What a culture we live in. As I was away visiting family this last week I was thinking about what we could get each person for Christmas. I was also thinking about what I should ask for because a family member was very clear that I couldn't leave until I gave a few ideas. As I was trying to come up with something my mind wandered to a larger picture of our culture.
Lately all I have been seeing on t.v. are ads for sales for Christmas gifts. I don’t recall seeing anything advertising or promoting THANKSGIVING. All I could see was greed and a THANK-LESS way of thinking. Satan is tempting and effortlessly distracting people from anything tree and right and good to that which pleases themselves.
In a time when the economy is “SOOOO BAAAD” has anyone else noticed that the prices on the “HOTTEST” items has not gone down????
I digress to a moment I was with my dad in the car and he was trying hard to make a decision about a job. he asked me if I would rather he work away from home and we would be able to buy a lot of stuff and live in a really nice house but he could only be home on the weekends OR take a lower paying job in the area and possibly have less money than we used to have but he would be home every day/night?
I recall my answer crystal clear. In today’s culture what would the answer be??
More recently I spoke at my old school to the teens and one of the questions I asked them to answer on a card was this: Would you rather be poor and have many close friends or be Paris Hilton and try to buy a bff….that’s teen and online lingo for Best Friend Forever. Sadly there was at least one of the teens that wrote they wanted to be or be like Paris Hilton. How empty, desperate, selfish, hollow, misguided.
If your kids are old enough to understand, ask them this question my dad asked me, you may be surprised or you may not. You may even gain insight in what you have to change or work on or what you have to keep on doing. Family is too precious to lose to hollow greed.
Family is forever. Greed is never satisfied. Even Mr. Vanderbilt (I think it was), when asked when would he have enough money answered, just one more dollar.
Think about it. Any questions?
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Thursday, November 27, 2008
A Boy's Life, A Snuffed Flame
Through the marvel and ease of communication that we enjoy in this day and age of cell phones, I was informed of a tragic accident resulting in the death of a 14 year old boy on Tuesday morning. The lad was enjoying a morning of sledding rather than being in school. Apparently he slid into the road or too close to the road and was struck by a car that would have had no chance to alter it’s course before striking the boy by the time the boy was in line of sight of the driver. Now before he is condemned for not being in school, it is unknown if there was school that day or not due to the snowfall. After some quick research to verify the truth of the matter, that it wasn’t just a morbid prank rumor (yes stories like this do get made up whether you as the reader choose to accept the truth of that or not), it was in our local newspaper and online. My heart just sank and I was almost upset that I was still in PA visiting with family instead of being where this occurred.
There were many things racing through my mind and heart. The strongest of course was to pray for this boy’s older and younger brothers. All 3 had visited our church’s youth ministry a number of times before they moved too far away to be able to come. Prayer also was made for the driver and passenger of the car and their families. The passenger attended the same school district and very well could have known the boy. The second was to cut the family visit short and make it back to NY for youth group tonight and talk with our teens about this. I knew that there would be a few at least that would be upset at this and would probably have questions…..difficult questions. Why am I still here in PA??? I should be on the road already, right??
Wrong.
God helped me to win the fight going on. I was fighting with my unbelievably seemingly righteous……arrogance. The thought may have surfaced at one point that there would be panic and that the parents, staff, and counselors that the school said it had ready to face this with the students just wouldn’t be enough to counsel the kids and the family through this immense tragedy. That simply is not the case at all. God allowed me to wrestle with this selfish thinking the rest of the evening until I accepted the fact AGAIN that IT’S NOT ABOUT MEEEE! IT’S ALL ABOUT HIM. GOD. JESUS CHRIST. OUR CREATOR. OUR COMFORTER.
After sorting out most of my thoughts and reactions to this accident and how they played into the reality of the situation, I had a most startling epiphany. I was satisfied and content to be where God wanted me, and that was here in PA visiting with my wife’s family for a few days. Hmmm, go figure. Even in the midst of the desire He gave me to run to the hurting, I can only do so much for so many and if I don’t remain in His perfect will for my life EACH DAY, I will burn out and be of no use to anyone for HIM. He has others that are responding to crises each and every day. Not one of them is expected by God to handle each crisis. He is using some and resting or training the others for their time.
I can’t adequately explain why God allows certain “bad” things to happen like this accident. But I do take some comfort in knowing that the effects of Adamic sin are on every single living thing on this earth and on the universe itself. There would be not one accident if it were not for sin’s impact on this world. Accidents are due to error somewhere along the line. In this particular case there are a few different possibilities that come to mind: he should have been in school instead of skipping (if school was in session), he should have jumped off the sled before it got near the road, he should have been sledding in a safer sledding area. Whatever the error in judgement or mistake that was made, we see the ultimate consequence being fulfilled here, death. The Bible says in Romans that the wages of sin is death. This means the wages of Adamic sin as well as individual sin.
A respected well educated Biblical scholar cleverly put it this way, “Bad things happen to bad people, bad things happen to good people. But God is still God and is a good and perfect and holy and just and merciful God.”
You see it doesn’t really matter if you agree or not, if you believe in The God, or A god, because the question is not IF you will confess that God is God and that Jesus is our Lord and Savior. No. The question is WHEN will you? For the Bible says that EVERY knee will bow, EVERY tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
To the family of this boy, our hearts and our prayers for God to touch and comfort you as ONLY He can do are being prayed this night. Please seek Him while He may be found.
Any questions? Please don’t hesitate to ask.
There were many things racing through my mind and heart. The strongest of course was to pray for this boy’s older and younger brothers. All 3 had visited our church’s youth ministry a number of times before they moved too far away to be able to come. Prayer also was made for the driver and passenger of the car and their families. The passenger attended the same school district and very well could have known the boy. The second was to cut the family visit short and make it back to NY for youth group tonight and talk with our teens about this. I knew that there would be a few at least that would be upset at this and would probably have questions…..difficult questions. Why am I still here in PA??? I should be on the road already, right??
Wrong.
