Do You Hear the Bell Of Your Faith?

Macy and I just finished watching "The Polar Express." This has become one of my favorite Christmas movies in recent years. It's a movie about restoring the belief of a little boy. He sees Santa Claus and receives the first present of Christmas a bell, and you can only hear the bell if you believe. At the end of movie he shakes the bell and hears it and so does his doubting sister.

The parents then pick it up and it doesn't ring for them and they claim it's broken. As the movie comes to a close the boy now grown up says as the years past the bell grew fainter to the point that he and those around him couldn't hear it no more. It's a sad shock when we finally find out there is no Santa Claus. For at least nine or ten years of your youth is spent believing in a kind jolly man in a red suit that brings you toys to no longer exist. So fades your faith of what you believed in every Christmas. It becomes just a holiday of gifts instead of the excitement of waiting for Santa and being as still as you can be on that Christmas night.

So it is with some when it comes to a belief in a man who came in the middle of night, saved others and died on a cross. The bell of faith glistens and they continue to polish it and ring it loud for all to hear. But as life goes on, the bell becomes fainter and tarnished by their disbelief and the staleness of it all. They hang on to see that nothing great has happened to them, they feel let down because and have allowed their faith to become tangled in the web of Satan and his evil.

The good news is that the bell of faith can once again ring and shine like Bethlehem's star. There is so many great and saving reasons that can make it ring and never stop. A prayer can or a fine example of others faith. We are surrounded by a great God who wants us all to hear his bell and come to his loving arms and wings of protection.

I saw this yesterday. As I came home for lunch Shannon had given me some bad news of child named Conner. His parents Donna and George are a faithful couple in our Bible class. When I got the news he was in a deep coma and the doctors had no answers and still don't. When I had gotten off work at four, we headed to Little Rock to see them at Arkansas children's hospital. When we arrived he was awake and was in great condition. Nobody knows why but only the handful of Christians standing there and his faithful parents. God was there and had no reason to take him home yet. Gods bell of faith rung throughout our congregation who still hear their bell of faith. Prayer from us all brought him back to them, and we all stand amazed. The doctors have no understanding of it all, his mom told them it was God. Again God beat science like He always does.

I heard the medi-vac helicopter rumble over our house the night before to only realize the next day it was Connor who was in it going to Little Rock. I said a prayer like I always do when it shakes our house. When I hear it I know it is a serious case of illness and that person needs a quick prayer. It's time for us all to shine our bell of faith and shake it up and hear it ring. God is calling us all to come to him and believe in something real. He gives more than gifts he give us mercy, love, hope and eternal life beyond comprehension. Shake your bell and believe!

I ask you cotinue to pray for Donna, George and little Connor.

Thanksgiving 2008

Remember to welcome strangers, because some who have done this have welcomed angels without knowing it. Hebrews 13:2

As we prayed today for our meal I thought about those less fortunate than me. I thought about what I could be doing for them instead of shoveling my face full of food. A book I have been reading titled "A kind of different as me." A really good book based on a true story. If you read it you will thoroughly touched.

It tells of a woman and her husband helping at a homeless shelter in Dallas, Texas. And the way they had turned around that place. It makes you look at homeless people in very different way.

As we continue to worry about the economy and a fear of having another Great Depression. There are many who don't have a clue about the failing economy or that they fear they will lose it all in the stock market. They don't, they already have lost it all and just live the life they have come to know. Taking on the streets and hoping they can make another day.

We had a good Thanksgiving today and I am very thankful for everything and for the first time I actually felt thankful and felt it. God will continue to bless us if we do the right things that pleases Him. He wants us to help those that are in need and who knows like the verse says we might helping an angel and don't know it. May God bless our giving spirit and that we give more that we can.

Update!

CAUGHT! About 30 minutes after I wrote this post last night they caught this monster. Happy Thanksgiving Turkey! May God forgive him.

Remember & Help Those In Need.

