Category Archives: Uncategorized

by | April 21, 2011 · 10:42 pm

I Just Want to Know Him

Feeling Down

For a little while I have been feeling down, a little discouraged. I can’t exactly explain why. It could be the change of seasons, or all the rain our area has been having. Maybe, it was all the comments I was making on other people’s blogs.

Comment sections will make one ill.

I learned a long time ago to totally avoid the comment sections on places like YouTube and our local news paper (online version).

YouTube comments are usually vulgar, vile, pornographic in nature, and full of hatred, ignorance, and vitriol. The comments in the local newspaper are also vulgar, vile, pornographic in nature, and full of hatred, ignorance, and vitriol. The difference is that the newspaper comments are written by people in my own town – my neighbors! If I avoid reading them, it is much more likely that I continue singing the Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood theme song. Otherwise, I may throw my “sneakers” through the wall and choke somebody with an argyle sweater.

On the other hand…

I enjoy reading the comments on other blogs I follow. Because they are monitored, the language is acceptable and weirdos are usually weeded out. But on occasion, there comes along a blogger (hint, hint) who wants to pose questions that are meant to stir up the pot. The ensuing comment bombardments can stir up long-lasting debris from text-verse explosions, the result of which can choke the joy right out of a Care Bear (that’s an 80’s toy). A week of battling through these things has evidently taken its toll…I need a hug.

You see, the problem with legalism (over-simplified: a life of rules and regulations) is that it can give one a false sense of knowledge and understanding about God. Lists of regulations are fine, to a degree, but they are limited. Obeying lists does not make one any closer to the List Maker, or any more like Him. As a matter of fact, following the lists too stringently may cause one to risk missing something written between the lines, or even miss the reason the list was given.

I have come to a simple conclusion about God:  I don’t need to argue anymore about lists – I just want to know Him.

A list in our hearts

The Bible talked about the time when the Law would be written on the hearts of men (Jeremiah 33:31). What does that mean? Well, it’s easy to understand if you think of it in terms of relationship.

If you are in a close relationship with someone, it doesn’t take a list for you to know what makes that person happy or sad…you know in your heart. God essentially told Jeremiah that a day would come when men would no longer need a list to live by, but they would act according to relationship. In a close relationship, a grocery list can help you prepare for a special night. However, without a relationship, a grocery list from a total stranger might be easy to check off, but it doesn’t mean you’re invited to dinner.

Grocery List

Keeping with the “grocery list” analogy, have you ever been given a list for things to pick up at the store? If the list was from an employer, your boss at work, and he wrote down ten items he needed for the office kitchen, the safest bet would be to buy exactly what he requested, no exceptions. You would not want to question his authority or wisdom, and you would especially not want to seem insubordinate – you could get fired. You would be wise to not think for yourself – just follow the list. That’s like LEGALISM.

What if the list was from your husband or wife? Would you feel stressed walking into the store? Would you be afraid to go home if something on the list was not available, leaving you with no option but to find a substitute? If you were in a healthy marriage, you would know to make the best choices for the sake of your family. No list would have to tell you that. The key is that you would not be chained to the list, but you would be free to make the best choice for the sake of your family. You would be trusted. And if you messed up, you’d still have a home to go to. That’s like GRACE.

My Prayer

I pray that I come to a point where everything I do gives evidence of the fact that I have an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. I want to know Him more. I want my heart to beat in rhythm with His. I want to be able to distinguish between things that bring Him glory, and things that break His heart.

Jer 31:33  – But this [shall be] the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Jer 31:34  – And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

Psa 19:14 – Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.


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by | April 12, 2011 · 10:30 pm

Life Lessons from the School Bus #8 (Stop)

Stop Signs

If there is one thing that makes me angry enough to spit nails, pound a steering wheel, clinch my teeth, and silently whisper vulgarities under my breath, it is this:

People who run school bus stop signs!

Honestly, I would like to know what goes through the minds of these idiots. What causes them to act so carelessly? Are they just careless, or are they blind? Should they even be behind the wheel of a vehicle?

I can’t tell you how many times it has happened to me while driving. One time, believe it or not, a motorist (older white male) came around from behind me on the side of the service door! Let me make that clear, the driver came from behind and passed me on the side the kids get out! He came within a few feet of hitting three middle-schoolers!