God helped me to win the fight going on. I was fighting with my unbelievably seemingly righteous……arrogance. The thought may have surfaced at one point that there would be panic and that the parents, staff, and counselors that the school said it had ready to face this with the students just wouldn’t be enough to counsel the kids and the family through this immense tragedy. That simply is not the case at all. God allowed me to wrestle with this selfish thinking the rest of the evening until I accepted the fact AGAIN that IT’S NOT ABOUT MEEEE! IT’S ALL ABOUT HIM. GOD. JESUS CHRIST. OUR CREATOR. OUR COMFORTER.
After sorting out most of my thoughts and reactions to this accident and how they played into the reality of the situation, I had a most startling epiphany. I was satisfied and content to be where God wanted me, and that was here in PA visiting with my wife’s family for a few days. Hmmm, go figure. Even in the midst of the desire He gave me to run to the hurting, I can only do so much for so many and if I don’t remain in His perfect will for my life EACH DAY, I will burn out and be of no use to anyone for HIM. He has others that are responding to crises each and every day. Not one of them is expected by God to handle each crisis. He is using some and resting or training the others for their time.
I can’t adequately explain why God allows certain “bad” things to happen like this accident. But I do take some comfort in knowing that the effects of Adamic sin are on every single living thing on this earth and on the universe itself. There would be not one accident if it were not for sin’s impact on this world. Accidents are due to error somewhere along the line. In this particular case there are a few different possibilities that come to mind: he should have been in school instead of skipping (if school was in session), he should have jumped off the sled before it got near the road, he should have been sledding in a safer sledding area. Whatever the error in judgement or mistake that was made, we see the ultimate consequence being fulfilled here, death. The Bible says in Romans that the wages of sin is death. This means the wages of Adamic sin as well as individual sin.
A respected well educated Biblical scholar cleverly put it this way, “Bad things happen to bad people, bad things happen to good people. But God is still God and is a good and perfect and holy and just and merciful God.”
You see it doesn’t really matter if you agree or not, if you believe in The God, or A god, because the question is not IF you will confess that God is God and that Jesus is our Lord and Savior. No. The question is WHEN will you? For the Bible says that EVERY knee will bow, EVERY tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
To the family of this boy, our hearts and our prayers for God to touch and comfort you as ONLY He can do are being prayed this night. Please seek Him while He may be found.
Any questions? Please don’t hesitate to ask.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Diet Mountain Dew / Comments / Bereans
It’s simply amazing how much sugar and carbs there are in regular soda. I have been switched over to diet soda for a while now and I can attribute at least 6 pounds of weight lost due to that simple change. I still get the caffeine I need when I need it, but I don’t get the extra stuff that is in it. I was in need of some caffeine while on vacation here at my in-laws (yes it really does feel like a vacation visiting them, they are the farthest thing from the stereotypical in-laws, they are a fantastic example of a Christian family and I am very thankful to be married into this family as it’s great to have Christian families on both sides). So I had a regular Pepsi yesterday and that wasn’t all that bad, very very sweet but not overwhelmingly so. I had a headache this morning and knowing that it was a caffeine headache I got a regular
Mountain Dew from the basement today. The first sip I had tasted like a blast of sugary syrup instead of soda. I really don’t remember tasting that so strongly before. So my sugar sensitivity had been quite diminished over the last 12 years of drinking regular soda. So far the only downside to the diet soda has something to do with the Aspertame. But I don’t know much about that so if anyone can offer some true info on that I would appreciate it.
Along with that, some of you know that if you comment on something here, that comment may be published here for others to see. HOWEVER, know this, I will always ask for your permission to do so. There are some comments that I have not posted due to the personal nature of those comments. THEREFORE, from here on if you leave a comment or a question, I would appreciate it if you would also include a line concerning your permission to post your comment or not.
Thanks and please share this blog with all you wish. And don’t forget to click on some of the ads, I have explored some of them and there is at least one that I may be finding useful for our youth ministry and will be visiting more often.
In checking out some of the links and ads, please note that many of them are Bible BASED, this doesn’t mean they are accurately and truly supported by God’s Word, because so many people take the Word OF God out of it’s context rather than for what it says. So before you believe anything you read, check it out for yourself. There is a section of the Bible that commends a group of people called the Bereans, from Berea, because they didn’t take Paul (I think it was Paul) at his word but they checked out what he was preaching to see if it was true.
May we all be as diligent as the Bereans.
Mountain Dew from the basement today. The first sip I had tasted like a blast of sugary syrup instead of soda. I really don’t remember tasting that so strongly before. So my sugar sensitivity had been quite diminished over the last 12 years of drinking regular soda. So far the only downside to the diet soda has something to do with the Aspertame. But I don’t know much about that so if anyone can offer some true info on that I would appreciate it.Along with that, some of you know that if you comment on something here, that comment may be published here for others to see. HOWEVER, know this, I will always ask for your permission to do so. There are some comments that I have not posted due to the personal nature of those comments. THEREFORE, from here on if you leave a comment or a question, I would appreciate it if you would also include a line concerning your permission to post your comment or not.
Thanks and please share this blog with all you wish. And don’t forget to click on some of the ads, I have explored some of them and there is at least one that I may be finding useful for our youth ministry and will be visiting more often.
In checking out some of the links and ads, please note that many of them are Bible BASED, this doesn’t mean they are accurately and truly supported by God’s Word, because so many people take the Word OF God out of it’s context rather than for what it says. So before you believe anything you read, check it out for yourself. There is a section of the Bible that commends a group of people called the Bereans, from Berea, because they didn’t take Paul (I think it was Paul) at his word but they checked out what he was preaching to see if it was true.
May we all be as diligent as the Bereans.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Adoption
Well I was just typing out an answer to what I thought was a test question.....Define and discuss Adoption. Well when I actually took another look at the test to copy and paste it after putting it together, I was a little upset to see that "adoption" wasn't one of the "....tion" words to define and discuss. So therefore I am posting it here for your consideration and awe of what God has done for us.
The context is Soteriology, the doctrine of Salvation. Adoption is the term. A summary of the term and it's impact on God's relationship with us follows. What an amazing aspect of this relationship to meditate on.
