BIG TRUTH small packaging

OFF FOR CHRISTMAS

2007-12-06T20:29:00.000-05:00

Yes the schedule came out last week and it is official...I am off for Christmas! I get to wake up at home with my family. I have asked that we do the things I have missed on Christmas Morning the last few years. We wake up and in our jammies we open gifts. After the fun of that we eat breakfast consisting of brown ham and biscuits. Yes brown ham. There is pink ham and there is brown ham. (For those who don't know brown ham is a boiled ham.) After that Eryn, Caleb and their parents come over and we again exchange gifts. Then the rest of the family comes over for lunch. Basically it is who is left from my mother's 3 brothers and their families. This may sound like alot of people but our family has decreased by half in the last decade or so. There were 6 other brothers and sisters in Mom's family. The best part is I get to see my family. Talking and laughing over coffee and fruit cake. My aunt makes an eatable one. The one gift I have asked for is a Scene-It Disney 2 game. Why? Because I play against Eryn and Caleb. There is satisfaction in winning against a 12 year old and a 6 year old.

Thought I was Dead...

2007-06-23T11:23:00.000-05:00

Did you think I was dead...me too. I have changed locations, changed careers, changed how I look at my job, changed my insurance company, and changed underwear frequently. During the last year or so life has been a dizzying experience. Mornings were the last thing I wanted to see with a familiar "Not again," groan. Now I am in a new situation. Corporate America and I am starting at the bottom...(wait I have always started at the bottom). I have a drive to move up. My goal is to be in a new position by this time next year if not sooner. One thing I like about this new company is that they take education and degrees seriously! I mean seriously. They have as a requirement for alot of positions having a degree or pursuing one. To them, having a degree of any kind means determination and dependability. If you can put 4 or more years into a goal you are paying for then what can you do for the company when they compensate you for a goal. Compensate... I like that word. And they do try their best to compensate the employees for their work. Not only by giving good salaries but by other important areas such as recognitions and time to celebrate. They have staff people to do nothing but think up ways to celebrate as a company and compensate the workers. They want you to improve and find a job you can love. I want to work hard for them and I will. But it is still a job, which means it is not perfect. I also have been given an understanding from past jobs that I am someone that they can do with out...I believe they call this expendable. I would like to think I was indispensable, but history does not support this theory. So here I go into the unknown. For the 2 people who read this...come along for the ride.

Simplicity

2007-01-07T22:46:00.000-05:00

It is the simple things that bring about more wonder than miracles. I am not knocking miracles they are great and needed; but the things that seem to matter more down the road are the things that are ordinary. I can not get rid of the yearning to return to a simple time in my life. Let me descibe it to you. Before the I started my ritual of begining school, I had a perfect life. Early in the morning Mom would wake me up and get both of us ready. She was perparing for work & I was preparing for Grandma's house. After the brushing our teeth and fixing our hair we would go out into the world. Our first stop would be at Johnny V's. This was a small drive thru that sold sausage biscuits in the mornings. We would buy 3. One for Mom, one for Grandma, and one for me! Under a time scehdule, not to get Mom to work on time, to get me to Grandma's before Mr. Ed came on the TV. I didn't want to miss Mr. Ed. Forget My Little Pony, Mr. Ed could kick those stupid ponies butt! I would run into the house, sausage biscuits in hand, and jump on to my perch. Grandma had a brown chair with huge arms on each side. Arms bing enough for 5 year old me to sit. There we would eat our biscuits and watch Mr. Ed's next adventure. It was perfect. It was simple.

Missing Christmas

2006-11-16T21:56:00.000-05:00

This year I will miss Christmas. Slowly but surely the things I held dear are being forced out of my life. It has started small, things I said I would never let drop, have landed like lead. I haven't been to church in over a month. Some of you will say it is ok, that my relationship with God doesn't depend on it. True but what about my relationship with other believers? I do think it is important to be involved in a body of believers to maintain a relationship with them. I will have to work on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day this year. Family is not important to this job, neither is kindness. I have missed one but never both,and never Christmas. We are trying to make it work where I can see them some, but it will be a difficult adjustment. This is not for me. I need both of my families and I am being kept from them. Have you ever felt stuck? This is new to me, I've always had options. Now, I have to miss Christmas.

Things not to call "911" for:

2006-10-31T18:28:00.000-05:00

Now we all know that warning labels are directly related to some idiot actually trying to perform the act prohibited on the label. This entry is to let you know of a few subjects and issues that not considered emergencies. 911 is not a toy.

Please do not call 911 to...

A) ask for the high school football schedule or scores. The operator will lie to you just for fun.
B) get directions and latest news on local events like the fair. Read the paper.
C) tattle on your brother for coming in after curfew. 70% of all lawenforecement calls are realted to families not being able to handle themselves correctly.
D) see if they answer. MORONS.
E) seek advice in raising your children. Again stupid people should not breed. If you are afraid to discipline, get fixed before whoring around.
F) get a ride home because you are drunk. This is the whole reason we have cabs in the south, plan ahead and call them.
G) complain about people of different races riding in a car together. You bigot, this is not an emergency. Keep your racism off the line.

These are just a few of the issues that the 911 operators have to deal with unnecessarily. To add to this entry there are a few situations or states you should not be in when calling 911.
1) While you are naked. We don't care and will not be impressed with details.
2) While you are in the bathroom. It is never pretty...never.
3) While you are drunk. You cannot even tell us where you are so don't bother calling. Also we can't understand a word you say except cuss words, and they are not location tools or landmarks.

Thank you for respecting you local 911 operator.

More Unique Terms

2006-09-08T01:57:00.000-05:00

In a visit to my home in Georgia I was reminded of more phrases that are unique terms in the South. Here are a few of the phrases and the real meaning behind them:

1) "He's all boy." This is often said when a male child has an accident while doing something stupid that seemed like it should of broken several bones in his little body. Really this mean "Oh no! I have the next Jack-@%$ cast member." It also eventually leads to, them as grown men, being able to take a fall off of a building with no tears but whine about a splinter for 5 days.

2) "What can I do to help?" Women often ask this when at someone's house for dinner or a special occasion. What it really means is "I really don't want to help. I am a guest. But it is polite to say those meaningless words. Please respond with the word '"Nothing."" Those who don't ask are seen as impolite even though they are essentially wanting the same results of not helping.

3) This one can be confusing so pay close attention. When a southerner is asked, "What do you want to drink?" and they respond, "A Coke." It may not mean a Coca-Cola. Every soft drink in the south is called a Coke. The correct followup question should be, "What kind?" This gives the southern an opportunity to specify what type of soft drink they want. In addition, if a sounterner asks for tea it is to be iced and sweetened, if they want it prepared otherwise they will specifically ask for it that way.

I hope this has helped you in your quest to understand the hidden meanings in the southern dialect.

Wake Up

2006-09-08T01:38:00.000-05:00

I recently started a new job. I have never done this type of work before nor have I had to work 12 hour swing shifts. It is taxing on the my resting requirememnts. I have to rearrange my sleep patterns every so often to aaccomidate my work schedule. This is not easily solved for me. I was brought up to sleep when it is dark outside. So learning this new vampire-ish-lifestyle is difficult. So I have decided to try some new things to aid in the change over from day dweller to night stalker. I first inhale large amounts of coffee. This makes me happy, and a bit jittery. Also I make sure I have rested as much as I can during the off time. To ensure this rest I do things that bore me; like housework or laundry or watch new SNL episodes (that are not remotely funny anymore). Next I decided to use this alert time of my day to exercise...oh who am I kidding. I may never get use to the back and forth rotation of my work schdule, but I will get some satisfaction. Every two week I get a stretch of 7 days off and I get paid. Face it that is what motivates people to work unnatural hours. Those who say otherwise are liars and sleep deprived.