What do you do in a situation like that? Well, what wanted to do was chase him with the bus and pin him to a guardrail with 30,000 pounds of yellow furry!

What did I actually do? I called him an unflattering name that referred back to him possibly not coming from a woman who was married at the time of his unfortunate birth. That was all I could do. He got away before I could get his plate number.

If you are one of those slimy pieces of human debris that think it’s OK to run a school bus stop sign, especially if you have an important date, or just can’t stand the thought of being held up another minute – God is watching. Yep, that’s what I said, scumbag. Every time you think you are so special that you can skirt the law, run the stop sign, and go your merry way, God is watching you. When I can’t get your license plate number, God has got YOUR number, bub.

And whosoever shall offend one of [these] little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea. – Mark 9:42 KJV

Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven. … Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish. – Matthew 18:10, 14 KJV

You should stop and think a moment. Every time you flagrantly drive through a bus stop, you put children ask risk. You make your priorities more important than the lives of little children. Do you think that for one moment Heaven is on your side of the argument? Do you think that risking running over one of “these little ones” is any different than “despising” them? Do you believe in God? Keep running those stop signs and you will learn the lesson of the day…

Life Lesson

You will eventually reap what you sow (what goes around, comes around).

Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. – Galatians 6:7 KJV

Sometimes children are told to “sow their wild oats while they’re young.” I can’t think of a more stupid piece of advice to give anyone! That is like saying, “Do everything wrong while you can, but don’t worry, it will never come back to bite you in the rear end.” God says, “Don’t be decieved by these idiots, because you will reap a harvest from the seeds you plant.”

The same can be said about those who run bus stop signs. Just keep it up, but one day you are going to get what is coming to you, especially if you hit one of those children.

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by | April 10, 2011 · 4:23 pm

There IS Purpose

To Begin With…

The world is in a state of turmoil. Pain and suffering are everywhere. Worry and fear are some of the more common emotions among men and women these days. In the midst of all this unforgiving stress, the hurting need comfort; yet, where are they to find it?  I believe that comfort can be found in the belief that this world is not the result of an accident, but design. I believe that there is more to life than what we can see. I believe in a Creator. I believe in God. This belief gives me comfort in the midst of pain and suffering.

But…

Many (but not all) scientists, however, do not believe in a Creator, so they pursue meaning and purpose through the discovery of new things, improving mankind’s situation, and better anticipating the future of the universe. Even though great scientists of the past viewed science as a means to further understand God’s creation, leading them to give God praise for His magnificent design, many modern scientists see the universe through a naturalistic worldview. They tend to comfort themselves in the supposed fact that this universe, made of matter, is all that there is – nothing more. They reason that since life is just a natural process and that matter is all that there is, what does it matter (pun intended) if there is no purpose to life? To the naturalist (the typical scientist), it is all about the here-and-now, occasionally sprinkled with purposeless wonder and meaningless awe.

Science?

A recent “scientific” study was conducted that shed some interesting light on the reasons why people choose to believe that there is a Designer of the universe, rather than purposeless existence after death. Just consider the title of the study: “Death and Science: The Existential Underpinnings of Belief in Intelligent Design and Discomfort with Evolution.” (Tracy, Hart, Martens) This study showed that when faced with the ultimate reality of death, most choose to find comfort in the belief that there is a design to everything, which would suggest purpose, rather than hold to Darwin’s theory of evolution. When faced with what was called “mortality salience,” even the unreligious tended to be “uncomfortable” with the theory of evolution. The conductors of the experiment were amazed (I found it perfectly logical), even indignant at times (which I thought was funny). Sadly, the researchers who conducted the study were obviously predisposed to atheism and the idea that the universe is un-designed. Surely they included themselves in the category of “certain individuals who are more deeply invested in the scientific worldview (e.g., scientists),” and, like Carl Sagan, viewed “naturalism as providing human life with meaning and purpose.” (Tracy, Hart and Martens 10)

