Part 3: A Short Story- The Coffeeshop

His stay at the coffee shop was brief and Paul really wished he had
never entered the doors. Gerald could not allow him to leave without
giving him more kind words a handshake and a business card, that Paul had placed in his suit coat before leaving.


As he made his escape from Gerald's grip, he scampered out into a world that he really was unsure of. His wife had basically told him to stay away for awhile until she thought this mess through. Friends were very small in number right now and going to his office was not a place of safety either. His only place right now and for awhile would be his room at the hotel.


As he walked through the doors of the coffee shop and into the open air he looked to the darkened sky and let out a huge sigh and thought about his next move. Being caught was not his intentions of his little
escapade of thrills. He thought now about  not trusting anybody with
anything in his life. The one he trusted to keep things hush hush was
actually the whistle blower. A person he didn't realize would fall quickly to his conscience. Before he was found to be in trouble he had felt out who he could trust in his circle of friends and one stuck out to him like a giant tree of trust.


Instead he became like a tree in the midst of a hurricane. Easily bent when he saw the storm coming! To be continued...

Part 2 Short Story

She didn't care if he'd ever talked to her again. He'd been keeping

secrets for some time, sneeking behind everyone's back for his own purposes. She knew things were tense between them and things hadn't been right for some time. She decided to let things take care of themselves, and maybe God would make their marriage right or perhaps the way it used to be, perfect!


He was a kind man, he gave to everybody and stayed right with God for the better part of their marriage. His children thought he was a king and so did she. Her love for him had never swayed until yesterday. When it all came upon her and her children. What became of him? What path was he choosing to follow? Why was he so easily deceived? Questions that had to be answered, yet who had the answers? Who would actually stand up and give the true answers to what he had become?

Many days had passed since the man woke to his nightmare of reality. He started making a list of those who got caught in   his storm of deceitfullness. Hoping to find at least one person he could lean on and ask for help.He left his hotel room about about 8am to go to a coffee house down the street. His hope was not to be seen by anybody he knew. The embarrassment of the situation had been too much to bare. Yet he needed some breakfast and had no choice because the hotel didn't serve breakfast. As he entered the coffee shop he felt as if everyone knew of his sin. As he thought he felt the eyes of every patron were looking at him in judgement.

Nobody even knew him or even what caous he had caused to destroy and hurt so many people close to him. He looked around for an empty table and found there were none available. Only one seat open at the bar, with an awkward shaped older gentleman sitting there. He went to take his seat and place an order for plain black coffee.  The older man looked over to him and asked if he wanted to read the paper, the man said no.  little did he know his face and his embarrassment made front page news. "My name is Gerald" the older man said. The man stated, "That's nice!"  Gerald turned away and drank his coffee and ignored the rudeness of the younger man.  "Do you live around here?" The younger man said "Yes, I do!" "What's your name son?" said Gerald.  "Sir, my name is Paul, and I would really like to keep to myself right now." Being shrewd was not a trait from his past, he had always been a man full of life and great kindness, but his burden weighed upon his shoulders now. Being rude was his best defense to keep others from seeing his shame.  To be continued....

A Short Story- To be Continued!

The man woke up one morning and felt he had been wronged by somebody.  His world had been turned upside down in the blink of an eye.  His life has always been great, he had his share of ups and downs and failures had been over come.  Yet, things in His life weren't right.  He made a choice against his will.  A choice he didn't think he would ever make, but sometimes choices can't be decided on their own, someone has to make them. He did!


How can he make this bad decision go away?  He hurt many including his family. He could take actions in his own hands, but sometimes those who are hurt can't be so easily swayed by an apology no matter how sincere it is.  Verbal wounds can penetrate some and others allow harmful words and actions to cut deeply.  Forgiveness is not on their menu of correctness.  Wounds continue to bleed for some and then their are others that can take the wound and allow it to heal over time.


He thought hard all morning how to make his actions to be an easy forgiveness, no good ways to do it came to his mind.  He challenged different scenario's to say the right things to those he hurt. Nothing came. The situation had become a bad one in a matter of minutes, he thought of ending it all.  To him that was no way of take care of making people love him again.  He hoped people would call him and tell him it was okay and that they forgave him, no calls came.  People were instantly erasing his number from their address books on cell  phones. His thoughts were of people alienating him completely, there was no remorse for what he had done.   Where were the answers?   To be continued........

The Two Roads In life To Choose From!

The road to life, is a narrow road states the Bible. But wide is the road that leads to destruction and death.

If you think about how many people that have roamed, lived and died in this world of ours, what are the the roads chosen by them.  There are only two choices, narrow or wide. 

One life is all we have here on Earth. We often go through each day thinking about what we need to do.  We stress about petty things all day long.  Bills, money, food, oil in the ocean, sickness and many others.  We don't spend a lot of time stressing about the two roads to choose about life or death.  I don't think I spend enough time thinking about either one.  A lot of times those roads seem unimportant to me.  Daily life keeps thinking about my own problems all the time.  When you really take the time to ponder the two roads, it can really get you back on you track.  The two roads allow you to think about how you should live here upon our Earth.  It scares me to think about the possibilty of going to judgement and God telling me that I am not making the Heavenly team because I thought that Earthly decisions were more important than having a relationship with him. 

I read a book not to long ago that talked about the eternal punishment of Hell and it made some sense to me. The writer explained that Hell is not going to be a place of constant fire, but a place where those who haven't excepted Christ in this life here will be left in a state of constant misery and unsatisfaction.  I guess that is what we would feel like if God just left us here and went somewhere else.  We don't realize how lucky we are to be living in God's grace right now.  He holds us together because he is here and we can go to Him in any moment of life.  But to be without God would be a living Hell.  We don't know or even have a clue what that would feel like because He is here now. 

So why is the road to heaven a "narrow road?" Is it because many will not choose that road and the road to eternal punishment is wide because many choose that road. That's my guess!  It's time we put petty things behind us and remember we are here to choose the narrow road to eternal life.  Our lives should be a life of constant communication to our Lord above.  We need to include Him on every decision and praise Him for every gift He gives. That will keep us on the narrow to heaven!

Crossing Our Bridges Of Fear!

I have known people to be very leary about crossing this bridge back home. It is the Wheeling Suspension bridge built by the indians that resided there in the late 1800's.  It is a steel bridge that crosses the Ohio River from Wheeling, WV to Wheeling Island.  As you go across it you can feel it move and to some that is frightening, especially to one of my Aunts.

In life we all have to cross bridges in life that frighten us sometimes. We have to take the risks that God puts in front of us.  Our fear keeps us away from crossing those bridges in life, and doesn't allow our faith in God to be true.  A lot of times I feel an urge to take a risk in life but I often weigh the negatives out first before I see the optimistic views.  The negatives always win, and then my faith in God wasn't executed the way He planned it.  Does God frown when we don't take risks of faith?  Does He sit back and watch us screw up a good decision because our faith was weak? Tough questions to answer but Satan is the author of these questions.  I believe God if He was right here in front of me physically would say go ahead try it, see what happens when you do it in faith and see what happens when I am behind it. Great things will prevail and He won't disappoint us.  We may go through tough times when we cross a bridge of fear but that is when our faith comes in handy.  We always have a bigger source behind us to get us through. 