I need cereal

2006-09-06T19:48:00.000-05:00

Worry. The leading cause of stress. We all worry about something. Some worry about people, some worry about success, some worry about thing they cannot control for the good or the bad. We all worry. It is as staple an activity as breathing. It has lasting effects and can cause pain. Or is the object of our worry that causes pain? I worry. Right now it is about the future. Whether my life will be fruitful or not. Whether I will follow a path of mundance exsistance in punching a clock, microwaving dinner for one, and watching TV to hear voices other than my own. I worry about my family getting hurt and what I would do to the one who hurts them. I worry about what people think. I worry what peole use to think in the past and what they may think in the future. I worry about things I can control and the things I could never control even if I tried. It takes alot out of me to worry. It comsumes hours at a time. So I have decided that I will choose not to worry about so many things. I will worry about what needs attention that only I can provide. Right now I will worry about buying things I need at home. I need sugar, washing powder, and cereal. I need cereal.

The dream

2006-07-30T08:00:00.000-05:00

When I was in college I watched my aunt, dying of cancer, take her last breath. A few years later, my grandfather, also dying of cancer, died in his room surrounded by chatting family. After noticing he didn’t seem to be breathing I checked for a pulse and found nothing. I have been in the presence of death. I have seen it take what belongs to it right in front of my eyes. I have watched the preceding work of death; the months in hospitals, going to treatments, the 911 calls and funeral after funeral. I held the hands of loved ones in comas, folded their fingers to hold my hand because they couldn’t do it themselves, and swabbed their mouth that was drying out from oxygen masks. I have heard the tones of doctors’ voices deliver news that some could handle and some could not bear the thought. I learned the signs of death. The medical professionals calling in Hospice, getting a home healthcare nurse, and having involuntary functions like breathing being the task for the day instead of a project at work. I've seen strong people become weak and weak people exhibit strength beyond comprehension. I have heard people cry out to God and question Him in the same breath. I've heard the not-so-comforting phrases Christian say to make them sound holy. “They are in a better place…” and “God is sovereign.” I am not saying these statements are not true, but they are not that comforting. Now I am watching something die right in front of my eyes that I cannot handle. It is what I will call my dream.

I have wanted to be in student ministry since I was 15. I have listened and followed even to the extent of leaving family to be trained hundreds of miles away. I watched a passion be implemented in me that was beyond human understanding. I went to bed thinking about God and His heart for teenagers and woke up finishing the thoughts. I never wanted to do anything but this passion, this dream. I waded into shallow pools of ministry, part-time and volunteering here and there. Then I got to do fulltime, my passion was fueled ever so slightly because it wasn’t exactly the dream but it was close. Then at last a big shot. I was invited to swim deeply into the dream, propelled by a passionate calling never really quite understood. It was glorious. I felt so alive and part of a plan. Literally the smile could not be slapped off my face. Someone once said that when God fulfills a dream this is what it is like. Sleep was a bother; every minute was too good to miss. Then a tragedy hit. I still don’t really know if I caused it or not. As an observer of reality, I know that the common denominator is usually suspect in the cause. The dream seems so lifeless. Holding its hand, I have to wrap its fingers around mine because it can’t do it for itself anymore. Its breathing is shallow and its heartbeat is faint. I have heard the grave tone of voice say that the heart has left. It doesn’t look good. I know it is still in there. My dream is on a ventilator and I have power of attorney. What is best? Having it exist in this state for an unlimited amount of time or move on? Grief for the dying is agony. Miracles happen, but not at my wish. The words of supposed comfort are the words that hurt the most, “God is sovereign.” How do you know if a dream is really dead? What do you do then? If someone has some insight, please let me hear it.

Ode to the Men

2006-07-09T08:27:00.000-05:00

In a recent post by a male blogger, he delivered a very encouraging message to Godly ladies. Thank you for that. It got me thinking; we ladies need to let the Godly men around us know they are worth more than killing bugs and lifting things. (Although it is something we need from time to time.) So here is my ode to Men.

In Genesis we see the creation of people and its description. Some people joke that after God had made everything He decided He could do better and made woman. The older I get the more I think this is a statement a feminist came up with to make her feel better because she didn't have a date. God needed to put on earth something that had the ability to love, lead, and get things done: men. I do not envy the responsibility you have as a man. They buck stops with you. You have the unique ability to work hard and play hard.

Saying "thank you,” for opening a door or holding out a chair is truly from the heart. Godly men are rare. What we women love to see is a man humbly walking with God, a bible in his pocket, being a leader without declaring he is one, and offering suggestions to fix our problems, (Yes we secretly enjoy you doing this occasionally it shows us you care enough to make an effort to help.)

You are respectable. Respect is something that needs to be earned, and as a Godly man you succeed at that. Your strength, not just physical, is something that women need to reach our potential as well as reflecting well on you. I know that the intricate workings of you mind is essential in God's plan. Does that surprise you? I know you think about sex as much as women think about chocolate; so you may have a problem with this statement. You were designed like that by God himself. Yes, there is a right way and wrong way to use this mind of yours. I have no problem with the way a Godly man handles this gift. You walk with dignity and statue worthy of admiration. You enter a room and every woman knows they are now in the presence of a Man. There is a security in your presence that we can find no where else on earth. You bring conversation topics that make us laugh and think in ways women cannot achieve. We love it when you take the time to present yourself in public. When you use products to make you smell irresistible and look GQ, we do notice; however it is your character that catches our attention. Women may be intrigued by the physical but are captivated by your character. You are beautiful too.

You have an incredible responsibility to live up to and you’re trying your best to accomplish it. God himself chose to enter humanity as a man, and you are the reflection of his image. I can see glimpses of Christ Himself in you. Briefly, moments will come when, I swear, you have shrugged off humanity itself and been covered in Christ to the point I can't tell you apart. Through this, tangible reflections of my Savior are given. We can see, touch, and feel the love of our Lord. I say the world is better for having Godly men like you. I know I am better for it. Again I say Thank You, men, for just being good men.

This is meant to encourage all men; but I must name the ones that were going through my mind as I wrote this:

DISCLAIMER: I am not interested romantically with these men. Each of these men has shown me glimpses of Christ. I admire their character and wanted to say thank you for being Godly examples.

H.R. Nobles(Granddaddy), Dr. Phillip Briggs, Jon Creamer, Randy Heritage, Paul Marshall, Gary Rolan, Sammy Clary, David Henderson, Jacob Queen, Jamie Salmon, Michael Brown, Jim Taylor, James Paul, and yes even everyone’s favorite TBM Tavarus Brockman.

