That's Why I'm Gone

And [Jesus] said to them, "Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a while." (Mark 6:31)

I've been running in circles lately trying to do all kinds of things with little rest. With so much to do at work at home and in my area of ministry I've had little to no rest. If we are going to serve Christ effectively, we need balance in our lives. We cannot go full speed in the work of the Lord for too long without rest or diversion. It's important to be diligent in our work for the Lord. But sometimes we get so engrossed in our tasks and activities that we become exhausted and begin to lose perspective. We need to rest, as our Lord advised the disciples. We just may have to say, "Let's go fishing!"

How Is Your Driving?

After driving across the state of Indiana with my aunt LaVonne yesterday I came up with these questions. If Jesus was born into this time era, would He drive a car? How would He drive?

Lets Talk Favor

I'm leaving soon for the hills of Indiana. Does Indiana even have hills? any way, I won't be posting a whole lot for the next week just so you know. If I get my cell phone to cooperate I might have a few posts here and there.

We have heard a lot of God's favor in our church lately. This is why I chose to leave you all with a tid bit of wisdom for the week concerning favor in your daily life. From the Wisdom Digest of Mike Murdock.

Developing The Miracle of Favor In Your Daily Life:

1. You must first solve a problem for someone.
2. You must sow favor to create favor.
3. Start showing favor to everyone close to you.
4. Sow words of love and kindness to those around you continuously.
5. Stay in the center of our expertise, and use your greatest gifts.
6. When possible, sow gifts of Love into the lives of others.
7. Move swiftly to complete any instruction from your boss.
8. Respect the rules of protocol, the expected and desired standards of conduct.
9. Expect favor everyday of your life.

No Time

There doesn't seem to be enough time in the day to do the things I need to do. With working so much extra over time it doesn't leave me much time. I'm leaving in the middle of the night Friday for Indiana and need to accomplish some things. There's laundry, dishes, garden work, shopping for my trip, I have to eat some time, a shower would be nice too. But here I sit doing what I have no time for, blogging. Of course my church blog needs attention and that comes first before the other work. It's late and I have to run to Mason City to get some things. Can't do it tomorrow cause Wednesday nights run late the way it is. I could cut back on sleep but that would be a bad idea when going on a ten hour drive later this week. I think I will have over 100 hours in from the last two weeks by Friday. Oh-and Thursday I will have to mow the yard or it will look like a hay field when I get back. I still need to pack some time too. What am I doing, I don't have time for this. Good By!

Barbecue Photo Massacre

YAMs Barbecue Tonight

Today I am preparing my place to host our church's Young Adult Ministry barbecue. Doing a little cleaning, picking up doggy dodo, setting up tables and chairs, getting games set up and trying to get the dog smell out of the house. It isn't helping that my dog keeps passing gas!

A good game or two of Corn Hole might take place tonight. I do enjoy throwing the old bean bags around. Or would that be corn bags? Lasso Golf is in the mix as well. I've never played but we will have to give it a whirl. A fire pit for when it gets darker, if people choose to stick around, is set up and ready to burn. And of course all you can eat barbecue. Who can say no to barbecue? If your in the neighborhood stop by and say hi and grab something to eat.

Do You Agree?

I was messing around last night looking at web pages and came across Heaventruth.org. If you would please check it out and get back to me. The part that struck me as odd. Scroll down towards the bottom of the page. You will find were it has the seven truths to look for in finding a good church to attend and serve. I honestly believed most of what this page was saying to me until I reached these 7 truths.

7. People that have been redeemed by the Lord Jesus Christ can never lose their salvation.

So my question for you today is. Can we lose our salvation? Give me some feedback here people. I want to know your thoughts. I personally believe that I have the right answer to this, along with some scripture to back this up. But instead of putting my foot in my mouth too soon, I want your insight.

I Should Be Excited

We have a new guy starting at work tomorrow so we can stay caught up. When all other cabinet shops are going out of business, cutting hours, cutting pay and laying off people, we are swamped. Today we even started working mandatory over time.

