The World as Observed by .......... Me

Finding Peace…..Alone with God

2011-11-04T14:30:00.005-04:00

I apologize for this being so long. I can get a little preachy sometimes.

Okay, so I have noticed how people speak about other people in their lives that may have hurt them or caused them pain, both in and out of church, and most times it is pretty easy to tell if they have gotten over their hurts or not. You can tell by the way they speak about them or their current situation, and it also shows up in their tone of voice and their mannerisms whenever those particular subjects come up. For a while there, I was no different.

Yes, I do have a past. Yes, I have been hurt, very deeply. But it does not get me down and it does not control me. The enemy has no power over me and does not dictate my life and how I will react to certain things.

So how did I do it? How do I keep on doing it? Well, because you asked (and even if you didn’t) I will tell you.

I found a passage in the Bible that has come to mean so very much to me and is the focal point, or beginning , of how I tie so many other scriptures together to make sense of my life.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (NIV)

This is how I explain how people can know God’s will for their lives. I am convinced that if you do these three things, then God’s Will, will become apparent in your life.

Now, I like the NIV, but it is important to look at other translations to get the full picture of what God is telling us here.

First, “Rejoice always”. Other translations say this as “be joyful” – always. This is because God never says anywhere in scripture that He wants us to be happy. In fact, all Bible references to the word “happy” tell us that happiness is a feeling. It is an emotion and it is fleeting, it is temporary, and it does not last. However, the Bible DOES tell us that we are to “know joy”. And you know very well that “joy comes from knowing the Lord”. Rejoice, be joyful, always. You see, joy is something you know, it is a decision you make, it becomes a state of mind, a condition of your heart. So, just “know”.

And about that word “joy” – a friend of mine described it this way: The word JOY is an acronym that means: Jesus, Others, and You. If you prioritize your life this way, then you will understand JOY. Remember, when asked about which commandment was the most important, Jesus answered “Love God”…first, then He said to “Love others”.
Also, Philippeans 2:3 says,

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.

Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,

not looking to your own interests

but each of you to the interests of the others.”

So, 1) Jesus, 2)Others, 3) You. That is JOY.

Pray continually. That one isn’t so easy, so I figured a way to do it. Like most people, I’m sure you pray first thing in the morning. So do I (most days). I ask God to help me live my life today in ways that are pleasing to Him. And I fail at it each and every day. But, when I finish praying in the morning, I do not say “amen”. This way, my entire day, everything I say and everything I do is a constant prayer to Him. There have been days when I am so ashamed that, “Oh man, I cannot believe that I just prayed THAT to God”. I don’t say “amen” until I am ready to go to sleep at night. Praying continually.

The hardest one though, is “give thanks in all circumstances”. Give thanks in everything, and for everything. No need to explain this one. You know for yourself how hard this can be. “Seriously God? I’m supposed to be THANKFUL for THAT?!?” Yeah. Everything.

So how do I keep from talking badly about those who may have wronged me? How do I keep from thinking bad thoughts about them? I pray for them. It isn’t easy to be angry with someone if you are praying for them. Go ahead. Try it and see for yourself. Also, I have some really good guys who hold me accountable, and they have my permission to do so. They are the kind of friends that I need and that I want in my life. I don’t need anyone to offer comfort and a pat on the back, I need strong Christian men to speak truth into my life when I need it, and to give me a Holy Spirit butt-kicking when I need it or deserve it.

Here’s another verse that helps me not speak ill of others:

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths,

but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs,

that it may benefit those who listen.”

(Ephesians 4:29)

I think it is important that we not misunderstand what this verse means by “according to their needs”. I strongly believe that we need faithful people in our lives that will speak truth to us, God’s Truth, when we need it. We need to trust that those people will tell us what we “need” to hear, not what we “want” to hear. There is often a huge difference. “….that it may benefit those who listen.” Think about it, if people only tell us what will makes us feel better about ourselves, what benefit is there? We have learned nothing, and we have not grown, and have no opportunity to grow. I want to grow (and not just because I am vertically challenged).

And one thing that was very difficult for me was to forgive.

“Be kind and compassionate to one another,

forgiving each other,

just as in Christ God forgave you.”

(Ephesians 4:32)

I had been beaten, punched, kicked, pushed around, bullied, spit in my face (seriously, that was just gross), had obscenities hurled at me, screaming and yelling at me. Good grief, all I tried to do was have a conversation, but I suppose you cannot disagree with some people without setting them off.
And I still had to forgive.

With all of the above, one scripture passage kept appearing in my daily devotionals.

“But mark this:

There will be terrible times in the last days.

People will be lovers of themselves,

lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive,

disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,

without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control,

brutal, not lovers of the good,

treacherous, rash, conceited,

lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—

having a form of godliness* but denying its power.

Have nothing to do with such people. “

(2 Timothy 3: 1-5)

With that in mind, particular individuals are no longer in my life.

*Oh, and about verse 5, “having a form of godliness…”, Paul is talking about Christians here. These are people who attend church, claim to be followers of Christ, attend Bible Studies, and may be active in church. But their lives do not reflect what they say they believe, they are lukewarm Christians (see Revelation 3:15-17 to see what happens to lukewarm Christians), and they are only “good” while they are at church or surrounded by their “church friends” (and sometimes, not even then!). Remember, you may be able to fool the people around you, but you cannot fool God. He knows your heart.

I now sleep better at night, and people around me have said they have noticed that “dark cloud” is no longer hovering over me. All I ever wanted was peace.

A few years ago, some very dear friends became concerned and asked, “Why is the guy who was always smiling, no longer smiling?” Then recently, they came up to me, hugged me and yelled, “He’s back!” I hadn’t even noticed, but apparently others did. And they do.

I’ve basically been alone for quite some time now, and I don’t mind telling you – it sucks.
But, if I had my choice, compared to what I’ve been through, I would rather be alone.

You may have already figured out that I am pretty much an idiot and have terrible luck with women.
But God loves me anyway, and everything will heal over time. And believe me, I have learned my lesson about rebounding and rushing into a new relationship way too soon.

As Andy Stanley pointed out, the perfect woman for me is out there somewhere, and God knows who she is and He knows where she is. So the best thing for me to do is to get and stay as close to God as possible and He will make things happen according to His perfect timing, not mine.

So I spend my time serving Him and serving others in His name, and drawing as close to Him as I can. I hope His timing is soon, because all that nonsense is far behind me and I am ready to move on.

I am still alone. But I am at peace.
Blessings.

Story of my Life

2011-08-10T13:41:00.000-04:00

So, yeah, it's like that.

One Man's Perspective

2011-08-09T15:23:00.000-04:00

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths,

but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs,

that it may benefit those who listen.”

(Ephesians 4:29)

This isn’t an easy subject to talk about, and since I am personally going through some of this right now, I do need to be mindful of what I say and how I say it. However, I do plan to be straight forward and direct, so if you are offended or put off by anything mentioned here, well, that is probably a good thing.

One thing I think that most of us can agree with is that men are basically stupid. Don’t get upset. God made us that way from the very beginning. I know you gals won’t argue with me on that one.

It all started way back in the Garden when God declared that it is not good for man to be alone. Any woman who has gone away for any amount of time and entrusted a man to stay home and take care of her houseplants can attest to that. Think about it – God put a man in charge of the entire Garden of Eden! It could be one of the reasons why God said that isn’t really a good idea for man to be alone. (yes, I know it has more to do with the fact that all the animals had mates and man didn’t, but bear with me, okay?)

God knew all about us men from the very beginning. So God decided to make a helper suitable for the man.

So, God made the woman since it really isn’t good for us guys to be alone. But you need to understand how God did it. You know that Eve was created from one of Adam’s ribs, right? You knew that. But do you remember what God did before he took that rib from the man? You guessed it. He caused the man to fall into a deep sleep. Now, I challenge anyone to find anywhere in the rest of the Bible where it says that man ever woke up.

Throughout scripture you will find verses that say things “Arise O sleeper…” (even in Ephesians 5:14). Even Jesus quoted that saying from the Old Testament. I really think He was talking about us! Jesus had to ask His disciples if they could stay awake with him for even one hour! Wake up guys!

So maybe that is why God had to make a helper for the man. We need help. Your husband may be a highly educated man, with a great career and with high standing in the community, but we just are not designed to make it all on our own.

And as for not being to altogether bright, I heard that even Mrs. Einstein was known to say things like, “Albert, you’re such an idiot!”

So here are some suggestions to help you two get along a little better. I know beyond any doubt that these things would have been a great help in my own life.

Okay guys, admit it, whenever there is a disagreement or an argument, who is at fault 90% of the time? Yep, that’s right. We are! Remember what it says in Ephesians 5, and 1 Peter 3? Have you done all you can to lift her up, make her holy, keep her washed clean through the Word? Can you present her to Christ as radiant, without stain or wrinkle, but holy and blameless? Yes, it says blameless. Blameless. The onus is on us. The men.

Did you love her as you love yourself? It doesn’t matter if she started it or if she is being totally unreasonable, you are to love her as Christ loves us.

Remember, the first part of the passage in Ephesians 5 tells us to “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ”

Then it says that the wife should submit to her husband. That is all it says to the woman. It is all that needs to be said. The woman gets it, she doesn’t need to hear any more.

The man however, needs a bit more direction and explanation, so the next several verses tell him what he specifically needs to do. Keep her holy and blameless, washed, clean, lift her up, present her to Christ as radiant, without stain or wrinkle or blemish. Love her as you love yourself! (We have to be told!)

And ladies, are you loving your husband like the Bible tells you too? Remember, the last part of the last verse of Ephesians 5 is what ties it all together. “….and the wife must respect her husband”. It doesn’t say that the wife shall, which would make it a command, but it says must. You must respect him, even when you don’t feel like it. It is what makes all of his efforts worthwhile.

Please note that this scripture only tells the wife to do one thing – respect her husband (the submit thing is a part of that), but the rest of that passage is an instruction to the husband to behave in such a way as to give her good reason to respect him!

Do you see it yet? It is a team effort! You both have to do your part in order for it to work. But the main part of making it all work for the good of the team falls on the woman. I’m serious about this. But ladies, you need to know a few things before you start throwing dishes at me.

Ladies, we love you. We really do, but please, talk to us. One of the main reasons for marital problems, that I read, is a lack of communication. We cannot read your mind. We would sure appreciate it if you would tell us specifically what it is that you are thinking and what it is that you want. Subtle hints don’t always work, and even flat out telling us sometimes doesn’t register, so you may need to tell us again. But please be nice about it. And remember, the way you say something is more often more important that the words you use. Please speak sweetly, the way you did back when you were trying to get him to notice you.

We know you women enjoy conversation, but most men don’t need all that much. Just because your husband doesn’t say anything doesn’t mean he isn’t speaking to you.

Did he bring you flowers for no reason? Did he open your door for you? Did he help you on with your coat, or hold your chair for you, and remember to put the seat down? (Guys, are you paying attention here?) Did he help with the dishes, help take care of the kids, help out around the house so you don’t feel like a maid? (seriously guys, are you paying attention?!?) While you were sitting together in church, did he reach over and touch or hold your hand? He may not have said more than two words in any of that, but his actions spoke volumes. Were you listening?

Guys, I know it isn’t easy, but please try to use a few more words than just a belch and “Good dinner, Hon”. Women need more than that. They need to feel loved, with kind words and non-sexual affection. But mostly – do stuff for her. Help her out.

And ladies, please understand if you don’t already, your man needs to feel appreciated. Just a few simple words of affirmation go a really long way. Affirm him. You’ll be glad you did.

The bottom line here folks is simply this: Be nice to each other.

Do nice things for your spouse without expecting anything in return. You may be amazed at the response.

[Naturally, if there are problems in your marriage that go beyond all of this, you should seek counseling (talk to your pastor or a professional counselor). But please, do NOT seek advice from your “friends”. Go straight to someone who will actually help you.]

Blessings.

Be kind and compassionate to one another,

forgiving each other,

just as in Christ God forgave you.

(Ephesians 4:32)

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.

Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,

not looking to your own interests

but each of you to the interests of the others.

(Philippians 2:3)

No Fear

2011-02-04T13:08:00.003-05:00

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,

and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” (Proverbs 9:10)

Now, I certainly do not proclaim to be wise, nor do I claim to have knowledge or understanding of the Holy One, rather, I consider myself to be a full-time, long-term, struggling student of the Word.

I have been in the church for 49 years now. I gave my life to Christ 36 years ago, so suffice it to say that I have heard a great many sermons on many different subjects. It is also safe to assume that I have sat through more than my fair share of sermons on tithing and giving. Putting money in the plate on Sunday morning seemed natural to me since, well basically, on Sunday morning that is just what you do. But I had always put in a dollar or two or whatever my grandfather gave me to put in there. And I never really thought much about it.

I continued to “tithe” during my early adult years, but it was still always an embarrassingly small amount. I can still remember the day when I learned that the word “tithe” means ten percent. But I didn’t feel embarrassed or ashamed, I felt fear. How could I give a full ten percent when I have a wife and child at home, while attending college full time, and we barely get by as it is? I increased my giving a little bit but it was still nowhere near ten percent. I’d heard someone say that God values your time more than He does your money, so I began volunteering my time at church. Sometimes I had even used that as an excuse for not tithing.

Once I finished college and began my career, I heard a pastor explain how “tithing” is an Old Testament requirement and that Jesus changed all that when He came here. According to Jesus’ teaching in the New Testament, He wants it ALL. 100%. All of your time, all of your heart, all of your mind and body, all of your soul, all of your spirit, and as for money – it is His to begin with. He merely allows us to manage it for Him. And according to the lessons in Crown Financial Ministries, He lets us use 90% to live on. It ALL belongs to God anyway. In fact, everything we think we own belongs to God, He just lets us use it.

Well, ten percent was still a lot of money to me, so I volunteered even more time at church and increased my giving to what I considered to be a comfortable level, but still way short of ten percent. And, although I consider myself to be thrifty and manage money wisely, I have still struggled financially.

I came to Northview in December of 2004, and became a member soon after. So it has been six full years since I first heard Pastor Steve’s annual tithing challenge, where he quoted from Malachi 3. You see, my only desire is to please God and live my life for Christ, but I had never thought of myself as robbing from God. I work hard for a living and earn my own way and provide for my family. But still, times were hard and the idea of tithing a full ten percent seemed like a lot to ask, but then Steve quoted “Test Me in this”, says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.”

So I signed the card and took Steve up on his challenge. I did the math and wrote that first check for the full ten percent. I could not help but think that a whole month’s worth of those tithe checks added up to a really nice car payment! But I stayed the course and waited patiently for God’s blessing to pour out all over me. But things did not get better for me financially, they got worse! I remember thinking about Steve’s challenge and that money back guarantee, and thought of how much all that money could really help me out. I also remembered the lessons from Crown Financial Ministries in that it all belongs to God anyway, so there was no way I was going call and ask for that money. The challenge was for only 90 days, but I had decided to give it a full year, in case God was also testing me in patience.

Each year Steve laid down the same challenge, and each year I signed that card and gave the full ten percent. But each year my financial situation did not improve. My savings account was depleted, and there were times when I feared I could not get to work since I could not afford to put gas in my truck. There were days when I drove on fumes and a prayer. And just like Mother Hubbard, often times the cupboards were bare. I had to borrow money and use credit cards just to stay afloat. (another thing you are not supposed to do!)

I found myself unemployed for a few months in 2007, but God did provide and I was able to find a new job at basically the same salary as before. And although those few months of unemployment brought a lot of problems for me financially, as soon as I started my new job, I resumed tithing as well. But those blessings still did not come. But now I was also haunted by the debt accrued during unemployment.

During all of this, I still had a rather dim view about tithing. I was not a cheerful giver and I found no joy at all in giving money to the church, let alone adding the Next Chapter campaign on top of it. I still gave, but I was giving grudgingly. And around this time every year, Pastor Steve presents his tithing challenge with the guarantee that God will pour out blessings. But the blessings still did not come. I was getting rather frustrated. “Okay God, I’m ready! Here’s your check. I’m ready to receive those blessings now!”

Nothing.

I saw tithing and giving as a chore and I realized that I was only in it to get something out of it. I wanted those blessings God had promised in Malachi 3. But the blessings were not coming. It was also during this time that I met another fellow in our church whose financial situation had been worse than mine. He told me that he had reached the point of turning everything over to God and telling God, “I’ll trust You all the way to zero”.

Those words struck me very deeply, and I decided to do something I should have done from the very beginning – I decided to pray and turn over my whole heart, including my finances, over to the One who provided them in the first place. “Seek first His Kingdom…..” Yeah, I remembered that memory verse from Sunday School. “…….and all these things will be added unto you”. What things? ALL things. All my needs, all the necessities of life. All of the blessings He had promised. From the Crown Financial Ministries course, I understood the difference between needs and wants, but I was still struggling.

You see, I was being obedient, as He instructs me to do in His Word, but my heart was in the wrong place. I wasn’t doing it for Him, I was doing it for me! So I asked God to change my heart, and offered myself to Him as His humble servant. I asked Him to help me live my life in a way that is pleasing to Him.

I also prayed, “Lord, I trust You all the way to zero”. And sure enough, God took me all the way to zero, sometimes below zero, but He always provided and brought me back up. I learned to appreciate what He gave me. I also learned to live on a very small budget.

Just over a year ago, things began to change. Certain financial situations began to turn and go my way a little. Not much, but just enough to where there was a little bit left over at the end of the month. Financially, I was no longer suffocating and I could breathe a little better. I also began sponsoring a child in Indonesia through Compassion International. What a blessing! I was even able to complete my Next Chapter pledge early, and give a little extra as well.

Then a job opportunity opened up at work and I applied for it. There had been a salary freeze at work for the last several years, so there had been no raises, even though the cost of living had increased. God blessed me with the new job, which meant a promotion and a small raise. I remember my first thought as being, “Wow, I get to tithe more! Now I can do something for someone else!” I was genuinely excited, but then asked myself “Where did that thought come from? That certainly doesn’t sound like me!” I thanked God for the blessing and for changing my heart.

And the blessings started. Not a lot, but small abundances. I noticed that each one of those abundances were also accompanied by an opportunity. An opportunity to help someone else in need.

Sometimes I laugh at the fact that the opportunity to help someone out financially, was the exact amount of the abundance that God provided. My greatest joy in doing something for someone is that they never find out where the gift came from. As long as God gets the glory, I’m okay with that. He is the One responsible after all.

I was still under a mountain of debt, but that mountain was shrinking. God is so good. I have learned a lot from this experience and it took a whole lot longer than 90 days to see God working and to realize His blessings. The “floodgates” haven’t opened up and I certainly do have room for more blessings, but God will take care of that in His own time.

My heart and my attitude have changed in regards to tithing. I get paid every two weeks, and it happens electronically. So I have set up reminders on my Outlook calendar for each of those days. On payday, I log onto the Northview website, and pay my tithe electronically. It is the first thing I do on payday. Ten percent from the “first fruits”. I budget the rest of the month from there. There is gas in the truck, food in the fridge, and every once in a while I can afford to go play a round of golf.

And that mountain of debt? This time next month, with the exception of the mortgage, I will be debt free. One more payment to go. I can hardly wait to see what opportunity He presents to me then.

God is so good.

I’ve never been irresponsible with money. I’ve always disliked spending it, especially on myself. So frivolous spending and poor money management was not the problem (my truck is 13 years old and was paid off 11 years ago). What I needed was an attitude adjustment and a heart transplant. And that fear I mentioned earlier, has now turned to joy.

God is good – all the time! And for Re:Imagine - my pledge is twice the amount I gave to "The Next Chapter". God made that possible too.

Since God has proven Himself to be faithful, true to His Word, and that He will meet my every need, I asked Him to allow me to win the lottery to prove to Him that all that money will not change me.

Have you ever heard what sounds like uncontrollable laughter from heaven?

Yeah. It is a lot like that.

Blessings.

Aetheists ain't got no songs!

2010-12-15T20:32:00.000-05:00

A Compendium of Religious Music Resources (Steve Martin Edition) - Mind the Gap

Turn up your speakers.
You are going to love this!!

My Daddy Can Fix Anything!

2010-10-01T16:28:00.001-04:00

I was reminded recently of when my daughter was just a little girl. I can still remember that four year little face, with tears in her eyes, walking up to me with a broken toy in her outstretched arms. “Daddy, can you fix this for me?”. I told her I would do my best, and I took her toy to my workshop out in the garage. A little while later I handed it back to her, good as new. I cannot tell you how much joy I felt inside as her eyes lit up, and she squealed, “Thank you Daddy!”, and then ran off to play with her toy.

We were living in an older home then that was in much need of repair, and it was during this time that I was able to learn and hone much of my handyman skills. It took some time, but by the time we finished, most of that old house looked brand new. Many times my children brought me broken things to repair, and sometimes to my own amazement, I was able to repair them. We taught our children to be polite and to say “please” and “thank you”, but it is hard to tell at such young ages if they really appreciated things or not.

It wasn’t until one of my friends had asked if I could bring my tools over to his house to help him fix something, when I heard my little girl loudly exclaim, “Sure he can. My Daddy can fix anything!” I had no idea she was listening, but it did feel good to know that my daughter believed that about me.

I hadn’t thought of that for quite some time. Recently I had been going through some of life’s trials and was feeling the heavy burden of despair. I had been taking for granted that I could indeed fix just about anything. I can do most home repairs and if something is made of wood, I’m your man. I am involved in various ministries and over the years have learned to work with people, calming storms, settling disputes, helping others reach a common ground. I enjoy fixing all sorts of things. But this time, emotionally, spiritually, I was getting beat up pretty bad. I had reached a breaking point and I had no idea what to do next.

I had been praying about this issue all along, but I had been asking God to make things the way I wanted them, instead of allowing Him to do it His way.

Finally, during one of my quiet times, alone with God, I gave it all to Him. Now, my kind of “quiet time” with God isn’t always quiet. Yes, sometimes it is when I am sitting in my comfortable chair alone with my Bible, but many times it is when I am busy mowing my yard or building something or working on a project in my garage. It was during one of those noisy quiet times, when I could hear my little girl’s voice shouting, “My Daddy can fix anything!” The mere thought of that sweet little girl repeating those words made me smile and brought warmth to my heart as those memories flooded back into my mind.
As I thought back to those early days, I heard another voice, that still, small voice you read about in the Bible. It was calm and reassuring, and I could almost feel a gentle hand on my shoulder as He said, “My Daddy can fix anything.” I immediately stopped what I was doing and fell to my knees. I knew all too well Who was speaking to me.

I began to pray and begged God to forgive me. I wept almost uncontrollably and called Him “Daddy”. I swept up all my problems, all those things that I could not fix, in my arms and I approached the throne and laid them down at the feet of Jesus. I could not look up, I couldn’t even look at His feet, and I cried, “Daddy, I can’t fix this. I am giving it all over to You to do with as You will. Please forgive me for being so selfish and wanting to have things my own way, instead of Yours”.
I stood up, turned around and walked away, leaving it all at Jesus’ feet.

I’ve seen some results since then, changes in things that could only come from the Holy Spirit working in people’s lives. I have no idea how things will turn out, but I have decided that whatever makes my Heavenly Father happy, makes me happy.

Blessings.

Humble yourselves, therefore,

under God's mighty hand,

that He may lift you up in due time.

Cast all your anxiety on Him

because He cares for you.

(1 Peter 5:6-7)

The Best Joke Book Around....

2010-08-25T12:28:00.000-04:00

If you are looking for a collection of good, clean jokes that you can openly tell in church, then you need The Official Alpha Dude Joke Book.

I like to make people laugh, or at least smile. I don’t care if people are laughing with me or at me. As long as they are laughing, that means they are experiencing at least the slightest bit of joy, even if only for a moment.

I know it isn’t my job to make people happy, but I try to at least make them feel good while I have the chance.

One thing I’ve learned since I was asked to be the Alpha Dude, is that people like to laugh. They also like to share their own bits of humor with me as well. Also, the ministry Director likes to open each session with a joke. Some of them are actually funny (and some are not). I’ve tried my best to only include the funny ones here. So go ahead, sit back and enjoy the ride.

If you like what you see here, share the joy.

I had posted this once before, a long time ago.
However, the formatting was terrible when I converted it for printing.
All that has been corrected and the book is now "new and improved" (so no one can get into any trouble).
Crazy Deb, since you bought a weirded formatted copy, you get this one for free.
(send me your address and I'll send it right out to you, but keep this between just us, okay? I wouldn't everyone else to get jealous)

For the rest of you, you can buy the book by clicking on this link, or by clicking on the book cover over there on the right side of this page.

Blessings,

Alpha Dude

The Children's Bible in a Nutshell

2009-12-31T11:27:00.002-05:00

The Bible Story - as written by a child.........

In the beginning, which occurred near the start, there was nothing but God, darkness, and some gas.

