I was driving to an appointment today and it occurred to me how compartmentalized we’ve become. Our cars are a complete world within itself, each with its own little eco system. We whiz down the road in comfort with air conditioning, a nice stereo for listening to our favorite tunes, lights for driving in darkness, navigation to help us find our way, and Bluetooth connectivity so we can call family and friends with the utterance of a simple command, “call wife.”
It’s the same living with Christ. The life of a Christian is its own little world that sustains itself. Our churches are the eco systems that help make our lives comfortable. The Bible helps us navigate our way through life, even in darkness. Through bad weather we are protected by His grace and mercy. We even have our own form of Bluetooth, the prayer, which gives us direct connectivity to God, who unlike my family and friends, always answers the call.
Before Christ was in my life, I felt as if I was traveling in an old jalopy, ready to break down at any moment leaving me on the side of the road, with no insurance.
Now I feel protected as I whiz down the road of life, knowing that no matter what comes my way I have the best AAA program there is.
What are you driving?
“God, thank you for your presence in my life, and for protecting and guiding me through this lifetime. Tell your son thanks for paying for the ride before I ever started driving. Amen.”
June 27, 2008
June 22, 2008
Finding a new normal
My wife and I went to the theater tonight to see Spamalot. It’s an interesting show because it’s a spoof on a movie that was a spoof on the story of King Arthur. It was hilarious from start to finish. Well worth seeing.
On our way home I saw a billboard advertising a local radio station. There wasn’t a lot of info on it, just the logo of the radio station and several names of bands that the station plays. Simple, effective communication.
But at the bottom, in very big letters it said “Go _ _ ck yourself!” It didn’t spell it out; it actually has the two blank spaces on the sign.
The funny thing is that at first I didn’t know what the letters were that went in the blanks. Seriously, it probably took 20-30 seconds to realize that it was the “f” word!
I have to tell you that this was an interesting turn of events because I spent 21 years in the military, 14 of those years as a mechanic! The “f” word was used as a comma in every sentence I spoke for many years. So it was weird that it took me so long to fill in the blanks.
What I’ve realized though, is that since I gave my life to Christ I have a new normal. No, I’m not perfect and sometimes I say dumb things, but it’s not normal any longer to know that the “f” word is the first response.
I have no idea what the point of the billboard was by telling passersby to go have sex with themselves. I realize that in our secular world that kind of statement is normal. Shocking people is “cool” and saying the crudest thing possible is considered hip.
I see more and more as Christ sets up shop in my heart that the normal behaviors of this world are no longer mine. The cool thing is that it's not me trying to make myself into a different person, Christ is changing me from the inside out in ways I never thought possible.
I think I like my new normal. What’s yours?
“God, thank you so much for saving me and living in my heart. Life is so much clearer now, and I love that my normal is so different than it used to be. Thanks!”
On our way home I saw a billboard advertising a local radio station. There wasn’t a lot of info on it, just the logo of the radio station and several names of bands that the station plays. Simple, effective communication.
But at the bottom, in very big letters it said “Go _ _ ck yourself!” It didn’t spell it out; it actually has the two blank spaces on the sign.
The funny thing is that at first I didn’t know what the letters were that went in the blanks. Seriously, it probably took 20-30 seconds to realize that it was the “f” word!
I have to tell you that this was an interesting turn of events because I spent 21 years in the military, 14 of those years as a mechanic! The “f” word was used as a comma in every sentence I spoke for many years. So it was weird that it took me so long to fill in the blanks.
What I’ve realized though, is that since I gave my life to Christ I have a new normal. No, I’m not perfect and sometimes I say dumb things, but it’s not normal any longer to know that the “f” word is the first response.
I have no idea what the point of the billboard was by telling passersby to go have sex with themselves. I realize that in our secular world that kind of statement is normal. Shocking people is “cool” and saying the crudest thing possible is considered hip.
I see more and more as Christ sets up shop in my heart that the normal behaviors of this world are no longer mine. The cool thing is that it's not me trying to make myself into a different person, Christ is changing me from the inside out in ways I never thought possible.
I think I like my new normal. What’s yours?
“God, thank you so much for saving me and living in my heart. Life is so much clearer now, and I love that my normal is so different than it used to be. Thanks!”
June 13, 2008
Why we have bad days
Have you ever noticed that during the times you are about to do something for God that your life seems to be the worst?
