Judgment

First, let me say be careful of the words that come out of your mouth. You can be chatting on the phone with a family member in innocent conversation, when it takes a turn. Then before you know it, you have gossiped and judged someone else....it was wrong and you need to repent. (That was me yesterday. So sorry Lord)

I was reading a book, and the man could not understand why something bad happened to one of his children and he blamed God. (we all have done that at one time or another) This man was being dealt with about why it was NOT God's fault even though God was being blamed. This man was clearly very angry at God because he had no one else to blame. So, the man was given a choice to send three of his children to Heaven and two of them to Hell. The man was horrified! He could not make such a choice. He asked if he could go instead of them. It was then that the man truly understood God's love for him....that is what God did. (think on that for a moment)


In the book, the man said how can God love his daughter and still let her go thru such a horrible thing?
"He doesn't stop a lot of things that cause Him pain. Your world is severly broken. You demanded your independence, and now you are angry with the One who loved you enough to give it to you. Nothing is as it should be, as God desires it to be, and as it will be one day. Right now your world is lost in darkness and chaos, and horrible things happen to those He is especially fond of."

"This was no plan of God's. God has never needed evil to accomplish His good purposes. It is you humans who have embraced evil and God has responded with goodness. What happened to [your daughter] was the work of evil and no one in your world is immune from it."


These are good quotes. No matter what, God loves us. More than we could ever imagine. He loves us when we are good, when we are bad, and when we need a good spanking. God always hugs us and says it's ok, just don't do it again. He tells us He loves us everyday. Did you see flowers today? Did you see fluffy clouds and sunshine? Did you see birds flying overhead? God tells you He loves us everyday.

Think about all of that.....

Are we fishers of men????

I saw one of my friends on Facebook say as churches we should be fishers of men, not keepers of the aquarium. Stop and think about what that means. It is truly profound and I thank that friend for sharing it.

Not too many weeks ago, my pastor spoke about if we are to go and get the unchurched and bring them in...are we ready for what that means. He went on to say that means the homosexual, the pimp, the child molester, the prostitute.......how will we handle that? Can we love and teach without judging? Do we realize that those people will not change overnight? Well, he made a valid point. Most churches are happy with the nice congretation they have. They don't want new people because that would make them have to actually DO what the Bible says to do, that is love. We like our little comfort zone and we like the status quo. Beware, that turns us into lukewarm Christians, and you know what God does with those...the vomits them out of His mouth.

Status quo is being a keeper of the church aquarium. God likes to stretch us. God wants us to learn and love more. He can't steer a parked car. Is your church parked, or are they moving forward listening to what God wants to do? My church is definitely moving forward. God has placed many people with a vision of what our church could do and could be. Fortunately, we have a pastor with that same vision. My church is NOT a keeper of the aquarium. We know how to fish...we are in the south for Pete's sake. Ha,ha,ha.

Now, that is not to say that there are some peeps in my church that try to keep their own little aquarium. Fortunately, most of us are on the move. Jesus said we should be fishers of men. Go into all the world and preach the good news of the gospel. We catch em, He cleans em. ( I love that.)

Now, are you a fisherman or do you keep an aquarium?? You think about that.....

Success

I love good quotes. One of my faves is by Vince Lombardi......The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary.

Ha, that is sooo true. Just ask any millionaire. Most business tycoons spent many countless hours working hard to find success. You have to try and find what works...usually through some failures. But, when you find what works and you kick it up a notch. That is the best!!!

Think of someone who is successful at something: Tiger Woods, Warren Buffett, Donald Trump, Ron Howard, or George Lucas (sorry, but I love Star Wars).....all of them put sweat and long hours into what they did. For sports, you have to practice many hours, for business the same thing. George Lucas went through several companies before he got someone to be interested in his work.

No one gets something for nothing. Well, they should not anyway. I know the culture in America today is moving towards entitlement mentality. Everyone has their hand out for the government to take care of them. Not me. I am smart and capable, and God will help me do whatever He wants me to do. I do not need a handout.
I wish more people in this country had pride in themselves and their abilities....imagine how awesome we would be if those on walfare actually tried to get off of it and the government tried to help them instead of keeping them dependant.