Adoption
Adoption is one of the most fun blessings that we as Christian's experience because it concerns our relationship with God on the deeper level of family rather than just friend, associate, or rank like that of teams or military organizations. Before the moment of salvation the unbeliever is a member of Satan's family. But upon the moment that one believes in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, that new believer's family membership is instantly transferred from the Devil and the world to that of the family of God. The believer is not only accepted as a member of the family but is given all the privileges of being an adult son of the living Father God. The believer is also granted all the promises that God has made and has and will keep. Arguably one of the greatest of these privileges, after forgiveness of sins, is that the believer, as a son of God, will spend eternity with God in heaven and on the new earth rather than in torment.
For more on this incredible relationship, check out THE BIBLE, and or Dr. Barackman's Practical Christian Theology.
The context is Soteriology, the doctrine of Salvation. Adoption is the term. A summary of the term and it's impact on God's relationship with us follows. What an amazing aspect of this relationship to meditate on.
Adoption
Adoption is one of the most fun blessings that we as Christian's experience because it concerns our relationship with God on the deeper level of family rather than just friend, associate, or rank like that of teams or military organizations. Before the moment of salvation the unbeliever is a member of Satan's family. But upon the moment that one believes in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, that new believer's family membership is instantly transferred from the Devil and the world to that of the family of God. The believer is not only accepted as a member of the family but is given all the privileges of being an adult son of the living Father God. The believer is also granted all the promises that God has made and has and will keep. Arguably one of the greatest of these privileges, after forgiveness of sins, is that the believer, as a son of God, will spend eternity with God in heaven and on the new earth rather than in torment.
For more on this incredible relationship, check out THE BIBLE, and or Dr. Barackman's Practical Christian Theology.
Phrases I was going to woodburn and sell.....perhaps.
Please feel free to add to this list via comments, I will publish the comments which will appear below this post. Enjoy!!!
"Welcome to Grandma's house. Children spoiled while you wait."
"It's great to have a friend to grow old with. You go first."
"My aim is to keep this bathroom clean. Your aim would help."
"I love cooking with wine, sometimes I even put it in the food."
Love is patient, Love is Kind…Love never ends.
Sisters are always there, with laughter, love and care.
The bond between a mother and daughter begins and ends with love.
A house is built with boards and beams. A home is built with love and dreams.
God bless our home and all who enter.
Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day. Teach him how to fish and he'll be frustrated for life.
"Welcome to Grandma's house. Children spoiled while you wait."
"It's great to have a friend to grow old with. You go first."
"My aim is to keep this bathroom clean. Your aim would help."
"I love cooking with wine, sometimes I even put it in the food."
Love is patient, Love is Kind…Love never ends.
Sisters are always there, with laughter, love and care.
The bond between a mother and daughter begins and ends with love.
A house is built with boards and beams. A home is built with love and dreams.
God bless our home and all who enter.
Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day. Teach him how to fish and he'll be frustrated for life.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
FINALLY I CAN YELL IT!!!!
Well I am so happy now that I have permission from the Mama to spill the news. PRAISE THE LORD!!!!! Read the next post for Meghan's reaction to our cluing her in to this. And we certainly appreciate all prayers for us and this little one. Admittedly we are quite nervous even though everything is VERY normal with this pregnancy. It's very easy to cross the line and fall into the sin of worry. So we are daily and multiple times throughout the day and night reminded by the Holy Spirit to cast this care along with all others on Christ AND LEAVE THEM THERE. Very difficult task indeed but as God promised to us in Philippians....we can do all things with Christ's help.
Amen???
Amen !!!!!
Amen???
Amen !!!!!
A Big Sister's Love
November 18, 2008
Well tonight we decided to tell Meghan about the baby growing inside Mommy’s tummy. She handled it very well.
She didn’t remember having prayed for a baby to come live at our house. When we asked her if she would like a baby to come live here she said “Noooooo”.
After we told her there was one growing in Mommy’s tummy, she kind of laughed in her impish way and said “Just like Dora!!” One of the Dora the Explorer episodes she watches is about Dora becoming a big sister…….but in the cartoon it’s to twins. Not the case here……..unless one bean was hiding behind the other bean in the one ultrasound we have already…but still highly unlikely. Though it seems that everyone around us, not knowing that we were expecting yet had been telling us about dreams they have had about twins or about Steph having twins….even some of the teens in our youth group…..now that is just scary.
As mommy showed her about how big baby had grown so far using her hand, Meghan put up her hand and said “this big” at the same time Mommy did…..and that was the first time for that, it was as if she already knew what Mommy was going to say.
She asked what kind of baby in there? Of course we said we didn’t know yet and that we would tell her as soon as we found out because she asked “you tell me?”
She gave lots of hugs and kisses to Mommy’s tummy for the baby. She also put a yellow smiley face sticker on her tummy!!
When she came out to say goodnight to Mommy since Daddy was putting her to bed, she said lots of “goodnight baby”.
As she walked back toward her room she turned around and said “What time I get up?” “Probably about 8” Mommy said. To which she replied, “Ok. Baby, I be up at 8 O’Clock!!”
As I put her to bed and just before we prayed, called out to Mommy and not only said Goodnight mommy, but also said, “I love baby in Mommy’s tummy.”
Now we are so very thankful for this reaction from Meghan. We know of a family who’s first child is a girl, and the other 3 are boys and they are expecting another boy now. The sister was not exactly thrilled that her hopes of having a sister…an ally…a confidant…a cohort in pranks against brothers…were put on hold, AGAIN. But she’ll come around. Steph had a chance to tell her that she would be like Steph as Steph is the oldest and only girl of 5 kids. So this girl does have someone that she can identify with and get some great ideas from.
Look out world!!!!
Well tonight we decided to tell Meghan about the baby growing inside Mommy’s tummy. She handled it very well.
She didn’t remember having prayed for a baby to come live at our house. When we asked her if she would like a baby to come live here she said “Noooooo”.