BravesVision

2006-06-06T23:57:00.000-05:00

Human behavior fascinates me. Have you ever watched the actions people take and notice patterns? At a recent trip to Atlanta, I was entertained with a buffet of characters to observe. Of course it's Atlanta! While attending the Braves game, the people there seemed to follow a simple behavior. I observed activities that seemed to secure a way to get on the BravesVision Screen. First you must be standing because most of the folks whose mugs made it on the screen were not seated. Second as soon as you notice yourself on the screen you must raise your beer like a trophy. This generated many questions for me. Is this a way that people rub it into the under 21 crowd who could not have a beer? Is this a status symbol like a sports car or a larger-than-necessary-house? How come other beverages were not revered like the beer? After paying 3 times the normal price for my Coke I felt like it should be raised or even bronzed. By the end of the game, seeing hundreds of beer buying patrons raising their brews, and then leaving them on the floor; I came to my opinionated conculsion. BravesVision can capture several seconds of proud beer holding for a 2 story sized video of stupidity. Ahhh Atlanta!

Unique Terms

2006-05-18T17:17:00.001-05:00

Unique to the South is the ability to say what you really mean and have it sound like a compliment. Only those inclined to the dialect of the southern tongue can pick up on the subtle but damaging words. For those who need help in understanding the insults here are some tips:

1. Anything with “Bless Your Heart,” attached to it is not sympathetic terminology. It usually refers that the individual being discussed is not as bright as they could be or that they are a magnet for bad situations.
2. Other terms similar to #1 are “Isn’t he/she sweet.” This usually refers to a child that is the spawn of Satan. It also carries a hint of calling the person stupid. Either definition can apply.
3. “Ya’ll come by anytime,” is nothing more than a term used to say, “Please call before you arrive.” or in extreme cases, “Don’t come over ever!”
4. A similar phrase to #3 is used when company is leaving. “Don’t rush off,” really means you have stayed too long. If they say this before you offer to leave, they really means business… leave immediately.
5. Terms like “Honey,” “Sweetie,” “Darlin’,” and “Sweetheart” does not mean they like you. Honestly if they really liked you they would take the time to learn your name.

These few will get you started on your way to understanding the Southern insults. Keep your guard up and you will be fine.

Never-ending Story

2006-02-15T15:35:00.000-05:00

Today I am a bit puzzled. I encounter people everyday, even though I try not to. Have you noticed that we are very repetitive? Same things over and over. Same drink, same style of dress, same adjective used too frequently like "awesome." We like to use the same toilet paper, toothpaste, and coffee. We make a routine so involuntary that it takes no brain power at all to perform them. Repetitive. Even our conversations are repetitive. Even our humor is repetitive. We may claim to be creative, but we tell the same jokes over and over. Soon they lose their effect. We can find ourselves getting into repetitive bashing of things we, well face it, just love to bash. Bashing others, their work, their education, their style of worship, and their disciplines is just a way of making us feel better. Is this right? Does it make us look better in others eyes? Maybe if they agree, but what if they have another opinion? Does it have to be a reason to repeatedly bash something? I am not a saint. I too have had my day in belittling those who find themselves on the opposite viewpoint. It is a rush! It is fun. But is it right? What happened to the idea of not having to defend something because it is right? Or is this the way we want our children to act too. "Sweety, if someone is not like you in education, or gender, or worship style, or how you do the things you do; it is ok to state your point. You can write a blog. Mention these things over and over to justify yourself to yourself." Can't we all just get along? "But we are not fighting," aleast that what we tell ourselves as we write our repetitive arguments. Hmmm...seems to me we are playing a bit role of what it is like to be God. Do we have the right to do that? For those I have offended with my post, I am sorry. It was not right to write to offend. For those of you adamantly defending you views by taking others down, do what is right.

For Angela

2006-02-02T03:36:00.000-05:00

Ok...I really never do these things, but it is late and I can't sleep!

Four jobs I've had:
1. Youth Minister, Plentitude BC
2. Lifeway (twice)
3. Landscaping SWBTS
4. NewSpring

Four movies I can watch over and over:
1. Muppets Christmas Carol
2. National Treasure
3. Harry Potter Movies
4. Most Disney Animated movies

Four places I've lived:
1. Macon, GA
2. Ft. Worth, TX
3. Gray, GA
4. Anderson, SC

Four TV shows I love:
1. House
2. CSI (original)
3. Did I say House
4. Oh I almost for got House!

Four places I have vacationed:
1. Wolf Lake
2. Gray, GA
3. That is all the places I have vacationed as an adult.
4. Agree with #3.

Four of my favorite dishes:
1. Mom's chicken pot pie
2. EasyMac caserole
3. Ranch Chicken
4. Boiled Crab legs and shrimp

Four sites I visit daily:
1. Monster.com (Need a Job)
2. Various church and ministry web sites (Need a Job)
3. Email (Seeing if anyone contacted me about a job)
4. Cnn.com (to see if someone died that I could possibly take their job)

Four places I would rather be right now:
1. Asleep it is late!
2. Wolf Lake
3. At Barnes and Noble (is that place heaven?)
4. At work...whereever that may be.

Four bloggers I am tagging so that they will hate me:
1. I have no friends............And if I did the last thing I would do is make them hate me!

This was.....fun.

Hunting

2006-01-31T21:28:00.000-05:00

In recent time I have entered into the world of job hunting. I don't look good in camoflauge nor do I like the prep that goes into hunting. Some more successful hunters go as far as rubbing aromatic substances on them to attract prey. We call these resumes. Some folks have great resumes and some do not. But job hunting offers a twist that is unlike the sport of hunting. We go into the forest of the market, with our camo (business attire), our aromatic substance (resusme), and our gun (job experience). But when the prey is in our sights and the opportunity arises; we do not adjust our scope and squeeze the trigger. No, we run up to the prey and stand there. We have presented ourselves in sight, smell, and written word. And we wait for the approval of the prey. If this prey doesn't accept us, we run after another prey. And we wait. Again and again we through ourselves out there only to have to start over with a new target. I prefer sitting in a tree stand and popping the prey of my choice. After all isn't the hunter the one with the gun? So we hit the forest day after day, presenting, waiting, and moving on the other prey. Soon our stamma runs low, so we adjust our targeted prey. We go from bear hunting to something more attainable like turtles. They seem easier to track. They are more likely to take a look. They are not likely to run away. Afterall, Grizzly Adams was the only man I know of that was accepted by the bear. So we leave the forest discouraged. We go home and ready our camo. We rethink our aroma. We clean up our gun. All for the next day in the forest.

Valleys

2006-01-28T10:32:00.000-05:00

Disclaimer: This is symbolism.

The composition of a valley is unique. They can be very deep or shallow. The can have smooth sides or be labeled as treacherous. They can have paths within them that are flat or rocky and painful. Our first inclination is to get out of the valley. We may try to climb out, but this proves dangerous because we don't have the correct saftey equipment. Maybe we think someone will hear us so we cry out for help, but the valley just echos our voices. So we refine ourselves to wait to be rescued. We set up camp and start digging holes to use for our extended stay. This is not useful because by digging we make the valley deeper. So the valley is real, it has no map "pointing this way out." Being on the mountain is our desire. What do you do? The valley is a learning tool. You cannot climb a mountain without entering its valley. We have a misconception that happiness only exsists on the mountain, but what about the rest of the land. Valleys are places to get ready for your ascent up the mountain. Here you can practice your climbing in small doses. Here you can build your endurance. Here you can learn to appreciate the light that shines through. Valleys fine tune our abilites and builds our strength. Here you prepare for the mountain. As dark and cold as it can be they still have the same amount of time as the mountain. They still exsist on the same earth. (James 1:2-4; for fun read "trials" as "valleys") So how is your valley? What are you doing while in there? Waitin to be rescued? Don't you know you already have been or you would not even see the mountain (John 9:25c).