So today if you have a bridge that needs crossing and your fear is bigger than your faith, just reverse those orders and let your faith determine the outcome, then maybe we'll see each other on the other side of that bridge!

Why Am I A Christian?

Matthew 13:17 "For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it."

I don't think anybody has ever asked me why I am a Christian.  I think this verse sums it up, because I want to see and hear what those disciples saw and heard.

As human beings we long to see something or somebody great in the world. We want to see the extraordinary instead of the ordinary.  We want our longings to be fulfilled.  That sums up me, I want to see the great things on this Earth.  I am a critic about everything.  Whether it be music, sports, movies or humans and the way they perform these tasks.  I critique or judge, because I want to see the best in everything.

 I would have been amazed if I would've been present at the birth of Christ.  The perfect one, God himself coming to this planet to be among us.  The way He came would have humbled me then as it does today.  The king of kings in a animal stable lying in a manger or feeding trough.  He didn't live as a king here, yet his words and love would have been overwhelming to me.  Finally, someone who could relieve us of our pain and our need for satisfaction.  To be around Christ would have been comforting.  No more questions about life because He was the answer to our life. We would've been complete from wandering about anything.  What will He say to me when I get to heaven?  Whatever it is I will never be or feel lost ever again. That's why I am a Christian!

I've learned a lot over the past couple of years about the reality of being a Christian.  I learned about judging others by not judging yet I find myself passing judgement on someone.  I don't want to do that, it's wrong.  I learned that Christianity is not a list of do and do nots.  Yet, we must live as good a life as we can. I use the measure of WWJD.  What would Jesus do in this situation?  And I find myself not indulging in those sins. I am not perfect and never will be, but it helps to know whatever I do wrong I can repent of those wrongs and continue on in living a life for Christ.  Mercy beyond measure, that's why I am a Christian!

Another world beyond ours. An eternal place that has no end, no worry, no tears, no pain, no lonliness, no disease, no loss, no being judged, no handicaps or disabilties, no financial problems and no harm.   A world where we will see things that have never entered our mind.  We've dreamed of this place and have done our best to picture it.  Whatever we have imagined will be way more than our minds could behold.  A world where our God reigns and Christ glows with great love and radiance.  Keep hoping of such beauty and grace that continues to overflow with no limit.  That's why I am a Christian! Period.

Why Do We Shop? It's A Pointless Activity!

I have been thinking about this theory for quite some time.  It's a strange thought, but it is has been on my mind. Shopping? I listen to people at my place of work and everything they say sometimes just sounds so meaningless.  Most of my work experience has been in the nursery/landscape business.  I found this to be my calling because I found a Holy reasoning behind it.  As I listened to customers this past weekend I could not help and think about how pointless our needs are sometimes.  One customer was asking about a certain plant we had and she said, "I will be back tomorrow to get that tree, because so and so really wants one really bad!"  Why doe s she really want that tree so bad?  Is it because her life might become truly satisfied if she had it? I don't think so. 

I really like plants and how beautiful they really are. I see a plant as an object created from the mind and hand of God.  That is my Holy reasoning behind my interest in plants. But I don't really need any certain plant to satisfy my needs.  I really don't need any material possesion to satisfy my life, but sometimes my want overcomes my real needs.  The massive overflow of people in our store has really got me thinking lately.  I like to shop sometimes, I don't like to shop for my needs but I like to shop for my desires.  I'm not one to go and spend a lot of money on massive things like  a new stereo system or a huge plasma so I can impress somebody.  That's not who I am,  and I have no reason to impress anybody. Yet, many people do buy things for that exact reason.  They want to be seen by others with their mass inventory of stuff.

Shopping is not always not a bad thing, we do need to go to the grocery store and get food and sometimes we need to go and buy some new clothes because our other ones are complete rags.  I understand the reasoning for people coming to a  place like I work at. To buy things for their house or to fix something that is broke or to buy a plant to enjoy a beautiful creation of God.  But, sometimes the other reasons are because of want and not necessity.  I often think and get mad because I have to be at work on a Sunday morning and miss church because people have to come in for their unecessary wants instead of their real needs.  I could be spending valuable time with my family and my brothers and sisters in Christ in a Holy worship service praising God.  Instead, I have to be there because of the companies need for greed and money and also because somebody decided that their needs were more important than worshiping God. It irritates me a lot!

Our country has gone in the wrong direction in it's desires.  The world's true desire should be going to those who are in need, not just needs in material things but a need for a Savior.  I often think when I am at work and see people shopping that  I could be doing something for Christ and for those who are lost, but instead our world puts its faith in money and wealth instead of true wealth in Christ.  Our desires are in the wrong place, our needs instead of Christ's.  So instead of doing God's work and furthering His word, I have to wait on customers and load their needless desires into their car. Let's shop for lost souls instead of our worthless desires that will never satisfy our lives.  Store up true wealth in heaven instead of worldly things that will be taken away from us in a split second.    

Bad Weather Allowed Me To See the Strength Of Our God!

The past couple of days here in Arkansas has really been bad for weather.  Tornadoes, severe thunderstorms and dangerous lightning have bullied our state.  And I am not a huge fan of any of this, at all.

Many have lost a lot in the past 48 hours to tornadoes and bad straight line wind.  I have seen many pictures and many news reports in the past 48 to last me for awhile. I can't say I am not fearful of any type of severe weather,  I would be lying if I said I wasn't.

We've been lucky here in our town of Searcy lately.  A tornado ripped through a small town a few miles from here at the end of March.  I took a drive to see what the damage was like.  What little there was amazed me, you could see a path right through a wooded area that had half trees standing.  The trees were laid down and some were standing with the tops twisted off them.  Tonight, a huge black cloud past overhead where I work and I was ready to see something awful happen.  There was a slight twist to the clouds and it just made me think how powerful our God can be.  It started raining and lightning bad and then it all stopped and complete stillness in the air. That's a bad sign, a possible tornado could come down and take away everything we had.  I thought as I stood there and watched that cloud pass over, what would my chances be of running from it? What would it be like to be  caught in one of natures greatest display of strength? I didn't want to find  out!

I think of the same thing when Christ comes back to destroy all evil. What will it be like if he says to you and I that we are not going with Him to Heaven? Life would be darker than we have ever seen it.  I believe the devastation would be worse or about as bad as that tornado coming down and sweeping us away from all eternity.  Our God is a powerful being who wants no one to perish, but if we don't start living in Him our path will become tornadic.  Life will be no more, and we will be in that dark cloud forever.  Today I am going to live for Him and not for the world.