Only a fool could look at a working machine that had every feature capable of performing a particular task and call that machine a random collection of atoms without purpose or meaning. Even the Psalmist said, “the fool hath said in his heart, [there is] no God.” On the other hand, the logical person would conclude, at some point, that the universe machine must have been designed by a Designer. To illustrate this, William Paley (1743-1805) used a pocket watch as an analogy to describe what one should conclude when he looks at the universe. Like a lone watch found on a beach, the universe should be to the observer an intricate work of art made for a purpose. People that are logical also see themselves as instruments of purpose, because they can recognize things that bear the marks of design. Why should it be a surprise to anyone, that when faced with death, the need for meaning would be important to the same, thoughtful, logical observer? “When we see evidence of intelligent design…we naturally assume that an intelligent designer was responsible for constructing the object.” (Phillips, Brown and Stonestreet 78)

Ten Words

The Christian can find his whole sense of purpose in the ten words that make up Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” The Christian scientist can also read these words and find confirmation to his observations. It is the naturalistic scientist that looks at William Paley’s watch analogy (teleological argument) and comes to the illogical conclusion that “chance plus time” created a beautifully intricate machine out of nothing.

If the universe is Godless, and it was not designed for a purpose, then meaning is irrelevant. The thing that is designed for a purpose, even if only to amuse, has a purpose, which gives meaning to every aspect of its being. Something that was not designed, created, or brought about either in reality or in the abstract, exists, at best, by accident. There is no purpose inherent within an accident (accidents are by definition unplanned), unless, of course, the accident was caused. If an accident is caused, even if it was not purposeful, then it was at least caused, was it not? So, either way, it could be argued that whether the universe was designed or came about by accident, there was a Something that brought it about, for both are objects of a Creator, else neither would have existed.

Waxing Philosophical

In conclusion, I would now argue that if the universe was either designed or the result of an accident, and if both design and accident have to have a cause; and, since accidents usually don’t result in the promotion of life-sustaining details, but rather carnage; and, since the universe mirrors best an intricate machine full of life; therefore, it must be designed, not an accident. If, then, the universe was the product of a Designer, then there must be a purpose inherent in the design. In other words, there is a reason for everything we see. It may be hidden somewhere in the workings of this great machine. Or, it could be found in the revelation of the Designer – the Bible.

There is, according to Scripture, a purpose for everything. Even amidst all the turmoil of the Vietnam War era a song came out by a group call The Byrds entitled, “Turn, Turn, Turn.” The lyrics included a line from Ecclesiastes 3:1 which said, “a time to every PURPOSE (emphasis mine) under heaven.” To everything there is a purpose, even though it may not be plain to the observer. For example, unless they are meant to be a prank, buttons and levers on a machine usually have a purpose. Even if they don’t do anything, they had the purpose to illicit a response of some kind from the observer. That being understood, if there seems to be any design to the universe, wouldn’t it make the most sense to assume there was a Designer? If there was a Designer, then there was a purpose for the design. And the Bible says that the purpose, if for no other reason, was to cause “…all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him [the LORD]. For he spake, and it was [done]; he commanded, and it stood fast.” – Psa 33: 8-9 KJV

God made everything for a reason. You have a purpose. There IS hope in Jesus Christ.

Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD. – Psalm 31:24 KJV

Works Cited

Tracy, J. L., J. Hart and J. P. Martens. 2011. Death and Science: The Existential Underpinnings of Belief in Intelligent Design and Discomfort with Evolution. PLoS ONE. 6 (3): e17349.

Phillips, W. Gary, William E. Brown and John Stonestreet. Making Sense of Your World, A Biblical Worldview. Salem, Wisconsin: Sheffield Publishing Company, 2008.

Here is a link to the Institute for Creation Research article addressing the study mentioned above: http://www.icr.org/article/6039/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+icrscienceupdate+%28Science+Update+from+ICR%29&utm_content=FaceBook


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by | April 8, 2011 · 2:15 am

It’s “Friday”

OK, so it is Friday morning, 1 am, and one of the worst songs ever written is stuck in my head.

“Friday, Friday…”

What would be the chance that we could convince the calender people to change the names of the days? Could we change Friday to something like Frickabrack? How about Flurble? We have to do something, or every time the weekend comes around I’m gonna be singing that song. DANG IT!!