I have a friend who once told me that the biggest fights he ever had with his wife were on their way to church.
It’s true; the enemy attacks you the most when you have an opportunity to do God’s work. The problem is that a lot of us don’t identify that it’s an attack.
People don’t realize that the enemy has control of this earth, and can directly affect events around you. I always notice that on the days I have band rehearsal at church I seem to be in a bad mood before I go, but afterwards I feel blessed. It’s because Satan doesn’t want me to do anything that has to do with God, so he takes advantage of everything he can to manipulate my environment to keep me away from God.
It happens most when we have a chance to volunteer. We suddenly think we’re too busy, or it’s not a fun thing to do, or we’re too tired, etc. The enemy will do things in your life to create a mindset that you don’t want to do God’s work, but if you identify these attacks and tell yourself that you’re going to do it no matter what, you’ll feel blessed when you’re done.
Now I know that when ever I’m going to do God’s work I’m going to be attacked. I brace for it because I know it’s coming, and no matter what happens to keep me away from God, I just tell myself that it’s the enemy working and I go and do it, and I always feel great afterwards.
Don’t be fooled into thinking that because you’re a believer that Satan can’t get to you. He hates you, and will do anything to remove you from God’s presence. So don’t let the enemy get a victory by taking you away from God’s work. Fight the good fight, and you will always be blessed in the end.
“God, the enemy tramples all that is good and holy, but you always bless us and make it all worth the trials we face. Thanks for loving us. Amen.”
I have a friend who once told me that the biggest fights he ever had with his wife were on their way to church.
It’s true; the enemy attacks you the most when you have an opportunity to do God’s work. The problem is that a lot of us don’t identify that it’s an attack.
People don’t realize that the enemy has control of this earth, and can directly affect events around you. I always notice that on the days I have band rehearsal at church I seem to be in a bad mood before I go, but afterwards I feel blessed. It’s because Satan doesn’t want me to do anything that has to do with God, so he takes advantage of everything he can to manipulate my environment to keep me away from God.
It happens most when we have a chance to volunteer. We suddenly think we’re too busy, or it’s not a fun thing to do, or we’re too tired, etc. The enemy will do things in your life to create a mindset that you don’t want to do God’s work, but if you identify these attacks and tell yourself that you’re going to do it no matter what, you’ll feel blessed when you’re done.
Now I know that when ever I’m going to do God’s work I’m going to be attacked. I brace for it because I know it’s coming, and no matter what happens to keep me away from God, I just tell myself that it’s the enemy working and I go and do it, and I always feel great afterwards.
Don’t be fooled into thinking that because you’re a believer that Satan can’t get to you. He hates you, and will do anything to remove you from God’s presence. So don’t let the enemy get a victory by taking you away from God’s work. Fight the good fight, and you will always be blessed in the end.
“God, the enemy tramples all that is good and holy, but you always bless us and make it all worth the trials we face. Thanks for loving us. Amen.”
Renewed
My wife and I went to a wedding yesterday. It’s the first wedding we’ve been to since we exchanged vows 4 years ago. It was a truly renewing experience watching the bride and groom beam at each other and listening to them talk about how they will love, honor, and cherish each other until death separates them. It really brought back the memories of when I got married.
We talk about “marriage maintenance” at church all the time. We have ministries specifically geared to help help couples keep their marriages focused and alive. My wife and I serve in these ministries, and they’re important and very helpful, but I have to say that nothing was more impactful than sitting in church watching this couple get married.
I left with a greater sense of renewal and commitment than I’ve felt after any of the seminars or marriage retreats I’ve ever been to. There is no substitute for the real thing.
Marriage is a journey of three people: you, your spouse, and God. It can be difficult at times, but I think that if everyone went to a wedding at least once a year there would be less divorce and more focus on the joy of being married.
So the next time you get a wedding invitation, don’t mail in a wedding card with a check, go and be blessed by the union that you will witness, and let that joyous occasion live in your marriage every day.
“God, thank you for my wife and for your gift of marriage. Don’t ever let me forget what a wondrous thing it is to be in this holy union. Amen.”
We talk about “marriage maintenance” at church all the time. We have ministries specifically geared to help help couples keep their marriages focused and alive. My wife and I serve in these ministries, and they’re important and very helpful, but I have to say that nothing was more impactful than sitting in church watching this couple get married.