Conversationally Impaired

2006-01-05T23:41:00.000-05:00

I love conversations that are full and satisfying. Often times people loose their ability to create those types of conversations. These people are easy to spot, let me help clear your vision. These poor souls are suffering from a mental breakdown that doesn't allow them to realize that others don't give a crap about what they are saying. They start awkward converstions at times when you could be doing something more fun like, visiting the DMV. Always their topic surrounds themselves doing something they like, but normal people don't care for at all. Topics may include how they feel about something, quoting some movie and expecting you to know which one, or talking about their latest workout experience. Sometimes we feel like we are "out of the loop" and think we must conform to their idea of "fun" converstions. DON"T! This is a trap, do not fall prey to this demented thinking. These people think they are fun people and to others like them they are, but reality will show their true uncreative nature. We have been given so many topics for conversation that sticking with the same few seems like a betrayal. So protect yourself from low quality conversations. Be animated, creative, and fun to be around.

Moral of this story: Small Talkers use meaningless topics for meaningless conversations.

At the house

2005-12-06T21:59:00.000-05:00

After being out of work for almost a month, I am offically going crazy. No there are no leads. I hate being at home. I would rather hold a sign at a busy intersection for Kmart's 50% off sale than be at the house. I've realized that I am a worker. I love to earn my keep, contribute to society, pay my taxes, and be considered as an adult. Face it when you are out of work for whatever reason, you feel less like an adult and more like a dependant. It is not a good feeling. So I did what I thought I would never do, I went back to the store. I am receiving stock for the Christmas season. It is only part time, but I feel like I am an adult again. I have something to do. For those of you saying, "I wish I could have some time off and do whatever I want. It must be nice." You are either lazy or have no idea what being out of work is like. I am blessed to be financially able to stay afloat, but it is still nerve-racking. I am in a race against time. I have to find a job...preferablly one that uses my gifts and abilites, before the money runs out. I am not sheltered to think that I will find this said job in a short amount of time. After all it took me almost 7 years to find a job in my sweet spot. It only lasted one month. I would like to find another one in less than 7 years, but you now understand my worry. It is not easy being a woman in ministry. Unless you have been there, you really can't understand. Yes I know God is sovereign, I also know He will put me where He wants me. But if you have been on the receiving end of those statements, however true they are, it is not comforting. It has the same affect that saying a loved one is "in a better place" after they die. So I ask for your prayers. I ask for your friendship. I also ask that if you hear of a job I would enjoy call me; I will be at the house.

Chances

2005-11-21T16:34:00.000-05:00

What have you been training for? What has life put in your path that you have used years down the road? Has life taken a direction you didn't expect only to pickup experience you would of never had? Have you ever been given a chance? My journey so far has been ... um... odd. I went from from Georgia to Texas to Georgia to South Carolina over the last ten years. I have worked in 4 cities, 8 job positions, & 5 different churches. While in Texas at school, I worked in the Landscaping department. I mowed grass. Later, I was promoted and put in charge of an entire crew of men and women. I was to direct and maintain the landscaping for the main campus (that dealt with the lawn itself) and some of the off campus housing. I was put in a position of leadership. Wierd I know, I was shy and quiet. I wasn't trained in the finer points of landscaping. I never had experience in this type of work. The higher-ups took a chance. We had several events on campus as well as interesting seasonal events that directly affected the lawns. My crew was outstanding! We prefected the aspect of speed, accuracy, and dependability. Later that year I was honored with an award for leading this crew. I was given a chance and had awesome people working with me. Since this I have taken other positions where people have given me chances to lead and have seen things happen around me that were incredible. I love to lead. Coming along side people with a shared goal; it is intoxicating. Thank you to those who gave me a chance. Thank you for noticing that I was being prepared for the future. Thank you for passing on your wisdom and legacy to me. Thank you God for leading me everyday and being the best example of a leader ever!

Ok, now the application. People who consider themselves as leaders...Who have you given a chance to? Who have you paid close enough attention to notice potential? If you cannot name anyone, then maybe you are not the leader you think you are. Does you legacy die with you and your accomplishments or do they live within others you have passed wisdom to? Do you even have a legacy worth leaving with others? Wow this is a chunk to swallow, especially for me. I need to go an search for potential in others now.

Sanctuary Etiquette

2005-11-16T23:07:00.000-05:00

You Loved it so here it is again:

Ok, for all those who always wanted to know what not to do in church here is a few suggestions.

1) I understand it is great to find a church that accepts you the way you are, but seriously we need to make sure that we are not misrepresenting ourselves. Worship experiences with a corporate body of believers is to be between you and God, the fewer the distractions the better. So when I find the perfect seat to focus on my Lord and someone sits in front of me and forces me to "say no to crack," I lose the essence of my worship. I believe we are to worship God unashamed, but some people should be ashamed. Please make sure that the parts that God made to be covered by Hanes products stay covered. No cracks, either from the bottom or the top. Why do so many people try to get rid of facial wrinkles and cracks but they want to show off others strategically placed ones? Also some women think it is cute to wear skirts that are ruffled and extremely short. I have a name for these skirts, Fart-skirts. It is simple, if they would fart the skirt would blow up with little or no effort. I used to tell the teenage girls to bend over with your feet crossed in front of your Dad and if he approves it is probably ok. I understand there are some horrible dads in the world but generally they will not let their name be branded as the father of a slut if they can help it. Moral of this story: If you bend, everything should stay in.

2) It is so sweet to see people who are in love. They hold hands, put arms around each other, smile in a sappy sort of way. However, remember that when in church our worship is to be focused on God, not the person we are trying to woo. Husbands and wives also need to remember to keep the married people antics at home. One recent experience left me with lots of questions and nausea. A couple who, I assumed, loved each other at least for the duration of the singing, could not keep there hands...well...off each other. I have seen secure and insecure couples scratch each others backs, squeeze hands, play with each others hair. This day I saw something that has scarred me for life...she was rubbing his butt! Up and down, side to side, circles; you name it. Any way she could rub she did. I wasn't sure if they were going to be able to stay for the whole service, but they did. PDA is only acceptable in corporate worship if you are using the computer PDA to take notes of the sermon. Moral of this story: We are to lift up "holy hands" and feel the presence of God, not grope our brothers or sisters.

Crutches

2005-11-16T16:07:00.000-05:00

At times everyone needs a crutch. Whether it is from a stumped toe or a incredible fall we still may need crutches. Do crutches necessarily mean weakness? Does it mean we can't handle our situation? No. Most people runaway from crutches. They assume anyone who has them is faulty and permenaently damaged. That is not the case. In most situations crutches are temporary. They are aides that help us get back on our own two feet. They are pieces of wood that give us the ability to stand when it is difficult. A cool thing about crutches is that they are not always two sticks we lean on, they can be other shapes and sizes. I recently had the need to use crutches. My crutches were not asked for but were provided anyway. My crutches came in the form of flesh, blood, and incredible hearts for Christ. When things happen in life and question your purpose, you feel you have come up lame. With a horse you shoot it; but we as humans have another way, we use crutches to aid us in healing. I want to thank my crutches. Those who listened and didn't talk about themselves all the time. Those who helped me understand the purpose God has given me and directed me to fulfill it. Those who reaffirmed me & gave me hard to swallow compliments. Those who validated my calling and leadership when I question if I was even a leader to begin with. THANK YOU. You make an awesome crutches and have made me more open to be a crutch for others lifting them up when they need it. You are a picture of Christ to me.

