It pains me to say this, but, Happy New Year

You see, I think New Year's is a silly holiday. The world can't even agree on when to celebrate it. The Chinese celebrate Yuan Tan, the Jewish New Year is Rosh Hashanah, and so on and so forth. I read one time that it all stems from a Babylonian celebration of the Vernal Equinox or something.

Now that I have that off my chest, I must say that I'm happy for a new year to come. Not that '09 was bad or I want to forget it or anything like that, but '010, as I'm calling it, is potentially very exciting for several reasons.

According to the lovely Ms. Sarah, I will find my wife early this year, a fact which I'm still in doubt of. I've filed that away in the "Yeah, whatever" category.

But what really excites me is that this year is beginning with something that other recent years have lacked: awareness.

Benji preached it tonight and I've heard it from several others that there is just something missing. Maybe it's nothing huge or catastrophic, maybe it is, but people seem to be longing for more, and that more is a good more. Not more money or more earthly stuff but more God. I believe that it must thrill God to no end when His children recognize that there is room for improvement, sincerely desire that, and seek Him. This means bye bye comfort zones and hallelujah here it comes.

I began to think about past resolutions that I've made. They were nothing more than wishes or hopes really. Seldom have I really decided to allow myself to be changed by God without regret. Usually I end up slinking back into the same old comfortable routines by mid-February. Then later that year I'm pouring out my heart to God asking Him why things aren't different. Why am I still unchanged?

"Talk to me God. Speak. Please! I'm sinking here. What more do You want from me? Let me hear from You. How am I supposed to move forward if You won't tell me which way to go? Are You listening?!? What can I do?"

"Just listen. To Me."

"God, I need to know what You want from me. I'm willing, see? I'm humble and contrite and everything else You say You love, so, what's the hold-up? What else should I do?"

"You could try obeying. I generally like that alot."

"I'm waiting for the go-ahead, God. Ready, willing and semi-able, that's me. I've got my ear to the ground and I'm waiting for a sign. Call me 'Change the World Chuck' because it is on now. Just stop the sun or part Fort Loudon or something and I'll be on my way."

"You don't need a sign. You need to read. I've written it all down for you. Plain as black and white. Pun intended."

So you see how it usually goes; me waiting for an answer that's already been given. I guess I'm just weary of making promises that I don't keep. So this year, and you all are my accountability, I am resolving:

to give God what He wants and that is first priority in my life and all the little parts of me that I've been withholding for so long.

Lofty goals, yes. But He promises to be there to help me and guide me along the way. All it takes is true surrender.

I hope your new year comes with a desire for God's desires.

I'll bet Professor Trelawney didn't read the story of Saul.

I've been reading tonight about King Saul. This won't be anything new to most of you but I feel the need to share.

What comes to mind when you think of King Saul? Do you think about the failed first king of Israel? Maybe a selfish man whose life is a monument to disobedience? You'd be right on both counts, but there is more to this feller.

Saul was a farmer. He was from the smallest and least important tribe of Israel. The Bible says that he was the handsomest man in all of Israel, and from the shoulders up he was taller than any of them. I'm not sure if that means he just had a really long neck or not. But Saul was chosen by God to lead His people. That tells me that God saw in Saul something He liked. He saw someone who would obey Him, and God promised to make Saul prosper if only Saul would follow His commands.

Fast forward a little bit and you'll see that Saul was supposed to wait in Gilgal for seven days until Samuel showed up to tell him what God wanted him to do. But Saul grew tired of waiting, all the people were getting a little worried, so Saul took it upon himself to offer a sacrifice to God. Sounds like a good thing, doesn't it? God loves a good sacrifice, right?

Nope. When Samuel finally shows up, immediately, and conveniently, as soon as the sacrifice had been offered, he blasts Saul. Saul's excuse is that the people were scattering, the Philistines were knocking on the door, and he figured he had not sought God's favor so he'd present a burnt offering to God. In our way of thinking, that seems like what we'd do. "I'm not feeling God right now so I'll just do a little something for Him to brown-nose a little bit." We do love to pamper God, don't we?

But Samuel tells him he has acted foolishly by not keeping the commands of the Lord. And what's worse, Samuel tells Saul that if only he'd obeyed, God would have established his kingdom forever. But now, his kingdom shall not continue.

A few chapters further (this is all in 1 Samuel 9-15), Saul again disobeys by sparing King Agag and some livestock after God had instructed him to kill all the Amalekites and their animals. And, again, he offers an excuse that he was sparing the finest animals to make a sacrifice to God. He always credits his disobedience to doing what he thinks God would be pleased with.

I'm always amazed at what God said next. He tells Samuel that, "I regret that I have made Saul king." Ouch! That had to hurt. So Samuel tells the king that because he rejected God, God will reject him from being king. (FYI, since Saul didn't kill King Agag like he was supposed to, Samuel hacked him to pieces). But pay close attention to what Samuel says of God:

"Has the Lord great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams." --1 Samuel 15:22

And also, "For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry." --15:23

Wow. God just wants us to obey. He doesn't care about what sacrifices we might make thinking that we are pleasing Him. Obedience to Him is what He really wants; listening to His voice and doing what He says. It isn't about coming up with things that we think He would like, it's about doing what He says He likes.

Divination is defined as, "the art or practice that seeks to foresee or foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge usually by the interpretation of omens or by the aid of supernatural powers." God says that when we rebel against what He commands, we might as well be using sorcery or witchcraft. Disobeying God is the same as looking to Satan to achieve our goals.

The Bible then says that presumption is the same as idolatry. Presuming to know what God wants is the same as worshipping a false god; that false god being ourselves because we presume to know the mind of God.