After we told her there was one growing in Mommy’s tummy, she kind of laughed in her impish way and said “Just like Dora!!” One of the Dora the Explorer episodes she watches is about Dora becoming a big sister…….but in the cartoon it’s to twins. Not the case here……..unless one bean was hiding behind the other bean in the one ultrasound we have already…but still highly unlikely. Though it seems that everyone around us, not knowing that we were expecting yet had been telling us about dreams they have had about twins or about Steph having twins….even some of the teens in our youth group…..now that is just scary.
As mommy showed her about how big baby had grown so far using her hand, Meghan put up her hand and said “this big” at the same time Mommy did…..and that was the first time for that, it was as if she already knew what Mommy was going to say.
She asked what kind of baby in there? Of course we said we didn’t know yet and that we would tell her as soon as we found out because she asked “you tell me?”
She gave lots of hugs and kisses to Mommy’s tummy for the baby. She also put a yellow smiley face sticker on her tummy!!
When she came out to say goodnight to Mommy since Daddy was putting her to bed, she said lots of “goodnight baby”.
As she walked back toward her room she turned around and said “What time I get up?” “Probably about 8” Mommy said. To which she replied, “Ok. Baby, I be up at 8 O’Clock!!”
As I put her to bed and just before we prayed, called out to Mommy and not only said Goodnight mommy, but also said, “I love baby in Mommy’s tummy.”
Now we are so very thankful for this reaction from Meghan. We know of a family who’s first child is a girl, and the other 3 are boys and they are expecting another boy now. The sister was not exactly thrilled that her hopes of having a sister…an ally…a confidant…a cohort in pranks against brothers…were put on hold, AGAIN. But she’ll come around. Steph had a chance to tell her that she would be like Steph as Steph is the oldest and only girl of 5 kids. So this girl does have someone that she can identify with and get some great ideas from.
Look out world!!!!
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Post Veterans Day Thinking
Put Simply……THANK A MILITARY SERVICE MEMBER, past or present, WHEN YOU SEE THEM. I don’t care if you agree with any war we have ever been in or what you think politically….IF YOU ARE THANKFUL FOR THE FREEDOM YOU HAVE RIGHT NOW TO VOICE YOUR OPINION, no matter how wrong you may be, THANK A SOLDIER.
I was just thinking about a summer trip we took our seniors in our church youth ministry on, Kingdom Bound ’08. What a blast. But then I started thinking about how we got there in the first place.
We had a successful fund raiser for the trip that a local large grocery store was gracious enough to allow us to use a section of their entrance to set up shop for the day. It was a bake sale we had. All the goods were donated by members of our church and some parents of the teens. We had about 2 tables sets up and about 7 people there to staff the thing…yeah it was crowded.
Across the way was a small table and chair with a covering hanging from it, staffed by just 1 elderly gentleman. This gentleman just sat there and smiled at all that walked by. He was VETERAN and was representing the local VFW. I don’t know how he did financially. But he was very gracious and friendly and was enjoying watching our nutty teens and my (then) 2.5 year old daughter. He even came over for one of the baked goods, we were happily going to just give it to him, but he insisted that he pay for it and he even donated more for it. We expressed our gratefulness and offered him one of our larger tables to increase his presence once we could fit everything on one table, but he just smiled and politely refused. He was a true gentleman in every way.
I wish I thought of it then instead of just now, but it is because of men and women like him that we were even able to be there in the first place. It was because of the sacrificial service of his fellow soldiers that we are allowed to freely and openly meet together in this great land of ours. And it seemed that he was enjoying seeing just a small little bit of the fruit of his service.
And yet there are bills in the congress that are being debated that if passed would take away some of the freedom that he fought and lived for, and others fought and DIED for. Get involved in politics and know what is on the table, what is in the works, what YOUR tax money is being spent on, and voice or email or write your Congressman/woman telling them how you want them to vote and what stand you want them to take. This is their job, to accurately represent their people. HOW CAN THEY DO THAT IF NO ONE TELLS THEM???
Here is the main number to call to get in contact with your member of Congress;
You can also e-mail them as well visit this site to get started to find their e-mail address.
United States Senate
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Senate switchboard: 202-224-3121
United States House of Representatives
http://www.house.gov
House switchboard: 202-225-3121
United States White House
White House opinion line: 202-456-1111
White House switchboard: 202-456-1414
Don’t forget, even if you totally disagree with our current or next President, our Congress can override his law making decisions. NOTHING IS SET IN STONE. So be praying that our President makes the right choices.
THANK YOU TO ALL PAST AND PRESENT MILITARY SERVICE PERSONNEL!!!
I was just thinking about a summer trip we took our seniors in our church youth ministry on, Kingdom Bound ’08. What a blast. But then I started thinking about how we got there in the first place.
We had a successful fund raiser for the trip that a local large grocery store was gracious enough to allow us to use a section of their entrance to set up shop for the day. It was a bake sale we had. All the goods were donated by members of our church and some parents of the teens. We had about 2 tables sets up and about 7 people there to staff the thing…yeah it was crowded.
Across the way was a small table and chair with a covering hanging from it, staffed by just 1 elderly gentleman. This gentleman just sat there and smiled at all that walked by. He was VETERAN and was representing the local VFW. I don’t know how he did financially. But he was very gracious and friendly and was enjoying watching our nutty teens and my (then) 2.5 year old daughter. He even came over for one of the baked goods, we were happily going to just give it to him, but he insisted that he pay for it and he even donated more for it. We expressed our gratefulness and offered him one of our larger tables to increase his presence once we could fit everything on one table, but he just smiled and politely refused. He was a true gentleman in every way.
I wish I thought of it then instead of just now, but it is because of men and women like him that we were even able to be there in the first place. It was because of the sacrificial service of his fellow soldiers that we are allowed to freely and openly meet together in this great land of ours. And it seemed that he was enjoying seeing just a small little bit of the fruit of his service.