Playing it safe

2005-11-01T12:49:00.000-05:00

Now we have all heard people comment on "playing it safe." And we have also heard the wanna-be's state all the things they do to live on the edge. Usually these people are trying to convince themselves they are exciting more than convincing the rest of the world. What I would like to ask is what have you done to "not play it safe" in your walk with Christ? Being safe has its place, but if we put saftey before obedience, who are we really following? I have struggled with this very question. It is not easy. Nor is there a cut and dry answer that can be typed, written, or paraphrased. It is based on a relationship between the individuals involved. Some people will jump off a slide of a cliff with a parachute before stepping foot into what Christ has called them to do. Why? What makes one risk greater than the other? Are we headed toward a thrill-seeking life with no meaning or lasting impact? It will be like the only thing we are known for is being the 8th President. You can't name him either or remember anything else he accomplished. Can the people around you say the same? Can heaven?

Worn Tires

2005-10-18T18:06:00.000-05:00

Buying tires to me is one of the most annoying things in life. You have to shop for the best price, take hours out of your day and then endure the smelly mechanic with their belittling "sweetie" and "dear" conversations. I know a bit about cars and pride myself on revealing just enough information to belittle El Stink-o Gearhead. But tires are important. They are what we rely on to get us to certain destinations. Tires are meant to be used. They are designed for travel and dependability. Tires are the grip we have on the road. What is not fun is wasting those tire on spinning in place. Ok I have spun a wheel in my day and laughed about it, but to do it continually is not smart. Tires are meant to take you somewhere. And to do nothing but stay in one spot spinning away is a tradgedy of immoral proportions. So why do we spin in place in other things? It frustrates and irritates us beyond comprehension. I would rather slam into a brick wall that spin in place. I want to WIN. And winners move forward.

Chess

2005-09-09T14:54:00.000-05:00

I hate chess. Mainly because I cannot play. I probably could learn it and eventually be really good at it. It is such a game of strategy that it hurts my head. Playing with pawns on a checkered board seems too much like a game of power. Maybe it is for those who cannot master power in real life. Maybe it is the only way man can pretend to be God instructing their little wooden universe in a mini battle of good vs. evil. I think there should be a super chess piece added to the existing ones. A piece that can trump the royalty of the board. Wouldn't that be cool? I think this piece may look a lot like lady justice. Blinded but fair and powerful. What would the game look like with justice? What would life look like with justice? Maybe life already has it in some forms? Maybe grace keeps it at bay?

Mean tricks

2005-09-07T11:42:00.000-05:00

Have you ever had someone try the old "dollar on a string" trick on you. For most of us a dollar still is a lot of money so finding one laying on the sidewalk is not a coincidence but an answered prayer. Your heart thumps as you reach down to take hold of this manna from heaven. Just as you get close...it slides away. You are determined so you give chase. All the while someone is laughing in a hidden location. Dreams dashed. Dreams crushed. You are angry, embarassed, and hurt.
Does this sound familar. Finally after so much time your dream is in sight. You can see it, smell it, taste it. You are invited to take it finally, after all the hard work and long wait, to make this dream a tangible reality. Then without warning a cruel twist of fate snatches it further away. You are left hanging, frozen. Your thoughts are clouded in utter shock. When you straighten you have questions...should I reach again or just walk away? Is this a joke?
So what do you do? Here is what I would do. Stand tall and be observant. Look around. Is the dream/dollar connected to something? Notice your surroundings, listen, draw conclusions from facts not assumptions. Follow the string. Find the person laughing in a hidden location and beat the crap out of him. Take what was snatched away from you.

Lies from Childhood Revealed

2005-08-15T11:47:00.000-05:00

I love the wonder of children. Okay, I love the gullable nature of children. They are fun. We can tell them stories, and they believe them to the letter. Remember all those fairy tales. We thought unicorns actually exsisted, frogs turned into princes, and houses were make of edible items. But they are not true. Cows cannot not jump over moons and neither does "once upon a time" always end with "happily ever after." Yet we try to make our lives match those lovely stories. We think that just because we are not the one the mirror names as the "fairest of them all," we have failed and an Extreme Makeover is our only hope. So what do we do when the slipper doesn't fit? How do we go on when the goose lays a regular egg? We live. We may not have countless people reading about us, but that is more common than you think. Just because a story, or an article, or a TV show features someone does not mean it is the norm. It is the exact opposite. There are more people out there that choose reality to live in instead of Hollywood. They are the people that make our country great. I don't know about you, but I rather be defined by an average, dependable assembly-line worker than a maid walking around in glass high heels. It is ok to dream, just remember to wake up.

Wadded Panties Cause Uncomfortable Rashes

2005-07-27T11:33:00.000-05:00

Don't you just love people who react to anything by immediately diving into a huge attitude problem? They may get quiet, or loud. They may call you names or never call you again. Some get so out of shape that it borders a medical emergency to remove the wad. We have all had wedgies and understand how they can be uncomfortable. But wedgies and wadded panties are two different situations. Wedgies are usually unwanted and unintended. Wadded panties are usually people taking themselves way too seriously. So do you suffer from a wad or a wedgie? Intended or unwanted? Self-centered or victim of circumstance? Wadded panties, when worn that way too long, can cause unconfortable rashes. It is uncomfortable for the person with the wad and the people watching them walk around like they just got off a horse.

Words

2005-07-20T11:13:00.000-05:00

Books are an ingenious invention that make the best use of words. They can take our imaginations further than we alone could ever go. They can spark conversations that can be debated for hours and days. Books can collect dust better than any solid matter ever. They can educate, make us cry, change our view of life itself. But why? Do words have that powerful an effect? We see people break up through the mail, or now through email. We see contracts that if not followed to the last letter, can be nullified immediately. Magazines, newspapers, billboards, even some TV ads use words to persuade the reader. We have an entire book devoted to defining words. We have lanuages so we can communicate using words. But as the most intelligent being created we suck at our use of this intelligent gift. We argue, slander, gossip, create excuses, and lie. From the same mouth we praise God and curse man... Why? So my question is this...what do your words say about you? Are they constantly referring back to yourself? Do you attract people or repel them? Do the words in your conversations honor the God you say serve or do they make others wonder if you know God at all?

Hmmmm. Ouch.

Janiey-waniey-boo-boo-boo

2005-07-14T11:52:00.000-05:00

Some things that make me crazy is that people do not appreciate what they have. Like their vehicles, houses, pets, parents, and etc... But the one thing I cannot understand is why people do not appreciate their names. Your mama worked hard to get you into the world and then had to think of a name! And all you do is shorten and mutilate it until it sounds like some gibberish adults use to talk to babies. Some may like to be refered to as a child, but I think grown ups should talk to each other with sense. Most of you think this is just a grip because I do not use and unintelligable name to refer to myself, but I have been bellowed at using a different name. It was from a 1 year old. Point made. Even the Bible talks about putting childish talk away to become mature. Make your mama proud and don't mock the efforts she made in childbirth. Use your name!

Using time wisely...

2005-06-23T11:53:00.000-05:00

The truth is back...

Lately I have noticed that people are dissatisfied with aspects of their life. Whether it is what they read on the internet, what they watch on TV, or whatever; they are miffed. Here is a bit of info for those folks to chew on...choose what you spend your time on wisely. If you don't want to listen to people whine, don't hamg out with them. If you don't want to read others opinions on the internet; go outside you pale creatures. If you don't like your lack of love life, ask someone out or join a convent. What ever you chose to do with your time, remember it is your choice. Maybe you would be happier if you made better choices.

