Dreams, Thoughts and Ruminations

THE CHURCH

2012-01-23T23:23:00.003-05:00

As I've been thinking about the church lately, who we are, what we are about, what we are not supposed to be about, I came up with a short list . . .

What do you think? What would you add or subtract from my list?

If Jesus was living in me and in His church what type of fruit should I bear?

1. I should have a greater desire for Him.

2. I should have a greater love of people, all people.

3. I should hate sin . . . (yes, I know and love the sinner).

4. I should be humble, thinking others are better than me (aka humility).

5. I should be practicing the fruits of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, goodness and self-control).

6. I should be generous (financially, with time and resources).

7. I should be taking care of my body.

8. I should be drawing closer to Him.

9. I should be obedient to Him, not because I have to, but because I want to.

If Jesus was living in the church, what should the church produce?

1. People that love one another.

2. People who are passionate about Jesus.

3. People who are open to receiving all people (since all people are sinners).

4. People who work together for His good, not ours.

5. People who seek to serve, rather than be serve.

6. People who are focused on bring others to a transforming relationship with Jesus.

7. People who are willing to put aside their 'rights' so that others can experience redemption
and acceptance through Christ.

8. People who are filled with His hope and love, power, strength and courage!

9. People who are filled with joy and passion, in the midst of sorrow.

On the flip side of that, Jesus Does Not Produce:

1. A critical spirit

2. Racism

3. Fighting within the church (aka - selfishness)

4. Bitterness / unforgiveness

5. Dead and self serving worship

6. Boring preaching

7. Gossip

8. Passionless followers

9. Fear

What else can you think of? I'd really be interested in your thoughts!!

Scripture Memorization - Week 3

2012-01-23T23:16:00.003-05:00

Here is this week's Scripture Memorization ~

It comes from Joshua 1:9 ~ God is speaking to Joshua . . .

"Have I not commanded you: Be strong and courageous, but not afraid nor dismayed, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you may go."

Joshua is about to lead the people of Israel into the Promised Land. Moses is dead and he is the new leader! Imagine the fear and anxiety, but 3 times in the first verses, God says to Joshua, "be strong and courageous!"

I love this verse!! It's the reason we named Joshua, Joshua! Wherever you go, you can be strong and courageous, wherever you go, you don't have to be afraid or dismayed, all for the same reason . . . (drum roll please) The Lord your God will be with you wherever you may go!! How comforting, how reassuring to know that the God of all creation will be with us . . . ALWAYS!!!!!!!!

Scripture Memorization - Week 2

2012-01-17T08:53:00.002-05:00

Here is week 2's Scripture memorization . . .

(Jesus said,) "The thief only comes to steal and to kill and to destroy; I have come that you might have life and have it more abundantly." - John 10:10

Jesus gives us the great offer of living the super abundant life. Are you? Or have you accepted the life satan, the thief offers you, one in which he seeks to steal and kill and destroy your heart, soul and life?

The choice is always ours!!

Tebowing

2012-01-15T16:42:00.004-05:00

Here is a great article about the heart of Tim Tebow. Whether you think he has football skill or not, he has an amazing heart and passion for people. Read the article by Rick Reilly from ESPN.

http://espn.go.com/espn/story/_/id/7455943/believing-tim-tebow

Here is a snippet from Rick Reilly . . .

I've come to believe in Tim Tebow, but not for what he does on a football field, which is still three parts Dr. Jekyll and two parts Mr. Hyde.

No, I've come to believe in Tim Tebow for what he does off a football field, which is represent the best parts of us, the parts I want to be and so rarely am.

Who among us is this selfless?

Every week, Tebow picks out someone who is suffering, or who is dying, or who is injured. He flies these people and their families to the Broncos game, rents them a car, puts them up in a nice hotel, buys them dinner (usually at a Dave & Buster's), gets them and their families pregame passes, visits with them just before kickoff (!), gets them 30-yard-line tickets down low, visits with them after the game (sometimes for an hour), has them walk him to his car, and sends them off with a basket of gifts.

Home or road, win or lose, hero or goat.

Remember last week, when the world was pulling its hair out in the hour after Tebow had stunned the Pittsburgh Steelers with an 80-yard OT touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas in the playoffs? And Twitter was exploding with 9,420 tweets about Tebow per second? When an ESPN poll was naming him the most popular athlete in America?

Tebow was spending that hour talking to 16-year-old Bailey Knaub about her 73 surgeries so far and what TV shows she likes.

"Here he'd just played the game of his life," recalls Bailey's mother, Kathy, of Loveland, Colo., "and the first thing he does after his press conference is come find Bailey and ask, 'Did you get anything to eat?' He acted like what he'd just done wasn't anything, like it was all about Bailey."

Imagine if more people / athletes were like Tebow.

PRIVATE SELECTION!!

2011-12-27T21:04:00.003-05:00

Went to a party prior to Christmas and thought we'd use our Private Selection coupons to purchase our food. We bought Southwest Style chicken trumpets; Pepperoni and roasted garlic pizza; and Vanilla Cream Puffs (30 of them). We supplemented our selection with the Petite Quiche and Fire Roasted Veggie Pizza.

We wanted to see the reaction people had regarding the food we brought for the party. Needless to say, they were impressed with the food selection and the quality. When we told people it was all store bought from the frozen section, they were surprised.

The food didn't last very long, the verdicts ~

SW Style Chicken Trumpets ~ were a top choice. They were meaty and cheesy and excellent!!
The Pepperoni and Roasted Garlic Pizza ~ was another hit. Although, it was not my favorite, as I really prefer deep dish or stuffed pizza, but to use this pizza as an appetizer would be great. It's too small to feed a family on one of these.
The Vanilla Cream Puffs were excellent. We drizzled some chocolate syrup on some and left some without. They were all excellent. They were not totally thawed through, but people quickly ate them and raved about them anyway.

Overall verdict of the test items was very positive. The coupons were all handed out and many said they would purchase Private Selection in the future. Some didn't know what Private Selection was, but said they would look for them at the store next time they were at Kroger.

I told people I was a BzzAgent, which also got some interest.

The Final Summit by Andy Andrews

2011-12-08T09:00:00.003-05:00

The Final Summit, by Andy Andrews, is the second in a series of books, the first being called, The Traveler. I have not read the first book. But you can still jump right into The Final Summit and not feel like you've been left behind.

My attention was captured pretty quickly, as I was not sure what to expect from this book. There were times, though where it was difficult for me to keep my interest, even though I liked the story line.

David Ponder is a Traveler, one who goes through time and meets some of the famous people from the past. In this book they all meet in Heaven where they are given a chance to save humanity. They are given five chances to answer a question from Gabriel. His question is this, and it's a great question ~ “What does humanity need to do, individually and collectively, to restore itself to the pathway toward successful civilization?” We hear from a few people from history, as they attempt to answer this question.

I wondered how some of the people from history were included, but that adds a little to the book and really shouldn't take away from what Andrews is trying to accomplish. There are some great conversations and decisions which are made during the course of the book. It is also a politically correct book. You can appreciate the research into history and the personalities which Andrews put into this book.

http://www.christianbook.com/the-final-summit-andy-andrews/9780785231202/pd/231201?item_code=WW&netp_id=833723&event=ESRCG&view=details

The Final Hour

2011-12-08T08:53:00.002-05:00

The Final Hour is the fourth and last in a series of Christian fiction called the Homelanders series. The main character, Charlie West, is a teen who has decided to take a stand by agreeing to go undercover in a homegrown terrorist group in order to catch them and stop their plans to terrorize America. The series is action packed and moves us from adventure after adventure as we learn how Charlie deals with this new life. He is alone and has to face his fears and anxieties as he runs from the police and the terrorist group he has joined. Charlie has to believe that most everyone is out to get him, or at the minimum, they are not his friends. There are a few exceptions to this.

In this last book of the series, The Final Hour brings all of the adventures to a close. We finally learn whether or not Charlie will be successful and how he will live his life after this drama has ended. Will he be victorious, or will he become a villain? The Christian aspect comes in as we learn that Charlie and his sensei, Mike, are Christians. Because of his Christian faith we are given a minimal access into the decision making skills used by Charlie and Mike. Sometimes we need to assume we know Christian values. I would have liked it more if their faith in Christ was brought out a little more. Maybe that would hurt sales, but it would have been interesting to have a better blend in the story.

At times it seemed his values came more from karate than his Christian faith. There were a number of great issues brought up which cause the reader to look at, for example, issues of faith, politics, patriotism, personal risk. Overall, it was a fun and engrossing series to read. I would highly recommend the books and will see if my children would read these as well. There are discussion questions in the back of the book which helps if you are trying to do a study or a group study.

You can purchase this book from http://www.christianbook.com/the-final-hour-homelanders/andrew-klavan/9781595547156/pd/547156?item_code=WW&netp_id=872806&event=ESRCG&view=details

or

http://www.amazon.com/dp/1595547150/ref=rdr_ext_tmb

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program.

Private Selection

2011-11-30T21:43:00.003-05:00

What a great cookie I ate!! You've got to try the all new Private Selection Chocolate Chip Cookies. They are much bigger than other packaged cookies and taste homemade.

Next time you go to Kroger (Pay-Less) you need to go to the cookie aisle and pick up a pack or two!! Happy dessert eating!!

Romans 9

2011-11-02T23:27:00.001-04:00

In Romans 9, Paul wrote these words,

1 I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit—2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. 4 They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. 5 To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.

Can you imagine willing to be accursed, sent to hell, so that others you don't even know could know the love and grace of Jesus? That's a powerful statement about Paul. How do you feel about those who do not yet know Christ?

PRAYER

2011-11-01T15:49:00.002-04:00

This morning on K-Love I heard this prayer . . . it's a powerful prayer if you slowly read it and meditate on the words.

For the next 11 days, I plan on sending out a daily post. I know it's been awhile but from
11-1-11 to 11-11-11 I want to send out something inspirational . . .

"Lord Undo Me" via K-LOVE Radio

I don’t really worship these days
I don’t really stand up to praise you with songs
Or prayers or actions
or with anything
I am full of all the right moves
I am full of all the right words
I am full of all the right religion
But it is all just illusion
I am really
Lonely
Lost
Calloused
Jaded
Cynical
Too religious
Too realistic
and well really just to lazy
to worship you anymore
I have lost my first love
I have lost the joy of your presence
But most of all I have lost the fear of your glory

Father I need to see you again
Like Isaiah I want to stand in awe of your glory
To fall down at your feet
To come face to face with your
Perfection,
Radiance,
Goodness,
Holiness,
Awesomeness
I want to stand before you and see you for who you are
and me for who I am
I want to be undone

I want to know me for who I really am
I want to see the depths of my heart
And know that you are the only way
You are the only truth
You are the only life
I want to see me and understand
What it really must have taken for you to
Love me
Care for me
See me
Speak to me
Want me
Communicate with me
Die for me
Die for me
Die for me

Lord, I want to stand in that place where all I can see is your glory
And my sin
Because in that place I can’t help but worship you.
Lord let me come undone
Undo my heart
Lord, undo my heart
break down these walls that I love so much
No, wait don’t,
I’m scared I don’t know if I can handle this
don’t
But I can’t live this way anymore
I can’t stand here in this half-life
this going through the motions life
this not really alive life
Father, I need you so come in and do what you must
Cut out the tumor on my heart
Break down the walls that I love
Lord let me come undone
Undo my heart
let me worship you again

*Blake Williams

Lincoln's words to slaves

2011-07-04T23:23:00.002-04:00

In the last days of the Civil War, the Confederate capital, Richmond, Virginia, fell to the Union army. Abraham Lincoln insisted on visiting the city. Even though no one knew he was coming, slaves recognized him immediately and thronged around him. He had liberated them by the Emancipation Proclamation, and now Lincoln's army had set them free. According to Admiral David Porter, an eyewitness, Lincoln spoke to the throng around him:

"My poor friends, you are free—free as air. You can cast off the name of slave and trample upon it …. Liberty is your birthright."

But Lincoln also warned them not to abuse their freedom, saying, "Let the world see that you merit your freedom. Don't let your joy carry you into excesses. Learn the laws and obey them."

That is very much like the message Jesus gives to those whom He has liberated by His death and resurrection. Jesus gives us our true birthright—spiritual freedom. But that freedom isn't an excuse for disobedience; it forms the basis for learning and obeying God's laws. Which ultimately is found in His grace, for the law no longer holds us and constrains us, if, and it's a big if, if we live according to His grace!

Happy 4th of July!

LAST POST?!

2011-05-21T20:36:00.002-04:00

Will this be my last post ever? It will be according to a recent prediction. It’s been the buzz all week, so perhaps you heard it.

Christian radio host Harold Camping states that the Rapture (the taking up into heaven of God’s elect people) will take place on May 21, 2011 at 6 p.m. local time. The rapture will sweep the globe time zone by time zone) and that the end of the world as we know it will take place five months later on October 21, 2011. Devastating earthquakes will occur throughout the world, worse than the one in Japan, Camping stated.

It’s been the subject of jokes, and teasing, and possibly some concern. What if it were the end?

Lots of people have been impacted by this prediction. People have quit their jobs and tried to go into the world to proclaim it's judgment day. It is important to note that the end times discussions are serious issues. Because for each person, there will come a day when it is our final day.

I’m reminded of the concern of Jesus’ disciples following the resurrection. Consider Jesus’ answer in this passage from Acts 1:6-8:

So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?” He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

For the believer, this should never be a time of stress. I’m leery of anyone claiming to know a date, but Jesus said it would be soon and we would know the signs . He also reminded us, however, that we should not be afraid, that we could cast all our burdens on Him, and that He was with us to the ends of the earth. I’m not stressed today, not because I don’t believe Camping, even though I don’t, but because I have a faith in the person of Jesus Christ, who raised from the dead!

Part of my concern is the way so many in the world will look at Christianity. Jesus said in Matthew that nobody, not even the human Jesus knew the date of the end of the world, so don't get freaked out about it. Just be ready when the time comes, because we all know . . . it will. Have your light on, be ready, be prepared. It will be a day of glory for all those who are Christ followers.

If you serve a risen Savior, let me hear a hearty AMEN!

So, it looks like I'll see ya'll tomorrow!!

Blessings,

Pastor Michael

The Past is Dead! Or is it?

2011-05-16T08:32:00.002-04:00

Reading today from Josh Linkner ~

Josh wrote . . .

We all face incredible challenges in our lives. Difficult people. Ruthless competition. Time constraints. But so many of us succumb to an imaginary and impotent demon that strangles our potential and restricts our progress. This fictitious monster is called simply ... the past.

While the past can be a great teacher, it can also shackle our imagination and relegate us to thinking small. Imagine carrying around a backpack full of rocks; each piece of stone representing some past injustice or setback. As that weight increases, playing your best and highest game becomes impossible unless you're able to release the burden and liberate yourself.

Regret is the worst human emotion, since there is absolutely nothing we can do to change history. Dwelling on the past can eviscerate your ambition and is a fast path to unachieved dreams.

It reminds me of an ancient fable:

Two Zen monks were on a journey when they came to a river bed. At the edge of the river was an elderly woman who was unable to cross the river by herself. The older monk put her on his shoulders and across the river they all went. On the other side, the monk put her down and she went on her way and the monks their way. Several miles later the older monk noticed that the younger monk was obviously troubled by something and so he asked him about it. The younger monk stated that according to the tenets of their beliefs, they were not permitted to touch women and yet the elder monk had carried the old woman across the river. The younger monk could not let it go and was angry and upset for several hours. To this, the elder monk replied. "I left the woman at the riverside. Why are you still carrying her with you?"

It's time to focus on the present and commit to a brighter future. It's time to stop dwelling in a pit of despair, moaning over squandered time and lost opportunity. It's time to release the burden of the past and seize today's opportunity. It's time to drive change and create your best life.

In the words of the Roman philosopher Seneca, "Don't stumble over something behind you."

Michael's conclusion: So, friends, how are you doing with the past, with the present and with the future? Which one holds you back? Which one excites you? It doesn't matter what your age is. This will tell you more about yourself than you might realize!!

Becoming a Disruptor

2011-05-09T08:02:00.003-04:00

This is not a review!

Josh Linkner is the author of this book. It is a creative and stretching book which leads you to think a little differently. Below is today's blog from Josh. I thought it was particularly good.

YOUR NEW JOB: DISRUPTOR

The iPod disrupted the music industry. eBooks disrupted traditional publishing. The internet disrupted just about everything. And more than likely, the disruptors in your company are the ones that are getting promoted and reaching their dreams while the rule-following automatons remain frustrated at their cubes.

In the past, your job was to do what you were told. Follow instructions, keep your head down, don’t make waves. But today things are very different. Today, we live in a world where playing it safe is irresponsibly dangerous.

In today’s hyper-competitive environment, working hard and doing a decent job are no longer enough. Competency, good service, and professionalism are now merely the ante to play. We now live in a world with exponential complexity and dizzying speed. A world where standing out is more important than fitting in.