And yet there are bills in the congress that are being debated that if passed would take away some of the freedom that he fought and lived for, and others fought and DIED for. Get involved in politics and know what is on the table, what is in the works, what YOUR tax money is being spent on, and voice or email or write your Congressman/woman telling them how you want them to vote and what stand you want them to take. This is their job, to accurately represent their people. HOW CAN THEY DO THAT IF NO ONE TELLS THEM???
Here is the main number to call to get in contact with your member of Congress;
You can also e-mail them as well visit this site to get started to find their e-mail address.
United States Senate
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Senate switchboard: 202-224-3121
United States House of Representatives
http://www.house.gov
House switchboard: 202-225-3121
United States White House
White House opinion line: 202-456-1111
White House switchboard: 202-456-1414
Don’t forget, even if you totally disagree with our current or next President, our Congress can override his law making decisions. NOTHING IS SET IN STONE. So be praying that our President makes the right choices.
THANK YOU TO ALL PAST AND PRESENT MILITARY SERVICE PERSONNEL!!!
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Diet Mountain Dew
Well I said that I would write about Dew way back at the beginning of this blog thing so here it goes.
I am loving Diet Dew.....yes I said Diet Dew. I have a cousin by marriage who we saw over the summer and he switched over to Diet soda as he doesn't drink coffee, same as me, yet he needs the caffeine at times to keep from dragging. Well he did it and said that he lost like 30 pounds. SOOOOO after some thought and consideration about this I decided to do the same thing and see if I could even get used to the taste of DIET soda. Well it took no time at all and so far I can attribute the loss of 6 pounds to that simple change alone.
Diet soda is great, no calories, no sugar, no carbs, and I get the caffeine I need to make it through a 3rd shift job with some rational logical focused thoughts, lol :-)
Now I just need to get the exercise aspect integrated into my life and I will be melting down like a Hershey bar on a summer day.
3D - Do Diet Dew
I am loving Diet Dew.....yes I said Diet Dew. I have a cousin by marriage who we saw over the summer and he switched over to Diet soda as he doesn't drink coffee, same as me, yet he needs the caffeine at times to keep from dragging. Well he did it and said that he lost like 30 pounds. SOOOOO after some thought and consideration about this I decided to do the same thing and see if I could even get used to the taste of DIET soda. Well it took no time at all and so far I can attribute the loss of 6 pounds to that simple change alone.
Diet soda is great, no calories, no sugar, no carbs, and I get the caffeine I need to make it through a 3rd shift job with some rational logical focused thoughts, lol :-)
Now I just need to get the exercise aspect integrated into my life and I will be melting down like a Hershey bar on a summer day.
3D - Do Diet Dew
Incredible Chapel Experience
So I was at my old alma mater on the 12th because I was asked to be the speaker for chapel. I was floored when I was asked because I never thought I would ever want to speak in front of people, let alone a bunch of kids. Well God changed all that years ago. I was so excited about this opportunity and prepared for it well I thought. I had been thinking and thinking and planning and rehearsing different aspects of it over the last 2 months. I spent the night before putting together the slides for the accompanying power point. After all we live in the tech era and teens today in school have adults lecturing them all day long (with some teachers I know there is a TON of interaction), so I knew that they needed something a bit different.
There is so much to say, so much truth that kids need to hear from God’s Word and I only had a half hour to cram all that truth into. All the last two months I had narrowed my time down to two main topics. I love the title of the series by Simply Youth Ministry called “Life Hurts. God Heals.” but I don’t have the series, so I used the title and was going to go in that direction. The other topic was going to be……ummm…..ok see now I forget since I waited this long to write about it J Oh well. It’s all good.
I was all set and when I got there I got my laptop set up and ……now I remember, our identity in Christ and just how powerful a resource the Holy Spirit is in our daily choices and lives with a focus on the power of prayer and actually get some of the kids to pray before the end of chapel…..anyway got my stuff all set up and I had forgotten one thing, my introduction. ARGH. Meaning, I had to make a connection with the kids first before they would remotely listen to me. THANKFULLY, most of the high schoolers knew me already, thanks to my sister and my few years of coaching boys junior high basketball and jv soccer. So it was the junior high kids that I had to establish a bit of who I was and why I was even the least bit interesting to listen to. Well the night before I had polished my yap down to about 28 minutes since I had about a half hour IF they sang some songs. Again that was without the introduction…..so I spent about 4 minutes there and was so off track with a thought I had to share from my heart as a big brother with Kate’s friends, teachers, and teammates…..good thing she wasn’t there yet or she would have been soooooo red with angry embarrassment J So that took another 2 minutes. Yeah….uh oh is right!!
So here is what really happened with MY plan…..only 2/3 of it happened. I had also prayed that if there was anything that A kid or others needed to hear instead between the time that I am done preparing and actually start speaking, that God would totally just guide my ADD mind to what He wanted that person to hear. Weeeeeeelllllllllllllllll HE DID JUST THAT. I had no intention of talking about Job….but I went there as it fit in well anyway with the LH.GH. section. I was able to get them thinking about who they were in Christ…..if they even had that relationship with HIM in the first place. Played a bit of a game to get them looking at themselves and learning about how God wired them uniquely, showed them some absolutely mind blowing pictures of space taken by the Hubble Telescope to show just a itsy bitsy glimpse of how big and powerful and creative GOD IS, some macro photos from some site to show how detailed oriented GOD is as well, and brought it home to them showing them that this same HUGE GOD that created all this and keeps it all in order, cares and loves each one of them more than any other work of creation.
I was able to play the song “Who Am I” in the background of part of my little talk to help drive the point home that we are HIS because of HIM. Thinking about the words just now (again) I am amazed at how well that song fit the talk. After all, who are we that the God that made all the galaxies (yes there are many out there that we are able to see for the first time since their creation) would care to know our name or number the hairs on our head as the Bible says? Simply astounding.