Our Great Ability To Create Great Things Because Of God

I took a ride today to get away from all the hustle and bustle in town.  There are times when I just need to be away from everyone.  So I drove and told myself just go and enjoy the beautiful weather God had blessed us with today.  The path I took today is somewhat pretty, I guess.  The view I took in were the low big white clouds that hung over top of us here in Arkansas.  They were just great, and made me feel small in this world.  I was in awe of our world, sometimes we think we are the biggest thing in this world. That we are the most important being here.  Funny thing is, to God we are.  I often wonder what God had planned for this world and His creatures.  Is what we have done exactly what he wanted.  I'm not talking about the way we've acted or sinned.  I'm talking about what men and women have done here on Earth.  Look at this picture of New York City.  It amazes me when I look at these buildings. Were these buildings what God intended to be here?  Is this what God planned for us to build? I often wonder what was His plan was after he created the entire planet. What did He want us to make the rest of His world to look like.  Did He intend for there to be huge skyscrapers and large stadiums to be here?

We've taken this Earth and have decorated it with great vision, and I really think we have done a great job. God laid the foundation and we created through Him the background. Humans learned through an evolution of learning to build and use our imaginations to make great things. Through great minds the world became a lot easier with new gadgets and many other inventions.  We went from discovering fire to being able to have a cell phone with computer capabilties in the palm of our hand.  All because God gave us free will to create through a tiny brain contained in skulls.  It's amazing how the past is tied to our present age. We learned from our mistakes and continue to learn from them to make great things to help us in so many ways. Our God is a God of "Free Will."  Allowing us  as humans to create and think for ourselves to become great in His sight.

Free will to do many things because He gave us the abilty to do it.  When you look at what we have and have accomplished through His free will to create things. Why can't we accept Him? He gives us the free will to accept Him and His Son Jesus.  You either believe or you don't! The Bible states that He has revealed Himself through His creation, so if you can't look around and see that something great was behind all that we see then you have no excuse.

There are times I have doubts, we all do. It's Satans way of blinding us from God, but my small brain just looks around and I try to wrap my mind around the world.  I find that creation is just to vast for me to figure it out to be a big bang theory.  The world is just too complex and put together to well for there not to be a creator.  Then I think about the things we have created on this planet to be to awesome for us to create without God not being behind it all.    I stand in awe of our creator and how he has made everything for us. To Him I will always believe in because it makes things seem easier to figure out. Thank you Lord for everything we have is yours and a gift to us.
  

Grace Reclaims!

"Grace reclaims what the world disowns."

I just heard this phrase from a song by a group called "Starfield." I thought this was a great and profound statement. I often think of how powerful the word "Grace" is.  The word itself sums up the entire mission of Christ's ministry here on Earth. None of us deserves any part of the definition of grace.  Especially, me!

I find myself to be a very impatient and easily annoyed person recently.  I just have no patience for anybody. I don't know why, I think it's a need for a vacation or it could be that the spring shoppers in the garden center this year where I work are shopping in record numbers. I think it's all that combined.  I need God's grace so much that I can't even express how much I want it.

This sentence in the beginning of this post says something to me that words would not be enough to describe it.   Our world has neglected so many, that a lot of times we don't even realize those who have been overlooked.  A number of people over the years have been pushed aside for so many reasons, never given the chance to be who they really are.  Our world chooses those who are pretty, thin, smart and strong.  We have been told that those who are among these numbers are the one's who can get it done.

We walk upon this Earth with our heads held high trying to be noticed.  But who are we trying to be noticed by?  We all try to be something we aren't. We try to keep up with the strong, thin and smart but we often fail.  Those who are the weakest of the vine are usually left to fall off while the other part of the vine becomes strong and prospers.  We say to those who are weak and ugly that they don't matter, only those who are at the top of the food chain matter.  Basically, it's called  the "survival of the fittest" and it's something I don't believe in.  I often have trouble with this also.   I also at times cheer for the strongest and forget about those who can't fend for themselves. Then I read in the Bible about Jesus saying about the meek and the humble and weak are who heaven is reserved for. After reading those passages I am back on track.

This past week we all witnessed the NCAA finals that was somewhat a David vs. Goliath match between Duke (Goliath) and Butler (David).  I watched Duke start playing rough toward the end of the game and closing in on victory.  I was sort of mad about them winning, I wanted to see the underdog win it, and they almost did.  My thoughts after the game were, "Duke may have a trophy, but Butler won the heart."

I believe that  is what God thinks.  The mighty may have won all the treasures here on Earth but the left out, the weak and the humble won the heart of God.  I believe that is all that matters.  Win less here and earn more up there in heaven.  Grace always wins for all of us.  That why it's grace, a gift from God to reclaims his own back to Him.  Cheer for the underdog, those that have been disowned by us.  Give your heart to somebody or give it to everybody.  If you know anybody has been diowned by this world, do something for them. Reclaim them! God Bless!

Pray Because You Want to, Not Because You Feel You Have Too!

Where would my life be without prayer? It would not be as it is right now. Life is not how exactly how I want it, but it is what I am given for right now.  We all look at our life and say it's not quite what we expected it to be.  Why can't it be better? So we pray and pray and still continue to see no results.  We want to see the results right now, not later.  I've come to realize through the years that is not how God works.  He answers in His own time.  So why pray? 

I always used to see prayer as a place for my requests.  A moment to give God my wants and needs and maybe a little time for others needs.  I see it now as a place to talk to someone who wants to hear it all.  The good the bad and the ugly.  I see prayer as a place between me and a Being much bigger than me. A Being that has the ability to do it all, but a little at a time.  I see my prayers to God as a Father/Son relationship.  I have seen this through raising my own children, they make their requests and I  make a decision on those requests.  Sometimes I have to say no and other times I give all I can to their little pleas.  Most of my decisions are benificial for their character and by making them it shows my love for them.  As a parent though I don't have all the resources to fulfill their needs and wants.  Where our Father in heaven has all the resources to do all things, yet he sees and knows when to give those gifts to us. 

So, prayer for me has become a place to talk to my Maker one on one.  I have seen the reason of prayer as a continuous need in my life and it has given me the encouragement I need.  Prayer can be many things for all of us.  Some pray in dire need.  Many have only prayed on these occasions, their life has drastically changed and sickness may be ready to take them soon, so they resort to prayer. Others pray quick prayers, they make requests and hope for the results they want.  They take no time to give God the thanks he deserves, they just want their needs met and that is it.  Then there are those that pray out of religious practice.  One example is the Muslim religion, they all stop at a certain time of the day and face the same direction and pray out of religious practice, these prayers have no heart in them. They just do it because they fear that if they don't they are going to be harmed in some way.  I used to feel that way sometimes that if I don't pray I felt fearful and had let my God down. Not true!