When I look at my own life and when I watch the lives around me, I can see a lot of presuming going on. "God wants us to do this", or "God would approve of that", and so on and so forth. I think the biggest example of this is when people wrongly say, "This is God's will." We seem to have a lot of trouble in humbling ourselves and just following. Maybe it's the world we live in that teaches us to be strong, ambitious leaders who always have the answers. Maybe we actually have been programmed to make a decision and stick with it no matter what. I know for myself that the coming year needs to be one of listening and following instead of making decisions based on what I think God should, or would want.

Presumption, by the way, is "an attitude or belief dictated by probability." God is alive and guiding our every step. We don't have to deal in probabilities because He is right here with us to tell us what He wants. No guesswork involved. Isn't that the most amazing thing you've ever heard?

Are our burdens as heavy as we make them out to be?

I saw this game while out Christmas shopping the other day and it reminded me of the single funniest moment of my life. If your curiosity has been piqued, feel free to ask Juli about it, but be prepared for her to run away and sit on the terlit and have a good cry.

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Our Sunday school lesson this morning was from Philippians chapter 2 and talked about the sacrifices Jesus made to come down and live among His creation. Have you ever really stopped and given thought as to what Christ walked away from? Heaven, paradise, never-ending peace and joy, eternal worship, complete freedom from the effects of sin, just to name a few. He had existed in heaven since heaven's beginning and He chose to leave it behind. He willingly left the place where we long to be in order to come and live in the place we long to leave. I'll never understand that, I don't think.

What about His life while here? Paul writes that Jesus "... made Himself nothing, taking the form of a servant" and that He "... humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death." So, He voluntarily left paradise to come to a fallen and sinful world, and once He was here and human, He takes on complete humility and becomes a like a servant. The Creator comes to serve His creation.

Was His impending death the only worry Jesus had? Sure, that was enough; more than anyone else could handle, but in thirty-three years there must have been other cares and burdens that He had to bear. The temptations He faced would, actually do, stump the rest of us. I would wager that the full force of hell was behind it. But, as a man, Jesus would most certainly have burdens and trials. And it was all by choice.

So how come our first response to burdens and trials of our own is to try to shed them? When the storm hits, why do we immediately pray for the calm? It's as if we think anything that makes us feel bad is straight from hell and it is God's responsibility to rid us of it. "Okay, God, you said to call out in my day of trouble. Well, I'm in trouble, so, a little help."

"As to thy burden, be content to bear it until thou comest to the place of deliverance; for there it will fall from thy back of itself." --John Bunyan

Shouldn't our first response be to pray about the reason for the burden before we slap the "yucky" label on it? Are we so comfortable and arrogant that we think we are above sweating it out, even when God deems it necessary?

Jesus carried with Him the knowledge of His coming death and all that He would suffer prior to it. But, with all His power, He still walked directly toward it. He knew that what lay on the other side was worth the struggle. I wonder if many Christians today deny themselves the blessings that come from bearing burdens because they look to quick-fixes for deliverance rather than letting the purposes and plans of God play out?

Just thinkin' out loud. Happy Monday.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

I'll make this quick because time is something I have very little of at present.

Speaking of presents (Ha!), I got a little gift from the boss man today. I had planned on taking off half a day Christmas eve because I had exactly four hours of vacation left. This afternoon, however, my boss asked me, rather covertly, if I would like to just take all day off because, "...it's just too much hassle for me to find a only a few hours of work." Well, far be it from me to cause my supervisor any hassle, so I gladly accepted his offer. Nothing beats a day off. Especially Christmas eve.

Since this will likely be my final post before the big day, some happy birthday wishes are in order.

Jesus, I suppose a happy birthday wish would grow old and tiring to the Eternal One but I want to wish You one just the same. I say it with a tear in my eye, not because it's special to You but to me. And because, even after thirty-one years of following You, I am still shamed at the lack of passion, devotion and love that I show You on a daily basis. Surrender, dying to self, letting You wreck my life, and all the other phrases we use to try to explain what You really want from each of us are goals that I seem to never reach. If New Year's resolutions mean anything in Your kingdom, then know that mine is to stop asking for more of You this year and realize that what I need to do is to give you more, all, of me. Forgive me for failing to celebrate Your life, and Your resurrection, with each beat of this wicked heart. I truly love You.

Rachie!!! Happy birthday to you, dear. You are truly one of the most wholly beautiful people I have ever known. No one makes me feel loved quite the way you do and I wish you the greatest of days, and a very merry Christmas to you and The Don.

Sweet, sweet, controlling, female noble Sarah. It seems like just yesterday that you were only a butthole and now you've blossomed into such a beauty. And I am privileged to have been there all along the way. You brighten up my house each time you walk in the door (even though you bring that feller with you) and I wish you many cookies and poots on your special day.

And to the other one or two persons who might read this blog, I wish a very merry Christmas to you and God's best for your life.

"Do you hate yore mama?"

Well, I am still on an old movie kick so here's one of my all-time favorite comedies. It's called No Time for Sergeants (1958) and it pretty much launched the career of Andy Griffith, pre-Mayberry. The Broadway version of this movie is responsible for introducing Andy to Don Knotts, which you can see here.

Andy plays a hick plowboy from the sticks who gets drafted and shipped off to boot camp. He runs into all sorts of situations that are foreign to him, including the scene above which is his first encounter with a psychiatrist. It's a classic case of the dumb confounding the wise (shameless plug) as his simple, common sense approach to life totally flusters the poor shrink.

So here's a laugh, on me. Stick with it for the full seven minutes and you'll be glad you did. Besides, it's nearly Christmas so what else have you got to do at work?