Well God just not only blessed my preparation, but He totally took over it as well. I LOVE WHEN HE DOES THAT…..especially when He lets me remember what I actually said, lol. Did I go off track a few times, well duh, hello, this is Tim here. But God was working and brought me back on track without jumping around. I had a 6 minute video (Lifehouse – Everything Human Video/Skit) that I was going to share with them at the end right after a story about an artist/carver who takes an ugly tree section and works it into a majestic eagle carving, pointing out that we are the tree (in our sin filled pre-relationship with Christ life) an Jesus is the artist seeing the eagle in each of us because He made us and gave us life. If He didn’t have a purpose for our being alive today, we just simply wouldn’t be alive today. I was able to get that point in but without the story and the video as the bell rang.
So God totally moved and helped me wrap it all up in 2 minutes with a salvation prayer and offer to the kids to write down on some cards if they got saved just then and if there was anything they wanted me to pray for for them no matter on the level of significance as God cares about all. I got many cards left there with requests on them.
I was so pumped about speaking to such a large group of kids about God, that I had no clue how fast time was going by. Now I usually would have been sweating up there, but it was cool enough in there that I wasn’t sweating the least bit until after the kids had left the room and I was under the gun to gather my things and get going so the elementary kids could have their chapel….oh well.
I WANT TO DO THAT AGAIN, AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN and I even asked the person who asked me to do it if I could come back. She was thrilled and said that she would let me know. The only hint I got as to when that may be wasn’t til the spring…….that is soooooooo far away from now. Oh well, I was thankful that they had chapels booked up so far in advance. Shows fantastic planning.
So I have to talk with my boss / cohort in youth ministry at our church and ask him to let me speak on a more regular basis (than 1-2 times a year) because I was sooooo out of practice that was the only thing that I was genuinely concerned about with my speaking and ability to put this all together.
Now based on the general nature of the prayer requests of these kids…..I am thinking right now that I am going to focus much more on the “life hurts, God HEALS” area. I am incredibly thankful to those that gave me some great encouragement after chapel was over before they had to leave for classes. I was told that there was a couple of teens and one in particular that had been on the hearts of a few of the teachers lately for their salvation. They said that this was what many of these kids had to hear, and it fit so well with my friend Wayne Morgan’s message about identity in God. Praise the LORD for taking over an ADD mind and mouth and using His creation and Word to reach teens.
To use Way of the Master Radio’s Todd Friel’s sign off:
Until next time, GO SERVE YOUR KING!
There is so much to say, so much truth that kids need to hear from God’s Word and I only had a half hour to cram all that truth into. All the last two months I had narrowed my time down to two main topics. I love the title of the series by Simply Youth Ministry called “Life Hurts. God Heals.” but I don’t have the series, so I used the title and was going to go in that direction. The other topic was going to be……ummm…..ok see now I forget since I waited this long to write about it J Oh well. It’s all good.
I was all set and when I got there I got my laptop set up and ……now I remember, our identity in Christ and just how powerful a resource the Holy Spirit is in our daily choices and lives with a focus on the power of prayer and actually get some of the kids to pray before the end of chapel…..anyway got my stuff all set up and I had forgotten one thing, my introduction. ARGH. Meaning, I had to make a connection with the kids first before they would remotely listen to me. THANKFULLY, most of the high schoolers knew me already, thanks to my sister and my few years of coaching boys junior high basketball and jv soccer. So it was the junior high kids that I had to establish a bit of who I was and why I was even the least bit interesting to listen to. Well the night before I had polished my yap down to about 28 minutes since I had about a half hour IF they sang some songs. Again that was without the introduction…..so I spent about 4 minutes there and was so off track with a thought I had to share from my heart as a big brother with Kate’s friends, teachers, and teammates…..good thing she wasn’t there yet or she would have been soooooo red with angry embarrassment J So that took another 2 minutes. Yeah….uh oh is right!!
So here is what really happened with MY plan…..only 2/3 of it happened. I had also prayed that if there was anything that A kid or others needed to hear instead between the time that I am done preparing and actually start speaking, that God would totally just guide my ADD mind to what He wanted that person to hear. Weeeeeeelllllllllllllllll HE DID JUST THAT. I had no intention of talking about Job….but I went there as it fit in well anyway with the LH.GH. section. I was able to get them thinking about who they were in Christ…..if they even had that relationship with HIM in the first place. Played a bit of a game to get them looking at themselves and learning about how God wired them uniquely, showed them some absolutely mind blowing pictures of space taken by the Hubble Telescope to show just a itsy bitsy glimpse of how big and powerful and creative GOD IS, some macro photos from some site to show how detailed oriented GOD is as well, and brought it home to them showing them that this same HUGE GOD that created all this and keeps it all in order, cares and loves each one of them more than any other work of creation.
I was able to play the song “Who Am I” in the background of part of my little talk to help drive the point home that we are HIS because of HIM. Thinking about the words just now (again) I am amazed at how well that song fit the talk. After all, who are we that the God that made all the galaxies (yes there are many out there that we are able to see for the first time since their creation) would care to know our name or number the hairs on our head as the Bible says? Simply astounding.
Well God just not only blessed my preparation, but He totally took over it as well. I LOVE WHEN HE DOES THAT…..especially when He lets me remember what I actually said, lol. Did I go off track a few times, well duh, hello, this is Tim here. But God was working and brought me back on track without jumping around. I had a 6 minute video (Lifehouse – Everything Human Video/Skit) that I was going to share with them at the end right after a story about an artist/carver who takes an ugly tree section and works it into a majestic eagle carving, pointing out that we are the tree (in our sin filled pre-relationship with Christ life) an Jesus is the artist seeing the eagle in each of us because He made us and gave us life. If He didn’t have a purpose for our being alive today, we just simply wouldn’t be alive today. I was able to get that point in but without the story and the video as the bell rang.
So God totally moved and helped me wrap it all up in 2 minutes with a salvation prayer and offer to the kids to write down on some cards if they got saved just then and if there was anything they wanted me to pray for for them no matter on the level of significance as God cares about all. I got many cards left there with requests on them.
I was so pumped about speaking to such a large group of kids about God, that I had no clue how fast time was going by. Now I usually would have been sweating up there, but it was cool enough in there that I wasn’t sweating the least bit until after the kids had left the room and I was under the gun to gather my things and get going so the elementary kids could have their chapel….oh well.