Whoever gives to the poor will have everything he needs, but the one who ignores the poor will receive many curses. - Proverbs 28:27

Sometimes it's hard to give to the poor if you really don't know anybody that's poor. I really don't know anybody who is in need right now. I don't see homeless people here in the street here in Searcy, but there is somebody in this town needing help. I'm thankful for those who have found people in need, I wish I had their vision. When I walk into work I see a tree loaded with little children who need help. The angel tree is one of the greatest ideas of love ever invented. I've taken a couple of tags off that tree, and others have also. It will break my heart if there are any tags left on there when Christmas rolls around. Every day I am tempted to take all the tags off there and buy something for all of them.

Many look at the poor as a pain in the tailend of our society, I don't feel that way though. Many feel as though they are not worthy to be given anything at all. I agree that there are many who just feel it's easier to beg than to work. So they just decide to live like animals in the outdoors. It's hard sometimes to give to somebody who neglects the needs of their children, but they always have the money to buy their cigarettes and beer. Yet their children go to bed hungry. Many will remain poor if they remain ignorant of their laziness and expect others to feed them.

But it's not the poor adults I look at, it's the innocent children that are suffering because they can't help it. On Air one the Christian radio station I listen to, stated that 700,000 children will go hungry this year in our country this year. Why? This country has so much to offer and our food supply is enormous, why do they go hungry. I often get angered when our country goes to another country and feeds the hungry there, but neglects their own. Then I realized if we don't go and do it in other countries nobody else will. The United States is a very giving nation and I hope that never stops, yet we still need to help our own also. That's where we Christian step up and do our part to feed and clothe the poor. I have passed our churches His House and have seen a line of people there waiting for some kind of hand out. It makes me feel good to see somebody helping somebody even if they are really not in need.

In your Thanksgiving prayer tomorrow remember those who will not have much or anything to eat tomorrow. Pray that we all can step up and find someone who is in need and help them as much as we can. God loves a giving heart, He gives to us all in great abundance every day. I thought the other day about how much God has given me and I just feel my cup is overflowing. I don't feel in need at all, but I am eternally grateful to him.

When you give don't even think about the tax deduction you will receive. That bothers me a lot when people say I will give to so and so and talk about the tax deduction they will receive. I believe God will think that is a sign of greed. Give because you can and not because you will receive something in return. We should give because God has given to us, give out of love not because of the IRS. Have a great Thanksgiving and remember the less fortunate.

Hopefully This Ignorant Turkey Is Caught!

This is the suspect that is believed to be the murderer of the anchor Ann Pressley here in Little Rock. I hope they get him tonight. They just announced this at ten o' clock tonight. The entire newscast was devoted to her and the hope to find this disrespectful germ!

Entering His Rest

Hebrews 4:3 We who have believed are able to enter and have God's rest.

This was the sermon this past Sunday morning and I thought about it a lot since. I was just exhausted when I went to work Sunday afternoon and just had no desire to be there or do anything. It was a long work week and just haven't had a lot of rest. Needless to say I made it through my shift that day and just went home and crashed. I went to sleep early and just slept like a log that night.

I thought about how tired I was and how that one day we will no longer feel tired at all. There won't be no need to go to bed early or take any kind of sleep aid to help us to go to sleep. I never really gave much thought to God's rest until I heard the sermon Sunday. Yet, this wasn't really what he was speaking about though. His direction was more geared to taking a break, but we all know taking a break only last so long. God's rest is an eternal rest, a complete rest that never ends.

Go back to a certain day in your life when you just felt completely beat and think about how unpleasant you felt and how that rest wasn't enough. Well God's rest will be exactly what we all long for, never feeling tired ever. How great does that sound? If you don't believe in God, I guess this would be something worth believing in him for. If you are tired from life and it's daily activities and its grind that bears down on you. Take a look at what God has to offer after this wearisome life and remember he offers for free an eternal life and an eternal rest. How great is our Father in Heaven.

The Greedy Automakers :(

Another lesson for the greedy CEO's of our nation. I like it when people like this get sobby and whiny and need a bailout for their "evil greedy stupidity." The automakers to me are just like the lousy cable people. They jack up the costs and don't do anything to improve their product and make the consumers happy. I ditched cable about three years ago because what I was paying for with them I was getting ripped off. Direct TV gives more for my money. That is what the automakers has done, they have done nothing to make their big rigs more efficient on gas and just keep with the same old flow of things. That's why we drive Toyota, they are on the ball. I've had the same truck for almost 9 years and it looks new and has never been in the garage for repair. So I don't feel sorry for these lame- ducks.