In another scene, Will Stockdale (Andy) and his new buddy, Ben Whitledge, see a female Air Force captain for the first time. Will is struck dumb.

Ben: Will! Stand at attention. What's the matter? Ain't you never heard of the Womens Air Force?

Will: You mean they got their own?!?

Ben: Yeah.

Will: Against our'n?!?

Less is definitely more. I hope everyone laughs today. But I hope your laughter is due to something innocent and simple. That's the best kind.

Happy Christmas Eve eve.

Hey, all I can say is...

...hands off 'cause I saw it first. Nothing says Christmas like a tacky sweater.

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I've posted about this before (actually I think it was last year) but I want to share it again because it is one of my favorite parts of the Bible. I have way too many favorite parts to actually call anything a favorite part but you know what I'm sayin'.

Anyway, here's a merry Christmas treat for you courtesy of John -- the Apostle, the Revelator, the one whom Jesus loved.

And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth. And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems. His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it. She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne, and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days.--Revelation 12:1-6

Fo' mo' days!

Good grief!

I've posted several things this past month about Christmas movies and such. I really do love most of the classics that air this time of year but this one tops them all.

It debuted in 1965 and, thanks to Linus Van Pelt, just might be the only time that some people hear about Jesus all year. But there's a sad side to this.

Charles M. Schulz was a member of the Church of God for most of his life. He belonged to the same fellowship as Bill and Gloria Gaither. But late in his life, he converted to, or at least embraced, secular humanism. Just to familiarize you with it, here's one of the tenets of secular humanism:

Reason, evidence, scientific method - A commitment to the use of critical reason, factual evidence and scientific methods of inquiry, rather than faith, in seeking solutions to human problems and answers to important human questions.

Sounds intelligent, huh? Well, sure. Just take a look at our world and you can obviously see that we humans are perfectly able to solve all our problems using our amazing intellect and scientific reason. There's heavy sarcasm there y'all. But it does remind me of one of my favorite quotes. "Science isn't."

The idea that humans are god-like enough to have the capacity to solve the problems of the human race is completely absurd to me. If that were the case, then why is there a Christmas? Why would God, should you believe He's there, feel the need to be born among us and provide us a way to Him if we have all we need without Him? He wouldn't. Hence the point.

More and more these days you'll hear those really, really smart and intellectual types telling you that science and art and philosophy are all proving that there is no God, no Son of God, no heaven and hell. We, as humans, are becoming more and more enlightened and gaining in knowledge of the universe and our place in it. Our ever-expanding universe stands as its own proof that God and Christianity are ancient myths devised to provide comfort and purpose to those poor, misguided, ignorant people of past centuries. The facts to support this are all around us and in us, they say. "They" being the really, really smart and intellectual types.

I say they are absolutely correct. Our world does indeed stand as proof. But I don't think it proves what they think it proves. I see a world that mankind has ruined. I see a world that human reason, scientific method, philosophy, and humanism have left in chaos. This is the final step in mankind's rebellion against its Creator. For thousands of years, humans made idols of gods to worship. Now, man himself has become his own idol.

During the first successful years of writing Peanuts, Schulz said that he was thankful for what he had been given, and believed that Chuck Brown and the gang would far outlive him. But just prior to his death, while battling colon cancer and failing eyesight, he was very bitter about having to retire due to health reasons. He said, "I never dreamed this would happen to me. I did not take it away. This has been taken from me." Needless to say, a human god's own fragile body is sure to disappoint.

Other notable secular humanists include Albert Einstein, John Lennon, Carl Sagan, Jon Stewart, Kurt Vonnegut, and Frank Zappa.

It's truly a sad thing when someone turns their back on God. Maybe it starts with a simple desire to find more. Maybe someone is pulled away by distractions or misplaced affections or busyness. Maybe they just simply decide to walk away. Who knows? But no matter what the reason, it's all Satan's original deception to make us believe we don't need God because we are capable enough without Him.

So pay a little more attention to the words of Linus. Make sure that you really, really know what it's all about. Make sure that this wonderful holiday is spent focused on the One whose name it bears.

What's in a name?

While I was perusing the bookshelves the other day, I ran across a sale book titled The Dictionary of Bible Names. Naturally, I bought it. It contains every name in the Bible and its meaning, along with the Scripture reference. It's a pretty cool book.

Just looking at some of the names and what they mean is very eye-opening. Names were taken very seriously back then. They carried meaning and symbolism, and they were sometimes like a monument or reminder of certain events or works that God had done in the lives of the people involved.

God placed importance on names, as did Jesus. Remember Abram, Sarai, Jacob, Simon, and Saul? They all had their names changed. And it was usually for a purpose.

Another astonishing tidbit is that there are over 2000 names in the Bible. There are Hebrew names and Greek names and hyphenated Babylonian/Assyrian/Persian names. They all meant something important.

I was telling Sarai Mays tonight (by the way, Sarai means controlling) that I don't think people these days place the same importance on a name. People tend to choose names that they think sound cool or pretty instead of something that carries meaning. That's a shame, I think.

I know that my name, Charles, is French and means "manly" (yeah, I giggled, too), and Howard, which is English and means "brave, guardian of the home." I think "home" might mean THE home.

By the way, I've looked up most of your names, too.

One name not found on any list is... well, let me tell the whole story.

Sunday night at church. Controlling Mays, I mean, Female noble Mays and myself were talking while Benji and the boys were practizing. I was singing along with them to (I think) One Way Jesus. I was in one of those goofy, random moods so I kept singing "One Way Yeshua" and we all had a good laugh. Then Sarah says:

"How about Yahweh, Jr.?"

