The Dumb Confounding the Wise

Whew! It's been a while...

2011-01-06T21:34:00.002-05:00

As usual, I'm slacking. If you expected anything more from me then you are easily duped. Moving on...

I really, really hate choices. I have said before that I think we have way too many choices in our world. Just go to a grocery store, book store, car dealership, or any other store-ship if you need convincing.

At Food City the other night, I had toilet paper on my list (hockey tickets, according to Frank Alexander). So I wheeled down the aisle and looked for my favorite brand.

*Note: In the case of toilet paper, quality does indeed matter.

As I perused the options, a rough count revealed 22 different brands. Not to mention the different versions within each brand. Double rolls, mega rolls, quilted, aloe-enriched (shoo-wee...too smeary), and, believe it or not, decorative patterns. Seriously?!? Think the rats in the sewer are comparing whose TP looks best? Point is, there are a hundred different ways to pamper your pooper.

And this is the case with any other product in the world. I think it's silly. It's all about making the buyer think there is a difference in each product, therefore making the buyer believe they can have something better than someone else. The only real difference is price, and most folks believe if they pay more, they are worth more.

In my humble and extremely opinionated opinion, too many choices = deception.

On the other hand, eternity comes with a simple choice. Life or death. Beautiful thing about God's plan is that it is anything but over-complicated.

God has put it all out there, plain and simple, for humanity to read, see, hear, and believe. But, in our choice-conditioned world, we shop around for enhanced versions.

We'll gladly surrender as long as we can choose the terms of surrender. We'll take the straight and narrow road as long as we can detour occasionally in our own directions. We'll die to ourselves as long as we can choose the method of execution. And we'll live our lives for His glory as long as we're allowed to define what brings Him glory.

You see, I think it's getting really difficult to tell if someone is a Christian or not. Or maybe the word "Christian" has more than one definition today. The Bible clearly says that our faith should be shown by our works. So when did it become okay to disconnect our works from our behavior? Oh wait, right. That happened about the same time we started letting celebrity preachers and trendy churches tell us who God is and what He wants to bless us with each day. We didn't like the choice we were given, so we added a few more options.

I guess I just don't understand how Scripture can be interpreted so many different ways. Jesus said there was one Way, one Truth. Now that is simple.

I've been chastised for not posting...

2010-11-07T22:07:00.004-05:00

..so I'm posting. I guess I've not had much to say. Or maybe I haven't felt like saying it. Either way, here's something for anyone who still tunes in to this station.

I'm learning again. Seems like I do that alot. And as always, I'm learning from my mistakes, many as they are. I'll spare you the intricacies but suffice it to say that my long, winding, crooked road has been made straight again.

You see, I'm a drifter. Not the Hollywood, Clint Eastwood kind who blows through town and saves the helpless widow from the greedy land-grabber, but a spiritual drifter. Most Christians have guardrails on their road to keep them between the lines, but my road is lined with steep drop-offs and precipices. (I've always wanted to use precipice in a sentence.)

So I drifted away, yet again. I've been kinda fakin' it for the last few months. Attending church, teaching, smiling and praying, but only superficially. Then, I was asked to lead "Downpour." I said yes (because I always seem to say yes), but really wasn't into it. Poor attitude. But my childhood-instilled work ethic convinced me that if I was going to lead this study, I must apply myself wholeheartedly. So I did. I followed the exercises to the letter, made the prescribed prayer times, and read everything the book instructed. Then we got to the sin chapter.

It's called "Sin in the Mirror" for a reason. The daily exercises caused me to look at myself in an honest manner and to give God the freedom to plow through my heart like a John Deere. I prayed the "do the surgery, God, and get it all" prayer and sat back.

Here's a tip: when you ask God to search your heart and remove the things that are roadblocks to Him, don't use the surgery metaphor. God doesn't use anesthetic.

I was confronted with things I knew were there, but wanted to hold onto. And I was shown some new things. I don't mean "new" as in shiny, new, favorite Christmas toy, either. I mean fresh, as in fresh, open, bleeding wound.

But the most intense part was that the study encouraged us to not move straight into the "confess it and move on" stage. We were encouraged to wallow. You won't hear that from Lakewood, folks.

Refer to 2 Corinthians 7:8-11 if you want to read it for yourself. Heartfelt sorrow and grief over our sins is a key part of the process. We need to be made to hate our sins, to be disgusted by them and to feel the full weight of the wrongs we have committed. That won't happen if we hurry and brush them off like a bee that is threatening to sting. We must be stung.

I have to say that I have realized that any Bible study you undertake is only as good as your commitment to it. "Downpour" isn't that different from "Crazy Love" or "Experiencing God" or "Purpose-Driven Mail Delivery Truck." But for me, it felt like a last chance of sorts. I felt like God brought it my way as a final warning that some very old, very deep-rooted things had to go, and go now.

They're going. That's the praise in all of this. I've been delivered of some things. Some of them a decade old, believe it or not. I don't think it's over. That's okay, though, because there are some replacement things that are amazing. I haven't felt this light in a very long time.

So there. Judging by the reaction in our small group, I think I'm the only one who is really feeling this whole downpour thing. I guess that's okay, too. It seems that God brought me to it for this purpose. Who am I to argue with that? A $17.00 book fee is a small price to pay for the renewed presence of God and peace.

Peace out.

Stay thirsty my friends...

2010-08-10T22:24:00.002-04:00

I assume you've all seen the ads with the "most interesting man in the world." I've been perusing the Facebook page where people post they're own phrases for him. I've been absolutely rolling with laughter so I thought I'd share some of my favorites. For reference, one of the best from the actual commercials says, "He is the life of parties he's never attended."

"He once touched a jellyfish... and stung it."

"The cable installer waits for him from 9 a.m. til 1 p.m."

"He could reverse global warming with a cold stare."

"It is said the universe expands around him."

"He ended the Never Ending Story."

"It is said he gave DaVinci the code."

"Butterflies feel him in their stomach when they fall in love." (love that one!)

"He's so successful his insurance covered his birth."

"Horses hang his shoes on the wall for good luck."

"He is the reason the chicken crossed the road."

"He told Victoria the secret."

"Puberty had to go through him."

"His motto is, 'Safety third.'"

"He wrote the songs that make the whole world sing."

"He was once quoted saying, 'Don't quote me on this.'"

"His mom has a tattoo that says "Son."

"Wishing wells throw coins at him."

"The Swiss use his bank."

"When he went to Pamplona, the bulls ran with him."

"When he's in Rome, the Romans do as he does."

"He spent a winter in Canada and all the birds flew north."

"He made Journey stop believing."

"The Tower of Pisa leaned just to get in a picture with him."

"Roses stop to smell him."

"Stars wish upon him."

"Rabbits consider his foot good luck."

"Four leaf clovers look for him."

"The eight ball asks him for advice."

You get the picture.

Observations

2010-07-15T23:51:00.003-04:00

(First of all, newer, happier look. The deary, rainy clouds were getting me down.)

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I'm a brand new Facebooker. Yeah, late bloomer. I've actually been very adamant about not joining in the past, but I was finally worn down.

The story goes, my 20 year class reunion is coming up. One of the reunion coordinator ladies kept sending me Facebook invitations (which I continually ignored). She built it up as the perfect way to stay in the know about reunion plans, reconnect with long lost classmates, blah, blah, blah. Not interested. Then, I had an opportunity come up that will require some nominal networking in the future. So, when I got the next Facebook invitation, things started clicking in my head (not the normal noises I hear), and I realized that it was indeed time to join the rest of civilization.

So I started the process of building my friends list and profile. I've noticed a few things while I've been doing this.

First, the bio. I can't help but wonder how different my bio, and probably everyone else's, would be if Facebook had been invented fifteen years ago. I actually had to stop and think about what I would write in mine. Is that strange?

I'm sitting alone at my computer, creating my Facebook profile and can't think of the things that make me interesting. That's kinda sad, come to think of it. But I actually did struggle with it. I think it's because there have been many different Chuck's through the years.

Our bio's are pretty much determined by where we are in life at the time we're writing them, so at any given time, the bio could be completely different than what it is now. Mine currently reflects that my life's activities revolve around church and what I'm involved in there. But just a few years ago, it would have been about my circle of friends and all the running around we did and how life was a party.

So it's not really a bio. I think it's more of a snapshot. Take a new snapshot every so often and update.

Then there's the "friends." Really? I mean isn't that a very loose interpretation of the word? I'm sure the Facebook founders wanted it to appeal to the lonely hearters around the world but maybe it should be more categorized.

How do you define who friends are? I've always thought that friends were special. Real friends are few and far between and we're lucky if we have more than a few in our lifetimes. Friendships are one of those spiritual-level things, trust and love level things that shouldn't be tossed around based on the whims of the day. But it seems that that view is changing. These days, a friend can be someone you've actually never spoken to in person.

Popping out a request to someone because they seem interesting isn't really making a friend. It's making a contact. I think friends are made through tougher processes.

I've noticed that, when I introduce someone, I will add to the word "friend" based on our relationship. I might say, "this is my good friend" or "let me introduce you to a buddy of mine." But without really ever realizing it, I have a category reserved for those few that I really, really consider a true friend.

I introduce them as "dear" friend. I don't really know when or where I started doing that. I can recall many times over the past few years when I've used that term for those that I know beyond doubt are real, true, walk through hell with you friends. As I said, they are very rare. I think they're getting even more rare, sadly.

So I advocate being able to divide our Facebook friend lists. We should have tags that we can apply to their profiles that describe the type of friend they are. And when it posts on someone's wall, it can say things like, "Chuck is a dear friend of so and so."

Or how about, "Chuck sent a request to this person but he doesn't really know him."

Make friends, y'all. But more importantly, be a friend to those you already have.

Abandonment issues.

2010-07-01T23:02:00.003-04:00

I believe I've mentioned in the past that the story of Joseph is probably my favorite in the Bible. Today, I read it again, and once again, am amazed.

First, those dreams. I wonder how it would feel to have two dreams in which you're told you will be head over your brothers and parents? Freaky, I'm guessing. Especially when you're that young and your brothers all come from different mamas.

Then, you oopsie by letting your future-subservient bro's get wind of it. Not good in a culture where order of birth is the only career ladder and you're at the bottom.

But Joe kept on being Joe. He actually went out in to the countryside to check on his brothers who hated him. I'm no genius, but...

So, as you most likely know, Brother A wants to kill, Brother B says no, Brothers C-J decide to sell him and fake his death. Complete with goat's blood chalk outline.

What would it feel like to be abandoned in a pit by your brothers, and all because of Pa's favoritism? I have to believe that Joseph wasn't just sitting there, playing BrickBreaker on his Blackberry. I would imagine he was heart-broken, scared, bawling his eyes out, and wondering what went wrong. One minute he's walking to Dothan to check on his family, his loved ones, and the next he's curled up in a hole, awaiting his fate by their hands. I'm guessing that hurt a bit.

Years later, Joseph is Potiphar's butler. The Bible says that, "The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man." BMOC at Potiphar's crib. Then, the lady of the house gets all touchy-feely and ruins it. Joseph had "found favor in Potiphar's sight" but then Miss "Real Housewife of Egypt"screws it all up. And good master and boss Potiphar puts Joe in the brig. Abandoned again by those he had come to trust.

But the very next verse (40:21) is one of those hallelujah moments for me. It says, "But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love." Apparently, Joseph's being in prison was of no concern to God's overall plan, whatsoever. It was just one more way of showing His glory. And Joseph finds favor in the sight of the warden.

Joseph takes on a sidejob as dream whisperer for Pharaoh's kitchen staff while he's there. He asks the cupbearer to remember him and mention him to Pharaoh, but the cupbearer forgets him. How do you forget the one person who gave you hope while you were in prison? It's beyond me, but still, Joseph is abandoned yet again, for two whole years.

So how would you react if your life was characterized by the people you love, the people you're closest to, the people you trust with your life abandoning you over and over? Me? Not nearly as honorable as Joseph reacted.

All through his life, Joseph faced the pain of being thrown around by the decisions and whims of other people. But there's no indication that he ever let it destroy him. I find that fascinating.

What's even more fascinating to me is that throughout the rest of Genesis (9 chapters), Joseph weeps 7 times. But it's not the "Awww, there, there" kind. He weeps from joy, compassion, tenderness. He has one of those Vestal Goodman hanky-wavin' cries and it involves his being reunited with those rotten brothers from the pit episode, and his diddy.

Wow. A lifetime of people turning their backs on him and he still has the kindness to forgive and let it go. Unbelievable.

I wish I could be like Joseph.

Blahg.

2010-06-28T22:15:00.005-04:00

Complete with fashion model-type leg pose. Sarah had a headache on this particular evening, which I have diagnosed as altitude sickness. Say what you want about them, but I think they're purty. And they can sure put away some seafood.

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Next, I learned tonight that Legos are a Danish invention. Why that's interesting, I have no idea. But there are approximately 50 little, plastic Lego blocks for every human being on the planet. That's a lot of semi-circular squares, which is all I've ever been able to build with them.