We are taught to follow the rules, do what the boss says, and that mistakes must be avoided at all costs. Yet this traditional approach is a surefire path to mediocrity. Today, an entirely new set of skills are needed in order to win.

In addition the job title on your business card, you need to add the title of Disruptor.

Disruptors challenge assumptions. They shake the status quo. They are curious and creative. They adapt and improvise. Disruptors push the boundaries and shatter conventional wisdom. They’d rather forge new ground than blindly salute the flag of the past.

Disruptors squirm at phrases such as “we’ve always done it that way”, “that’s just the way things are done here”, and “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. They know that speed and innovation now trump rigidity and conformity. They know that discovering fresh solutions and unleashing new ideas are top priority for both success and sustainability.

Disruptors wonder. They dream, explore, harass, discover, challenge, vex, disturb, rattle, break, upset, imagine, push, shatter, drive, offend, risk, and poke. Disruptors also win, get promoted, earn more, make a bigger impact, reach their dreams and change the world.

In the words of Jack Welch, the former CEO of General Electric, “If the rate of change on the outside is greater than the rate of change on the inside, the end is near.”

The next time you’re at an event and someone asks you what you do, try responding with: “I’m a disruptor.” Besides better conversation, it will empower you to drive change and make a difference. Stop hoping and start pushing. Stop complaining and start doing. Your company and your career depend on it.

Disrupt or be disrupted. Simple as that.

Excellent Reading about Marriage

2011-03-16T12:53:00.002-04:00

Ever since reading my first John Eldredge book, I have appreciated his writing and seminars. The main benefit I found in this book was the openness and vulnerability, which are characteristics in all of John’s books. In this book, Love and War, John and his wife Stasi, collaborate on a book in which they discuss the joys and pitfalls of their marriage.

This book is open and honest. They don’t hold back. That is not their style. They want the reader to gain a greater understanding of the joys and hardships, the love and yes, war of marriage. This is not another ‘self-help’ book which details the 10 steps to make your marriage perfect, nor does every chapter start with the same letter.

We all come to marriages with a great deal of history. We often don’t admit our issues which hold back our marriages. As a result marriages suffer for years, maybe throughout an entire marriage, because we never learned to communicate our wants, needs and hurts. Again, John and Stasi don’t tell you how to do it, but they demonstrate their vulnerability in all rooms in the house.

The only real solution they give is this advice. We must realize that life is a battle, and marriage can also fall into the same category. With that in mind, we must let God use our lives, and our marriages to help us change and become transformed into the holy man or woman God has called you to become. We must always keep in mind that we are in a spiritual battle.

In the end, we are called to find a passionate life in Christ, deal with what is broken in our lives, and to understand the battle for our lives (heart and soul).

There is a great deal of biblical wisdom in Love and War. As well there are many honest, humorous, and difficult (open and honest) stories many of us would never share. Yet, this is part of the power of this book.

I have used it for premarital counseling and believe it is an excellent resource for couples to have and read through together. Then discuss, discuss, discuss . . . with openness and honesty.

This book was provided by Multnomah Press. All opinions in this review are personal.

A Family Movie worth Watching

2011-03-16T10:28:00.002-04:00

There is nothing extraordinary about this movie, yet, it’s a powerful and wonderful movie to watch as a family. It’s a movie about priorities, forgiveness, family, and more. Dean Cain stars in this movie, you may remember him from his role on television in the program Louis and Clark.

As you watch the movie it becomes pretty clear we are dealing with a family who has a multitude of problems. There is tension between the husband and wife, there is blaming, guilt, bitterness. As the family gets ready to leave on a vacation, the husband, Dean Cain, becomes distracted and their young son runs off into the woods and disappears.

They become panic stricken as they wonder if someone took their son, did he drown in a nearby pond, will he be found. Many questions surround this couple, but the local small town starts moving which is a great representation of how the local church should act.

While the focus is on this family, we see how the lives of others are also greatly impacted and lives become changed, transformed because they were willing to step into the messiness of life.

We watched this movie as a family and found it was not cheesy, but portrayed Christianity in a very healthy and positive manner. I would recommend this movie for a family who wants to watch a good movie with a message. This would also be good for a family for Christmas (even though it is still months away).

This book was given to me for review by Book Sneeze, but the review and opinions are my own.

The Mushy Middle

2011-02-16T10:32:00.002-05:00

How's that for a title? I read an interesting short article from a man named Diego Rodriguez. He is a partner at a company called IDEO.

IDEO (pronounced “eye-dee-oh”) is an award-winning global design firm that takes a human-centered approach to helping organizations in the public and private sectors innovate and grow. They envision new companies and brands and design the products, services, spaces and interactive experiences which bring them to life. They help organizations build creative culture and the internal systems required to sustain innovation and launch new ventures.

Diego wrote the following, which I thought was insightful and helpful to churches.

“It is so important to have a strong point of view. Let me repeat: it is so important to have a strong point of view. You've got to stand for something.

If you don't have a point of view, you won't know what you don't stand for, and so you'll be tempted to try and do everything, because "no" won't be in your vocabulary. Trying to appeal to everyone by playing in the mushy middle not only will make you less appealing over the long haul (because being boring is not attractive), it also makes it very difficult to get started (because the enormity of the task makes everything too daunting to tackle), and makes it really tough to ship (because you have to do so much in order to meet the needs of so many people).

Having a point of view is incredibly liberating. It takes more energy and more time to get to an honest understanding of what you believe in, what you need to do, and what you won't do, but it is well and truly worth it.”

The mushy middle is no fun. Where there is no priority of purpose or strategy, folks will begin trying to pull towards their personal passions. People will polarize around their preferences.

Unity develops around strong vision. (Strong vision will make some people mad.) We think we’ll bring people together if we try to make everyone happy, but that tactic ultimately leads to dissension and division and in the end, nobody is really happy.

Just a thought on a Wednesday morning.

GROUPON

2011-01-28T08:23:00.002-05:00

What's that? It's a way to purchase daily specials along with others at great discounts.

Sign up at Groupon.com

For example, today's deal is 2 oil changes from the Butler Auto Group (near Indy) for $19. That's a great deal. Just click on the link below

BUTLER AUTO GROUP

Sanctus Real - Lead Me

2011-01-28T08:18:00.002-05:00

Click on title Sanctus Real and watch a great video and song, called Lead Me.

Top 100 Christian Books of 2010

2011-01-10T08:24:00.002-05:00

I receive a daily blog from Michael Hyatt, the CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers. He posted a list of the top 100 Christian books of 2010. There were some new titles and some very old titles on that list. What books did you read in 2010 that you found helpful in your life?

Click on this link to look at his list.

http://michaelhyatt.com/the-100-bestselling-christian-books-of-2010.html?isalt=0&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+michaelhyatt+%28Michael+Hyatt%29&utm_content=Yahoo!+Mail

Christmas in Today's World

2010-12-18T20:16:00.002-05:00

It's been awhile. I've been thinking about getting back in the saddle but life gets in the way.

Anyway, here's something I thought you might like. Click on the link below and enjoy a contemporary look at the birth of Christ . . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZrf0PbAGSk&feature=player_embedded

Blessings!!

Joshua touchdown

2010-09-10T00:38:00.002-04:00

Okay, I'll brag for just a moment. Here's a video clip of Joshua's first 7th grade touchdown.

Click on the title Joshua touchdown to view the video

Out Live Your Life

2010-09-10T00:27:00.003-04:00

I always enjoy picking up Max Lucado books. There are stories after stories about people who have made a difference or who have lived through difficult times and as a result of their faith, they saw life in a more positive light. In his newest book, Out Live Your Life: You Were Made to Make a Difference, Lucado takes us on a journey through the book of Acts in order to encourage all people to be difference makers.

This is a very easy to read book, with short chapters filled with stories about people who were and are difference makers. The basic premise of the book is how will people remember you after you are no longer present in this world? That’s a sobering question and Max exhorts the reader to be a person of action so that they do make a difference in this lifetime. His stories are gripping and add strength to the points he is trying to make.

Max provides questions at the back of the book to help the reader muse upon his writings. Overall this is not a deep, deep book, but it is one that should cause Christ followers to pause and consider if they will outlive their lives.

You can purchase this book at Thomas Nelson Publishers.

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program.

Quran Burning on 9/11

2010-09-08T08:54:00.002-04:00

Folks this is what gives Christians a bad name. This guy and this church are idiots. You can read about this church in Florida where they are going to burn Qurans. Do I believe in the Quran? No! But I also don't believe in Mormon writings, Jehovah Witness Bibles, the philosophy which moves our country from writer Ayn Rand; but I'm not burning their books.

Sadly, incidents like this do more to hurt the movement and spirit of Christ followers, than ten good deeds.

Here is the link . . . http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/quran_burning

The Story Devotion Questions

2010-09-08T08:30:00.002-04:00

As we move through The Story, there are discussion and reflection questions for all 31 weeks. My goal is to send them out on a weekly basis so that you can use them to help you go deeper in scripture and deeper in your life with Christ. These don't necessarily represent where the message or Sunday School lessons will be heading, but are ways to help you move through scripture. Hopefully these are helpful.

As a reminder, this week's reading is from Genesis 1-4; 6-9.

PERSONAL DEVOTION QUESTIONS
CHAPTER 1 - Genesis 1-4:6-9
The Beginning of Life as We Know It

Day 1

God created Eve because he felt that it was not good for Adam to be alone (p. 3). When have you felt most alone? How would your life be different if you were experiencing deep community? What might you do help someone else who is alone and isolated?
Adam and Eve hid from God because they felt shame and guilt. Both failed to accept responsibility for their sins and failures. Often, the first step to the healing and the restoring of relationships is to accept responsibility for our mistakes. What, if anything, do you need to own this week?
Adam and Eve’s disastrous decisions demonstrate our own inability to choose well between right and wrong. Describe a wrong choice you made, and how it affected your life. How has God helped you heal from that choice?

Day 2

Cain’s feelings of jealousy and hurt feelings led to Abel’s murder. Is there anyone in your family who you have hurt, or who has hurt you? What might you do to reconcile with this person? Identify a family relationship in your own life that is loving and secure. Share your thankfulness for that person with a note or phone call.
When God looked at the earth and saw that it was only evil all the time, He “regretted that he had made human beings, and His heart was deeply troubled.” Our hearts are often deeply troubled when we observe the horrors of this world. How might you respond to someone who asks how a good God could allow so much evil to take place?

Day 3

God pursued Adam and Eve after they had sinned. God pursued Cain even as Cain was steeped in anger. Describe a time in your own life that God sought you out. What happened? How did it deepen your relationship with God?
Noah is noted for being “righteous” and “blameless.” Are there any areas of your life that could be described this way? What areas of your life are most difficult to act righteously or blamelessly? Who do you know that could hold you accountable for these things?

The STORY

2010-09-06T16:11:00.003-04:00

It's finally here!!! Next Sunday we officially dive into The Story. If you're not familiar with what we're doing, we are moving through a condensed version of the Bible over the next 31 weeks, except for advent.

Sunday School classes for adults, teens and children will be going over the same scripture each week; and it will be the same scripture for the message.

We have sold so many copies of The Story Bible, which is a condensed version of the Bible. These Bibles are available at the church at 1/2 price for $7.50. I will try to send out weekly thoughts about what I'm reading and thinking about.

The beauty and power of what we will be doing is seeing how God is at work in our lives and how He sent Christ into the world for us is part of the overall story from the beginning. Stay tuned, and be ready for a dynamic series of messages.

We're in our final countdown until we blast off!!

Plan B - Book Review

2010-08-17T23:16:00.002-04:00

Don't you love the title . . . Plan B: What Do You Do When God Doesn't Show Up the Way You Thought He Would?

From the start of this book, Pete Wilson had me hooked. We all have an expectation of how and when God will show up and rescue us from our difficult traumas. I could resonate with not only his situations, but his feelings about what happens when life does not go as we planned it to go. As a result, this book emerged; as Wilson covers those times when the path we were taking takes a detour and we find ourselves on a new path, and Plan A gets scrapped and Plan B has to come into play.

This book was easy to read, as Wilson used examples from his personal life and stories from the Bible to often demonstrate where Plan B came into play. The end result, is the reminder that we need to be focused on God and our relationship with Him. God is not our all-mighty ‘genie’ who gives us whatever we want, when we want it. At times the harsh reality of life comes out in this book. Overall, this book is worth reading and possibly a good book to hand to a friend who is struggling when life has not gone as planned.

In the end, the obvious answer is to turn to God, yet, Wilson would be the first to admit that God’s plan, which is always the right plan, is a mystery. It would be interesting to hear Wilson preach and talk to others, as he seems to have an empathetic tone in his writing. I highly recommend this book.

This book was received free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their Book Review Blogger program.

2010-07-19T13:31:00.001-04:00

I thought this was a very good video reminding us about creation . . .

I hope you were able to remember where God is at in your life today!

Guess what we are to celerbate?

2010-07-17T20:37:00.003-04:00

This post was written a few weeks ago by Pastor Mark Beeson. Mark is the Senior Pastor at Granger Community Church in Mishawaka. What are your thoughts.

Because I have children, andgrandchildren, I find myself thinking about how I can best help them understand the principles, morals and values of a Christ-centered life. I think about it a lot. I pray for wisdom. I study. I want the next generation to know how they can help God's Kingdom come, and God's will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. I want them to know what made America great. I want them to know how to make this world better.

You'd be correct if you assume I try to pay attention to what our President says and does. If the most powerful man on planet Earth (yeah, I know, other than Jesus) makes a Presidential Proclamation, it means all Americans should act accordingly. People should notice. Families should understand their President's wishes. Teachers should be able to explain them to their students.

When the president proclaims "National Sanctity of Human Life Day," elementary school teachers should explain to their students that life is sacred. All life is precious. And when the president proclaims "Martin Luther King Jr. Day," a Federal Holiday, grown-ups should explain the importance of Dr. King's great efforts to bring racial reconciliation to American society. Children should hear Dr. King's declaration that, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." And when our children learn of our president's proclamation of "National Child Abuse Prevention Month," we're responsible to explain that no child should ever suffer abuse from any adult - ever. It's up to parents, and pastors, and teachers, and youth leaders, and Grandmas to explain the meaning, intent and benefit of our President's Proclamations.

It's a privilege, and an honor, to help our children see the value of our President's Proclamations.

At least, it should be.

So, how do you tell your children about our President's Proclamation of "Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month?" What are we supposed to do with that? I've been wrestling with this for weeks.

Can your child's teachers explain our President's Proclamation to your kids?

"What's the President's Proclamation about?" the 3rd Grader asks. "I don't get it."
"Oh, Honey, that just means some boys like boys."
"You mean like my brother and me? We're best friends!"
"No. You're talking about brotherly love. This is about all Americans being proud of a different kind of love."
"Oh. You mean like God's love? Like we learned about in church?"
"No. This isn't about selfless love. It isn't about unconditional, self-sacrificing love."
"Then, what are we supposed to be proud about this month?"
"Well, this is about sexual desire and sexual love..."

(It's here in the conversation with an elementary school child I would find myself stumped. With other Presidential Proclamations I might have less difficulty, but this is where I don't think I know what to say to fresh-faced young Americans. I've thought about it, but I'm not sure my answer would help. I don't want to recommend homosexuality to my kids, much less take a whole month to publicly celebrate it with pride.)

What could I say?
Should I say this?
"I guess our President wants all Americans to take pride in the fact that in America anyone can have sex with anyone. If men satisfy their sexual desire for men, with men, that's fine. If women satisfy their sexual desire with women, that's fine too. And if they don't really know whether they are men, or women, since gender doesn't really matter, we can all take pride in the fact that they can have sex and it doesn't matter whether they're having sex with women or men. It's all about sexual release Sweetheart. It's all about satisfying any sexual desire you have. No rules. No limits. No old-fashioned injunctions restricting sexual freedom. Our president is leading America into the future. Isn't that nice?"

Not a single world religion endorses homosexuality as a source of community pride. Not one. Homosexuality is not allowed by Islam. Hinduism doesn't exalt it. The Dalai Lama, world-revered leader of millions of Buddhists and Nobel Peace Laureate, declared from a Buddhist point of view, lesbian and gay sex is generally considered sexual misconduct. Sexual intercourse between two men is forbidden by the Torah, and is a capital offense. In Orthodox Judaism, neither the Sifra, nor the Talmud, affirm homosexual acts. Confucians are expected to marry and have children; that is their responsibility to their ancestors and their country, so homosexuality is not praised in Confucianism. For the first 2,000 years of the Church, Christians did not declare homosexual behavior to be the best path for individuals, or society in general.

I will have to admit that Wiccans support the idea that acts of love, pleasure and beauty are sacred -- no matter which people happen to be participating -- so witches (not normally included in a list of major "world religions") are very accepting of homosexuality.

The President's Proclamation is suggested to be about justice and equal rights. Maybe it is. But it's about more than that. Much more. Read it. It's about the repeal of The Defense of Marriage Act (which makes explicit what has been understood under federal law for over 200 years; that a "marriage" is the legal union of a man and a woman as husband and wife, and a "spouse" is a husband or wife of the opposite sex). It's about more than the rights our Constitution guarantees all Americans. It's about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender pride.