Quite possibly the funniest thing I've ever heard.

Uhh... for my German-speaking readers???

This scene is from Artists and Models (1955) with Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. Martin and Lewis movies are some of my favorites. Dean always plays the cool ladies man and Jerry is always, ALWAYS the stooge.

In this movie, Dean is a writer who is having a hard time landing any kind of contract and Jerry is his friend/roommate who is having weird dreams about "Vincent the Vulture." Dean starts copying down the dreams and his comic books become the latest smash. During all of this, they meet two ladies who are in the same situation and, of course, Hollywood love blossoms.

Prior to the scene above, Dean has just fallen in love and his gal enthusiastically reciprocated. So he's having a good day. Just watch the way he tip-toes around, strutting proudly. He's got that, "You make me feel like a schoolboy" attitude. You can't watch this and not smile because, at least from a male perspective, this is how being in love makes you act: ridiculous, with a touch of I don't care who knows it.

Dean Martin has always been one of my favorite singers. I've got a thing for a crooner's voice like that; it's probably envy because mine sounds like a cross between an old chainsaw and a drunk goose. The "Lucky Song" is one of those that I sometimes walk around singing all day because it's catchy and fun.

So, consider this something to just take away your pre-Christmas stresses for a moment. Even if you don't like old movie/musicals, you have to admit that they make you feel good. Watch a Martin and Lewis movie sometime when you want to laugh. You'll also get to see where Jim Carrey got his inspiration. He's a modern-day carbon-copy of Jerry Lewis.

Bonus clip! --"I can't keep this dickey down, Ricky!"

This just never gets old...

If I remember correctly, this is the most recorded song of all-time. It's not hard to understand why, especially if you like snow (duh) and Christmas. Put the two together and it's the perfect day.

This clip is from Holiday Inn, made in 1942. It's my favorite movie of all-time. Irving Berlin wrote White Christmas for this movie, so what you are watching is the first time anyone ever heard this song. Because of its popularity, the movie White Christmas was made twelve years later, starring, of course, Bing Crosby because nobody else can or should ever sing this song.

I think the reason I like Holiday Inn so much is because it is what all movies should be. Movies today are made with some agenda in mind. It seems that there is always a political or social theme in modern movies. Old movies like this one were simply an escape. When Holiday Inn was made, there was a stinkin' world war going on. People could go and leave their cares outside the theater and just be taken away into a world that was funny, sweet, romantic, and completely un-real. Maybe you think that we're better off today in our more enlightened, more scientific, and more realistic world, but I think we've short-changed ourselves. And the condition of our world proves that. The old saying goes, "Life imitates art." Well, we have become what the world of media told us to become.

It's too bad that you have to go back 50-60 years to find a movie that's clean, but not a kid movie.

Anyway, I watched about three old movies tonight so this was on my mind. I'll post some clips of those soon.

And since it's Christmas time, be sure you watch Holiday Inn. Along with the clip above, another favorite part is Easter Parade (gotta love Easter, right?). Ya gotta be impressed when a director can make you feel springy in black and white.

"If I woke up tomorrow with my head sewn to the carpet, I wouldn't be more surprised."

I am T-A-R-D, tired. Too much for one evening. But I want to share some exciting news.

Today after work, I had a meeting with the rest of the Technology committee (yes, prestigious, I know) at a business in Alcoa. This particular company has been chosen by us to install the media presentation system in the sanctuary. Today's meeting was sort of a final walk-through with the equipment we'll be getting and one last demonstration, and, of course, final numbers.

The exciting part of this, from a strictly gadget standpoint, is the super-cool touch-screen controller. It's amazing. From this one controller, we'll be able to control the TV's, lighting, cameras, computer, DVD player, and in the future, even security system and thermostat.

These will all be set up on presets, meaning that when the choir finishes singing, and it's preachy-time, touch one little icon on the screen and the lights will automatically dim in the choir loft and spot the pulpit and stage. Just between you and me, that's awesome!

You can touch another little icon and lock down every single outside door, just like in the movies! Or, adjust the temperature in the room the same way.

But the real motivation behind the whole project is the plasma TV's. If you were there Sunday morning and had to endure the fiasco with the projector-on-the-pulpit, and the drop-down screen, you will appreciate the renovation. We'll have two 65" plasmas on each side of the baptistry "window" and two 58" facing the choir on the walls above the doors. We're finally approaching the 21st century at SCBC so hang on, don't be scared and it'll all be over soon. It's called progress, people.

But I want to be up-front with y'all. I have been on this committee for three years now. This project has taken nearly two of those years to put together and finalize, with others, not me, doing the legwork. I am all for this because: 1) it's a worship tool, it's modernizing, it's a sign that we aren't dead yet, and 2) it causes us to spend money.

Yep. I said it's a reason to spend money. What I mean is that our church has had a healthy bank account for quite some time, and it's growing. That's awesome. But if it's there and stays there, then there's a problem. A church with a fat vault is a church that is not giving it all to God. I don't think that our community is that well off. There are areas that could use that money. I wish with everything that we were spending this on other things instead of TV's. I could live without this new media system. It will be nice but I have worshipped just wonderfully without it for years. It's a take or leave for me.

But if we aren't going to spend money on really, really important things, at least spend it on something. At least turn loose, open the coffers, and show that we don't worship that fat bank account. Just get rid of it. Spending it on the building may be on the bottom of the list of importance, but it will spend just the same. Use the blessing if you want further blessing.

Make sense? Maybe not to anyone but me. I know it doesn't sound logical to know there are needs and then approve spending the money on wants, but I think the big step is spending at all. It won't hurt, I promise, and maybe it will prove to certain church members that it's just money. Money is of no use unless it's being used. And hopefully, this will lead to more that we can spend on the really significant and eternal things.