Prayer is a conversation with you and God. A conversation  to be done in private for nobody to see you doing it.  I don't know exactly why God chose it that way, you would think He would want it done in public to promote his name. He doesn't want it that way, He wants us to be humble and to not be distracted, he wants our complete attention.  God wants us to draw near to Him. He wants us to be complete in Him and wants to hear more than our requests.  He wants to have a conversation to release our true self to Him.  God may not speak clearly to us but He speaks to our hearts.  Prayer always makes me feel relieved, I feel like I have talked to the most important being in the universe and the heavens. And I always do.  I feel listened to, nobody can interupt me when I speak in prayer.  When we talk to others here in life, we're always interupted by someone or something. It makes me feel empty a lot of times.  I want to be heard but life and it's obstacles keep us from being heard.  I always want to let people know who I am and about my life and it's experiences, but there is always an interuption and no one ever gets the whole conversation.  So I go to the one who really wants to hear about me and how I want to be heard and not interupted.  God gives us His whole attention and never allows anything to interupt our conversation. What a great thing it is to pray and talk to the God of all that is. Change your prayers from a list of demands to a conversation with a loving Father. Do it that way and you will do it not because you feel you have too, but because you want to.  He's waiting and all lines are open.  

I Will Be Back To Writing Soon!

I haven't posted anything since February 19th.  You may be asking where have I been?  I don't really know!  But I will get back to it soon. I am currently reading a book titled, "The Simple Faith of Mister Rogers." I am hoping  that reading this will get me back in the groove. I had some ideas about some things I wanted to write about, so  bare with me.  I will be back within the week to write again. Please continue to read my older posts and I will see you next week. In Christian love,Clint

Jesus Is Neither Republican or Democrat! He Has His Own Agenda!

It's hard for me to judge all Democrats as "unchristian."  It's also very hard for me to call many Republicans as "Christians!"  The person I go to get my haircut by, is a major Christian Republican!  I believe he feels that all Democrats are evil and Republicans are going straight to heaven.  I wish I could change him, but I see no possibility in doing that.  It would take a totally neutral person who is very knowledgable about politics to do so, I am not that person. 

The discussion came up because of the guy who slammed the plane into the IRS building in Texas.  There was a guy on Fox news channel who had written a book on politics and hope for the people of the US.  The anchor asked if he believed Jesus was a Republican, and the guy answered "No!"  He said Jesus would be niether!  So my barber said  Jesus would be a republican, because the Bible said so. I never read that in the Bible! 

Wasn't the Pharissee's a basic form of the Republican party?  The Republican party use the Christian stand to get elected, they don't really mean to be true Christians.  I'm sure there are many good people in that party that are Christians,  yet it's not what Jesus wants to be.  This type of legalism is what he taught against and tried to escape.  I believe Jesus would agree on many issues that both parties try to represent, but I don't think he would join their party, if he wanted to be politically correct he would have joined the Pharissee's agenda.  But he didn't!  The Pharissee's were the code of conduct police back in the day, that is really all they knew.  When Jesus came he turned the table over when it came to living religious.  He was a new hope in the world and many didn't understand how this teaching was right.

My barber continued to repeat the things that Democrats believe in.  Homosexuality is one he repeated with great emphasis!  I'm not a person that believes in homosexuality and really believe God is against it, so I will be also.  I stated that there are Republicans that are gay and have abortions.  The room got silent,very silent!  He had real no answer for that.  So I left it at that, I'm not one for confrontation, but I could have gone a little farther.  I just decided to let it go. 

I quit going to him for a little while because I get disturbed by his comments on Blacks and other things.  I might be looking for new barber again ,but maybe I will stay and give him the true teaching of Jesus.  Jesus was not political, he was not a judge of anybody.  He seemed to me to be more critical of the Pharissee's than he was of the lost.  So he chose to go the other direction of the world.  He came to save those who were being judged, he came to save the Underdog.  Christ was merciful to those who were judged by a Republican gang that demanded cleaness.  Through Jesus we all became clean, from the world's judgemental mindset.  We're free!  Thank the Lord for his love! I'm  am eternally grateful. Don't live by the political realm of  who's clean and who is not.   I claim no party, except the wedding party Jesus has waiting for us in the end!

Holding Up Signs In LIfe!

I often can look at a picture and sometimes that is where a post comes from.  Many of my blogs I just looked at a picture and out came a new post, but today I can't do that.  I have the day off and have been to a few stores and drove around town for a little while and that got boring.  So I went to mazzio's and got a salad to go and came home and talked to my wife for a few minutes, and she left to go take a test. 

So I thought for a minute about what I could do around the house and I quickly lost interest in that.  So \I decided to shut myself up in the computer room put earphones in my ear and start writing another post.  I decided that this would be the best way to spend my time off today.  I figure the best thing you can do when you really have nothing else to do is try to write something to maybe inspire somebody who needs it.  I don't know what people think about this blog and I don't write it to get any kind of attention or great responses, but I do pray every time it will turn somebodies life around. 

As  my wife and  I went to Little Rock yesterday, we passed a few people holding signs up against abortion.  I really never have seen anybody do that in real life, I have only seen it on TV.  I wondered how their sign holding and protest actually stopped abortion.  To me I thought it was a waste of time.  I'm a person who want to dig in to the real problem, I want to see quick results.  Many would say to me that I'm not seeing the whole picture.  I often think if I don't go to the top cause of the problem I won't see results at all.  It's like when you call about a problem on one of your bills, we don't want to talk to some little  customer represntative, I want to talk to  a manger or the CEO, if I had it my way.  Usually, when you do talk to a manager you get the results you wanted.  So me holding a sign would not be productive, I would want to have a personal appointment with the staff and doctors of the clinic.  I want to go in and choke it by the neck.  Obviously, sign holding in front of an abortion clinic is about the best way to share your religious beliefs on the matter.  I don't know if anybody has ever spoke to amy staff members at a clinc, but so far all I ever see are signs.

My blog sometimes feels like I am holding a sign sometimes.  I don't really know the results of my writing sometimes.  Over the past couple of years I have seen the big picture of my blogging.  Most of my readers are from the United States and I have had a few hits from a lot of different countries.  Which is great!  I know I won't reach everybody in the entire world, it would be nice to reach every person, but the statistics are always going against it.  In my heart when it comes to preaching or writing about Christ, you won't reach everyone, many will take time to read and many will skip over it altogether.  I normally post a link on Facebook which has helped, yet the readers are few.  That's Ok though, if I can reach one person that is great results and mankes the effort all the better.

Life is also like holding up a sign.  Human beings are always trying to hold up a sign to get some kind of attention from others.  Here are some of the signs I see everyday in life.  The way people dress some very dressy in the best clothes others dressing in a very different rebellious way.  Political signs on the back of their vehicles, they really want people to know that they are Republican or Democrat.  This sign can usually get you in the right place or the rebellious side of life.  If your an elephant you have good standing with Christians and if you are a donkey your considered Satans best friend.  (Which is completely stupid!)  Many of us wear our titles as our sign of greatness in life.  Like DR. or CEO, which makes people think you are  smart, which they do have some brains but makes them no different from the person living in the ghetto or the single mother trying to raise children by herself.  The underdog who survives life is my true hero, not somebody with a title. 