Think about that........

Out of the Office

We have decided that we are going to have our computer fixed versus buying a new one. So, later today, this one will be dismantled.

I say this to tell you that I will be offline for the rest of the week. Not sure when we will get this thing back, but at least Friday. I will be back on Monday. Enjoy your week.

Try not to miss me too much.

Confusion and Delay

Good Morning!
I have been without a computer for 5 days. I did fine and did not go through withdrawals, although I did learn a few things. I realized that I often email instead of calling people when I have a question.
I also saw when I finally did get back online that I had TONS of stuff in my inbox. Others email more than I do. It has replaced the phone call in so many instances. Part of that reason is we can email at 3am if we want to, and the recipient can respond whenever it is convenient. That part is good. The down side is we often go weeks without speaking to our good friends live.

I love technology. I do not Tweet, and I use Facebook sparingly. I am not addicted to either. (I do notice some people spend way too much time on Facebook wasting time on Quizzes and sending fake "gifts" all day. To those of you, I say, get off and go do something productive. LOL

Anyway, I am glad to be back. Remember to say a prayer for our soldiers overseas, and say a special Happy Birthday in August to mine.

Thomas Paine and the War

What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly.





Thomas Paine said this. He lived from 1787 to 1809 and he wrote Common Sense, a pamphlet advocating colonial America's independence from Great Britian. He was against organized religion, and it got him kicked out of America. Only by presidential invitation did he come back here. But that is not why I am discussing him. He wrote this deep, profound, and timeless quote. Let me tell you what is says to me...



Think of our children. Most kids today are given anything and everything they want. They have cell phones at 8, PSP's (which are at least $175.00), iPods, X-box, and a computer. Most kids have a tv in their rooms with cable access (what?) and a DVD player.
How many of us make our kids earn what they get? It's no wonder they are bored with one thing in a week, and want something more. They don't appreciate it because they never had to work for it. That goes from adults too. This country is very rich....even our poor are richer than in most countries.

Now, think of our college age generation. They protest government, and support liberal programs because life should be fair(gag). News flash, ladies and gentlemen, life is NOT fair. Never has been. Our younger people disagree with war, and that is fine. But, like it or not, freedom is not free. The only reason you have the freedom to protest war is because someone came before you and fought for that right. Wake up and smell the venti caramel lattes!
The soldiers over in Iraq, Iran, and Afghanistan understand. I promise you they appreciate every ounce of freedom most of us take for granted each day. Have you all forgotten about the terrorist attacks in 2001? America is not immune.
You all need to thank a soldier today. WE ARE THE LAND OF THE FREE BECAUSE OF THE BRAVE....
think about that.

Child Evangelism Fellowship

Today was the 2009 CEF Spectacular. It is a Christian event sponsored by local businesses in the area, and staffed by volunteers from many different churches and other places. It is totally FREE.

• popcorn
• drinks
• snow cones
• games with prizes
• inflatables galore
• magic show/entertainment

Everything was free!! There were booths that shared the Gospel, and the entertainment was all to share God's love. I have been to several of these events, and this was the first one in the Jim Graham Building at the Fairgrounds.

It was very crowded. I don't like lines myself, but I stood in many for my children. We got popcorn, snow cones, and drinks. They jumped in some of the inflatables, and saw part of the magic show. No one in the whole place gets paid. They are all volunteers. What a great outreach to the community!

I did wish the magician was more exciting. I found it boring. (I am not a kid, even though some who know me would beg to differ) There was one lady who did sign language to songs. She did one song at a time in between magic show. I found her the most interesting, and not because I have a sign choir. She chose current songs that spoke of God's love, and performed them with enthusiasm. I think if the starters of this event had put the word out that they needed performers...they would have had many to choose from, and it would not have been so redundant.

All in all, my children had a wonderful time, and I want to say THANK YOU to the people who put on this CEF event. Thank you to the sponsors and volunteers too.