I should be excited about a new person. This means another person that the Lord is placing in my path. I don't ever know what to expect when a new person comes to work for us. I anticipate a believer but my experience more than none says not likely. Really this should be considered a blessing to be able to witness to another lost and hurting person. I'm looking to be stirred up about this chance to build another relationship with someone. I don't feel stirred up though. I feel dread. Is this normal? I feel like this is going to be one more person that will try my patience daily. One more person to tell me I suck, and give me the cold shoulder.

Though the scriptures say to count it as joy when hardship or the trying of patience comes. I don't feel too joyous right now. I'll have to keep telling myself to walk in love, walk in love. I'm off to tell myself how truly pumped and stirred up I am over this. I will get stirred up somehow.

Creative Masterpiece

I was thinking back 0n the 4th of July celebration just last weekend. Sitting along side the road waiting for the parade to start up I couldn't help but notice God's handy work. This is something I've pondered on before, especially when in the mix of hundreds to thousands of people.

All along the road sides were hundreds of people that all differed in appearance. It's amazing how God can make so many people that all look different. We are God's work of art, His workmanship. I, amongst all these people am a work of art. I'm not the most beautiful person in the world nor am I the ugliest. But I am created by God for a purpose and am a work of art. God's masterpiece.

Parenthood Next To Godlyhood

I'm not a parent as of yet. I do have a dog. As my dog's "parent" I have had the Lord teach me lessons that He wants me to learn. Quite a few as a matter of fact.

One would be obedience. Another would be discipline. I've learned about forgiveness too. And recently faithfulness. It's funny how every time I go and scold my dog for something the Holy Spirit gives me a little nudge.

The last two weeks have been trying for me concerning my dog. She has recently discovered pocket golfers in the yard and under the shed. For two weeks I've been scolding and disciplining her for digging holes. A few minutes ago I drug her inside giving her a few words. I said out loud to the dopey dog, "I fill your food bowl and keep your water bowl full and....". In the middle of that sentence the Holy Spirit gave me a nudge and I stopped talking. All I can do is thank the Lord for opening my eyes to how I've been lately. How important it is to stay close to the Lord and discern His voice.

So in many ways I see how parenthood can relate to my Heavenly Fathers oversight on me. I just hope the Lord isn't making my dog misbehave to drive these points home to me. :-)

Under Pressure

I've been under a bit of pressure at work for a while. I take on more and more responsibility while others remain with only one responsibility. I won't dive into all that I'm taking on at work for the list would go on and on. But I'm glad to say that at the end of the work day I can leave my work load at work. I don't have to bring my pressures home with me.

Many people I work with take their stress and work related frustrations home with them to their wives/girlfriends/family/friends. Sadly I hear reports of their families replying to them saying, "I don't even recognize you anymore". That is a sad turn of events when you let the pressures of your day change your complete demeanor and your relationships with those closest to you.

In case you have a problem with this let me suggest, when you leave the office, factory or wherever you work, purpose to leave those work related stresses at the door of your work place. Just some advice.

Half Full Or Half Empty

The age old question, is the glass half full or half empty? It seems the more people I come in contact with, the "half empty" mentality is evident in their lives.

When we live life with this "half empty" mentality we will always expect the worst in every situation. You can't see the light of any circumstance. Your always fixated on what you could have. It's plain tuff to enjoy life. Living life with the "half full" perspective on the other hand is a much more enjoyable way to live. Your thankful for what you have while you have it. Your mind isn't set on what you're lacking or missing out on. You're more expectant of blessings. And every cloud will have a silver lining. Let's change our mind set to the "half full" way of thinking and enjoy everyday life.

Still Growing

Lately it seems I've been struggling with a childish attribute. Childish in the sense of my spiritual growth. I have found myself, often comparing myself with others. It gets really bad when I'm at work around worldly people. I catch myself doing this a lot and stop instantly but want to stop completely. I can blame others all I want, for the way they live their lives or for their work habits. But ultimately this is all me that needs to change.