So why do we hold the signs up in life?  Why do we care what people think about us?  I used to think that I had to be something to have somebody give me praise, then I realized Christ's teaching and the way he lived his life.  Humble was Christ who wore no title at all.  He was the greatest man who ever lived on Earth, yet he never made himself greater than the master, he was a servant not just for his father but for all of us.  I hate titles they are the signs that separate the world from each other, and that is not what God's want. He wants us to be in unison and to be together for all eternity.  Hold up a sign that states, " I am nothing but a messenger for Christ, let's talk!"  To all who read my blog I hope you continue and hope it helps in some way! Thanks

The Real Meaning Of Jesus!

Those of you that know me, know that I am not a very serious guy.  I am always cracking a joke of some kind, and really never serious about anything.  I just am not that kind of person.  I often say I don't worry, but I do, probably more than I let on.  I usually don't worry about some things that other people do.  I catch myself worrying about finances, time, funny feelings I get in my health.  I usually don't tell anybody about my worries though.  I just don't feel they are worth telling anybody about. 

I do have a serious side to my life, my walk with Jesus is probably the most serious thing I think about.  I constantly read Christian authors to get a better understanding of the story of Christ.  I think about our world and how we really have turned the true story of Christ upside down.  I don't like a lot of things we as Christians are doing to share our message of Christ.  I don't like it when Christians use a political agenda for their Christianity to shine out. To me that just discourages people outside of Christ.  We do need morality to be pushed, but not in a political way.  We as Christians have totally missed the point of Jesus being here.  I don't think He would've pushed the death penalty, even though he died in a death penalty way.  I don't think he would've marched in front of abortion clinics or raged a huge battle agianst homosexuals.  Even though none of those things he is for, but he would've communicated a different way to those who go about doing such things. 
The more I read about the life of Christ, I am amazed at who he really was.  Jesus defined the word "love."  His compassion continues to blow me away.  How loving he was to stop what he was doing and heal a person or hug little children.  He loved the one's the world had set aside.  He had no intensions of leaving anyone behind.  The people he hung around were considered the worst of the community, and to those who thought they were something thought he was crazy.  He was the shepherd among the sheep, the lost sheep. 
Our world today puts no thought into saving the homeless, hungry or drug addicts.  Only those who really understand the true compassion of Christ believe in these causes of need.  I want to have that compassion, I want to be selfless.  I want to deny self and give myself to others, and give them the love they need.  Yet, I fail in an awful way of beng like that.  
Deep down beneath all this earthliness inside of me is a person who really needs to find himself in Christ.  I want to continue throughout my life to be like Christ.  I want every person also to have that same understanding of him.  Life here is not about being the best or the richest.  Life is not about getting all the attention on yourself, it's about compassion and love for others, especially for those who can't help themselves. 
Tonight my prayer is not to gain but to give.  To show the world about the true mission of Christ, and his real story for being here on Earth.  He wanted to save us all, he wants no one to suffer Hell but to be with him forever.  Forever in an eternal paradise that we can't even imagine.   Give until it hurts! Love until you fall over dead. Let's all open our hearts to the real meaning of Christ.  Love never fails!

Prayer. Why do we not do it?

How many times do you pray?  That is a question  I need to ask myself everyday.  I do pray and miss many oppurtunities to pray daily.  My prayers are little tid bits here and there.  Usually at night and one in the morning.  But during the day it becomes more difficult to pray.  I am one to not let anybody see me pray.  I don't pray  aloud in restaurants like I see some Christians doing.  For some reason that bothers me, I guess it's because Jesus stated to pray in private and that is exactly what he did.  I don't ever recall Jesus praying in public, he usually prayed off in a quiet place.  So when I pray I try to keep it to myself and God.  We need to pray daily. We aren't forced too, because of the free will God has given us here on Earth.  He has given us the option to pray or not to. The choice to follow him or not, the choice is ours and if we don't follow we may suffer an eternal punishment. 

Prayer is needed for all, and many need our prayers.  My prayer list increased by five people in one week, people around me and in my life have become sick and I feel it is my duty to pray for their well being.  I do love to pray for others though, I don't know the outcome of my prayers, but I do know it is good to hope the best for others lives and they do deeply appreciate it.  My prayers in the past have been about my needs and how I needed an immediate answer from the Creator.  As I have matured I see prayer as giving thanks to God for all He has done for me and a time to pray for those who are hurting or are sick or in great financial need. 

Prayer for me has taken off many stresses I have had in life.  For many it's a religious necessity a ritual, they feel if they don't do it that they are going to be cast to hell or be on God's bad list.  I don't think that is true!  I used to feel that way also, but I now look at prayer as a time to converse with God, an intimate conversation between two friends or a father.   I try to converse in a way that feels comfortable, giving thanks because God has given me peace and has kept me safe in his grace.  I thank him for the good times and also for the bad times I go through.  A lesson can be learned from bad times in life, and I ususally tell him what I have learned from rough experiences and thank him for the lessons I have learned.  I always try to visualize God listening to my prayers.  I see him leaning with His hand on his chin and listening to me with great excitement.  I see him wanting to answer all my requests, wanting to show everything to me but he doesn't.  He is just like us as parents, he gives little by little.  He doesn't give in huge amounts, because that would spoil  us and we would become expecting massive amounts and never learn the lessons of humbleness.  Same with us as parents, we know if we constanly give into our childrens wishes and give them all they need they become spoliled and greedy.  They expect a new toy everyday, and never learn the lessons of earning the toy through good deeds or working for something.

For those who only pray in times of great need and never lift a word toward heaven any other time need to learn God is listening.  God is not not our magic 8 ball.  I believe God wants to hear form us but not just in certain situations though.  He is listening still to all prayers at all times.  He listens to all who pray in dire emergencies and to all who converse to him every day.   Not all prayers are answered though.   That's where people get discouraged, they expect an answer to their request then, not later.  So they give up on God and never return to him again.  God does answer, but usually in his own time and what he wishes.  So that makes him not a magic 8 ball God.  He wants constant communication.  He wants you to see what He has planned for you over a long period of time.  He is a mysterious being that has nothing but good intensions for us all.  So as I learn to communicate with him and you do to, realize God has answered most of our prayers we just need to sit back and see how he has answered them.  If you take time and look at all the great things he has given us, then you will realize how great he is and how wonderful it is to talk to him. Pray at all times, because he is waiting to hear from us!

Funny Email!

       I was so depressed last night thinking about the economy, the wars, jobs, Savings, Social Security, retirement funds, etc......

I called Lifeline.

Got a freakin' call center in Pakistan .

I told them I was suicidal.