Coming to an understanding

2005-06-16T11:00:00.000-05:00

At my first church where I was on staff, I played softball on the church's women's team. It was fun. One of the parents, who loved to play softball, had recently found out she was pregnant with her second child. Because of her passion to play ball, she continued to come to practice, sit on the bench, and watch impatiently. We got into a converstation and her comment to me stuck. It was, "you'll never underwstand how it feels not to be able to do what you love." Ouch. To sit gritting your teeth wanting so bad to be involved but unable. Unable not because of skill, or of training, or of passion, but of circumstances. The other stuff you can control, but not circumstances. And those things can keep us from what we really want to do. Now I understand that statement she made, because I want to be involved in an area but because of circumstance, prohibited. Yes it is frustrating. Yes, some of you can understand this also. So what do we do? I wish I had a pointed answer. I wish I could give you a list of "to dos" that would solve this issue. However, the cycle continues. I can not explain what to do to resolve the problem, but I can tell you what to do during the problem. You must first come to an understanding. This understanding is that we are not equiped to control the future. Thus we are not able to control circumstance. "Well, thanks that helps me become more depressed." If we could control circumstances some of the greatest things would not come to pass. That unexpected child, that loss of a job, that not getting a position we really wanted that turned out to be with Enron. We cannot see the fututre, but God can. He also has the ability to control circumstance. So why do they not go my way? The key is the future. What we do today has direct bearing on our future. This point of life may be in preparation for something in my future. "Hmmm, this isn't making me feel any better." I know, but look at it this way; preparation is a good plan for the unknown future. If a soldier doesn't know how not to get shot, it doesn't matter if he is the best shot of the army. In Jeremiah 29:11(the most popular verse for graduates), it talks of God knowing the plans for the future, my future. These plans are for my good for my future. But we often see the hope of this verse and missed the message of the 2 verses after (v.12-13). In order to benefit fully from these plans we must be connected with the One who plans. Seeking God with all our heart will make the time of preparation better. How? Even I do not know the methods and depth of His comfort I just receive it. So, we are to thrive through the days, months, and years of preparations. It all has to do with trust, and in an untrusting world that is what makes this hard to come to an understanding.

The Cup

2005-04-11T11:36:00.000-05:00

I am Granddaddy’s girl. Even though he is not here anymore, I am still Granddaddy’s girl. I use to follow Him around everywhere. One of the things I have picked up on was his love, or need of coffee. I noticed that he used the same coffee cup everyday. It was a short, thick glass, 70’s style pee yellow mug. Anytime you went to my grandparents’ house you knew you could have your choice of cup, but no one was to touch Granddaddy’s cup. He loved his cup. He also had a very tough, reliable cup. Sometimes he would leave it outside in the rain, or drop it in the dirt, or let it roll around in the floorboard of his truck. But he always had it every morning ready to refill and use again.

I want my life to be like that cup. Minus the 70’s pee yellow, it was made for a purpose and it served its purpose well. Even though my Heavenly Father may let me see the outside sometimes with the rain, roll around in the floorboard, and occasional lets me feel pain as if I was dropped (but I know I’m not). But I have a purpose. I am loved. Every morning He seeks me and I Him; to fill me up and start our day off together. I want to serve Him as the best cup ever. So when I start my day I offer myself as a servant. I go to work and my routine is simple. I put away my stuff and pour me some coffee in a short, thick glassed, 70’s style pee yellow coffee cup.

Opinions

2005-04-07T14:19:00.000-05:00

Don't you just love it when everyone offers you an opinion. Sometimes we ask for it and sometimes we don't; but there is always an abundance of opinions. I personally don't care about those said opinionated people. I amuse them by thanking them for their unwarranted advice, and immediately dismiss it when I walk away. Think of the starving children in China. Your time and efforts will be more appreciated by those malnourished little people. I will go even further into dislike by saying: "Your opinion doesn't matter." There I said it. You can now go deal with this reality.

Moral of this story: (Now really, haven't we learned anything.)

DMV or DUMB

2005-02-11T20:29:00.000-05:00

For those of you who have ever dealt with the DMV for anything knows it can be frustrating. All in all, the people I have encountered are rather pleassant but they do occassionaly lack intelligence. I am still dealing with the ripple effects of my wreck. One of these effects is getting a new license plate to replace my stolen one. I have often wondered if the DMV accidentally gave me the wrong plate when I bought it, but dismissed it until yesterday. After returning home I checked my plate against the registration, and sure enough they were 2 different items. Shortly after my discovery the phone rang. It was the DMV wanting to know if my plate and registration matched. I am getting new registration in the mail some time next week.

It is not rude to double check information and goods infront of the person giving them out. Now if you have a arrogant attitude yes, you are a moron and should go learn some tact from people who actually have some. It is a good thing to double check. In Colossians, Paul was writing to the church asking them to be aware of teaching that was not the truth. Maybe if the church had double checked the information against the true gospel Paul would of saved on some postage. As a rule if you ever hear a preacher, Bible study leader, or anyone say something that you have questions on, double check it. After all that is a function of our Bible. It is here to help us.

Moral of this Story: Umm...Double check things. I mean really, can't you figure this one out on your own.

Wrecked

2005-01-31T15:37:00.000-05:00

A week ago I wrecked my Blazer. Belton is not the ideal place to have a car accident. For those asking, "Whose fault is it?", it was mine. I was blinded by the sun that blurred the colors of the vehicle infront of me masking the brake lights. Maybe it was a cause of old age. Maybe it was lack of attention. Maybe it was due to heavy traffic. Maybe it doesn't matter. Maybe God takes opportunites to teach us things even if we see it as an accident. So an accident, when things happen that we never meant to. The results are up to us; how we handle things reflect your character.

Immediately I began searching for what God wanted me to learn. Every event is an opportunity to learn. I look at the other driver, she was watching me. I looked at the officer, she was watching me. I looked at the tow truck people, they were watching me. All the cars passing by were watching me. It got a little creepy. So I looked at my Bible in Colossian 2:5 :

"For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how orderly you are and how firm your faith in Christ is."

I hope that they saw something in me that reflected my faith in Christ. Character is often descibed as the person you are when no one but God is watching. But your character can be evaluated by all those watching including God. I wonder how I would be evaluated? Do you ever wonder how you are evaluated?

Moral of this story: If we asked the world to "look at me!" What do they see?

Best advice EVER!

2005-01-21T15:05:00.000-05:00

I received this advise while I was in school and it has helped me in ways I cannot explain. If you really think about it, this simple phrase can shake off all those stupid ideas we have in our heads. Prepare yourself, here it come...

"Take your job seriously not yourself."

Let this sink in. If we would take our life's work more seriously than we take ourselves, insecurities will be slashed by half if not more. No more worrying about what we wear, or how our hair looks. Vanity is not a priority. We will stop staying awake at night wondering if "they" like me or not. We will have fun at church, at school/work, at the DMV!

Now the big kicker is what is your job? What is your life's work? What is the one thing you want to be taking seriously? Is it your family...I suggest you go bigger. How about your area of employment, after all it is your job...but not necessarily your life's work. A sport...you are thinking way too small. Come on now your life's work, what you want to be remebered for. Sit and think about this for a while.

Moral of this story: Seriously, you are your life's work. Make it count for eternity.