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Next again, I assume you all heard about the fiasco with the French soccer team during the World Cup. Apparently, one of the players had it out with a coach or something, and the rest of the spoiled, over-paid, bratty, Frenchy futballers walked out on a practice in support of the original spoiled, over-paid, bratty, Frenchy futballer. Birds of a feather...

I heard (on BBC World News America) a street interview with some French people who are obviously rather put out with their national team. I nearly hyperventilated when one of them said (in an Inspector Clouseau voice), "It shames me right now that I am French, but, c'est la vie!"

Gotta love the French.

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Now, some tragic news. I went to the doc today for some recurring aches and pains. For the first time in my life, I have high blood pressure. High enough to have to carefully watch it for a few weeks, anyway. Lose weight, watch what you eat, exercise more -- I thought that was the normally prescribed cure. Well, I'm actually about 7 pounds underweight and get more than enough exercise due to the nature of my jobby-job. So I guess it's stress-related. Actually, I am very aware of what is causing my heart to work like an overloaded locomotive (didn't tell that to sawbones) and have determined that there is no quick fix. Oh well, c'est la vie. But that's not the tragic part.

I also have severe, extreme, violent, hostile, belligerent, war-mongering, bent on my demise heartburn. I've actually had it pretty much every day for the last three years or so (didn't tell him that, either). As we were discussing remedies, he asked if I still used tobacco. Umm... yep.

"That needs to go."

Ouch.

"Do you have a high caffeine intake?" Do six Mountain Dews per day qualify as high intake?

"That needs to go."

Ouch. And dang.

"Do you eat much chocolate?" Man! This guy hates me!

OUUCCCHHH!!!

"Might you recommend putting honey in my ears and having me fall asleep on an anthill?"

For those of you who don't know me, fudge-flavored, Mountain Dew snuff runs through my veins. And in one 20 minute doctor's appointment, this bird has been asked to stop singing. No Fudge Rounds, no Mountain Dew, and no chewing tobacco. I ask you, what kind of madman would ask Michaelangelo to stop painting?

So, Lord help me, I have to make some changes. Three 25-year addictions must end. I'm wagering that I will end first.

But I'm in search of a new bad habit, if anyone has suggestions.

"What's all the hub-bub, Bub?"

2010-06-20T22:26:00.004-04:00

If anyone of you tried to drive through east Knoxville on Saturday, then you most likely experienced some difficulty. Pictured above is the reason why. It's a big, honkin'... red thing.

Actually, it's a steam power generator for Virginia Power, and it caused me to have to get out of my comfy bed at 3:45 am.

I have no idea what it's gonna do or why it's so big or any other details, but I do know that it cost 40 million dollars, plus an additional 10 million to move. It came from Germany via ship to Forks of the River Industrial Park.

My job, and that of three of my co-workers, was to stay ahead of this thing and make sure the phone cables were high enough for it to pass under. Mission accomplished. Barely.

In the photo, you can see just how close it came to the cables. The shiny, silver thing in the lower-right corner is the fairlead on the aerial lift I was in. We use the fairlead to grab the cables and move them around. I was approximately 20 feet over the road when this thing passed and I very easily could have reached down and touched it as it went by me.

It really was amazing to see something this big moving down the road. It was around 225 feet long and weighed around 640 tons. That's 1,280,000 pounds. Earlier in the day, I was standing about two feet from it's tires as it went by me and I could feel the ground undulating as it rolled by. It was kinda freaky feeling.

So, I snapped this picture after it went under the last cables I was responsible for. Two minutes later, I was packed up and heading for home, nine hours after it first moved out. Nine hours. Seven miles.

Anyway, nothing of any great importance but it was something you don't do everyday. And it was gravy overtime. We only had to lift cables about three times. The rest of the time, we waited.

Oh! By the way, this was the first one. I'm told the next one is bigger. And is it just me or do the "OVERSIZE LOAD" signs make you laugh?

Thank you, Captain Obvious.

This one's for the ladies...

2010-06-17T23:36:00.004-04:00

The sun, the waves, the glistening sand... and a quarter-slot. Paradise does indeed exist.

There you go, gals... you're fairy tale come true.

Funniest quote of the week... so far.

2010-06-14T22:29:00.010-04:00

I'll get to that in a minute, but first, I have a secret. Most folks don't know that I have a secret obsession. Supercars. More specifically, European-bred, Formula One inspired supercars. They are called that for obvious reasons.

Most of the models that fall into this category are unbelievably expensive, mind-blowingly fast, and look more like functional art than a daily driver. They come with horsepower ratings above 500 and top speed ratings that good ol' Amurrikan cars would blush at.

Pictured below is the Lexus LFA. Brand-new, Japanese, and my current choice in the 300,000 dollar range. Performance-wise, there are better, less expensive choices. But I just really like the looks of this car. Smooth. And it's been called an engineer's masterpiece, because of all the gadgets and innovations that have gone into it's 9-year conception.

I get my supercar fix each week by watching Top Gear on BBC America. It's quite possibly the most informative car show, and possibly the funniest show on TV. Three awkward British guys testing cars and trying to completely embarrass each other is hard to beat. Which brings me to the quote.

In a recent episode, they were interviewing their celebrity guest for the week... Mark Wahlberg. He's a car guy, as most celebrities are. The host was asking him about his car collection and emphasized that he owned a Mercedes Brabus. The host then asked Wahlberg, "Doesn't Tom Cruise also own one of those?"

I've never cared much for Mark Wahlberg until this moment. He gave the British guy a "do I look like I care" look and replied:

"I don't really know. We attend different churches. I'm at the one with Jesus."

I blew Mountain Dew and Copenhagen across my living room.

By the way, I'm saving up for this purchase, in case your led to make a donation. I currently need $274,990.00 Thank you for your support.

Uh oh... it's that word again.

2010-06-13T22:36:00.003-04:00

When the word "accountability" is mentioned, you can just see people tighten up a bit. I wonder why that is? For the most part, people will agree that accountability is what's missing in most Christian circles today. Everyone seems to believe that we all should be held accountable to each other for our actions but nobody ever really gets around to doing it. At least doing it correctly.

We discussed this in Sunday school today. Eli and his boys were judged by God and the whole nation of Israel was disciplined because of the lack of accountability on the part of Eli the "fat" priest. Samuel, being the godly and obedient one, had to confront Eli about his sin and proclaim God's judgment on his family. Later on, Israel was completely routed by the Philistines; the sons, Hophni and Phineas, were killed, and clumsy Eli broke his chair and died. Israel also lost the ark of the covenant to the Philistines. And such is the discipline of a holy God.

So, applying this to our lives today, is our level of accountability at a point where God would intervene and discipline us accordingly? How many times have we been aware of the sins of our closest friends and turned a deaf ear? How often do we ignore the counsel of those who approach us and confront us about the sinful things we are doing?

Let's face it. You can all think of several people in your close circle who are involved in things that don't agree with God's standards. And we can all point out things like that in our own lives. Mostly, we just go along, ignoring these things and acting like it's none of our business because if we get involved, then we are opening ourselves up for others to get into our business. So we play dumb. We don't want to be judgmental, after all. We act as if it's not our place to speak up against sin.

But the Bible clearly says otherwise. Here in 1 Samuel and later on in most all of Paul's letters, we are expected to be each other's spiritual alarms. What good is true fellowship without it?

What would happen if we really believed that ignoring sin was a bad thing? Sin is destructive behavior and leads to destroyed relationships, pain and heartache. It can hold back entire churches from fulfilling God's purposes. It can and does destroy lives. But we act like it's not a problem if we don't rock the boat. We think that because of God's deep love for us, sin is just something that He'll overlook just like we do.

We are fond of quoting Scripture that proclaims the unchanging God. He's the same as He's always been. But we act like He's become a mellowed out old man who doesn't have the stomach for being tough on His children anymore. That's what He did in the Old Testament; laid back, hippie Jesus took care of all the bad stuff and He isn't as strict.

Grace has become a "free spin" on Wheel of Fortune. It's a coupon that we cash in when we feel heat from our conscience due to our wrongdoing. Play the grace card, say a quick altar prayer, maybe roll out a tear or two, and it's all good. Clean slate.

I think that we don't really regard sin as a bad thing anymore. We aren't disgusted by it, we don't run from it, we don't view it as an obstacle in our relationship with God. We simply dismiss it as part of this fallen world, we're only human and, bless our hearts, one day we'll be free from it but until then, we'll keep throwing ourselves on the grace wagon.

Grace is the greatest gift God ever bestowed. It's a result of the awful punishment that Christ endured for us. When we blow it off as our own personal cop out, we mock the crucifixion. We treat Jesus worse than those who persecuted Him. At least they took Him seriously.

If we really want the things we say we want, then we need to start recognizing and confronting sin. We have to get over our habit of prioritizing sin and realize that, ultimately, bad language is just as destructive as rape. Lies are just as harmful as murder. Selfishness and pride influence people's view of the power of Christ just as much as drug abuse and pornography.

The church is struggling in today's world. We can pat ourselves on the back all we want but, overall, lost people are dying lost. The gospel isn't being spread. People's lives remain miserable and unchanged. God removed His glory from Israel due to her sin and lack of accountability and reverence. Do we think we are any better? Are we above the discipline of God? No, but we act like it.

It seems to me that the reason true accountability is so rare is because we don't want to be unpopular. Standing up for God's standards is no easy thing, and in our minds, doing so will cost us those treasured friendships. Honestly, this is my weakness. Who wants to be in a crowd of one?

So standing strong requires standing together. When we all commit to turning our backs on what we think is right and return to God and what He says is right, then maybe we'll start to see Him glorified in the community, and beyond.

Your homework is this: begin to change your attitude toward sin. Be willing to listen to those who love you enough to confront you about the harmful things in your life, even if you aren't willing to admit that they are harmful. And be aware of each other. Pay attention to the people you love, watch for behavioral changes and changes in attitude that may be indicators of something going wrong.

I doubt you'll have to look very far or very hard. Real love means getting involved. Staying out of the way is just loving and protecting yourself.

Death Journal #2

2010-06-10T22:44:00.002-04:00

First, I'm sure you noticed the changes. Just playing with some new Blogger features. I'll settle in a few days.

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I posted a few days ago about contemplating death. I cheesed that one up a bit but I still have some thoughts about it.

So, what if? What if death was certain to come long before it was expected? I'm still working from the perspective of the last few months of 2010 being the last few months. Ever.

In thinking about all of this, I've realized that nearly everyone has an idea of what they want their life to be, but it's always from hindsight. That is, looking back on their life from their deathbed, taking inventory and hoping that it was something worth remembering. Preachers talk about this a lot when they are on the topic of leaving legacies or living a life of character and whatnot. But I've been thinking about what my life has meant up to this point, if this were the last point.

It seems to me that family-oriented people want to be remembered for the way their children turned out. Those who have multiple young 'uns seem to almost always form some sort of long term plan and center everything around guiding their kids into that plan. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying anything against that. Whether it be family businesses or raising a family basketball team, some folks put their legacy into what they leave behind in their children.

For others, it's their career. These people are easy to spot because they are the ones who live their work. You know the type. No matter if they're at home, church, Food City, mowing the yard, or on the john, they have Blackberry in hand and they are talking about the office. And they manage to take a work-centered, spiritual approach to everything.

I could go on and on about the different views people have about how life should look from the far end, but what about the differences those lives make in the lives of others? Isn't that why we're really here to begin with?

I think of all the people I know and have known and how different all those folks were from each other. I have been blessed to get to know so many people in my quickly lengthening life and I think I've taken something valuable from each of those relationships. Even the ones that were less than favorable influences on me. Each and everyone of those people had some idea of how they want to be remembered.

Some want to be remembered for being fun-loving and well-liked. Some go through life craving a sort of worship and hope that people will talk to a picture of them after they're gone. Some very godly people I've known just want to die knowing they have reached lost people. Others want to be mentors and apostles. And some people probably don't really care how they're remembered.

As for me... I've given this considerable thought and I think that I could, whether tomorrow or years down the road, pass on satisfied if someone could stand at my funeral and say that I loved them at a time when they didn't feel lovable, if I brought them a sense of calm and peace when their life was going to hell. Maybe that allowed them to see Christ when they needed to experience His hope and comfort the most.

You know, after re-reading that, I think I better get busy.

Death Journal

2010-06-07T21:26:00.002-04:00

On Sunday morning, Padre Johnson challenged us to contemplate death. Specifically, our own death. It wasn't really a challenge, I guess, just something he mentioned in passing with the point that if we've never thought much about death, we might want to. Well, okie dokie.

Actually, I thought it was a strange idea but it has stuck in my head so I've been giving it some thought. He probably meant death as in eternity, heaven/hell, death or life, but I've taken a different approach.

Imagine that.

I've been taken with the idea of what would it be like if my death were expected sooner rather than later. How would things be if, suddenly, my death was a certainty? Yes, I know it is certain but I mean like before the rest of you go in the impending apocalypse of 2012.