I left with a greater sense of renewal and commitment than I’ve felt after any of the seminars or marriage retreats I’ve ever been to. There is no substitute for the real thing.
Marriage is a journey of three people: you, your spouse, and God. It can be difficult at times, but I think that if everyone went to a wedding at least once a year there would be less divorce and more focus on the joy of being married.
So the next time you get a wedding invitation, don’t mail in a wedding card with a check, go and be blessed by the union that you will witness, and let that joyous occasion live in your marriage every day.
“God, thank you for my wife and for your gift of marriage. Don’t ever let me forget what a wondrous thing it is to be in this holy union. Amen.”
June 9, 2008
in all the world
in all the world, I found You
years of searching, You were there
i was not
blind to see, never wanting to see
prayers only spoken in secret
hoping no one looked
days of nothing, nights forever
darkness filled my eyes
my life blind
today I stand, new hope
saving me, how could it be
blessed savior, why me
new life, sunlight
no more worry, I know what’s next
spared
in all the world, You found me
years of searching, You were there
i was not
blind to see, never wanting to see
prayers only spoken in secret
hoping no one looked
days of nothing, nights forever
darkness filled my eyes
my life blind
today I stand, new hope
saving me, how could it be
blessed savior, why me
new life, sunlight
no more worry, I know what’s next
spared
in all the world, You found me
And then there were two – NOT!
So Clinton finally bowed out of the presidential race and threw her support behind Obama. If you thought that meant we’d seen the last of her for this election you’re wrong. Within minutes of her concession speech there were posts to her web site that said now that she’s out of the race they would vote for McCain.
Lies.
Since Clinton didn’t get the nod they’re going to try and push Obama to pick her up as his running mate. How will they accomplish this? It’s simple: play into the hysteria that everyone who wanted Clinton for president will now vote for McCain, so the only way to prevent this massive loss of votes for the Dems is to keep her on the ticket!
If there’s one thing I’ve learned about politics in America, it’s that the two parties hate each other, and you can’t convince me that a Democrat would vote for a Republican simply because their candidate of choice didn’t get the nomination. No way, no how.
I believe the talk you’re going to hear over the next few weeks about Clinton supporters voting for McCain is just a ploy to scare the Dems into forcing Obama to name Clinton as his VP.
If the Dems don’t baulk and Obama names someone else, the Clinton supporters will ultimately vote for him anyway. Americans have short attention spans, and although the Clinton supporters are mad right now, they’ll lose interest in revenge when the election draws closer and they remember how much they hate Republicans.
As for a “dream-ticket” with Obama and Clinton, I don’t think Obama would go for it. Although he’ll never say it out loud, I think he understands what Hillary Clinton is and he doesn’t want any part of her in his cabinet. The only way he’ll take her is if the Dem Party forces him.
A ticket with them both would get a ton of votes, but it would ultimately hurt this country to have an unqualified Commander in Chief, and an even more unqualified VP who cares about nothing but herself.
It’s going to be a scary election.
“God, help us all. Please.”
Lies.
Since Clinton didn’t get the nod they’re going to try and push Obama to pick her up as his running mate. How will they accomplish this? It’s simple: play into the hysteria that everyone who wanted Clinton for president will now vote for McCain, so the only way to prevent this massive loss of votes for the Dems is to keep her on the ticket!
If there’s one thing I’ve learned about politics in America, it’s that the two parties hate each other, and you can’t convince me that a Democrat would vote for a Republican simply because their candidate of choice didn’t get the nomination. No way, no how.
I believe the talk you’re going to hear over the next few weeks about Clinton supporters voting for McCain is just a ploy to scare the Dems into forcing Obama to name Clinton as his VP.
If the Dems don’t baulk and Obama names someone else, the Clinton supporters will ultimately vote for him anyway. Americans have short attention spans, and although the Clinton supporters are mad right now, they’ll lose interest in revenge when the election draws closer and they remember how much they hate Republicans.
As for a “dream-ticket” with Obama and Clinton, I don’t think Obama would go for it. Although he’ll never say it out loud, I think he understands what Hillary Clinton is and he doesn’t want any part of her in his cabinet. The only way he’ll take her is if the Dem Party forces him.