I WANT TO DO THAT AGAIN, AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN and I even asked the person who asked me to do it if I could come back. She was thrilled and said that she would let me know. The only hint I got as to when that may be wasn’t til the spring…….that is soooooooo far away from now. Oh well, I was thankful that they had chapels booked up so far in advance. Shows fantastic planning.
So I have to talk with my boss / cohort in youth ministry at our church and ask him to let me speak on a more regular basis (than 1-2 times a year) because I was sooooo out of practice that was the only thing that I was genuinely concerned about with my speaking and ability to put this all together.
Now based on the general nature of the prayer requests of these kids…..I am thinking right now that I am going to focus much more on the “life hurts, God HEALS” area. I am incredibly thankful to those that gave me some great encouragement after chapel was over before they had to leave for classes. I was told that there was a couple of teens and one in particular that had been on the hearts of a few of the teachers lately for their salvation. They said that this was what many of these kids had to hear, and it fit so well with my friend Wayne Morgan’s message about identity in God. Praise the LORD for taking over an ADD mind and mouth and using His creation and Word to reach teens.
To use Way of the Master Radio’s Todd Friel’s sign off:
Until next time, GO SERVE YOUR KING!
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Mommy-Daughter Baking Day
Ok so I went to speak to the teens (high schoolers) at my old school for their chapel service. More on that experience later this week. But when I got home later that morning, I walked in to seeing my wife and my daughter both in navy blue sweatshirts, blue jeans, and aprons working on baking some goodies. My daughter is only 3 so she was standing on a chair and very much wanting and trying to help with mommy's direction. What a cute sight. I was glad to see that my wife was teaching my daughter a woman's rightful place....the kitchen.....I AM ONLY KIDDING SO BEFORE YOU GET INFURIATED AND START THROWING THINGS AT THE SCREEN IN DISGUST.....IT WAS A JOKE!!! I couldn't help but laugh and I nearly got a bag of flour tossed at me when I choked as I tried to get that line out to my wife :-) Anyway, since this is a public blog I will not be posting family pictures here for safety sake, however, if you are one of our friends on Facebook, then you can see the pics of this very cute sight there.
By the way, thanks to the person who got her the apron that is just her size, it looked so cute on her and she was wearing it with such pride as she got her hands messy instead of her clothes!!! She loves having one of her own. Oh and the yummy treats they baked are quite yummmmy too!!!
By the way, thanks to the person who got her the apron that is just her size, it looked so cute on her and she was wearing it with such pride as she got her hands messy instead of her clothes!!! She loves having one of her own. Oh and the yummy treats they baked are quite yummmmy too!!!
Monday, November 10, 2008
Check out the newbies
Hello to all.
I have been very busy lately with my studies and other things that I haven't been on here in a while. Therefore, I took some time today (Monday) to do some housekeeping on here. I have added quite a bit so please take the time to check it all out. Don't forget to always check the whole page as there are some things that Ihave added adn are supposed to changing automatically each day and/or each week...we'll see if I did things right so that works.
I know there hasn't been very much FUNNY stuff on here...so how about this....just in watching my 3 year old and in working with kids, ok, even some of the adults and the animals......we sure do give our Creator so many moments to laugh!!! Like today for example, my wife and daughter were leaving for a trip tot he store and our daughter says as clear as a whistle, something like,
"Mommy be careful there's cars on the road!" :-)
And as always, live your life so Jesus would be proud to sign His name to a daily report of it.
I have been very busy lately with my studies and other things that I haven't been on here in a while. Therefore, I took some time today (Monday) to do some housekeeping on here. I have added quite a bit so please take the time to check it all out. Don't forget to always check the whole page as there are some things that Ihave added adn are supposed to changing automatically each day and/or each week...we'll see if I did things right so that works.
I know there hasn't been very much FUNNY stuff on here...so how about this....just in watching my 3 year old and in working with kids, ok, even some of the adults and the animals......we sure do give our Creator so many moments to laugh!!! Like today for example, my wife and daughter were leaving for a trip tot he store and our daughter says as clear as a whistle, something like,
"Mommy be careful there's cars on the road!" :-)
And as always, live your life so Jesus would be proud to sign His name to a daily report of it.
A Question for Our Evolutionist Friends
Why would any being want to reproduce itself? That would mean another mouth to feed and less food for each one. If survival of the fittest is in play, then selfishness would rule the land and the “fittest” would want to kill off every thing else so it had the best chance of survival and have all the resources to itself.
Now that is a self contradiction isn’t it? And they claim the Bible contradicts itself. Well as the Bible also says, take care of the splinter in your own eye before you try to help with the plank in your brothers eye. In other words, fix your own problems or at least be working on fixing them before you try to fix someone else’s problems.
Now some people are going to read this and totally focus on “the plank” part and say something to the effect of: so you are admitting that there are problems with the Bible? Put simply, NO. There is much more to say in that answer but I say this first, before you even go there I would strongly encourage you, questioning friend, to simply read the Bible before you criticize it and claim that it contradicts itself.
After you read it through which you can do like any other book of similar length, please feel free to ask questions. Even if I don’t have an answer right away I will research the question (because I may not have thought of it before) and WILL GET BACK TO YOU. If you leave it as a comment, please leave an email address that I can get back to you with. Also please leave me permission to post your question on this blog as I will post the question and the answer.
This is a public blog, so please feel free to pass it on to your family, friends, co-workers, enemies, whomever you wish.
Remember I said that there would be controversial material on here. I just can’t spend the valuable time and space here on empty things such as the latest gossip and celebrity news. I mean, c’mon, do our lives revolve around such things….hmmmm….there’s another thought. J
Now that is a self contradiction isn’t it? And they claim the Bible contradicts itself. Well as the Bible also says, take care of the splinter in your own eye before you try to help with the plank in your brothers eye. In other words, fix your own problems or at least be working on fixing them before you try to fix someone else’s problems.