For instance, a lot of people dwell on the question of what people will say about them in the future. I recall a comment from Dolly Parton (of all people) when she was asked what she wanted people to say about her in 100 years. She replied, "I hope they say she looks good for her age." It's funny to me how some use humor to be evasive about an obviously uncomfortable subject.

The thought of death is much more ominous and disturbing today than it used to be. Life used to be hard. Even the well-to-do of centuries past weren't guaranteed a long, happy life. In fact, the philosophy of "pursuit of happiness" was a completely unheard of concept until Thomas Jefferson wrote it in the Declaration of Independence. Therefore, people didn't dread the thought of passing on into paradise, they embraced it with anticipation. But today, we do indeed live the good life. Exceptional medicines, scientifically enhanced foods, bio-friendly emissions, and physically un-stressful occupations have all helped to extend the years of life. And that's just fine for most of us. Live long and live happy, push death off as long as you can.

So, back to me. I've been wondering, "What would my immediate circle be like if I found out that I wouldn't last the year? How would my friends around me react?"

Ryan might say, "Can I have your TV?"

Juli would most likely say, "This is because of your tobacco use, isn't it? I told you it would catch up with you!"

Isaac would say, "Bye bye, Chutsie!"

Sarah would wonder where she would go for cookies. Spenser would probably say, "Hang on a minute while I check the scores."

And Virginia would most definitely say, "Yeah, I know. I overheard you tell someone else."

And on and on it goes. Of course, I'm having a laugh at the expense of others but that's just what I do. I actually have many other, more serious thoughts on the subject but that will take other posts. It's interesting to think about. You should try it.

Encouragement! Yes!

2010-06-03T22:04:00.005-04:00

"I will transfer you my energy, I will transfer you my karma. Here is my karma... on you."

Weird day. Heck, weird week. My body is at work while my mind is still on vacation, 400 miles away. The effects of that have played out very strangely.

80's music. Yes, you read that correctly. I've fallen into a phase where I am nuts for the music of my youth. Maybe that's normal in some universes, but not in mine.

Not just any music from my middle school years will do. No Ah-Ha, no Bangles, no Flock of Seagulls, no Bananarama. If those titles confuse you, then you were born after I entered high school. I've been listening to the good stuff. And it amazes me just how good it was.

Seriously, when you think of the 80's, you probably giggle a little. It was definitely excessive, materialistic, over the top fashion statements and all, but the music was amazing. I mean that from an artistic perspective, not from Casey Kasem's top 40 list. Sure there was the fluff, but some of it was just mind-blowingly good.

I have decided that every wannabe bass player and drummer should be forced to learn this song from Journey. I think I have a shirt like Steve Perry's in my closet.

Probably my favorite, for pretty much every reason, is this one. Songs today just aren't arranged like that. Anyone who considers songwriting or composing should listen to this long and hard, and then reconsider their choice of profession.

Well, that's my little trip down memory lane. Might be Alzheimer's setting in. That would explain why this post went from Salvador's yoga to Toto in about three sentences.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go trim the plushtache.

The word of the day is "stingray".

2010-05-25T16:08:00.003-04:00

These little buggers are everywhere! I think they must travel in packs. These two are about two feet across. I looked down and there they were, swimming three yards away from me. Very graceful, they are, but when you're not expecting to see anything moving, it's quite a surprise. I took this picture after I landed.

Lots of jellyfish, too, but that's normal. According to the wildlife people down here, our party is trying to single-handedly destroy a colony of loggerhead sea turtles. We left our house lights on and that supposedly confuses the young turtles and they head inland after hatching instead of out to sea. I say it's bad parenting.

"Don't go chasin' waterfalls..."

2010-05-24T00:36:00.005-04:00

"...stick me in de ocean, I'ma make it look real good." You'll need to see Couples Retreat for that to make sense but it never fails to crack me up. Needless to say, we've been reciting it over and over since we got here.

The sky was cloudless all day. Literally cloudless. And it was hot. This explains why I look like a tomato. No exaggeration. No embellishment. I could reach most of the way around my back to put on sunscreen. MOST being the key word there. I have a line on each side dividing SPF 8 from SPF nothing. The nothing-covered parts show the worst sunburn I've ever had, and I've had some doozies.

Near dusk, some black clouds moved in and gave us a lightning show that was absolutely amazing. Lightning is not easy to photograph. It took me about thirty-seven tries just to catch the glimpse in the photo below. But it was worth it.

Up close, it looks like the lightning is miles above the clouds, which it may be but still it adds depth to the picture. I have no idea what it looked like when God wrote the Ten Commandments for Moses but that's what came to mind when I saw this picture.

And finally, I am rockin' the Swagger Wagon. My room is a mile and a half away from everyone else so I'm taking the Thomas Greyhound back and forth each day. You have to watch this video, though, even if you've already seen it.

Day two comes to a painful close. Need help! Send aloe!

I have arrived.

2010-05-22T22:27:00.002-04:00

It's amazing to me how one's mood instantly improves when you step out of the car and this is the first thing you see. Weeks, maybe months of stress and frustration faded quickly and my mind was filled with nothing but images of myself napping for hours at a time. Oh, and eating for hours at a time, too.

I've yet to step foot on the sand because we got here late afternoon and had to check in, unpack, freshen up, blah, blah, blah. So tomorrow can't get here fast enough as far as I'm concerned. Mostly sunny, 85 degrees. Jealous much???

Finally, I did something today that I've never done. I bought sunscreen. I think I've used it maybe twice in my life. My philosophy has always been burn and turn. Since I spend my days out in the sun, I tan early in the season and never really give thought to wearing sunscreen. But age breeds wisdom, I guess, so I've committed to wearing it this trip in order to somewhat protect the un-sunned parts that will be exposed. At least as much protection as SPF 8 will give. Anything higher than that and I might as well wear a hoodie.

That's all for day one. Have a great Sunday.

As much as depends on you...

2010-05-09T22:00:00.002-04:00

We talked about Romans 12:18 tonight in our lesson and it really took me back to a specific day years ago. Consider this storytime.

I think I was in high school and was having an issue with relationships or a friendship or something. I don't really remember the details of why I was having troubles but that's not really important. But I do remember talking to my granddad about it. He told me that, "the Bible says to do your part to get along with everyone." Then he pointed me to that passage. It stuck with me instantly.

Years later, I came to SCBC and was on a youth trip to, wait for it... the Rocky Top Motor Lodge. Those of you who attended one of those trips can reminisce with me fondly. Anyway, during that trip, our youth girls were having some "issues" with each other. Some of you ladies might remember this. It makes me laugh still.

They were all piled in one of the rooms duking it out or crying together or whatever it is gals do when they powwow like that. Afterwards, gangly, adolescent Sarah and round-faced, adolescent Virginia came up to me and asked me, "What are you supposed to do when people won't let you get along with them?"

POW! Granddad memory resurfaced and I dropped that little tidbit of wisdom on them. I told them that God expects them to do their part and that's all they can do. You can't make people choose to do the right thing but you can choose to do your part. They looked at me with wide-eyed amazement (they haven't since), and I walked away thankful for how my granddad realized the importance of God's Word in everyday life application.

I'll never forget either of those memories. That's just a fraction of some of the things my grandfather taught me but it's real life proof that Scripture is the answer to life's struggles. Sorry, ladies, for embarrassing you. I'm sure a future dinner and ice cream will make up for it.

I have finally identified my wounds that I don't have.

2010-05-06T22:57:00.002-04:00

I got to be a guinea pig of sorts tonight. I was asked to pour forth from myself for the benefit of a certain lovely college student's higher education. So I opened up the coffers of emotion and regret with the hopes that, someday, lovely college student's career will bless the lives of many a troubled soul.

I took this seriously from the start even though she tried to play it off as just an assignment. We began with the topic of "choose a personal issue." Not too difficult for someone with layer upon layer of personal issues. But choosing was harder than I imagined because there are somethings that are just hard to say. Nevertheless, we persevered.

I won't get into details but I quickly learned that there are things buried in us that we don't think are problems. During this little exercise, with eavesdropping lovely college student #2 listening in, I found myself dredging up some stuff that I had allowed to make decisions for me. Big decisions throughout my life that have altered my course. But what I have realized is this:

My choices have taken me to and from places, to and from relationships, and to and from God over and over again. Those choices are mine. No one else is responsible for them. I can only look to myself as the one to blame when the choice was wrong. Some choices had instant consequences while others took time, even years, to play out. And people were hurt, and continue to be hurt, by my choices. Summary: when I choose me, me wins. But only me.

I was taught years ago by my grandfather that Jesus was and is Love because He chose. He chose others. Always. First. With no regard for Himself, even to death. Philippians 2 puts it quite nicely. That's where Granddad pointed me to.

How to resolve my past? How to lay to rest the bad decisions of a lifetime? I can't go back, sadly, and make restitution. What I can do is what God has expected of me all along. That is to strive to be like Him. To choose others first, over and above myself.

Scars happen. But a scar is a healed wound, marked forever as a reminder of a bad choice. When I see the scar on my right wrist, I remember to not run headlong, arm extended into a glass door. When I see my inner scars, I remember to not make the decisions that led to those wounds.

I have decided that regrets are not a bad thing at all. They are reminders, lasting memorials to decisions that were most likely selfish and etched out in me to guide me away from making the same, bad choice again.

This probably doesn't make much sense to any of you but it's a great way to spend an evening with friends. I appreciate lovely college student's interest in my life, and #2's willingness to relate.

Oops, I did it again.

2010-05-03T23:23:00.003-04:00

I've picked this up in the middle but you'll catch on.

We believe that if we carelessly screw up, we can say a quick prayer and apology, and the mistake will be chalked up to our humanness. It never dawns on us that the mistake might re-define Christianity to someone who is observing.

It might just incorrectly re-define Jesus.

It is for this very reason that we (as a church community) are mostly talk and very little fruit. We say whatever we feel impassioned about, but we only do what we feel like doing at any given moment. We are not meticulous and careful in our faith because we have become the religion of the do-over.

We love that Jesus died for our sins and that His grace cancels out the Old Testament need for sacrifice. Those Old Testamenters -- WOW -- they really had to bend over backward to get right with God: sackcloth and ashes, burnt offerings, weeping and gnashing. I couldn't gnash even if I wanted to. If I did, my orthodontist would make me wear a retainer to bed. We thank God that Jesus made all of those spiritual gymnastics a moot point. Jesus died on the cross. He took the blame. His scars and blood and death replaced the need for mine. That's what grace is -- and we love, love, love grace.

Sadly, we also abuse it.

In an attempt to be a more free church --less bound up in legalism-- we have embraced grace so heartily that we have also eradicated responsibility. We cave to sin and temptation and desires and whims and preferences very easily, especially in the church, and we feel bad fleetingly. Then grace comes in and spanks guilt and we have a half hour of worship and feel awesome. But we don't do a whole lot of the dirty work to truly seek permanent healing -- to truly sprint away from sin with all of our might.

Daily sins, shortcomings, and afflictions are rampantly increasing in the modern church. Why? Because we are seeing grace as a coupon -- as a voucher that allows us to not worry about destructive actions leading to disastrous consequences. It is as if we believe that for everyone else sin leads to hell and death, but for us it leads to a scolding that is quickly forgotten. We act like sinful actions are a cakewalk because we are lucky enough to know about the grace discount.

What happened to the reverence? The heartbreak that is supposed to come from displeasing God?

The truth is, Christ's grace does cover us, but our sins speak lies upon lies to those who have not yet decided if Christ is worth following. To them our choice of what to do about grace may very well mean life or death.

Grace does not replace change. Grace enables change. It empowers it, makes the change worth it. --Mark Steele

I'm not a church basher. Most churches, I believe, have a sizable number of devout, Christ-like folks. But step back and take an honest look and it's not hard to see that Christians are drifting toward a belief system that makes the narrow way a lot wider, and easier to navigate. It seems that the popular line of thinking is to call one's self set apart without having to live and look, and actually be set apart.

"How many legs does a dog have if you call the tail a leg? Four. Calling a tail a leg doesn't make it a leg." --President Abraham Lincoln

"The philosophy of the school room in one generation will be the philosophy of government in the next." --President Abraham Lincoln

I'm reading this book, see...

2010-04-20T21:42:00.002-04:00

Every now and then I go out on a limb and read something from an author I've never heard of. This particular book caught my attention one day but I passed over it until about three months later. I finally decided to read it when I couldn't find anything else that appealed to me.

Really, really glad I did.

I'm sure you can deduce the idea of the book from the cover. Yes, in some cases you can judge a book. This being one of those cases.

The key word in the subtitle is "following." If you ever have a chance to read this, you'll understand.

First of all, this is one of the most serious and most hilarious books I've ever read. The content is naturally nothing to laugh at because it pretty much slaps modern Christianity, modern Christians I should say, right across the lips. And that includes you and me. We are all reminded frequently to check ourselves and our motives behind what we do, but even still, we usually find a way to make everything we think and do sound holy and anointed. We never really get right down to the heart of the matter.