A ticket with them both would get a ton of votes, but it would ultimately hurt this country to have an unqualified Commander in Chief, and an even more unqualified VP who cares about nothing but herself.
It’s going to be a scary election.
“God, help us all. Please.”
June 1, 2008
Recount
I was working in Corpus the past few weeks on a project for my company. I tend to watch a lot of TV when I’m on the road, and my hotel had HBO so I got to watch a few movies. I was seeing a lot of commercials for an HBO movie coming soon called “Recount.” It’s about the 2000 presidential election and what happened in Florida. I could see from the commercials that it was going to be a hatchet job, skewed to the perspective of the Democrats.
A few days later it came on and I decided to watch some of it, and I wasn’t wrong. It was really biased against the Republican Party, painting them as evil manipulators while the Democrats were people fighting for the rights of the people.
The Republicans in the movie were played by actors who were older, grey haired men wearing dark suits. The Democrats however, were all younger people with their jackets off and their sleeves rolled up, painting a picture that they were hard working middle-class people, while the Republicans were rich, pompous enemies of the every-man.
They showed scenes of conservatives doing terrible things, while the scripts of the Democrats were all about helping the people and making sure that all the votes were counted because the Republicans were trying to suppress them.
I don’t know everything that happened in Florida that year, but I’m sure it wasn’t how this movie portrayed it. The Democrats were doing their best to get their man elected no matter what the cost, just like the Republicans. Both parties played dirty.
In the end, George Bush became President and for the next four years all I heard were Liberals screaming that he was in illegitimate President, and that he “stole the election.”
So fast forward to the 2004 Presidential election. George Bush ran again and the Democrats were happy because now they were going to show the whole world who Florida was really voting for. They went down there in force to ensure the polls were run correctly and the ballots were easier to use. They told the world that the good people of Florida would finally have a chance to show everyone who they were trying to elect four years earlier and the Republicans would be shown for the evil people they are.
Oops.
George Bush very handily won Florida, showing the Democrats and the rest of the world that in fact they were voting for George Bush in 2000 as well as 2004. I had to laugh because I haven’t heard one Democrat talk trash about the 2000 election since. I love the irony of it.
Unfortunately, our two party system has produced an environment of hate. It isn’t just a difference of opinion anymore, it’s just plain hatred towards each other and in my humble opinion it’s just a matter of time before it erupts into something very nasty. WWIII?
“God, it’s an election year. Please help us elect a President who will guide this country with grace, honesty, and a heart that knows you as their savior. Amen.”
A few days later it came on and I decided to watch some of it, and I wasn’t wrong. It was really biased against the Republican Party, painting them as evil manipulators while the Democrats were people fighting for the rights of the people.
The Republicans in the movie were played by actors who were older, grey haired men wearing dark suits. The Democrats however, were all younger people with their jackets off and their sleeves rolled up, painting a picture that they were hard working middle-class people, while the Republicans were rich, pompous enemies of the every-man.
They showed scenes of conservatives doing terrible things, while the scripts of the Democrats were all about helping the people and making sure that all the votes were counted because the Republicans were trying to suppress them.
I don’t know everything that happened in Florida that year, but I’m sure it wasn’t how this movie portrayed it. The Democrats were doing their best to get their man elected no matter what the cost, just like the Republicans. Both parties played dirty.
In the end, George Bush became President and for the next four years all I heard were Liberals screaming that he was in illegitimate President, and that he “stole the election.”
So fast forward to the 2004 Presidential election. George Bush ran again and the Democrats were happy because now they were going to show the whole world who Florida was really voting for. They went down there in force to ensure the polls were run correctly and the ballots were easier to use. They told the world that the good people of Florida would finally have a chance to show everyone who they were trying to elect four years earlier and the Republicans would be shown for the evil people they are.
Oops.
George Bush very handily won Florida, showing the Democrats and the rest of the world that in fact they were voting for George Bush in 2000 as well as 2004. I had to laugh because I haven’t heard one Democrat talk trash about the 2000 election since. I love the irony of it.
Unfortunately, our two party system has produced an environment of hate. It isn’t just a difference of opinion anymore, it’s just plain hatred towards each other and in my humble opinion it’s just a matter of time before it erupts into something very nasty. WWIII?
“God, it’s an election year. Please help us elect a President who will guide this country with grace, honesty, and a heart that knows you as their savior. Amen.”
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