They all got excited and asked if I could drive a truck.

Time For God

I knelt to pray but not for long,


I had too much to do..

I had to hurry and get to work

For bills would soon be due.

So I knelt and said a hurried prayer,

And jumped up off my knees.

My Christian duty was now done

My soul could rest at ease.....

All day long I had no time

To spread a word of cheer

No time to speak of Christ to friends,

They'd laugh at me I'd fear.

No time, no time, too much to do,

That was my constant cry,

No time to give to souls in need

But at last the time, the time to die

I went before the Lord,

I came, I stood with downcast eyes.

For in his hands God! held a book;

It was the book of life.

God looked into his book and said

'Your name I cannot find

I once was going! to write it down...

But never found the time'

Seeing God In A Different Way. Praising Him For What We have Been Givin.

My whole being, praise the Lord;
all my being, praise his holy name.
My whole being, praise the Lord
and do not forget all His kindnesses.
He forgives all my sins
and heals all my diseases.
He saves my life from the grave
and loads me with love and mercy.
He satisfies me with good things
and makes me young again, like an eagle.  Psalm 103: 1-5

I believe this verse says it all for a Christian.  I believe we only love as much as we want to. We don't fully know how to love like the Lord.  His love sees nothing, but who the person is.  He doesn't judge or show favortism.  He is complete in all things. He gives us more than we can ever imagine.  Our cups overflow and yet we don't realize it and continue to ask for more.  Over the past couple of years I have learned a lot about true Christianity.  I have learned about how compassionate Christ really was and I know I will never be able to be as compassionate as he was.    He saw the sick and the hungry before anybody else did, he had their problems solved before he ever spoke to them.  He was and is something I strive to be everyday, but yet satan keeps holding me back.  Satan keeps us from being who we really are.  We try to escape his grasp, but he always has a hold.  His grasp is on our leg, but not around our neck.  Even though he has a hold , my eyes are always looking at Christ.  Even when I fall he lifts me up and tells me it alright just keep going. 

I've been a fool for so long, only because Satan made me feel that way.  I was blinded for so many years by legalism that it made me judge others and allowed me to puff myself up. I believe we all make mistakes all the time, and from now on I will not judge you I will look at you with eyes of Christ as I hope you will look at me the same way.  For he didn't judge anybody only those who judged people according to the law. 

Life is good no matter what comes our way. Heaven is ours, believe and it will be yours.  This year I am going to make real changes.  I'm not concerned to much with normal resolutions, they are not the one's Christ is concerned about.  Losing weight and quitting smoking are great, but how does that help your soul? I want to give my heart to God, I want to feed the hungry and clothe the poor.  The other day in Little Rock we passed by a homeless women holding a sign, needless to say we helped her and it made me feel good. Not to puff myself up, but we did it because we wanted to.  I'm not telling this to brag but things need to get done.  I want all to share in the gifts that God has lavished on me.  Everybody needs a chance and they deserve it no matter what.  We are all equal, we need to start seeing that through the eyes of Christ.

I want to change as a person. I want to be more giving and be less selfish.  I don't want to live in fear, but live by true faith.  I want to take the risks God wants me to take. I want others join me and feel what I am feeling.  We shall be guided by God through good times and bad. It's all part of life, good and evil.  Let's all be high strung and live in the goodness of God.  Share your wealth and knowledge and save the lost.  make your resolution toward Godly things and he will see you through. God bless and Happy New Year.

Happy 10th Birthday Brayden!

As  I look at this picture it really has become one of my favorite I have taken.  It really shows me how much Brayden has accomplished in his ten years of life.  He finally crossed the bridge of 10 years of life.

I cryed the moment he arrived to this life. For 9 months he relied upon God to develop him in his mothers womb.  To make him perfect and  enable him to go from complete darkness to a direct light he had never seen before.  I often wonder if God had one last word to him as he came to be.  Did he say,  "Go on, come and meet life and don't worry I will be there with you all the way."

 Having children truly amazes me all the time.  We really don't know what we're going to get until their arrival.  I was hoping Brayden had all his parts and that he was going to be healthy.  Birth is God's fantastic show in life, it is a process that truly is awesome.  I have enjoyed the ten years we have had with Brayden.  He's a funny kid who likes to laugh a lot, especially when I do stupid things to make him laugh.  We have had some good laughs so far in life, and hope we will always laugh together no matter what life brings us.   God has truly blessed us, and to Him I will be enernally grateful.  Thank you God for your precious gift of Brayden.

The Magical Feeling Of Christmas.

I remember when I was young and how exciting it was to be Christmas eve.  I remember my Papaw and Aunt Monna coming over and all of us just enjoying one anothers visit.   They would stay the night and they would both get my sister and I excited about Santa coming during the night. 

My mother would go all out and make a good Christmas eve meal and we would indulge ourselves and then eat all the cookies she had made until we were sick.  It would be cold outside (unlike here in Arkansas)  and we would be huddled up by the fireplace and try to get warm.  I have always enjoyed those many Christmas eve's and still enjoy the memories of them all.  Christmas Eve is a magical time of year.  I miss them!

For some reason I have lost that magical feeling and I don't know why.  I guess because Christmas here in Arkansas just doeosn't feel very Christmas like. 

As the evening progresses I can feel a little of the magic left, but it just doesn't feel like it once did.  Maybe it's because I have grown older and the magical feeling I once had is slowly disappearing somewhat.  I hope it comes back one day, but for now I will always have the precious memories of past Christmases in my mind and heart.  I'm thankful to God for memories like these.  Thankful for two hard working parents who went all out to give me the best Christmases ever.  I'm thankful for the memories of a loving Grandfather who made my life and Christmas very special.  With all the presents I have received through the years nothing is more important than these special memories. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.  

We're Not Lucky, But Blessed

All my life I have always said I am lucky.  I recently had a thought run through my mind that found that to be untrue. We all say we have had some kind of luck come into our lives, but it wasn't luck was it?  It was something else.  I believe everything was set in place a long time ago to happen in our lives.  It's a story and that I believe is what were are living.  Reasons behind everything that happens in our lives each day.  So, the thought that ran through my mind is all part of the process that God Almighty is putting into my life as a story.  Nothing is luck it's a blessing from  Him. 

I try to put into perspective why so many are given to greatness and many are put into poverty and loneliness.  Why others are given much and others are given so little.  I remember when Jesus healed a man and his disciples asked him who sinned his parents or him.  And Jesus said to them neither, but it was for the glory of God to shine through.  It was a blessing for him to be blind so that he could see the gift of healing and praise God for his blessing that has been put in his story of life.

Last week we were driving back from Little Rock and as we were headed home we stopped off at some stores.  As we approached the on ramp, it stopped suddenly and I veered off to the side of the highway.  I just happened to be looking in the rearview mirror and saw two cars slam into each other.  I said I was lucky, but then realized I was blessed by God to have not been invovled. 