Read it for yourselves. But occasionally, you run across something that says in black and white exactly what that little nagging vibe you've been having could never voice. And you find yourself screaming out in agreement with what you've felt for a very long time. That's kinda how this book has hit me. You know that feeling -- you sense it deep down but you can't say anything because you keeping hearing that other voice that tells you you're just being silly and over-reacting. Well, it's a good feeling when you realize you're not the only crazy person.

Having said that, I am the world's biggest critic of revolutionizing one's thinking based on the opinions of an author. It's really easy in our Christian culture today to find a book that supports our latest whim. People do it all the time. Following the trends, we are all made to think we have to be purpose-driven, crazy lovin', God experiencing, (insert any Lucado title here) Christians or we're not really followers of Jesus. So I in no way plan on making this my new Bible. I just think the author has really nailed the very center of the church's problems today. Self, with a heavy dose of denial and self-deception.

Anyway, good book. Here's a teaser:

Some of the most significant damage done to the credibility of Jesus' message has been the slipshod approach of conveying it by many of His followers. Though there are a significant amount of Christ-followers who have shown excellence in their art and business, the percentages of crappy art and bad business justified with the name of Jesus are staggeringly high. We have made cheeseball films and abhorrent television, believing that an altar call at the end means it won't return void. We have produced derivative music for a dime, putting a capital "Y" on the "you" in a love song and calling it worship. We have made questionable (and oft illegal) financial decisions at the helm of ministries, defending the action by the evangelistic ends justifying the means. We have mistreated people standing in the way of our goal, berated people who disagreed with our goal, and stepped on good people to climb to our goal -- all in the name of Christ. Why? All because people keep trying to fit where God did not create them to fit. And Jesus is the one getting the black eye over it.

Oh, where to begin...

2010-04-15T00:11:00.002-04:00

Well, the long, dark night is over. I'm speaking of the work project I was on. We had a four week deadline and finished up around 8 pm tonight in just under two and a half weeks, so everyone's happy for the moment. As of tonight, I have worked 175 hours in April. I feel every single minute of it.

But I learned some valuable things while on that crazy schedule. Our work location was the intersection of Broadway and Depot, just a block or so from KARM. My workmates and I were approached all day and night by the people, some homeless, some druggies, some who just had hard luck, who frequent the area. You wouldn't believe the things you can learn from them. And the things they will offer you for a single beer.

For instance, if you're in the market for a nice, hardly used lock-blade knife, I can introduce you to a guy. If you need a brand spanking new wrist watch, I have several contacts (after declining one offer, he asked me if I knew what time it was. Not even kidding). If it's sex you're after, well let's just say there are options, and I mean any variation you can think of and some you've probably never even heard of. If I were a smoker, I would be the most popular person in the neighborhood, based on the number of people who asked for a cigarette. I now know the complete daily schedule for the KAT buses, and I know Darryl, the guy who drives the city street sweeper truck, well enough to high-five him each night at 11:07 when he rolls by.

Life is truly like a box of chocolates.

Now, on to something more important and much more painful (for me). It's confession time again. I say again because it seems I do it a lot.

Some of you have had to listen to "someone" over the past couple of months rant and rave and rail about a certain new pastor who was hired at a certain church that a certain, as well as dashingly handsome, blogger attends. I, I mean "he", fussed and griped, complained and whined about everything from his salary to his haircut, or lack thereof.

What I'm getting at is that I've been a very poor example, unless the example you're looking for is that of "most divisive and strife-causing church member," in which case I'm awesome! I really have ran my mouth a lot about someone that I'd never even met, and all because of, well, I really don't know why. Maybe I'm just good at being a jerk.

But on Sunday morning, about five minutes into Rev. Johnson's sermon, I started feeling something. Not sure what it was, but it was something. So I began to pay close attention to the something as I listened to what the pastor had to say. It wasn't long before I found myself agreeing with his points. Then the something got really loud. And my face got really hot. Then it hit me like a ton of bricks. My next thought was...

"Oh, great. Now I'm starting to like the guy."

No joking. Right there in my choir seat, I felt my heart and attitude flip-flop instantly toward our new pastor. So I hung on every word for the rest of the sermon and realized how much I liked his vision for our church and how much I agree with what he believes God wants to do here.

God. God is big. Huge. Powerful. And...gentle enough to turn a small, cold heart around without so much as breeze blowing. God is really something.

So I apologize to those of you who may have had to listen to my bad attitude. I have no excuse other than just naturally being a _______. You can choose your own word.

And I'm really, really glad that God doesn't let me make His decisions for Him.

Some things just make me smile.

2010-04-08T00:58:00.004-04:00

On my way to work today, I saw my very, very, mostest favorite indicator of spring. I've been so busy lately that I almost forgot to notice them. I would love to have the opportunity to go out and photograph some of them but, alas, time will not allow. I am talking about the redbud tree.

I'm not sure when or where I developed my fascination with redbuds but I think it probably comes from my childhood. In the front yard of the house where I grew up, there was this big, full redbud that bloomed each year. I swear it looked electric to me. So now, every spring, I drive around and look at them. You can have your dogwoods and Bradford pears, just give me my vibrant, vivid, electric redbuds.

Truck-blogging

2010-04-02T19:06:00.002-04:00

Yes, that's right. I'm posting from the cab of my truck. It's lunch time and I was taking the opportunity to prepare my lesson for Sunday morning. Time is limited so, as I once heard my granddad say, "Make hay while the sun shines."

As I was studying in 1 Corinthians, I read a verse that is one of those that you know you've read a million times but this is the one time it just blows you away. I won't belabor the Easter point so as to not take away from your celebration, but I will leave you with this one, short verse that screams "Hallelujah!" to me.

If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. --1 Corinthians 15:19

Happy Easter, everyone.

Here's a glimpse into my one-dimensional life.

2010-04-01T00:49:00.003-04:00

I realize that it is probably of little or no importance to you, but here are some pics from my little chunk of paradise. Above is my only view of the outside world. Lovely skylight, don't you think?

And here is my "office", so to speak. By the way, two of us use this space at the same time. We sit on those walk boards that you see. Not much leg room, hence the sore knees and hips.

And finally, this is a close-up of the world of a color-blind phone man. Don't ask me to explain it, but even with severe "ocular deficiencies", this makes perfect sense to me. Those of you who are astute will see a repeating sequence of 50 different colors. And, in case you want to count them, there are 4200 individual wires staring back at you.

Such is the isolated existence of yours truly; twelve hours a day of what you see above. Since Monday afternoon, I've actually spoken to only 5 different people, which puts my social interaction on roughly the same level as a home-schooled kid. Don't be too surprised if I run up and throw my arms around you the next time we meet. I mean, seriously, all I need is a volleyball with a hand-print for a face and a name.

However, I did get to see something very cool today. Under the bridge where all this work is taking place, several local ministries set up today to feed the homeless people in the area. I'm not sure how many volunteers they had but they had a huge number of folks taking part and I got to hear part of the sermon that some guy preached. Of course, it was difficult to make out from 15 feet underground.

Nonetheless, it was a pretty neat thing.

But praise God for the beautiful spring weather! I have the worst case of spring fever in history. It's gonna be a great summer.

If anyone wants to hang out, come around after midnight.

2010-03-28T22:10:00.002-04:00

Well, Easter Sunday is upon us once again. That's awesome! The children are all dressed up, the ladies have all gone to a lot of trouble to look their prettiest, and a big dinner is in store for most of us. The traditions never really change and that's okay. Because something else that hasn't changed is that Christ is still risen, His tomb is still empty, and His work here is still ongoing. What a great day.

On a related note (related to Christ), tomorrow I start a new work schedule. I'll be working 12 noon until 12 midnight for six days a week. That's a grind by anyone's standards. But I volunteered for it so I won't gripe (too much). Actually, I have a little word of testimony about it.

With this tortuous schedule also comes extra money. Why else would anyone volunteer to spend over half of each day at work, right? A little extra never hurts so I thought, "Sure. Why not." But I learned something a few years ago that applies here.

I've never been one to work much overtime. I prefer free time to overtime, to be honest. Money just isn't that important in the big scheme of things. But occasionally, I have no choice but to work extra. I began to notice that each time I had to work over, it wasn't long before a need arose for that extra money. Every time. Without fail. The money I picked up over and above my regular pay always, always, always met an urgent and unexpected need.

So I finally (I'm a little thick) realized that God has ways of taking care of His children that we don't always expect. It isn't always a surprise check in the mail, a long lost relative's inheritance, or a Franklin under the couch cushion. Sometimes it's just an opportunity that He provides, even if those opportunities cause me to complain and fuss a little bit.

So when the opportunity came about for me to land this crazy, grueling shift, I decided to jump at it. Could be that God has something planned for the extra cash. Wow. God's smart.

But I may not be the most pleasant of persons for a while. Consider yourself warned.

Details... and nightmares.

2010-03-24T22:30:00.003-04:00

Sacred Storm - Final Exam from Faith Promise Church on Vimeo.

Finally, our first Sunday School outing! And probably our last for a while. I'm pretty much tied up the entire month of April. But that's another post.

If you are in the College and Career class, or if you would be, were it not for other commitments, then feel free to join us this Friday night for a trip to see Sacred Storm. We'll meet at Stock Creek at 6pm (leaving by 6:10). Admission is free. I have no idea how long it will last so eat first if you're easily hungered, like me. Seating is limited so cross your fingers.

Now, if you know me, then you will appreciate the sheer terror of this next little item. At work today, I felt my hand tingle. Well, more of a tickle than a tingle. I looked down to see this lovely lady tip-toeing across my knuckles.

I freaked. In fact, I'm still freaking.

A few quick notes...

2010-03-23T22:28:00.003-04:00

Dazed and Confused, pictured above, came over for "girls" night. We talked about boys and watched New Moon. No pedicures, though. But I did cling to one male/caveman ritual -- steaks on the grill. Oh! Microwave cookies, too. You ain't lived until you've had chocolate chip cookies from the microwave. I wonder... why would anyone ever use an oven for anything?

------------

This is for my Sunday school class. Not that any of you read this anymore, but, just in case, we're planning on going to Faith Promise Church this weekend for their Sacred Storm production. It's called Final Exam and I'm told it deals with the spiritual warfare involving a college student. I've heard nothing but praise for their previous productions so it should be good. Details to come on Wednesday night.

------------

Finis.

Yeah, I know. I'm a slacker.

2010-03-14T23:34:00.003-04:00

I haven't exactly been the faithful blogger here lately. I would give the tired old excuses about work and having little free-time, needing more rest and all that jazz, but that's not entirely the whole truth. And half a truth is still a lie, right?

Truth is, there's a lot of ch-ch-change going on right now. Not earth-shattering stuff necessarily, but change nonetheless. Things at church, things at work, and especially stuff with moi have me... well, befuddled is the word that comes to mind. I've just been sort of foggy lately so I haven't had much luck at putting thoughts together. But change is sometimes good, and even when it isn't you just have to pray hard and roll with it until something gives.

Let's shift gears. I'm reading a book that I think is really a cool idea. It's called Lucifer's Flood and it's about an ancient scroll that is found and determined to be the diary of one of the fallen angels. It gives the account of the war in heaven and the subsequent events of creation. The diary was written by a demon who had no special purpose or gifts and found himself guilty by association because he was too afraid to choose a side and aligned himself with Satan because he figured if things didn't turn out, God would forgive him. He quickly regretted his decision. But he was expelled just the same as the rest of the rebels.

Anyway, I'm enjoying it as light reading and find myself pondering just how much the future and final battle between good and evil will resemble the first one. I imagine it will be over quickly.

Here's an excerpt that I thought was especially profound. Adam has just been created and the demon has a very strong opinion about God's choice to allow man the responsibility of free will.

There were many trees in Eden, but only two that mattered: the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God told Adam, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. For when you eat of it, you will surely die."

Considering the consequences of the cosmic rebellion, surely someone in heaven must have tried, albeit unsuccessfully, to convince God that His insistence in giving Adam the ability to choose between one thing and another was a terrible idea that had no possibility of ending well. If God couldn't be talked out of the free will idea, He should have at least let Adam practice a little on something that had no consequences. Let him choose between an apple and a kumquat. Don't let a novice's first choice be one that could alter the balance of the whole world.

The choice to obey or not is far too dangerous to be experimented with. It should be banned from every universe. I could be the poster child for why free will is an eventual disaster for anyone who has it. The ability to defy God is the cause of all my misery. Lucifer decided he could rebel against God. One-third of the angels chose to follow Lucifer. And what did it gain for us? Loss of everything we once held dear - loss of our home with God; loss of our purpose for being; loss of our high place; nothing but loss with regret, despair, fear, and hatred becoming our destiny.

Why does God insist on imposing free will on creatures who cannot possibly use it correctly? He knows what is best for everything He creates. We would be so much better off if He just eliminated the choices. I would not be wasting my existence sitting on a perch in the service of a tyrant if God had only restricted Satan's ability to defy Him.

It is that part of God's nature I cannot understand. He created all there is and all there will be, and He made it perfect. Then, for no reason anyone can explain, He programmed in a fatal flaw. Into every intelligent life form, God deposited the ability to defy its Creator. Can someone help me understand why this was a good idea?