But the TV's are sweeeeet! just the same.

Do we even realize we are at war?

I can't stop thinking about our Crazy Love study last week. This chapter focused on looking into ourselves and determining what is in there. Chan gave several examples of just what it means to be lukewarm. I was struck with the thought that this would be the chapter that made people decide if they were serious about this study or if it was just another gathering to attend, sometimes, and when it was over Crazy Love was, " ...just another book I've read."

But it really isn't about this book at all. How many studies have you been through? Experiencing God, Purpose Driven (everything), Return to Holiness, Wild at Heart, various Beth Moore books, yadda, yadda. Where are they now?

We can go through any study out there but it is all in vain if we aren't serious about getting something out of it. If we aren't truly seeking to grow in our relationship with Christ, then no book, not even the Bible, is going to be more than words on a page.

Crazy Love isn't the most life-changing book ever penned. No book on the shelf is "the new gospel." God has spoken to us in His Word and that is sufficient. But these books and studies aren't meant to rewrite our beliefs. They are really just extended sermons; ideas meant to help the reader understand more about where their heart is and sort of help us to steer back on track. Some of these ideas are good, some aren't, some are just plain crap. The Bible instructs us to test these teachings against God's Word and see if they are true or not. The same goes for what we hear from the pulpit, from our teachers, from counselors, and from anyone who speaks the Word.

But what about our hearts? Tonight we read Proverbs 17:3, "...the Lord tests hearts." I hear alot from everyone lately about God and how much we love Him and seek to do the things that please Him. So why is there a vibe that contradicts that? Where are the fruits? Why is there rudeness, pride, apathy, complacency, and selfishness when, if a heart is true to God, there should be compassion, love, humility, unity, and a diligence to our purpose?

Why are we hurting people? Why are we putting ourselves first? Why are we justifying our sins and our attitudes? To put it simply, why are we acting like we have no regard for God? Why aren't we living out the things we teach and hear and talk about? Why do we think we can do things our way?

I'm not sure why this is on my mind, but it isn't just a mood. This is a burden that I've had for a few weeks. I won't water it down by excluding anyone, including myself. Something is going on and I hope everyone will take some time to forget about schedules, routines, busyness, and even Christmas plans. Stop long enough to get serious with God about what is really in your heart. A good dose of brokenness is always a good thing.

Don't ignore the spiritual warfare that is going on. You're not immune to it. The whole point of Satan's plan is to deceive us into thinking he's not even there. If you take a serious look around, and in, you'll see his hands; in the attitudes and actions that are different, and on the faces of those who just don't seem to care about much of anything. Let's allow God to step in.

Oh dear. I messed up.

Christmas 1989. I was a senior in high school and, with dreams of a future filled with success and adventure, felt that this would be the Christmas that surpassed them all for me. Little did I know it would take eighteen more years for me to realize just why... :)

Of course my most favorite thing about Christmas (second most favorite, next to Jesus) is the lovely people I know who share His birthday. Okay, one person. But only the most awesomest of persons could introduce me to Tabatha!

Piste Un!!!

How stupid of me to neglect to mention that last night. Happy forthcoming birthday, Toots.

A fun, old-fashioned, family Christmas.

Christmas 1989. I was a senior in high school and Hollywood released this classic. Can you believe it's been twenty years?

I place this third on my all-time favorite Christmas movie list. First is Holiday Inn, with Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire, and second is White Christmas, with Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye ("...because we loooove him, we loooove him...").

Okay, I'll be honest. I really, really wanted to post the clip of Cousin Eddie emptying his RV's turlet into the sewer because it's the funniest line ever in a Christmas movie. But I chose not to because of the language. Funny, still.

Actually, this movie is the king of one-liners so I could go on and on and on. But there are still 24 more days til Christmas so I have lots of time.

Anyway, there's no real point here except that today is December 1, so that means that it is o-fficially the Christmas season. And that makes me giddy like a schoolgirl. I love this time of year.

I'm kickin' it up a notch this year because I'm just really excited about Christmas. I've already got my tree up, it's the one that is brighter than most of the stars in the sky. Not kidding, my tree's lights are intense. Six foot tree, 600 white lights. And I finally got to put lights on the outside of my house. That's something I've always wanted to do but never quite had the house to do it. My neighbor's wife drove by the other day while I was on the roof and yelled, "Looking good, Griswold!" I was thrilled.

There's no special reason that I can think of, I'm just looking forward to Christmas. Hope you are, too. So get in the spirit. Watch your favorite movies, listen to all the music and just enjoy the season. It only comes once a year.

"You wanna hurry it up, Clark? I'm freezing my baguettes off."

This is what happens when you have a long weekend and no plans.

I love long weekends. Heck, I love short ones, too. But this Thanksgiving has been awesome! I feel refreshed, recharged, rejuvenated, and just overall re-done. Well, mostly. Enough to get me through to Christmas, anyway.

But I took on a new task this weekend. I have started researching my ancestry. I was watching one of the thousands of documentaries on television about the Pilgrims and the Mayflower, Plymouth Rock and the first Thanksgiving (which was actually just the harvest feast that they always had) and all the other events that are focused on this time of year. This particular show spent alot of time talking about the Mayflower Compact. To refresh your history-based memory, this was the document that the Pilgrims wrote as their "purpose statement" so to speak.