Give up your big pay and sell your private jets and then maybe I will have pity. I have had this thought since way before 9/11 that our lives were getting to greedy and we needed a wake up call. For some 9/11 was a wake up call. They called upon their God and asked for Him to renew their lives and He did. Yet many didn't give a "HOOT" and continued on their path of ungratefulness and greed. And we will pay for in the long run for peoples greed. It's time we see the real picture of the United States and now we must stand for what is right and live within our means. I don't care for people and their wealth it just makes me mad when they flaunt it. Nobody is worth a million dollar paycheck. It's how they use it to help others out, is what counts.

A Ghostly Picture!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't what you think of or believe about ghosts, but this picture is spooky. I found this picture on a friends Facebook page. It's a picture of her grandfathers car taken probably back in the 80's. She said there was nobody in the car when the picture was taken. When developed these people showed up. You may have to click on the picture to see it better. But in the backseat you can see an old lady sitting behind the passenger seat. Then in the middle somebody is sitting on the front hump. It looks headless, but it's hard to identify though.

I don't really believe in ghosts, but the other side of this life you don't know what's going on. But I believe God takes us all away and doesn't allow us just hang around in 1970 pinto's. Who knows! I just thought it was kind of creepy and wanted to share it you all!

The Gift Of Water

I think this is a neat idea, and everybody should do it. Giving somebody for Christmas a Living Water gift certificate. Everyone that you give helps clean water come to villages in poor third world countries. I have another video linked to this post. It's pretty sad but uplifting and shows you what good things other Christians are doing for those in other countries. The website I found is www.adventconspiracy.com where you can give these gift certificates. I just signed up for it today so I don't have any info yet on how to do this.

It would be awesome if every church or Bible class could do this and send money to these organizations who are bringing clean water and Jesus to these people. Click the arrow in the title box and watch, Please! May God bless our giving hearts this Christmas and every day!

Interesting Video on Christmas And Giving

I got this video in an email today, I thought it might be interesting for others to view. Just click on the arrow in the title box.

Give, Give,Give!

Well it's that time of year again. I cannot even believe Christmas is coming around the corner again. We've decided to have a smaller Christmas this year. The kids will get what they want, but not quite as much as in previous years. I pulled two names off the giving tree this year and try to help those little kids who aren't getting anything at all.

I really think others need more than we do. We were taught a lesson a couple of weeks ago by our minister about giving, and it all made sense. There are many children who have parents that do give a hoot about their children. They would rather spend their Christmas money on their cigarettes, booz and drugs. Which is evil at its purest.

Then there are those who's parents have lost their jobs and don't have a lot of money to spend on presents. So it's up to all of us to help those children. I ask that you would take into consideration those children who will wake up to a tree (or no tree) and help out and give them something there parents won't or can't afford to give. Open your hearts and give what you can to one of these angels on these trees. May God bless our giving spirit this Christmas.

Things Of The Past I Miss.

I often look back to the past and think about the good things I miss. I believe we all look back to the past and wish we could relive certain moments. Here's a list of things I really miss.

1) I wish I could have a taste of my Great Aunt Hazels homemade bread and rolls. I miss her and that bread. It was the best! I hope she has some waiting for me in heaven.

2) I wish I could go back to the first time I saw the first Star Wars movie at the drive-in theatre. I remember that night very well, it was a cold fall night back in '77. I loved that moment.

3) I miss the times when my cousins would come to visit us on the weekends and they would spend the night. We would be so excited for them to come. Good Times!

4)I wish I could sit on my Pawpaws lap and he would read the funnies to me and smoke his pipe.

5) I wish I could hang out with my old friends from college.

6) I miss playing neighborhood football after school and on the weekends with my old friends. (I dominated them)

7) I miss me and my sister being little kids and fighting all the time. She always started it, and I finished it. LOL!

8) I miss living with my parents and they paid the bills. (Of course we all miss that)

9) I miss my Aunt Monna's omelette's, they were the best.

10) I miss all the family get togethers at my Aunt Hazels house. They had a farm, and me and my cousin Drew would just have a blast there. I miss the fishing in their pond, but I don't miss walking through the cow patties.