This, of course, is the (fictional) view of a (fictional) being that chose to separate himself from God. As someone who has chosen the other way, I can understand very easily why God chose to give the ability of choice. Because forced love isn't love at all. I think what the demon is experiencing is the reality of not being able to blame his actions on someone else.

Have a great week, you'uns.

This is a "Thank You" post, but a few days late.

2010-03-09T21:13:00.002-05:00

You see above a bird's-eye view of Winterjam, more specifically Third Day. I'm sure you recognize Mr. Powell on the screen. I've heard countless bands in my well-worn life, but I really think these guys are the best live band I've ever heard. But that's not what this post is about.

This is to thank my dear, lovely friend, Vanessa. You see, I had plans to go to Winterjam with family Thomas when Vanessa called and asked if I would like to sit with her and a crew in her company's skybox at Thompson-Boling. Well, DUH! She said she had four seats available and, coincidentally, we needed four seats. In the meantime, the number we needed changed to five so I called her back and regretfully declined.

Then, about two hours before the show, she said some seats opened up and I could bring my five. SWEET!

As you can see, the seats were fabulous. Perfect, I would say. And private, not crowded, and the bathrooms didn't have troughs.

The show was great. We all had a blast, even though Juli was terrified of getting too close to the edge, to the point that she crawled on hands and knees up the steps. Trust me, it was snort-worthy laughter.

Vanessa, I don't know if you read these posts anymore, but just in case you do, I think you rock! So do the Thomases and the Reagans, who have continually commented on how gracious you are to have let us come and hang out with you in such sweet digs, especially since we don't hang out enough, anyway. That's two really big favors I owe you now; favors that I probably will not be able to repay.

Honestly, God is really good to have given an idiot like me such great friends. It seems I'm always in amazing company, no matter where I am.

Safety-toed shoes optional

2010-02-28T23:19:00.002-05:00

Here's a better picture of new niece. She's all cleaned up and pretty in this one. You should probably get used to seeing these posted at random here.

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I've heard a lot of good stuff about Dr. Golden's sermon today. I couldn't be there for it 'cause I was providing the voice for shepherd-boy David in the Can-Do Club. That was fun, but very exhausting with the seven words I had to say.

From what I've been told, God's Word was never spoken as plainly as it was today. That's awesome. I mean, really, really awesome. I think we need more of that in churches today. I know that sounds kinda weird, but it seems that most of the time preachers put all these disclaimers on their sermons or water them down to be less offensive. Or less convicting.

I'm not advocating that good ol' shin-kicking, toe-stepping kind of sermon. Too often you hear people talk about how "that preacher up there shore stepped on mah toes!" But that usually can be interpreted as he preached a sensitive sermon that so-and-so should have heard. Stepping on toes is a good thing, but only if the owner of the toes takes it to heart that God was speaking to them.

We are definitely living in the age of the ear-tickler. So it's refreshing and praise-worthy when a man of God brings a relevant sermon to a church body that needs to hear it. But it's truly awesome when he brings it in a humble and compassionate manner.

Next topic -- as mentioned to the right, Sunday school this month is about how church is done wrong these days. I'm looking forward to this because if you take an honest look around, you can see how churches are getting out of line in some areas. I'm not throwing stones here because I believe it's common to all churches. I haven't read too far ahead so I don't know all that we'll discuss, but it's a good time for us to take a look in the mirror and compare how our way of doing things matches up with God's way.

Who knows? Maybe we'll step on some toes.

Allow me to introduce to you...

2010-02-24T23:14:00.002-05:00

Miss Kinley Elizabeth Dockery.

This is my brand new niece. By brand new I mean, like, 2 hours and 15 minutes ago. She tipped the scales at a whopping 5 pounds, 8 ounces, and an astounding 18 inches long. I have thrown bigger fish than that back.

But it's official. I am now a full-fledged, sho' nuff uncle. You would think that I would remember to take my camera with me to the hospital to record the birth of my first niece, but no. I had to use my Blackberry. Not a very good start to my uncle-ing. I'll grow into it.

Congratulations to proud parents, Mitzi and Shane. And praise to God for once again showing me the amazing wonder of His creation.

This has been the most non-blogging week ever.

2010-02-18T21:09:00.002-05:00

All is silent here in blogger-land. For some reason, that strikes me as odd. But, I suppose we all have our reasons. Me? I've thought about it, but sinus ickyness has put me in bed early.

On a vaguely related note, I have to say Hallelujah! for the weather today. I confess that this winter has really gotten to me. I usually take the weather as it comes with minimal complaining. Working outside will do that to you. It is what it is. But this long, cold, wet winter has broken me. I AM OVER IT.

I can't remember the last day that I was able to remove a single article of outerwear. I've had to wear a toboggan (which I hate to wear) everyday, and with a hard hat over it, it's more uncomfortable than a prostate exam. Not to mention that with these ears, a toboggan hardly does its job well.

But today, oh lovely day, the sun shone in my world. I was out of my coat and coveralls before lunch, no toboggan all day, and the sun actually burned my cheeks a little. Not bad for mid-40's.

Funny how a warm (relatively) day can improve your spirits. I was like a kid all day long. My mood was much better, and I didn't even gripe about having to work until near-dark.

But, never fear. As always here in our little neck of the woods, we'll have all the little sub-winters to deal with. That's okay, though. I can make it until spring, I think.

Also, I would like to say, "Praise God. He is faithful, He delivers, and He doesn't forget about us. Even when we may think He does."

It's coming...

2010-02-10T00:03:00.002-05:00

When I was but a wee lad, one of my favorite shows was Captain America. It ran in '79 or '80 and starred a guy named Reb Brown. I don't recall seeing him in any other shows.

I've never been the type to follow shows religiously. I usually watch television when I have time or between books. Truth is, I could probably save a lot of money by getting rid of my tv and never miss it. But then I couldn't watch my cute little red-head on 7th Street Theater. That I would miss.

I notice how people today all follow shows with passion. I doubt that any of them are worth it, really. But folks would rather die than miss Idol or Bachelor or CSI or any of the other addictions out there. I guess I just don't get it.

I don't think there's anything wrong with watching tv so if you think I'm gonna rail against the mind-numbing tool of Satan, sorry to disappoint you. But I do think that the quality, or I should say standard, of shows these days makes it necessary for us as Christians to guard our minds with greater care. I say this from much experience.

A few years ago, I didn't really censor what I watched. In fact, I personally owned seasons one and two of the Chappelle Show, and countless other movies that are not for the innocent. If you've ever seen or even heard of Dave Chappelle, then you know why that is a problem. But I was eventually very heavily burdened by the conviction that I didn't need to view such things. God started getting on me about how my life matched up with the things I was teaching and professing. So, with some regret over the amount of money I had spent on DVD's, I purged my collection. It only hurt for a minute.

I really haven't missed any of it and I think I sleep better at night. On some level, I feel that my witness and my relationship with God are better for it (duh, right?).

My point is that we teach and preach holy, Christian living but do we really want to practice it? We pat ourselves on the back for our influence and testimony out in the world, but do we really have the testimony of Christ that we think we do?

Television, movies, music, books and magazines, you name it. The world of entertainment has rapidly grown more and more ungodly. Now, you can roll your eyes and call this old-fashioned Bible-thumping if you want, but there really isn't any gray area here. We have to get our lives in line with what Christ wants if we're going to make any progress for Him. Especially those of us who are teachers and people of influence in the church and student ministry.

I have many other areas of my life that need this same tweaking and with God's help, I hope to bring them into Biblical standards as well. We're back to that whole accountability thing again. Funny how we always come back around to that.

So, here's to Captain America and all the other decent shows that seem to have gone the way of the dodo. You know, the kind that don't require running the kids off to bed. So go ahead and watch your favorite shows, but why not make your favorites a past-time instead of a passion? Better yet, why not change your standard of favorite?

Amen! Pass the plates.

Pip, pip! Cheerio!

2010-02-08T20:58:00.005-05:00

Life truly is like a box of chocolates. At least my work life is. I went to work today expecting a normally cold and crappy Monday. I was right for the most part but there was this one little thing...

As soon as I got to work, we were sent to Tazewell Pike to replace a broken pole. FYI: Tazewell Pike at 8:45 Monday morning is comparable to... Daytona Speedway with grumpy drivers. Nevertheless, off I go. We set up our work area and blah, blah, blah, work talk, work talk, more blah.

My partner, David, was up in the bucket so I was standing in this driveway near the pole. I glanced toward the house and saw the homeowner, whose yard this broken pole was in, walking down toward me. Great, here comes my daily tongue-lashing for blocking a driveway/muddying up someone's ditchline/gumming up traffic/not having the phones repaired fast enough. You'd be amazed how belligerent people get sometimes, and just because we are easy targets.

So the guy approaches me and I remove my hardhat and safety glasses (out of courtesy), put on my best public relations smile and await the tsunami of obscenities and hatred that typically comes my way.

He says, " 'ello, chap! Might I trouble you with a query?"

I snicker inside my head, not sure if he's messing with me or if I'm having an Alzheimer's moment.

So, to avoid seeming like a smart aleck but hoping to break the tension, I reply, "Query away, my good man!"

The guy lost it. He nearly busted a gut laughing.

"I wasn't expecting that!"

"Well, I didn't expect to be called "chap" in northeast Knoxville." And we shared a good laugh or two and he eventually reveals why he came down his driveway in thirty degree weather to talk to me. Turns out he was just curious about where he could place his new mailbox post in relation to our new telephone pole. His mailbox was wiped out by the same car.

He said, "I don't know all your regulations because I'm not from here."

"No kidding." And we laughed some more.

"I just moved here from England and your community ordinances and the like are very odd. By the way, what do you call those here?"

"You mean the pole? The telephone pole?"

"We call them telegraph poles over there." Interesting.

"What part of England?" I'm sure it must have sounded like Ainglund to him.

"I was born in Cheshire, it's near Manchester. Then I moved to London and then here to America."

He said all of this in the most pleasant English accent I've ever heard. He looked the part, too -- very clean-cut, Tom Hanks hairstyle. His voice was sort of in between baritone and tenor and his eyebrows lifted when he emphasized a syllable. I never got his name, but it should have been Neville. Or Pip.

We talked on and I told him I have researched my family history to England, the township of Headley-Hampshire, and have thought about visiting there just out of curiosity. Believe it or not, he actually knew the place.

"It's quite lovely there. It's in the south. You simply must visit. You should plan on at least two weeks, though. London is so filled with things to do that you will have to drag yourself out of there. Here, let me recommend a hotel; near Tower Bridge, I believe it's called the Tower Hotel. Very nice, four-star but affordable. And take the trains when you can. It's the most fascinating way to see everything. There's a depot near that hotel."

I couldn't resist. The opportunity presented itself so I just couldn't stop myself.

"Platform 9 3/4?"

He horse-laughed. He said J.K. Rowling has done more to advance the English culture than "any resident of Buckingham Palace." He then shook my hand (in a very awkwardly English way), and bid me farewell.

It just proves how random life can be sometimes.

I've started something fun...

2010-02-03T22:55:00.002-05:00

Fun for me, anyway. I'm reading the Bible chronologically. Maybe some of you have done this. It's really alot like a one-year plan but it's divided into sections according to the order in which they took place (as far as the theological community is concerned) instead of how the books are ordered.

For instance, you read several chapters of Genesis but then skip to Job and read it in its entirety, then back to the remainder of Genesis. I never really considered that Job took place that far back. I'm fascinated by that, to be honest.

But I'm enjoying it and it kinda puts things in a different perspective. If you're a complete weirdo like myself, then you can envision yourself as a traveler sort of walking a timeline and stopping at different intervals and watching the events of the Bible happen in order. That's what I do.

I think I'll call it, "Chuck's Excellent Adventure." No phone booth, though.

Righteous, dude!

"Allow myself to introduce myself..."

2010-02-01T23:04:00.010-05:00

Actually, this is the Wolfe family. Pictured here (around 1910) are Louis and Maggie, with children Delia, Louis David, Eliza Pauline, Cleo, Mandy, and seated second from the right, Sophronia Isabella. She is my great-grandmother.

Some of you know that I've been working on a family tree. These good folks are part of that tree. The photo was used in a 1996 News-Sentinel article about my cousin Gene who was trying to correct mistakes made by the government regarding our bloodline. He spent seven years traunching back and forth between the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Washington, and the tribal government in Cherokee, N.C. He eventually got everything straightened out and has agreed to help me trace the Indian bloodline by providing me with the mountain of information he gathered.

Tracing this line has been the real problem because the records only go back a few generations. In fact, Louis is as far back as I have been able to trace. But Gene has assured me that he has information that goes back much, much further, so I am really excited. This comes with some guilt because I did my politicking with him at the funeral home. Make hay while the sun shines, I always say.