The Bible says, 'The Lord thy God is one, but I think He must be a lot older than that.

Anyway, God said, 'Give me a light!' and someone did.

Then God made the world. He split the Adam and made Eve. Adam and Eve were naked, but they weren't embarrassed because mirrors hadn't been invented yet.

Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating one bad apple, so they were driven from the Garden of Eden.....Not sure what they were driven in though, because they didn't have cars.

Adam and Eve had a son, Cain, who hated his brother as long as he was Abel.

Pretty soon all of the early people died off, except for Methuselah, who lived to be like a million or something.

One of the next important people was Noah, who was a good guy, but one of his kids was kind of a Ham. Noah built a large boat and put his family and some animals on it. He asked some other people to join him, but they said they would have to take a rain check.

After Noah came Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jacob was more famous than his brother, Esau, because Esau sold Jacob his birthmark in exchange for some pot roast. Jacob had a son named Joseph who wore a really loud sports coat.

Another important Bible guy is Moses, whose real name was Charlton Heston. Moses led the Israel Lights out of Egypt and away from the evil Pharaoh after God sent ten plagues on Pharaoh's people. These plagues included frogs, mice, lice, bowels, and no cable.

God fed the Israel Lights every day with manicotti. Then he gave them His Top Ten Commandments. These include: don't lie, cheat, smoke, dance, or covet your neighbors stuff. Oh, yeah, I just thought of one more: Humor thy father and thy mother.

One of Moses' best helpers was Joshua who was the first Bible guy to use spies. Joshua fought the battle of Geritol and the fence fell over on the town.

After Joshua came David. He got to be king by killing a giant with a slingshot. He had a son named Solomon who had about 300 wives and 500 porcupines. My teacher says he was wise, but that doesn't sound very wise to me.

After Solomon there were a bunch of major league prophets. One of these was Jonah, who was swallowed by a big whale and then barfed up on the shore.

There were also some minor league prophets, but I guess we don't have to worry about them.

After the Old Testament came the New Testament. Jesus is the star of The New. He was born in Bethlehem in a barn. (I wish I had been born in a barn too, because my mom is always saying to me, 'Close the door! Were you born in a barn?' It would be nice to say, 'As a matter of fact, I was.')

During His life, Jesus had many arguments with sinners like the Pharisees and the Democrats.

Jesus also had twelve opossums. The worst one was Judas Asparagus. Judas was so evil that they named a terrible vegetable after him.

Jesus was a great man. He healed many leopards and even preached to some Germans on the Mount.

But the Democrats and all those guys put Jesus on trial before Pontius the Pilot. Pilot didn't stick up for Jesus. He just washed his hands instead.

Anyways, Jesus died for our sins, then came back to life again. He went up to Heaven but will be back at the end of the Aluminum. His return is foretold in the book of Revolution.

The Gold Coin

2009-10-19T14:09:00.002-04:00

I had an encounter with God this weekend.

Our church is involved in a spiritual growth campaign called “RESET”. We’re borrowing it from Crossroads Church in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is really pretty good and I highly recommend it. Each week during RESET, we’re given a different “challenge” to complete.

One of the things we were asked to do during this past week’s challenge was to participate in the “Prayer Experience”. The Prayer Experience is a series of 12 or 13 “stations” that you walk through while listening to a message on an MP3 player. Upon entering each area, or room, you click next on the player and listen to the narrator explain the intent of this particular area. The experience you have while there is strictly between you and God, even if other people may also be in the room at the same time. Each individual moves at their own pace, advancing to the next “station” whenever they are ready. One station leads you through the church auditorium, others lead you through small rooms or areas sectioned off by black curtains.

I went early Saturday morning and found myself to be the only one there.

Some things I have been dealing with lately involve fear, doubt, and feeling insecure about some things. Often times I wonder, “Where is God in all of this?” while dealing with some particular daily experiences.

During the Prayer Experience Saturday morning, God reminded me that He is still right there with me, and is in control of everything.

As I entered the third “station”, the one titled “IDOLS”, I noticed a wicker basket full of gold coins. (Don’t worry, they’re all cheap plastic coins, so no one will try to steal them). Each coin was imprinted with a symbol (a harp, praying hands, etc.) and had a scripture verse on the back.

I pressed “next” on the MP3 player and the narrator began to explain the meaning of this particular room. As he spoke I noticed another small basket which contained pieces of bread, and a box of toothpicks next to it. Beside the baskets of coins and bread, there was a sign that said to take a few coins and a piece of bread, and as you listen to the narrator, you’ll discover what to do with them. A few, to me, means three, so that’s what I tried to pick up.

I reached into the coin basket and picked up a few coins. When I looked in my hand, I counted four plastic gold coins. I didn’t really believe I would use all four coins and figured I could put one back in the main basket before I left this room. I used a toothpick to pick up a small piece of bread and made my way into the main part of the room.

In this room, I saw several brick pedestals with more wicker baskets on them. Each basket already had many coins in each of them and the front of each pedestal bore a sign which described a common misconception or belief you may have, or have had, about Jesus. The instructions were that if you thought you needed prayer in this area of your life, or if you basically need to hit the “Reset” button concerning your thoughts or beliefs about Jesus, then as you are praying (talking to God) about it, toss a coin into the basket, indicating that you are turning it over to Him.

As music now played on the MP3 player, I took my time reading each sign, and carefully, deeply and prayerfully evaluated where I stood on each issue. And I tossed a coin into a basket, and then another, and so on.

When I got to the end of the row of pedestals, I had tossed one coin into five different baskets. Five. A chill ran up my spine. I looked back across the room to where I had started and remembered that I had only picked up four coins from the first basket.

It was then that I also noticed that I still had one more coin in my hand. As I looked at it, my body began to tingle and my eyes began welling up. Through the tears, I read the verse written on the back of this coin. It was Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Him who gives me strength”.

I had been conversing and listening to God the entire time, feeling Him, as it were, so I thought, “Okay Lord. I get it. I give it all over to you.” All of my cares, my worries my fears, my insecurities, I turned it all over to Him. I remembered the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand and stared at that piece of bread on the toothpick in my hand.

Nothing happened with the bread, so when the narrator said to eat it, I did. I looked again at the coin still in my hand and said, “I’m keeping this one”. I put the coin in my pocket, left the room and proceeded to the next station.

Blessings.

Penguins......

2009-09-10T10:02:00.001-04:00

Did you ever wonder why there are no dead penguins on the ice in Antarctica - where do they go?

Wonder no more!!!

It is a known fact that the penguin is a very ritualistic bird, which lives an extremely ordered and complex life.

The penguin is very committed to its family and will mate for life, as well as maintaining a form of compassionate contact with its offspring throughout its life.

If a penguin is found dead on the ice surface, other members of the family and social circle have been known to dig holes in the ice, using their vestigial wings and beaks, until the hole is deep enough for the dead bird to be rolled into and buried.

The male penguins then gather in a circle around the fresh grave and sing:

"Freeze a jolly good fellow."

"Then they kick him in the ice hole."

You really didn’t believe that I knew anything about penguins, did you?

A Really Good Quote....

2009-08-25T12:25:00.004-04:00

"If a friend is in trouble,

don't annoy him by asking

if there is anything you can do.

Think up something appropriate

and do it."

- Edgar Watson Howe

I really don't think I should say anything beyond that.

marriage_view.wmv

2009-05-14T22:18:00.001-04:00

Enjoy.

Turn up your speakers!

You Just Can't Make This Stuff Up.....

2009-04-24T12:14:00.004-04:00

My job requires that I drive to different areas of our state quite often. During my travels, I’ve seen some rather interesting things. You are about to see why I now keep my camera with me whenever make these trips.
The following are a collection of a few of the photos I’ve taken during my travels around our state. You just can’t make this stuff up.

Apparently, this is where they bury the Old Baptists.
Not sure where they put the younger ones.

Obviously, part of Obama’s new economic plan….

The sign pretty much says it all. And, no, I have not eaten here.
I’m afraid to.

Now THIS farmer harvests his corn really faast!

Before you try to dispose of the body, make sure to check their ID first.

I hope you have enjoyed this trip to our state.

Please come back anytime.

A Gathering Force - by Francis Chan

2009-04-16T08:29:00.004-04:00

I just finished reading the book “Crazy Love” by Francis Chan. I also used to be a member of Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley, California (Francis Chan’s church). The article below is exactly what Francis talks about in his book, talks about in church, and is how he himself lives his own life. I know this man personally, and you can trust what he says…….

Is there any logic in believing that God started His Church as a Spirit-filled, loving body with the intention that it would evolve into entertaining, hour-long services? Was he hoping that one day people would be attracted to the Church not because they care for one another, not because they are devoted to Him, not because the supernatural occurs in their midst, but because of good music and entertainment?

Try to imagine what conclusions you would come to if you had no prior church experience. The things in church services might make sense to the American church-attendee, but they don’t make sense biblically.

Picture yourself on an island with only a Bible. You’ve never been to a church-you’ve never even heard of one. The only ideas you have about church are what you’ve read in your Bible. Then you enter a building labeled “church” for the first time. What would you expect to experience as you entered that building? Now compare that to what you actually experience when you attend church.

GANG RELATED
A while back, an ex-gang member got baptized at our church. He fell in love with Jesus and turned from his old lifestyle. But after several months at the church, he stopped attending. When we asked him why he stopped attending, he answered: “I had the wrong idea of what church was going to be like. When I joined the church, I thought it was going to be like joining a gang. You see, in the gangs we weren’t just nice to each other once a week-we were family.”

That killed me because I knew that what he expected is what the church was intended to be. It saddened me because I realized that the gangs paint a better picture of loyalty and family than the local church body does.

But what if the church looked like this?

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:42-47)

That describes what the ex-gang member was looking for. It describes what the world is waiting for. I used to look at this passage as something that was wonderful but could never happen in the twenty-first century. There are just too many cultural obstacles for the Holy Spirit to overcome. He is powerful enough to raise the dead, but not powerful enough to form a sharing and loving body in our individualistic society. I doubted God’s ability to stir a body of believers to love tirelessly and give without restraint. I reasoned that this type of fellowship was probably not intended for our time. Besides, we don’t have time to love like this.

Looking back, I wonder if I came to those conclusions because there was a part of me that wasn’t sure I wanted it. It’s interesting how much our theology is driven by desire.

There came a point where the elders at our church concluded that there was no reason why God wouldn’t want the church to look like it did in the beginning. From there we reasoned that if God wants that, then we want it too. But the exciting part came when we resolved not to settle for anything less. We would pursue this for His Church regardless of how many would be turned off and move to other churches. If this is God’s standard, then we will one day give an account for how we led His people toward the biblical model.

But where do we go from here? The hard part is answering the question of how. There are probably many who want our churches to function like the early church, but how do we get there?

START WITH WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL
In other words, start with yourself. It’s wrong to blame others for the condition of the Church. And it’s silly for leaders to blame followers. God wasn’t satisfied when Adam blamed Eve or when Eve blamed the serpent.

Our elders started with what we could control. We can’t control other people. We can’t make the congregation “break bread in their homes” or “sell their possessions.” We also can’t control God. We can’t make Him do “wonders and miraculous signs” through us. I can, however, sell my possessions as people have needs. I do have control over that, so that became the first logical step. As we do our part, we trust God to bring about the “awe” and “wonders” in His time.

It was a beautiful time of sharing as our elders laid “everything” at each others’ feet. We surrendered the keys to our cars, homes, and bank accounts. I actually believed the elders who looked me in the eyes and said, “What’s mine is yours. If anything ever happens to you, I will support and care for your kids as much as I would care for my own. I will be your life insurance.” And because they had a history of genuine sacrifice for the sake of the gospel, I trusted what they said. From there, we began going to some of our friends in the congregation and expressing our commitment to them (something anyone can do).

And now this mentality is spreading. New life is permeating the church as individuals are backing up their words with sacrifice. Cars and homes are being sold or given away. Expensive vacations are joyfully replaced with spending on others. People are being taken into homes-not only for meals, but to live. It’s still the beginning of the process, and most people probably still come for the teaching or the music, but there’s a growing number at our church who are coming to be with their church family and they don’t care about who’s teaching or leading music.

THERE MUST BE MORE
Something real was happing in the early Church. It was something of the Spirit, too powerful to be replicated by human effort. Imagine taking a friend to one of their church gatherings. Your friend might not experience a smoothly run, professional service. But one thing he would experience: God. Do we even need to ask which is better? So much of church growth today has nothing to do with the Holy Spirit. The right team of talented people can make any church grow. When people sit through creative services, is it really God they’re experiencing?

Don’t get me wrong: I’m not saying that we shouldn’t give our best to God. If you’re a musician, work diligently at your music. If you’re a teacher, labor intensely over your messages. I’m just asking you to be willing to rethink what you’re doing and ask: How can we create a more biblical environment where people see and experience God?

I’m reminded of the story of Gideon in Judges 7. God tells Gideon, “You have too many men for me to deliver Midian into their hands. In order that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved her, announce now to the people, ‘Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’ So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained.” (Judges 7:2-3)

If you remember the story, God then reduced the army to 300 soldiers. God did not just defeat the Midianites-He was careful to do it in a way that gave Him all the glory. He did not want to allow Israel to boast “that her own strength has saved her.”

May people see our churches and know that mere human beings could not have created what they experienced. May we seek the priorities of the early church and trust God to once again produce the fruit of the early Church.

“And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:47)

Francis Chan is the pastor of Cornerstone Church and the president of Eternity Bible College in Simi Valley. In addition to being a pastor, Francis speaks to thousands of youth throughout the U.S., challenging them to deeper commitment. He can be heard on his radio program “Truth Be Known.” Francis has a great sense of humor, a genuine love for Christ, and a commitment to teach straight from the Word of God. Francis and his wife Lisa have been married for twelve years and have three daughters and one son: Rachel, mercy, Eliana, and Ezekiel. He is a graduate of the Master’s College and Seminary.

Just some stuff on my mind…..

2009-04-01T12:25:00.005-04:00

Just thought I’d share a few things that have been on my mind lately and I’d like to get off my chest.

The Other Door
I went to lunch with some co-workers recently and the door to the restaurant had a sign on it that read “Please Use Other Door”. Well, there were a few “other doors” to choose from and the store front layout of this place did not make it easy to locate the correct door. My suggestion to anyone who posts a sign that says “Please Use Other Door” would to also post a similar sign on the correct door that reads “THIS IS THE OTHER DOOR”. It sure would be helpful.

Stimulus Money
This bailout stuff is really starting to get on my nerves. I cannot understand how so many people can be so stupid. Especially our so-called elected officials. Whether you call it stimulus, bailout, or economic recovery, it is all going to lead us to the same place. What is really happening is that they are putting money into the economy by taking money out of the economy, then putting that same money back into the economy and taxing it as it passes through. Sheer stupidity.
Would you like to know how to really stimulate the economy? I’m glad you asked. I’d be happy to tell you. (and, by the way, had you elected me as President, this is what would be going on instead).
First, instead of bailing out the major corporations (banks, mortgage lenders, etc.), I would put all those executives in jail for the illegal mishandling of the funds they were entrusted with. Those guys got rich while their companies, clients and investors went broke. They themselves screwed up and should be held accountable.
Second, lower gas prices. Please don’t whine to me about the oil companies and their problems! If they can run the price of gas above $4 per gallon and show record profits, then they can surely drive the price of a gallon of gas to below one dollar! Then, start drilling in ANWR and under the Colorado Rockies. Sarah Palin already thinks we should be drilling in ANWR, and that is in her home state. There’s more oil under the Rockies than in the entire middle east, so what are we waiting for? Oil production in Alaska hasn’t bothered the caribou any, so why should some dumb mountain goats mind either? By lowering gas prices and increasing domestic production, those middle-eastern guys will have no choice but to lower their prices as well in order to keep up.
Lower gas prices will also bring down the price of just about everything else (all that stuff that went UP when the gas prices increased last year), which means people will start buying more. When people start buying more stuff, the demand will increase, which will stabilize prices, create or reinstate more jobs, which puts people back to work, and drastically slows down the rate of inflation. Right now, by pumping more money into the economy, only serves to reduce the value of that dollar in your pocket. Bring prices down and let people EARN things, then the economy will stabilize and recover.

Social Security and Health Care
My recommendation is to take away that golden umbrella and put our elected officials (all of them) on the same system as the rest of us, and then watch how fast they fix it!

About Christians
Okay, so I started by just blowing off some steam and I got a little carried away. Being a Christian means to be “Christ-Like”. Yeah, I know, it isn’t easy and it is much easier said than done. But if you are going to cut me off in traffic, swear at other drivers, flip the finger at people, and drive like a maniac, then please go get some warm water and a razor blade and scrape that “Honk If You Love Jesus” bumper sticker off your car. And please remove that plastic chrome plated Jesus fish symbol while you are at it.
And please, I beg you, if you are only going to act nice to people, and put on your “Christian face” only on Sundays, then please don’t tell anyone that you are a Christian. Because, quite frankly, dude, you are bad for business.
Jesus told us to follow Him. To be like Him and to tell others about Him (sometimes using words) all the time. Not just when we feel like it.
I’d heard it said that the two main reasons that most people do not come to Christ is
1) They have not yet met a Christian, and
2) They HAVE met a Christian.
I had a conversation this morning with a guy who is struggling with accepting Christ because of the church people he has met who don’t practice what they preach. He feels God tugging at him, but he cannot ignore what he sees around him.

Honesty
Why is it that the people who mean the most to you, that you love more than anyone or anything, that should love you back the same way, still feel the need to lie to you?

I’m just saying….

Friends

I so very thankful that God has placed in my life a few men who are allowed access to see into the very core of my heart and hold me accountable. These are some great men and are what true friends are really all about.

Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you;
not as the world gives do I give to you.
Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.
JOHN 14:27

Pole Dancer Video

2009-03-12T22:08:00.003-04:00

Be forewarned.
Before veiwing this video, please put down your soda.

Trust me.

One of my all time favorite songs

2009-02-25T12:33:00.002-05:00

http://www.tangle.com/view_video?viewkey=f9094a6548c1a96d355a

Turn up your speakers, click on the link, and enjoy.

Getting Bent

2009-02-07T23:23:00.000-05:00

Yeah, I know what you may be thinking, and you just might be right. But I hope you keep on reading anyway.

First of all, it may be helpful to understand the mind behind where this is coming from.

So yeah, that may explain a few things (thank God for spell check!), but please bear with me and I’ll try to make this as simple as I can.
You see, I’ve been thinking lately about Moments.

The following is a brief definition of a moment:

Moment of force (often just moment) is a synonym for torque, an important basic concept in physics and civil engineering. For example, "torque" is usually used to describe a rotational force that a wrench applies to a nut or bolt, whereas "moment" is more often used to describe a bending force on a beam.

This diagram can be explained by the equation MG = F x d.

F is the force applied on the beam, and d is the distance from the wall (or start of the beam). I have called the point where the beam meets the wall, point G, and you’ll see why in a moment (no pun intended). It is also important to note that at point G, the distance d equals zero!

Now suppose that F is constant, meaning that the amount of force pressing against the beam doesn’t change. No matter where you put it, the force is the same.
As F gets farther away from the wall, the amount of the Moment will increase (gets bigger). So, as d gets bigger, so does MG. Basic math stuff, right?

The Moment at point G, MG, experiences all the stresses and strains (torque) as it resists bending or breaking as the force F is pressed against the beam.

Think of a big tree being blown hard by a strong wind.

(I like this picture because it looks like someplace I’d rather be right now)

The force is applied by the wind and it creates a Moment at the base of the tree, the height of the tree (distance d) will depend on how much stress and strain is experienced at the base. The tree bends, but it doesn’t break. This may explain why the tree is bigger at the base. This is where it needs to be stronger. So it doesn’t break off at the base.

Okay, are you getting the idea behind the bending moment and how it grows depending on the amount of force and the distance from point G?
Yeah? Okay, good.

So, although the force is strong, the beam doesn’t rotate, or turn, because it is anchored at the base.

Now for the personal visual part:

You are the beam. The force applied on that beam (you), multiplied by the distance from the base (or connection point) results in the amount of stress applied at point G. Remember, Point G is the connection at the wall, where the distance d is zero.
When the forces of your life are applied at G (d = 0), the Moment, or stress (or torque) is also zero.
G stands for God. He is what is holding you in place.

Can you see where this is going?
The farther you are away from God, the greater the forces of life can affect you and cause you stress or strain and get you torqued.

Some stuff in my life has happened recently to get me rather torqued off.
Why did those things affect me so much?
Why was it so easy for me to get torqued, and cause me to worry?
My wife had a most profound statement for me. She simply told me that if I have worry, then I am not close to God. Wow. That is scriptural too!

But still, some of life’s Moments were causing me stress, and putting some strain on my life. Remember: M = F x d.
If I was experiencing big “Moments”, then my d was not zero, or not even close to it. Even though I believed I was close to God, apparently I wasn’t. How could I be, if I was getting torqued?

All this time I had thought I was doing so much for the kingdom of God. Constantly driving to do more, and do it better than I had before, and just plowing straight ahead with all that I had to give. I was racing at 200 MPH and showed no signs of slowing down, getting tired or burning out.

But the “Moments” were increasing. (Remember the story about the Pharisee?)

A very dear friend of mine shared a devotional with me that simply stated that I needed to build some margin into my life. I had no idea what that meant until I read the whole thing.
(Purpose Driven Life – daily devotional, January 6, 2009)

The article said that by building margin in my life I will get:
1. Peace of mind. When you’re not always hurrying and worrying, you have time to think, time to relax, time to enjoy life.
2. Better health. Unrelenting stress harms our bodies…..your body needs downtime in order to heal. Race cars make pit stops occasionally in order to get repaired. You can’t fix anything going 200 miles an hour. Yet, we try to repair ourselves while we’re still racing through life.
3. Stronger relationships. When we don’t make relationships a priority and make time for each other, our relationships suffer.
4. Usefulness in ministry. ….when you have margin, you’re available for God to use.

My response to my friend said,
“So basically, I am in the pits being repaired.
I have been racing at 200MPH for too long and I suppose I could use a rest.
I’m not used to that, so it will be something to get used to for a time.”

His response to me is what really got me thinking.
“So basically, you're in for repairs as you've been bumping into other cars and smacking the wall from time to time. . . then find out the real problem. . . I'M NOT SUPPOSED TO DRIVE!

The Lord drives! He drives the bus, truck, car, motorcycle, etc. He's the only one that knows where we are going! If He drives we get there safe and sound and all we have to do is sit back and listen to His instruction and follow His guidance and we Win the race!

Driver or rider. . . you decide.”

So I’m taking a rest. I spend my time in God’s Word, in prayer, and in fellowship with Him. I am just allowing Him to restore me so He can use when and where ever He so chooses.

One more thing to think about is deflection. That is an engineering term for the amount of bending experienced by the beam as d increases. (Don't worry, I won't go into the math to calculate the effects that deflection has on the beam)
When we get far enough away from God, we, the beam, can start to bend. The problem is that this stuff usually happens gradually over time so it is difficult to notice when we are doing it. How far do you have to bend before you realize that you’ve gone too far?
Well, if you start making excuses, you are pretty much there.
“Oh, I know what the Bible says, but that can’t apply to me, because my life is different”
“Surely God knows that I need to have this or that, because….”

And we start trying to justify our sin.

The Bible says what it says. God gave us His commands and there are no exceptions. The Bible is quite clear on what we are to do and how we are to live our lives. I couldn’t find any references (and believe me, I looked for them) that give us an out. “If only that person would do this, or behave that way, then I’ll obey God’s directive”. Nope. Sorry. It just isn’t in there.

I have mentioned before that many, many years ago, I told God that “My answer to you is Yes, now what is the question?”
Meaning that I will not hesitate to do whatever He calls me to do. For now, I suppose, He is calling me to rest and recharge, and be renewed, in Him.

I heard a song on the country radio station recently, I think it is titled “Down the Road” (I can’t remember who sings it), but the song has a line in it that asks if the guy is “Washed in the blood and not just the water”.
So I thought about my own life. Am I washed in the Blood? Or, did I merely get wet when I got baptized? I understand that water baptism will not get you into heaven, only the saving grace of accepting Jesus Christ as your personal Savior will do that.
But you know something? Some days, I can, without a doubt, declare that yes, I am living my life as proof that I was washed in the Blood, saved by Grace, and living my life for Christ.
I can also show you other days when all I did was get wet in a church.

Christian song artist Michael O’Brien has a song that says “What would my life say to you, if I said nothing at all?”
My life is supposed to be a living testimony to the awesomeness of Jesus Christ.

So that’s what I am trying to do. Live my life for Him. Get and stay as close to God as I can. To make my M = zero. To not allow myself to get torqued, or get bent. And resist the temptation to tell certain others to “get bent”.
Given my sarcastic and rebellious nature, this won’t be easy. But I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.

