didn’t say what others wanted to hear, he was not silent, he was not compliant, he was NOT wrong...EVER...we spend a lot of time explaining who he was, but it is just as important to know who he was NOT. Just a thought...

I think people who say if Jesus were here he would be tolerant and nonjudgmental and would never rock the boat and just go around saying “Why can’t we all just get along?” are missing the point. Jesus always asked the sinner to repent and turn from their sins and follow him. He always pointed to the Father as the giver of life. He always spoke the truth even when it hurt but not because it hurt. He never gave sin a second look even when the Devil tried to tempt him. He always saw beyond the now and into a person’s heart, never looking for instant gratification like so many do today. He knew a man was not who he was based on his occupation or his past, but by his heart and his future in Christ. All of these things Jesus did to bring himself into the hearts of people. One thing he never did was condone sin, or embrace mediocrity. He demanded loyalty, but showed humility. He abhorred sin, but showed love to the sinner. He grieved for the lost and raised the dead unto life because of the faith of a few. He walked unto death clothed in the chains and weight of our sin so that we may be the witnesses to his resurrection to those around us and bring the good news to others so they can be changed too. Jesus was a lot of things, but mostly, he WAS God. To make him anything else is to make an idol that suits our needs, but we were put here to suit His needs, we fail to remember that sometimes. So the next time someone says you need to tolerate my sin because Jesus would, explain to them that sin and Jesus can not coexist. Light and dark can not occupy the same space. The more sin you let creep into your life the less room there is for him.

Passion

Is there something you are passionate about? I mean something that deep down you feel so strongly about you are willing to say things you know may be misconstrued? Or you feel so strongly thet you almost feel an obligation to inform others? I have that passion. I know my opinions are not shared by all and thats ok, they shouldn't be. But let me give you a challenge.....Do not fall prey to the whims of others. Do not let anyone dictate what you think. Learn for yourself. Whether it be politics, or religion, or the very values that you hold dear, examine your motives, make sure they are yours and not a deep seeded motivation brought on by years of indoctrination from a world bent of making the most secure among us have feelings of inadequacy that can only be overcome by getting on thier side. When in college I was in a religious studies class at a Christian university. One assignment was to attend other services, Catholic, Jewish, any that we could get into, and then write about it. The exercise was to bring our thinking back to its roots, to understand why we believe what we do. I challenge each of you to do the same. I go over the top with my posts for a reason, to make you think. For some I am sure all I do is make them mad, for others I am sure I make them laugh at this idiot, but for some I hope it opens their eyes, not only to the topic, but to the passion that I have for what I type. My roots are strong in Judeao Christian ethics. I try not to cross that line. I respect all races, I respect all genders and yes I respect all political views. But I do not agree with any that I think are going to be detrimental to this country and most importantly its people. I think the opportunities we had growing up are fading away. Studies show that for the first time in several generations, this group of kids will NOT have it better than thier parents. That concerns me, I want to change that. I just want it known that I know I sound irritated, and yes I am, we all should be. We are on a slippery slope that this country is not built for. God once was a staple in this Country, so much so his name was placed on our money. His name is on the walls of Congress. His book is still sworn on to stand for truth and honor in our justice system. Prayer still opens congress. When a national emergency arrises the churches fill and we see once again that prayer is still needed. So why can't we follow his tenants? Jesus was a lot of things but one thing he was not was tolerant. He loved the sinner so much that he always asked for them to turn from thier sin and follow him. He pointed out what they were doing was wrong and simply said go and sin no more. He is the example. We should not tolerate the sinful ways of our nation. We should not become cozy with mediocrity. We should not ignore the lies and deception that are told to further causes. It has gone on far too long. It is time to stand up and be passionate about what we believe in. It used to be God, Family and Country, now I think it is more like Me, Myself and I. If we don't reconnect with the passion that made this country what it is we will never be what this Christian nation once was.....and thats a fact.