Anyway, just thought I'd share. I think it's interesting that great-great-granddaddy Louis (I think this is where I got my cheekbones) was a holiday kinda guy. He was born on Christmas eve in 1871, and died on July 4th, 1936. My great-grandmother, who was known as Isabella, was born in 1896 and died at 100 years old. I remember going out to see her when she lived nearby in her late eighties. She was always laughing and had this big... well...typical old lady figure that shook when she would get really tickled about something. It was more of a cackle than a laugh. I keep looking at this picture of her and can't help but be amazed at what a beautiful girl she was.

It's a family trait.

Laundry day

2010-01-28T22:18:00.002-05:00

It's Thursday, in case you didn't know. What you may or may not know is that Thursday is typically laundry day here at Mr. Chuckles's's's house. I am usually very busy on M, T, and W, so this is the perfect night for me to come in from work, shower, don my pj's, and be a housewife. I call it therapy.

I do two loads of laundry per week. Always. One for anything that's not dark, and one for everything else. If anything fades or colors blend, I'll never know it anyhow. I just cram it in there and forget about it.

But my duds get clean and they feel snuggly soft and smell good, so I consider it successful.

But what if...

...we had a laundry day, spiritually speaking? Follow along, here. What if we all had a day, or days, if necessary, where we all aired it out? A day to pile up and sort out all the stuff that makes life complicated and shove it into the mix and churn it until it comes out brilliant white and spring fresh.

I can say with a fair degree of certainty that we all have issues with people. We smile and act all polite and loving, but corral the crowd into separate herds and the eyes start rolling and the criticism begins. I'm guilty of it, and honestly, you are too, aren't you?

Maybe I'm being unrealistic but I wish we could all suck it up, put on our thick skins and hear what people say about us when we aren't listening. You've wondered that, haven't you? Haven't you been around a group of people who are tearing down someone and you have a sneaking suspicion that YOU are the inside joke when you aren't around?

And what about the ones you tear down? Don't you sometimes feel bad for speaking or thinking things about someone that you normally overwhelm with kindness?

I can't help but wonder how great it would be if the air between us was clear. If we came face to face with the truth that we really aren't always right, that other people are just as put out with us as we are with them, then maybe we could see things more clearly.

There is an old Cherokee prayer that says, "Oh Great Spirit, grant that I may not criticize my neighbor until I have walked a mile in his moccasins."

Yeah, I went there.

Here's a fun little quote...

2010-01-26T23:33:00.002-05:00

Perhaps it is the most dangerous of all positions for a man to become well known and much respected by the religious world, and yet to be rotten at the core. To be where others can observe our faults is a healthy thing, though painful; but to live with beloved friends who would not believe it possible for us to do wrong, and who, if they saw us err, would make excuses for us--this is to be where it is next to impossible for us ever to be aroused if our hearts be not right with God. To have a fair reputation and a false heart is to stand upon the brink of Hell.

Even when it doesn't make sense...

2010-01-24T22:55:00.003-05:00

I'm watching a movie right now about Joseph. It's one I've seen a hundred times but I really like how it emphasizes Joseph's complete reliance on God. The movie also shows how sometimes relying on God requires going against the grain.

Being the eleventh-born of twelve brothers must have been hard. In those days, order of birth meant everything. The first-born would gain the father's blessing, and thus become the leader upon the father's death. But Joseph received Jacob's blessing over his brothers. That alone is enough to distinguish Joseph as special. Not to mention all the other things that happened in his life.

Joseph wasn't afraid to stand for what was right, even when that meant facing the wrath of his mean-spirited brothers. He proved himself loyal to his father, and Jacob honored him for it. He also proved himself loyal to God throughout his life, and God blessed him, and the nation of Israel.

Joseph spent his life obeying and following God. That usually meant facing opposition and hardship. I can't help but wonder how many times in that dried up well, or as a slave in Potiphar's house, or in that Egyptian prison Joseph asked God when his obedience and devotion would bring blessing.

Eventually that blessing came. Not just for Joseph, but for his father's household and for all of Israel. Joseph's willingness to go against the grain and stay true to God gained him his father's blessing, Pharaoh's respect, and God's rewards.

I won't say that there is a point to all of this, but I do feel like it's relevant. There are some very important decisions forthcoming for all of us. There are many changes happening right now in the life of our church, some are good and some are not. Some are unnoticed. I think it's worth mentioning that we should all make our decisions based on what God says to us, not just what the popular opinion is. Maybe that means going against what everyone else thinks, maybe it doesn't. But as long as going against the grain is staying true to God's Word, then blessing will follow.

Voila!

2010-01-21T00:21:00.002-05:00

I have now posted some pictures from D-Now Oh-Ten. Click here to view them.

Sorry for the delay. I slept Monday away, went back to work Tuesday, did Food Pantry and Sunday School stuff, straight to church Wednesday, and... oh yeah, had a family funeral thrown in there, too.

And I couldn't access my old flickr account so I had to build a new one. Due to the rain-soaked telephone facilities, my internet was intermittent so only about one-third of the pictures uploaded. I'll let you all know when the rest are on board.

Add all that together and you can cipher why I am posting this at 12:30 a.m.

Hope no one was too put out.

Arrivederci.

I love cameras

2010-01-18T21:44:00.003-05:00

They allow you to capture people as they really are. I think this photo shows the true spirit of the weekend: crazy fun with a dash of hilarity thrown in. These gals are always on for a pic. I just have to get near them and they start with the "candid poses." Especially Kurtney, who made me retake this picture until I finally caught her not grinning.

It was a great weekend. I know all those involved had a great time. I especially liked seeing some of our kids at Angelic Ministries. They did a great job as they served lunch to the homeless community, and they all did it with a smile.

Over the next few days, I'll post some of the pictures from last nights festivities. I'll start with this one. It's one of my favorites.

Don "Inspector Gadget" Kelly. He played the part perfectly.

It's that time again

2010-01-12T23:12:00.002-05:00

Disciple Now. I hope everyone's home-owner's insurance is paid up.

I looked back to exactly one year ago in my blog archives and saw something amazing. The things I posted prior to last year's D-Now were much more anxious and giddy than this year. Everything was focused on drawing together and becoming a family. JGen was still young and rolling like a freight train, and things were shaping up to be exciting and earth-shattering.

So I wonder what is different this year? The vibe seems different.

For one, last year we had roughly 40 kids. This year, we have that number in high-school boys alone. We've added a D-Now for the pre-youth age kids and that number is astounding. So, all told, I think the head-count for people this weekend is above 150. That's just unreal.

Maybe there is a nervous apprehension about this weekend. The number of students alone is humbling. Maybe it's the curriculum. The whole focus is different. Let's face it, the things we talked about and prayed for last year have come to fruition. Our student group is closer and more regular. The leadership this year is made up of a who's who of SCBC youth group graduates and that is very cool.

I know that's alot of random, choppy thoughts but my point is that this year has excitement of its own. Just because the vibe is calmer doesn't mean the intensity is less. Personally, I'm looking forward to this weekend for different reasons than last year. I'm looking forward to someone realizing just who they really are in Christ. I'm excited for that heart that will see that the things we morph ourselves into in order to fit in are pointless and that being who we are, who God made us to be, is where we find true joy and purpose. That's a lesson that I had to learn the hard way after a long time of chasing the world's ideas. I believe that God will use this weekend to spare someone that worthless journey.

So here we go. Hang on.

Well, zee snow eez a leetle early...

2010-01-07T18:58:00.002-05:00

About four days early, to be exact. See, I'm on vacation next week and I would love nothing more than to look out my window and know that I have nowhere to be and nothing to do but park my rear on the couch and stare out the window between naps. This is a recharge vacation, not a trip vacation.

I absolutely LURVE the snow. I like how everything kinda glows after dark. I like how it suppresses the sound of footsteps, and practically every other sound. I like how it decreases the traffic on the roads. And I like how it's just so darn pretty, even when it doesn't totally cover the grass.

Working in a snowfall is kinda cool. Things sort of slow down, like your in a dream sequence in a movie. Of course, when it's booger-freezing cold outside like it has been lately, it's not so fun, but there is still something special about a snowy day.

And about that vacation. I do love a good vacation. I have methodically scheduled a week off every three months this year. If nothing changes, that in itself will make 2010 enjoyable. Whether the weather is good or bad, whether you're traveling or not, any day off is a good day. Especially the week of Disciple Now, when I have much to do to prepare.

That's really all I have to say tonight. I can hear the groans of disappointment from you already. But don't despair, I'm sure there are other ways you folks can entertain yourselves.

By the way, I went by church on the way home and from there to my house, the roads were treacherous. Tipton Station was really, really bad. I drive in this stuff whenever it hits and this is the worst I've seen the roads in years. So please be careful if you have to get out. It only takes a millisecond for your tires to break loose, as evidenced by the ditch I landscaped earlier. No harm done.

The Wee Hours

2010-01-06T03:04:00.003-05:00

While most, probably all, of you good people are happily sleeping away these cold, dark hours of the morning, I am blogging. It's 3:05 a.m.

I got home from work today with a stiff neck, a ridiculously bad headache, a shiver that runs to my core, and total exhaustion. It's cold, in case you haven't noticed. So all I wanted to do when I got home was put on my pajamas and crawl under a blanket for an hour or so.

Which I did, for the next ten hours. I haven't slept like that in years. This happens from time to time. I go and go and go and push myself without really resting much and eventually I just crash. The body, especially an aging one, can only go so long.

We're like that with God, too. We push ourselves spiritually, constantly over-stretching ourselves, trying to get by on the rest and refreshing we got months ago, and eventually we just crash.

If I rested regularly and took care of my body's needs for downtime on a daily or weekly basis, I wouldn't come to a point where I stopped functioning for while. If I took care of my spiritual hungers and needs on the same regular basis, I wouldn't get to a point where I just stopped working and sort of ran on fumes. I would always be alert, ready to be used if the need arises, sensitive to God and what He's saying, and attentive to opportunities that come my way.

I really think this is the reason that so many of life's little situations and stressful issues become obstacles for us. These things like choices and decisions that should be simple, no-brainers turn into huge mountains that cripple us because we aren't alert and healthy enough to hear and know God's counsel on the matter. So we start to rely on the "fumes", the parts of ourselves that kick in when we're in survival mode, and the parts that are most easily influenced by doubts and confusion. It takes strength and stamina to run the race and we have to stay in shape in order to perform well and fend off those confusions.

So, sleep well, folks. I'm on watch for the next few hours, apparently. It's all good, though. Maybe I'll catch some of the Meg Ryan marathon that's on the Estrogen Network.

"Let's start the new year right..."

2010-01-03T21:51:00.003-05:00

Happy '010, y'all! I thought I'd begin a year of posts with a nice quote. I am not usually a huge Max Lucado fan. Nothing wrong with him, I just tend to read others who lean different ways, and who write a little differently. But I have been reading one of his books that I received as a Christmas gift and this chapter really made me stop and rejoice in the goodness of God for a while.

Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." --John 1:46

When Nathanael doubted that anything good could come out of Nazareth, Philip's response was simply, "Come and see."

Nathanael's question remains: "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Have two thousand years of Christianity changed this world? Is the life of the young Nazarene carpenter really worth considering?

The question still lingers.

And the answer of Philip still suffices. Come and see.

Come and see the rock that has withstood the winds of time. Hear His voice. The truth undaunted, grace unspotted, loyalty undeterred.

Come and see the flame that tyrants and despots have not extinguished.

Come and see the passion that oppression has not squelched.

Come and see the hospitals and orphanages rising beside the crumbling ruins of humanism and atheism.

Come and see what Christ has done.

Come and see the great drama threading through the twenty centuries of history and art.

Handel weeping as he composed The Messiah.

Da Vinci sighing as he portrays the Last Supper.

Michaelangelo stepping back from the rock-carved David and bidding the stone to speak.

Can anything good come out of Nazareth? Come and see.

See Wilberforce fighting to free slaves in England -because he believed.

See Washington at prayer in Valley Forge -because he believed.

See Lincoln alone with a dog-eared Bible -because he believed.

Can anything good come out of Nazareth? Come and see. Come and see the changed lives:

the alcoholic now dry,

the embittered now joyful,

the shamed now forgiven.

Come and see the marriages now rebuilt, the orphans now embraced, the imprisoned now inspired.

Journey into the jungles and hear the drums beating in praise.

Sneak into the corners of communism and find believers worshiping under threat of death.

Walk on death row and witness the prisoner condemned by man yet liberated by God.

Venture into the gulags and dungeons of the world and hear the songs of the saved refusing to be silent.

Can anything good come out of Nazareth?

Come and see the pierced hand of God touch the most common heart, wipe the tear from the wrinkled face, and forgive the ugliest sin.

Come and see.

Come and see the tomb. The tomb once occupied, now vacant; the grave once sealed, now empty. Cynics have raised their theories, doubters have raised their questions. But their musings continue to melt in the bright light of Easter morning.

Come and see. He avoids no seeker. He ignores no probe. He fears no search.

Come and see.

Nathanael came. And Nathanael saw.

And Nathanael discovered, "Teacher, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel."

Max Lucado, "A Gentle Thunder"

Methinks thats a really good thought to begin a new year on.

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

2009-12-30T22:36:00.003-05:00

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.