If you have been fortunate enough to have never heard this song, then that is about to change. You are going to submit to the temptation and click the link below. You have to share in the pain. You HAVE to!

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Why Me, Lord?

Just because a song is popular, doesn’t make it good. An example would be “Why Me Lord” by Kris Kristofferson. I HATED that song. However, a song I hate more is “One Day at a Time.” Kris co-wrote that, you know. The part that I hated the most was the second verse…

Do you remember (Are you kidding? Ever heard of Omniscience)
When you walked among men
Well Jesus, you know, if you’re looking below(If? What’s He doin’, cleaning harps?)
It’s worse now than then(like when the Romans were feeding lions)
Pushin’ and shovin’ crowding my mind(Mental breakdowns are worse than martyrdom)
Lord for my sake(It’s all about me, isn’t it?)
Teach me to take
One day at a time (Just go take a nap, and you’ll feel better)

Well, “Friday” is a popular song, that’s for sure. What started off as an 8th-grader’s dream project has turned into a multi-million dollar success.  Once it was posted on YouTube, it went viral. Now, as of this article, it received over 88 million hits (views). I just want to know why I had to be one of the unlucky ones to hear it.

It’s Cute

It could be worse, you know. Rebecca Black could be singing a song about teen sex in the back of a convertible, or drug use while worshiping Satan in the bathroom of a public school. So, from a content perspective, it’s not that bad. The tune is annoying, but catchy, and the lyrics are clean.  In short, it’s a cute song. But who on earth thought it was a poetic stroke of genius to end a line in a song with “afterwer-erds?”

The Worst Example for Teens is in the Video

If I really wanted to point out the negatives, it would have to be in the video. Here you have a song about a girl who goes to the bus stop, but instead hops a ride in the back seat of a convertible driven by a 10-year-old. Did her parents say it was OK to ride to school with her underage “friends?” Were any of them wearing seat belts?

The second verse presented some disturbing images. The last time I checked, it was not only illegal for 8th graders to drive alone, much less without an adult, but shouldn’t they sit IN the car, not ON the car? She said “on the highway” while waving at her friends from the trunk of a convertible. Can you say “Girls die in tragic accident after falling out of car – News at Eleven!?”

But there’s another thing – who is this gangsta’ rapper that knows so much about little Rebecca Black and her partying? What’s the deal? If it was my little girl, dude better watch where he parks that ride. I don’t think ANY grown man with gold teeth and “bling” needs to be concerned with my middle school girl, her parties, OR her fun fun fun. Got it?!

Wishing Rebecca Well

I wish her the best. I hope this is the start of something big for her. God bless her, really! She seems like a sweet kid with a monotone voice that grates through my soul like a recurring chalkboard nightmare. All I ask is that she leave all the other days of the week alone – and for Heaven’s sake, find another writer.

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by | April 8, 2011 · 12:23 am

Anthony’s Appetite #7 (Broad Street Grille)

A Rare Find

I can’t help but tell you guys about this place in downtown Chattanooga, right on Broad Street, in The Chattanoogan. It is called the Broad Street Grille.

If you have a desire for gourmet food around lunch time, but you don’t think your Swiss bank account has enough funds to pay the bill, don’t worry. All you need to do is go downtown to the Broad Street Grille. There you can eat like the Vanderbilts, but on a coupon-clipper budget. No joke!

Try $10 on for size!

Seriously, where can you go and have chef-prepared delicacies awaiting your company, buffet-style, in an atmosphere ten times more swanky than a steak house, all for as little as $10? Nowhere like this, I dare say.

Just Enter

You can enter the BSG from Broad Street, or by coming through the hotel. If you are not going to stay at the hotel, just park on Broad Street by the BSG’s front door, drop some change into the parking meter, and walk right in. From there all you need to do is walk up to the front desk and let one of the nice people seat you.

Once you are seated, a very professional server will take your drink order and assist you in any way needed. And when I say “professional,” I mean it. Let me just say that even though this is lunch, you will be treated with the same class as those who will pay much more for dinner.

The Food

One thing you will notice is that there will be food like you have probably never had before, or at least not often. Every day is something different. The main courses change around, so one day you may find chicken and beef, while another day it will be something else, like salmon and chicken. It just varies. But whatever the case, the way the meats are prepared will totally amaze you. We are not talking ordinary. We are talking gourmet.