Now some people are going to read this and totally focus on “the plank” part and say something to the effect of: so you are admitting that there are problems with the Bible? Put simply, NO. There is much more to say in that answer but I say this first, before you even go there I would strongly encourage you, questioning friend, to simply read the Bible before you criticize it and claim that it contradicts itself.
After you read it through which you can do like any other book of similar length, please feel free to ask questions. Even if I don’t have an answer right away I will research the question (because I may not have thought of it before) and WILL GET BACK TO YOU. If you leave it as a comment, please leave an email address that I can get back to you with. Also please leave me permission to post your question on this blog as I will post the question and the answer.
This is a public blog, so please feel free to pass it on to your family, friends, co-workers, enemies, whomever you wish.
Remember I said that there would be controversial material on here. I just can’t spend the valuable time and space here on empty things such as the latest gossip and celebrity news. I mean, c’mon, do our lives revolve around such things….hmmmm….there’s another thought. J
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Projected Anger. Hate the sin, love the sinner.
Well over the last two nights I was in panic mode regarding the election. All I could think about were the millions of babies that would die because they MAY be allowed by Federal law to be left to die even if they survive a botched abortion. EVEN NARAL remained neutral on this issue when it was brought out. Please watch the link included for more info on that. IF there is no link yet, it will be added soon. I even was brave and watched the movie about abortion made called “The Silent Scream”. Most noteworthy about that movie was this, after the doctor and the ansthetesiologist had watched the ultrasound of their murder, they NEVER performed or participated in another abortion. WHY is this? Because they saw the truth of what abortion was and they were disgusted.
I had posted on Facebook as one of my status updates, that I was “finding it very hard to pray for someone I am HATING!!!” I MUST CLARIFY THIS. First I must apologize for this statement as there were a couple people who had the guts to comment to me about it….for that I thank you. I was so angry and outraged and impassioned about this life issue that I was projecting that anger onto the now President Elect Obama. In deeper and more accurate truth, I do NOT HATE him…..I DO hate his decisions and clear support of abortion at any stage of pregnancy or birth or even after birth. Is HATE a strong word??? Yes it is. But one of the principles in the Word of God is to hate the SIN, but LOVE THE SINNER. I would modify this to clarify it further to HATE the actions of those that don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ BUT LOVE THE PEOPLE THEMSELVES. Quite frankly I was flat out wrong in my choice to harbor such strong feelings toward someone when it’s their decisions that I can’t stand.
I have to go back to the basics In order to deal rightly with the more complicated. And here is the deal:
Obama is a lost soul that is in desperate need as I was at one time of having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. He says he is Christian….ONLY GOD KNOWS WHAT IS IN HIS HEART…..however based on God’s Word, He gave us something to be able to somewhat discern if someone is truly saved. “By their fruit you shall know them.” A closer examination of Obama may reveal this. Remember that many say they are Christian but have no clue what Christianity really is. It isn’t militant, it is radical compared to the world’s standards but it is not a violent “religion”. More on that discussion at another time, probably soon too.
Lastly, HERE IS MY CHOICE: I am choosing to pray for Obama and the congress of this nation. As a friend of mine put it, “if God can use Nebuchadnezzar (see the book of Daniel), He can surely use a far left Liberal.” AMEN. God is God and we are just men. Just imagine what a testimony it would be if Obama truly got saved, accepted Christ as His Savior and changed his stand on the two biggest issues of the sanctity of life and of marriage to agree with the Word of God…..that is what I am praying for with him, those around him, and those that have the ability to override him in Congress.
PLEASE PRAY WITH ME FOR OUR LEADERS AND FOR REVIVAL IN OUR CHURCHES.
I had posted on Facebook as one of my status updates, that I was “finding it very hard to pray for someone I am HATING!!!” I MUST CLARIFY THIS. First I must apologize for this statement as there were a couple people who had the guts to comment to me about it….for that I thank you. I was so angry and outraged and impassioned about this life issue that I was projecting that anger onto the now President Elect Obama. In deeper and more accurate truth, I do NOT HATE him…..I DO hate his decisions and clear support of abortion at any stage of pregnancy or birth or even after birth. Is HATE a strong word??? Yes it is. But one of the principles in the Word of God is to hate the SIN, but LOVE THE SINNER. I would modify this to clarify it further to HATE the actions of those that don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ BUT LOVE THE PEOPLE THEMSELVES. Quite frankly I was flat out wrong in my choice to harbor such strong feelings toward someone when it’s their decisions that I can’t stand.
I have to go back to the basics In order to deal rightly with the more complicated. And here is the deal:
Obama is a lost soul that is in desperate need as I was at one time of having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. He says he is Christian….ONLY GOD KNOWS WHAT IS IN HIS HEART…..however based on God’s Word, He gave us something to be able to somewhat discern if someone is truly saved. “By their fruit you shall know them.” A closer examination of Obama may reveal this. Remember that many say they are Christian but have no clue what Christianity really is. It isn’t militant, it is radical compared to the world’s standards but it is not a violent “religion”. More on that discussion at another time, probably soon too.
Lastly, HERE IS MY CHOICE: I am choosing to pray for Obama and the congress of this nation. As a friend of mine put it, “if God can use Nebuchadnezzar (see the book of Daniel), He can surely use a far left Liberal.” AMEN. God is God and we are just men. Just imagine what a testimony it would be if Obama truly got saved, accepted Christ as His Savior and changed his stand on the two biggest issues of the sanctity of life and of marriage to agree with the Word of God…..that is what I am praying for with him, those around him, and those that have the ability to override him in Congress.
PLEASE PRAY WITH ME FOR OUR LEADERS AND FOR REVIVAL IN OUR CHURCHES.
Monday, November 3, 2008
MORE BABIES TO DIE.....LIVE BIRTHS LEFT TO DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Please visit the website.....www.jillstanek.com for more on this horrible title for this post. This is actually happening in many of our hospitals, not just the one that is mentioned in this case. Please check out your local hospital to see if they are doing this terrible inhumane act of murder by neglect. Unfortuantely, Satan only knows the limits imposed on him by God....read the first few chapters in the Biblical book of Job for proof of that.
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