What we think as luck is not, but is a contiuned chapter of our life that God has planned to happen in our lifes story.  I thought about my past life and thought my life could be read as a book.  It may be boring, but my life reads like a story.  If you think about all the predicaments we have gotten ourselves into there has always been a way or a blessing from God to get us out and over such things.  We think it is luck, but it is a blessing from the author of our storied lives. 

How do we use these blessings?  If you win the lottery how do you use that blessing?  God gave it to you for a reason.  Not to consume it all for yourself, but to use to help those who are in rough shape.  Blessings are a test from God, he wants to see how we use it for his good.  When I lost my job a couple of years ago, I lurked in my own fears on how I was going to be able to get out of this mess.  God wanted me to pray for his help.  I did for a long time, he gave me a new job and taught me the lesson through His blessing to be faithful and not to take  anything for granted that He has blessed me with.  A friend of mine had recently lost his job, and now I am telling him my story of that hard time in my life.  I told him to pray and not take anything for granted that God had blessed him with.  My hardship had happened to bring God his glory.

Were not lucky, but blessed with great blessings from God above.  Our cup overflows more than we know.  We live in His grace everyday, and through his grace we shall tell others about our great story.  So that His glory may be praised.  Merry Christmas!

Recession Christmas Cards 2

Christmas Recession Cards

Do You Live To Impress Others?

I'm sitting here really trying to figure out why we live to impress others.  I remember back in my early years of life that is all I remember life being about.  I'm sure during our school years we remember having to have what everbody else had.  Whether it was clothes or any other type of material possession.  We had to get it because we wanted to fit in.  We didn't want to be the only one on the outside of the ring of popularity. 

When I was little I had this neighbor kid right next door to us.  He had every Star Wars thing you could imagine.  I would get jealous because I didn't have that specific toy, yet I did have every Star Wars toy there was except this one thing.  So I would get over it because he said I could play with it as much as I wanted.  I remember in the sixth grade everybody had to have a pair of "parachute pants" to be cool.  There were all kinds of things in those days that we all had to have so we wouldn't be the misfit. I remember one winter back home I had passed by this Catholic elementary school.  All the kids had the same coat.  Almost every child had a certain type of Notre Dame coat on, they all looked like an advertisement picture for the university.  I thought in my mind how stupid is that?   Then I realized kids in my school were just the same, we all had the same clothing to impress someone.  I have a lot of friends from high school on Facebook. If I asked them about the stupid fashions we all went through to impress each other they would probably think it was all silly.  Where did  all this lead us, nowhere really! Were all still friends to this day and actually the clothes are forgotten and it really didn't matter one bit.

Living in the adult world fashion is not really a factor anymore.  It seemed we grew out of all that nonsense, but have we?  How do we do it now?  If you take a look at yourself, how are you today as an adult living to impress someone?  Obviously, it's with material possessions, but a little higher priced possessions.  Our possessions now are the cars we drive, and the house and neighborhood we live in.  To many, it states a sign of wealth and states a certain stature in life.  Don't get me wrong it's ok to have possessions that you have worked hard for, it's the flauting part of it that is wrong.  Possessions can signal to those who don't have things like this that we are untouchable, that we are better than everybody else.  It's true, it communicates to people that they are unworthy to communicate with us.  It makes others fearful of us.  When I watch the movie stars on TV and I think all the time I would never be able to talk to them or have a real conversation with them.  Because they are really untouchable,  I don't really live where they live, plus they are protected by a dozen security guards.  But then they really are real people.  That's the life they chose, we didn't choose a life of being untouchable we live in the real world.  Trust me there are people who want to talk to  people who have great wealth.  They want to feel they matter to them,  and they want to know that the "real world" is not full of untouchable rich snotty people.

Our world is a crazy one.  Satan is a demon working us hard, but in many different ways.  He makes us all feel like we are important in this world that we have a right to impress sombody and the right to pull others under our dirty rug of popularity.  It doesn't really matter to me if I impress somebody, I chose years ago to not live my life to impress others.  With me you get what you see.  I would rather get to know somebody and help those who think they are unworthy to talk to anybody feel special. I'm not saying that to impress anybody either, it's just the way I am programmed. 

I would like to see one President go and walk the streets in the roughest neighborhoods of America and shake hands with those who think they don't count.  I know Jimmy Carter has built houses for the poor through Habitat for Humanity and that is impressive.  Today I ask you to do something that is out of your comfort zone.  Go to somebody who you think might think may feel inferior to you.  A person who you think you would never speak to, maybe it's an employee that is afraid of you because you holder a higher postition.  We as the human race need to remember we are all human and God wants us all to be friends with each other. 

I write this because when I sit in Walmart and sell Medicare insurance I don't usually talk to the wealthiest people in the area.  My plans I sell are a $0 premium, so if people have money they usually don't discuss these plans with me because they can afford to not have them.  I usually get some pretty rough people talking with me and it really doesn't matter who I talk to, as long as I can meet their finacial need for affordable healthcare. This topic just kind of came to my mind today and I felt it needed to be written.  Impress somebody with your kindness and not with our wealth or power.

Thinking of others on Thanksgiving!

"If you think about it, the human race is pretty self-absobred. What I mean is, as a human, I am flawed in that it is difficult for me to consider others before myself. It feels like I have to fight against this force, this current within me that, more often than not, wants to avoid serious issues and please myself, buy things for myself, feed myself, entertain myself and all of that. All  I'm saying is that  if we, as a species, could fix our self- absorption, we could end a lot of pain in the world." - Donald Miller - Blue Like Jazz

I think about my own self - absorption all the time.  I am coming to a point in my life where  my wants don't really matter.  I still fight the selfish ways of life everyday, but it seems like it just doesn't matter anymore.  I have had a good life and now I want others to have what I have been given.

I thought about thanksgiving tomorrow and how many will not have what we will have in front of us. A large feast!  Many will be living their normal life tomorrow, a life with nothing to cherish.  They made it another day.  Another day of begging, another day of not feeling like they matter to society, another day with nobody caring or giving them the time of day.  I'm sure a lot of homeless people in New York City have been kicked out of their normal spots because of the parade tomorrow.  It's amazing how we live in a country that says all men are created equal, yet we are all  unequal in somebody else's sight.  Our government will send millions of dollars across seas to help other countries and their poverty stricken people.  But our countries poverty level continues to increase by the day.

We are a self- absorbed society.  Considering ourselves before others, our desires first, then whatever is leftover we give to others.  Jesus walked among the worst people of society,  and others will condemn us if we are seen with a bad person. Same way with Jesus in his day, the people he hung out with raised the eyebrows of the church leaders in his day.  They scolded him for being where he was, and we do the same thing today. 