Let me ask:
Is lifting up a homosexual orientation, as a source of national pride, really helpful? Is this the pathway to becoming "a holy nation," or have we veered off course and - in the secularization of our lives - abandoned all true religion?

How about it?

1 Peter 2:9-10 - But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Pastor Michael now writing ~ Interesting and excellent comments by Pastor Mark Beeson. There are times in life when we need to focus on what is really important. The President is way off base on this. We should love everyone, not condemn anyone, but to endorse a month to celebrate sexual freedom, is more than we need. Your thoughts?

John Wooden's Legacy

2010-06-11T13:28:00.002-04:00

I found this article to be a great read regarding John Wooden. He recently died at the age of 99. He is considered the greatest college basketball coach ever and was vocal about his faith in Christ, using that whenever he could but in a gentle and loving manner.

The article below is from ESPN.com.

I thought it was a good and easy read.

Wooden set the bar hi

By Rick Reilly
ESPN.com

Malcolm Emmons/US Presswire.
Rick Reilly reflects on the late, legendary coach John Wooden.

The awful thing about knowing John Wooden was that when you left him, you realized how weak you were as a man.

Every time I left his little 700-square-foot condo in Encino, Calif., full of books and learning and morals, it would hit me how far short of him I fell.

He made me want to be more principled. This is a man who once turned down the Purdue head-coaching job because he felt the university was treating the fired coach "terribly. I wouldn't stand for it."

He once turned down the Minnesota job he and his wife, Nell, wanted -- and accepted the UCLA one instead -- because Minnesota hadn't called with its offer by the 6 p.m. deadline he'd set. Turns out a storm had knocked down the phone lines. Didn't matter. He went to UCLA and won the Bruins 10 NCAA titles. No other coach has won more than four.

He abhorred stardom and showmanship. He was against jerseys being retired at UCLA, even the one worn by Lewis Alcindor (later: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.) "What about the youngster who wore that number before Lewis? Didn't he contribute to the team?"

Last fall, Rick Reilly visited John Wooden at his condo in Encino.

One time I asked him, "How many championships do you think Kobe can win?"

"None," he said, flatly.

"None?"

"Kobe doesn't win championships. The Lakers win championships."

He made me want to be more humble. In the most self-obsessed city in the world -- Hollywood -- he was selfless. It only made him stand out even more, like a priest at a Chippendale's convention. He would hardly even get out of his chair during games. He and his blue eyes and his farm-boy haircut would just sit there and watch his toy spin. I asked him once what he thought about coaches in their Armani suits strutting up and down the entire game, coaching every dribble. "I don't understand it," he said. "What do they do in practice?"

He made me want to be more courageous. For instance, I'm terrified of dying. He used to laugh about it.

One of his favorite stories was about the time he took his great-granddaughter to get her ears pierced. She was 11. They drove home from the mall in his old 1989 Taurus -- "greatest car I ever had," he always said -- and she was practically unraveling with joy.

"Oh, Papa," she said. "I hope you live five more years so you can take me to get my license!"

He liked to kid about my occasional visits. "Last time I saw you [at 98], I was walking. This year, I'm in a wheelchair. At 100, I'll probably be on a stretcher." If only.

He made me wish I read more, thought more, listened more.

I started noticing something on my visits. The TV was never on. He was always reading. Poetry, history, the Bible. Never sports. Never novels. He knew hundreds of classic poems by heart. Yet when he found himself coaching a bookish 7-footer named Alcindor in 1966, he memorized the poems of Langston Hughes, the black modern poet. It didn't go unnoticed.

Wooden made me wish I read more, thought more, listened more. I started noticing something on my visits. The TV was never on. He was always reading. Poetry, history, the Bible.

He was a nut for Lincoln, yet not for a second did he realize he, himself, was sports' Lincoln, a boy who'd learned to read by the light of a coal lamp, a man of simple wisdom whose pithy nuggets of good advice -- "Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can" -- will be quoted for the next 100 years.

Me? Great books stack up at my bedside while I watch "The Bachelorette."

Look, John Wooden wasn't perfect. He may have stopped swearing for good at 14, but he said plenty to refs. He'd put his head down and yell things at them into his program as they'd run by. "Their big fella is fouling Nater every time down! Why can't you see that?"

And it's not true he never drank. He did, at 22, with his Purdue teammates. He had a half a bottle of beer "and threw up six," he remembered. That was the last time.

He made plenty of mistakes. He let Alcindor score 60 points in his first collegiate game just to put fear in the rest of the Pac-10. "I'm ashamed of that," he once said.

He and Nell's relationship wasn't perfect. Once, when he was just out of college, they had a huge fight and he left. Started hitchhiking west. Didn't care where he went. Got as far as Lawrence, Kansas, where he got a job helping to build the football stadium. Then he went back home. "I just got a little confused," he said.

At UCLA, he didn't pay enough attention to realize a booster named Sam Gilbert was lavishing his players with gifts and cars. But I will punch any man in the mouth who says Wooden knew. He couldn't have known it or he'd have stopped it. He'd have sooner cut off his own hand than cheat.

He made me want to love more deeply.

He took me into his bedroom once, in 2000. The clocks were all wrong. He stopped them at the time of Nellie's death, 15 years before. Only one side of the bed was slept in, and above the sheet, not under them, and hadn't been since the day she died. On her pillow were hundreds of little letters in envelopes tied up in bundles by yellow ribbons. He wrote her every month telling her how much he loved her and what all the kids were doing. Did it right up until the last few months of his life, when his eyes stopped working.

"Coach, were you never tempted in all those years to go on a date?" I asked him once. "Didn't other women come flirting around after you?"

"Oh, yes," he said. "But there's no one else for me."

She'd been dead 24 years by then.

Once, when he was missing Nell terribly, one of his great-granddaughters -- she was 5 at the time -- saw how sad he was, tugged on his pants leg and said, "Papa, I know you miss Mama. So I'm going to rent you an airplane so you can fly up in the clouds and see her."

Here's to Coach for finally getting back with his girl -- no airplane necessary.

And here's to all of us striving to be half the person he was.

The Last Christian

2010-06-01T23:31:00.002-04:00

I am not a big sci-fi reader, however, The Last Christian was a book I had a difficult time putting down. Without giving the entire story away, just picture it is the year 2088, that’s right we’re working into the future. Christian America has ceased to exist, people are living life with amazing scientific discoveries, culminating in the ability to have neural implants put in their brains, and brain transplants, which enables them to live in a Virtual Reality (VR). The transplants can also lead to living forever and losing an opportunity for a relationship with God.

Because of these implants people can process information at lightening speed, they can read books in minutes and are able to communicate through a grid system. With all this going on in the world, Abby Caldwell revels in her work in Papua, New Guinea as a missionary. However, the people in her village which is a protected environment die of a mysterious illness, which she and a doctor friend cannot figure out.

Abby ultimately comes to the United States, stays with her sister, who has high political aspirations and doesn’t want her sister near her. The plot thickens with many twists and turns. It’s a fun book, but one that really points out some of the potential hazards of technology.

Abby comes across with a wonderful innocence which never gets lost, even though she is lost in becoming part of American society. She continually talks to people about God, with a powerful grace and childlike faith which is missing today.

This is not an easy to read, relaxing book. But . . . it was hard to put down at the same time.

You can purchase this book at www.christianbook.com

or Multnomah Press

This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

2010-05-17T08:52:00.001-04:00

Here is a great article about someone who uses his life story, and difficulties to encourage others. He uses his faith in Christ as well.

Perseverance pays off for student manager

Steve Megargee
Rivals.com College Basketball

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - With the confidence of a coach and the passion of a preacher, Zach Lipson has spent much of his teenage years telling anyone he meets about his plans to join one of the nation's elite college basketball programs.

It didn't matter to him that he'd never played a minute of organized hoops. Or that he stood little chance of ever being more than 4 feet tall. He still gave the same speech to just about everyone he met, whether he was chatting at a dinner table full of strangers or sitting across from a skeptical guidance counselor.

He was born with a spinal deformity, so he already had overcome long odds. What was to stop this Nashville resident from proving people wrong once again?



Zachary Lipson's passion has him headed to Kentucky as part of the basketball program.

"It's an amazing story, pretty incredible," Lipson acknowledged. "Whenever you have a goal in life, there are always going to be some obstacles that try to stop you. There will be people who try to tell you, 'No, you can't do it.' But you can't let it beat you down."

Lipson's story proved inspirational enough to earn him a spot as a student-manager at Kentucky. He is expected to live at Wildcat Lodge - the same building that houses the players.

That represents a stunning turn of events for someone who has overcome more obstacles in his 19 years than most people face in their lives.

Lipson was born eight weeks premature and weighed less than 2 pounds. He required CPR in the delivery room. He has undergone more than 30 surgeries. And if that weren't enough to make him curse fate, Lipson also has a twin brother who is healthy. Lipson doesn't need to wonder what might have been: He has a walking reminder in his home.

Lipson has resisted the temptation of self-pity. He instead has faced every challenge with the same upbeat approach that has helped him serve as an inspiration to friends, family members and classmates. Kentucky's latest recruit won't develop into the next Tony Delk, but he just might become the next Tony Robbins.

"I wouldn't be the speaker I am today without my deformities," Lipson said. "I've used them to make myself a stronger human being. That's a very radical idea. That's how I want to be an inspiration to people.

"I want to tell people you don't have to fall and beat yourself up over your problems. You can take them and help them make you stronger. You can turn a losing situation into a winning situation."

Born to inspire

He wasn't always this upbeat. Lipson remembers being teased by grade-school classmates who didn't know any better, and he occasionally would look at his brother and wonder why he couldn't be blessed with a healthy body.



	Former Vanderbilt star Drew Maddux calls Zachary Lipson a student assistant coach.

The turning point came when he was in first grade. Lipson, a devout Christian, had an epiphany. He was in a hospital room when he started to understand how he could make the most of his situation.

"I learned humility at that point in my life," Lipson said. "I realized my true purpose here on Earth is to share the gospel, to share my story and to be an inspiration to people."

That's when it dawned on Lipson that he wouldn't get to live an average life. He was being called to do much, much more. He would tell his story to anyone who would listen. He doesn't consider anyone a stranger.

"I noticed when we go to places, if we were sitting at a table, he'd end up not sitting at our table," said Lipson's mother, Susan. "He'd be sitting at a table with people who he didn't even know. He'd get to know them, talk to them, encourage them. They'd say, 'Wow, what an amazing story. I can't believe what he's been through.' "

He eventually found a way to spread his message through sports. Lipson grew up hating athletics because his health problems prevented him from playing organized sports or from joining his classmates in playground activities. His attitude changed after he took over as a student-manager for the football team at Christ Presbyterian Academy, the Nashville school he attends.

He caught on so well that he also became the student-manager for the basketball and soccer teams. And he made himself into the best manager a school could possibly have.

When a coach wanted him to do something during a game, Lipson would sprint to wherever he needed to be. He commanded such respect that CPA basketball coach Drew Maddux never called Lipson a manager and instead labeled him a "student assistant coach."

"He's like one of my sons," said Maddux, who played basketball for Vanderbilt from 1994-98. "I've really grown to love Zach."

Not only did Lipson perform the typical managerial responsibilities of fetching water and collecting equipment, he also gave locker-room speeches and even assisted Maddux in advance scouting.

Lipson's pep talks were so legendary in the Nashville high school ranks that officials at rival school David Lipscomb High asked him to give an inspirational speech to their entire student body.

Bleeding blue

Lipson fell in love with his manager jobs so much that he wanted to continue on what he considered the best and biggest stage of all - the University of Kentucky. But he considered this goal more than just a dream; he saw it as his destiny.

"People describe me as a passionate person," Lipson said. "I have such a love of life. What better basketball program than the University of Kentucky, which has so much tradition and passion? I think that's what was drawing me there."



Zachary Lipson has given some legendary pep talks in Nashville.

Lipson speaks with the authority of someone twice his age. He's a history enthusiast who has treasured the opportunity to visit more than 25 countries. He's teaching himself to read and write in Russian. How many other teenagers would discuss leadership by referring to Napoleon's attack in the Siege of Toulon?

But for all his obvious intelligence, Lipson still lacked the necessary grades and test scores to get into Kentucky as an out-of-state student. In fact, when he mentioned his goal to a college counselor, she indicated that wasn't a realistic possibility.

"She said he needed to look at Plan B," Susan Lipson said. "Well, there was no Plan B for him. I saw how he took his knuckles, gripped his chair and said, 'I will go to Kentucky.' "

Lipson did everything in his power to improve his grades. He spent his lunch hour studying in his school's locker room and took countless hours of ACT preparatory courses. All that extra work allowed him to qualify academically. Then, a remarkable chain of events brought his goal within reach.

Kentucky fired former coach Billy Gillispie after the 2008-09 season and replaced him with John Calipari, who in turn hired Martin Newton as the school's director of basketball operations. Maddux's father, Ray, and Newton's father, former Vanderbilt basketball coach and Kentucky athletic director C.M. Newton, were friends and had helped found "The Rebounders," a club for former Vanderbilt basketball lettermen.

In addition, before being hired at Kentucky, Martin Newton had worked for Nike alongside Tim Thompson, a former Vanderbilt player and one of Maddux's closest friends.

Maddux used his connections to get Lipson an opportunity to work at Kentucky's basketball camps last summer. Lipson wasted no time making a name for himself with his work habits and his indefatigable spirit.

"I had never been to Lexington," Lipson said. "I didn't know anyone. I was a little ... not shy but a little afraid and nervous because I'd never been to the campus before. But I worked, helped out in the team camps and put my name out there."

Lipson apparently made quite an impact. Kentucky utilizes about six to eight student-managers each season and annually receives at least 50 applications for those positions. Lipson's application stood out.

"Zach's story is a unique one, not only because of what he's overcome in life but also because of his passion for Kentucky basketball," Newton said. "This is a young man who absolutely loves University of Kentucky basketball. He lives in Nashville. His mentor is Drew Maddux, a guy who played at Vanderbilt. Yet it never squelched his passion for Kentucky basketball.

"The combination of the type of person he is, the things he's overcome and his passion for Kentucky made it a really easy choice."

Student-managers are an integral part of just about every program across the country, but that's particularly true at Kentucky, where longtime equipment manager Bill Keightley played such a vital role that an honorary jersey in his name hangs from the Rupp Arena rafters.

The student-managers work the same hours as the players. They're present for team practices and weightlifting sessions as well as participating in more menial activities such as laundry duty.

Lipson is ready to perform these tasks to the best of his ability, but he also believes he can offer something extra. He wants to encourage Kentucky's players and his fellow classmates the same way he has inspired just about everyone else he has met.

"The biggest thing I'm looking forward to is working with people," Lipson said. "I feel like I'm going to be a big impact in their lives. I'm going to influence the way they think and look at things. I can show someone a positive influence.''

And if Calipari ever needs someone to help out with a pep talk, he won't have far to look. He need only turn to his new manager, who can go into painstaking detail on how various financial moguls made their fortunes or discuss the personal traits that caused Winston Churchill to succeed and Adolf Hitler to fail.

Better yet, he simply can tell the story about his improbable path to Lexington.

Zac Smith

2010-05-17T08:33:00.004-04:00

I read about Zac on another blog and watched this video of him. He died yesterday with a very powerful story.

It is only a 4:30 second video. You can watch it below. Click HERE to take you to the video.

You can also read Zac's blog at here.

Untamed

2010-04-29T13:07:00.002-04:00

In their book Untamed, Alan and Debra Hirsch talk about a time when their small community of believers was building relationships with a group of prostitutes. They would knit clothes, provide food and more for these “working girls.” They write,

“Our intention with these women was ultimately for them to know Jesus. So we began to disciple them. Did they know we were doing that? Absolutely not—I doubt they would have come at all if they did. Rather, our discipling of them was to expose them to the values of the kingdom and the heart of Jesus for the outcast. These women knew that we were believers, but we never abused our relationship with them by imposing our views or inappropriately “evangelizing” them in the narrow understanding of this term. We exposed their hearts to the issues of injustice and serving others, and helped put the poor on their radar. Most of these women started as professional women concerned with becoming affluent, getting bigger and better homes, and living more comfortable lifestyles. Discipling for them meant that over time they began to look more like Jesus by embracing values that were more in line with the kingdom, and as this transformation began questions about God and Jesus started taking place.” (pg 148-149)

The authors contend that we make a mistake by keeping discipling limited to followers of Christ. It’s as though we consider everything pre-conversion as evangelism and everything post-conversion as discipleship. Yet they say, “Discipleship is not just for those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior—it’s for everyone! We believe it is a great mistake to restrict discipling to just Christians and keep it within the confines of the Christian community. We as believers are called to disciple everyone who comes into our orbit of influence.”

Interesting thoughts, yet, that's how we should be acting everyday. I call it lifestyle evangelism. Are you doing that? Do you even agree with their premise?