If you like salad, then you are in for a treat, for sure. You can choose from salad already prepared (a couple of ways), or make your own from scratch. But this is no ordinary salad bar, mind you. This is gourmet. Seriously. Just check out the flowers!

Do you want dessert? No problem. A variety is available to either make you forget you are on a diet, or convince you you’ve died and gone to sugar heaven. There’s not just one or two things to choose from, but several. And let me tell you, their cheesecake is excellent…it’s gourmet…but you probably knew that.

There are also, along with the salad, a selection of little sandwiches, crackers, and (you guessed it) gourmet cheese. Believe it or not, unlike the typical cheddar and mozzarela you can find in bulk at other restuarants, the BSG offers cheeses SO gourmet that I won’t even eat some of them. When was the last time you were offered Brie at Ryan’s or the Golden Corral?

The Challenge

Seriously, the Broad Street Grille is a place you have to try at least twice. As a matter of fact, if you want to impress someone, just take them there for lunch and never let them see the bill. You just pick up the tab, and when it is over, they will think you spent a fortune on them. If they don’t think you were the kindest big-spender for taking them there, I’ll eat my words…on a cracker with Brie cheese.

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by | April 1, 2011 · 4:03 pm

Here Come Da Flies

Warm weather is just around the corner, you know. And with warm weather comes one of the more annoying things in life…

FLIES!

I don’t want to gross you out with all the stuff that flies do, but I could. The worst part is that in order to eat, they have to regurgitate stomach acid onto the food source (your food), disolve it, then suck it back up. In the process, whatever was left in the gut of the fly from its last meal (road-kill) just got puked onto yours.

Now THAT is DISGUSTING!

Because flies are so nasty, annoying, and ever-present, the writer of Ecclesiastes chose to use them in an illustration. He said, “Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: [so doth] a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom [and] honour” (Ecclesiastes 10:1).

Now, what does that mean? Well, an apothacary is someone who made perfume, or ointment. Some of these ointments could take a long time to create, not to mention use a lot of costly ingredients in the making. If left uncovered, the sweet smell would attract flies. Only one landing in the ointment could cause it to spoil and create a foul odor. Losing its beautiful smell, the ointment was no longer capable of doing what it was designed to do.

Like the ointment of the perfume maker, our reputations (testimonies) are hard to come by, but easy to ruin. All it takes is just one little mistake, mistesp, or sin to cause a big stink. This is what the writer of Ecclesiastes was trying to say. Watch out for the little sins that can ruin your hard-earned reputation. Keep the lids on and the screens closed.

The Fly Song (Dead Flies)

A few years ago, in a moment of creativity, I stayed up late one night putting a song together on my 8-track. A while later, my friend Roy Cavender came and laid down the lead guitar track. I’m going to let you listen to it, but you need an open mind and a sense of humor. Maybe one day I will have the time and money to take it to the studio, along with some other works recorded late at night when I should have been asleep.

Click the link below to listen! Then, by all means, tell me what you think!

Dead Flies

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by | March 21, 2011 · 3:25 pm

Picking on Cyrus – A Perfect Example of Legalism

Recently, I came across a good example of legalism in its purest form.  Let me share it with you.

When I talk about legalism, I usually talk about things within the realm of Christianity. There are, however, legalistic people in all walks of life, and even in other religions. Just Google “legalism” and you will find out. But from a Christian perspective, legalism is the judgmental attitude that determines another’s spirituality (level of maturity in the faith) by how he is complying with a man-made list, whether the compliance be actual, or perceived. Legalism judges the heart based on an individual’s performance, even when the performance has nothing to do with grace.

Also, since legalism doesn’t focus on the heart, little room is left for error. Legalistic people are rarely compassionate or merciful to others who see things even a little differently. And when it comes to those who are non-compliant on the inside of the camp, they are brutal and unforgiving.

Legalists and chickens are cousins – they pick their wounded to death.