So how about you? Are you washed in the blood, and not just the water?
What would your life say, if you didn’t say anything at all?

Are you getting bent? You don’t have to be. Just spend a little time talking to God, and He will straighten you right out.

Those forces of life will still press against you, and those winds will still blow, but staying close to God will help you weather any storm. And sometimes, those things are good for you. Like Winston Churchill said, "Kites rise against the wind, not with it".

Blessings.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

Wow. What a Day!

2009-02-06T12:36:00.001-05:00

I woke up this morning, put on my shirt,

and a button fell off.

I opened the dresser drawer,

and a knob fell off.

I picked up my briefcase,

and the handle fell off.

I am afraid to go to the bathroom!

Happy Groundhog Day!!

2009-02-02T12:49:00.004-05:00

No, I’m not referring to some overgrown rodent seeing or not seeing his shadow. I’m talking about what should be a National Holiday.

Yep. Today is my birthday. I’m not saying how old I am, but when someone at church this weekend jokingly mentioned that I am 29, I replied that I am indeed only 29, with 18 years experience! And so far, this is the oldest I have ever been!
(I don’t mind getting older, it’s the side effects I could do without)

I hope you all have a wonderful day and that you enjoy the following jabs at growing older…….
A few Quotes on Aging....

We spend our lives on the run: we get up by the clock, eat and sleep by the clock, get up again, go to work - and then we retire. And what do they give us? A bloody clock. - - - - Dave Allen

When you reach forty you can’t do anything every day.- - - - Henry “Hank” Aaron

The secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age.- - - - Lucille Ball

If I were younger, I'd know more.- - - - James Barrie

To me, old age is always fifteen years older than I am.- - - - Bernard M. Baruch

What Youth deemed crystal,Age finds out was dew.- - - - Robert Browning

I prefer old age to the alternative.- - - - Maurice Chevalier

One keeps on forgetting old age up to the very brink of the grave.- - - - Colette

Old age is no place for sissies.- - - - Bette Davis

As one grows older, one becomes wiser and more foolish.- - - - François, Duc de La Rochefoucauld

I grow old . . . I grow old . . .I shall wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled.- - - - T. S. Eliot “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”

We do not count a man's years until he has nothing else to count.- - - - Ralph Waldo Emerson

If youth but knew; if age but could.- - - - Henri Estienne

Middle age is when your age starts to show around your middle.- - - - Bob Hope

After a man passes sixty, his mischief is mainly in his head.- - - - Edgar Watson Howe

I have everything I had twenty years ago, only it’s all a little bit lower.- - - - Gypsy Rose Lee

After thirty, a body has a mind of its own.- - - - Bette Midler

At age fifty, every man has the face he deserves.- - - - George Orwell

Age is a question of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.- - - - Satchel Paige

How old would you be if you didn't know how old you was?- - - - Satchel Paige

Old Age: First you forget names, then you forget faces, then you forget to pull your zipper up, then you forget to pull your zipper down.- - - - Leo Rosenberg

When men reach their sixties and retire they go to pieces. Women just go right on cooking.- - - - Gail Sheehy

Said the little boy, “Sometimes I drop my spoon.”Said the old man, “I do that too.”The little boy whispered, “I wet my pants.”“I do that too,” laughed the old man.”Said the little boy, “I often cry.”The old man nodded, “So do I.”“But worst of all,” said the boy, “it seemsGrown-ups don’t pay attention to me.”And he felt the warmth of a wrinkled old hand.“I know what you mean,” said the old man.- - - - Shel Silverstein

Old age is the most unexpected of all the things that happen to a man.- - - - Leon Trotsky

True terror is to wake up one morning and discover that your high school class is running the country. - - - - Kurt Vonnegut

The old believe everything, the middle-aged suspect everything, the young know everything.- - - - Oscar Wilde

___________________________________

You Know You're Getting Older When . . .

Your knees buckle, and your belt won’t.

You feel like the morning after, and you haven’t been anywhere.

6:00 AM is when you get up, not when you go to sleep.

You hear your favorite song on the elevator at work.

Your back goes out more than you do.

You watch the Weather Channel.

You sink your teeth into a steak, and they stay there.

You join a health club and don't go.

Jeans and a sweater no longer qualify as "dressed up".

You're the one calling the police because those dang kids next door don't know how to turn down the stereo.

Older relatives feel comfortable telling sex jokes around you.

You don't know what time Taco Bell closes anymore.

Your car insurance goes down and your car payments go up.

You feed your dog Science Diet instead of McDonalds.

Sleeping on the couch is a no-no.

“Happy Hour” is taking a nap.

Dinner and a movie --- the whole date instead of the beginning of one.

You stop looking forward to your next birthday.

You look forward to a dull evening.

A $4.00 bottle of wine is no longer "pretty good stuff".

You actually eat breakfast foods at breakfast time.

Over 90% of the time you spend in front of a computer is for real work.

Growing older is mandatory. Growing up is optional.

Okay, that’s enough for now. Remember that growing older is something we all must do. It has been said that you are only as old as you feel. Well, if that’s true, then I am way too young for this.

I know a lot of people my age who are already grandparents. So I suppose I should be thankful that I am not yet a grandpa, I have most of my hair and all of my own teeth. I run more than two miles every other day and can bench press more than twice my own weight.

When I opened my lunch box today, I found a note from my wife.
It read, “You’re the kind of person who becomes more wonderful with every year.” There was more, but I’m not about to share that with you!

So I guess I am more like my favorite car, the 1932 Ford Model A (I don’t have one, but I sure do want one). I’m not getting old, I’m becoming a classic!

I’m not as young as I used to be, but then, I’m not as old as I’m going to be either. Every day that I live brings me one more day closer to the day I get to start spending my eternity with my Savior. In the meantime, I plan to spend my remaining days serving Him and telling/showing people about the incredible saving grace found in knowing Jesus as Lord of my life.

And only He knows how many days I’ve got left, so I guess I better get busy!

Blessings.

Who, or what, is an “Alpha Dude”?

2009-01-10T15:06:00.003-05:00

There has been quite a stir about the use of the name Alpha Dude. Mostly from a few select individuals at my church. You see, I was involved in our Alpha Course for about four years. For three and a half of those years, I worked with the kids in the role of “Alpha Dude”. Everyone I knew or ran into at church would call me Alpha Dude. It was sort of embarrassing at first, since I was not used to getting that kind of attention, but after a while it sort of grew on me and I merely accepted it.

I began using the name Alpha Dude on my blog because it seemed like the natural thing to do (“Scott Trammell” blog wasn’t getting many hits) and it offered a more impersonal avenue to be able to share stories about what was happening in my life and through the ministry. People responded positively and it opened some doors to share the awesomeness of Christ in a way some folks may not have seen before. My blog, my name, is about ministry. Not self promotion. I have done the best I can to make sure that everything written in this blog directs people to God and His amazing Son, Jesus Christ.

There’s this other “Alpha Dude” named Paul who wrote in I Corinthians 10:31 that no matter what it is that you are doing “….do it all for the Glory of God”.
That is really what I am attempting to do. I screw that up a lot, which is why I am so thankful we serve such a loving and merciful and forgiving God.

In each lesson to those kids I was allowed to minister to, I made sure they knew who the REAL Alpha Dude is. In case you didn’t already know, his name is Jesus. ‘Cause, that’s what it is really all about, isn’t it. (it sure ain’t about the hokey-pokey!)
(By the way, the sidebar in my Bible says that the Main Theme of I Corinthians was for The Purification of the Church. It seems to me we could use some more of that, ya think?)

But some people just can’t seem to get past that big honkin’ log in their own eye (if you need the bible reference for that, just ask and I’ll send it to you) and go out of their way to make trouble for someone trying to do God’s work.

I’ve mentioned a particular Pharisee before. This fellow seems to think that “Alpha Dude” is a copyrighted name and that I am putting the church at legal risk for using it outside of the church, or outside of the Alpha Course. He now has our executive pastor afraid of legal ramifications from Alpha International or Alpha USA.
I’m sorry but, ministries suing each other? A ministry suing a church because one of their members is trying to promote the program and draw people to Christ? Good grief, give me a break! You’d think they would encourage such a thing!

The Pharisee made a snide remark about my “Alpha Dude” t-shirt. He considers trying to sell that shirt on my blog as self-promotion. I guess he didn’t take the time to read about where the shirt came from and why it is posted here. If he did he would know that ALL the money raised from that t-shirt is for the church and its building campaign. Our church building program gets every penny from that. I get nothing!

As far as Alpha Dude being a copyrighted name? Good luck with that.
I googled up the words “alpha dude” and got quite an education.

I also noticed from my sitemeter that the Pharisee and his cronies have done the same thing, they have also been spying on my blog to dig up whatever dirt they can.
Can you believe this type of behavior from a group of people who are supposed to “love your neighbor as yourself”? What happened to forgiveness?

It has been said (I can't remember who said it first, or I would tell you) that the two mains reasons that most people don't go to church or accept Christ is
1) they have not met a christian, and
2) they HAVE met a Christian.
Ouch.

Anyway, from the google search for Alpha Dude, I discovered the name Alpha Dude attributed to the following:

There is a fellow who goes by the name of “The Alpha Dude” and he is a member of the muslim community (Islam) in the UK.
A guy on safari who stared down a lion. (Not real smart, but there is a video showing this).
Some guy, from MySpace, in a rock band from Joliet, Illinois.
Alpha Dude Omega is a group on Facebook.
An Alpha Dude is a computer programmer and is often referred to as the guy who fixes your computer. This Dude works with alpha and beta software, but I have yet to hear of anyone callings themselves “Beta Dude”.
The Alpha Dude is also sometimes known as the best surfer on the beach. (I can surf, but I will never be called the “Alpha Dude” on the waves!)
Alpha Dude in various writings refers to the “Alpha Male” of a species, the head guy of a group or organization. The “Top Dog”, if you will.
If you go to a website called alphadude.com, you’ll find a site selling t-shirts and other merchandise about being a hunting, fishing, outdoorsman type of Alpha Male.

In many of the writings I found, Alpha Dude is also commonly used to describe a man who is tender-hearted, loving and caring. In these writings, the female writer used the name “Alpha Dude” as a term of endearment in reference to her husband.

The Alpha Dude is the provider, the protector, the head of the home. The one guy that each member of the family can turn to in their times of need. The Alpha Dude is comforting, caring, understanding, nurturing, while at the same time providing a strong male presence in the home.

I have a son, and he is a young man now. He still lives at home and I am, without question, the Alpha Dude in our home. I have never had to make that statement, and I have never had to enforce or defend that position. Because things in our home are in line with biblical standards, the formal establishment of who is the Alpha Dude has never been necessary.

Sometimes my wife even calls me her “Alpha Dude”, but we won’t go into that here!

So who is an Alpha Dude? He is a man who adheres to the following:

I have chosen to follow the example of my heavenly Father (through His Word).

In my own family, I have chosen to follow God’s example by being 1) Slow to anger, 2) Gracious, 3) Compassionate and 4) Abounding in Love.

As a husband, I have chosen to honor my wife and lift her up daily, to God, clean and unblemished. To love her unconditionally, and completely and to remain faithful to her only. To be a “One Woman Man”. I have burned my ships, and continue to burn my ships daily. Semper Fidelis.

As a father, I have chosen to love my children and to raise them up in the teachings of the Lord “that they may never part from it”. One of the greatest gifts I received from God when I was very young was the earthly example in my stepfather. I will consider myself a success as a Dad if, as the song says, I can be “half the man he didn’t have to be”.

As a servant of the Most High God, as a man of God, I would like to be remembered, like David, as a man who sought after God’s own heart. I desire to serve only Him and to live my life in a manner that would bring glory to Him on a daily basis. What I do for a living doesn’t matter. How much money I make doesn’t matter. The size of my house doesn’t matter. It all takes a back seat to Christ.

I desire to be, like James and John, a Son of Thunder. I have decided to make as much noise as I can for the cause of Christ. That everyone I meet will be exposed to the saving grace of Jesus Christ. I desire that when people meet me, they will have met Christ. Because I am a child of the King, made in His image, when people meet me, I want them to recognize Him, before they recognize me.

By divine appointment, I am the spiritual leader of my household. I am, scripturally, the example of God’s teachings to my wife and my children.

Yet I was born a sinner. I have been redeemed by the cleansing blood of Jesus and have my name written in the Book of Life. But because of my sinful nature, I often, daily, stumble and fall. Desires, intentions, wants and best laid plans are not enough. Please, pray for me to continue making that constant conscious daily decision to follow my Savior and pattern my life after Him.

So that is what it means to be an Alpha Dude.

The Pharisee had me removed from the Alpha ministry and promised that I will not be allowed to serve ever again (his words) on our church’s Men’s Retreats. I was asked (instructed) to remove all references to the Alpha Course, or Alpha Ministries in general, (which is why the joke book is gone) or any "official" anything pertaining to our church or Alpha, from my blog and Facebook page. So, from this point forward, you will not find any information or links to Alpha on this site, and I have deactivated my Facebook account.

Many people at our church, and the children as well, still call me Alpha Dude.
In light of what you’ve just read above about what it means to be an Alpha Dude, I have chosen to continue to go by that name here on my blog. (If you still don’t understand why, let me know and we’ll pray for you.)

It should be understood that the name Alpha Dude on this site is not affiliated with any church, group, or ministry organization. I am merely a follower of Jesus Christ, the real Alpha Dude.

If you are okay with this, please come back as often as you’d like.
If not, then you certainly have the freedom not to return.

Blessings.

Lines and Dots

2008-12-25T23:56:00.003-05:00

The following was written by a dear friend of mine. It is presented here in it's entirety with his permission. I pray that it touches you as deeply as it touched me.

And when I looked, I saw a stage where four men stood. There were three canvases, two men stood before one canvas and the other two men had a canvas of their own.

The man on the left, with a single canvas, was drawing vertical lines. Most were straight lines of varying widths, but a few were curved or squiggly.

The man on the right with a single canvas was drawing, what seemed to be random dots and each dot had a number beside it.

The two men in the middle stood before the same canvas. This canvas was displayed by lines and rows of dots from edge to edge and top to bottom.

Nothing seemed to make sense. There was no artistic beauty or value to any of the canvases, white canvas with black lines or dots on them. I pondered the canvases for what seemed to be hours. As the men stood before their canvases they seemed to be waiting for further instructions. My pondering brought me to a dead end.

Finally, I asked the man who stood before the canvas with the lines on it, “Sir, does your canvas have a purpose? I’m sorry but I just don’t understand your picture.”

He said, “Lines are being drawn around the earth. Some lines are wide and some narrow, some are wavy and some are slightly curved or bent.”

“Sir”, I continued, “but why are the lines different?”

The man said, “Do you see the line in the middle?”

“I can see a line in the middle that is very narrow and is actually hard to see because it is so thin”.

“That thin line is God’s standard; it is His way and His truth. The other lines around on the left and on the right are man’s “ways” his “truths”. Some lines are wide and some are narrow, those are how man has chosen to live and the laws he has set for himself. Even though they are straight, they are very broad compared to God’s. The curved lines are the abominations against God’s law. The sharper the curves the more radical man has become.

As I looked at the canvas again I saw more of the reality of what the man was saying.

I then asked the other single man standing before his canvas, “Sir, what does your canvas mean, it is so random. It doesn’t seem to make sense like the one with the lines?”

As he began to speak he began to connect the dots. “My canvas has a picture on it. Each dot has a number by it and when you start at one and connect that dot to the dot which had the number two by it and then three and then four, by the time you have connected all the dots and returned to the number one dot, you have a complete picture.”

He continued to connect the dots and as he did, I began to see some things that looked familiar. When he had finished, it was a magnificent line picture which needed no color to enhance its beauty.

At that same time the two men, before on canvas of vertical dots and horizontal dots, began to connect the dots on their canvas. Each in turn would connect one dot to another on the vertical or horizontal axis. This process went on for hours and then something happened. One of the men boxed in a square and put his initial in the square, “J”. That set off a random set of connections and as the boxes were completed a “J” was put in the box.
What I now recognized as, the opponent in this game began to make his boxed connections, was the one with the most boxes, win’s the game.

As if my thoughts were being read by the man, who had marked the “J” in his box, he turned and gave me a stern look and without words, I sensed within myself, his words, “This is no “game”.

I had thought I was having a dream and it seemed to be like “The Price Is Right” and I had three doors to open and I could choose one of them. Only I was standing before three canvases, each profound and each prophetic. Then I realized that the two men before the lines and picture dots were angels. Then I realized the one man before the canvas who were connecting the dots and marking with a “J” was Jesus. The other man was marking with an “S” was Satan.
Then I truly understood that this was no “game”.

The war is on, lines are being drawn, the dots are being connected, and the souls of men are in the offing. Are you following the thin line of God’s way and God’s truth, or are you trying to bend the line to fit your life or lifestyle?
Are you broadening the line to make yourself feel better?

If an angel were to connect the dots of your life would we see a beautiful picture that needed no color to enhance its beauty?

Your life can be a beautiful picture when you begin to live God’s way and live God’s truth. All you have to do is say something like this, “God, if You are there and You can make me into a beautiful picture, go ahead and do it. I’m tired of my life the way it is, take it and make it into a beautiful picture.

Your Friend in Christ,
Ron Eskew
reskew@aol.com

Merry Christmas

2008-12-24T11:57:00.001-05:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

About those Wise Men.....

2008-12-22T21:08:00.003-05:00

I saw a message recently. It is the same message written on different things. Sometimes I notice it on a bumper sticker, or on a t-shirt, but the message remains the same and I believe it speaks more truth than most people realize.

The message simply says this: “Wise men still seek Him”.

And this reminds me of a story.

In the Spring of 2005, I met a fellow, named Rick L., who later grew into one of the best friends I have ever known, and he strongly encouraged me to attend a Men’s Discipleship Walk. Repeatedly. He had just gotten back from a “Walk”, and was very enthusiastic about it. I was new to our church and wasn’t too sure I even wanted to go. I didn’t know anything about it. I had been on several men’s retreats before, but he assured me this one would be different. I agreed to go since I figured that if I didn’t, this guy wouldn’t leave me alone until I went on one.

One Thursday evening, all the new “disciples” were to meet at the church to travel up to….wherever the place was, but due to work issues, I got there a little late. In fact, all the other “disciples” had already left the church and were on their way to……someplace I didn’t know. Rick was there and I thought I would just ride up with him. That’s when he told me he wasn’t going, since he’d already been on the last Walk.

Now what do I do? I only know one person in this entire church and he isn’t going! I thought about leaving and going home but someone had already taken my bags. Since I had missed out on the meal (apparently they feed you first), the guys in the kitchen were rather gracious and quickly put something together for me to eat. (It was good!)
Then they said that there was another guy getting ready to go up to ….. that place I don’t know and had never been to before….. and that I could ride up with him. They just wouldn’t let me drive my own vehicle. Needless to say, I was starting to get concerned. Rick had already left. I was all alone.

One of the guys walked with me out to the front of the church where a car had just pulled up. The guy opened the door, ushered me inside the car and said that “Don” would be driving me up to the Walk. All this talk about a Walk made me wonder of I had the right shoes packed for this weekend.

The driver turned out to be a nice fellow named Don S. Don and I had a great time talking as he drove and we got to know each other during that hour or so drive. On that brief ride, Don inspired me more than he realized, so much in fact, that I have shared his story with many others.

Don told me that he has two copies of the DVD “The Passion of the Christ”. He has one in the video player in his home, and one in the drive in his laptop computer. He has memorized the location of the exact scene in the movie where it shows the beating, the punishment and the crucifixion of Jesus. Whenever he is feeling low, when he feels like life is unfair or if he’s just having a bad day, Don cues up that scene and watches it. He says it reminds him of what Jesus went through, just for us. I agree with Don when he said that none of my problems could ever measure up to the sacrifice or the pain that Jesus went through, just so that I wouldn’t have to personally experience that kind of pain and suffering.

None of my pains, none of problems, none of my discouragements, could ever equal what Christ did for me on the Cross.

The wise men (magi) who sought out the Christ child so long ago understood who they were looking for. When they found Him, they presented Him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Those first two gifts were fit for royalty, but the third represented His death. You see, in Jesus' day, bodies were wrapped in myrrh for burial. Myrrh's pungent odor neutralized the smell of decomposing flesh. Those men were not being disrespectful, they knew the real purpose of this new born king. They understood why He came here and what would be asked of Him.

They were wise men who sought Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the Most High God. And they found Him, right here on earth.

It is my desire and my intention to seek Him every day. To walk with Him, talk with Him (sounds like a song, doesn’t it), and fellowship with Him every day. And on those days when I get so caught up in myself that I forget, He seeks me out and reminds me that He loves me through my family, my friends, and all the other blessings He’s bestowed upon me. He has proven to me time and time again that His Word is true in that He is always with me, that He will never leave me and that He will never forsake me. I kind of like that.

Just some things to think about.

Blessings to you and yours.

Merry Christmas.

Christmas gift for my brother

2008-12-15T15:45:00.005-05:00

As a joke, my brother Steve used to hang a pair of panty hose over his fireplace before Christmas. He said all he wanted was for Santa to fill them. What they say about Santa checking the list twice must be true because every Christmas morning, although Steve’s kids' stockings were overflowed, his poor pantyhose hung sadly empty.

One year I decided to make his dream come true. I put on dark sunglasses and went in search of an inflatable love doll. They don't sell those things at Wal-Mart. I had to go to an adult bookstore downtown.

If you've never been in an X-rated store, don't go. You'll only confuse yourself. I was there an hour saying things like, "What does this do? You're kidding me! Who would buy that?" Finally, I made it to the inflatable doll section.

Finding what I wanted was difficult. Love Dolls come in many different models. The top of the line, according to the side of the box, could do things I'd only seen in a book on animal husbandry. I settled for Lovable Louise. She was at the bottom of the price scale. To call Louise a doll took a huge leap of imagination.

On Christmas Eve and with the help of an old bicycle pump, Louise came to life.

Delsa, my sister-in-law was in on the plan and let me in during the wee morning hours. Long after Santa had come and gone, I filled the dangling pantyhose with Louise's pliant legs and bottom. I also ate some cookies and drank what remained of a glass of milk on a nearby tray. I went home, and giggled for a couple of hours.

The next morning my brother called to say that Santa had been to his house and left a present that had made him VERY happy but had left the dog confused. He would bark, start to walk away, then come back and bark some more.

We all agreed that Louise should remain in her panty hose so the rest of the family could admire her when they came over for the traditional Christmas dinner.

My grandmother noticed Louise the moment she walked in the door. "What the hell is that?" she asked. My brother quickly explained, "It's a doll."

"Who would play with something like that?" Granny snapped. I had several candidates in mind, but kept my mouth shut.

"Where are her clothes?" Granny continued.

"Boy, that turkey sure smells nice Gran", Steve said, to steer her into the dining room.

But Granny was relentless. "Why doesn't she have any teeth?" Again, I could have answered, but why would I? It was Christmas and no one wanted to ride in the back of the ambulance saying, "Hang on Granny, hang on!"

My grandfather, a delightful old man with poor eyesight, sidled up to me and said, "Hey, who's the naked gal by the fireplace?"

I told him she was Steve’s friend.

A few minutes later I noticed Grandpa by the mantel, talking to Louise. Not just talking, but actually flirting. It was then that we realized this might be Grandpa's last Christmas at home.

The dinner went well. We made the usual small talk about who had died, who was dying, and who should be killed, when suddenly Louise made a noise like my father in the bathroom in the morning. Then she lurched from the panty hose, flew around the room twice, and fell in a heap in front of the sofa.

The dog screamed. I passed cranberry sauce through my nose, and Grandpa ran across the room, fell to his knees, and began administering mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. My brother fell back over his chair and wet his pants.

Granny threw down her napkin, stomped out of the room, and sat in the car.

It was indeed a Christmas to treasure and remember.

Later in my brother's garage, we conducted a thorough examination to decide the cause of Louise's collapse. We discovered that Louise had suffered from a hot ember to the back of her right thigh.

Fortunately, thanks to a wonder drug called duct tape, we restored her to perfect health!

(actual author is unknown, but this is still pretty freakin’ funny)

Another One of Life’s Lessons…..

2008-11-26T23:44:00.006-05:00

Sometimes It takes me a while to learn some of life’s lessons. I think that may have something to do with my attitude and admitting I may have something to actually learn from certain people.

When I was younger, my mother told me I would never amount to anything because I procrastinate. I told her, “You just wait!”

Okay, seriously, with all the nonsense that has occurred lately, I have had to ask myself, “What am I supposed to learn from this?”
I may not agree with a certain “leader” in my church, or even like him, but it still doesn’t change the fact that he holds that position in our church. You’ll notice I put the word “leader” in quotes. I am still struggling with the idea that this man holds any type of leadership position at all. Especially since I have been learning lately that there are several other people in our church that have had similar issues with him. (Each of those folks are very nice people with huge servant’s hearts and a strong passion for doing anything the Lord calls them to do). So I guess I don’t get the fact that I am apparently the only who dared step forward and try to hold this man accountable.