Obstacles Welcome

2010-04-07T15:37:00.002-04:00

Obstacles Welcome is a great title for this easy to read leadership book, which also packed a good punch. Ralph de la Vega recounts his life story as he migrated to Florida from Cuba. He recalls the struggles, even the issues he had to deal with as a child and how they shaped him into the leader he is today.

de la Vega is the President and CEO of AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. He came to the United States without his parents and was raised by friends of his parents. Then after he settled into a new way of living life, his parents arrived in the United States and he had to help acclimate them.

This is an inspiring story about the decisions he had to make along the way to becoming the CEO of AT&T Mobility. While this is not a church leadership book, many of his principles are universal and can be applied personally or corporately.

There were many personal stories de la Vega told which were interesting to see how the corporate giant AT&T operated. He gives practical insight into how we went about making decisions, even when he was unsure about a situation, he walks you through his process.

I also liked this book because, unlike many books on leadership that tend to be all theory and not practicality (which is fine, to a point), de la Vega gives good, practical advice on creating actions plans, taking calulated risks, vision, recognition of obstacles as opportunities, unlearning "old-think", etc.

I would recommend this book to those who are interested in ways in which others face conflict, calculate risk in decision making, seek vision, and use obstacles as a means for opportunities in their personal, as well as business life. This was an encouraging book to read.

Reading opportunity

2010-03-22T23:49:00.001-04:00

If anyone enjoys reading books by Jane Kirkpatrick, I have a new copy of An Absence so Great. If you like I will give it to you, if you will write a short review of it.

Let me know if you would like a copy. The review must be finished by April 2.

Thanks!

Liz Curtis Higgs ~ Here Burns My Candle

2010-03-22T22:15:00.003-04:00

"Here Burns My Candle" was a wonderful combination of the book of Ruth and a fictional story set in Scotland. Liz told the story of Ruth and Naomi in a way which brought their story to life. It was obvious Liz did a great deal of research, Biblical as well as historical. For me, this helped the book become more alive.

At times Liz used Scottish dialect in order to enhance the story. I will warn you, you will have to use the glossary which was thankfully put in at the end of the book. The book is long, over 450 pages, and at times, it could get a little slow.

In the end, it’s a powerful story about a widowed mother in law, her two sons and their wives. There is war, there is worship of a pagan God, there is questioning of God’s plan and purpose. There is conflict, yet in the end, God’s love rules supreme. If you like Liz Curtis Higg’s books, you will certainly like this one.

You can purchase this book at . . .
http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?isbn=9781400070015

This was book was provided for review by WaterBrook Multnomah.

Zachary's writings

2010-03-21T14:30:00.003-04:00

Last night, after returning from Alabama, Zachary was still up and I went into his room, and he showed me what he was doing. He had just finished writing some thoughts, below is what he was writing. It sounds like parts of some songs, but he put them together.

If you can't read this, this is what Zachary wrote . . .

I try to be as Christ-like as possible. Even though it’s impossible, I do my best. I really do. More than anything the Holy Spirit got hold of me. I find that the closer I get to Christ, the better I feel. I have a purpose, everything I have, everything I’ve been given, comes from the Lord. I want to do the best I can with them, and then remember that He let’s me do this. He’s given me the opportunity to do things with the ability He’s given me. I shouldn’t take any credit.

I was impressed and proud!!

Sweet Home Alabama

2010-03-21T14:26:00.002-04:00

The boys and I just returned from Alabama after the death of Debbie's dad. His illness and death were sudden, it's a relief he did not suffer much, but there was no time for Debbie and her family to really say good-bye. I feel badly for Debbie, although she was able to get to Alabama before he died.

Now comes the difficult part for her and her sister and brother; as they go through his belongings. Since none of them live within 450 miles (we live the closest) they are going through and making decisions on who gets what and what to do with everything. Gladly, they have been in agreement on the major decisions since he died, which makes a stressful process more bearable.

Keep them in your prayers.

Joshua Drumming

2010-03-15T15:28:00.002-04:00

Click on the title to watch Joshua play his drums at the school talent show.

He's pretty good, in my opinion, especially for a kid who is not taking lessons.

A great 30 second sermon

2010-03-09T08:23:00.002-05:00

What do you think about this . . . ?

Giving: From A Child's Perspective from NewSpring Media on Vimeo.

I think it's great to see giving from a child's perspective.

What is your perspective on giving?

To watch the video, click on the header title.

Beer and Bible

2010-03-09T08:12:00.002-05:00

So, what do you think about these guys and their ministry?

They are planting a church in a town in Utah where it is 80% Mormon and there is not one Protestant church. Talk about unchurched!

Before I tell you what I think, what do you think about two guys starting a Beer and Bible study to launch a church?

Watch the video, it's only 2:30 long.

Are they off base, or are they willing to do what it takes to lead people to Christ? Click HERE to watch.

2010-02-26T07:56:00.003-05:00

When Debbie walked into Zachary's room last night while he was sleeping, this is what she found. . .

He had written on his whiteboard.

Is this kid a romantic or what? He's definitely going to woo some girl someday.

Of course, you know where he gets it from, don't you?

FORGIVENESS

2010-02-17T02:29:00.001-05:00

As I have been preaching through forgiveness, I've been asked a few questions and will talk more about these questions, plus what I was thinking about this Sunday, then conclude forgiveness on 2/28.

If you have any questions which I can answer for you or try to answer, please let me know. I'd be happy to help.

You can email me at mishana826@yahoo.com.

All questions will remain anonymous.

Blessings!

Leadership Lesson

2010-02-12T09:16:00.002-05:00

This is a great and fun 3 minute video . . .

Are you the lone nut?

Remember to watch click on the title Leadership Lesson

You can also go to http://sivers.org/ff

LOVE and WAR

2010-02-10T21:31:00.003-05:00

I have to admit, I read this book expecting it to be excellent; and I was not disappointed. John Eldredge is one of my favorite authors, and has a wonderful and powerful way of putting to words what is in many hearts. I have read his books and now would say I have a new number 1 John Eldredge book.

John and his wife, Stasi, write what is possibly one of the most open and honest Christian books about marriage. There is no subject which they don’t touch. There are no hidden agendas for John and Stasi. They are both more vulnerable than in any other book they have written individually.

As John writes, “A marriage that bears the signature of God's heart is an incredible gift, and it is worth fighting for.” Those are power-filled and truth-filled words. What God has brought together no person should be asunder; or better yet, what God brings together no person, even husband or wife, should desecrate and trash.

So, in their book, Love and War, John and Stasi walk the reader into the larger story that God has for us in marriage. As a pastor I appreciated some of the words John uses in wedding ceremonies which he performs. I was struck by his candor and wisdom. This is a book of hope which draws us to step out of the small stories and battles that often fill our lives, and into the realm of wanting more that God has for us in marriage.

John and Stasi don’t offer tips and techniques helping us to do the right thing, instead they offer transparency so that we would learn from their story. They desire for each spouse to experience the greater love story God offers them individually and as a couple; where we not only experience love from the Author of love, but become the givers of love as well.

This is a great book. I would encourage couples, older and younger; and even engaged couples to read this book. It is one I will pass out and recommend.

This was book was provided for review by WaterBrook Multnomah.

You can purchase this book online at ~
http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780385529808

ANGELS - Book Review

2010-01-20T09:39:00.002-05:00

When I saw that I had an opportunity to review one of David Jeremiah's books, I was excited, and when I read the title of the book, I was doubly excited. David is a wonderful scholar who writes in plain English, enabling all people to understand his points.

I was not disappointed in reading this book about Angels. David provides the reader with a very thorough study of what angels are and what they are not. He is quick to point out that angels never deserve our worship, that is reserved only for God. Yet, he spells out the positive and negative (satan) side of angels.

Angelology, or the study of angels has become very popular in our current pop culture. Angels are misrepresented and misunderstood according to who and what they are. Because of this and current television programs and pop books, David gives the Christian reader and excellent book.

At times the book moved a little slowly as he trued to make his point, but overall this is an excellent book. I could give so many examples of new learnings or new ways to look at angels because they are Biblical examples. A word of caution -- you may be disappointed in this book because David will break some of our worldly stereotypes of what we think angels are, as opposed to who they really are according to the Bible.

You can purchase this book at

RANDOM HOUSE BOOKS OR

AMAZON.COM

This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

The Male Factor Book Review

2010-01-15T13:18:00.001-05:00

As I review this book, I need to start out by stating a disclaimer . . . this book was written for women in the workplace and I am a man (duh!).

As a result, I felt this book was interesting because it helped reinforce some of the difficulties men and women face when working alongside one another. Men and women view life from different lenses, which leads to miscommunication and potential conflict. My perspective from reading the book may be different simply because I see things as a man, while the book was targeted for women.

There were times when Shaunti surprised me with some of the differences between men and women at work. So, I see this as a valuable book for men and women. It helps both to better understand one another in the work place.

Among other topics she writes about

* how men, with rare exception, view almost any emotional display as a sign that the person can no longer think clearly (as well as what men perceive as emotion in the first place)
* why certain types of trendy attire may actually sabotage a woman’s career
* which little-known signals ensure that a man’s perception of a strong female colleague is positive (“assertive and competent”) instead of negative (“difficult”)
* specifics about giving a conclusion upfront
* more specifics about dress (appropriate and inappropriate)

Shaunti offered wonderful insight based on a great deal of research and experience. Many of the topics are good for both men and women to be aware of.

This book is helpful to men who don’t understand women and over generalize about them. Most men assume women think and react like they do and cannot understand why there are differences. Yet we are created different and unique. I also appreciated the Christian reminders at the end of the book which point the focus toward pleasing God rather than ourselves or others.

There was a great deal of research used to complete this book and at times that can be overwhelming to read, yet it is necessary to help Shaunti make her points. Overall, I think much of the information is very important and helpful.

This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

You can purchase the book at AMAZON.COM

or

RANDOM HOUSE BOOKS

The Best and Worst Communicators of 2009

2010-01-14T09:46:00.002-05:00

I subscribe to a periodic blog by Bert Decker who is a communications expert. It helps me grow a little more as I read about communication techniques and skills to develop. Each year he posts his top ten 'best and worst' communicators. Here they are -

The Top Ten Best Communicators of 2009

1. Sully Sullenberger

Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger is not just the hero who brilliantly landed his airplane on the Hudson River, he is a bona fide great communicator. He is humble yet has a message. He inspires yet speaks sparingly. I remember eagerly awaiting his first speech since the landing – and I was stunned. He spoke for only 17 seconds. Eloquently, and I blogged on it, hoping we would have more of that rarified speaking impact in the future. We did. And he does – deserve #1 for communicating as skillfully as he flies an airplane. And that’s saying something.

2. Tim Tebow

Probably the top college football player of the decade, Tim Tebow is as articulate off the field as he is proficient on it. He won the Heisman Trophy as a sophomore, and when his team lost early the following season he ‘promised’ his team the national championship. Tim Tebow is confident and clear in media interviews, a refreshing change from so many top athletes. Above all, he is a leader, and the unquestioned leader of his team (see this halftime clip from the 2008 BCS Championship.) He is eloquent in talking about his faith, and for now is truly an athlete who walks his talk. (Let’s hope he can maintain his candor with integrity, in contrast to some others… See #3 on the Worst list.)

3. Matt Lauer

When I first met Matt Lauer on the TODAY Show in 1996, he was just about to break into full time hosting. What struck me most is he was so affable yet could be strong in an interview. Matt is as nice, humble, and enthusiastic a communicator to me off stage as he has been in his last decade as a star. Always unflappable, he can be very confrontational in an interview when necessary, even with a President, yet is usually open and humorous. Behaviorally he has great eye communication, wit and energy. His longevity alone, at the top of broadcast pyramid, wins him a long deserved place in the Top Ten.

4. Carly Fiorina

What a transformation. From fallen executive (past CEO of Hewlett Packard,) to a wooden sounding spokesperson for Presidential Candidate John McCain, to cancer survivor, to Senatorial candidate on a mission, Carly Fiorina always has communicated with great energy (with the McCain Convention an exception – teleprompters quenched her volubility). Now she has a purpose and a new pursuit to use her executive skill. Her message is powerful and sympathetic with her “If I licked cancer I can lick anything” attitude. It is refreshing to see her model the transition from glamorous blond executive to cancer survivor with no hair – she makes up for the loss with added passion. It will be interesting to see how she does on the campaign trail – I hunch she’ll more than survive.

5. Steve Jobs

He has been on the Top Ten list before, and I try not to have repeats, but there is no denying his justifiable position here, again. His mind and his mouth have led him to be named CEO of the decade by Fortune Magazine. As CEO and speaker and celebrity, he stands above the pack. Although he did not give his famous keynote address this year at Macworld, (here’s a clip of his iPhone announcement) – he did conquer a liver transplant. And even though under the weather, you can be sure he was also behind the scenes guiding Apple to another record setting year in the midst of economic turmoil. He’s overcome turmoils before.

6. Sir Ken Robinson

Perhaps you haven’t heard of him – time to take a look here or his website. One of the featured speakers at TED, Sir Ken is brilliant at story telling and humor. He also has quite a message for educators. He creatively advocates at every opportunity the need to bring creativity back into academia, particularly for the children. And he is an eloquent and funny voice for the young of all ages.

7. Chip & Dan Heath

The Heath brothers are masters of communicating sticky messages. Their 2007 breakaway best seller “Made to Stick” defines the ultimate test for stickiness. Since then, they’ve been consulting for big business and non-profit alike, landed a monthly column in Fast Company magazine and they’ve been speaking…a lot. This August they were the “opening act” for Bono (they spoke just before his videocast appearance) to a crowd of 60,000 at the Willow Creek Leadership Summit. They are expert teachers and master practitioners, and they’re in the top ten this year because we’ve had the very special opportunity to witness them in action as we co-developed the new Decker Made to Stick Messaging Program. You’ll be hearing lots more from them and about their new sticky ideas on change…their new book Switch releases in February.

8. Taylor Swift

Yes, a singer, but also a talker. Taylor Swift turned the insult by Kanye West at the MTV VMA’s into an opportunity to launch herself into the mainstream. In her SNL monologue response to the incident she came across as confident, bold but modest, humorous, and likable. Remarkably she is only 19 but has the maturity of a seasoned performer. Taylor elevated herself out of the tween pop country realm and into the spotlight by articulating her point of view with humility and strength, instead of shrinking away in embarrassment. In interview programs she shows she can do more than sing. On top of all that, she was named Entertainer of the year. Looks like she’ll be communicating in a big way for many years.

9. Chris Brogan

Chris is unusual for several reasons. He is at the cutting edge of blogs and social media, is a great writer, and this year wrote the best seller “Trust Agents.” It is because of his speaking on these things that he has become not only proficient at speaking – and somewhat of an authority. Just as he has ‘burst’ to prominence in the social media fields, so he bursts onto the Top Ten Communicators list. (He calls it “the overnight success that took years.”) In addition, and of great interest to me, is his amazing ability to multi-task. I have seen him talk, tweet, change PowerPoints, chair a panel and type all at the same time. Parallel thinking to the max, it’s a great asset for communicators and all could learn from Chris.

10. Sarah Palin

No doubt a controversial pick (as will be #10 on the Worst list), Sarah Palin is where she is today primarily because of her communicating ability. And she’s only #10 on the list because she is flawed in crisp focus (Q&A) and casualness. Yet like the Phoenix, she continuously comes back from the ashes – because she can talk, and talk well. Remember her two landmark speeches in the political year of 2008, where she turned around the enormous negativity of the questions “Who’s Sarah Palin” and “Why is she here” with two resounding and successful speeches. This year she surprisingly resigned as Governor, appeared to be a quitter, and the media relegated her to a has-been status. Then she turns around in 6 months with “Going Rogue”, one of the biggest non-fiction best sellers in history, and gets record crowds and massive media exposure – because she is energetic, fresh and personable. She is the poster child for likability. Communicating got Obama where he is, and it continues to keep Palin on the move.

The Top Ten Worst Communicators of 2009

1. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

The President of Iran since 2005, Ahmadinejad has been a center of controversy since his election. His many strident communications are continuously those of arrogance and dissension. The Iranian uprising in June of 2009 was caused by Ajhmadinejad’s repression of free speech and rigged elections (even though Twitter helped shine some light.) He has called the holocaust a myth, and blusters for Israel to be “wiped off the map.” Contentious at best, ignoring the world at worst (eg. sanctions over Nuclear energy production), Ahmadinejad is the worst communicator of the year.

UPDATE: Ahmadinejad continues his communications of opacity and obfuscation in response to the end of year uprising.

2. Mark Sanford

What was he thinking? When Gov. Sanford was caught with his Argentinian mistress, he had a long, rambling press conference where he blocked, obfuscated, cried, wheedled and otherwise communicated like an incompetent teenager. No wonder they tried to impeach him – he was no kind of leader with that kind of communicating, much less behavior. There have been others who have recovered after the fall from the perch – Bill Clinton, Martha Stewart, Kobe Bryant come to mind – but all of them did it with confession and contrite communication. And a clarity that Sanford seems to lack.