The first thing about the Mayflower Compact that struck me was the reason they gave for undertaking the journey. It says:

Having undertaken, for the Glory of God and the advancement of the Christian faith and honor of our king and country, a voyage to plant the first colony in the northern parts of Virginia, do by these present solemnly and mutually in the presence of God and of one another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil body politic, for our better ordering and preservation and furtherance of the ends aforesaid....

This is just an excerpt but click here if you want to read it all.

So, first of all, their Tom-Tom needs calibrating. They didn't quite end up in Virginia. But, hey, close enough when you're out of food, water, and everybody's falling over dead. Second, they paid proper tribute to the king (King James, yeah that one) and declared that what they were doing was partly for the honor of "king and country." That's funny to me since I've always been taught that they were running from an oppressive, tyrant king in order to save their religious beliefs from extinction. We'll talk more about King James in a future post, when I feel like tearing down the train of thought that says he was practically a saint because he ordered a Bible translation and was immortalized because of it.

*Disclaimer --No problem here with the KJV, just with the attitude that it's the only real and true translation.

Moving on. What fascinates me the most is the line above that I've highlighted. According to their own words, they weren't merely trying to rescue their faith. They weren't trying to preserve their faith. They were trying to advance their faith. I would imagine that all of the signers of this document would be appalled if they saw all of the corruption and idiocies carried out in the name of religious freedom. If I understand this document correctly, the Pilgrims weren't looking for a place to establish different churches and faiths, where people were free to fabricate any god, or gods, that suited them. They undertook this impossible journey for God's glory and to further the Christian faith. No room for interpretation there.

Now, back to the part about my ancestry. The very first signer of the Mayflower Compact was a man named John Carver. He was also the first governor of the Plymouth colony and was instrumental in organizing the voyage in the first place. How did that information escape me for the better part of thirty years? No idea. But when I heard his name the other day, I couldn't help but wonder. I doubt that there is any relation but all of this caused me to question just who I do come from. So, I started looking. And yes, smart alecks, my tree does fork.

No real progress, yet. I'm still gathering information on the Carver side. Grandmother Carver's side (her mother's maiden name was Wolfe) is the Cherokee bloodline so I don't expect that to be traceable for too many generations just because of the lack of record keeping.

On my mother's side, I've had some great success. My great-grandmother's maiden name was Nipper and I've actually followed that line back to 1538, tentatively. I say that because I'm still trying to verify each person, their birth and death dates, census records, and each source and each record that I have found. I'm nearly 100% certain back to about the late 1600's. It's tedious work, y'all. But I have found out that those ancestors of mine came from Scotland. That makes sense because this area was heavily settled by Scottish immigrants in the pre-colonial years. But still, it's something I never knew about my family so that makes it very cool. If anyone has any Wallace's, Brannon's, Henderson's, or Hamilton's in their genealogy, I'll see you at the reunion next year.

And my mother is a Pressley (thankyouverymuch), so, I guess that explains my uncontrollable hip gyrations and upper lip twitch; not to mention the buttery smooth voice.

What can I say? I'm just a hunka, hunka burnin' love.

Have a great Monday. I gotta go buy a white, rhinestoned jump-suit.

In the spirit of the day...

"I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which He has called you, what are the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power toward us who believe..." --Ephesians 1:16-19

I want to say thanks to God for some of the blessings He has given me in the form of people. No man in history has ever been as blessed with friends as me.

I am thankful for the people who pray for me and with me, who encourage me and counsel me, who hold me accountable and forgive me, who hurt with me and rejoice with me.

I am thankful for the people who help pick out my clothes because I think plaid and polka-dots match well, who sweat with me and grapple with me, who sing with me and complain with me, and who overlook me when I just can't help being a jerk.

I am thankful for the people who learn from me and teach me, who share their stories with me and appreciate my feedback, who pick at me and pester me, who know me well enough to understand when I am doing the same, and who laugh with me.

I am thankful for the people who come to my house and hang with me, who eat with me (cookies!), who enjoy a stupid movie with me, who keep me from feeling my age, who trust me, and who let me watch them grow in the Lord.

I am thankful for the little people who absolutely light up my Sunday nights with their dancing and screaming and yelling and uncontrolled worship, who, for no good reason, have dubbed me "Uncle Chip," and who make me long for innocence again.

I am thankful for the people who love me and aren't afraid to tell me, aren't afraid to show me, and allow me to love them in the insufficient ways that I do.

And I would be way out of line if I didn't say how thankful I am for a God who loves me enough to die for me, who loves me enough to bless me, and who loves me enough to shatter me so that He can further show that love by putting me back together.

Happy Thanksgiving, y'all.

"For we do not contend against flesh and blood..."

I'm re-reading (for about the umpteenth time) This Present Darkness, by Frank Peretti. If you've never read it, you should. Like, right now.

It's about angelic warfare over a small town and the changed lives and exposed secrets that develop, and all because of one man. He's a preacher that is new to the town and takes on the task of straightening out his congregation and shepherding them back to God. Relevant much? Oh, too much. Oh, much too much.

Now, as much as I do love a good UFC-type throwdown between good and evil, the part of the story that makes me read it once or twice a year is that it portrays not only the unseen things of battle in the spiritual realm, but it shows the causes and results of those battles.

In the story, the forces of evil refer to the small church preacher as, "the praying man." His name is Hank and his prayers and humility, love and devotion are the source of all the unrest for Satan and his fallen angels. They try to discredit him, orchestrate his ruin, and even get him thrown in jail. In each situation, he prays. Several times, the angels of God are being overpowered by the fallen angels but the prayers of Hank and his faithful congregation go up to God and cause the heavenly warriors to gain strength and victory. Oooohhh... chills, man.