11) I miss living on East Paxton Ave, and we would come home from church on Sunday night and my Dad would say we were getting DiCarlo's pizza. He would spell it out P-I-Z-Z-A! I miss him! I wish I had not beaten up on him as much as I did when I was little. But my kids are getting me back from all the pain I put him in.

12) I wish I could go to work with my Papaw, and watch him work.

13) I wish me and my friend Michael could go to Burger Chef (not king) with our Mom's after ladies Bible class and get a Star Wars kids meal. Or we could play Star wars again together.

14) I wish I could hear, "Here's Johnny" one more time while my Mom rocked me to sleep in the rocking chair.

I wish I could go fishing with my Uncle Bob on Lake Erie again and watch him clean the perch fish and fry them up. Man, that was some good fish.

15) I wish I could relive every Christmas as a kid again. My parents gave us the best Christmas's ever, my Mom made every one so special.

I'm sure there are more moments I would love to relive, but I know they would go on forever. Many hang on to the bad things of the past and allow those memories to ruin their lives. I want to always remember what good things that happened in my life. Of course nothing really bad happened in my past, so it's easy for me to have so many good things to remember. But many out there had a bad life growing up. Things they don't want to recall at all, and I can understand. If you are reading this and have nothing good to remember from your past, allow the future to bring about moments you want to relive. Put God first in your life and He will bring about new memories to come about. I'm thankful for the life that God gave me and how I can extend those memories to my children. Cherish all your good memories and hang on to them because we can never go back to them.

Sorry It's Been Awhile.

Well I know it's been awhile since I have written anything. I didn't have much time or really anything to write about. I've just been plain flat on ideas, I guess since the Steelers and WVU both lost this past weekend it just blows my whole week.

So I thought i would post some Redneck pictures on here tonight. The first picture is of a redneck spraying WD 40 on a camp fire. Yeah, that's real brilliant.

The next picture is of Redneck dentures. And the last is of three buck tooth coon dogs. I personally like that one. Thanks for reading and I will be back on Thursday.

Even The Lame Will Carry Off The Plunder!

Isaiah 33: 23 " Then an abundance of spoils will be divided and even the lame will carry off plunder."

The Mexican pinata is a favorite party game for children. Each child has a turn to give the paper' mache figure some resounding whacks with a stick. The children's eyes are covered with a scarf, except for some exceptions for the smallest children. Adults make it difficult by pulling the pinata this way or that on a line strung between two high points. But sooner or later the paper is torn, candies and trinkets fall to the ground and all the children scramble to "carry off the plunder."

Watchful parents have a difficult time restraining the older and stronger children (Republicans) or they will carry off all the candy and leave none for the littlest ones (middle class).

In the kingdom of Christ, there are abundant spiritual gifts for everyone. The strong may have all they want without depleting the supply for the weak.

Even the lame come away from the Lord's storehouse with their arms loaded with spiritual treasure. -Janice Kramer

I found this in a "Power for Today" book, this writer views things like many of us don't. Yes there are people that live and breed off the governments money, and I don't believe it is right. They need to get off of such programs and do their part. I'm not for them. But I do believe in those that just can't make it in life. those who work hard and get paid very little for what they do, and the big wigs get all the spoils. It's not fair! I think those in power of businesses should look at who really keeps their business afloat and realize the measly pay they offer stinks. We don't live in a fair world, but we all can share what we have so it can come close to being fair.

There is a song that states "Give me your eyes so I can see." We need God's eyes to see what is actually going on, to see past the blindness of Satan's schemes. Many suffer and others survive and others succeed and don't share. The wealth that many hoard they need to realize it makes them nothing, for we came into this world with nothing and will leave this world with nothing. God is fair and it's time we quit whining and live in the fairness of God. It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to enter heaven. Share with those who do not have and raise them up that they may get their share of the spoils.

History Made!

What a night! History has been made and I wonder why it took so long. None of us know the future, but we only know the present. Where do we go from here? Hopefully up, and now we all must get behind this new President elect and hope for the best.