I am not a big fan of Hollywood or the Nashville music scene. I have seen and experienced just enough to know that it is a world of cut-throats and back-stabbers only looking to make a buck. Rarely, in that world, is anything real. It’s mostly fabricated “PR” meant to manipulate the consumer. It is a racket that doesn’t care if it destroys what it uses, as long as somebody gets rich. That is where you can find the Cyrus family.

GQ tells all.

Well, not long ago an article was published in GQ magazine that detailed Billy Ray Cyrus’ loss of hope – Destiny Hope, that is (Destiny = Miley Cyrus = Disney’s Hanna Montana).  At the time of the article, Billy (Miley’s real-life dad) was going through a painful divorce and a fallout with his famous daughter. It seemed that Billy had had enough of being the fall-guy and his daughter’s friend. He was beginning to see that moving to L.A. might have been a big mistake, and that being a better father and husband should have been his top priority. The GQ piece (click for link) was full of apparent pain and regret – totally sad, albeit half-expected.

Since then, it seems that the Cyrus family is getting back together and everything is getting worked out. However, the reality is that we really don’t know what the reality is. When one reads the article in GQ, then looks at the quick turn-around of events, including a hand-in-hand stroll while shopping caught on film (Miley, her mother, and grandmother out shopping in the open – yeah, right), it’s hard to not think that people with a lot to lose are on defcon-level damage control.

Whatever…the point is this…

Daniel, an intelligent blogger who publishes ReflectionsandMeditations.com, wrote a sympathetic piece (“The D@*# show destroyed my family”) referring to the above article. It was not a mushy apology for Billy Ray Cyrus’ actions or poor parenting choices, but a call to try to understand and learn from what happened. In response, a self-proclaimed “liberal” woman assailed Daniel for showing any pity for Cyrus.

No offense to you, but I think it is a crock of poop that you feel some sort of sorry for him or that your heart goes out to him…I ultimately hold her father mainly responsible. He could have stopped it and not allowed this to happen. But he didn’t. He continued to allow his underage daughter, for the majority of the show she was underage, to act on the show and to her detriment not to her advantage!
Tsk tsk tsk. [emphasis added]

Now, ironically, after looking at her own blog, Miss “Tsk-Tsk” does not seem to be a mirror image of Dana Carvey’s “Church Lady.” On the other hand, she does exhibit a classic example of legalistic thought. Here you have a man who has messed up, but is now sorrowful and repentant, and all some want to say is “Tsk tsk tsk” for showing sympathy. All I can say is “sad sad sad.”

Pray, don’t kick.

Don’t kick a man when he’s down, people! Pray for him! Intercede for Billy Ray and his family. Who is to say how he or she would have handled the winds of temptation while in the midst of the hurricane? He’s aware who the enemy really is:

Just before moving out to Los Angeles, the whole family had been baptized together by their pastor at the People’s Church in Franklin, Tennessee. “It was Tish’s idea,” he remembers. “She said, ‘We’re going to be under attack, and we have to be strong in our faith and we’re all going to be baptized…'” And there, driving to work each day in the City of Angels, was this sign. “A physical sign. It could have easily said ‘You will now be attacked by Satan.’ ‘Entering this industry, you are now on the highway to darkness…'”

Do you really see it in such clearly spiritual terms—that your family was under attack by Satan?

“I think we are right now. No doubt. There’s no doubt about it.” – from the GQ article

Billy Ray’s story reminds me of the following verses in which God was speaking of Israel. Their example should be a lesson to us:

“Because My people have forgotten Me, They have burned incense to worthless idols. And they have caused themselves to stumble in their ways, From the ancient paths, To walk in pathways and not on a highway, To make their land desolate and a perpetual hissing; Everyone who passes by it will be astonished And shake his head. – Jeremiah 18:15-16 NKJV

But Billy Ray’s story also reminds me of another verse – the words are from the Holy Spirit to all of us:

Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. – Galatians 6:1 KJV

 

 

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by | March 15, 2011 · 9:11 pm

Life Lessons from the School Bus #6

“Say it with Boldness”

There comes a time when even a little kid may decide he’s had enough. Essentially, that is what happened not long ago on my bus, and even a few thousand years ago on the plains of Judah.