3. Tiger Woods

You could also say “What was he thinking?” But compared to Mark Sanford, here there was NO communication of any kind. (Well, he had a few blog ‘press releases’ but nothing from him personally, so we have no clips.) First of all, to be seen and heard is essential – a press release doesn’t do it. And good communicating and speaking must be authentic. Apparently with Tiger Woods there was deception for years. Which means that all of Tiger Woods speaking and appearances, such as they were, were false, and on a world stage no less. Now, when caught in the lie, the deception continues in a vacuum – no communication, no openness, no trust, no forgiveness and the worst results. Tiger Woods, to date, has handled this about as badly as you could handle a major media snafu. Personally, I hope he begins speaking, and speaking honestly. Without that he will not regain personal prominence, even though he can continue to excel at golf.

4. Rod Blagojevich

A repeat from last years Worst List, because he never learned how. Ex Governor Rod Blagojevich continued to rant and rave, with no logic and no grace. What’s worse, where he used to have good communication skills (after all it’s what got him elected) he has deceived HIMSELF with thinking that he could continue to be believed, as evidenced in his January plea to the Illinois Senate. And thus he becomes a laughing stock and an object of derision. In his case, not communicating for awhile would be a good thing.

5. Caroline Kennedy

No deception here, just unfortunately terrible communication skills. Caroline Kennedy is a woman of tradition, and is to be admired for her many accomplishments. All the media had her as a sure thing for appointment to a New York Senate seat by Gov. Patterson when Hillary Clinton went to Secretary of State. But then Caroline Kennedy opened her mouth. And filled the air with uncertainty and doubt, amidst a bunch of ums and uhs and other non-words. She avoided the press, and couldn’t put a Point Of View together if her nomination depended on it. And it did, and thus she dropped out quickly. Too bad – if you can’t communicate, you can’t get elected.

6. Bobby Jindal

What an opportunity squandered. Governor Bobby Jindal was the Republican rebuttal to President Obama’s State of the Union – a relative unknown with a chance to make a name for himself. Well, he did, but not in the way he wanted. He was stiff with the through the lens teleprompter, and his sing-song vocal delivery did him in. And here’s a classic clip of Rachel Maddow, who herself is not one of the best, calling Jindal one of the worst. Here she was right to be speechless.

7. Edward Liddy

How magnanimous of former Allstate CEO Edward Liddy to come in on a charging steed and take over the reins of the battered AIG – and for only $1 in salary. His positive aura quickly deteriorated when he was found out to own millions in Goldman Sachs stock, for which AIG paid out handsome dividends. His deceptive communications continued as AIG continued to hand out excessive executive bonuses – the ensuing scandal and Liddy’s poor congressional testimony further served him up as the 2009 poster child for bank and investment firm CEO’s who lacked direct and forthright communications to the public.

8. Carrie Prejean

“Larry you’re being inappropriate,” were the surprising words coming from the smiling face of Carrie Prejean. This was the lowpoint (so far) of her communications downfall in her appearance on The Larry King Show, where she walked out, then stayed. It was beyond awkward and confirmed the only consistency in her communications…inconsistency. This former Miss America contestant at first seemed sincere in her comments after being fired from the Miss America pageant, taking a strong stance for purity, and then getting herself tangled in lies about scandalous pictures and a video. She appears defensive and naive by speaking with an inauthentic smile, avoids the elephant in the room, references herself in the third person, and constantly tilts her head and waves a judgmental finger. This is a role model for poor communications.

9. Timothy Geithner & Hank Paulson

Timothy Geithner started out badly as he continued the dour communications style of Hank Paulson. Both held the same jobs as Secretary of the Treasury in one of the most critical times of financial crisis, and both couldn’t have been much worse in communicating the way out. The air of aloofness was almost palpable with Hank Paulson, and Tim Geithner was not much better. And when Geithner got excused by President Obama for an income tax ‘error’ (more on Obama next), he then topped his lack of communicating credibility with his announcement of a plan – and there was no plan.

10. Barack Obama

Every President has to be on the list, one way or the other because communications is his primary job. Last year Obama was #1 on the Best list and President Bush was #1 on the Worst list. This year Obama doesn’t exactly trade places, but he’s the best of the worst since he has failed to fulfill the promise of his communications platform. He was a great communicator as a candidate, not so much as a leader. The New York Times wrote about “The President Whose Words Once Soared.” For the full report see our blog post here, but in summary here’s why:

He is aloof and professorial, actually most often speaking formally with his nose a bit aloft
He speaks in bursts and a repetitious cadence, almost in a sing-song manner
He leans with an enormous emphasis on scripts and the teleprompter
He has NEVER learned how to use the teleprompter well
Often he makes gaffes when he speaks spontaneously
And he is way over exposed, where speaking on the trivial diminishes the important

Because of those behavioral flaws, President Obama does not generate the trust that many anticipated. Even now his spokesperson Robert Gibbs (who is a bit flawed himself) is viewed more favorably than Obama, which is startling. President Obama rode into office on great hope wherein the majority would excuse minor communication flaws. Yet when hope diminishes, the previously excused flaws become magnified, and will not serve the President well. Here is the detail on “Why Obama Fails as a Communicator.”

UPDATE: A video on Obama’s ‘gift’ of communications from WSJ’s Dan Henninger add to justifying this ranking, plus the response to the Christmas terrorist attempt that slipped through the TSA cracks…

More on Britt Hume and Tiger Woods

2010-01-05T11:59:00.002-05:00

Bill O'Reilly on the O'Reilly Factor interviewed Britt Hume about terrorism and his comments about Tiger Woods.

Hume spoke for a few minutes about his thoughts. O'Reilly's videos cannot be downloaded onto the blog, so if you go to his website at ~

http://www.foxnews.com/oreilly/

then scroll down and click on Leap of Faith. Hume's discussion about Woods begins at the 3:48 mark. Hume talks about the transformation which will be apparent in Woods life if he becomes a Christian and how great that transformation would be.

Thought you might be interested.

Brit Hume Tells Tiger Woods: Become a Christian

2010-01-04T11:56:00.004-05:00

Did you see Brit Hume on Fox News Sunday yesterday? I didn't, It was pretty incredible...

Take a look at this, and could you be so bold as to tell someone this? How bold are you with your faith?

Remember, to view this click on the title . . . Brit Hume tells Tiger Woods: Become a Christian

Primal - Book Review

2009-12-25T11:46:00.002-05:00

As Mark Batterson would say, we have a tendency to over complicate things. Sadly this is often particularly true when it comes to how we live-out our Christian faith. But, Jesus made it simple: Love God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength. It’s really that simple, but we tend to make it so complicated.

In Primal, Mark Batterson challenges us to return to that primal faith that started it all, and to remember exactly what Christian faith is supposed to be all about. If we are to live out the essence of Christianity, we must commit to being great at this Great Commandment.

Batterson tells the story of hearing Senator Bill Frist speak several years ago at the National Prayer Breakfast. Before serving in the Senate, Frist performed more than 150 heart transplants as a thoracic surgeon. At the Prayer Breakfast he spoke about the moment a heart is grafted into a new body. Apparently, all doctors can do is wait and hope that it will begin to beat. He said no one's really sure why or how it works.

It's a mystery.

And it seems the mystery of the heart doesn't stop there. Batterson writes, "Studies suggest that the heart secretes its own brain-like hormones and has cellular memory. So a heart transplant isn't just physical, it's metaphysical. Heart transplant recipients don't just receive a new organ, they receive cellular memories."

Primal pushes us to become great at living-out the Great Commandment Jesus gave (Mark 12:30) in the four areas of heart (compassion), soul (wonder), mind (curiosity), and strength (power). Batterson, believes, as do I, that when we discover or rediscover living our lives out of those four areas, we are then able to live out the true essence of Christianity.

This would be a great book to start 2010 with.

You can purchase this book at the WaterBrook Multnomah website. Here they will see different options where they can purchase the book online:

http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?isbn=9781601421319

This was book was provided for review by WaterBrook Multnomah.

The Moment of Conception

2009-12-25T08:57:00.000-05:00

"What is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit." ~ Matthew 1:20

Is anything as miraculous as the moment of conception? A sperm penetrates an egg and all the genetic data that will determine who that person becomes is encoded within that single cell. A-mazing! The mother's body starts producing hormones before she even knows she is pregnant. The heart starts beating around day 22. In four weeks time, that single cell has grown 10,000 times larger. Around day 42, the first neuron is formed and 120 days later, a baby will have a hundred billion neurons. That is nearly 10,000 synapses per second. But it all begins with that moment of conception.

The Christmas conception was unique. Mary was a virgin. So what was conceived in her was from the Holy Spirit. And all orthodox Christians believe in the miracle of the virgin birth. But I would suggest that it's more than a tenet of theology. It also sets an example. Anything of eternal value in our lives is conceived by the Holy Spirit. And God still works the same way today. When He wants to do something He conceives something inside of us by the Holy Spirit--a passion, a calling, a gifting, a prompting. And when we do what the Holy Spirit conceives we are advancing His kingdom on earth. And just as Christ came into the world at Bethlehem, Jesus incarnates himself through His children when the Holy Spirit is at work through us.

So on Christmas morning, here is my Christmas question: what does God want to conceive within you?

The X in XMAS

2009-12-23T09:19:00.002-05:00

For those who have are concerned with people who use X in place of Christ when writing Christmas, you might find this article, by R.C. Sproul interesting. Let me add that when I was in seminary I began using X for Christ, JC for Jesus Christ, HS for Holy Spirit, G for God. In a strange way it was comforting and expedient. This allowed me to write quickly, but also when I would throw a piece of paper in the garbage I was never throwing out the complete name of God.

Yes, it may sound strange but some of that comes with my Jewish background and the sanctity of God's name. You see, Jewish people (practicing Jews and others as well) when writing the name God, will write G-D, this way they will never throw the name of God out. It's an interesting premise which stuck with me through seminary and remains with me to this day. I don't even like deleting God's name from a sentence I write on my computer.

Here is the article from R.C. Sproul

The simple answer to your question is that the X in Christmas is used like the R in R.C. My given name at birth was Robert Charles, although before I was even taken home from the hospital my parents called me by my initials, R.C., and nobody seems to be too scandalized by that.

X can mean so many things. For example, when we want to denote an unknown quantity, we use the symbol X. It can refer to an obscene level of films, something that is X-rated. People seem to express chagrin about seeing Christ's name dropped and replaced by this symbol for an unknown quantity X. Every year you see the signs and the bumper stickers saying, "Put Christ back into Christmas" as a response to this substitution of the letter X for the name of Christ.

First of all, you have to understand that it is not the letter X that is put into Christmas. We see the English letter X there, but actually what it involves is the first letter of the Greek name for Christ. Christos is the New Testament Greek for Christ. The first letter of the Greek word Christos is transliterated into our alphabet as an X. That X has come through church history to be a shorthand symbol for the name of Christ.

We don't see people protesting the use of the Greek letter theta, which is an O with a line across the middle. We use that as a shorthand abbreviation for God because it is the first letter of the word Theos, the Greek word for God.

The idea of X as an abbreviation for the name of Christ came into use in our culture with no intent to show any disrespect for Jesus. The church has used the symbol of the fish historically because it is an acronym. Fish in Greek (ichthus) involved the use of the first letters for the Greek phrase "Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior." So the early Christians would take the first letter of those words and put those letters together to spell the Greek word for fish. That's how the symbol of the fish became the universal symbol of Christendom. There's a long and sacred history of the use of X to symbolize the name of Christ, and from its origin, it has meant no disrespect.

Taken from Now, That's a Good Question!
©1996 by R.C. Sproul. Used by permission of Tyndale on the blog of Ligonier Ministries.

Book Review - 40 LOAVES

2009-12-22T15:53:00.003-05:00

I am generally not a big devotional reader. However, this is one of the better devotionals I have read. The devotions are short and to the point. It only takes a few minutes to read each one, but the potential impact is great. C.D. Baker arouses your heart, spirit and mind as you consider the impact of the message of Christ.

He asks a lot of tough questions with his "Food for Thought" questions, such as "Why don't I have more faith? Why am I so bored with Jesus? Why don't I feel connected at church? Why don't I know what I want in life?"

If we were honest, we would know that he has touched a nerve with some of is questions which should cause us to take stock of our relationship with Christ.

He asked questions like, "Do I really want to take him by the hand or just take from his hand?" which should cause us to consider what is it we want from our relationship with Jesus.

This would be a great book to read for a 40 day devotion.

This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Publishing Group.

Regifting Etiquette

2009-12-22T15:11:00.001-05:00

I found this on the Internet, so, for all you regifters, here is the Code of Ethics.

If you're a closet regifter, rest assured: You're not alone. In fact, a Code of Regifting Ethics has emerged from the shadowy, persecuted regifting underworld, marking horror stories the signs of amateurs at work. Follow these simple commandments, and you, too, can regift with class, dignity, and little to no fear of karmic retribution...

Rule #1: Thou shalt not regift anything you've already used. This is the single most important rule. Don't try to fudge it. Think of this rule as your excuse to give that gently-worn sweater to a worthy charity, instead of racking your brains trying to think of a friend who won't remember seeing you in it.

Rule #2: Thou shalt carefully examine your regift from every angle. Check for gift notes tucked into the box. Check for inscriptions on the first ten pages of the book. Check for damage. And for the love of sweet pickle juice, check for monograms and personalization.

Rule #3: Thou shalt be certain, beyond a doubt, that the person who originally gave you the gift does not know, and never will know, the person you're regifting it to. File under "duh."

Rule #4: Thou shalt regift with the same care and generosity with which you, er, regular-gift. Wrap the gift nicely, include a thoughtful card, and observe your usual gift-giving discretion. You wouldn't tell a friend how much you paid for a gift you bought, right? You don't need to tell her how much you didn't pay, either. (Total honesty might make you feel better, but it probably won't have the same effect on the recipient.)

Rule #5: Thou shalt only regift things that other people might actually want. On the "do" list: Bottles of wine and champagne are almost universally welcome regifts. Other good regifts: new toys, bestselling books, unused (and unopened) beauty products, edible goodies that not only are fresh but also look fresh, music (anything that wasn't the big hit of last year, that is), and picture frames you've taken the trouble to put great pictures into.

On the "don't" list: Branded stuff (umbrellas with logos on them, the silver pen from the conference you went to that has the conference name on it), small appliances (too obvious), anything that was itself obviously a regift. . . unless you're headed to a White Elephant party.

And then there's "the big maybe:" Anyone who's ever been married has probably regifted at least one wedding present. We ain't sayin' it's right or wrong. But if you regifted a wedding present, you probably know that there's about a 65% chance that the recipient guessed. . . which isn't exactly the desired effect. Which brings us to the final rule of regifting.

Rule #6: Thou shalt remember why you give gifts to begin with. We give gifts because we want people to like them. We give gifts out of the impulse of generosity, and because as a species, we like seeing each others' eyes light up with delight and surprise, one of many characteristics that distinguishes human beings from, say, woodpeckers or garden slugs. If you can't see a regift making somebody you know and love happy, maybe that regift deserves another recipient. Like a charity. Or the recycle bin.

Pray for your Pastor

2009-12-21T12:50:00.004-05:00

Here is a blog from one of the most direct Pastors I know, Perry Noble. Perry leads about 10,000 folks in Anderson, South Carolina. He wrote this about praying for pastors . . .

Pray For Your Pastor
Perry Noble

"This particular post may seem a little self serving…but so be it…this needs to be said (AND…I don’t mind asking people to pray for me!) :-)

Here are several areas where you can be praying for your pastor…

#1 – His Walk With God – Pray that his relationship with Jesus isn’t one out of obligation…but of OBSESSION for HIM!!! It is VERY tempting for a pastor to read the Bible for sermon prep and NOT to know Jesus. Pray that His relationship with Jesus will be FRESH and that he will be filled with vision and passion like never before.

#2 – His Integrity – It takes YEARS to establish integrity…and it can be destroyed in seconds. Pray for your pastor to keep his eyes on Jesus and OFF of anything that might lead him astray!!!

#3 – His Marriage – Pray that your pastor just doesn’t preach about a healthy marriage…but LIVES it out. I promise you the enemy comes STRONG after his marriage…and his kids!!! Lift up his wife and children by name as well!!!

#4 – His Sanity – He deals with critics, he deals with unrealistic expectations, he deals with accusations, he deals with pressure that is intense. Pray that he will keep his sanity. I recently heard of a survey that said only 10% of the men entering the ministry actually retire…the others either get disqualified OR drop out! That is a 90% failure rate!!! THE STAKES ARE HIGH!!!

#5 – His Health – I was in a meeting of pastors a few years ago…everyone of us were leading large churches…everyone of us were under 35…and over HALF of the men in the room (remember, we were under 35) had been hospitalized in the past two years because of serious medical problems (most likely brought on by stress and anxiety!) Good health is so vital for ministry…and I can promise you that physical, emotional and spiritual health do not just “happen!” Do not assume that just because your pastor is young that he is healthy…lift him up.