When I caught myself doing this today I realized in part that's what Jesus' disciples were doing during the last supper. What a pridefully arrogant way to be. How that must of grieved the heart of Jesus just before his arrest.

Religious Freedom Is Threatened By S. 909

S. 909 broadly defines "intimidation. a pastor's sermon could be considered "hate speech" under this legislation if heard by an individual who then acts aggressively against persons based on any "sexual orientation." the pastor could be prosecuted for "conspiracy to commit a hate crime."

Supporters of S. 909 claim the legislation only covers bodily injury. In actuality, it opens the door to the possibility that religious leaders or members of religious groups could be prosecuted criminally, based on their speech or protected activities under conspiracy law or the criminal code--and could include conduct or speech that aids, abets, counsels, commands, induces, procures or causes the act to be done by another. Ultimately, a pastor's sermon concerning religious beliefs and teachings on homosexuality and gender confused behaviors could be considered to cause violence and will be punished or at least investigated.

During the House Judiciary Committee markup in 07, Rep. Arthur Davis admitted that the legislation will not protect a pastor (as well as Bible teachers, Sunday School teachers etc.,) from prosecution.

Former judge, Rep. Louie Gohmert stated that federal law currently stipulates that anyone who "incites" or "induces" a person to commit a violent crime against a protected class, can be prosecuted for aiding or abetting in the crime. This could include a pastor who preaches against the gay lifestyle.

The so-called hate crimes bill will be used to lay the legal foundation and framework to investigate, prosecute and persecute pastors, business owners, Bible teachers, Sunday School teachers, youth leaders, Christian counselors, religious broadcasters and anyone else whose actions are based upon and reflect the truths found in the Bible, which have previously been protected by the First Amendment, resulting in a chilling affect on religious liberties.

More than 30 sexual orientations effectively gain federal protection. These, because of Congress's failure to define "sexual orientation," will arguably be protected under this legislation. Among those sexual orientations are:

• Fronteurism
• Incest
• Necrophilia
• Pedophilia
• Prostitution
• Zoophilia (Beastiality)
• Voyeurism

Non-criminal sexual orientations include such behaviors as:

• Autogeynephilia
• Apotemnophilia
• Coprophilia
• Uraphilia
• Transvestic Fetishism

This legislation provides hundreds of thousands of dollars to fund so-called anti-hate programs. This includes a series of $100,000 grants to organizations allegedly fighting "hate" in their communities.

If signed into law, this so-callled hate crimes bill will be used to fund pro-LGBT teaching materials for our nation's public schools. It will be a replay of what occurred during the Clinton Administration.

During the Clinton years, TVC exposed the federal government's use of tax dollars to fund an "anti-hate" (actually anti-Christian) school curriculum. "Healing the Hate: A National Bias Crime Prevention Curriculum for Middle Schools," actually did the following"

• Compared Baptists and Pentecostals to White Supremacist groups.
• Defined "prejudice" to include the "bigoted thoughts" of religious organizations. If a church teaches homosexual sex is wrong, you see, the curriculum calls it bigotry!
• Defined a "hate incident" as "harmful words or actions motivated by prejudice," which specifically includes "religious beliefs." In other words, if you have moral principles based on your religious faith, the curriculum says you're prejudiced!
• Defined institutionalized prejudice as widely accepted in religious groups.

Under the guise of hate crime prevention, $100,000 a pop will be given to LGBT groups to create more anti-Christian pro-gay agenda materials for public schools and communities, teaching children to accept homosexuality, bisexuality and transgenderism, etc as normal behaviors.

Another flaw in the bill is that affected parties are not defined. Will traditional values once again be denigrated with taxpayer dollars?

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender activists (LGBT) have worked aggressively to promote the idea that Bible Speech (opposition to the gay agenda) will lead inevitably to violent "hate" crimes. Thus, they say restrictions of such speech is justified as a way of protecting homosexuals from violence. What they're really targeting is speech against LGBT behaviors that is based upon an understanding of what the Bible says about this behavior. in short, they're targeting Bible Speech-not actual "hate speech."