Ghosts of Christmases Past

2004-12-24T09:34:00.000-05:00

I thought I would share an image from a past Christmas celebration with the family. I actually cannot tell you what year it took place but you can check my references on their authenticity.

I remember the year we almost didn't have a Christmas tree at my Grandmother's house. Earlier in the season my Aunt Joan, has tradgecally messed up her ankle and was on crutches. As we were gathering for a pre Christmas get-together, Joan made her way into the living room with her crutches. Just to give you a little insight, Joan is not the most graceful of individuals. Though she is not the most clumbiest person in the world she does struggle. Honestly I think it is a lack of paying attention. My grandparents tree, as most grand-parental trees consist of ornaments that are truly one of a kind. They are handmade school projects, dated figures from the beginning of time, and ornaments from their grandparents trees. A priceless treasure to some and useless junk to others. But on this ocassion it was reduces to smashed "what-was-that's." Yes Joan the Graceful fell into the tree and almost redured it unrecognizable. My grandparents, being the lovers of tradition that they were, had an artifical tree. We spend more time bending the trunk and branches out, replacing the broken ornaments, and finally going to the store to buy new lights than we ever have before. All in all we did learn a few lessons from this experience. First do not let Balance-handicapped people on crutches near the tree. Second, always buy an artifical tree for family gatherings just in case you have to mend it from a crushing fall. Lastly, we learned to start buying the smaller light that so many people have today. Those larger bulbed lights for trees are pretty but you do not want to be the one to help your aunt to get the shards of glass out.

Have a Merry Christmas!

Do rocks think I'm stupid?

2004-11-19T15:47:00.000-05:00

Do rocks think I'm stupid? Seriously, have you ever thought about what nature thinks about our faith in Christ? Have you ever walked though the woods and heard a sound of whispering or laughter? Was nature talking about my faith? Do they have a clear view of its weakness? And why don't they tell us when we are being stupid? We have never skipped a season change, but I worry about what to fix for supper that evening. The sun shines so bright that artificial light wasn't needed on earth for thousands of years, but I fret when the power flickers. Birds don't have central heat and air, but I worry about where to place my Christmas tree so the vents won't dry it out. Have you ever heard a dog ask what job he can get after he has completed his Puppy Chow years? God makes promises to people he never even intended for the rest of creation. Christ came for people. His sacrfice is for people. His unending love is for people. Of all the things he created in 6 days, we were the only thing he breathed into and created in his image. We bear his fingerprints in our basic design like nothing else on earth. But we doubt more and stray further than any other entity of creation. Why? Thanksgiving is coming and our prayer request list is longer than our list of things to be thankful for, why? Is it because God has fallen down on the job of helping people and focused more on plants and animals? Or maybe it is because we focus more on what we don't have rather than the millions of things he has given us? Ungrateful? Yeah. So when the Bible talks about "rocks crying out," does some of that include hystericallaughter to the point of tears because of my stupidity? I don't know if that is totally true, but they would have every right.

Cliques

2004-11-09T10:50:00.000-05:00

Alright this is dedicated to Judith, who suggested this topic to see what I would say.

Cliques are an annoying substance, like Mold. It gets in your way and can eventually make you very sick. So why have them? Because we have to have somewhere for those people to go. Seriously, if cliques didn't exsist we would not think highly of acceptance or unconditional love. To have a closed group of people reject you makes you appreciate those who actually accept you. So for the record..."Thank you people of the cliques!" Thank you for sticking together, because God knows no one else would like you. Thank you for being snobby, because it makes us realize you really do suck. Thank you for rejecting people who are not like you, because they are so much fun to hang out with.

Moral of this story: Cliques aren't bad when you take it into the proper prespective.

Ignorance.

2004-10-08T11:01:00.000-05:00

Ignorance is bliss. Or is it? They say that wisdom comes with age and we all remember the thoughtful sayings of the young and stupid; but do these really apply? Does gray hair come with intelligence? Maybe not, I mean doesn't gray hair come from stress? And if that is so, does intelligence come from stress? NO! They are just strung-out people frequenting the Walmart for Clariol #5 hair coloring. Seems to me if they were smart they would know of ways to avoid stress. But why do we always associate intelligence with age? All old people are not smart; some still can't work a VCR much less a DVD player. And how many people have you tricked with the "Spell VCR" joke? Seriously can we ever get to the bottom of the young/old intelligence arguement? Probably not, but here are some things I have noticed.

A) Young people have an enthusiam that everybody wants. They don't know their limits yet so they seem unstoppable. Notice I said "seem." Most young people find a realization of their limits in their mid twenties. The body starts to fail, health insurance goes up, but car insurance goes down. They usually make mistakes that will follow them until they are old. Young people do still have a thirst for knowledge, even if the lessons are learned the hard way. Some (without naming names), learn by challenging the limits of their own knowledge. Enthusiasm is great until it is pitted against experience. Then we see that kids don't know crap!

B) Older people see thier limits and refine to perfection their actions within those limits. This is what makes them seem wise. Again, "seem." With the possibility of losing their minds to disease or just natural decay, they try to hold on to their youth. This is a complete waste of time. When you can pass your knowledge on to others doesn't that make us last longer than dating people 10 yrs younger or buying a sports car? However, there are few who learn valuable lessons about pretending to be young or don't go that route altogether; they are truly wise. These people tend to live life to its fullest. They make the most of what little time they have left. They use their experience to shame the enthusiastic. It is wonderful.

Moral of this story: God uses people of all ages, but the ones we always talk about are over 25. IE...Paul, Moses, Abraham, Peter, JESUS!

Consequences

2004-09-15T16:21:00.000-05:00

God's Word is really great. It applies to every aspect of life. It also has some incredible verses of sarcasism packed with wisdom. If you don't believe me just read it, books like Malachi...come on that is classic sarcasm. I recently found a verse that was just great for those who think their is not consequesces for doing wrong. It is Luke 12:48a, and it says:

"But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows."

Doesn't this just speak to you! Think about it from a drunk drivers point of view. He broke the law and deserves punishment. But it gives a real picture of what sin does. How? It shows us that wrong is wrong whether we know it is or not. Right and wrong is not relative, it doesn't depend on how a human feels. It doesn't matter whether we feel that what we do is wrong it matters whether it IS wrong. So how do we know? You may ask: "Is cussing really wrong?" "Is drinking beer wrong?" "Is leaving flaming bags of dog poo on a doorstep wrong?" How do we determine what is wrong? I have one question, who gave you that job? To know what is truly right is to know God. He determines right from wrong. Need a good place to start try Exodus 20. It is more commonly known as the 10 Commandments. Oh I must warn you that there are consequences for doing wrong. The least is embarrassment; the worst is never knowing God.

Moral of this Story: Avoid being "beaten with few blows."

Sign me up

2004-08-27T10:27:00.000-05:00

Okay we are going to take a look at the issue of church membership. Most people have a very weird idea of what church membership means, and they miss out on what God wants to do with them. I went to college about 45 minutes away and then I went on to pursue a graduate degree in TX. I moved into a dorm at both schools. I found a church during my undergrad schooling in which I was on staff, but when I went to TX I didn't work on staff at a church so I had to find one to "plug-in-to." My school gave us one semester to find a church and join. Some of you would have a problem with that. You would whine..."I don't want to leave my home church," that you only go to rarely now that you have moved away. "It will be dropping all the people who love me," those people would understand if you are following where God leads.