The Story

You see, for some reason, a few older elementary children kept aggravating a little kindergarten student named, let’s just say, Bill. Every time Bill would get on the bus, the first words he heard were, “Hey, you got your Beyblades?” Every day, every morning, it was the same question: “You got your Beyblades?” [If you don’t know what “Beyblades” are, just click the word.]

After a while, it started getting on my nerves. It wasn’t so much the constant asking, but the constant trashing of the English language.  It was never “do you have,” or “have you got?” No, it was always “you got?” Poor little Bill never made a sound. He would just walk quietly to his seat.

Finally, about the time I was about to say, “Will you illiterate examples of prenatal abuse put a sock in it,” little Bill made his unexpected stand.

The Stand

Early one morning, shortly after a beautiful sunrise, I drove up to Bill’s house, turned on my warning lights, engaged my brakes, and opened my service doors, causing red to flash. Barely more than 3 feet tall, Bill had to grab hold of the rail as he struggled to make the climb up the staircase, each step a third his size. With each step you could hear the young scholars, those brilliant word-smiths, those elementary-school Einsteins, query from the seats inside,  “You got those Bayblades? You got those Beyblades?” Then, when his ascension was complete, he stopped and stood defiantly in the front of the bus, feet shoulder-width apart, fists clinched and placed on his waist. Without any warning, he demanded…

“SHUT THE F*** UP!”

“Whoa!! HO there, little buddy! Dude, what did you just say?!” I said, “Son, you need to sit down…you can’t say stuff like that…I will talk with you in a few minutes.”

I had never heard, nor seen a little child with so much bravado. Like biblical David facing a bus load of mentally-challenged Goliaths, Bill decided he had heard enough. With the confidence that his words would be heard; with the confidence that just the right combination of words would demand respect, he stood on his soap box and demanded attention, never showing a hint of fear or intimidation. Without question he made his point. The other kids were shocked and silenced. Sadly, however, somebody taught him to talk that way.

Life Lesson

When you take a stand for what you believe, don’t act cowardly or intimidated. Be strong in your convictions and speak with boldness. Being meek and mild has nothing to do with being milk toast. Cowards do not deserve respect, nor an audience.

Even though little Bill chose to use inappropriate language, his indignation, expressed with boldness, earned him my respect. I couldn’t help but admire him. After becoming weary of taunting words (on and off the bus), he felt it was time to make a stand, which made me think of the story of David, the shepherd boy, who told a 9-foot tall Philistine warrior to “shut up.”

“[Who] is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” – 1 Samuel 17:26b NKJV

Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. “This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. “Then all this assembly shall know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD’s, and He will give you into our hands.” – 1 Samuel 17:45-47 NKJV

Because we live in a post-modern, relativistic society, bold speech is more likely to be labeled “hate speech,” than admired. The reason is that many consider truth to be ever-changing and subjective, not universal. So, when a person dares to speak with boldness what is believed to be an absolute truth, the “Goliaths” may continue to laugh, threaten, and continue in their taunting. Regardless, when Truth is on your side, there is no reason to be ashamed, or afraid.

May we all learn a lesson from little Bill’s outburst. When the time comes to make a stand, do it like you mean it. No matter your size or your age, your education or your status, when you stand for what is right, don’t be afraid to say, “Listen to me!” And when we do feel afraid, there’s nothing wrong with asking for boldness. Pray as the Apostle Paul did, “[That] utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.” – Ephesians 6:19-20 KJV


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by | March 8, 2011 · 2:23 pm

It’s OK to Have an Imagination

A Confession

I am in my 40’s, and I still feel like a kid – most of the time – at least mentally – well, that makes me sound stupid – I mean, emotionally – now I am emotionally unstable – I didn’t say that; the keyboard did. When am I going to be the mature person I always wanted to be? When am I going to grow up?

If given the opportunity, I would like to take a box of plastic toy soldiers out to a dry, dusty field; cart a load of bottle-rockets and firecrackers; and sling across my shoulder a CO2 pellet rifle with a scope. Then, with the PG-version of a Gen. George S. Patton inspiring my imagination, I would unleash the “shock and awe” of my personal arsenal in an anti-feminine display of testosterone-infused mayhem. Sorry, ladies, if you don’t understand. You may need to go find a sale somewhere.