Whoever your pastor is…seriously…I would ask that you lift him up. No matter who you are…no matter who your pastor is. I don’t care if you are reading this site and hate me…don’t hate your pastor. Cover him…and pray that Jesus will speak to him and through him in ways that he has never experienced.

Rick Warren once said that he believes pastors are the most underrated changes agents in the world…and I believe that!!! SO…let’s lift him up before God…and pray that Jesus will have HIS way in his life!"

.

The Church

2009-12-21T12:07:00.003-05:00

As I was writing my thoughts from Revelations 1-3, this is how I ended my thoughts . . .

. . . Moving beyond this, really is the question of what is the church?

Is it about satisfying your needs or meeting the needs of others according to what God is calling you to do?
But, do you know what God is calling you to do?
Is it to complain or to serve?
Is it to have your needs met or meet the needs of others?
Is it to serve or be served?
Is it to be a difference maker or blend in with the crowd?

How do you answer those questions? Where is your commitment to the Church, and I mean THE CHURCH of Jesus Christ, not the local church. Your commitment to the throne of Christ, will ultimately determine your values and convictions within the local church.

Frankly, there are just too many complainers and not enough servants. Sadly, some of the 'so called servants' are complainers in disguise. So, as you move into 2010, what type of faith will you demonstrate to the world and to your Lord and Savior, Jesus, the Christ?

Will it be that lukeward, putrid faith which Jesus tells us in Revelation 3 is spit out of His mouth? Or will you serve with a renewed zeal, passion and energy?

Spending

2009-12-18T13:13:00.001-05:00

I saw this one too. I thought it was funny and rather tongue in check from Saturday Night Live about spending money.

Remember, click on the title "spending" to get you to watch the video.

It's a good video for Black Friday shoppers!

Joy

2009-12-18T13:09:00.002-05:00

I came across this 45 second snippet from Tony Dungy talking about joy.

I thought is was worth listening to . . .

What Brings True Joy? from Family First on Vimeo.

Remember to view this, click on the title of this blog, Joy.

Blessings and joy!

I'm Dreaming of a church . . .

2009-12-09T09:18:00.005-05:00

Perry Noble from NewSpring Church in Anderson, S.C. wrote this, and I thought he was right on.

So, here are his dreams . . .

I’m Dreaming Of A Church… December 9, 2009

Below is the link to his blog . . .

http://www.perrynoble.com/2009/12/09/im-dreaming-of-a-church/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+perrynoble%2FZvVU+%28Perry+Noble+dot+com%29&utm_content=Yahoo!+Mail

Jesus has done more in the past 10 years of ministry here at NewSpring Church than any of us ever thought possible…and I know there’s more.

Ephesians 3:20 keeps running over and over again in my mind…and I keep dreaming of a church (and churches…)

That the ministry goes beyond the walls of the building and actually IMPACTS the community in a radical way.
Where the broken, hurting and lost are received with open arms…and the religious are challenged to repent of their “perfection.”
Where generosity is embraced.
Where the staff and volunteers give their best to God in every task that they take on! (I don’t believe the church should look to organization like Disney and Apple for inspiration…I believe they should be looking at the church!!! Yes, they have great thinkers…we have the HOLY SPIRIT of the LIVING GOD! There is no excuse for half hearted, watered down effort in the Kingdom!)
Where JESUS is exalted…NOT a denomination or a political party.
Where Scripture, not Robert’s Rules of Order, govern the Body.
Where people in the church REFUSE to ignore injustice…and EMBRACE that God has called the church to do more about it than simply pray…but rather to DIVE IN and do all we can to help all we can.
That refuses to accept that the way things are is the way they have to be.
That champions the next generation instead of teaching them they are insignificant until they can get a job and begin to tithe.
That excitement and passion surrounds the Sunday services…and also an expectation that God is going to do something huge!
That throws the desire to compete with other churches out the window…and does all that they can to help the body.
That embraces the fact that Jesus originally called “unschooled, ordinary men” to change the world…and He’s STILL doing the same thing today. (See Acts 4:13)

The church’s best days are yet to come…and I can’t wait to see what Jesus does next. He loves His church way more than we do!!!

Anger in Action

2009-12-01T09:19:00.003-05:00

Here is what happens in a hockey game when anger gets the best of you.

Click on the title Anger in Action to watch the play.

Book Reviews

2009-11-18T10:22:00.004-05:00

I have three reviews for you . . .

The first is the book, Leaving Carolina, by Tamara Leigh.

This is a story about a girl named Piper Wick who left her hometown of Pickwick , North Carolina twelve years ago. She proverbially shook the dust off her feet, ditched her drawl and her family name, and made a new life for herself as a high-powered public relations consultant in LA. Now she's even “engaged to be engaged” to the picture-perfect U.S. Congressman Grant Spangler.

Now all of Piper’s hard-won happiness is threatened by a reclusive uncle’s bout of conscience. In the wake of a health scare, Uncle Obadiah Pickwick has decided to change his will, leaving money to make amends for four generations’ worth of family misdeeds. But that will reveal all the Pickwicks’ secrets, including Piper’s.

Though Piper arrives in Pickwick primed for battle, she is unprepared for Uncle Obe’s rugged, blue-eyed gardener. So just who is Axel Smith? Why does he think making amends is more than just making restitution? And why, oh why, can’t she stay on task? With the Lord’s help, Piper is about to discover that although good PR might smooth things over, only the truth will set her free.

It's a fun fast moving book, which features quirky characters, some comedy and a little romance. It seems a little similar to the movie Sweet Home Alabama. If you like the movie, you should like the book.

You can purchase Leaving Carolina at http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?isbn=9781601421661

The next book is What Matters Most: Diary of a Teenage Girl, by Melody Carlson.

This is the 3rd book in a series of books subtitled, Diary of a Teenage Girl.

In this book, we see that Maya Stark is sixteen years old and has been mostly on her own for about a year. Living with her Uncle its more like a place to lay her head. Her father did not fight for custody as being a musician he is gone more than he is home and her mother is in prison for drug addiction.

As a Christian teen Maya has a lot to think about and sort through. It's a tough time of life and there are more complications anyone would want for their teen. Maya could graduate from high school early if she wants to. She’s considering it, especially when popular cheerleader Vanessa Hartman decides to make her life miserable–and Maya’s ex-boyfriend Dominic gets the wrong idea about everything.

To complicate matters even more, Maya’s mother will be released from prison soon, and she’ll want Maya to live with her again. That’s a disaster waiting to happen. And when Maya plays her dad’s old acoustic guitar in front of an audience, she discovers talents and opportunities she never expected. Faced with new options, Maya must choose between a “normal” life and a glamorous one. Ultimately, she has to figure out what matters most.

This would be a good book to give to a teen girl who is considering options in life as she reads about Maya and her writings which uncover more of her personality.

You can purchase What Matters Most at http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?isbn=9781601421197

The last book is another Melody Carlson book called Limelight.

In this book, we learn about Claudette Fioré, who used to turn heads and break hearts. She relished the glamorous Hollywood lifestyle because she had what it takes: money, youth, fame, and above all, beauty. But age has withered that beauty, and a crooked accountant has taken her wealth, leaving the proud widow penniless and alone.

Armed with stubbornness and sarcasm, Claudette returns to her shabby little hometown and her estranged sister. Slowly, she makes friends. She begins to see her old life in a new light. For the first time, Claudette Fioré questions her own values and finds herself wondering if it’s too late to change.

A wonderful book talking about values and change. It's one most people can identify with.

You can purchase Limelight at http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?isbn=9781400070824

All of these books were provided for review by Random House Publishers.

Blessings to all!!

$Money$

2009-11-13T08:17:00.001-05:00

A short but good video about money from a 4 year old.

Elijah Offering Video from Elevation Church on Vimeo.

Click on the title and watch the video

LEAF RAKING

2009-11-10T09:41:00.003-05:00

If anyone is interested in helping rake leaves or help some people with yard clean up this Saturday beginning at 9 am please let me know.

Also, we have a number of youth helping, and could use a couple of extra adult volunteers to help supervise, plus if you have a leaf blower to bring that would be great.

If you can't help, but are willing to let someone use your leaf blower, please let me know.

Thanks,

Michael

Coupon Success

2009-11-05T10:01:00.002-05:00

Okay, I admitted on Facebook I am a coupon addict, I'm a junkie when it comes to coupons and I drive Debbie a little bit more crazy, but let me give a quick example of what I bought and how much I paid.

Pay Less (Kroger) had a mega sale, buy to of certain items and you receive an extra $5 back. So, I bought 8 of these Pillsbury Refrigerated cookies and 2 bags of Chex Mix (both were part of the mega sale).

Here's the breakdown. If I buy them without sales, etc. the cost would be $2.88 x 8 = $23.04. Chex Mix would be $2.79 x 2 = $5.58. Total cost would be $28.62.

The sale for Pillsbury was $2.49 . . . . but, I used the following . . .

Buy 2 receive $1.50 off, I used 4 of these coupons. = $6 off.
4 coupons from the Internet @ $1 each. = $4 off.
3 coupons on my Pay Less card via Internet @ $1 each. = $3 off.
Mega sale $.50 off each item. = $4 off
Buy 4 and receive a $2 coupon on your next trip. = $4 back.

Net expenditure for the Pillsbury cookies would total $2.04 or $.255 per package. NOT BAD!!

The sale for Chex Mix was $1.49 . . . . but, I used the following . . . .

2 coupons from the Internet @ $.50 each. = $1
2 coupons on my Pay Less card via Internet $.50 each. = $1 off.
Mega sale $.50 off each item. = $1 off

Net expenditure for the Chex Mix would be $0.00

So, do I need all those cookies? Yup, now we can have a family project without the mess and bake cookies for our neighbors and greet them in the name of Christ. Plus, we may eat a few on the way.

I'll write more about couponing in future dates.

By the way, yesterday's grocery bill was about $130, of which the bill was $32. I used about $48 in coupons.

If God is Good . . .

2009-10-20T14:59:00.003-04:00

I have been reading Randy Alcorn's book, If God is Good: Faith in the Midst of Suffering and Evil. Randy is tackling a huge theological question basically everyone deals with at some point in their lives. I've dealt with it personally and professionally. What do we do with a good God, one who is not evil or mean, and yet, bad things happen to people.

We all ask questions about God's presence in our lives during our most difficult moments, and frankly we hope nobody asks us the same questions we are thinking about because we certainly don't have the answers. Some of the questions are - -

» Why is there evil in the world?
» Why does God allow suffering?
» What's with a good God sending people to Hell?
» What about senseless evil? If God is all powerful, why doesn't He stop it?
» How can life make sense in light of all this muck in my life?

Randy Alcorn has written If God is Good to answer all these questions, and many more, in an everyday style of language. Yes the unit sections seem pretty steep and deep, but I really believe this is an understandable book.

His approach is to share stories about grace and life, hoping to make sense of the chapters and topics he seeks to cover. He also attempts to give a biblical basis to his reasoning.

Alcorn attempts to answer this question in a long, 512 page book. He breaks the book down into 12 units, which are listed below.

Understanding the Problem of Evil and Suffering
Understanding Evil: It's Origin, Nature and Consequences
Problems for Non-Theists: Moral Standards, Goodness and Extreme Evil
Proposed Solutions to the Problem of Evil and Suffering: Limiting God's Attributes
Evil and Suffering in the Great Drama of Christ's Redemptive Work
Divine Sovereignty and Meaningful Human Choice: Accounting for Evil and Suffering
The Two Eternal Solutions to the Problem of Evil: Heaven and Hell
God's Allowance and Restraint of Evil and Suffering
Evil and Suffering Used for God's Glory
Why Does God Allow Suffering?
Living Meaningfully in Suffering

This is a well written book, which helps us understand the difficulties we face and what seems unjust to the seemingly just.

You can find this book at

http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781601421326

This was book was provided for review by Random House Publishers.

Real Kids Prayers

2009-10-20T08:29:00.003-04:00

Click on the title to watch this 1:50 video.

Kids Prayers from Granger Community on Vimeo.

It's powerful.

Finding Wisdom in Darkness

2009-10-16T22:20:00.006-04:00

Wisdom Hunter was originally released in 1991 by Randall Arthur; and has been rereleased in 2009. This was a fun nonfiction book to read. It was fast paced as you follow a middle aged, successful southern preacher, Jason Faircloth, who holds to legalism more than he does love. He is well respected and loved by many people but after enduring two life altering tragedies he begins a quest for his one living relative, which also leads him to have conversations with God and others as he seeks to rebuild his life.

His journey takes him on adventures he would never have dreamt possible for a faithful Christian like himself. Yet, he finds himself involved in situation after situation, sometimes from his own naivete, and the drama that unfolds along side of it. At times the book is a little sappy, but there is a powerful story with some great points about life, living it joyfully vs. living it dutifully.

You can find this book at http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781601422996&ref=externallink_mlt_wisdomhunter_sec_0908_01

This was book was provided for review by Random House Books.

Shadow Government was a fascinating book by Grant Jeffrey. In this book, Jeffrey writes about his concerns, and even more than that, his suspicion that surveillance is being used against everyday citizens like you and me.

Jeffrey goes into great detail and at times seems a little extremist, yet when reading this with an open mind, it makes you wonder where the surveillance starts and where it ends. For example, he writes about RFID chips. These are those little microscopic chips in books and 100's of other tech products. Wal-mart invested more than $250 million into these chips and requires their top 100 manufacturers to embed all their high end products which Wal-mart sells with these chips.

The end result, Jeffery explains is this, "IBM developed a program, named Margaret, designed to embed RFID scanners in the doors and floors of thousands of banks and financial institutions. Wealthy customers are given passbooks and loyalty cards that contain RFID chips, which alert the bank's ID system as soon as the valued customer enters the building. This allows members of a consumer relations team to provide a heads up to the manager and automatically brings up the customers account information on the bank's computer system. A teller can greet the customer by name, as if the customer were a long lost friend." That's scary folks.

Even IBM admitted, "The widespread use of RFID tags on merchandise such as clothing would make it possible for locations of people, animals and objects to be tracked on a global scale - a privacy invasion of Orwellian proportions."

It's an interesting book to read. How far will of this go, I don't know, but Jeffrey has alerted me to some issues that are out there which I need to know about. A good read for those interested in privacy issues, especially as they relate to the government.

This was book was provided for review by Random House Books.

You can find this book at . . .
http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781400074426&ref=externallink_wbp_shadowgovernment_sec_0908_01

Book Burning

2009-10-15T08:04:00.003-04:00

It's hard to imagine churches like this one still exist.

Watch this 1:43 clip.

Book Reviews

2009-10-12T22:39:00.002-04:00

I thought I would mention the fact that I receive a number of books to review. Probably I could end up reviewing one book per week, minimum. Most of the books are pretty good, some better than others. As point of interest, I do not get paid to read the books, I simply enjoy reading and at times will be given an extra copy of the book. More often than not I give the book to the church library for people in the church to enjoy. On occasion I will send the book off to a friend or give it away.

I have also been privileged to review a book by Bill Easum. My name is even mentioned in the forward of the book, A Second Resurrection: Leading Your Congregation to New Life.
Presently I have been blessed to be reviewing and editing another book from Bill. You have to understand, for me this is an honor because he is one of my main mentors. Bill is one of the top 3 church leadership experts in the country (just my opinion). He is radical, he is edgy and more often than not, he is correct. Bill is not a spring chicken, he's in his 60's.

Bill Easum
The title of his new book is, Preaching for Transformation: How to Re-start, Turnaround, or Go Missional.

Why am I writing this? Not that anyone asked or questioned me, but just to say how blessed I am when I have the privilege of reading someone else's work and the influence and real blessing it has in my life.

Thanks to many of the authors I get to read their works of love and passion.

Extraordinary

2009-10-11T22:22:00.003-04:00

The book Extraordinary was just that, extraordinary. I've read other books by John Bevere and this was one of his best. His premise, which is mine as well, is that God wants us to live an extraordinary life.

As I was moving into a sermon series this book came at just the right time, and Bevere helped me unflesh some of my thoughts. Bevere believes we were created to be more than ordinary, we are to be extraordinary. He outlines a plan for us to move from living a normal life to one which is filled more and more with the presence of God.

He eventually speaks about our ability to bring healing to others because of God's grace and power residing within Christians. We must remember that Bevere comes from a more Charasmatic background and theology. At times this became a little troubling, yet, His basic thesis that we were meant to live an extraorindary life supercedes some of my disagreements with his theology at the end of the book. One other comment was his use of scriptrue using various translations. When an author does this, it can sometimes lead to their manipulating scripture to make it say what they want. Not knowing Bevere I can't say if this is what he's doing.

Again, in spite of a couple of concerns, I still see this is a good read.

You can purchase Extraordinary at

AMAZON.COM

or

CHRISTIANBOOK.COM

Jesus smiling at you and for you!

2009-10-08T12:48:00.003-04:00

How do you view Jesus?

2009-10-08T12:43:00.002-04:00

How do you view your Heavenly Father? Jesus? The Holy Spirit? When you pray, do you ever have a mental image or picture of God? Most people don’t really have a picture or image of God.