Either way, he is still in charge of that one ministry, and his wife is the chairman of the board of another major ministry in our church. Both ministries he said he would not allow me to serve in again. Like I said, I am still struggling with this. Sometimes I am certain that he believes that WWJD means "What Would Judas Do?"

I am reading a book right now (well, not right this minute, I can do a lot of things, but reading a book and typing this all out at the same time isn’t one of them). The book is by a minister named Mike G. Williams, and Mike (according to the cover of the book) is the third funniest man in America. The title of the book is “Turkey Soup for the Sarcastic Soul”. This is my kind of guy. I’ve actually met him in person.

The following is from Mike’s book, and the Holy Spirit has been using this to help me understand some things. It applies to anyone in leadership positions, not just politics.
You may even find it useful in dealing with the recent election results.
I have a confession. Here it goes. I have spent countless hours being critical of our political leaders and countable minutes praying for them. I should be flogged. Which, by the way, is still legal in Mississippi. I have written hundreds of jokes making fun of our leaders and never written a prayer. If our leaders are really ordained by the Lord, then maybe there is a master plan to what God is doing through them. Quite possibly, if we were viewing this whole thing from a loftier perch, we would see a rhyme and reason. I wholeheartedly endorse the candidates that represent godly views while remembering that God may choose to take things in a different direction. He has a master plan, and I must trust Him. There are times when God causes calamity to fall on a nation to help them run towards Him.
I want to challenge you to join me in the following commitment. Every time I tell a politically motivated joke, and I will, I will also whisper a prayer along with it. Admittedly, I have not stated that I will tell no more political jokes. Rather, I will attempt to balance the scales with a prayer, too. It may not be a full revival, but it is a start. Will you join me?
This part of his book really struck me. I hate to admit it, but I have caught myself getting involved in the gossip and trash talk of the one I call the Pharisee. I still view him that way, but I need to exercise more self control when his name comes up in conversation with others. I need to start praying for him, and stop talking down about him. Yeah, he hurt me. So what? The world didn’t stop spinning and God is still in control and Jesus is still on the Throne.

So maybe, God has bigger plans for me than I realize. I have been asked if I would be interested in helping another church about an hour away with their Alpha program and training other people how to do the Alpha Dude thing. It is possible that God had to remove me from the ministry I was currently in before He could use me elsewhere. Yeah, maybe. But I sincerely believe that the vessel of His choosing screwed up his assignment. But I guess I’m supposed to learn from that, too.

Paul, in his letter to the Romans, said this:
Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities for God has instituted the governing authorities that exist. (Romans 13:1)
This won’t be easy for me to do, but I know that I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. I serve but One master, the Lord of lords and the King of kings, the ruler and Master of all creation. With Him on my side, how can I possibly lose?

I still like to have fun and make people laugh every chance I get. No one, not even a so-called “leader" in our church, can take that away from me. I agree with Dennis Miller who said:“Laughter is your best weapon. Keep the safety off, and don’t take yourself too seriously.”
I believe that laughter, having fun and enjoying the company of good friends is a gift from God. So accept God’s gift to you. God’s gift to you is His Son, Jesus. Jesus brought joy, and hope, and laughter. So go ahead and yuk it up, y’all!
A merry heart does a body good, like medicine. (Proverbs 17:22)

Blessings.

The Flying Fish and the Pharisee

2008-11-19T22:10:00.006-05:00

Not long ago, I asked for prayer since I was about to confront a Pharisee in our church. This man seems to have something against me. He is involved in ministry in our church and is a licensed minister. I have learned that he is NOT a pastor in our church (not a paid member of the pastoral staff), even though he insists on telling people that he is. In fact, he makes sure you know that when you meet him.

I confronted him in a meeting with our executive pastor, and one of the elders. The reason for this is that this man has verbally attacked me more than once, and always in private, when no one else is around. He said some very hurtful and condescending things to me and threatened me with not allowing me to serve in any ministries in our church.

I first apologized for any wrongs or problems I may have caused him, and then asked him to forgive me. He just brushed it off. I then called him on all those awful thigs he had said to me. He denied everything! He said, in front of those two other men, that he never said those things to me. Then he called me a liar!

This man is a modern day Pharisee! Jesus warned us about them and told us to rebuke them, which I did. But I forgot to read to the end of the red letter part of Matthew when the black letters tell us that those fellows went away and began to plot to kill Him.

I really am not 100% sure what this man’s problem is. I used to think he and I were friends and could work in ministry together. I guess I was wrong. Simply saying “Hello” to him is seen as an interruption and an intrusion.

Our church is very much involved in the Alpha Course. When my wife and I started attending our church, we signed up for the Alpha Course to get involved and meet new people. Our church’s mission statement is simply “Connecting People with God, Connecting People with People”, so we wanted to get connected.

The Pharisee previously mentioned is also the Alpha Spiritual Director (ASD). We got to know him through the Alpha Course and asked him to perform our wedding. He agreed, but as our pre-wedding counseling sessions progressed, he changed his mind and recommended we wait six months to get married. We didn’t care much for that, but we figured we had no choice. We respected him and looked up to him and considered all that he told us. He did make it clear that unless we wait six months, he would not marry us and we could not use the church’s chapel for our wedding. He said he couldn’t force us to do anything and asked that we keep him informed in whatever decision we make. And if we decided to get married anyway, there would be no hard feelings and he would not hold it against us. (he lied!)

So we decided to wait.

Then, some close friends told us over lunch one day that the husband is a licensed minister, and he said he would consider it an honor to perform our wedding. This couple knew us better than anyone at our church, so we took this as a sign from God that it would be alright to go ahead and get married. Once the plans had been set in motion, I informed the ASD of our plans and even invited him to the wedding, which we had in the Prayer Garden of our church. He never responded and he did not attend.

In fact, things weren’t quite the same between us after that. Even though my wife and I still completed the pre-marriage class, and the marriage mentoring requirements. We kept all of our promises.

Whenever I am anywhere near the ASD, or in the same room, he makes it seem as though I somehow annoy him. I say hello and try to be friendly, but he responds in an almost rude manner. So, sometimes I would go out of my way to say hello to him and be nice to him. And sometimes, I would annoy him on purpose.
I also like to have fun and get a laugh at his expense, by telling stories like this one…….

As a part of the Alpha Course, we have what is called the ‘Alpha Overnight’. It’s where we all go to a church camp about an hour or so away, and go through three lessons, Friday night and Saturday morning, on the Holy Spirit.

The Alpha Spiritual Director (ASD) for the Alpha Course drove a really big Chevy pick-up. This guy’s truck is a large extra cab, long bed truck with a camper shell that matches the bright fire-engine red paint job. I’d heard some people in the course refer to his truck as the “Flying Fish”, but I didn’t yet understand why.

Following one Alpha overnight trip, we were all heading back home down a long straight stretch of highway, about four or five vehicles in a row, when that big red truck went zooming past us. As he flew by, I noticed one of those Chrome Christian fish symbols on the back of his truck. (Ahhh, so THAT’S what they meant by “Flying Fish!”)

A few moments later, we noticed some blinking lights up ahead. A State Trooper had pulled over a big red truck. Yep, it was him, and he looked rather embarrassed as we all drove past, one car after the other.

As we drove past him, I noticed the ASD had his elbow propped up in the open window and was holding his head in his hand.

The Trooper had walked up to his open truck window and asked, “Got any I.D.?”
To which the ASD slowly looked up and replied, “…’bout whut?”

Yeah, he got a speeding ticket.
He felt pretty bad about it and apologized to everyone at the next Alpha class. To my knowledge, he has slowed down and hasn’t gotten pulled over since that day.

A friend of mine explained to me that the reason he didn’t get a ticket on the way up there is that, on your way to the event, you are on a mission for God. On your way home, you are on your own.

I don’t tell that story very often, but as far as I know, the ASD is the only one who doesn’t think it is funny. Everyone who knows him thinks it is hilarious!
(By the way, if we're going to be friends, you'll need a sense of humor and be able to take a joke. Apparently, this ASD isn't one of those people.)

So maybe that just added fuel to his fire, but I still think the real bug-in-his-backside is the issue of our wedding, since he brings it up every time he attacks me, and calls it “bad judgment” and a “big mistake”.

But he still got his way, he essentially fired me from the ministry position as Alpha Dude. His excuse was that he thought I was drawing attention to myself because of my Facebook picture. He ordered me to take it down, and I refused. (He didn’t ask nice).

Another friend, who has known the ASD for a lot longer than me, told me that whenever people talked about the Alpha Course in the past, they associated it with the ASD. Now? People associate the course with Alpha Dude. You see, this man likes to think of himself as being very important. Being important is more valuable to him than representing Christ. All Alpha Dude ever tried to do is to elevate Christ to everyone, especially those kids.
So I used the name Alpha Dude outside of church and outside the Alpha Course. I really don’t see a problem with that. It gets people asking questions. And if you get people asking questions, you can tell them about Jesus.

You know something? The ASD didn’t have to pull his stunts, get angry or fire me the way he did! I had made it very clear to everyone, that as long as I am asked, I will gladly serve in the role as Alpha Dude and present each week’s lessons to those kids. If the Alpha Director (not the ASD) does not ask me, I do not assume the job is mine and would not plan on performing the role.

(the last Alpha Director went against the ASD's orders, and asked me to be Alpha Dude anyway)

You see, my name is Scott Trammell and Alpha Dude is a character I portrayed for three and a half years in each course where the Alpha Sprout program was offered. If the Director wanted someone else to do it, or didn’t want me to do it, they just needed to say so. But the Director asked, so I served.

The following passage was used in the sermon this weekend.

2 Timothy 3
1 You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. 2 For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. 3 They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. 4 They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. 5 They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!

After the service, a few people (who knew what happened) came up to me to say that the sermon (titled: Self-Centeredness) made them think of me.
Not because I’m self-centered, but because they recognized that I was a victim of a self-serving Pharisee.
Each one had also said I did nothing wrong and that I responded and behaved correctly in that situation.

I thought that was rather nice of them to say.

As for the Pharisee, I saw him, he was there, and I stayed away from him.

Y’know something I’ve noticed?
People who are modern day Pharisees are the only ones who refuse to recognize that attribute about themselves.
So I pray for them. A lot. (I think that has something to do with heaping burning coals on their heads, and I’m okay with that).

Then I found the following scripture…..

2 Timothy 3
14 But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you. 15 You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

As I said, I only served as Alpha Dude because I was asked.
I serve only one God. I have only One Master.
When I served as Alpha Dude, I performed for an audience of One.

Each Alpha Course has a different Alpha Director, and each had asked me to serve.

Therefore, if the next Alpha Director asks me, I will serve in the role of Alpha Dude.
I will do what God puts before me to do, and if the ASD has a problem with that, then he can take it up with Him.

Blessings, and thank you for praying.

Random Stuff (Tag, You're It!)

2008-11-13T12:23:00.002-05:00

Have you heard lately that the State of Colorado has become the 21st state to ban the game of tag from their public schools? Yeah. No kidding.
The argument for this is that they believe this game to be too dangerous for the students to play during recess.

Too dangerous.

If you are from Colorado, I have a question for you: “What kind of sissies are you all raising out there?”

Now, I did part of my growing up in Colorado. I lived there from the sixth grade through the 11th grade, and never got hurt playing “tag”. We also had something called Jarts. You remember those? They were lawn darts! Sharp metal spikes with a handle and plastic fins so they could FLY!
We’d throw them at those hoola-hoops on the ground, and sometimes at each other (or the dog!). They didn’t stick too well in a tree, but we tried.
And we still turned out okay.

Here’s something else to think about:
Whoever that kid was that was tagged last……is still IT!!

I can imagine this individual about twenty years from now in their therapist’s office, upon reaching to the root of all their inner-most, deep seated problems and begin screaming…
”I’M STILL IT!!!”

Just something to think about.

Last night my wife hosted a Mary Kay party for one of her friends. That means my son and I got to go out to dinner (i.e., get out of the house).
This make-up party got me to thinking (this is where I normally get myself into trouble).

It has occurred to me that some women will go to great lengths to color their hair, put on a bunch of make-up, wear false eye-lashes, get a fake spray-on tan, put on a wonder-bra and a pair of booty enhancing britches, and then still have the audacity to claim that they want to find a guy who will “appreciate the real her”!

Its okay to agree with me on this one guys, just don’t do it out loud, since your wife may hear you.

And from today’s news…….

The Indianapolis International Airport opened it’s new terminal today. Part of the new security system is a new type of x-ray scanning machine that you walk through. This new machine is equipped with 3-D imaging, so they get to see it ALL! In fact, the security people viewing the monitors for this new scanner are in a different area of the airport, far away from the actual machine. My guess is that it is so you can’t hear all the laughing, since they are basically seeing you naked as you pass through the scanner.

I’m thinking that the next time I fly, I may stop by an “adult” store first and by a couple of “questionable” items and keep them in my front pockets, just to freak out the security people while I pass through that new scanner.
“Oh my….!!! He’s got three…uh….!!!!”
Gee, I wonder if they allow those on the plane? I haven’t noticed them on the banned items list.

Okay, maybe I won’t do that, since I just can’t bring myself to visit one of those kinds of stores.

Oh well. I live in Indiana where a kid can still be a kid, so

Tag….you’re it!

Blessings.

Please Pray

2008-11-05T13:28:00.004-05:00

“Woe to you Pharisees, because you love the most important seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.” (Luke 11:43)

38As he taught, Jesus said, "Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted in the marketplaces, 39and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. (Mark 12:38-39)

46"Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. (Luke 20:46)

Please pray for me.
I have a meeting tomorrow night with the Executive Pastor, a Pharisee, and one of the Elders.

We have a Pharisee in our church who likes to boss people around and have his way.
Apparently, I am the only one (that I am aware of) who has stood up to him and not "obeyed" him.

So now I am going to go head to head with a Pharisee.
He says I am a rebel.
(Well, so was Jesus, and look what they did to Him!)

Please pray.

Mostly for him.

My conscience is clear, my Spirit is right with God, and I live to serve only One Master.

Blessings,

Alpha Dude

P.S. It apparently revolves around the fact that he doesn't like my profile picture and thinks I should take it down.

Tale of Two Brains

2008-10-31T23:17:00.001-04:00

This pretty much explains it.

Blessings.

My Resignation

2008-10-04T14:11:00.002-04:00

I am hereby officially tendering my resignation as an adult.
I have decided I would like to accept the responsibilities of an eight-year-old again.

I want to go to McDonald's and think that it's a four-star restaurant.

I want to sail sticks across a fresh mud puddle and make a sidewalk with rocks.

I want to think M&Ms are better than money because you can eat them.

I want to run a lemonade stand with my friends on a hot summer's day.

I want to return to a time when life was simple, when all you knew were colors, multiplication tables and nursery rhymes, but that didn't bother you because you didn't know what you didn't know and you didn't care.

All you knew was to be happy, because you were blissfully unaware of all the things that should make you worried or upset.

I want to think the world is fair. That everyone is honest and good.

I want to believe that anything is possible. I want to be oblivious to the complexities of life and be overly excited by the little things again.

I want to live simply again. I don't want my day to consist of computer crashes, mountains of paperwork, depressing news, how to survive when there are more days in the month than there is money in the bank, doctor bills, gossip (Pharisees), illness and loss of loved ones.

I want to believe in the power of smiles, hugs, a kind word, truth, justice, peace, dreams, mankind and making angels in the snow.

I want to play with my pets and my days of imagination to last forever

So here are my checkbook and my car keys, my credit card bills and my 401(k) statements.

I am officially resigning from adulthood. (Some people wonder if I ever actually grew up anyway).

And if you want to discuss this further, you'll have to catch me first* because,

"Tag! You're it!"

(Author Unknown)

* Seriously! All next week, we'll be on a big boat in the Caribbean

Blessings!

Don't Forget to Vote!!

2008-09-28T16:37:00.001-04:00

I borrowed this idea from EE.

Don't Forget to Vote!

NOTICE TO BIDDERS

2008-09-26T13:40:00.003-04:00

I apologize for not being around much lately. That crazy thing called "life" keeps happening.
The positive side to that is that I have a lot to write about. The negative side is that I don't have a lot of time to sit down and write it.

So in the the meantime, since part of my job is to write specifications for various construction projects, I thought I'd share a little something with you.

enjoy

NOTICE TO BIDDERS

General
The work we want did is clearly showed on attached plans and specifications. Our Engineer, whose had plenty of College, spent one hell of a lot of time when he drawed up these here plans and specifications. But nobody cant think of everything.
Once your bid is in, that’s it, Brother! From then on, anything wanted by our Engineer, or any of his friends, or anybody else (except the Bidder) shall be considered as showed, specified, or implied and be provided by the Bidder without expense to nobody but himself (meaning the Bidder).

Extra Costs
If the work is did without no extra Expense to the Bidder, then the work will be took down and did again until the extra expense to Contractor is satisfactory to our Engineer.

Errors
Our Engineer’s plans are right as drawed. If sumpthin is drawed wrong, it shall be discovered by the Bidder, corrected and did right with no extra expense to us. It won’t cut no ice with us, or our Engineer, if you point out any mistakes our Engineer has drawed. If you do, it will be one hell of a long time before you do any more work for us or him (meaning the Engineer).

Vendor Conduct
The Bidder is not supposed to make fun of our Engineer, his plans, or the kinda work we’re having done. If he do, it’s just too damn bad for him (meaning the Bidder).
Any Bidder walking around the job with a smile on his face shall be subject to a review of his bid.

Miscellaneous
If the Bidder don’t find all our Engineer’s mistakes before he bids on the job, or if the Bidder ain’t got enough sense to know that our Engineer’s gonna think up a bunch of new stuff that’s going to have to be did before the job is completed, then it’s just to damn bad for him (meaning the Bidder).

Materials
The Bidder has got to use good stuff on this job – none of that crap from Japan.
We done picked the best stuff for our client and won't let no cheep stuff be approved to save the Contractor money.

Value engineering and substitutions is alright as long as the cost savings go to the engineering budget or adds more purty do-dads to the project.

We don't take to no crybabies. Once you done bid this job you got no one but yourself to blame, especially the engineer or his client. Arguing with the engineer is like wrestling with a pig in the mud, after a while you’re going to learn he really enjoys it.

Questions and Answers

We have not succeeded in answering all your questions. Indeed we sometimes feel we have not answered any of them. The answers we have found have only served to raise a whole set of new questions. In some ways we feel that we are as confused as ever, but we think we are confused on a higher level and about more important things.

Finding His Purpose….

2008-09-02T22:01:00.008-04:00

Remember this time of year when you would return to school and be asked to write an essay about “What I did this Summer”?

The following is a true accounting of something that happened not far from our home earlier this summer. It involved my 17 year-old step-son, Jonathan Ryall. So as to not try to steal away any of his thunder, I will let him tell the story, just as he wrote it. Jon gave me his permission to post it here.

My Purpose
By Jonathan Ryall

Steven Hawkins once said that “nothing leaves this universe.”

I am looking down at little Ruby. She is an odd shade of blue and her eyes are closed. I think she is dead and I am too scared to think about it. Without thinking, I act. I am pumping her chest hard and hoping not to break a rib, not thinking about how delicate a two year olds ribs are. Luckily, through the procedure, I tend to not break any. I push my breath into her mouth and hold her nose. She has lived two wonderful years, and I could not imagine how it would be to take away the possible remaining. I have lived seventeen. Her parents are screaming on the dock above me. Ruby’s mother is on her knees next to me, praying to Jesus, and a crowd of other children are either running around in complete hysteria, or crying in complete shock. What makes me wonder is, how did I get to be performing CPR on a dock in Lake Geist, Indiana?

Let me go back to 1979, the Indian Hill High School prom in Cincinnati, Ohio. My dad was dancing with my mother and they knew that one day they would marry and start a family. I was the third child of four and we lived a typical American suburban family life. Several years ago, however, our family broke apart with divorce and my mom moved to Indianapolis and soon re-married my step-father. I was devastated. My dad re-married as well and I found myself shuttling between Cincinnati and Indianapolis. I could not favor either side.

How did this happen? How did my ideal childhood break apart? Why is God doing this to me? Why can’t my parents get back together? Where is God in all of this and why has He forsaken me?

Someone suggested I pray and things will get better. Yeah right, like that is going to bring back my family. I told them I doubt that would happen, because I knew nothing could be done. “It can’t hurt” they said, but I didn‘t listen. But I knew I needed at least something to help me, so I only hoped and wished to have something happen. So, with that, I guess it was a prayer.

One weekend while visiting my mother, my prayer was answered. I met a girl, named Lily, a stunning beauty with wit and charm. She immediately took a liking to me and welcomed me into her family. In the summer, we would spend weekends together and have so much fun. I would do things with her family, and she would do things with mine. We spent an equal amount of time doing both. Eventually, we would spend times out at her grandparent’s house on the lake in their boat, the Sea-Ray, or in their pool and Jacuzzi.

One Saturday afternoon, while we were packing up and getting ready to leave the house, we decided to go for one last boat ride. Lily’s little sister, Ruby took off ahead running to the boat, after hearing us all cheer about the decision we had made. She always liked being first. By the time we caught up to her, she had been floating face down in between the boat and the dock, in about five feet of water. It was such a scary image to see, of a little child, showing no act of movement to survive. Apparently, by the mark on her forehead, she had hit her head trying to get into the boat and was slightly knocked unconscious, making it harder for her to escape. My little brother saw her shortly after the children did, and began screaming at me Ruby’s name. I was confused on what he was talking about, because I could not think or begin to believe what he was talking about of her was true. Soon, Lily and I went up to the edge of the dock and saw her. Lily jumped in the water and lifted her out into my hands on the dock.

I can’t describe what it felt like to stare in the face of a dead child – to see one’s childhood gone in a second. I quickly remembered taking CPR in high school. One of the most boring classes in my High School career, attached to gym, but surprisingly understanding the material. The situation that occurred was like some version of Tom Cruise, getting into action and rescuing people. I tuned out all the sounds around me – the weeping, screaming, and praying. It all got very still and quiet as time stood still. I know it sounds cliché, but what we learn does come back to help us sometimes.
Finally, after the fifth chest compression, Ruby spit up some water and as I tilted her head back, she coughed up some more and started breathing again. Her eyes squinted and she looked up to me. Her blue eyes looked deep into me, penetrating me like a bullet.

There it was all at once.

Maybe the whole point of my life was to be right here, right now. Maybe that prom dance led me to be born and to be available to Lily’s little sister. To think as if I wasn’t born, how would this of been played out?
Maybe the pain of seeing my mom move away and start her new life in Indiana was some cosmic plan for me to visit Indiana and meet my girlfriend and save this little girl.

Soon as she started breathing, I was told to go search for neighbors that could help us. I took off going in all directions. I had no clue of where I was going, or any sense of what I might run into; But all I was thinking of was the voice of the father saying “Go get my neighbor!” When I got to their neighbors, there was no one home, and I began to run more. Thankfully I found a man on a bicycle, and got his attention to call 911. Shortly, another girl from the family, appeared on my left and helped me tell him where we are, so he could tell the paramedics.

The paramedics had arrived within 3 minutes. While they were doing procedures on Ruby, I searched for Lily. I had found her sitting and weeping in the back lawn. I ran to her and told her of what is happening to Ruby, and how she is going to live. Right then, she looked at me, with her pearly blue eyes, in disbelief of what I said. I told her again, holding her, and she started bawling. Ruby was later sent to the hospital, to get more lake water pumped out.

Everyone says I saved this girls life, and that I am a hero; but in fact she saved mine.

Up to that day I was living a life without purpose, not understanding what my role in this big universe is. I know now that God has a plan for me and that if I stay open to all the possibilities He provides me, I will live a really happy and productive life. I now see how what I learn in school can have huge impacts on my life. I learned that one person can make a difference. I realize that I am not alone and that Steven Hawkins is right. Ruby didn’t leave this universe. She has some things she needs to do when she gets older, just as much as everyone else. Having the ability to bring someone back to life is a gift, but using the ability to give back someone’s life is a trait.
I am extremely thankful to be a hero, and save that girls life.

Jon visiting Ruby at the hospital the next day.....

I have watched Jon grow during this last year since he met Lily and her family.

He is turning into a fine young man, and his mother and I are very proud of him.

“…for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.”
(Philippians 2:13)

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
(Jeremiah 29:11)

Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails.
(Proverbs 19:21)

Blessings.

The Fence….

2008-08-25T12:08:00.002-04:00

These words are engraved on a plaque which hangs on the wall above my desk at home:

And I have filled him with the Spirit of God,
with skill and ability, to engage in all kinds of craftsmanship.
(Exodus 31:3-5)

And here is my latest project that has kept me occupied lately…….