2009-12-29T23:25:00.003-05:00

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?

2009-12-27T22:33:00.004-05:00

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.

------------------------

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!!!

2009-12-23T22:07:00.001-05:00

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?"

2009-12-22T22:39:00.002-05:00

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...

2009-12-20T20:48:00.004-05:00

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

------------------------

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!

2009-12-17T20:08:00.003-05:00

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?

2009-12-16T00:23:00.002-05:00

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???

2009-12-10T00:50:00.000-05:00

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...

2009-12-09T00:55:00.003-05:00

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."

2009-12-07T22:41:00.002-05:00

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?

2009-12-06T20:54:00.003-05:00

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.

2009-12-01T20:59:00.004-05:00

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.

2009-11-30T23:15:00.007-05:00

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.

2009-11-29T21:40:00.008-05:00

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...

2009-11-24T21:44:00.003-05:00

"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..."

2009-11-23T23:53:00.003-05:00

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...

2009-11-22T23:37:00.002-05:00

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...

2009-11-16T22:26:00.002-05:00

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

2009-11-10T21:27:00.002-05:00

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...

2009-11-09T21:36:00.002-05:00

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

2009-11-08T21:55:00.003-05:00

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.

One more thing about Elijer

2009-11-03T21:31:00.004-05:00

I withheld this last night because I rambled on too long about other stuff. Imagine that, huh?

After all that Elijah had been through, the ups and downs, victories and flights, he snapped. He tells God in 1 Kings 19:4 that he's had enough and wants to die. He's over it.

But God isn't done with him. He tells him to rest up and be fed by God because his next journey can't be done in man's strength. Elijah goes to Mount Horeb to meet with God. Horeb is another name for Mount Sinai, where, of course, God spoke to Moses and delivered the Ten Commandments.

When God asks what Elijah's doing there, he replies with a negative prayer about all the misgivings of Israel. He never mentions the awesome miracles that God has performed recently. He has let the evil resistance of a single person, Jezebel, turn his attitude sour. A woman can do that, ya know. (Kidding, ladies. Not really, but, yeah.)

So God tells him to go outside the cave and stand before Him. Then a "great and strong wind" blows so hard that it broke the rocks into pieces. But God wasn't in the wind. Then an earthquake, I suppose more rocks broke, but God wasn't in the earthquake, either. As if those weren't enough, next came a fire, but God still wasn't in the fire. Then came a low whisper.

I read that the Hebrew for this means, "a thin silence" (Sarah, check me on that). When Elijah heard the whisper, he came out of the cave with his face covered. Then a voice spoke to him again.

What blows me away about this is, first, that God had told Elijah to come out of the cave. He didn't do this until he heard the whisper after all the commotion. With the mountain falling down around him, he doesn't get curious until he hears next to nothing, a thin silence. So why all the racket in the first place?

I wonder how often in my life, and yours, does God tell us to get before Him and we hesitate. How many times are we hoping to hear from God and a strong, powerful wind blows through? We think, "This is it, the big one. Surely this is God." But God isn't in that. Then there's another big shake-up, or earthquake. It's strong and powerful, too. Surely this is from God because it's big and it's shaking my life all up. But God isn't in that, either. Then a fire, with all its fury and cleansing destruction. This just has to be God. Nope. Then we think we hear the faintest sound. So we come out of our cave and stand before God.

We get to points in our life when we want a change, a shake-up. We want something new and we beg God to speak and drop something huge on us. God might tell us to come out and stand before Him to hear His Word. But we balk. Does God throw up His hands and leave?

I think He draws us out. I think He gets our attention so we will come out and stand before just Him, no distractions. I say from experience that there have been strong winds, but they eventually faded from lack of God. There have been earthquakes, but they grew silent because God wasn't in them. And there were fires, furious and destructive, but they flickered out. After each of these, when things were silent, my attention was on God.

"I thought You were the wind, the earthquake, and the fire."

"I was just getting your attention. You've been listening for your own voice, not Mine. I need you to hear Me because there's more to do. I'm not through with you just yet."

Listen to your mother

2009-11-02T21:07:00.004-05:00

The picture you see is a good ol' Sunday school poster of Elijah on Mount Carmel. I actually looked for a classic Byzantine or Renaissance-era painting because I think those Biblical renderings are beautiful. But, I grew weary of Googling so I went with the classic VBS art.

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A few weeks ago, mom gave me a CD sermon that she really wanted me to hear. It was delivered by Tim Miller so I was anxious to hear it but sitting down for thirty minutes to listen to anything is difficult these days. She kept prodding me, and I kept promising I would listen to it. I finally got around to it on Saturday. The sermon is titled Hitting the Wall. It's a really good sermon so I'll share some of the points with you good people.

1 Kings 17-19 tells the story of Elijah and his dealings with Ahab and Jezebel. If you ever want to know the wrong way to govern a nation, just read the accounts of Ahab. And if you ever want to know what happens when you choose the wrong mate, keep reading.

The Bible says (1 Kings 17) that Ahab did evil in the sight of the Lord, more than all who were before him. That's a whole bunch of evil. Here's a good lesson on how the actions of a leader who influences his people can bring judgment. That's another post. So God's prophet, Elijah, went and told the king that there would be a drought. Droughts were a big deal back then. God looks out for Elijah and his safety and tells him to r-u-n-n-o-f-t. He goes away, God has the ravens feed him, tells him to drink from a brook, but, drinking from a brook during a drought is not going to end up well. So God tells him to go somewhere else. He goes to a widow's house, stays there awhile, keeps her family fed in a very loaves-and-fishes kind of way, and raises her son from the dead. Busy guy, Elijah. Then God tells him to go and see Ahab, who wants Elijah dead.

Elijah goes to the king, sets up a battle royale with the pagan priests and scores a knockout. God is God and all is well. Until Jezebel gets involved and promises to kill him. So off he goes again, but this time he ends up on Mount Horeb with God.

Read the whole story for yourself but here's a point from Reverend Miller. The duel with the prophets of Baal was simple: make fire. Baal couldn't do it and Elijah starts talking smack, which is actually hilarious. He tells them to call out louder. Maybe Baal is on vacation, maybe he's asleep, maybe he's in the crapper. I'm not kidding.

But the point is, "False gods promise what only the true God provides." This made me think about how many times I've followed the promises that weren't from God. In hindsight, I can recall several times when something came my way that was just what I wanted it to be. My response is usually reasoning out how this is just what I needed. This will solve everything, all my disappointments will be wiped away. Funny thing, hindsight. God has promised to meet my needs and bless me in His way and in His time. All I have to do is follow.

Okay, real quick cause this is getting lengthy. Elijah calls the people together at Mt. Carmel and asks a question that hits home. He says, "How long will you go limping between two different opinions?" So, how long? God or other gods? God or against God? No one can serve two masters.

Well, this got long, huh? I just really heard alot in this sermon that I think we all need to hear right now.

Toodles.

Well, I have a whole bunch of stuff to talk about...

2009-11-01T22:17:00.004-05:00

...but first things first. A big ol' thankee to the lovely Vanessa who hooked me up on Saturday with, obviously, game tickets. This photo is pre-game but you can still see the dang good seats we had. What you can't see is the deluge.

Miss V-Lee called me Friday morning and offered me two tickets, complete with parking pass and free admission to the Tennessee Fund Donor Appreciation Day at Thompson-Boling Arena prior to the game. I invited Ryan to go along because who else would you take to a ball game but the human statistics computer? I seriously don't know anyone else who is more sports-minded than him. I hope he never has to choose between sports and his next breath.

We had a great time even though the weather people around here are totally clueless. It rained hard straight through to the third quarter, and when the rain stopped, the wind kicked up and the temperature dropped. But you couldn't ask for more appropriate football weather. Everyone who knows me knows what a big-time sports guy I am (hear the sarcasm). Seriously, I do like to go to some games each year just to be in the atmosphere. Okay, actually it's for the stadium dogs, which were AWESOME!

Anyway, Vanessa, I owe you big. It was a lot of fun and I am grateful you thought of me. It's not everyday someone shows me such kindness, especially since you drove halfway across town to deliver the tix to me. You're my new best friend. And I'm sure Ryan's pretty fond of you right now, too.

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Most of that other stuff I want to write about will have to wait. It's hard for me to switch gears and besides, you folks have to work. Oh! Did I say work? What I meant was you folks have to work instead of me today. I'm off!

YIIIIPPPPPEEE!!!!

I do love a day off. Any day off is a good day, I always say. Maybe I'll post something during the day since I have nothing else to do.

Humor me. I don't get the chance to gloat very often.

Have a great Monday.

P.S. My new profile pic is what I'm going to do to Jason Reagan. When you see him, tell him to fear "The Meat."

I can't erase the scars from growing up in the '80's

2009-10-28T22:58:00.002-04:00

We started our Crazy Love small-group study tonight. I've really been looking forward to it and I wasn't disappointed. Great turn-out, thanks to everyone who came, and good discussion. I hope everybody sticks with it.

But there's a problem: every time I think or say "crazy love," I start singing "Let's Go Crazy" by Prince in my head. And let me tell you, it's hard to focus on falling more in love with God when you're singing Prince and the Revolution. Talk about a thorn in the side.

"Are we gonna let de elevator bring us down?" I hope it's stuck in your head all day.

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And one last addition to last night's post about Gee-dub. This is one that I wanted to include but didn't because the post was already reaching "War and Peace"-like longevity.

For Heather --This one is in honor of Rev. Gene Wood and "...all them people talking in Irish and Mexican" :

"Amigo! Amigo!" Pres. Bush calling out to Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi in Spanish at the G-8 Summit in Rusutsu, Japan

Okay. I'll stop.

Happy Thursday, mon freres.

Forget the politics, I miss him.

2009-10-27T23:28:00.004-04:00

Sarah came by the house tonight and while we were goofing around on the internet, I ran across a website that made me laugh like I haven't in a very, VERY long time. I share some of these with you tonight with the hopes that it relieves you of your cares and concerns for a little while.

Enjoy my tribute to the greatest orator since Mark Twain.

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"There's an old saying in Tennessee -- I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee...that says, fool me once, shame on...shame on you. Fool me...you can't get fooled again."

"Our nation must come together to unite."

"I have a different vision of leadership. A leadership is someone who brings people together."

"He can't have it both ways. He can't take the high horse and then claim the low road."

"For every fatal shooting, there were roughly three non-fatal shootings. And folks, this is unacceptable in America. It's just unacceptable. And we're going to do something about it."

"As governor of Texas, I have set high standards for our public schools, and I have met those standards."

"One of the great things about books is sometimes there are some fantastic pictures."

"Too many good docs are getting out of business. Too many OB/GYN's aren't able to practice their, their love with women all across this country."

"It's clearly a budget. It's got a lot of numbers in it."

"We must all hear the universal call to like your neighbor just like you like to be liked yourself."

"Thank you, your Holiness. Awesome speech."

"You teach a child to read, and he or her will be able to pass a literacy test."

"Rarely is the question asked: Is our children learning?"

"The most important job is not to be governor, or first lady in my case."

"I glance at the headlines just to kind of get a flavor for what's moving. I rarely read the stories, and get briefed by people who are probably read the news themselves."

"I am mindful not only of preserving executive powers for myself, but for predecessors as well."

"They want the federal government controlling Social Security like it's some kind of federal program."

"That woman who knew I had dyslexia: I never interviewed her."

"No, I know all the war rhetoric, but it's all aimed at achieving peace."

"We look forward to hearing your vision, so we can more better do our job. That's what I'm telling you."

"I mentioned early on that I recognize there are hurdles, and we're going to achieve those hurdles."

"We are ready for any unforeseen event which may or may not happen."

"Natural gas is hemispheric. I like to call it hemispheric because it is a product that we can find in our neighborhoods."

"I understand small business growth. I was one."

"I believe the results of focusing our attention and energy on teaching children to read and having an education system that's responsive to the child and to the parents, as opposed to mired in a system that refuses to change, will make America what we want it to be -- a more literate country and a hopefuller country."

"The administration I'll bring is a group of men and women who are focused on what's best for America, honest men and women, decent men and women, women who will see service to our country as a great privilege and who will not stain the house."

"Do you have blacks, too?" --to Brazilian President Fernando Cardoso

"This foreign policy stuff is a little frustrating."

"They misunderestimated me."

"Families is where our nation finds hope, where wings take dream."

"I'll be long gone before some smart person ever figures out what happened inside this Oval Office."

Well, maybe he didn't make America great, but he made her laugh.

I'll call this one, "Untitled."

2009-10-25T21:25:00.002-04:00

As the old saying goes, "The acorn doesn't fall far from the tree." It was Noah's Ark Night in Awana and all the kids looked awesome in their favorite animal costumes. Master Fowler here was going for an elephant, but managed to pull off a very convincing mouse.

Tonight I just want to say that God really is way too good to me. Even with my chronic faithlessness, He graces me with answered prayers.

I spent a great deal of time over the past few days in prayer about a specific issue. I practically begged and pleaded, beseeched even, for God's mercy regarding something that is literally crippling to me. Deep down, I don't feel like these prayers should be answered, even though I really, really want them to be. Let's face it, no one likes to be knocked off their feet no matter how much they deserve it.