But what gets me choked up every time is what happens when one of the lost souls or one of the troubled characters in the story finds God. The angels gather, swords raised in victory, and sing praises to God. The greatest victories in the story aren't the engagements between the armies, they're the engagements between Savior and man.

And the praying man keeps praying. His passion and faithfulness cause others to join in the fight against the evil in the town (even a newspaper journalist, if you can believe that), and eventually...

No spoiled endings, here. Just read it. It's considered a Christian classic and should have been made into a movie years ago. But fictional stories aside, I can't help but think of what could happen if one pastor, one man, uttered heartfelt, agonizing prayers to God in intercession for his flock. Sound uncommon? I know this is the way it should be but is it really that way?

When is the last time you spent time with God in anguish? Have you ever agonized over your prayers, over someone? Have you ever spent considerable time with God that had you broken-hearted for someone other than yourself? Maybe for your church or your "flock", such as your circle of friends?

I think it's way past time for us to start drawing together the way the Bible commands. It's time we started bearing burdens, confessing sins, praying fervently, and loving each other. If you want a real eye-opening experience, go back through everyone's blog archives and read what we were all writing one year ago.

I think we're easily distracted.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

I haven't posted in about a week, which is a long time for me. This was unintentional. I haven't been overly busy or anything, I just have had a hard time putting my thoughts into words. It happens. I usually take those times to chill out, read, and let something come to me. In my life, and considering the people I'm around alot, it doesn't take long for a word to pop up.

The Sunday school lesson I taught this morning was from James 3. Taming the tongue (ouch!) was topic of the day. Jimmy starts out this chapter by issuing a warning to those who wish to teach the Word of God. He says that we will be held to a higher level of accountability so we should choose our words wisely in order to keep from misleading people about God. Just listen to some of the sermons floating around today and you can see that James was very aware that the message could be corrupted.

It's all about truth, I think. Truth is absolute. People can take the Scriptures and twist them, turn them, manipulate them, re-arrange them, or re-define them, but that won't change the truth of what God has said. He doesn't change, His Word doesn't change. The Way to Him hasn't changed no matter what century or millenium you live in.

Faith in God isn't about finding a way to ease our minds. Too often the pursuit of God is nothing more than looking for something to believe in that will allow someone to live how they want to live with an eased conscience. Truth isn't considered at all. If they can fabricate a reasonable theology that makes sense to them and allows for comfortable living, then they are satisfied. But I wonder how many souls cross over into eternity to the instant recognition that their god was just an idea? How many are sentenced to eternal darkness and their greatest anguish is that the true God they refused to see is real and living, and the enemy they refused to acknowledge spends eternity scoffing at their pain?

We must speak the truth; choosing our words carefully, based on the Word and not our own opinion. As James wrote, it is impossible for true praise and worship to come from the same mouth that lies, manipulates, gossips, and profanes.

Our speech is an indicator of our spiritual condition. I know all too well that when someone's speech starts changing for the worse, their actions will soon follow. This is what James meant by the example of the ship and rudder. Sin will show itself. Most of us have become proficient at hiding our sins but our tongues will usually give us away. Evil speech is an indicator of sinful lifestyles.

I was really struck last night by how important it is that we choose our words carefully. I received an email from someone who said they stumbled across this blog while searching for churches in the area. They had some very encouraging words for me (which I appreciate greatly). But that shows how necessary it is for all of us to let God guide our speech. You never know who will hear, or read, your words. Read the rest of James 3 and see how the wisdom that comes from God is the fix-it for poor speech.

Happy Monday! Let's hear it for 3-day weeks!

Something about vines and branches...

Here's a quick story from my Monday.

Today I had the pleasure to work in lovely Maynardville, Tennessee. Ah, yes. I feel like I should wear a smoking jacket and puff on a pipe when I think of it.

If you've ever paid attention (not that you would), some telephone poles have guide wires that extend from the top to the ground, diagonally. Their purpose is to provide support for the pole because the cables are under extreme tension (roughly 3000 pounds of tension). They are technically called "down-guys." Don't say I never enlightened you.

So today, we worked a pole that had eight guys on it. Four would be considered alot of guying, by the way. But being in lovely Maynardville, Tennessee, the pole stood in an overgrown area. Before I could begin replacing the down-guys I had to deal with the jungle of vines that had grown all the way up them.

So I grabbed the machete. We keep it fairly sharp for just such an occasion. I started hacking away at these vines, careful to maintain physical integrity to my limbs. I actually nicked my ear once which stopped my heartbeat until I gained the courage to reach up and make sure it was still attached. It was.

Anyway, I swung and hacked and chopped and sweated and bludgeoned and just about every other verb you can imagine for nearly 45 minutes. Vines are tough, y'all. But I couldn't help but think of John 15. Not kidding, when I first saw all those vines and how they were wound around the down-guys, this is the first thing that came to mind.

As I tried to remove them and fought against their strangle hold, I thought about how Jesus said that He is the True Vine. These weren't grapevines that I was dealing with and there were no branches shooting off of them, but I couldn't help but marvel at how strongly they clung to the wires. They were twisted and laced all through them, nearly making the down-guy itself hidden in the vine.

I wonder how easily it is for us to be separated from our Vine. I wonder if we are nearly hidden from view because Christ is wound and twisted and laced all throughout us, making us invisible to the one with the machete. When the world comes at us, machete bared, to try and hack away the Vine and expose us, are we easily divided from Christ? Or have we allowed Him to gain such a strangle hold on our lives that the world drops their machete and walks away disgusted and frustrated?

Just some thinking from me, but I hope we all cling to the Vine as tightly as He clings to us.