I think our image of God (Father Son and Spirit) varies. Our image can vary from an angry wrathful God, to a disappointed God to a laughing and gracious God, with lots inbetween.

My picture of Jesus changes vastly. As I prepare for Sunday’s message about our marital relationship with Jesus (yes, you heard me right), wouldn’t it be great to picture Jesus as our Bridegroom counting the moments and longing for the wedding feast to take place. We can picture Him in many different ways, as our Best Friend, My Lover, My King, My Savior, My Shepherd, My Lord, My Counselor, My Soaring Eagle, My . . .

So, WHAT DOES YOUR JESUS LOOK LIKE???? Is He a stern father figure sitting on a golden throne waiting to bash you for wrong doings? Is He a large, grandfather figure with a long white beard like Gandalf? Is He the sweet baby Jesus in the manger? Is He aloof?

I like this picture of Him, smiling and laughing because He is happy with what I am doing. He also looks like He is simply enjoying life.

Powerful Video

2009-10-08T10:35:00.001-04:00

This is all about a person being transformed, then taking action.

Click on the title Powerful Video to watch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyEH0olSpxI&feature=player_embedded

The Almost Nearly Perfect Marriage

2009-09-21T22:53:00.004-04:00

As someone who loves to read, I had the opportunity to review this book by Rick Burgess and Bill Bussey. I was not sure what to expect, but I must add I was not disappointed. The book, Rick and Bubba's Guide to the Almost Nearly Perfect Marriage is a silly light hearted read. Expect to see yourself within this book. I must admit I never heard of these guys before, yet they take a humorous and light-hearted look at marriage and on the journey they disect some very real issues faced by couples today.

No couple is immune from the slippery slope that leads them away from emotional intimacy. By allowing us, the reader, to laugh with them, the authors, at some of their embarrassing matrimonial mistakes, provide glimpses into some of the do's and dont's every couple should know. If this book was only a book of comedy, it would still be a book worth reading.

However, the book goes beyond comedy and is sprinkled with many profound sections. The authors write, "show us a good marriage and we'll show you a union of two forgivers." That's a nugget most every couple can take with them. Especially the final chapters are worth the book. They get serious and instead of poking fun at themselves, give some good thoughts for couples of all ages. This would be a great book for couples to read together to laugh and share their own stories, or give it as a gift or anniversary present.

You can purchase this book through Thomas Nelson Publishers at

http://www.thomasnelson.com/consumer/product_detail.asp?sku=1401603998&title=Rick-and-Bubba%27s-Guide-to-the-Almost-Nearly-Perfect-Marriage&authors=Rick-Burgess-and-Bill-Bussey

YOU WERE BORN FOR THIS

2009-09-21T22:38:00.002-04:00

If you are a fan of Bruce Wilkinson, you will find this book beneficial as you seek to better discover what your purpose is. Bruce's thesis for this book is that miracles are still occurring and should be occurring in abundance. However, he states most people either do not believe in miracles, or miracles are only performed by a select few, whom God has chosen.

Bruce writes about 7 Keys for each person to attain a life in which predictable miracles occur. In other words, you are the messenger of the miracle God performs through you. It's a challenging book, easy to read, and one which I believe will cause you to really consider whether miracles are real and can occur today, even through you, or is it only a select group who can perform miracles.

Bruce writes, anyone can do a good deed, but some good works can only happen by a direct intervention from God. Around the world these acts are called miracles—not that even religious people expect to see one any time soon. But what would happen if millions of ordinary people walked out each morning expecting God to deliver a miracle through them to a person in need? You Were Born for This starts with the dramatic premise that everyone at all times is in need of a miracle, and God is ready to meet those needs supernaturally through ordinary people who are willing to learn the “protocol of heaven.”

Wilkinson describes how anyone can be a “Delivery person” from heaven in such universally significant arenas of life as finances, practical help, relationships, purpose, and spiritual growth. You Were Born for This will change how you see the world, and what you expect God can do through you and others to meet real needs. He offers 7 tools of service, hoping you will conclude and proclaim, “I want to deliver a supernatural gift from God to someone in need today—and I expect to!”

A video link of Bruce introducing this book is below.

http://bit.ly/wGT7l

You can purchase You Were Born for This by clicking on one of the links below . . .

Amazon.com or

Christianbook.com

Healthy Pastors - Part 3

2009-09-15T08:59:00.001-04:00

Healthy Pastors: Pastors Do Get Depressed

John Catanzaro

N.M.D. - Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine

Healthy Pastors Series [Part 3 of 3]: Click | View Series

On the eve of October 19, 1856, Spurgeon commenced services at the Royal Surrey Gardens Music Hall, a popular amusement hall that Spurgeon's congregation rented when they had outgrown their building and had not completed a new one.

During the morning service he preached at New Park Street Chapel on Malachi 3:10: "Prove me now." With chillingly prophetic voice he declared, "I may be called to stand where the thunderclouds brew, where the lightnings play, and tempestuous winds are howling on the mountain top. Well, then, I am born to prove the power and majesty of our God; amidst dangers he will inspire me with courage; amidst toils he will make me strong... We shall be gathered together tonight where an unprecedented mass of people will assemble, perhaps from idle curiosity, to hear God's Word; and the voice cries in my ears, 'Prove me now.' ...See what God can do, just when a cloud is falling on the head of him whom God has raised up to preach to you..."

Reason Shattered, Distressed, Ministry Flourished

The evening service was held at Surrey Hall, which seated up to twelve thousand and was overflowing with an additional ten thousand people in the gardens. While the evening service was underway, during Spurgeon's prayer, several malicious people shouted, "Fire! The galleries are giving way!"

The panic produced rushes of people. Seven people were trampled to death and twenty-eight were hospitalized with serious injuries.

Near the Furnace of Insanity

Spurgeon (only 22 years old), was carried from the pulpit and taken to a friend's house where he remained for several days in deep depression. He was so distressed he was unable to preach for several weeks and later said the experience was "sufficient to shatter my reason" and might have meant his ministry "was silenced for ever." He remarked, "Perhaps never a soul went so near the burning furnace of insanity, and yet came away unharmed." A friend and biographer commented that his early death may have been the result of this tragedy, "I cannot but think, from what I saw, that his comparatively early death might be in some measure due the furnace of mental suffering he endured on and after that fearful night."

Spurgeon later recounted the agony he went through: "Standing in this pulpit, this morning, I recall to myself that evening of sorrow when I saw my people scattered, like sheep without a shepherd, trodden upon, injured, and many of them killed. Do you recollect how you cried for your minister, that he might be restored to a reason that was then tottering? Can you recollect how you prayed that, out of evil, God would bring forth good, that all the curses of the wicked might be rolled back upon themselves, and that God would yet fill this place with His glory? And do you remember how long ago that is, and how God has been with us ever since, and how many of those, who were injured that night, are now members of our church, and are praising God that they ever entered this hall? Oh! shall we not love the Lord? There is not a church in London that has had such answers to prayer as we have had; there has not been a church that has had such cause to pray. We have had special work, special trial, special deliverance, and we ought preeminently to be a church, loving God, and spending and being spent in His service."

Not Erased From My Memory

"I cannot speak, as a grey-headed man, of the storms and troubles which many of you have endured; but I have had more joys and more sorrows, in the last few years, than any man in this place, for my life has been compressed as with a Bramah press—a vast mass of emotion into one year. I have gone to the very bottoms of the mountains, as some of you know, in a night that never can be erased from my memory—a night connected with this place."

Spurgeon's ministry was vast and people all over the world loved him, but I believe he would have lived longer if his sheep only cared more deeply for his total wellness!

Your Pastor-Shepherd Feels Deeply

Your pastors may be built as tough as a Dodge, but I tell you they weep, ache, sweat, agonize, intensely labor and lose sleep over their tribe. They weep over those who are living separate from Christ and labor to keep sheep in healthy pastures away from harmful predators. They sweat to provide nurturing food. They ache and agonize to provide a better way for you and for me. Give them the best of your prayers, service and work—your sacrifices and action of faith will be the aroma of Christ.

Learn to appreciate the work of your pastors, and when they don't seem to meet the mark don't just throw them in the trash compactor with the hopes that they will see things your way after the battering is done. Give way to grace, for we all have our down days and it's good to have a friend in our corner to give us the light of reason when we need it most!

Lift up your pastors!

David Robinson - part 2

2009-09-12T22:28:00.003-04:00

In order to access the video, just click on the previous RIGHT HERE

There was an access problem on the last blog.

Thanks,

David Robinson

2009-09-12T21:25:00.002-04:00

I watched Michael Jordan's 23 minute NBA hall of fame speech. He spoke of what made him more competitive, what added logs to his fire. At times he was funny, at times he seemed a little arrogant or rude.

Then I watched David Robinson's speech, it was far different, you see David is a Christian who lives according to Christ like values. His speech is below. Watch it, especially the last 1 minute, what a great testimony.

Click HERE or below:

Stray Affections

2009-09-11T13:23:00.003-04:00

In Stray Affections, the last thing that Cassandra expects out of her Sunday is to be mesmerized at a collectors’ convention by a snowglobe. She’s enjoying some shopping time, with husband Ken at home tending their brood of four young boys, when she’s utterly charmed by the one-of-a kind globe containing figures of three dogs and a little girl with hair the color of her own. She can’t resist taking the unique globe home—even if means wrestling another shopper for it!

The beautiful snowglobe sparks long-dormant memories for Cassie, of her beloved Grandpa Wonky, the stray she rescued as a child, and the painful roots of her combative relationship with her mother, “Bad Betty” Kamrowski. Life in Wanonishaw , Minnesota is never dull, though, and Cassie keeps the recollections at bay, busy balancing her boys, her home daycare operation, and being a good friend to best pal Margret. But after a strange—flurrious, as Cassie deems it—moment happens with the remarkable snowglobe, Cassie and the people she loves are swirled into a tumultuous, yet grace-filled, and life-changing journey.

“As a believer, I know the power of forgiveness and new beginnings, and of a God, and family and friends, who love me the way I am,” Charlene Ann Baumbich says. “The heartbeat of change flows through those wonderful gifts.”

With the quirky, close-knit Midwestern small-town feel that made Charlene Ann Baumbich’s acclaimed Dearest Dorothy novels so popular, Stray Affections invites readers to experience the laughter and the healing of second chances.

About the author:

Charlene Ann Baumbich is a popular author and speaker and an award-winning journalist. In addition to her Dearest Dorothy series of novels, she has written seven nonfiction books of humor and inspiration. A bungee-jumping, once motorcycle-owning grandma and unabashed dog lover, Charlene lives with her husband and rescued dog Kornflake in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. (Right near where Debbie and I used to live) Charlene loves telling stories, laughing whenever possible, and considers herself a Wild Child of God.

Also included is a video link of Charlene introducing the book. The video is available on facebook and/or YouTube.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/video/video.php?v=101927788491

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWwya52SkjU

You can purchase the book at . . . (click on the links)

AMAZON.COM

This also includes a video from Charlene CHRISTIANBOOKS.COM

Healthy Pastors - Part 1

2009-09-11T08:25:00.002-04:00

I read this at a blog by John Catanzaro, N.M.D. - Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine.

http://theresurgence.com/how-to-help-your-pastor

I thought it was well written. So, here you go, in fact pass it on to your friends, not just at FBC, but for others who attend different churches, so they may support their pastors as well . . .

This is Part 1 . . .

He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. (Ephesians 4:11-16)

I have the privilege of being a pastor to the pastors in coaching and praying for their wellness. The expectations parishioners place upon pastors in this church age are both complex and demanding. For the last two decades I have observed the continual decline in the heath of pastors in the Pacific Northwest. It is both distressing and grievous when pastors share some of the pressures of the ministry and the criticisms and burdens they carry. I believe the best place to begin is to clarify the pastor’s responsibility list.

Unhealthy Expectations

They are not substitute parents
They are not shrinks
They are not janitors, plumbers, or construction workers
They are not crisis managers
They are not perfect problem-solvers
They are not corporate executives
They do not have wireless access to the Holy Spirit concerning your problems
They are not responsible for your sin
They are not constructed for long-term bashing
They are not required to shoulder repeated harsh criticisms
They are not celebrities
They have families with real problems too
They are not always available and tireless
They are not God in human form
They can burn out

Healthy Expectations

They serve
They teach
They lead
They inspire
They pray
They cry
They get tired
They are human
They need family time
They must be renewed

To be continued.

Healthy Pastors - Part 2

2009-09-11T08:18:00.004-04:00

Pastor, how can I help? Charles Haddon Spurgeon, the greatest revivalist preacher of the 19th century, was asked this by many parishioners. His response to this question was to establish a serving and prayerful church. His ministry became the largest prayer-based evangelical work in the Christian church since the days of the apostolic era.

How to Help Your Pastor

Understand. The first way to help your pastor is to develop understanding and sensitivity to the stress and demands of a pastor's work.
Pray. Secondly, pray for your pastor. A very active prayer ministry to support the pastors in their evangelical work is fundamental to the health of pastors and the church at large.
Grow. Thirdly, mature in the faith. Grow and work to preserve the work of God in your sphere. Do not contribute to confusion, gossip and bitter attitudes. Get involved in action, service, and financial contribution, which are all vital to the health of the Christian mission of proclaiming Christ in your community and the world.
Lead. Finally, faith in action is serving others above what you want in support of the ministry of the church. Don't just get involved in ministry; actively work with the leadership to provide healthy momentum in ministry and to become a personal preacher of the ways of Christ!

Preachers Are Human

Your pastors can become physically, emotionally, and spiritually exhausted. Again, C.H. Spurgeon shares his afflictions and trials throughout his ministry to demonstrate that it was in his weakness that Christ's strength within him was magnified.

Spurgeon was afflicted with spiritual agonies, slander and scorn, the weight of preaching, emotional trials of depression, ministry burden, and physical illnesses of gout, high blood pressure, and kidney disease.

Saved From Much, Called To Much

His journey began with the foundation of suffering and by his own words he gives a clear picture of his agony before his conversion. "The justice of God, like a ploughshare, tore my spirit," he recalled. "I was condemned, undone, destroyed--lost, helpless, hopeless--I thought hell was before me... I prayed, but found no answer of peace. It was long with me thus." Thus, he clarifies through his life that the present suffering he encountered in ministry was no match for the devastating bitterness of soul he experienced before living for Jesus. This taught him to pursue the holiness of God and to loathe sinful living.

Slander and Scorn Go With the Territory

During the early years of his ministry he encountered intense slander and scorn, and his response to this was, "If I am able to say in very truth, 'I was buried with Christ thirty years ago,' I must surely be dead. Certainly the world thought so, for not long after my burial with Jesus I began to preach his name, and by that time the world thought me very far gone, and said, 'He stinketh.' They began to say all manner of evil against the preacher; but the more I stank in their nostrils the better I liked it, for the surer I was that I was really dead to the world."

The Crushing Blow of Scorn

Spurgeon's again on his deepest emotions regarding the scorn and slander he faced: "Down on my knees have I often fallen, with the hot sweat rising from my brow under some fresh slander poured upon me; in an agony of grief my heart has been well-nigh broken; ...This thing I hope I can say from my heart: If to be made as the mire of the streets again, if to be the laughing stock of fools and the song of the drunkard once more will make me more serviceable to my Master, and more useful to his cause, I will prefer it to all this multitude, or to all the applause that man could give."

Don't contribute to the sufferings of your pastors by gossiping, backbiting, or scorning. Instead, get in the trenches with them!

To be continued.

Shame on Joe Wilson

2009-09-10T11:02:00.002-04:00

I didn't watch Obama's speech about health care last night, but watched pieces of it, including Joe Wilson's proclamation "you lie!"

Whether I agree with Obama or not, he is the president, not only that, he is another person, Wilson just set back his cause decades. His 2 simple words, whether true or not will be remembered and his causes for his state will be ignored. He has done incredible damage to the health care cause, which now has Obama opponents rallying to his side.

Sometimes, it's best to keep our mouths shut, think it, pray over it, then resolve our disputes in private, never in public.

Remember the words of Mark Twain, "never argue with a fool in public, because the public will not know who the real fool is." Not that I'm calling Obama a fool, but I think you get the gist of it. When feeling anger, check it out, and keep it in check. In the words of James 1, "¹⁹ ... Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry." A great prescription for each of us.

09-09-09

2009-09-09T11:44:00.003-04:00

Here is some fun facts about the number 9.

As the final numeral, the number nine holds special rank. It is associated with forgiveness, compassion and success on the positive side as well as arrogance and self-righteousness on the negative.

FUN FACTS

The sum of the two-digits resulting from nine multiplied by any other single-digit number will equal nine. 9x3=27, and 2+7=9; 8x9=72, and 7+2=9, etc.

Here is a fun one to always help your child check their math problems when multiplying with the number 9. Multiply nine by any two, three or four-digit number and the sums of those will also break down to nine.

For example: 9x62 = 558; 5+5+8=18; 1+8=9.