But God sees things differently than I do. I'm very glad of that. It seems that the hardest person for me to forgive is me. In the words of the ever wise and philosophical Kimbo Slice, "The enemy is the inner me." But God doesn't see things the way I, and Bro. Slice, see them. His forgiveness is forever, unconditional, and His mercies are everlasting. I can beat myself up over something for years, but God has cast it away.

You'd think I would learn that after a while. How many times does God have to show His goodness and love to me for me to get it through my thick skull? Apparently, that question is un-answerable because I'm sure that I will have a time in the near future when I once again take something to God after having judged myself unworthy of blessing.

It seems that I am my greatest obstacle. I know that Satan loves to use my past against me, and I know that God has wiped away that past, "...by a mighty, mighty wave."

Well, hopefully with more of that grace and mercy I will one day realize that my previous sins haven't tainted me, they haven't ruined me, they haven't made me unfit for service to God, and they haven't lessened me in God's eyes. Only mine.

But He answers; He guards, He strengthens, He delivers, and He gives us the ability to carry on in the work we do.

Shout it loud, y'all.

Remember Harry's bathroom scene in "Dumb and Dumber?"

2009-10-22T22:30:00.003-04:00

I went to the haunted corn maze tonight, or I should say, the "Trail of Doom!"

It was fun, no doubt. I haven't been that close to an involuntarily bowel movement in years. I tried to be cool but I'm just not. Never will be.

But I learned a few things. First and foremost, Bennett is the man. He was terrified before we even got in line, but afterwards he was laughing. It wasn't easy for him and he had some difficult moments, but he kept walking, facing his fears, and emerged with his chest stuck out. Way to go.

Also, I realized my reaction to fear. I don't get scared often. Let me clarify that, I'm not fearless, I just don't find myself in very many situations that cause fear. But tonight I got spooked several times. What I noticed was that I don't scream (like Virginia), I don't freeze (like Virginia), I don't tear out someone's bicep (like Virginia), and I don't hide my face (like...yeah).

I get this little tingle from the small of my back up to my ears. It's that old chill of fear, I guess, but it's instant and all my senses go numb. There's no outward reaction except maybe a small jerk, but I zone out and my fists ball up. I don't think I ever had the urge to use them but they were ready. I'm sure Michael Myers was shaking in his coveralls.

I recalled the times I've felt this way before, most recently when I fell from a telephone pole. When I stepped up and there was nothing there, I remember feeling that same tingle right before I hit the ground.

Now, what struck me tonight was that I have felt that same tingle at times when there was no apparent danger; no scary-masked people, no chain-saws, and no fog-enshrouded cornfield. It was just me and my normal surroundings.

These times of fear were about people. Sometimes we see or hear things in the lives of those we love that scare us. Our spiritual radar starts humming and it's as if God is warning us that we need to alert for someone. I think the Holy Spirit tips us off at times to harmful things or situations that people are involved in so that we can be prepared, either in prayer, or in confrontation, or literally in a position of rescue.

I wish I had always been attuned to these feelings. I know of a few that I have responded to but I'm sure there were more and will be more. After all, that's partly what the church is for, to look out for each other when we don't see things clearly.

Anyway, just thinking out loud.

The eyes of experience

2009-10-19T23:02:00.006-04:00

Oftentimes when we are burdened, heavy-hearted, or perplexed, we seek out someone who will listen and counsel us based on their experience of similar situations. Hoping to hear the one word or phrase that will part the clouds, we pour out our heart and pray for answers.

My counselor today is King David, whom God divinely inspired to write of His faithfulness and deliverance in all situations. If there has ever been a man who knew distress and a heavy heart, it was God's anointed leader of His people, who, for all his faults and weaknesses, was honored by God as, "...a man after My own heart."

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O Lord, how many are my foes!

Many are rising against me;

But you, O Lord, are a shield about me,

my glory, and the lifter of my head.

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Give ear to my words, O Lord;

consider my groaning.

Give attention to the sound of my cry,

my King and my God,

for to you do I pray.

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How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?

How long will you hide your face from me?

How long must I take counsel in my soul

and have sorrow in my heart all the day?

How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;

light up me eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,

lest my enemy say, "I have prevailed over him,"

lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.

But I have trusted in your steadfast love;

my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.

I will sing to the Lord,

because he has dealt bountifully with me.

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Make me to know your ways, O Lord;

teach me your paths.

Lead me in your truth and teach me,

for you are the God of my salvation;

for you I wait all the day long.

Turn to me and be gracious to me,

for I am lonely and afflicted.

The troubles of my heart are enlarged;

bring me out of my distresses.

Consider my affliction and my trouble,

and forgive all my sins.

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The Lord is my light and my salvation;

whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life;

of whom shall I be afraid?

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Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings,

ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;

worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.

The voice of the Lord is over the waters;

the God of glory thunders,

the Lord, over many waters.

The voice of the Lord is powerful;

the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.

The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.

The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness.

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Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress;

my eye is wasted from grief;

my soul and my body also.

For my life is spent with sorrow,

and my years with sighing.

Love the Lord, all you his saints!

The Lord preserves the faithful

but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride.

Be strong, and let your heart take courage,

all you who wait for the Lord!

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Cast your burden on the Lord,

and he will sustain you;

he will never permit

the righteous to be moved.

It's Thursday, and Third Day, or Third Day Thursday. Wait! I know! It's Thirds-day!

2009-10-16T00:01:00.003-04:00

Well, it ain't the best picture but you get the... oh.

I went to a concert tonight and I would like to make a few observations. I'll try to be brief 'cause it's midnight and I just got home. (loud, obnoxious yawning noise)

First, at the Coliseum was a contemporary Christian concert. Right next door, at the Civic Auditorium, was Robin Williams. And I mean right next door.

Am I the only one who sees a crazy irony in that? I hope not.

The concert was fantastic. They sang their hits and the really good stuff from their latest release (almost said album) and it was a wonderful time of worship and fun. How can you not enjoy a Christian show that also has "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" in it? Yeah, I know, right?

It really was a special evening and the praise was oozing out everywhere. But literally on the other side of the wall was a comedian who is known for profanity and tasteless humor. It's a shame that someone with great talent has to resort to those means. Honestly, back in middle school, guys like me and Benji would crack up at that stuff. Funny how young boys can't stop snickering anytime a four-letter word is used. But what I kept thinking about tonight was what if the audiences switched?

If the performers carried on, business as usual, but the audiences simply got up and swapped venues, what would happen?

Would the RW fans feel the least bit uncomfortable listening to songs proclaiming Christ? Would they even stay for the whole show?

What about the Christian bunch? Would they feel uncomfortable listening to such talk or would they snicker and squirm around in their seats a little, but sit there so as to not be singled out and counted among the "zealots?"

Tonight there was a physical wall between God and the world. But on a spiritual level, there should always be a barrier between those of us who follow Christ and those who choose to follow the crowd. We are set apart, we should look different, behave different, think and talk different, even opposite, than the world. What we let in determines what comes out.

I've noticed that as my relationship with God grows, I become more and more disgusted with the sinful behaviors that I personally used to have. Language is a big one. When I was in an environment where all I heard was bad language, it wasn't long before I started using it myself. I wonder how many people thought I wasn't a Christian just because I said one word.

Anyway, "evil company corrupts good habits" and all that. My point is that the ways we show our faith and beliefs to the lost world are sometimes as subtle as the way we talk. I've heard the argument about profanity a million times and probably argued it myself. But the more I hear this kind of language coming from the mouths of Christians just to impress the ears of the world, I have to wonder what it sounds like to God.

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Second, a word of testimony that you may not care about. That's okay. I'm gonna put it here anyway just for spite.

I've mentioned before that I was never a fan of Christian music. I was into the Southern Gospel thing pretty heavy but only started listening to other stuff a while back.

About a year and a half ago, I fell from my lofty heights of pride and self-righteousness and found myself at God's feet and mercy. My life was "wrecked" and everything I thought I had done right turned out to be a pile of manure. Just about a day or two later, I heard a preview of Third Day's upcoming release, Revelation, on the radio. The song they played was the title track. Almost instantly, the words hit me at the core of my sorrows and I couldn't help but hear in that song one of the most earnest, pleading prayers I could imagine. I made it my personal prayer and thanked God that those lyrics were reserved for me at that time.

After that I was pretty much hooked. My taste in music changed a little, but the changes in my worship and praise to God were monumental as my heart was opened to the truth of what He wanted for me and what He would do to keep me close to Him. I've never looked back.

So thanks to Third Day for being obedient and recording a song that I am sure has spoken to many people. And thanks to God for breaking me to the point that I could hear it.

I don't know where I can turn

Tell me when will I learn

Won't You show me where I need to go.

Let me follow Your lead

I know that it's the only way that I

Can get back home.

Times of refreshing

2009-10-13T22:48:00.003-04:00

Today was one of those days that come just in the nick of time. What I mean is it's been one of those days that make you stop and realize that, in the midst of stress and frustration, it really ain't all that bad.

I talked last night about my over-extended schedule and I mentioned that if it got any busier, I would croak. Well, it got busier but no croaking here.

Tonight was supposed to be my down time. I had an early-evening dinner to go to for my brother-in-law's birthday, then a haircut, then nothing. Me time. Couch time. Nappy time.

"The best laid plans..."

I was informed of a meeting tonight regarding the Technology Committee stuff. Then my hair appointment that was supposed to be in lovely (and nearby) South Knoxville was moved to the distant and uncharted land of Farragut. At 7:45 PM. I had to go to the meeting late (8:30), and I just got home from there (10:45).

No me time. No couch time. No nappy time.

This was my mood.

Then I had a conversation with a dear friend that was not much more than catching up, but it slowed me down long enough to make me remember how amazingly wonderful my life is; how blessed I am to have the absolute best people in the world to love; how remarkably blessed I am that when I have a conversation with a loved one, it always results in talking about God; most importantly, how blessed I am to have a circle of friends that are not only fellow Christians, but sincere, devoted Christians to walk along beside me.

Then my hair appointment turned into a long, meaningful discussion about, you guessed it, Jesus. I got to listen to someone share some really tough things that were on their heart and I was blessed to be able to share words of encouragement and affirmation with them. That's always a good day, I don't care who you are.

Then, at the meeting, the frustrating and potentially divisive situation that I had been worried about worked out; more specifically, God worked it out. Feelings have been spared and humility, kindness, and godly wisdom have won out.

See? I told you people to not get all torqued out. :)

Now my mood is this.

"that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord..." --Acts 3:20

I really, really want to post something tonight

2009-10-12T22:43:00.002-04:00

Unfortunately for me, and fortunately for you, I am in the midst of week two of my own personal apocalypse. I'm not sure if I can get any busier right now but if I do, just say some nice, meaningful things over my exploded torso.

I really am unbelievably busy. I don't know exactly what happened to make things this way but once I discover the source, I'm going to be watching for it next time.

But I'm not whining, really. I love this. I remember all too well times when I sat around with nothing to do, not even able to imagine something to do. The best thing is that everything that fills my time right now involves church.

If anyone complains about nothing going on at SCBC, please send them my way.

Our new Sunday school class went well, I think. It was the first day so there's a guaranteed break-in period. But I'm looking forward to loosening up and really getting serious about discipleship and putting our walks with God first and foremost. Our current study is addressing the battles that we face each and every moment and being prepared to stand. This week is about being blind-sided by temptation because of our spiritual arrogance and finding ourselves numbed to God and slipping away from our relationship with Him. Well, actually the lesson is about how to keep that from happening or at least recognizing when it does and returning. Anyway, I'm really thankful to God for making this happen and I hope it bears much fruit.

I was blessed with the opportunity to help out in Can-Do Club on Sunday morning as well. It was a whole bunch of fun. I think I like this radio show thing because I'm invisible, so to speak. No one can see me. For me it's like playing a role in my own head, only out loud (umm...yeah, whatever). Anyway, it is fun. I've done two or three of them now and I must give credit to Jeff and/or the other writers for developing something for kids that still has Scriptural relevance for old folks, too.

The Technology Committee (I'm one/fourth) is presenting a proposal for media monitors in the sanctuary. This is looooong overdue. I really like the solution we have decided on and hope it passes. Of course, there is resistance but I don't know of another church our size that didn't do this years ago. I bet 200 years ago there were alot of folks who thought it was stupid to spend money on a bunch of books with nothing but songs in them. Hmmm....

Well, that's all I have. My noggin is fried. But I hope everyone has a great day. And since I've been studying about falling into deceptions and being led astray, I'll mention how easy it has been in the past for me to do that very thing. I never saw it coming, and usually I followed something that I attributed to the "hand of God at work in my life." Man, we'll believe anything, won't we? Point is, it's not an "out there" kinda thing. Those things are real and if not for the grace of God, we would all become deceived many times a day. Be aware that temptation is a very dangerous thing. Remember what the Bible says that, "even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light."

Eyes on Christ, people.