Adam and Eve -- Redux

I've been wondering about the first couple... no, not the Obama family. I mean the very first couple. I think we sometimes forget that they were real people. We maybe assume that they were just mindlessly walking around in the garden, all Luna Lovegood-ish, sort of incoherent and dazed. I hope no one is offended by this but try to imagine them in the context of how we modern folk feel and relate to each other.

Think about it... God wanted Adam to have a mate, helper, companion, compadre, partner, an help meet, call her what you choose. So Eve was made from Adam, only she was made in the garden. Adam was made and then placed in the garden. Maybe that explains some of the differences, maybe not.

But the point is, the Bible says that God made for Adam a helper fit for him, or suitable for him, depending on your translation of choice. She was just right for Adam, although he really didn't have any point of reference so I suppose she was that "one in a million", or at least one in one.

I just think it's really amazing how God made things for a certain purpose right from the start. This was the first woman ever made. God could have made her any way He wanted to but He made her to suit the first man. He made Eve to match Adam, from and for Adam, and ultimately for the purposes He had planned. Nothing random, nothing by chance or coincidence. I'll wager they even shared the same likes and dislikes.

Can't you just imagine some of the conversations they had?

I bet she oohed and aahed at what a good animal-namer he was.

"Honey? Does this nakedness make me look fat?"

"Babe, I'd choose you over any other woman on the planet."

"You're the only one for me."

"Hi. I'm Adam. You're Eve."

"I'd slip into something more comfortable but that's not really possible."

"Hey, Adam? I'm hungry. Think I'll go out for a bite."

Do you ever feel like...

just collapsing? I don't mean just because you're tired or had a long day. I mean spiritually collapsing.

I've kinda been feeling like just throwing up my hands, not in a "I'm over it" way but in a "I want to crawl up in Jesus' lap and let Him hold me while I cry" kinda way. Just drop everything and scream out for help.

I've felt this way for a few days, maybe weeks now. At first I felt guilty about it because I don't want to get exhausted by the things I do. That's when service can turn into obligation and that's just a bad place to be. But reading Elijah's story gave me a new perspective.

God told Elijah to rest. He told him to be fed and gain his strength because what was coming next was gonna take some serious energy.

So tonight I took a needed rest. I broke my normal routine so that I could stay home and relax and think about God. I'm blogging about two hours earlier than usual which actually feels better, like my mind is clearer. Next, I plan on reading until I drift off to wonderland.

If I can decide what to read. I'm currently reading four books simultaneously. I'm sure you'll hear about that later.

Clash of the Titans

Juli and Virginia had a little battle of the babes before Creekfest. I think I scored it a draw but it was one for the record books, to be sure. In this picture, Virginia plays the intimidation game with the "Mean Train look."

And here, Juli scores a body shot. Perfect technique. One thing's for sure, I wouldn't want to mess with a Seymour chick.

So Creekfest was a blast and a huge success. Those responsible (Benji and Sharon, pretty much) have given our community something that was badly needed and looks to only grow in years to come.

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In other news, I've been noticing something going on that affects us all. Maybe it's just me but has anybody else paid attention to the overall message that God has sent our way?

What I mean is that all of the lessons and quarterly studies and small-group studies and messages, everything is pointing in the same direction. I'm not talking about the 99% answer here. Of course it is all supposed to point to Christ. But think with me for a moment.

Sunday School -- My class has been in a study that is focused on combatting "casual Christianity." I believe all of the Lifeway publications for this quarter are the same, which means that each class in our church is studying the same thing. That's a good thing because this study is about really getting rid of the things that are standing as barriers between us and God and getting serious about becoming the children He wants us to be. Simply put, stop living the lives of compromise that we have convinced ourselves are acceptable and live like we are truly different and set apart.

Sunday nights -- We've been in a "Pursuit of Holiness" now for a while and it's really great. The lessons have all been focused on certain attitudes and actions that we as Christians have allowed to distract us from who we are and what we are here to do. We've looked at what the Bible has to say regarding these things and also at some traits and fruits that we should be exhibiting more. Again, it's geared toward living lives that reflect who we belong to.

Wednesday nights -- Benji's been leading us through some of the psalms. We've seen how King David has struggled at times in his situations and how he always finds comfort in his God. God grew him through those tough times, even dangerous times, and he enjoyed a deeper and more meaningful relationship with God as a result.

Crazy Love -- We're only two weeks into our study but it's becoming very apparent that choosing this study was no accident. The main theme of the book is that we need to shake out the cobwebs and get serious about what our relationship with the Creator of the universe should look like. We are loved by the Source of all love and that should affect us in more ways than just how we talk when we're trying to play the part. One very cool thing is that I've heard of several other groups of people in our church who are considering starting this same study, and all without knowing that we are doing it. That is SWEET!

Sunday mornings -- Dr. Golden has had us looking into the ten commandments and, so far, the message is that God is it. Everything. None of the other things in our lives that we worship can save us or even make us better. It's all about God and we need to "trim the fat" so to speak, We need to get our lives focused on Him and let our lives reflect His love and power.

So here's my opinion on all of this: I believe that God is screaming at us right now, in His still, small voice, of course. I think He has a message that He wants us to hear, and that message is for us to get over ourselves, look to Him and see Him for who He really is. We must realize that God has something unbelievable that He wants to do through us and He wants us all to be on board.

Simplicity is the key. All of these things I've mentioned are leading us toward that, I think. When we get to the point that we view this life in Christ as simple devotion (2 Corinthians 11:3) then all of the stuff we hold on to and all of the junk that comes with it will fade away. We must choose love. His love allows us to love Him, to turn away from our other gods, to seek more of Him but especially to give Him more of us, all of us. Then we can help each other along that same path, in deepest love for each other.

G'day.