My wife and I had discussed the need for putting up a fence for quite some time. Mostly, because our little dog was confined to the limits of the long line every time she went outside. We had a small post which screws into the ground, with a swivel hook, attached to the long leash that we would hook onto her collar each time we let her out.

So, I took some measurements, made a rough drawing, marked the location of each post, put together a materials list, calculated the cost and found it affordable to do. Especially since I would be doing all the work myself.

A friend loaned me his post-hole digger (so I didn’t have to buy one) and on one Sunday a couple of weeks ago, I started installing the posts for our fence.

I put in 18 4"x4" posts this way, each one is eight feet apart, and planted 2 feet into the ground.
I only hit one big root near an old stump. It was too big to chop through, so, knowing I needed a new chain for my chainsaw anyway, I stuck the end of my chainsaw into the hole and cut the root out.

Once the posts were installed, I put up the framing for the fence (the rails). I built the rails out of pressure treated #2 pine two by fours and attached them to the posts with 3 inch long exterior wood screws.

Once those were in place, I put up the pickets, which are made from 1” x 4” x 5’ long cedar.

Even though my fence is only 4 feet high, I put up the pickets a little long for a reason. (You’ll see why in a minute.)
My wife made fun of my hat, but it kept the sun off of the back of my neck so I didn’t really care.

After all of the pickets were in place, each spaced at 2 ¼” apart (I used my 4’ level as a guide), I made some more measurements, made some marks, made a template, and trimmed off the tops of the pickets with my circular saw.
Okay, so I’m holding my driver/drill instead of my saw. Each piece of this fence is secured with heavy duty exterior screws. There are no nails. All screws.
I got a little creative with the gate entrance.
I finished just before it got dark, except for the gates.
It had been in the 70’s, sunny, with a light breeze all day.
It was a beautiful day to be outside.

Here it is after I built the gates.

And on the other side of the house……

The dog loves it. She can now run as much as she wants all over the yard, and not in just one small circle.

It has even met with the approval of the neighbors (I asked them about it before I started).

And now for my next project?

I have yet another antique table in the garage waiting to be finished.

Blessings.

Getting the Back Yard Ready…..

2008-08-24T14:22:00.005-04:00

Sorry I haven’t been around for a while, but I’ve a little busy.
The play is finished and it went really well.

Then, my wife and I enrolled in a Dynamic Marriage course at church which involved quite a bit of homework, but was still a great class to be a part of.
Work also keeps me pretty busy, but somehow I managed to squeeze in a few other things.

When I looked into my back yard, I noticed that a couple of our big pine trees had died.

They were becoming dry and brittle, so with the help of my handy little chainsaw….

Now, what do you do with all those little pieces of twigs and debris?
Haul them away? Throw them in the trash?

Well, there was way too much to deal with, and I also had another rather large pile in the other corner of the yard where I’d been stockpiling trimmings and branches, so here’s how I got rid of all of it!

It took some time, and the flames reached as high as 12 feet at times, but it’s all gone and cleaned up now.

Here it is, all cleared up.

I left the stumps a little tall on purpose. The one on the left I carved out to make a high-back chair.

Hey! My wife said we needed more places to sit out there!

Those little flags are from the utility companies so I would know where all the underground lines are in preparation for my next project….

Pet Peeves…..

2008-08-01T13:01:00.001-04:00

As far as I am concerned, the funniest things are the things that actually happen in real life.

In fact, what happened yesterday was so funny….you just can’t make this stuff up.

And no one saw it coming.

I work in cubicle city. So there is absolutely NO privacy what-so-ever.
Conversations WILL be overheard.

I had a brief discussion first thing yesterday morning with a colleague on the subject of prejudices. (He has a way better tan than me, if you get the picture. Don’t worry. We’re good friends).
After I walked away (because I do actually work for a living and had much of it to do) another co-worker approached him to say that he too had an issue with prejudice people. He felt some people are prejudice against him because of his height (or lack, thereof).

If you know anything about me you would know that I am most definitely NOT a tall person. In fact, I do believe I have heard just about every short joke there is, and if someone comes up with a new one, it won’t be long before I hear that one too. I’m used to it. It doesn’t bother me. I am exactly the height that God designed me to be and I am okay with it. (I wasn’t for a long time, but I got over it and that is a different story all together).

Now, where was I?

Oh yeah. The co-worker who is self-conscious about his height.

He’s a really great Christian guy and the only guy I know around here that is shorter than me. He was telling this other fellow that his only Pet Peeve is when anyone makes fun of his height, or his shortness, or .....well, you get the idea.

Later in the day, their team manager (who is a freakishly LARGE man) overheard another conversation that went something like this:

(First guy): “So, what did you do last night?”

(Short Co-Worker): “I went to the midget races.”

To which the manager blurted out:

“Did you win?”

Total ….and…. complete…… silence.

Later on, the manager went and apologized for being so insensitive.
The short fellow forgave him.

Still…it sure is quiet around here today.

Blessings.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. (Psalm 139:14)

.

I Saw God Today

2008-07-25T12:24:00.007-04:00

Okay, so it wasn’t today. It was actually last week during a very early and very long road trip for work. (But the title sounds better than "I saw God one day last week")

But it was still really cool and it felt as though God just wanted to say “Hello” and that He was smiling.

So I took His picture. (He didn’t seem to mind)

His glory covered the heavens and his praise filled the earth.
His splendor was like the sunrise; rays flashed from his hand, where his power was hidden.
(Habakkuk 3:3b-4)

Yeah, it was really cool and it was indeed a great day.

Blessings.

Proper Church Attire

2008-07-21T11:46:00.002-04:00

One Sunday morning, an old cowboy entered a church just before services were to begin.
Although the old man and his clothes were spotlessly clean, he wore jeans, a denim shirt, and boots that were very worn and ragged.

In his hand he carried a worn out old hat and an equally well-worn, dog-eared Bible.

The church he entered was in a very upscale and exclusive part of the city.
It was the largest and most beautiful church the old cowboy had ever seen.

The people of the congregation were all dressed with expensive clothes and fine jewelry.

As the cowboy took a seat, the others moved away from him.

No one greeted, spoke to, or welcomed him.
They were all appalled by his appearance and did not attempt to hide it.

As the old cowboy was leaving the church, the preacher approached him and asked the cowboy to do him a favor.
'Before you come back here, have a talk with God and ask him what he thinks would be appropriate attire for worship in this church.'

The old Cowboy assured the preacher he would.

The next Sunday, he again showed up for the services wearing the same ragged jeans, shirt, boots, and hat.
Once again he was completely shunned and ignored.

The preacher approached the cowboy and said, 'I thought I asked you to speak to God before you came back to our church.'

'I did,' replied the old cowboy.

'And what did God tell you the proper attire should be for worshiping here?' asked the preacher.

'Well, sir, God told me that He didn't have a clue what I should wear. He'd never been in THIS church.'

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I’ve been to churches like that. Where they are more concerned with how you dress, or the type of house you live in or the kind of car you drive.

Do you really think that wearing the right clothes, having a big house or driving an expensive car will get you into heaven? Of course not.

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)

The only way to heaven is by accepting Jesus as your personal Savior.

God is not concerned about your house, your clothes or your car. What He is concerned about is how you honor His Son.

God looks at your heart.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Luke 12:34)

He (Jesus) answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind' ; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' " (Luke 10:27)

How is your heart? Do you have a heart condition? I have to check mine every day.
I just want to be like David. A man after God’s own heart.

So how about that old cowboy?

Would he be accepted at your church?

Blessings.

Normal?….Namely......

2008-07-17T22:25:00.003-04:00

The following is a list of names of people I have actually met.
See if you notice something about each of those names.

What do they have in common?

Stacey
Tracy
Leslie
Lynn
Kelly
Terry
Carroll
Marian
Kim
Charlie
Shannon
Chris
Parker
Ally
Dana *

In case you hadn’t noticed, each one of the individuals named here is a MAN!

Really.

And it makes me wonder…..what kind of parent would give their son a girl’s name?

Seriously. Is this normal? Or just close enough?

I couldn't even find examples of this in the Bible.
The women in the Bible have names like Eve, Naomi, Ruth, Mary, Martha, Sarah, and names like that. And not one of those women would be mistaken for a man by the mere mention of her name.

But with some guys? I just don’t know.
At work, I have learned to ask someone first if there is any doubt.

I’m not criticizing these guys or judging them, I just think it’s weird.

Maybe that’s why some of those fellows go by their middle name (unless, of course, their middle name happens to be Nancy or something), or go by a nickname like Butch, or Duke, or Stinky, or Bubba.

Do you know of a guy with what could also be a girl’s name?

I was just wondering.

* I almost forgot about this one. Thanks CrazyDeb!

Alpha Dude for President

2008-07-14T09:39:00.005-04:00

I HAVE DECIDED TO BECOME A WRITE-IN CANDIDATE.
HERE IS MY PLATFORM:

(1) Press 1 for English is immediately banned. English is the official language, speak it or wait at the border until you can.

(2) We will immediately go into a two year isolationist posture to straighten out the country's attitude. NO imports, no exports. We will use the 'Walmart' policy 'If we ain't got it, you don't need it.'

(3) When imports are allowed, there will be a 100% import tax on it.

(4) All retired military personnel will be required to man one of our many observation towers on the southern border. (six month tour) They will be under strict orders not to fire on SOUTHBOUND aliens.

(5) Social security will immediately return to its original state. If you didn't put nuttin in, you ain't gettin nuttin out. The president nor any other politician will not be able to touch it.

(6) Just like the presidency, all political offices (senators, congressmen, etc.) will have term limits. All politicians will be required to contribute to social security, just like everyone else. No more “Golden Umbrella”. No more free rides.

(7) Welfare - Checks will be handed out on Fridays at the end of the 40 hour school week and the successful completion of urinalysis and a passing grade.

(8) Professional Athletes --Steroids - The FIRST time you check positive you're banned for life.

(9) Crime - We will adopt the Turkish method, the first time you steal, you lose your right hand. There is no more life sentences, if convicted of murder you will be put to death by the same method you chose for your victim, gun, knife, strangulation, etc.

(10) One export will be allowed, Wheat, The world needs to eat. A bushel of wheat will be the exact price of a barrel of oil.

(11) All bans and/or restrictions on accessing or utilizing American Oil will be lifted. Wanna stimulate the economy? Bring those gas prices DOWN.

(12) All foreign aid using American taxpayer money will immediately cease, and the saved money will pay off the national debt and ultimately lower taxes. When disasters occur around the world, we'll ask the American people if they want to donate to a disaster fund, and each citizen can make the decision whether it's a worthy cause.

(13) The Pledge of Allegiance will be said every day at school and every day in Congress.

(14) The National Anthem will be played at all appropriate ceremonies, sporting events, outings, etc.

Sorry if I stepped on anyone's toes but a vote for me will get you better than what you have, and better than what you're gonna get.Thanks for listening, and remember to write in my name on the ballot in November.

God Bless America

God’s One-Liners

2008-07-07T12:35:00.001-04:00

I’m posting these just for fun, although most of these carry a pretty good message. You may actually be able to see yourself in some of them.
And remember: If you can’t laugh at yourself, then laugh at someone near and dear to you.
(or something like that)

Don't let your worries get the best of you;
remember, Moses started out as a basket case.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

Some people are kind, polite, and sweet-spirited
until you try to sit in their pews.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

Many folks want to serve God,But only as advisers.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

It is easier to preach ten sermons than it is to live one.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

The good Lord didn't create any thing without purpose,
but mosquitoes come close.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

When you get to your wit's end,You'll find God lives there.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

People are funny;
they want the front of the bus,
middle of the road,
and the back of the church.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

Opportunity may knock once,
but temptation bangs on the front door forever.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+ *

Quit griping about your church;If it was perfect, you couldn't belong.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

If a church wants a better pastor, it only needs to pray for the one it has.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

God Himself doesn't propose to judge a man until he is dead.
So why should you?

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

Some minds are like concrete.Thoroughly mixed up and permanently set.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

A lot of church members singing 'Standing on the Promises'
are just sitting on the premises.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

We're called to be witnesses, not lawyers or judges.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

Be ye fishers of men.
You catch 'em - He'll clean 'em.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

Coincidence is when God chooses to remain anonymous.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

Don't put a question mark where God put a period.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

Don't wait for 6 strong men to take you to church.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

Forbidden fruits create many jams.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

God grades on the cross, not the curve.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

God loves everyone, but probably prefers 'fruits of the spirit' over 'religious nuts!'

*+*+*+* +*+* +*+*+*+*

God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

He who angers you, controls you!

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

If God is your Co-pilot, swap seats!

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

Don't give God instructions -- just report for duty!

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

The task ahead of us is never as great as the Power behind us.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

The Will of God never takes you to where the Grace of God will not protect you.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

We don't change the message, the message changes us.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

You can tell how big a person is by what it takes to discourage him.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

Remembering Names

2008-07-02T12:46:00.004-04:00

Remember my next door neighbor, Mark? I’ve written about him before.

Well, he and his family went out of town for a few weeks on vacation. Before he left, he asked me if my son and I would take care of his yard. Sure. After all, that’s what neighbors do.

Well, one Saturday while I was mowing his lawn, his mother stopped by to check on things and get the mail. I stopped what I was doing to say hello.
I asked her if she knew when Mark would be home and she asked, “Who’s Mark?”
“Your son, my neighbor.”
“No. His name is Paul.”
“Are you sure? I thought his name was Mark.”
“I think I would know the name of my own son.”

We chatted briefly and she went on her way and I went back to cutting the grass.
The entire time I couldn’t stop thinking that I had been calling my neighbor by the wrong name for the last three years, and he never once corrected me!

“Paul” came home last week and he came over one evening while I was outside barbequing.
We said hello and talked about his trip and stuff like that.
Then I said, “Hey, I’ve got a bone to pick with you!”
“Why’s that?”
“I talked to your mom, and apparently I’ve been calling you by the wrong name for the past three years! Why didn’t you ever correct me?”
“No you haven’t. Well, if you did, I didn’t notice!”
We both got a good laugh out of it.

Then Paul told me something else.
He said he would probably never forget my name or get it wrong, and not because it also happens to be his middle name.
But because of his kids.

Sometime before they left on their trip, his kids asked him if they could pray for me.
When he asked them why, they told him that their Sunday School teacher had taught them about what the Bible says about loving your neighbor, and that they should pray for their neighbor.
So they said, “Dad, can we pray for Scott?”
“Why would you want to pray for Scott?”
“Because our teacher said we should pray for our neighbor and he’s real nice and we want to pray for him.”
“Sure we can, let’s pray for Scott and his family.”

Paul said he was so impressed that his kids would interpret that lesson that way, that he would not soon forget the lesson his children just taught him.

I thought it was pretty cool that my neighbor’s children think I am alright and they would want to pray for me. I always liked them already anyway.

The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."
Galatians 5:14

Have you prayed for your neighbors lately?

Luke 10:26-28
26"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"
27He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"
28"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."

I probably won't forget my friend's (neighbor's) name again, but just in case, I wrote it on the big message board in our kitchen.

Blessings.

Father’s Day 2008 – The Power of Dad

2008-06-14T23:31:00.005-04:00

Please forgive me for re-using this post from last year. I'll be in Chicago on Father's Day on business.
So, for all you father's who are blessed to spend this day with your families....Happy Father's Day!

A child will not see the Father in God, until he sees something of God in his father.

It is Father’s Day, again. We’re going to see a lot of posts, articles and advertisements about Father’s Day. What are going to give to the “father” in your life? (Husband, son, grandfather, uncle, father-in-law……etc.) What’s the best Father’s Day gift you’ve ever received (assuming you are somebody’s Dad)?

The best Father’s Day gift I can remember is the first time one of my children said to me, on their own, “I love you, Daddy”. What more could any man ever want after that?
(This is my 20th Father’s Day as somebody’s Dad, and I still have never been given a neck-tie!)

Before my kids came along, I read books and studied about how to be the best husband I could be for my wife. Once I found out I was going to be somebody’s Dad, I started studying things to help me be the best Daddy those kids could ever hope for.

I have made way more than my fair share of mistakes along the way, so I am by no means a perfect Dad. I don’t even come close.

I read a lot of books and I take every opportunity to study, listen and learn how to be the man God wants me to be by learning how to be the best husband and Dad I can possibly be. Most of what I learn is by trial and error. Maybe more error than trial.

My grandfather once told me that the smart guy learns by watching others. This may be due to the fact that I don’t believe I could possibly live long enough to make all those mistakes all by myself.

The following is a collection of things that I believe every father needs to say to his children. (in no particular order….)

I Love You
Your kids need to hear this. A lot! Your children should hear this from you at least once a day. I have known so many people who never heard this from their father, but have been told by someone else, “Oh, you know he loves you”. Or the dad may say that his children know he loves them and that he doesn’t need to say it to them. Why take the chance? Why leave any room for doubt? Why leave it up to some other well-meaning person to try to make your children feel better by saying it for you?
Your children should never be in a position to be asking themselves, “What does my Dad think of me?”
You know, if you remove just one word from that question, you get an even better one. “Does my dad think of me?” They need to know that, too!

Dad, if you haven’t told your children that you love them today, or if you haven’t said that to your Dad yet today, then go tell them. Right now. Seriously. Go. Tell them. We’ll wait for you…….

Okay. Are you back? Did you tell them? Good. Now don’t you feel better? I thought you might.

I Am Sorry
Are you too proud to admit when you are wrong or have made a mistake? Then shame on you. If you messed up, your children will NOT think less of you if you go to them and tell them you are sorry. I cannot tell you how many times I have gone to my kids, gotten down on my knees, and asked them to forgive me. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have responded that way, I was wrong. Please forgive me.”
This is huge Dad. This is one of those things your children will remember forever. They will also remember HOW you tell them. If you are standing above them, looking down at your child with your arms crossed and sternly say “I’m sorry”, then you have wasted your time and perhaps done more harm to the situation. Instead, get down on their level. Get down so you can see them eye to eye. And tell them, in a soft and sincere tone, that you are truly sorry and ask them to forgive you.

I Believe in You
This also goes along with saying I Am Proud Of You. Dad, your son needs to hear this from you, even more so than your daughter does. Both sons and daughters need to know that they are important to you. They need to see it in your actions as well as hear the words from you.
My father often told me he was proud of me. I don’t remember ever hearing those words from my step-father, even though he is the guy who raised me since I was eight years old. In little league, I was the pitcher, I lettered in wrestling and cross-country in high school, I earned two black belts in two different martial arts styles, I earned two college degrees, and passed all the exams for my professional registration. I rarely saw or heard from my father, but when I did, he would tell me he loves me and that he was proud of me. I didn’t understand why, since he wasn’t the guy who raised me or taught me how to do things like build a camp-fire or how to catch a fish, etc. But the guy who did raise me? All I heard from him was “Nice job. I’m surprised. I didn’t think you would actually make it”.
My father, the guy who left me when I was six, often told me “I believe in you. You are my son, and you can accomplish anything. You can do it and I am proud of you. I love you, son.”
Now, who do you think I am remembering today?

On November 18, 1997, my father passed away at the age of 59. They say he had a bad heart. I’m not so sure about that. I miss him.

This is the only picture I could find of me and my dad.

You Are Lovely
Dad, your daughter needs to hear this from you. More than just once in a while. I know of too many girls who are starving for some kind of affirmation from their Dad. I don’t want to go into too much detail here, but Dad, if you aren’t the one who is telling your daughter that she is pretty, that she is lovely, that she is important, that she is loved and highly respected, then she is going to find it from someone else. I really don’t need (or want) to elaborate on this one. Use your imagination. Think about it. If you don’t like what you see, then change it. You have that power.

That, my friends, is also about the Power of Dad.
By the time our children become teenagers, they want to be free to do the things that they want to do. And the parents want to be able to have some sort of control.
Dad, would you like to be able to control your kids? Be honest. Even if you won’t admit it, I know that you do. It’s a guy thing.

Then use your Power of Dad wisely. Do those things you just read and start now!
Start now while they are young and they will remember those little things as they grow up. You cannot make you children love you or respect you, but you can give them good reason.

You should also know that this Power of Dad can also be damaging if used for selfish reasons in an effort to manipulate your children or try to make them feel guilty. I’ve seen a lot of that too.

It really burns me up when I hear teenagers say things like “My dad is such a jerk!” And then these same kids will bust their butts to try to earn his respect and make him love them. That man has abused his Power of Dad.

So, what kind of Dad are you? How are you using your power?

He who fears the LORD has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge. Proverbs 14:26

He's Coming Home.....

2008-06-11T23:17:00.008-04:00

My son Josh is on his way home.

Finally.

In March, he loaded up his car and headed out for California to surprise his little sister and spend a week with her while she was on Spring Break. She's 12.

He said he'd be back in two weeks.

While he was there, his car was stolen.
Right after I bought him a plane ticket to come home, the police found his car.

Through a series of bad decisions and mere stupidity (his words), he found himself broke with no way to afford the drive home. His myspace page shows all the evidence of a Prodigal Son and some of the poor decisions he made while there.

Naturally there is much more to the story, but the end of it is that he and his best buddy are coming here in his friend's car. His buddy will be staying with us this summer.
I know the kid's parents and spoke to his mom and everything is all set. They are sharing the driving in his friend's car since Josh had to sell his car in order to afford the trip home.
Please pray they have a safe and uneventful trip.

Josh and me when he was only 8 days old.

Josh, at 3.

Josh, at 20.

He will not receive a lecture or be otherwise chastized for his behavior in California. Like the father in the Prodigal son story in the Bible, I am just happy my son is finally coming home. (He's been gone for over two months).

And, just like that kid from the bible story.......he'll be walking.

But I'm still going to throw him a party.

We don't have a fatted calf, so I'll probably just get him a cake.

Blessings.

Because I Said So………

2008-06-09T20:28:00.027-04:00

Yeah, that’s what I said, because I couldn’t think of anything else to say.

Well, actually, that isn’t entirely true. I could think of plenty more things to say, but I didn’t feel like getting into a long drawn out discussion, or argument, about someone else’s undependable or irresponsible behavior.

So when I said no and she asked if she could ask why, I said that she could most certainly ask. So she asked why. And I said,

“Because I said so”.

I hoped that would be good enough for now, and surprisingly, it was. So she left.

My 20 year old step-daughter likes to take my dog with her to Ohio to visit her boyfriend (the step-daughter’s boyfriend, not the dog’s). I do not like this idea. I don’t like the idea of my step-daughter going there, since they live like a married couple (when they are not married), so I don’t like her taking the dog there either.
She knows how I feel about the whole thing, but does not seem to care.

This is my dog. The cute little Shiba Inu.

Ain’t she purty?

Last month, I tried to see past all that and be the “nice guy” and let her take my dog to Ohio. She promised to have her back that Friday night. She even begged me to let her take her and swore that she’d be home by that Friday night.
So I caved and said okay.

It was raining pretty hard that night and she called with a sob story about how she couldn't make it home that night but promised she’d have the dog home the next morning. I tried to be “nice”, and said okay.

The next morning came and we got a call and someone had to go to the mall where my step-daughter works and get the dog since she “suddenly remembered” that she had to work that day and didn’t have time to bring the dog home. I told her mother (my wife) that this is unacceptable and will not happen again.

This is not the first time she’s not kept her promise and proved herself to be undependable and unreliable. I just simply cannot trust her to keep her word.
This sort of thing happens way too often.

So this time I said, “No”.
(Even though the thunderstorm she'd be driving into this time, to go there, is twice as bad as when she couldn't bring her home last time).

I don’t think she’s figured out exactly why, but she seemed to know enough by now not to push it.

The Bible tells us to train up a child in the way they should go, and when they are old, they will not part from it. Apparently, no one trained up this child in the way she should go. They did however, train her up in the way she is going.

Parents beware, you are training up your children in the way they are going to go. Whether you like it or not. I understand there are some exceptions to this, but we’re not talking about those right now.

If your child isn’t going the way you believe you’ve trained him up, please don’t give up hope. My older brother went so far in the opposite direction that everyone had all but given up on him. No one expected him to live to see his 30th birthday. Even him.

But then, when he was 32, he found Jesus. Or maybe Jesus found him?
All I know is that at 3AM one morning, in the Spring of 1989, my phone rang and I heard my brother screaming with shouts of joy that he accepted Jesus into his heart and wanted me to be the first to know.

He was trained up in the way he should go, by the same parents, in the same household as me, and when he got older, he came back to it. He’s 50 now, and still going strong for the Lord.

So, I still have hope for my step-daughter.
Do I trust her? No.
Do I love her? Yes. Yes, I do. As if she were my own.
Do I pray for her? You bet your sweet bippy! Every day.

By the grace of God, she’ll come back to Him.

But in the meantime, my puppy will stay home with me.

Blessings.

Shopping.......