Is there something wrong with me? Probably, but that’s beside the point. No, nothing is “wrong” with me – I’ve just got an imagination.

Growing Up

Since when did it become necessary to lose one’s imagination in order to become an adult? Did Jesus ever say that pastors should check their imaginations at the door when they entered the hallowed halls of ministry? Of course not! What kind of preacher would I be without an imagination? A pitiful, orthodox, dry and sad one, I would think.

Growing up has nothing to do with the desire to have fun or play (even with plastic army men). Growing up has everything to do with being the person we are designed by God to be. Growing up means accepting responsibilities, finishing tasks, taking stands, and putting others first. Growing up means not being tossed back and forth with every wind of change, or every wind of doctrine (Ephesian 4:14), but committed to truth, and speaking it in love (v15). Growing up means carrying our crosses when the cross gets heavy, especially when we have to carry it for the sake of others. Becoming mature does not mean we have to crucify our imagination.

His Imagination

Aren’t you glad God had an imagination? Who else could have thought up everything that is when there was nothing to compare it to? We should praise Him for His wonderful imagination!

PRAISE the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens; Praise Him in the heights! Praise Him, all His angels; Praise Him, all His hosts! Praise Him, sun and moon; Praise Him, all you stars of light! Praise Him, you heavens of heavens, And you waters above the heavens! Let them praise the name of the LORD, For He commanded and they were created. – Psalm 148:1-5 NKJV

Stop and think about it. We were made in the “image” of God (Gen 1:27). Surely, “imagination” was included in that likeness. We are the product of His very own “creativity.” He created us with an imagination so that we could appreciate the beauty of the unseen; so that we could long for the yet-to-be. ……..”I can only imagine.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xwzItqYmII&feature=related

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by | February 17, 2011 · 8:06 pm

Life Lessons from the School Bus #2

“Which Way?”

Every school bus driver is a hero, but substitute bus drivers (“sub drivers”) are in a class by themselves. I should know….I was one.

Sub Drivers Rule!

Unlike a driver that has a regular route, a “sub” is driver that drives different routes every day. Whenever a driver gets sick, lays out, or gets fired for doing something stupid, the substitute driver has to drive that route. Most of the time, the call comes without any warning…or sunlight.

However, one of the problems that a substitute driver faces is figuring out where to go. Imagine being put in a vehicle with 70 children just out of class, wanting to go home. Imagine you are in a part of town you’ve never been in before. Imagine that you have no instructions or directions, but must depend on the kids (Heaven help us) to get you where you need to go. Been there…done that…literally got the t-shirt.

Now, try to imagine that the very ones that are trying to tell you where to turn don’t EVEN know their rights from their lefts! It happened to me…..surely it did!

“I’m NOT Stupid”

I will never forget pulling up to an intersection and being forced to decide which way to go. I ask, “Which way?” The response comes back, “Go right.” So, that’s what I proceeded to do, when, I swear, the conversation went something like this:

Kid 1:  NOOO! Go RIGHT! You’re going the wrong way!

Me:     Wait, you said “Go right,” so that what I was doing.

Kid 1:  No you weren’t…you’re going left…I said “go right.”

Me:     I DID go right!

Kid 1:  No, you went left.

Kid 2:  You did tell the bus driver to go right, man, and that’s what he did.

Kid 1:  No he didn’t! He went left!

Kid 2: Dude, you must not know your right from your left.

Kid 1:  Shut up! Yes I DO!!

Me:     (To Kid 1) Ok, let’s get this straight. Which is right, and which is left? Hold up your right hand.

Kid 1:  (Holds up his left hand)

Me:     Hold up your left hand.

Kid 1:  (Holds up his right) See, I told you. I’m NOT stupid!

Life Lesson

There is a right way, and there is a wrong way. The right way may be the left way; but if the facts are not right, somebody’s gonna get left. I know I’m right on this one.  As a matter of fact, there is a verse in the Bible that seems to talk about the same thing.

There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death. – Pro 14:12 (NIV)

Make sure of two things: 1) the direction you are going; and 2) that your source of determining right and wrong (or right and left) is reliable. You don’t want to go the wrong way for an eternity, do you?

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