I bring all this to your attention so that you see what we are up against. We must act accordingly to prevent this bill from passing. Call who you must and who you may and tell them to vote Negative. Prepare your people for whats to come. This same thing has been passed in Canada and is already affecting television ministries there. Look it up for yourself and see whats happening. (Traditional Values Coalition)

Our Freedom Is Dangerous

The Lord has been bringing me back to the same scriptures time and time again this last week. (Galations 5:1-6, 13, 16-21) After going through a couple things this week the Lord has really blessed me in letting me know He is still there for me and still cares deeply.

Freedom is dangerous in the hands of those who don't know how to use it. That's why criminals are confined in prisons with barbed wire, steel bars, and concrete barriers. Or consider a campfire that is allowed to spread in a dry forest. It quickly becomes a blazing inferno. Unchecked freedom can create chaos.

Nowhere is this more evident than in the Christian life. Believers are free from the law's curse, its penalty, and its guilt-producing power. Fear, anxiety, and guilt are replaced by peace, forgiveness, and liberty. Who could be more free than one who is free in the depths of his soul? But here is where we often fail. We use freedom's luxury to live selfishly, or we claim ownership of what God has merely entrusted to us. We slip into patterns of self-indulgent living, especially in affluent societies.

The proper use of freedom is "faith working through love" to serve one another (Gal.5:6,13). When we rely on the Spirit and expend our energies on loving God and helping others, the destructive works of the flesh will be restrained by God. So let's always use our liberty to build up, not to tear down.

Like a raging fire, freedom without limits is dangerous. But when controlled, it is a blessing to all.

Christ came to give us liberty

by dying in our place;

now with new freedom we are bound

to share His love and grace. ~Dennis Haan~

Freedom doesn't give us the right to do what we please, but to do what pleases God.

Book Searching Begins

I came to the conclusion today that I need a good book to fill my empty time slots. Something to feed my hunger, to quench my thirst. If your reading this and have a good suggestion, please, enlighten me. And so you know, I prefer non-fiction thank you.

I do have a good book to read. "Redefining Children's Ministry" but for some reason I just don't feel led to read it right now. So it sits in my library waiting till the day I need it. For now the search goes on for the right book at the right time. Something that will enrich my walk with the Lord and bring a much needed spiritual growth.

A Duh-Moment

We all have those duh...moments. Well, atleast I know I do. I sat down last night and wrote out my July budget. I have purposed to go by it strictly this month. So today I cashed my check, left out just enough cash for my envolope system and deposited the rest. I wrote out my tithe & offering check, then my checks for bills. I decided to go buy groceries. Alls going well so far.

I go through the store and buy exactly what I wrote on my list with the exception of one package of stew meat and one lonely green pepper for tonights stir fry. Only calculating in my head about what everything would cost I went to check out. I was less than two dollars under my food budget. Everything was great. So I thought. I pulled out my wallet and to my dismay, I completely forgot my cash from my envelopes. Duhhh. I thought I was slick up to that point.

Building Walls

What do you do when you find that the walls you have been building have crumbled before you?

I have been working on building walls against certain temptations/sin. All it takes is once to let satan get his foot in the door. Then the walls come tumbling down. I know it says in God's Word not to give an inch to the devil. I feel I have done the exact opposite. It makes a guy feel pretty bad when he has sinned against the Lord. Jesus has done nothing but show me love and patience. I can only do what I know best. Repent, turn towards God and start rebuilding the walls.

I yearn so badly to do what is right before the Lord. I'm asking God to make me more sensitive to His Holy Spirit. I want to stay in tune with Him so I can do His Will. I'm pretty much fighting mad at the devil for making me feel so rotten and foolish. That stupid old devil tricked me and now I don't even feel worthy to serve God. It's amazing how cunning and slick that serpent is. He might be on the brink of retardation but every now and then, if you let him, he will get his licks in. I guess what I'm saying is, don't let your guard down. Stand firm, resist him. Sorry to get so personal here. I'm off to rebuild some walls.