I know there are some who are not happy with the outcome of this race. There are some who are so fearful about Obama. I decided I won't live in fear of him, only in fear of the Living God. Only through prayer can we truly believe in anybody. Through all the name calling and bashing we came through as a nation of unity. Erase the color of skin and go on with life. For change has happened and now we must clean up the 8 year mess. pray for our nation and pray for our new leader and hope he makes good on all his promises. The wealthy needs to get rid of its wealth and the lazy people in our nation need to get off their lazy tail ends and accept no hand outs. May God bless our nation and all our hopes and dreams.

Election '08

We have had a lot of firsts so far in this new century. The Red Sox finally won a world series, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won a Superbowl. We had a major terrorist attack, and we have had a clown for a president for 8 years. This time tomorrow, will we have our country's first black President?

Our we fearful of this man or what? I have never seen so many people afraid of our country having a black president. I don't know what to expect of Obama, will he do what he says he will do? I don't know! I will be voting tomorrow, but it won't be for McCain or Obama. I might just write my name on the ballot.

But I am not fearful of either candidate, I think both could do a better job than the monkey we have now. But we as a nation are so driven by fear, that we let others decide for us who we will vote for. We allow the news to feed us more fear. My voting would be about the economy, health care, jobs and energy. I'm not going to allow anybody to push the abortion or the gay marriage thing on me. Abortion will always be a topic that will never change the supreme court is too liberal and weak to overturn Roe vs. Wade.

We have had many Republican presidents in office and they never did a dang thing about it. So to me it's a hopeless cause. The gay marriage thing it makes me puke, but some states allow it.

I see it this way, God is my leader and I will follow his will, we are not of this world but of another. We are still better off than many other countries and I 'm not going to worry about things. I have what I need to survive, but there are many who don't. So maybe Obama's spreading the wealth might be a good thing. I don't want more people to join welfare, they need to get off their tail ends and get a job. But the middle class needs a break, I would like to have less taxes taken out of my paycheck. Wouldn't you?

But whatever the outcome of the race is tomorrow God will be right there with us, He won't let this world fall apart like everyone thinks it is. I say everyone needs to quit whining and do their part. Don't rely on the government to fill our pockets or make judgements on unholy matters. We as Christians need to take that stand ourselves and give up the government to do anything about it. They're all about greed. So Happy Voting!

Baptism

We had a baptism today and it still gets me teary eyed when one is saved. Many see it as just an emersion in water, I see it as another person we will see in Heaven. Another person who chose the high road and obeyed God's will.

It's tough for me when some children get baptized at a really young age. I often wonder if they really truly know what they are doing. How g..... (sorry I lost my thought). How great of a feat they have accomplished. They went against the devil and chose not to follow his evil ways and choose a life of godliness. I wasn't baptized until I was 15, I knew then what I was doing and how my life was going to change. I became more aware of sin and how Satan will try to make life more difficult.

That was a great day in my young life, people I knew and loved were there to cheer me on. I felt like I had won the big game. It was a great feeling to be saved from my sins and feel the warmth of loving Christians telling how proud of me they were.

So many people are being misled by pastors and preachers by not baptizing. They tell them to say a prayer and say they have been saved. What will the Lord above say to those who misled so many? I don't know the Lord's mind, but I know what the Bible says about baptism. If you ignore the holy word and lie to your followers what will the outcome be. I believe that is for God to decide and not my puny little mind to make that decision.

But I am thankful for every baptism I get to see, and how marvelous it is to see a person choose the road of glory. Today the angels were singing.

Cluster Maps- It's Amazing!

It's amazing to be able to see who is reading my blog daily. If you have noticed a friend of mine at church Jeff told me about this cluster map and it's really neat. I have some readers across the globe in England, Sweden, Finland and Norway. Their are plenty of people reading across the nation also. I'm thankful to all who read and hope it can change the lives of many. I try to make this blog inspirational and make others think of how great our God and his Son really are. A life without Christ is worthless, and a life with him is awesome and completely worth living every day. We need more people to blog and get the word of God out to the world. Because with this blog it's proven we can reach the world. Will you join? I would love to link a bunch of bloggers on my page if you are willing to do one. Of course i have to figure out how to do it first. But I feel we all have something to say about the love of our Savior and many have the talent to do it. Think about it and let me know if you want to join. Thanks- Clint