Again, 9x597(any 3 digit number)=5373; 5+3+7+3=18 or 1+8=9

9x7,064(any4 digit number)=63,576; 6+3+5+7+6=27 or 2+7=9

A final example 9x9,999=89,991; 8+9+9+9+1=36 or 3+6=9

COOL stuff to teach your kids/grandkids, to then teach the teachers in a fun classroom project.

Lastly, September 9 also happens to be the 252nd day of the year 2 + 5 +2=9

Enjoy the day . . . be a blessing to others.

Long Week

2009-09-07T21:40:00.003-04:00

Well, somehow the first draft of this blog was deleted by the computer, ugh! It was a long week for us regarding 6th grade football in Alexandria. I was the 6th grade coach and as of last Monday we only had 13 boys, which was not enough to field a team safely, so Debbie and I decided it was in Joshua's best interests to go to Frankton, where two other boys had gone (because of numbers).

As a result, Joshua was called 'quitter,' among other things. Not a fun week for Joshua as he took abuse he should not have had to deal with. That is 11 year old mentality. Amazingly, they still have a team since 5 new kids of migrant workers came out for football and there is a new coach. My greatest concern was for the safety of all of the boys and keeping a team in Alexandria, yet in the end, I felt 13 boys would not suffice for safety reasons, Joshua included.

Joshua is now playing football in Frankton and enjoys the kids on the team. They have 17 boys, a good number to have. I help coach the offense, and everyone seems to be very nice to us. It was a long week with lots of 11 year old football drama. So, there's a short version of a long story and week. Hopefully the football season will be smoother than this.

Thought for the Day

2009-09-07T21:37:00.002-04:00

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote: "Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."

How rare it is that we follow this advice. We take the safe road, and leave the road less traveled to those willing to risk in the name of adventure and mystery. Who knows what we will find on the other side, until of course, we venture into the unknown.

Sometimes the path with a trail is safe, and there are times we need to journey on that path, but there are those moments when we are called by God to move into the unknown so that we may trust the God who called us, will never, never abandon us, but goes before us.

Major Change is Coming

2009-08-24T22:14:00.002-04:00

Change and I mean major change is about to happen and I don't think I can take it.

The people of Samoa are going to have to change the side of the road they drive on. Imagine that kind of change in your life. You drive on the right side of the road on September 6, and wake up on September 7 and have to drive on the left side of the road. Now that would cause road rage which is already happening because of protests.

Imagine that change in your life . . . Talk about people who are nervous drivers, yikes, I'd be a nervous passenger.

Read the article at http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125086852452149513.html?mod=yhoofront

Why change? Because the neighbors of Samoa, Australia and New Zealand already drive on the left side of the road. Read the article to learn more.

God's Bride

2009-08-24T09:23:00.003-04:00

As I was reading through the book, Praying the Names of God, I was reading about God being our husband, the Hebrew word, Ish (Eesh). It's found in Hosea 2

¹⁶ "In that day," declares the LORD,
"you will call me 'my husband';
you will no longer call me 'my master. '

¹⁹ I will betroth you to me forever;
I will betroth you in righteousness and justice,
in love and compassion.

²⁰ I will betroth you in faithfulness,
and you will acknowledge the LORD.

The author of the book, Ann Spangler states, "our destiny, our greatest purpose as God's people, is to become his bride (page 219)."

On the one hand, I do believe the church is the bride of Christ, which includes Christians, yet, for a man, and this is just me thinking and reflecting out loud (or at least on paper) does a man really want to be a bride? Not that I don't want Christ, not that I know He should have full authority over me, and I should be obedient to Him and love Him . . . I know all that, but . . .

. . . do men like that image? Men want to be in control. Men like to have the answers, to solve problems, to be knights in shining armor, to be rescuers on our white horses, to rescue our beloved, to be perceived upon as strong.

Your thoughts?

Meltdown - Book Review

2009-08-22T14:20:00.004-04:00

This was a good book to read. What made this book interesting was the fact that it was basically from a female's perspective as she attempted to fit in and lead a special operations team called Task Force Valor. Since being captured in her last mission, she really wanted to redeem herself, but struggled with her confidence as she led a group of men to battle. Author Chuck Holton also gives us a view of some of the men's thoughts and feelings as they travel from the United States to their undercover mission in dangerous territories.

A global war has started which could reach catastrophic proportions. As a result, the U.S. Special Ops team travels to Chernobyl, where ghosts of past disasters are nothing compared to the nuclear nightmare about to unfold.

With CIA Agent Mary “ Phoenix ” Walker heading her first Special Ops mission and Master Sergeant Bobby Sweeney fighting demons on and off the battlefield, Task Force Valor races to stop a terrorist threat in the Ukraine before Europe is turned into a radioactive wasteland.

But when the terror reaches American shores, the team is powerless to help until they can save themselves. And when they finally track down the source of the chaos, what they find is worse than anything they could have imagined.

A fast paced book for the military enthusiast.

You can purchase the book at

http://www.christianbook.com/meltdown-task-force-valor/chuck-holton/9781590525609/pd/525609?item_code=WW&netp_id=570465&event=ESRCN&view=covers

or at

http://www.amazon.com/Meltdown-Task-Force-Valor-3/dp/1590525604/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1250965444&sr=8-7

The author, Chuck Holton has traveled the world, experienced combat, served in the Elite 75th Ranger Regiment, and is the author of six books, including Allah’s Fire, Island Inferno, Bulletproof, Stories From a Soldier’s Heart, and A More Elite Soldier. His journeys have taken him from the depths of the Atlantic, to the mountains of Burma , from the dogsleds of Alaska , to skies of Iraq . Chuck lives in Appalachia with his wife, Connie, and their five children.

Powerful Monologue

2009-08-18T08:41:00.002-04:00

I saw this video, about 4 minute monologue.

Click the title to take you to the monologue. It's from Granger Church in Mishawaka, IN.

Victory by Surrender from Granger Community on Vimeo.

Debbie's birthday

2009-08-15T16:03:00.001-04:00

I was so happy to be able to surprise Debbie at her birthday party last night. I was also so happy so many people were there. It all went perfect and she was shocked that the boys knew and kept it a secret and I took pictures of her when she was younger without her knowing.

Hopefully some pictures to follow.

WHAT IF . . .?

2009-08-11T09:45:00.004-04:00

I really appreciated this post from Perry Noble . . . This is a direct quote from Perry's blog.

I was thinking some “what if” thoughts the other day…

* WHAT IF the early church had decided to simply study what Jesus said but not apply it?

* WHAT IF the early church had decided their primary responsibility was to be political, thus organizing protests against the Roman government for occupying their land?

* WHAT IF the early church had decided to yell and scream at the Romans for acting like Romans?

* WHAT IF the early church had decided their primary call was to save the environment rather than the ones living in it?

* WHAT IF the early church had substituted their personal preferences in place of the words of Jesus?

* WHAT IF the early church had been more obsessed with Robert’s Rules of Order rather than the Scriptures?

* WHAT IF the early church had been focused on the cross on the wall rather than the cross Jesus called them to carry?

* WHAT IF the early church had instructed the Holy Spirit in Acts 2 that He was a little out of hand…and that his movement hadn’t been voted on and approved by the deacons.

* WHAT IF the early church had been full of people who drove their “luxury camels” to church…but became angry when someone mentioned the offering?

* WHAT IF the early church had the attitude of, “we love a small crowd…so don’t tell anyone about Jesus coming back to life. I know He commanded us to tell…but let’s keep it a secret?”

* WHAT IF the early church had been more passionate about their comfort than conforming to who Christ called them to be?

* WHAT IF the early church had spent their time attacking the church planting movement than began in Acts 8 and continued throughout the NT?

* WHAT IF the early church had been full of people who had an attitude and an opinion…but weren’t actually willing to do anything to reach people far from God?

* WHAT IF the early church had required only “religious professionals” to be in ministry?

WHAT IF…WOW…so glad the early church listened to Jesus and did what HE said…or else we would have been in a lot of trouble!

Blue Like Play Dough

2009-08-02T14:22:00.003-04:00

Sometimes I wonder why books are designated as books for moms. Sometimes dad's need books like this one as much as moms. Maybe one of the downfalls of this book is the fact that Tricia Goyer makes the assumption that dads don't fill the role of moms, or that dads just don't have the same issues as moms.

I really found this book to be a delightful and at times moving collection of mini devotions which helped me to better find my bearings as I navigate fatherhood. Maybe because it is just me and on child for the weekend, the book took on extra meaning.

Anyway, here is a snippet from the foreword, Goyer states,

"I'm coming to realize that another important adventure begins for women (and men) when we choose to have a Play Dough Heart in a Lego World! Something wonderful happens when we choose to surrender our ideas of how things must be and instead allow God to shape us. Then the Holy Spirit can take our willingness and make something infinitely more beautiful than all our carefully constructed plans could have ever accomplished."

Goyer breaks the book into 23 chapters, averaging about 8 pages each. It's easy reading, and good for the heart, probably for women, since the book is designed for women out of her life experience.

I would recommend this book for moms who are feeling the stress of raising children and working. There's wonderful humor and inspiration in these pages.

You can purchase this book at

Amazon.com

or at

Christianbook.com

Youth Baptisms

2009-07-25T23:38:00.002-04:00

The youth, along with Sr. Pastor, Perry Noble from NewSpring Community Church in Anderson, SC went on their annual Florida trip. Catch the numbers and the passion of the youth. I heard there were over 100 baptisms in the Atlantic Ocean. How cool is that!!!!

Check it out . . .

Gauntlet 09 Day 4 Recap from Fuse* Student Ministry on Vimeo.

Accountability Questions - part 2

2009-07-22T09:20:00.002-04:00

Here is a listing of 48 questions you can pick and choose from when you think about accountability and your life in Christ ~

John Wesley's Small Group Questions (his original 21):

1. Am I consciously or unconsciously creating the impression that I am better than I am? In other words, am I a hypocrite?

2. Am I honest in all my acts and words, or do I exaggerate?

3. Do I confidentially pass onto another what was told me in confidence?

4. Am I a slave to dress, friends, work , or habits?

5. Am I self-conscious, self-pitying, or self-justifying?

6. Did the Bible live in me today?

7. Do I give it time to speak to me everyday?

8. Am I enjoying prayer?

9. When did I last speak to someone about my faith?

10. Do I pray about the money I spend?

11. Do I get to bed on time and get up on time?

12. Do I disobey God in anything?

13. Do I insist upon doing something about which my conscience is uneasy?

14. Am I defeated in any part of my life?

15. Am I jealous, impure, critical, irritable, touchy or distrustful?

16. How do I spend my spare time?

17. Am I proud?

18. Do I thank God that I am not as other people, especially as the Pharisee who despised the publican?

19. Is there anyone whom I fear, dislike, disown, criticize, hold resentment toward or disregard? If so, what am I going to do about it?

20. Do I grumble and complain constantly?

21. Is Christ real to me?

Wesley's Band Meeting Questions:

1. What known sins have you committed since our last meeting?

2. What temptations have you met with?

3. How were you delivered?

4. What have you thought, said, or done, of which you doubt whether it be sin or not?

5. Have you nothing you desire to keep secret?

Reference: John Wesley's Class Meetings: a Model for Making Disciples, by D. Michael Henderson, Evangel Publishing House, 1997, pp. 118-9

Chuck Swindoll's Pastoral Accountability Questions:

In his book, The Body, Chuck Colson lists the questions used by Chuck Swindoll.

1. Have you been with a woman anywhere this past week that might be seen as compromising?

2. Have any of your financial dealings lacked integrity?

3. Have you exposed yourself to any sexually explicit material?

4. Have you spent adequate time in Bible study and prayer?

5. Have you given priority time to your family?

6. Have you fulfilled the mandates of your calling?

7. Have you just lied to me?

Neil Cole:

1. What is the condition of your soul?

2. What sin do you need to confess?

3. What have you held back from God that you need to surrender?

4. Is there anything that has dampened your zeal for Christ?

5. Who have you talked with about Christ this week?

HT: Journey (not sure who this is, but included them anyway)

1. Have you been a testimony this week to the greatness of Jesus Christ with both your words and actions?

2. Have you been exposed to sexually alluring material or allowed your mind to entertain inappropriate thoughts about someone who is not your spouse this week?

3. Have you lacked any integrity in your financial dealings this week, or coveted something that does not belong to you?

4. Have you been honoring, understanding and generous in your important relationships this past week?

5. Have you damaged another person by your words, either behind their back or face-to-face?

6. Have you given in to an addictive behavior this week? Explain.

7. Have you continued to remain angry toward another?

8. Have you secretly wished for another's misfortune so that you might excel?

9. Did you finish your reading this week and hear from the Lord? What are you going to do about it?

10. Have you been completely honest with me?

Blessings on a rainy Wednesday!

Accountability Questions

2009-07-21T13:10:00.002-04:00

A movement which has gone on for the past 5-8 years in the church is for people to be involved in Accountability groups. These are groups which consist of 2-3 people who you can share your deepest thoughts freely and without judgment being cast upon you.

I ran across a blog which listed John Wesley's original 21 accountability questions. Remember, John Wesley is really the father of the small group movement. This started in the 1700's.

You can find his questions by clicking here.

I thought from all of the accountability questions out there I would list my top 15, with one extra. They are in no specific order.

Am I consciously or unconsciously creating the impression that I am better than I am? In other words, am I a hypocrite?Did I give God time to speak to me today, through prayer and the Bible?
When did I last speak to someone about my faith?
Do I insist upon doing something about which my conscience is uneasy?
Am I defeated in any part of my life?
How do I spend my spare time?
Is there anyone whom I fear, dislike, disown, criticize, hold resentment toward or disregard? If so, what am I going to do about it?
Is Christ real to me?
Have you been with a woman/man anywhere this past week that might be seen as compromising?
Have I been exposed to sexually alluring material or allowed my mind to entertain inappropriate thoughts about someone who is not my spouse this week?
Have you given priority time to your family?
What have you held back from God that you need to surrender?
Have you damaged another person by your words, either behind their back or face-to-face?
Have you given in to an addictive behavior this week? Explain.
Have you secretly wished for another's misfortune so that you might excel?
Do I get to bed on time and get up on time?
Have you just lied?

I hope these may help you in your journey with Christ.

News Story about Alexandria Pool

2009-07-20T23:26:00.001-04:00

Click on the title and you will be directed to the story about the saving of the Alexandria Pool. Cool story.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

The Holy Roller

2009-07-18T11:41:00.003-04:00

SUMMARY:
Julie Lyons was working as a crime reporter when she followed a hunch into the South Dallas ghetto. She wasn’t hunting drug dealers, but drug addicts who had been supernaturally healed of their addictions.

At The Body of Christ Assembly, a rundown church, Lyons found the story she was looking for. The minister welcomed criminals, prostitutes, and street people–anyone who needed God. He prayed for the sick, the addicted, and the demon-possessed, and people were supernaturally healed.

Lyons ’s story landed on the front page of the Dallas Times Herald. But she got much more than just a great story, she found an unlikely spiritual home. Though the people at The Body of Christ Assembly are black and Pentecostal, and Lyons is white and from a traditional church background, she embraced their spirituality–that of “the Holy Ghost and fire.”

Michael's Thoughts:

This was a fascinating and easy to read book. I appreciated the struggles Julie went through as she tried to rediscover her spirituality, namely, a faith relationship with Jesus. What is wonderful is that this is a true story, the people are real, and most importantly, the work of the Holy Spirit is VERY REAL.

The book left me wanting more and more of what Julie was discovering. There are some real theological nuggets interspersed through the book. What a joy it would be to enter The Body of Christ Assembly and know that all people, irregardless of who and what they are, are welcome. Another example of what you find in this church were the people who cared for one another and helped one another as spiritual mother's and father's.

I would highly encourage you to read this wonderful, fast paced book. You can purchase it at

Amazon.com - http://www.amazon.com/Holy-Roller-Finding-Redemption-Forgotten/dp/1400074959/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1247931811&sr=8-1

Christianbook.com - http://www.christianbook.com/holy-roller-julie-lyons/9781400074952/pd/074952?item_code=WW&netp_id=604665&event=ESRCN&view=covers

Worship

2009-07-16T22:39:00.002-04:00

So, this question is on my heart, soul and mind. It has invaded my whole being. I am consumed by this very disturbing yet freeing question . . . what is it? Glad you asked . . .

"What does it mean to love God with all of your heart, with all of your soul, with all of your mind and with all of your strength? Then, what does it look like?"

Francois Fenelon from the late 1600's leads me to ask this, after he asked, "We attend church, we read the Bible, we avoid the biggies - is this wholehearted and passionate worship of God?"

Ouch, he's stepping on my toes!! So, I'm working through the interrogatives. How do I demonstrate my love for God? What does it look like? When do I do it? Why do I do it? As I examine myself, and am brutally honest with myself, I also sense a series of sermons developing on these topics. They, in part, will form the answers to my seeking.

If you were to honestly answer these questions, would God be impressed? Are you impressed? Can you be so honest?!