What would happen if we took a bunch of homeless people into our house for an amazing feast on thanksgiving.  The neighbors would be talking, not all but a few would be.  They would be judging us for some reason. Would you care? Probably not, you did it for unselfish reasons.  Our hearts our amazingly hardened in this world, mostly because that is what Satan does to us.  He puts judgement into our hearts and places also self- absorption in there.  We really aren't bad people we are kept by Satan from being who we really should be.  He keeps us from being complete in Christ.  If Satan didn't scheme us all the time could you imagine what we could do in the name of Christ.  Exactly what Donald Miller said in the last sentence of his quote. We could end a lot of pain in the world.  I remind myself everyday to have the compassion and eyes of Christ.  I fail at this all the time, but I strive to see others as Christ saw them.  Not a problem or an embarrassment to society, but an important part in life.  Look and see tomorrow what you see with the eyes of Christ. You'll be amazed when you put yourself behind you and others in front of you. Happy Thanksgiving

Who is Right When It Comes To Gay Rights Or Anything Else?

Today there was a video posted on Facebook about a kid who won't say the pledge of allegiance in school until our country gives gays and lesbians equal rights.  So I offended some people with my comment about the video.  I said, "when did gays become a race.  No equal rights!"

 I offended a friend of mine whom I didn't know was gay.  So I have spent my Friday night defending God and His holy word. I referred to the scripture in Romans 1:26-28 and then got bashed for using the Bible as a weapon and then was told by the person that is a Christian that the Bible was a book of errors written by men and their own historical point of views. Another person commented and said I was a disgrace to all men. 

Here is my stance!  There is no victory in a country that has gone away from God and his Holy word, a country that is relying on its own beliefs and then say they believe in God. You can't serve two masters. If you are Muslim, atheists or whatever believe in what you believe that's your choice.  Respect my beliefs also.  I don't push them on you and don't push yours on me.  If you have a question and need some help then I will gladly share my beliefs in my God.  Nobody will ever win in this world, when it comes to all people accepting one true belief. Only through Christ is there complete victory!

Nobody knows what will happen in the end.  That's why I live by faith and know and hope it all is true.  That is what faith is.  Everybody has a faith in something, if not you are just a walking zomby.  I don't judge what people decide in their lives.  Chrisitians hope that we can turn others away from their sin and make them a child of Jesus.  Yet, many Christians have used bigotry and hatred toward others and have condemned Gays for what they believe.  I don't I just want them to realize what they are doing to their souls by being gay.  We as Christians should not be hateful but loving.  I do apologize to the gay community for the hatred used by many of the right wing.  That's is not who I am and I will never use my Christianity for bashing.  The scripture I used is what I believe, yet my sin is just as disgraceful.also.  To God a sin is a sin.  He does not show favortism, but love. 

I do not believe in equal rights for gays though, because it is against what God stated in his holy word.  But, if you believe the Bible is not the inspired word of God then you might believe differently.  I have seen hatred on both sides of this agenda.  

I will not go in the direction though to say anything blaspheming against the word of God.  I believe God is right, and loving and nothing can separate us from Him. 

The Pattern Of God's Creation. Be leaders of His Way.

To me there is no reason to believe there is no creator.  There are too many amazing things in this world to not believe.  Creation mezmorizes me,  there are to many signs here that seems complicated to just blow it off as a bang theory.  I saw two things lastnight at work that really caught my attention.  As I was moving a box in the aisle I saw a little beetle.  I watched it scamper to a safe hiding place.  It was funny to watch it move.  I looked at its design,  it looked like it could barely make it to its hiding place from me.  But it did, slowly.  I really wondered what its purpose in the circle of life was.  It didn't seem to me it was an important role to me, but that little bug serves some type of purpose.  As do all animals, for some odd reason God made that beetle for a reason to uphold our pattern in life.

About an hour later I looked up to see and hear a flock of Canadien geese fly above me.  In their normal V shaped pattern.  The flock had a leader guiding the pack some where.  But they had a purpose and a mission that God was leading them too.  About ten minutes later another flock were flying in the same direction.  It amazes me to see some thing like that have a natural instinct to know where they are headed.  A Godly instinct.
Many in this world want a belief in something. They just feel if there was a God in this world, they feel he would not allow bad things to happen. Not true!  Things will happen both good and bad.  Jesus told his disciples that they will face great trials and tribulations in life.  They will be hated because they bore his name.  They did face many horrible things in life.  They weren't wealthy with money, they were beaten and imprisoned for what they preached.  They faced death all day long. 

Many feel they can't believe in something that is unseen, or have faith in a being that never talks or gives them any reason to believe. So they turn to other religions or possessions that give them a temporary hiding place.  We as Christians should tell them of our sufferings in this life.  We should tell them of how we are protected from death in the next world.  We are considered to be slaughtered every day.  Yet, we have a hope in Jesus everyday we live. 

If you feel someone is headed in the wrong direction, don't press them with a bunch of scriptures, but first let them see your life and how you believe and how you don't let things get you down in this life.  Be an example with doing great things for them, then they will know who you belong to.  Show them the compassion that only Christ could show, be an example of him and then they will want to be like you.  Living peacefully in a risen and loving Savior.  We have all turned many unbelievers away by shoving our judgemental views down their throat.  We condemn them to Hell for what they do.  Yet, we deserve the same punishment.  Be loving and not condemning.  Christ was not a person who judged a person, he gave them what they asked for and then told them to go and sin no more.  We are all odd balls in this world.  Baptized or not we are all the same, we just have different stories and situations that have taken us in different directions.  The geese would not know where they were going if they didn't have a leader to take them to their intended direction.  Same with us who are in Christ, we are to be leaders of the flock and give direction to those that are lost.  Be leaders in Christ with love , and not be a bunch of judgemental rats.  Understand others stories and tell them about how we have been in the pits of life and how Christ brought us out and saved from this world.

Please Pray, Thanks

If you wouldn't mind. Would you please pray for my oldest child, Brayden.  He is having some issues possibly with passing a kidney stone. We're not sure really waht it is yet, but the doctor said it's possible.   Earlier in the year he had these same issues and they seemed to go away for about 4 months but now it is happening again.  Thank you and God Bless!

And God Said "No!"

I asked God to take away my pride, and God said, "No".


He said it was not for Him to take away, but for me to give up.



I asked God to make my handicapped child whole, and God said, "No".

He said her spirit is whole, her body is only temporary.



I asked God to grand me patience, and God said, "No".

He said that patience is a by-product of tribulation, it isn't granted, it's earned.



I asked God to give me happiness, and God said, "No".

He said He gives blessings, happiness is up to me.



I asked God to spare me pain, and God said, "No".

He said, "Suffering draws you apart from worldly cares and brings you closer to me."



I asked God to make my spirit grow, and God said, "No".

He said I must grow on my own, but he would prune me to make me fruitful.



I asked God if He loved me, and God said, "Yes".

He gave me His only Son who died for me, and I will be in Heaven someday because I believe.



I asked God to help me love others, as much as He loves me.

And God said, "Ah, finally, you have the idea"- Author unknown