Now to get down to it...watch your toes! Do you want to be considered an adult when you go to college? Most of the college students are 18 and over, so act like it. Make a decision. Cut the apron strings. Follow God with your own faith and not relying on Mom or Dad's to surfice for you too. Church membership is simply joining in with a group of like-minded belivers to follow the vision God has given for that church. Most people think that church membership is a permanet venture, they are getting that confused with salvation. In Jeremiah 40 before 40:31 the "Graduation verse", God speaks to the exiles and tells them to build, plant, eat, marry... In other words He says grow where you are without holding back. When we hold back somethings and give fully in others are we really truly abandoning ourselves for God to use as instruments? I don't think our tune will be as pleasant. College years are suppose to be an opportuntity for young men and women to prove themselves as adults.

Moral of this story: Grow up and Join God where He is working.

Center of the Universe

2004-08-13T09:59:00.000-05:00

I am not a scientist. I just wanted to clear that up before we get started so that there is no questions on this fact.

The Hurricanes are coming and the earth is revolving and rotating so we see changes in the seasons, weather, and life in general. Now it is my understanding that when the earth revolves, it is going around the Sun. Just to be safe we can say that the Sun is the center of the Universe, right? Seasons change because The Creator has set His design in the Universe for this rotation, correct? And according to His design everything revolves around the Sun. (Feel Free to insert Christian based analogy here.) Knowing this, why is that so hard to understand? "Come on we understand?" Really??!! If this is such deeply ingrained knowledge then why do we have people talking about themselves every moment. Basically these people are superficial and self-absorbed. Oh they ask about how your day went, but upon the expectation that they get a turn when you are finished. And if you had problems they can always top yours. Sometimes I plainly just don't want to hear about them. Don't you understand that when all you talk about is yourself you are just giving opportunistic people like me ammunition. And we love ammunition, it can be stockpiled, sold, and used to advance our forces at any given moment. Some of you talk so much about yourselves, giving others ammunition, that you would put gun runners out of business. No wonder they didn't find Weapons of Mass destruction in Iraq, they had talked about themselves so much everyone else had the ammo. Isn't it more fun to have conversations that are not centered on you. I mean really, if we are to treat others as better than ourselves, then shouldn't we shut-up and let them talk. There are thousands of people in the world who are labeled as "quiet", but maybe you won't hush about yourself long enough to hear them speak...or they try to speak but get cut off by overbearing windbags. You have heard it before...2 ears, one mouth. "Be quick to listen and slow to speak..."

Moral of this Story: Shut it up.

Stray Pet Peeve

2004-07-14T13:52:00.000-05:00

I really don't know if I have a solution for this or not, but I have beef to pick with folks who "pre-excuse" their behavior. They usually preface a sentence with "I apologize ahead of time for the way I will act." Most women will blame it on PMS. I don't believe that this is a valid reason for acting inappropriately, even if you do apologize for it ahead of time. Doesn't that mean you are planning to act ugly to someone? Is this premeditation? Would this sort of statement get a murderer off at trial? "I am sorry ahead of time for those I will brutally kill today." Apologies before hand are not true apologies, they are plans. Maybe if we spent more time controlling our actions and less on pre-excuses we would not have to apologize at all.

Moral of this story: I am sorry ahead of time if I offended anyone.

Greatness

2004-07-06T10:54:00.000-05:00

Tony the Tiger started something when he first muttered the words, "GRRRREAT!" Honestly we all want to be considered great at something. Whether it is a sport, a job, or just looked up to for who we are; it is what drives us to perfection. But is the pursuit of greatness often selfish? I mean really does trying our hardest to get others to notice how good we are serve others or ourselves? What is our motivation for doing our best? Recognition? To be a part of something bigger than ourselves? Better pay? More friends? As I struggle with the perfect balance with confidence and humilty, I often have to choose in situations to either further myself or stand back and let others be furthered.
I must say that I really look up to Jesus who had to watch the stupidity of humanity and resist the urge to blow us all of the map. He instead shows us a way to react to these situations by his example. Philippians 2:6-7 says, "Who, (Jesus) being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness." Perfection chose imperfection. Creator subjects himself to the created. I think another point we can take home from this is that even though Jesus stepped down from Heaven for people, that act of love and grace has given him the title of GREAT!

Moral of this story: Greatness sometimes doesn't come from making it to the top, but holding it all up from the bottom.

Needy People

2004-06-16T13:59:00.000-05:00

You may not recognize these people until it is too late. They are not you typical leeches that suck the life our of people at the drop of a hat. No these folks are subtle in their vacuuming process of life. Usually it is the ones you lest expect. Haven't recognized them yet? Let me give you a few clues to watch out for. During conversation do they often relate back to the same short list of issues that usually deal with them not having something? Is it getting clearer? Does alot of what comes out of there mouth have to do with the lack of relationships in their lives? Are they telling you about the latest "Joshua-Harris-how-to-find-spouse-in-30-days-or-less" book they just read? Do they mask their reason for reading it as wanting to get closer to God? It should be pretty clear now, you should have names in mind. These are Needy people. Actually they "needy" to get their head unstuck from their own rear and live life. God never meant for us to pursue marriage with as much time, money and energy as most people are giving it today. He wants us to take advantage of our time with out a spouse to capatalize on the opportunities we will miss when we are married and have different priorities. When was the last time you help a stranger at the grocery store? Or cut your neighbor's grass? Or took a friend out to lunch for no reason? Why have we put so much into our own selfishness that we miss lessons from Jesus' parables. Remember the Good Samaritan? That guy didn't think selfishly but used his time, money and energy to help someone else. I wonder if he was single? I wonder if he had a copy of "Find 'Em and Marry 'Em Jehovah's Way" in his bag? Maybe he just got it and understood that right then he could stop and help someone without a screaming kid in the minivan.

Moral of this story: Don't stare at your left hand ring finger so much that you miss what is going on around you.

Buying the cow

2004-06-02T12:15:00.000-05:00

Lately I have been pondering the simple phrase of "Buying the cow." No this isn't a relationship issue it is the high price of milk. I have seen some places go to $3.50 and the nation's average is close to $4. Milk may do a body good but the finances...Ouch. So what about buying the cow? Will it help to just purchase "Bessie" and have milk anytime you want it? What about just cutting milk out of your diet? I am not a milk expert but I think that after all the processes of feeding the cow, caring for it, and cleaning the milk so it is drinkable; I think I will pay the extra dollar to have the milk. Moral of this story: It is cheaper not to buy the cow, But pay for the milk by the gallon. This is the proven theory behind prostitution, so is buying milk like prostitution. No how dare you think so little of milk.

What is this?

2004-05-21T16:42:00.000-05:00

Ok this will be a series of posts that will bring out BIG truths but in small "bite size" packaging. It will be straight forward and blunt. Which mean it will be fun. It will be a collection of things that are noticed and learned from others.

#1 Have you ever noticed how many people pick their noses in their cars? It is more than you think. Ramming their fingers so far up there it pulls their lip up revealing a snarl. Why don't they just take care of things before they leave home? Where do they put their findings? Nose picking in places where others can observe is like people who air their problems everywhere. Sometimes things are best taken care of at home. Now some of you are thinking that the "problem" people need help and someone to hear their problems. I agree. Many people are qualified to listen and aid people with their problems, they are called shrinks. Basically this is all I have to say about this at the moment. I may relive this issue again. Moral of this story: Pick it at home, and you will not flick it on a friend.