2008-06-02T08:35:00.003-04:00

A new supermarket opened near my house.

It has an automatic water mister to keep the produce fresh.
Just before it goes on, you hear the sound of distant thunder and you can smell fresh rain.

When you pass the milk cases, you hear cows mooing and you experience the scent of fresh mown hay.

In the meat department there is the aroma of charcoal grilled steaks with onions.

When you a approach the egg case, you hear hens cluck and cackle, and the air is filled with the pleasing aroma of bacon and eggs frying.

The bread department features the tantalizing smell of fresh baked bread & cookies.

I don't buy toilet paper there anymore...........

.

There is a Time……

2008-05-29T15:40:00.000-04:00

In the past, I’ve been accused of being a phony, a fake, not who I present myself to be. The reason for this is due to not always behaving the way at home as I do in public, or at church.

In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:16)

Okay, now, this scripture says to let my light shine before men. That means to represent Christ when I am around other people. The Bible also tells us to be Christ-like always. Whether in public or in private. (That’s also called Integrity).

Does this mean I am not allowed to have feelings? Does this mean I am not allowed to get angry or upset or voice my opinion when something bothers me?

No.

Take a good hard look at some of the most prominent people in scripture.

Remember King David? He was a leader of men. David is known as the man who sought after God’s own heart. Not a bad thing to be known for. Do you think he spoke sweetly to his mighty men? Given the character and fortitude of those thirty seven Mighty Men, I doubt they would have followed Richard Simmons into battle, or risked their lives to bring PeeWee Herman a drink of water. No, David spoke to them with authority. In public, as King, David glorified God and wrote hymns of praise and worship. In private, David tore at his clothing and cried out in anguish over his sinful nature and begged God to forgive him. David was a man. He sinned. He prayed. He lied, he killed, he hid, he repented, he glorified God. David sought after God’s own heart, but he didn’t always behave the same way in every circumstance.

And Moses? How do you think his voice sounded when he told Pharaoh to let his people go? The people of Israel loved Moses and followed him to the Promised Land. Even though he screwed it up and got them lost for forty years (I think his wife may have stopped and asked directions). When Moses was teaching them the things God had told them, his voice was most likely kind and loving, but when the people started acting stupid and selfish, like when they began worshipping the golden calf or other idols, Moses got pretty well ticked and hollered at them. Was it because he hated his people? Of course not! He yelled at them because he genuinely cared about them and desired for them to get right with God.

When Jesus himself was in public, speaking to crowds of people, or ministering to someone one on one, He spoke gently and lovingly and Glorified God with his words and his actions. When alone with his disciples, he spoke to them sometimes in a teaching manner. Sometimes he got upset with them and had to speak to them authoritatively, especially during those times when they just didn’t get it or fell asleep when he’d asked them to stay up with him and pray.
“Can’t you guys stay awake with me for even one hour?!?”
Given the situation of that statement, I believe Jesus was getting somewhat perturbed with those guys! To say the least.
Think of how he must have spoken to Peter when Peter needed correcting.

Remember how Jesus spoke to the religious leaders when he called them a brood of vipers and a bunch of hypocrites? He was yelling at them! He royally told them off!

Remember, everything Jesus did was to glorify His Father in Heaven, even when he angrily drove the moneychangers out of the temple.

Yet Jesus never sinned.

He spoke to different people in different ways. When people needed love and kindness, that’s what He gave them. When people needed a strong hand and words of correction and discipline, He gave them that too. But He did it ALL, out of love for those people. He gave them what they needed for that particular time.

So how are we to treat our own family inside of our homes?
I do believe we are to speak to our spouses with love and tenderness.
But what happens when there is a disagreement or argument? We raise our voices and sometimes use angry words. Does this mean we don’t love them anymore? No, but if we’re not careful, they may take it that way.
The Bible tells us to not sin in our anger. That means that it is okay to get angry, just don’t lose control of yourself. We’re also supposed to speak kindly to others, especially our own family.

But it isn’t always easy, is it?

What about the kids?

It’s hard enough sometimes to be nice to our own children, but what about blended families?
It takes some time to learn how to deal with children who may have been raised and influenced by someone else whose ideas, values and morals are completely different than your own.

This gets me into trouble on a regular basis.

I am seen as the bad guy lately, because we (I) have rules in our house and I choose to enforce them. The rules are rather simple and designed to encourage the children to be considerate of others and respect people and other people’s things.
I personally don’t think it’s such a bad idea.
But, they’re upset with me because I refuse to allow a teenage girl to share her bed with her boyfriend in our home.
I refuse to allow alcohol of any kind in our home.
I believe that a 17 year old boy who brings his mother’s car back with less gas than when he took it, is saying that he does not appreciate the use of the car and doesn’t wish to use it anymore.

I believe the kids (all teenagers) should pick up after themselves, clean up their own messes, and think of others first.
When they don’t, I say something. I don’t yell at them, but my words and my tone are not always “flowery, joyful, and full of praise” for them.
“You don’t speak to your own son that way!”
“I don’t have to.”

I believe that those children….ALL children….should be respectful of their mother.

Many years ago, I attended a men’s weekend retreat with my church. One of the speakers spent the weekend giving us note cards to write on and asked each time for us to write down five words that describe who we are at work. Then later, five more words (separate card) for who are at church. Then, even later on, five more for who we are at home.

Finally, he asked us to compare each of the three cards and asked us to match up any words that match. Very few could match words from card to card. The point was to illustrate that we tend to act differently depending on where we are. The Bible tells us to be the same no matter where we are, or who we are around.

Naturally, you can’t be the fun loving jokester at work that you might be at home or church.

But I think the kind of words that describe us in each place should include the words “Integrity, Honest, Fair, Consistent, Thoughtful, Trustworthy, etc.”
You know, things that show we are followers of Christ.

I try my best to do that. But when the young people in your charge don’t know the difference, it becomes difficult. And when the other parent won’t back you up, it is dang near impossible.
Just so you understand: I do not yell at the kids and I do not belittle them, but I will be firm with them when I need to.

I am gaining new understanding as to what Soloman meant when he ranted in Ecclesiastes that “This is so meaningless! Good people are seen as bad, and bad people are seen as good!......”

The Bible also tells us that there is a time and place for everything. A time to laugh, a time to cry. A time for joy, and a time to pitch a fit. (heavily paraphrased by me).

When raising children, or just simply dealing with them, I’m not so sure you can use the same joyful tone of voice in all circumstances at all times. If you know how to accomplish this, then please educate me. I’d really like to know.

We are to train up a child in the way they should go….
If we don’t, then someone else will.
Who will that someone else be? An ex-spouse with a hidden agenda? TV? Their peers? Some drug dealer?

I don’t want to take that chance.

I believe children should be held accountable for their actions, more so as they grow older.
There should be consequences for bad behavior. If you think your children are perfect and never behave badly, then you need to seek professional help.
My own step-children are generally good kids, but every once in a while, they need correction and teaching and discipline.

In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:16)

I believe it is important to do this at home too. But I also don’t think it is all sweetness and joy.
Sometimes you need to be firm and enforce the rules.

I understand that not all parents believe this way. There are some parents who will not say “No” to their children and refuse to discipline them for fear of hurting their feelings or destroying the child’s self-esteem. They don’t want the child to feel bad. I also believe that to be irresponsible parenting.

Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him.
(Proverbs 22:15)

That verse changed my son’s life! For the better.

If a child misbehaves, or does something wrong or gets themselves into trouble…they are supposed to feel bad! That’s how they learn.

There is a time and place for everything.

Me? I’d rather have fun and enjoy the family.

Blessings.

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.(1 John 4:4)

Notice

2008-05-18T17:00:00.000-04:00

The Waverly Gallery

2008-05-15T21:28:00.000-04:00

As I said before, I’ve been kind of busy lately, with work and church and community theater.
Yeah, I am involved in another play.
Rehearsals almost every night and then weekends building the set in my garage.

May 9-24-The Waverly Gallery:
StageWorthy Productions announces its second production of the 2007-2008 season,
Kenneth Lonergan’s “The Waverly Gallery”.
Performances will be at 2950 E. 55th Place (Indianapolis) on May 9, 10, 16, 23, & 24, 2008 at 8pm.
All seats are $10.
A Pulitzer Prize finalist, the play focuses on the final years of a generous, chatty and feisty grandmother’s final battle against Alzheimer’s disease.
The play explores her fight to retain her independence and the subsequent decline on her family, especially her grandson.
More than a memory play, “The Waverly Gallery” captures the humor and strength of a family in the face of crisis.

And….I’m in it!

I play the part of Howard Fine, Gladys’ son-in-law and step-dad to Gladys’ grandson.
Howard is a New York psychiatrist, and although he means well, doesn’t always say things in a very tactful way.

This play has been a lot hard work and is a lot of fun to do.

One major challenge has been building the set.
The play is presented on a local church stage, so we need to tear it down every weekend so they can have church on Sunday. Then we put the set back up Friday night in time for the performance.

So I built the entire set (there was no one else to do it) in my garage and hauled it to the church in my pick-up truck.
Each part of the set is light-weight, and is hinged so it closes and transports easily by two people.
The hinges enable the walls to be opened up so they are free-standing, yet sturdy.

I’ll put up pictures real soon.
(Assuming I remember my camera this week).

If you find yourself in the Indianapolis area during the next couple of weekends, please stop by and see the show. It is a very well written play and the cast is fantastic!

How Very Convenient….

2008-05-13T22:08:00.000-04:00

Sorry I haven’t been around much lately, but I’ve been keeping rather busy.

One of the many things I do for my job is to travel around the state to inspect and evaluate various roadways to see if they are a good candidate for the desired particular pavement preservation treatment.

One recent road trip took us (me and two other engineers) up north near the Great Lakes region. We were just about as far north in Indiana as you can get.

This also meant that it would be a very long drive back home once our task was complete.
So it makes sense that the driver of the car pulled into a rest stop on the way back. His timing was actually quite good and we all made use of the available facilities.

When at places like this, men tend to lollygag around since there seems to be some sort of unwritten rule that men just don’t go in groups. Not that we didn’t wait and take turns, the place had plenty of available accommodations to facilitate everyone, we just didn’t all three go in together. It’s a guy thing.

Before leaving the men’s room, of course, I stopped to wash my hands. I noticed that there were a row of sinks along the wall with a tile shelf above the sinks and then a mirror above the shelf at each sink. What else would you expect? It’s a rest stop. They even had the handicap sink at the end with that angled mirror above the sink.

The thing that caught my eye, however, was the mirror on the wall you have to walk past to get to the door to get out. It seemed to be positioned rather low. I couldn’t, at first, figure out why it was placed that way, since all you could see was the reflection from your knees to your chest. It couldn’t be the handicap mirror, they had one above the handicap sink.

Then it occurred to me what I was really looking at and I knew immediately what that particular mirror was for.

It is a “Check Your Fly” mirror.

I thought that was rather convenient.

Now, I understand that some fellows will still walk out of there with their fly open, but at least they can’t say that someone didn’t try to warn them.

I wonder if there is any such thing in the ladies room?
Any of you ladies care to comment?

But then, maybe us guys really don’t want to know.

Blessings.

(Now, go wash your hands)

Twenty Years Ago Today…

2008-05-02T12:00:00.000-04:00

Twenty years ago, today, I watched you come into this world.
Aside from the doctor who delivered you, and the nurse who cleaned you up and checked you out, I was the first one to hold you.
I can still remember holding you in my arms in that delivery room.
You opened your eyes and looked up at me with the most beautiful blue eyes I had ever seen.
I could have sworn you smiled at me when I said, “Hello Joshua. I’m your Dad”.

I got to be the first one to hold you, to feed you, and I changed your very first dirty diaper (and countless others since then).
Everyone else had to wait patiently for their turn to get close to you, or to hold you.
I just didn’t want to let you go. The nurses had to almost force me to put you down in your crib so you could get some rest before going in to see your mom.

I have enjoyed watching you grow up. You have always been smarter than any little boy your age should have been.
You’ve also always been more than eager to try out new things. You were quite the explorer and daredevil.
The more those things made your mother sweat, the more you enjoyed doing them.
You were and still are, a lot of fun to be around.

I still remember the day when you were seven years old and you came to me and said, “Daddy, will you pray with me and help me accept Jesus into my heart?”
And that day, you, my son, became my brother in Christ.
Later that same week, we found you standing on a platform on your swing set in the back yard, preaching the gospel to all the neighborhood kids.

My precious little boy has grown up.
You have become a man of honor, of honesty and integrity.

I am proud of you and I love you.

Happy Birthday, My Son.

Dad

The Tiger Oak Project....

2008-04-22T00:01:00.001-04:00

No. This is not about some famous golfer winning another tournament.
This is about why I haven't been around blogging much lately.

As if being "Alpha Dude" wasn't enough, I work a full time job, I am involved in Community Theater (more on that later), my wife and I are very much involved in various ministries in our church, I need to study for our Bible Study night, and I occassionally do woodworking projects in my garage.

Last year, I restored a 1964 Steinway Piano.

This time, I fully restored an Antique Tiger Oak Dining Table.

When I got it, it was in sevaral pieces, some of which needed to be glued back together or needed major repair.

So I stripped and sanded half of the top to see if the table was worth saving. That's when I discovered the table was made of Tiger Oak. Although the table was in pieces and some of those pieces were in pretty bad shape, it appeared to be worth trying to salvage.

So I kept going and stripped and sanded each piece. The claw feet took the most time, effort, and patience. Once all the old finish was stripped away, I sanded each piece and repaired and glued the broken pieces back together. I even had to repair the steel mechanism that clamps the two halves of the pedestal back together. It now locks into place and holds the pedestal together securely. (It had been held together with a heavy piece of wire).

Here's the pedestal as one piece after I finished staining it.

Notice the details on the claw feet.

I even installed felt pads on the bottom of the feet (someone had used waded up duct tape).

After all the pieces were stained, I put it all together and applied several coats (about 8) of a water-based Acrylic finish.

The table now sits in my kitchen.

The table top is 54 inches in diameter and can extend to over 10 feet long. (We just don't have any of the leaves that go with it.)

This table was originally built sometime between 1890 and 1900.
When I got it, it looked like junk.
Now...it looks like a brand new table.

Blessings.

It’s Nothing……

2008-04-18T10:35:00.001-04:00

A few days ago, our training coordinator at work asked me for some information pertaining to a training class she’s helping me with.

It took longer than expected to respond to her request and I sent her an e-mail apologizing for taking so long.

She wrote back and said “No Problemo”.

Being the serious professional (smart aleck) that I am, I replied to her e-mail by saying “Gee, I didn’t know you were bi-lingual”.

Her e-mail response to that simply said “De rien”.

De Rien? I had no idea what this meant. I had never seen this before.

So I walked down to her cubicle and said, “Okay, I give up. I have no idea what that means. In fact, I can’t even pronounce it. So please tell me what your e-mail says”

She replied, casually, “It’s nothing”.

“I’m sure it’s nothing, and that’s okay, but I’d still like to know what it means”

“It’s nothing”

“Okay, so it’s nothing, but I’d still like to know”

“It’s nothing”

“Is it something bad? Is it a French swear word or something?”

“No, it’s nothing”

“Oh, come on, please…”

“It is pronounced Dye Wren (rolling the ‘R’), and it is French for ‘It’s Nothing’ ”

“Oh”

Gee…..all of that for “nothing”.

Blessings.

Heroes……

2008-04-08T15:44:00.002-04:00

Easter season has come and gone. But I was still reminded of this time of year yesterday as I walked through the grocery store. There remains a section of discounted Easter items the store is trying to get rid of. So naturally, my mind wandered to the subject of Easter and what it means (most likely because there was no chocolate left in the clearance section).

Why do we celebrate Easter? What is Easter really all about? No, not some stupid bunny running around hiding eggs (where did a rabbit get his paws on all those eggs anyway?).

It is about our Savior, right? So I typed the word “Savior” into Microsoft Word, then highlighted the word and selected the Thesaurus button, and learned a lot.

The words that appeared are…..
1. redeemer – He certainly is our redeemer, isn’t He.
2. rescuer – Jesus rescued us from sin by dying on the cross.
3. Liberator – He liberated us from the evil one when He stood up and walked out of that tomb. Yes, He is risen, indeed.
4. champion – He championed over the devil by conquering death and the grave.
5. knight in shining armor – He is our knight in shining armor. He is our Hero.

So then I typed in the word Hero and got these…..
1. brave man – Jesus is most definitely the bravest man in all of history. Not only did He go through all that torture and pain and suffering on our behalf, but He knew all about it ahead of time. And He still chose to go through with it. That is truly a brave man.
2. superman – Jesus is more than just a “superman”.
3. conqueror – Jesus Christ paid the ultimate price for your sins and mine and conquered death and the grave and opened the way for us to also conquer the sin in our lives so it will no longer have a stronghold over us. We too can conquer sin simply by calling on the name of Jesus and trusting in His saving grace and power.

What comes to mind when you think about a Hero?

What does a “Hero” look like to you?
In the movies, or TV or in story books, the hero, or Knight in Shining Armor, is the guy who rides in at just the right time to save the day.
The Hero usually saves all the “good” people, and punishes or destroys the “bad” people. And the main character he saves is the beautiful damsel who will, by the end of the story, become his bride. And she’s always pretty, and is usually a princess. Someone of royalty.
The Hero never marries the ugly, dirty damsel. Always the beautiful princess.

My Hero?
He didn’t come to save good people. He came to save all the people, the good and the bad. He didn’t just come to defeat the villain, he also laid down His very life for his bride.
And His bride? She was dirty and ugly and had other lovers and repeatedly rejected Him.
Something else you should know is that His bride is the very one who killed Him.
But He gave His life for her because He loves her so very much.

Are you ready for this?

That bride, is us.

When you accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, you become a part of the Bride of Christ. Yeah, He left paradise to come here and save His bride, knowing full well who she is and what she is like. He loves you and me that much.

Jesus said, “Behold, I make all things new”.
When you become a follower of Jesus, you are made new. You are made clean in the eyes of God, you are “washed white as snow”.

What was once ugly, is made beautiful.
What was once dirty and filthy, is made clean.
What was once old and worn, is made new.
The weak become strong and the condemned become forgiven.
Through Him, we will know God and spend our eternity in Heaven, in paradise with Jesus.

Jesus said that there is no greater love than someone who will lay down his life for his friends.
Is Jesus your buddy? Are you a friend of God?

“Easter” just took on a whole new meaning for me.

So, who is your Hero?

Blessings.

Crystal’s Questions....3, 4 & 5

2008-04-02T18:43:00.001-04:00

Hi. Welcome back. In case you haven’t seen this yet, a 12 year old girl named Crystal in our church’s Alpha Sprouts program wrote out 19 questions that have her somewhat concerned. She’s rather excited that Alpha Dude would take the time to answer them (or at least try).
Some of Crystal’s questions are closely related, so when I can, I’ve combined them to try to give Crystal the clearest answers and explanations as possible.
We’ve already looked at the first two, so let’s move on to the next few questions.

More of Crystal’s Questions (there are 19 in all, so far)….
3. How much longer until the rapture?
4. How do we know for a fact that there will be a rapture?
5. Why do non-believers have to stay living while believers die at the rapture?

How much longer until the rapture? I believe that there is a real good chance that our generation will be around to see it. Of course, every generation since Christ’s ascension into Heaven has felt that way. Maybe we are all just hoping it will happen real soon. I have personally had days where I’ve looked upwards and said,
“Okay Lord, you can come right now and it won’t bother me one bit!”

But God’s timing is perfect and He knows better than me when is the right time for everything.
The Bible is quite clear on the fact that our Heavenly Father is the only one who knows exactly when the rapture will occur, and He’s not telling.
A lot of people think God is rather mysterious and keeps a lot of secrets, but actually, He has given away the ending of our life story by giving us the book of Revelation. In that, He tells us what the end times will be like. The only things that He does not tell us is who the Anti-Christ will be, and when those times will occur.
The Bible tells us that the Lord will come “like a thief in the night”, so it will happen quickly.
Followers of Jesus will hear the sound of Gabriel’s trumpet and then, in the blink of an eye, be gone.
Can you imagine, blinking your eyes, just like always, and then standing face to face with Jesus? I think that’s pretty cool. Or sleeping in your bed and waking up in Heaven? Awesome. I wonder if I’ll need to start sleeping with my toothbrush? Or if I’ll even need it in Heaven? I don’t know God said He’ll take care of everything so I guess I don’t need to worry about those kinds of things.

How do we know for a fact that there will be a rapture? Well, quite simply, because the Bible says so, and the Bible is God’s Word. So, basically, there will indeed be a rapture because God said so.
There was a saying as I was growing up that said, “God said it, I believe it, that settles it”.
But you know something? It doesn’t matter if you or I believe it or not. God said it, that settles it. Period.

So Crystal, there will be a rapture because God made us a promise, and God always keeps His promises to us.

Why do non-believers have to stay living while believers die at the rapture? I love this question. Mostly because it shows a lot of thought and true concern for the pursuit of God’s truth. Crystal, when the rapture comes, non-believers will be left behind for a period of seven years until the second coming of Christ. During that time, they will have one last chance to accept Jesus as God’s Son and to invite Him to live in their hearts and be their Lord and Savior, just as you have. But it will also come with a price. Those people will endure the Tribulation and may experience the wrath of Almighty God. During that time, the Anti-Christ will make himself known and try to force people to take his mark, the mark of the beast as the book of Revelation calls it. Once a person takes that mark, that’s it. No Heaven for them.

But don’t worry, believers will not die at the rapture. In fact, they will become more alive than ever in the presence of Jesus and all the Heavenly hosts (angels). We will be with God in Heaven forever.

There was an old Baptist song I heard when I was a kid. It went something like this:
“If I know Jesus, I’ll live forever.
If I know Jesus, I’ll never die……”

But you know what? It doesn’t matter if you know Jesus or not.
You are never going to die. You see, human beings are immortal.
According to what the Bible tells us, you will either spend eternity in Heaven with the Lord, or you will spend eternity in Hell (in pain and suffering).
So the reality is this: You are going to live forever. You will experience eternity.

The question people really need to ask is this:
“Where do I want to spend my eternity?”

I know my answer.

Do you?

Note: The Spring Alpha Course is almost over. I saw Crystal at Alpha Sprouts on Monday night and thanked her again for her questions. Then I asked her about her first few questions and what she thought now, having been in the Alpha Sprouts.

“So Crystal, what do YOU think? Does God exist?”
“Oh my goodness, yes. Yes He does!”
“How do you know?”
“Oh, there are so, so many reasons. I just know.”

Ya just gotta love that kid.

Blessings.

Crystal’s next question:
6. How will we get to Heaven if we believe?

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." (Matthew 19:14)

Groovin Hard

2008-03-31T22:55:00.001-04:00

Check out my buddy, Chad Rager.
He's the guy on the drums. He makes it look so easy.

This is at a concert that the Chad Rager Groove did at our church.

The guy doing the introduction is my "big brother" Rick.
My friend Ernest is the one holding the video camera and you can see my step-daughter, Tina running around with her camera.
She took all of the photos for the event.

Enjoy.

The Sound of Wind……

2008-03-21T12:36:00.004-04:00

On Monday night of this week, while visiting family and friends in California, my son’s car was stolen while he and his little sister were at the movies. He filed reports with the police and checked in with them every day. He had contacted his insurance company to begin the claim process.

He was pretty bummed. I told him that the car can be replaced and that I am just thankful that he and his sister are okay. “But Dad, a car like that one is really rare!”

He’s right, cars like his don’t come along often (the year, make and model, in excellent condition). It was really nice.

I had been praying like crazy for my son. I know a lot of you have been praying too.

Thank you.

He had finally accepted the fact that he’ll never see his car again and we made arrangements to fly him home next week.

Yesterday afternoon my son called me.

“I am so happy!”

“Wha….?”

“I GOT MY CAR BACK!!”

“You did? How? What happened?”

“The police found it just down the street from where it was stolen. In an apartment complex parking lot. The stereo, my iPod and all my tools are gone, but the car is still in great shape and runs great! I’m driving it right now!”

Apparently, the thieves left behind a lot of WD-40 covered hand prints and finger prints and the police found a used syringe in the center console. There is hope they may actually find those guys. The thieves had taken the time to remove the stereo and the brackets and the wiring harness, so the dashboard is not damaged.

My son has his car back.
And God is good and God answers prayer.

Please read that last statement again. As I was thinking about writing this, it occurred to me what that last statement says and what it means.

Would I still say that, giving God the Glory and praising His name if the car had never been recovered?

I was really trying hard to do just that before my son called me. I was trusting that God knew what He was doing and that
“…all things work together for the good…..according to His purpose…”, and I was doing my best to encourage my son to keep moving forward and trust God. But did I really mean it deep down inside? (Would you?)

I have been thanking God and praising Him ever since my son called me yesterday.

But…

Would I still feel this way if things had gone the other way?
I would like to think so, but I also know it wouldn’t be with as near as much enthusiasm and joy.

God knows my heart and I know there is no way I could ever fool Him or put one over on Him.

I am rejoicing for my son. Even though he will be listening to the sound of wind for 2100 miles early next week as he drives his car home.

Maybe he’ll hear the Holy Spirit speaking to him through the wind?

He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind.
(2 Samuel 22:11)

Crystal’s Questions....1 & 2

2008-03-19T09:15:00.002-04:00

Hi. I am the Alpha Dude at Northview Christian Life Church in Carmel, Indiana.
While the adults are attending the Alpha Course, I have the privilege of presented the kid-version of the adult message to their children. It is a great honor and I have come to love and respect those kids. Besides getting to dress up in a Hawaiian shirt and act goofy and talk with a surfer-dude voice, I get to see how smart some of those kids really are. They may seem like little kids to most people, and I suppose they are, but they also have some very grown up questions and concerns.

I met one of the Dads recently, and he told me about his daughter, who is, right now, one of the kids I get to teach and entertain on Monday nights. Her name is Crystal.
Her Dad said that Crystal has been asking a lot of questions lately and has even taken the time to write them all down. After speaking with him for a while, I asked him if it would be alright for me to get a copy of that list of questions, with Crystal’s permission, of course.

The very next week, he gave me list. Crystal herself even asked me later if got a copy of her list and asked me what I thought. She was rather excited that I would be interested in her questions. I told her I thought she asked very good questions and that I would do my best to answer them. By the way, Crystal is twelve years old.

From Crystal’s list, in the order she wrote them:

1. How do we know God exists?
2. Why can’t we see God?

For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. (Romans 1:20)
Okay, so let’s not spend our time quoting scripture. That would be too easy. And in most cases, defending biblical things requires referring to scripture, because God’s Word is truth, and you just can’t argue with the truth. But what if someone refuses to believe what is written in the Bible, or doesn’t yet know what is in there? How do you make your case if you can’t refer to the Bible? Well, let’s give it a try, since after all, we are answering the questions of a 12 year old girl.

There is new song out by George Strait called “I saw God today”. It is a beautiful song that reminds me of the time when my children were born. To watch them form from nothing, to the day they breathed their first breath. As they made their first sounds, Yah Hey – Vah Hey, the very name of God (Yaweh). The breath of life. Looking at those little babies as they entered this world, a miracle from Heaven, created in the image of God, and in the likeness of their parents. How could God not exist?

I’ve climbed a few mountains in my time. One was over 14,000 feet above mean sea level. It was a beautiful clear day. From the top of that mountain I could see the curvature of the earth. I could see the valleys below, teaming with life. Rivers and streams, trees, plants, flowers, birds and all the forest type critters roaming about. Where did they all come from? Surely, someone, or something, had to have made them. I stared in awe as I watched the clouds drift by in the clear blue sky while I felt the cool breeze on my face.

Other occasions have found me staring up at the clear night sky admiring all the stars and constellations. Certainly someone put them there and set them all into motion.

And what about me? Where did I come from and what purpose do I serve in being here? And why here and not someplace else? I figure it is all a part of some divine plan. But whose plan? Clearly, none of those things could have happened by chance.

I have seen some pretty amazing things in my life.
I have seen an angry, wicked man who lived a violent and dangerous life, exposing his wife and children to the world of drugs and crime and evil, turn away from it and now follows Jesus. If you’d met him before, you would never know it was the same man. But it is him. Something renewed him. Something changed his heart. God is the only one who had the power to reach that man.

I’ve seen lives changed. I’ve seen miracles happen. Many of them in my own life.

I am trying hard not to resort to the Bible to answer Crystal’s questions. It would be so easy to quote a specific verse and then provide examples as to why it is true. But there are non-biblical historical writings that talk about a man named Jesus who walked this earth and the timeline matches what is written in the Bible. Those writings talk about a man named Jesus, who was born in Bethlehem, who performed many miracles that could not be explained and who was crucified by the Romans for claiming to be God.

Every account that I read of people who set out to prove the Bible wrong, trying to prove that God does not exist, has resulted in those very people coming into a saving relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ.

Now, some people will still argue that there is no proof that God exists. And their arguments are based on personal opinion, not facts. Of all the people who took the time to do the research and do their homework and really try to build a case against the existence of God, has come to realize that God does exist and that He is just who He said He is.
(If you have not yet read the book “Evidence that Demands a Verdict”, by Josh McDowell, I highly recommend it).

I remember a TV show from a while back called Joan of Arcadia. Joan was a young girl who met God face to face. God appeared to her as different people at different times. Near the beginning of the show, Joan was talking to God, who had appeared to her as a young man. She wanted proof that he was God, so she asked him to perform a miracle. The young man pointed to a big Oak tree and said, “How about this?”
Joan replied, “That’s just a tree!”So God said, “Let’s see YOU make one!”
Does God exist?
Just look around you. How can you look at a flower, or a tree, or the sunset, or the stars in the sky or the love in someone’s eyes, and think that God doesn’t exist? Still need proof? Look in the mirror.

You were made in the image of Almighty God. You are perfect in His eyes. He created you for a purpose. He created you for His pleasure. He loves you enough to send His Son here to pay the price for your sins and for mine.

In the book of Psalms, it is written: “Be still, and KNOW that I am God”.

Just know.

Every time I get to hang out with those Alpha Sprout kids at the church, or look into the eyes of my own children, I can honestly say, “I saw God today”.

Have you seen God today?

Next time: more of Crystal’s Questions
3. How much longer until the rapture?
4. How do we know for a fact that there will be a rapture?
5. Why do non-believers have to stay living while believers die at the rapture?

The Lord your God is with you. He will quiet you with His love. (Zephaniah 1:17)

Sorry to wake you….but…

2008-03-18T08:43:00.000-04:00

A couple of months ago, my son finally found the car of his dreams.
Sadly, he didn’t have enough money to buy this car, even though he could get it for way less than it was worth. It was difficult to start and keep running. My son swore he knew how to fix it.
So I gave him the money and he bought this car. It is a 1990 Acura RS.

Once he got it home, it cost him a $20 part and ten minutes of his time, and that car was running like a song. He got a really great deal. I can’t remember when I’ve seen him so happy and excited.

For an 18 year old car, it is in really good shape. Sure it needs a few minor things, but they are things he can do over time and he intended to make this car like brand new.

Last week, my 19 year old son drove this car to California (about 2100 miles) to see his little sister. She’s on spring break and he wanted to surprise her, which he did. Sure, flying out there may have been less expensive, but this is something he felt he needed to do.

At around one o’clock this morning, my phone rang.

When I answered, I heard, “Dad, I’m really sorry to wake you….but….my car has been stolen”.

I found his paperwork and gave him the license plate number and vehicle ID number, which he relayed to the police officer standing next to him.

He had taken his little sister to the movies, and when they came out, the car was just gone.

I cannot imagine how anyone could do such a thing.

My heart aches for him. I haven’t slept since that call.

Please pray for my son and the safe return of his car.

Blessings.

in Correct……

2008-03-17T11:41:00.004-04:00

Part of what I do for my job is to travel to various places in our state and inspect and evaluate roads to determine what types of treatments to apply to a particular type of pavement.

One day last week, a co-worker and I traveled to the south east portion of our state to check on a stretch of highway for an upcoming project. On the way back, we took an alternate route so we could evaluate the pavement for a future project. I was driving.

As we passed through a particular small town, I mentioned to my co-worker, “We’re in Correct”.
He said, “No, I checked the map. I’m sure this is the right road we’re on”.

“Oh, I know we’re on the right road, but we’re still in Correct”.

“What makes you think so?”

If you’ll look on the Indiana State map, near the south eastern corner of the state, you will find a small town named Correct, located in Ripley County (believe it or not), Indiana.

Like most people, I do not like to admit when I’m wrong, and thankfully, it doesn’t happen often.

But one day last week, I was indeed, in Correct.

Blessings.

TwoDaLoo….my darlin’?

2008-03-09T20:18:00.003-04:00

You know how sometimes someone will post the words to a song and then as you read the words, the tune gets stuck in your head? Yeah, well now it’s my turn.

Do you remember that old song about Daisy?

Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer true.
I’m half crazy, all for the love of you.
We won’t have a stylish marriage,
I can’t afford a carriage,
But you’ll look sweet,
upon the seat,
Of a toilet built for two…….

Toilet? Did he just say “toilet”?

Yeah. A toilet built for two.

You see, I am a handyman of sorts (I like to build things and do home improvement projects) and I get stuff in the mail about new products or techniques or tools. This latest one had a new product called the TwoDaLoo.
It’s sort of a love seat that you can do your business in.

The article I read says that Lowes is going to introduce the TwoDaLoo in its stores real soon. They actually think this thing will sell.

It’s a dual toilet where you would face each other and be able to take a dump together.
They say it has a 7 inch high “privacy wall” built into it.
As you can see, that isn’t a privacy wall, that is more of a splash guard. No guarantee that you won’t get any on you, but at least you may not get any on someone else! That, and all you need to do is look straight down and you get the whole picture. More than you probably wanted to ever see about your loved one.
(or whoever else you choose to share this "experience" with)

Now, I do understand that the Bible says that when you get married that the two shall become as one, but I’m not so sure that includes being as one while doing number two.
The article did say that they did some research to find out that a good percentage of married people have no problem doing their business while their spouse is nearby. Although my wife and I like to do a lot of things together, tandem dumping has never been considered as one of those things.

Just to make sure, I showed this picture to my wife and asked her what she thought.
“Not in this house!”

I suppose some things are just meant to be private.
(I suddenly have the urge to go light a match)

TwoDaLoo.

He took my place…..

2008-02-29T15:34:00.003-05:00

One day, a man went to visit a church, He got there early, parked his car and got out. Another car pulled up near the driver got out and said, " I always park there! You took my place!"

The visitor went inside for Sunday School, found an empty seat and sat down. A young lady from the church approached him and stated, "That's my seat! You took my place!" The visitor was somewhat distressed by this rude welcome, but said nothing. After Sunday School, the visitor went into the sanctuary and sat down. Another member walked up to him and said, " That's where I always sit! You took my place!"

The visitor was even more troubled by this treatment, but still He said nothing.
Later as the congregation was praying for Christ to dwell among them, the visitor stood up, and his appearance began to change.
Horrible scars became visible on his hands and on his sandaled feet.
Someone from the congregation noticed him and called out, "What happened to you?"
The visitor replied, as his hat became a crown of thorns, and a tear fell from his eye,
"I took your place."

Have you ever thought about Who took your place? (Same guy)

During my freshman year of college, I was forced to take Psych 101. One of the few things I actually learned from that class is that human beings are very territorial, and are creatures of habit. We like our space. We like our routines. Most people do not like change. Being brought up Baptist, I could easily understand that.

Dude: “How many Baptists does it take to change a lightbulb?”
Baptist: “Change?? What do you mean, Change?”

People like their space. In the Psych class I learned that people have their own personal comfort zones. Imagine a three foot circle with the individual standing in the center of the circle. The perimeter of that circle represents their comfort zone. When speaking to someone else, they will stay outside of other people’s comfort zones and try to keep people out of theirs. Every now and then, I like to test people’s comfort zones and step just inside their “circle”. I don’t get “in their face”, I just casually step inside their circle to see if it makes them uncomfortable. Most of the time, it does, and most people will slowly try to back away or change their stance or position to re-establish their “zone”. Most folks don’t even realize that is what is going on. Just watch a group of people mixing and mingling and see how they move and interact. Sometimes it can be funny to watch.

Even though I was raised Baptist, I now am a member of a non-denominational church, for reasons you can read elsewhere in this blog. One thing I noticed, even there, is that people will still follow a general pattern. We have four services each weekend and most of the people who attend their particular service have chosen to attend that one, for whatever reason (so do I). What I have noticed is that the majority of these people will sit in the exact same seat, every time. Or, at least in the same general area. I love messing with those types of people. Sometimes, when I notice this, I try to get to church early just so I can sit in their seat and see what happens.

This is also how I met one of my very best friends. We didn’t do it on purpose (this time). Catherine and I had just started attending our church and we like to sit towards the front, about the third row, near the center (see? we do it too!). Apparently, so did someone else.
One Saturday evening (‘cause, that’s when we go, usually), we got to our seats and just before the service started, the guy behind me tapped me on the shoulder and said,
“You’re sitting in my seat”.
And, due to my sarcastic nature, I replied, "You should have gotten here sooner."
He was smiling and we hit it off rather well, right from the start.
Now, whenever we see each other at church, one of us will say to the other, “I’ll save you a seat”.
He and his wife are awesome people. We’re in the same Life Group and we serve in our church together.

But they’re not just our friends, they have become family. Jesus Christ hung on a cross and paid the price for your sins and for mine. He took your place. When you accept Him as your Savior, you become a member of the family of God.

So, how will you respond the next time you find someone sitting in your seat?

Blessings.

Encouraging Word....less

2008-02-28T15:54:00.000-05:00

Usher-ly Fun

2008-02-21T13:56:00.004-05:00

My wife and I serve on an Usher Team at our church. We have Saturday evening services, as well as the ones on Sunday mornings. There are four Saturday night teams, so we’re on a four week rotation. Sometimes I wish we could serve more often since I really enjoy interacting with people as they come into church.

One of the things we get to do is greet folks as they enter the auditorium/sanctuary (or whatever you choose to call it) and hand out bulletins (or programs or whatever). I like to greet each person with a smile and do my best to make them feel welcome. There are two sets of double doors we use to enter and we are normally at the ones on the right. I like to tell people as they enter that this is the cool kid’s side. (Our side fills up pretty quick).

We have name tags at our church and most people stop by the board and put theirs on. It’s just a little sticker with their name on it and makes it easier to get to know people by name. Anyone coming through the doors without a name tag either forgot to go get it, or they may be a first time visitor. I make an extra special effort to make them welcome. After all, we’re about Connecting People with God, Connecting People with People.

One couple came in and the gal was smiling and joyful, but her husband looked kind of bummed.
So I told her, “Wipe that smile off your face!”
As the look of shock appeared on her face, I added, “And give it him, he looks like he could use it”. They were both laughing as they entered the church.

Ushering is a lot of fun and a great way to meet people you probably should already know (but didn’t). Our pastor is Steve Poe (we’ve met, but you need to know that for this part of the story).
The usher director had previously asked us to try to notice people without name tags since this might be their first time visiting our church. A couple of years ago, one lady came in not wearing her name tag. She seemed really nice and I welcomed her and asked if this was her first time here.
“Oh, heavens no”, she replied.
“Do you not have a name tag on the board?”
“Oh, I’m sure I do”
She seemed like the type of person you could pick on a little, so I chided, “Why aren’t you wearing it? Are you embarrassed about your name or something?”
She stood up straight and with all sincerity and seriousness, said, “My name is Sandy Poe!”
So I said, “Gee, our pastor has a wife by that name!” (He’d spoken of her from the pulpit from time to time, but I’d never met her and had no idea what she looked like).
“Yes, that’s me. I am the pastor’s wife”
“Well, then you should know better”
She smiled and went on inside.
Gulp. I was certain I was about to get fired from a volunteer position at church.
After that, I started taking her name tag off the board and handing it to her as she enters the church. She now expects it and gives me a hug when she sees me and tells people I am her friend (whew).

We have a sign by the doors that says that no food or drinks are allowed inside the auditorium. So last month when a young girl, about 12 or 13 years old, I think, came up eating a cookie (we have a snack area where you can get them) I jokingly told her she can only have that if she brought one for me too. Little did I know that she had one in her other hand, and she handed it to me. She shoved what was left of the first one in her mouth, smiled and went inside. And that chocolate chip cookie she handed me……..was delicious.

One of the duties of being an usher is that we help take the offering. Yeah, we’re the ones who pass the plates.
I think one of the funniest things involving this happened last weekend while were passing the plates during the first Saturday night service. After passing the plates down the first couple of rows, I noticed that plates were coming back empty. Then I started to laugh as it occurred to me the name of the song that was sung just prior to the offering.......

Jesus Paid It All.

Sometimes God just cracks me up. No one else realized it until I mentioned it to the ushers later on. Needless to say, during the second service, the ushers were giggling somewhat as we headed up the aisles to collect the evening’s offering.

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

So, if you’d like to come visit us at our church, you are most certainly welcome. Come prepared for some awesome worship, a great message and some fun fellowship. And feel welcome to come over and sit on the cool kid’s side.
We’ll save a seat for you.

Blessings.

Worth More Than a Thousand Words.......

2008-02-13T21:22:00.000-05:00

A Stone Kiss

A Famous Kiss

A Forever Kiss

Best Friends ForeverHope your Valentine's Day is a special one.

Blessings.

Be confident and Follow Through…..

2008-02-07T16:29:00.001-05:00

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
(Philippians 1:2)
I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:3-8)
Have you ever been involved in sports?
When I was in Junior High, I was involved in our small town’s local bowling league. I guess my parents thought it would be a good idea for me to be involved in some sort of organized sports, since I was too small to play football or basketball (even though I did for a while later on).
When I started bowling, I knew absolutely nothing about the sport, but it looked like fun so I gave it a try. We had an actual league and there were coaches to teach us and encourage us to do our best. Each Saturday, we would all gather at the bowling alley (our town only had one) and start the day in the classroom. We’d watch a video about how to bowl, and then go out to the lanes with our teams and practice what we learned. Each week was a different lesson and each built on to the previous week’s lesson.

We learned about the different characteristics of the lanes, what the lines meant, what the arrows on the floor were for, how to hold the ball, how to walk to the approach, proper backswing, how to release the ball, etc…..

The most important thing I learned was, in my opinion, to follow through. I had a great coach who taught me three simple things to remember if I ever got flustered and began bowling poorly. In fact, I still use these three principles in every day life.
1. Slow down.
2. Keep your eye on your mark.
3. Follow Through.

I was the smallest kid in my class, and not all that strong back then, so I used the lightest ball I could find. It weighed only ten pounds. Bowling pins (there’s ten of them, y’know) weigh around 3 ½ pounds each. By learning proper technique and applying those three principles, I finished my first season with a 130 average. By the time I was in high school, I was shooting a 181 average. My senior year, my team-mate and I won the state championship, and my average was over 200 pins per game. My highest game ever so far is 267. So I know this works.

Just ask any golfer what is the most important part of his swing and they will tell you, “Follow Through”. You can’t just hit the golf ball, you need to follow through to the end of your swing (of course, the way I play golf, you may not be able to tell the difference). I could give a long physics explanation about the importance of follow through, but it would most likely bore you to tears, make you sick and cause you to possibly never visit here again.

Be the fact remains that follow through is important. I know too many people who would like to write a book, or act on stage, or speak in public, or lead a Bible Study, or go back to school. But they don’t do those things. Why? Well, they all have a lot of reasons why they do not pursue their dreams. But all of those reasons sound a lot like excuses to me.

A wise man once said that, “Excuses only sound good to those who make them”.

I read a story in Ann Landers a long, long time ago. It was a letter from a woman who was in her mid 40’s and she told Ann Landers that she really wanted to go back to school and get her degree, since her youngest child was about to graduate from college. But she wasn’t too sure it was a good idea. Her reason for not going was that she was too old to go to college. She was afraid of being the oldest person in her class. She asked, “Ann, do you realize how old I will be in four years if I go to college now?”

Ann Landers wrote a simple one line response.
“How old will you be in fours years if you don’t go?”

That letter was one of the main reasons I went back to college in my 30’s.

Just the other day I was talking to a friend about making a long car trip.
I was telling her how proud I was that she was able to do that.
“But I couldn’t have done it without you”
“You did do it without me. You drove that distance all by yourself”
“But I was following you”
“Yeah, but how did you know that I knew where I was going?”
“I just trusted you to lead the way”
Let that one sink in for a moment.

That’s how it is supposed to be with God and us. Just trust Him to lead the way. Have faith in Him that He knows where we’re going. Think about the story of Abraham in the Old Testament. God told him to pack up everything and just go. When he asked God where they were going, God told him, “I’ll tell you when you get there”. Now, that’s faith!

Think about that little white golf ball. The ball represents your life, your purpose, God’s will for you. All you have to do is swing the club, hit the ball, and let God determine where it goes.
It’s pretty hard to do sometimes. Life moves pretty fast and as Ferris Bueller says, “If you don’t slow down once in a while, you could miss it”

When life seems to be moving a little too fast, and things get hectic and you get confused about God’s plan for your life, try this……..

1. Slow down.
2. Keep your eye on the mark.
3. Follow Through.

Always remember to follow through. And don’t forget that “….he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion….”

But, you have to keep moving forward. Remember His promise.

Trust in Him.
And follow through.

Blessings.

(In case you didn't know, the "mark" in step number 2, is Jesus.)

HOW THE FIGHT STARTED.....

2008-02-04T15:39:00.000-05:00

I rear-ended a car this morning.

So, there we are alongside the road and the driver slowly gets out of his car. . .
and you know how you just get sooo-stressed and life-stuff seems to just get funny?

Yeah, well, I could NOT believe it . . . he was a DWARF!

He storms over to my car, looks up at me and says, 'I AM NOT HAPPY!'

So, I look down at him and say, 'Well, which one are you then?'

.. . and that's when the fight started ...

Marriage Proposals

2008-01-29T21:44:00.000-05:00

There is an engineer where I work that shared an interesting story about how she and her husband met and got engaged. This is the second marriage for both of them.
She’s from Kentucky, so it is rather entertaining to listen to her talk. (I told her it is hard to believe that she’s from Kentucky since she still has all of her teeth).

They had dated for a number of years. He was a contractor and she was an engineer for the state. On her way to work one morning, as usual, she stopped by the jobsite to see him. Their conversation that morning went something like this…..
(him = DS, her = J)

DS: “We’ve been together for a long time, haven’t we?”
J: “Yes DS, we have.”
DS: “And we’re pretty good together, aren’t we?”
J: “Yes, we are.”
DS: “And you know I love you, right?”
J: “Yes, I know you love me.”
DS: “And I know you love me too, right?”
J: “Yes, you know I love you.”
DS: “So I was thinking, maybe you and I should get married.”
J: “I think that’s a great idea.”

At this point, DS hands her his checkbook and tells her to go to the jewelry store across the street and pick out whatever ring she likes……

J (in total disbelief): “I can’t pick out my own ring!”
DS: “But I want you to be happy with it and I don’t know what kind of ring you would like.”
J: “I’m sure whatever you choose will be just fine.”
DS: “But…. “

The look on her face clearly said, “Are you freaking kidding me?!?”

She shoved that checkbook back at DS (more like hit him with it), then stormed off and went to work.

Nearing the end of her day, he called and asked her to stop by the jobsite on her way home from work. So she did.

DS handed her a small box (from the jewelry store across the street) and she opened it.

J: “This is very pretty. What is it for?”
DS: “It’s for you!”
J: “How nice. What’s the occasion?.”
DS: “It’s an engagement ring!”
J: “Oh. Really?”

After a long pause…….

DS: “Well?”
J: “Well what?”
DS: “Are you going to marry me or not?”
J: “No.”
DS: “Why not??”
J: “Because you have not properly asked me.”
DS: “Oh, good grief……”
He got down on one knee and proposed.
She accepted and they were married two months later in a park surrounded by family and friends in a small ceremony that had about as much romantic appeal as the proposal. But the flowers were pretty, she said.
That was over seven years ago and they are very happily married.

So then she asked, “How did you propose to your wife?”

After hearing her story, I was a little reluctant to tell her.

I’ve shared some of this story before.

While we were “courting”, Catherine and I would send e-mails to each other. We wrote back and forth, a lot! I borrowed a line from Walt Whitman, and began addressing my e-mails to

“Oh Catherine, My Catherine…”

We talked about marriage, but I had yet to “pop the question” or give her a ring. I wanted her ring to be something special, so each time we were out and passed by a jewelry store, we would casually look at the rings. Over time I learned what she liked and what she did not like. I paid attention to what she liked about this ring, and what she didn’t like about that ring.

In all that time, we never found a ring that she liked completely.

But….I knew what she liked.

So I found a jeweler who would make a ring that I designed that would still be in my price range.

I do believe that she was aware that I had bought an engagement ring. Now that I had the ring, I wanted the proposal to be special and memorable. Each time we went out on a date, or went someplace special, I had the ring in my pocket. But the time just never seemed quite right.

And she was ready.

Catherine is quite beautiful and always looks stunning, but for these dates she would get extra dolled up (if that term even makes sense). She would look her best and had her nails done.

She knew she was about to be proposed to, and it showed.

Each time we went out, she seemed to be expecting something. We would go out for a nice dinner, but the ring stayed in my pocket.

I took her to the state fair and she had mentioned how romantic it seemed that some guys would pop the question while stuck at the top of the ferris wheel. Guess what? We got stuck at the top of the ferris wheel. All I did was mention what a nice view we had from up there.

Yep, each date was one false alarm after another. The time and place just never seemed special enough. Catherine and I had started out as pen pals, she became my best friend and I knew she was my soul mate. This just had to be perfect.

On Friday, August 26, 2005, at 6:25 PM, I took my best friend, my pen pal, my soul mate on a date to the IMAX theater in Indianapolis, located inside the state museum. I wanted this marriage proposal to be special and most memorable. Something she would enjoy telling about for years to come.

We arrived at the theater for the showing of the movie “Batman Returns”.
The look in her eyes said, “You brought me here for this?”

She even said, "Oh, we're here for the movie?"

(She confessed later that she thought this just another false alarm).

We found our seats in the center, level with the giant screen. After the advertisements had been shown, the theater lights dimmed a little and the screen went to black.

I had arranged for the theater manager to play a 2 ½ minute Power Point slide show I had prepared.
The next thing everyone saw was a blue sky with white fluffy clouds and words that began to appear…..

“Oh Catherine, My Catherine……”

People started looking around the theater to see who “Catherine” was.

Of course, “Catherine” was sitting next to me in disbelief, clutching her chest and trying to breathe. The slide show told the story of how we met and how much she has come to mean to me and how my greatest desire is make her the happiest woman in the world. (22 slides, over 2 1/2 minutes)

At the end, when the last panel displayed the words

“Will you Marry Me?”

Catherine turned to find me on one knee, holding out the ring.

She just sat there, staring at me, wide eyed, lips trying to move but no sound came from her mouth. I motioned towards the screen and asked her for an answer. She nodded slightly with a huge smile.
A woman sitting behind us leaned forward, touched her on the shoulder and said, “Ma’am, is that a ‘Yes’?”
“Yes!”, she finally blurted out.

I told her we could leave now, that is really all I wanted to do there, since I only wished for the biggest screen I could find for the proposal. She said she wanted to stay and see the movie, “Because I can’t move my legs!”

She was so excited and told everyone we knew and anyone we met that we were getting married! (She is still telling people about that day).

We were married on October 15, 2005 (Sweetest Day), in the Prayer Garden at our church. It was a small outdoor wedding with her children, and our closest friends.

This is our first picture of us as husband and wife.
This is at the restaurant after dinner, on our wedding night. Isn’t she gorgeous?

So that got me to thinking that there must be other marriage proposal stories out there.
So, what’s your story? How did you propose, or get proposed to?

Go ahead and share your story. Whether it be romantic, thoughtful, outrageous, or unbelievable (like my friend J).

If you tell your story on your blog, please let me know. I’d love to hear (read) it, and you never know, maybe your story will help someone else create their own memorable moment (or avoid making a mess!).

Blessings.

In God We Trust

2008-01-23T16:07:00.000-05:00

Have you received one of those e-mails yet? You know, the panicky one that says “New Dollar Coin Omits 'In God We Trust’ ”. The e-mail explains how the US Mint has redesigned the one dollar coin and that “It does not have In God We Trust on it. Another way of leaving God out.”

Really? I’m not sure who started this nonsense, but not many people took the time to look on the side of the coin.

Can you see that?

Everything that used to be on the face of the coin is now imprinted on the side. A news article said that a certain number of coins had initially been distributed without anything imprinted on the side. But the error was caught and corrected.

But still, what is all the fuss about?

When I pointed out, to friends and family who had sent me that panicky e-mail, that “In God We Trust” is now imprinted on the side and to please check the story out before sending me panicky e-mails, they said “Don’t you see? They’re trying to remove God from everything. They’ve taken him off the face of the coin. What will be next? We have to do something!!”

It seems to me they are still caught up in the panic. But why?

I think it is because people tend to allow themselves to get caught up in things that don’t really matter all that much. At least it is better than replacing it with this…

don’t you think?

It may hit a little closer to home for a lot of people.
We could spend a lot of time talking about this one, but I’ll save that for another time and get back to the subject at hand.

“In God We Trust” has been imprinted on the face of American currency since 1938. That means it wasn’t on there before then. I wonder what those panicky people had to fuss about before 1938?

I honestly don’t know, but I can give you some pretty good ideas….

Consider those guys who tried to trick Jesus in Luke, Chapter 20, verses 20 through 26. They were asking him about paying taxes to Caesar. Jesus asked them to show him a denarius (not much different than today’s dollar coin) and then asked what was on it.

It had a portrait and inscription of Caesar, so Jesus told them

“…give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's."

You can bet that the coin did not say “In God We Trust”. But…..Jesus’ life DID!

Jesus provided us with an example of how to live our lives and how to treat other people (“…love you neighbor as yourself…”).

I don’t really think God cares a whole lot about what is or is not written on our money.

Think about it.

Prior to 1938, God’s name was not on our money. BUT…His name was in our schools, and in our government, and in our homes.

I don’t know about you, but I would much rather have “In God We Trust” written in my life, for everyone to see, rather than on my money.

After all, how many people do you know that were led into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ because of what they saw written on a dollar coin?

Whether you realize it or not, there are people in your town, in your neighborhood, perhaps next door to you, that are going to hell. But not because of what may or may not be imprinted on their new one dollar coin (which hardly anyone will actually use anyway), but because they don't know about Jesus!

Get it?

Remember, when God wants to reach people, He uses……people. And God wants people to know and follow His Son. God is way more interested in your heart, than He is about your money (it’s His money anyway, not yours).

Jesus said, “….give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's."

So…..what’s written on your heart?

Blessings.

Only because this looked like fun…….

2008-01-19T14:10:00.000-05:00

I normally don’t do this sort of stuff. But….I saw this over at EE’s at Life Unscripted and I caught myself answering the questions myself.

Besides, I know you are all wanting to know more about me……….

1. If you had to kiss the last person you kissed again, would you?
Oh yes. My Catherine has GREAT lips!

2. Do you take compliments well?
I’m getting better. Go ahead……try me!

3. Do you play Sudoku?
No. I don’t even know what it is.

4. If abandoned alone in the wilderness would you survive?
Absolutely. (What a sec….alone?)

5. If your house were on fire, what would be the first thing you would save?
My family.

6. Who was the last person you slept in the bed with?
The only person I ever share a bed with. My wife.

7. Who do you text the most?
I normally don’t, but most likely…Catherine.

8. Favorite children’s book?
Curious George.

9. How tall are you?
I’m not. I’m 5’-7”, but I try to stand up straight and I’m working on my self-confidence.

10. Favorite ex?
Yeah, right.

11. Where was the furthest place you traveled?
Alaska.

12. Do you prefer to sleep or eat?
Sleep.

13. Can you do splits?
Not anymore, but I used to.

14. What movie do you want to see right now?
Dan in Real Life (Steve Carrol).

15. What are you going to do for New Year’s Eve?
We went to dinner, watched a movie, watched the ball drop in NY on TV, drank Welches Grape Sparkling cider, went to bed.

16. Are you a cheerleader?
Are you kidding? I am the Alpha Dude!

17. What’s the last letter of your middle name?
Y.

18. Do you like care bears?
You’re joking, right?

19. What do you eat at the movies?
Popcorn.

20. Do you know how to play poker?
Yep. That doesn’t mean I’m any good at it though.

21. Do you wear your seatbelt?
Always. Ever since this day.

22. What do you wear to sleep?
That’s classified.

23. Is your hair straight or curly?
Straight.

24. Is your tongue pierced?
No. I still have a brain.

25. Do you like funny or serious people better?
Depends on the circumstance. But if someone doesn’t have a sense of humor, we probably won’t get along very well.

26. Ever been to L.A.?
Yes...I lived and worked there for several years.

27.Any plans 4 tonight?
Sleeping (after church, not during).

28. What's your fav. song at the moment?
Cartoon song by Chris Rice.

29. Are you a gullible person?
Why? What are you selling?

30. If you could have any job what would it be?
Stand Up Comic. Or a Pastor. (Maybe both?)

30. Are you easy to get along with?
Most of the time.

31. What is your favorite time of day?
Early morning, before anyone else is up.

32. Are you generally a happy person?
Most of the time.

Okay…..your turn.

Mental Meanderings of an Old Man….

2008-01-17T12:46:00.000-05:00

I had been meaning to write about this guy for some time now. I’m not sure how he found my blog, but I am really glad he did. He left some nice comments and I, in turn, visited his blog.
The title of his blog is the same as the title of this post, Mental Meanderings Of An Old Man.

The fellow’s name is Dave G Dimelow, and he lived in Manchester, Northwest, United Kingdom. When I got there, I found that he had added me to his blogroll. Now, when Dave G adds someone to his blogroll, he doesn’t just place you in the blogger template so your name appears as a link on your sidebar, he creates a banner representing you and your blog. It appears that he tries to capture a bit of your personality as well. This makes me believe that Dave spent some time reading my blog and doing his best to get to know me a little bit before creating this banner……..

Here’s what Dave had to say when he first posted this banner/icon.
“I like this guy, he is simply a nice chap, entertaining too.”
(Thanks, Dave)

I meant to try to express my appreciation in some way earlier, but I just never seemed to get around to it (a lame excuse, I know, but it is the only one I’ve got). I would stop by Dave’s blog once in a while, looking for something new to read, and perhaps leave a comment or two, but like most bloggers, not seeing anything new, I moved on quickly without saying a word.

Then, the other day I stopped by and noticed Dave hadn’t posted anything new for a long, long time. I decided to leave a comment on his last post, wishing him well. I knew he hadn't been feeling well in the past, but he had said in one of his latest posts that he was doing much better now. When I scrolled through the comments that had been left there by others, I found this one from his daughter…..

It is with much sad regret that I have to post this comment.
Dave Dimelow sadly passed away on the 9th of November 2007 after a serious illness.
His eldest daughter
Sue x

I don’t know anymore about it than that. I was looking forward to getting to know Dave a little better over time. Even though he’s gone, his blog is still there. He has a good sense of humor and has an interesting way of telling his stories. A good read if you have the time.

I know I haven’t been posting as often as I used to. Even though there is much to write about, I have allowed myself to be involved in other things. I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you for everyone who stops by now and then, and to those who offer words of encouragement. Thank you for checking up on me.

You never really know sometimes, why someone stops blogging for a while. They could be ill, depressed or just plain busy. For those of you who stop by regularly and leave comments, thank you. I am honored that you take the time to think of me once in a while.
For the rest of you…….stay tuned. There is much more to come.

I have said this before and I will say it again…..
You may never fully realize what a tremendous impact you may have on someone else’s life (good or bad) by the little things you do every day.

I am going to try to put more effort into letting people know how much I care about them by simply saying hello and letting them know they are being thought of today.

How about you?

Blessings.

Pardon My French…..

2008-01-15T21:12:00.000-05:00

Interesting thing to say, isn’t it?

I heard that phrase in a meeting today.
“Pardon my French, but….#@!! $%!#*.”

I wonder why people say that. Does that imply that the French swear a lot? I can’t recall the French being known for their fowl language so much as for their cowardliness.

It seems I hear quite often that someone will say “Pardon my French” right before they say a swear word or two.

The Bible says that we are to be mindful of the words we use, and that we are to exercise self-control. So it seems to me that if you have given enough thought to what you would like to say in that you take the time to exclaim “Pardon my French”, that you could take an extra second or two and think of better words to use than something vulgar or offensive. Don’t you think?

Given the nature of the French government towards America’s war on terror and their willingness (or UN-willingness) to rise to the defense of those who could not defend themselves from tyrants, perhaps it would be more appropriate to say “Pardon my French” right before you try to avoid conflict, or get out of helping someone out of a jam.

Or, you could just turn tail and run away.

What do you think?

Another Christmas Gone!

2008-01-02T22:28:00.000-05:00

And I am so thankful.

I mean, Christmastime always made me a little nervous. Over the many years, I have come to learn what Christmas is really all about. It is about celebrating the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is also a season of giving. And, as a kid, it was the giving that bothered me.

When I was a kid, there were no i-pods, or game-boys or any other types of video games. The types of gifts we got were those paddle ball games. Remember them? It was a small wooden paddle with a red rubber ball attached to a rubber string that was stapled to the paddle. I imagine we looked pretty goofy trying bounce that ball off that paddle. Well, once the string broke (and we never did find that stupid ball), Mom would write our name on the paddle and hang it on a hook in the kitchen. Yeah, we each had our own personal paddle, so whenever we got a spanking, we got spanked with our very own personalized paddle.

Not that I was a bad kid or anything, but the strangest thing I ever got spank with was…”Hot Wheels” tracks. Yep, momma raised a few speed bumps on my backside.
She must have smacked me hard one time, because one day, all of a sudden, it occurred to me…”Dude……you’re being spanked……. With your own toys!”

My life changed after that. Each Christmas, Sears would put out a catalog called the “Christmas Wish Book”. Mom would pass it around to each of us kids and we were to circle the items on our “Wish List” with a pen and dog-ear that page. I started circling things like socks, or underwear. One year, I even circled a pair of Bermuda shorts! (Yes, it was a long time ago).

Mom insisted I chose some toys, but I told her, “No, thank you. I don’t want anything. I don’t even need the socks. I’m fine. Really!”

My parents were so proud. They thought that I had figured out the true meaning of Christmas and that I was becoming “spiritual”. Little did they know that it had more to do with self-preservation that anything else.
(I am so glad I never got that wood-burning kit I wanted!)

But, that was then, and this is now (which was also my favorite book in Junior High).

Now I have other reasons for dreading Christmas. Don’t get me wrong. My favorite time of the year is standing at our big picture window, next to our decorated Christmas Tree, watching the snow fall in our front yard while sipping a cup of hot chocolate.
I just get tired of all of the commercialism and greediness that comes along with the season.

I also don’t care much for hearing the tone of my daughter’s voice on the phone which tells me she is saddened that she didn’t get anything from her daddy at Christmas. Oh, I sent her some gifts. I made sure they were there before Christmas so she’d have them Christmas morning, but her mother said my package didn’t arrive. Strange that had a delivery confirmation from the post office proving that the package DID arrive on time. I guess it suffered the same fate as all those cards and letters I sent her, and the telephone messages that “disappeared” from their answering machine.

I really wanted her to be able to open her gifts on Christmas morning since I designed them myself. You can see them here.
I still don’t know if she’s received anything yet. I haven’t been able to get her on the phone. Her mother is doing all she can to kill our relationship, and it is killing me.

I have high hopes for 2008. It is starting out a little rough, but I know God loves me and will take care of me. He is in control, so I'll keep on trusting in Him.

I sat down tonight on the couch to eat my dinner (Catherine makes a great salad and baked potato) and I turned on the TV. There was old episode of “Reba” on. It was the one about when her youngest daughter wanted to move out of the house and Reba prayed. “God, please don’t let me lose my daughter”.
Yeah, I know exactly how she feels.

I don’t normally tear up over a sitcom, but that one got me.

I think the best Birthday Present we could give Jesus each Christmas would be if we could all just get along and show Christ’s love for each other, even when we don’t want to.

What do you think?

Blessings.

So Happy Together

2007-12-30T12:40:00.000-05:00

They're all good, but use the arrows at the bottom left corner of the screen and skip to the third one.

Blessings.

Child Abuse.....

2007-12-24T00:25:00.000-05:00

I’m sure you’re all aware of what child abuse is and will agree that there is way too much of it going on. In fact, just one child being abused is way too many. But I’d like to address other forms of child abuse that may go unnoticed by most people and not just the obvious.

What else constitutes child abuse?

How about never saying “No” to your child? Some parents don’t want their children to feel bad so they give them whatever they want. Or the parent would rather be their child’s friend so they allow things they probably shouldn’t. If your child makes a mistake, they should be allowed to own it. Coddling the child or “taking away the hurt” prevents the child from learning how to deal with life’s problems. I think it is important to not rob the child of the opportunity to learn some of life’s lessons. If a child isn’t allowed to deal with the consequences of their behavior, how are they to learn what is appropriate and what isn’t?

Think of some adults you may know that often seem to feel that they are treated unfairly, when they may be the only ones who see it that way. Ask them about their childhood and you may find that their parents, or maybe someone else, was always there to bail them out of trouble. They weren’t held accountable for their actions growing up, and resent being held accountable as an adult. Child abuse.

Comforting and coddling are two totally different things. If you don’t know the difference, let me know and I’ll explain to you in more detail.

The Bible teaches us to “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it” (Proverbs 22:6). The bible also talks about what it means to “Train a child”, and it involves discipline and instruction. Teaching a child how to make good decisions is a good thing, allowing the child to call the shots is not. Proverbs Chapter 22 tells us to “…not withhold discipline from a child”, and Chapter 29 says that “a child left to himself disgraces his mother”. Kids need boundaries, rules and limits and they need to know what they are.

There are too many “do nothing” parents out there and they are guilty of child abuse, whether they realize it or not.

In a marriage, there is the example of the “Love Tanks”. In order to have a happy and fulfilling marriage, it is necessary to keep each other’s “Love Tanks” full. If one spouse isn’t filling the other’s tank, the “neglected” spouse may turn to the children for the love they need to keep their love tank filled. This is unhealthy for both the child and the parent. Filling your love tank is the responsibility of your spouse and not your children, and places an unnecessary burden on the child that the child may not even be aware of. It may not seem like a big deal at the time, but these things can have long term effects on the child that can carry into their adult life. More child abuse.

What about speaking negatively to your child? I see this happen quite a lot. I recently heard about one little girl who was at the mall with her mother. She saw a pretty shirt and asked her mother if she could have it. Her mother sternly told her “No!”. When the little girl asked her mother why not, her mother angrily replied, “Because it says ‘Daddy’s Little Girl’ on it!”. This particular little girl loves her daddy but is told mean, hateful and hurtful things about her father (which are untrue) repeatedly by her mother. This girl’s mother was abused as a child and you can read about that here.

That woman is, in my opinion, guilty of child abuse!

Children are like wet cement, whatever falls on them leaves an impression.

How about another form of child abuse you may not have considered?

What about God’s Son? When we disobey the teachings of Jesus Christ, we dishonor the Son of God. When people reject Christ, or refuse to believe on Him, they are abusing God’s one and only Son. Could that too, be child abuse?

(This next idea I got from our pastor's opening statements in church this morning).
A very popular saying around this time of year is “Jesus is the reason for the season”. But what if I told you that the real reason for the season was me, Alpha Dude? Or, what if I told you that the reason for the season was YOU?

Yes, we celebrate the birth of Jesus at Christmas. After all, Jesus’ birthday is what Christmas is really all about, right? But have you ever taken the time to ask yourself why God sent His Son here in the first place?

Jesus came into this world as a little baby, born of a virgin, in a little town called Bethlehem and….well……you know the story. But consider this……

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him, shall not perish, but have eternal life”. (John 3:16)

Guess what? YOU are a whosoever! God sent His Son here to walk this earth, to live a perfect, sinless life, to minister, to teach and to die a cruel death and rise again on the third day and give us a direct line to God Himself……for YOU.

The reason for the season, my friends….is YOU. It’s us. We are why He did it.

Jesus Christ, God’s Son, was nailed to a cross to pay for the sins of you and for me. So every time we sin, it is like striking one of the nails that held Him to the cross. It is for us and because of us that He came and died. And when we sin? Child abuse.

So anytime we reject the Son of God, anytime we treat Jesus in a negative way, we are abusing His child. The Bible also teaches us that when we accept Jesus as our Savior, we become children of the Most High God (I John, Chapter 3). So what happens when we abuse each other? Child abuse.

So how are we going to treat Jesus this Christmas season? (Not just at Christmas, but all the time). Love your neighbor as yourself, and remember who your neighbor is.

“…..I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me”. Matthew 25:40

Have a most wonderful Christmas, and please, don’t be a Herod.

Peace, Joy and Blessings to you.

That’s What Neighbors Do….

2007-12-20T12:40:00.000-05:00

“That’s just what neighbors do”.
This is what my next door neighbor said to me last Sunday morning. It occurred to me later that morning, while clearing my driveway, that I had said the very same thing to him last summer.

Confused? Well, hang on, we’ll get there….

Earlier this year, during the summer, my next door neighbor, Mark, came over to ask if I knew where he could find new wheels for his lawnmower. He explained that the wheels had actually broken into pieces and fell off of his mower and he needed to get them fixed so he could finish his lawn.
I had just finished mowing mine, so I asked him,
“Hey Mark! How would you like to use my lawnmower?”
“Really? Thanks!”
“No problem. That’s just what neighbors do”.

And Mark was able to finish mowing his lawn. I hadn’t really thought about since then.

This last weekend, we got a lot of snow. There was about 8 to 10 inches of snow in the driveway. Mark came over and rang my doorbell.
“Hey Scott. I just got a brand new snow blower and I thought you might like to use it this morning”
“Really? Wow, thanks Mark!”
“Hey, that’s just what neighbors do!”

I had a lot of fun and cleared my driveway and sidewalk in record time.
I filled the tank with gas and took it back to him. I told him thanks again, and again, Mark told me that this is just what neighbors do for each other.

Pretty cool lesson. Especially this Christmas season. The Bible teaches us to treat our neighbors well. “Love your neighbor as yourself”.
A man once asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?”
Jesus’ response to him tells us that basically, it is everyone you meet.

We are to show Christ’s love to everyone, not just the nice people next door to us. I’m trying hard to remember that, but it isn’t always easy.

Enjoy the following cartoon and please remember the real reason for Christmas.

Thanks for stopping by, neighbor!

Blessings.

Blowing Off Steam….

2007-12-16T15:38:00.000-05:00

The last couple of weeks have been an emotional roller-coaster for me. There have been highs and lows, joy and sorrow, hope and then the rug pulled out from under me. So, rather than air all that crap and give you something to be depressed about, I thought I’d address some observations that have made me question the intelligence (or lack thereof) of some certain people.

Have you seen that commercial for the new weight loss product? They made the name sound similar to liposuction, most likely to make you think it may work quickly. It is called Lipozene, or something like that. The commercial shows a computer graphic of some fat guy and then they added some spongy looking fat cells for effect. Their sales pitch makes you think that taking these pills will make you skinny, rich and good-looking in no time at all. But, as with products such as these, there is a lot of fine print at the bottom of the TV screen. I have a habit of reading the fine print (I’m somewhat nerdy like that). The fine print says that the expected weight loss is about 3.65 pounds over an 8 (eight) week period. Eight weeks to lose 3.65 pounds? Good Grief!
I can practically do that after eating Mexican food!
They also recommend a proper diet and getting plenty of exercise. It seems to me that if you eat right and get some exercise, you’ll lose a lot more than just 3.65 pounds in eight weeks and you don’t need to waste money on some stupid pills that probably don’t do anything anyway.
And while the fine print talks about results in eight weeks, they only offer you a thirty day supply!

There’s a new country song out there called “International Harvester”. It sounds good and tells a good story, but there is something about the opening lines that are quite disturbing. The first couple of lines go something like this….
“I’m the son of a third generation farmer,
I’ve been married ten years to the farmer’s daughter…..”
Well, I don’t know about you, but it sure sounds to me like this guy is married to his sister.
(Things that make you go “Ewwww…”)

And what is up with those darned hand dryers in the restroom at work? And what happened to having paper towels in there? There's no towels, but there is a trash can. Why? There's nothing to put in it.
There is a label on the dryer that tells you to first, after washing your hands, to shake off the water from your hands, then hold your hands under the dryer and rub them together until dry. The dryer shuts off automatically. It seems to me that shaking the water off your hands onto the tile floor creates a slipping hazard. Those dryers also seem to use a lot of electricity. Wouldn’t having paper towels been a more efficient way to go? I don’t know what the cost would be for paper towels in the washroom, but it would be most certainly offset by the time saved by not having to stand there until your hands are dry (lost work productivity) and the rising cost of electricity. I’m just saying….

I took my wife out for Mexican food the other night. (Yeah, just had to test my theory).
The food was okay but the service was slow to non-existent. The waitress also didn’t have a real good grasp on the English language.
“Would you like separate checks?” huh?
“Would you like that on a plate?” how else are you going to bring it?
“Would you like me to bring it to you now or after you leave?” uh…now would be good.
Okay, I'll admit, with her broken english, it sure sounded like that is what she said. (She really did ask about seperate checks though.)
Anytime we needed something, I had to get up and go ask the manager. They weren’t THAT busy!
I’m guessing we won’t be going back there for quite a while.

This clown's smile is painted on right now. Hopefully, by the time the paint wears off, there will be a real one underneath. We'll see.

And we got snow. Lots of it. Good story to go with that, though. I’ll write about it later.

Blessings.

Christmas With a Capital "C"

2007-12-03T20:47:00.000-05:00

'Tis the Season, y'all.

Enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAckfn8yiAQ

The tree is up.
The lights are on the house.
The lighted deer is in the yard (the head moves).

And Jesus Christ is Lord!

Blessings.