Tough day!

Ever had one of those days when you knew you should have stayed in bed? Today was that day for me. My work vehicle is still out of commission so I get the privilege of being chauffeured around by my bosses son. His driving sucks. I admit that their are few people I am comfortable riding with. I know not many people can drive as skillfully as myself but I don,t honestly think there has been a single time he hasn't nailed at least one curb while riding with him. Today was no exception. This doesn't occur when we are parking. Cointreau mu fair. We are driving and he nails it. Not brushes but totally violates the poor innocent concrete victim. Both front and rear tires take their turn rolling over the curb and the left rear barely avoids contact. There was a lot more to my ride of death but I will leave it at that.

God though intended on me ending the day on a high note. I am really trying to be "greener" and have always enjoyed nature and gardening. I decided to treat my untamed wilderness of a backyard to a long overdue pedicure. My son (who has held snakes big enough to eat him) found a rabbit in the backyard. We have a wild rabbit munchin on some gruubage,buddy! (Pauly Shore influence) It was great. the rabbit was a little freaked out but cool to watch.
I then noticed my much neglected pineapple plant has a baby pineapple growing from the center of it. I am hoping this fruit will mature and the rabbit avoids it leaving me a tasty snack.





Then the Lord gave me a beautiful sunset to enjoy. Thank you Lord!

The Outsiders

I love to always be different. My musical taste, however diverse they may be, are definetly not the norm. My sense of art, quite different than most. I relax by mowing the yard. I retreat to the noisy places in order to hear myself think. I have never been into all the popular trendy shows. (American Idol, Survivor, CSI) Refused to conform in order to be in the target audience. Maybe that is why I loved the book The Outsiders. I was forced to read it in high school and refused to allow myself to enjoy it. I still manage to love it and find myself years later reflecting on the book and some of the quotes in it.




There is a quote (I don't remember it exactly, its been a few years)about how you can see sunsets from both the rich side and poor side of town and they are still beautiful. Maybe this is where my fascination with sunsets came from. I could (and have made family members) watch the sunset on the horizon basking in the warm pink/orange glow as it fades from view. The whole point of the sunset in the book is rather you are rich or poor the sunsets are the same.

How true that is. I know I have talked about the men of the church having been neutered and sunsets are not very masculine but I disagree. But what do I know I also own a teacup chihuahua that plays dress up! But the sunsets are the same. Supposedly we have come so far as a society, as the human race but I sometimes if we don't feel that our sunsets are not better than someone else's because we feel we are better. I have never been much of a social activist and always felt that it was someone else's job to worry about. I guess through growing in my walk with Christ I have changed my tone quite a bit. I can't change the world but there are things I can do. I can start by changing my habits. I am trying to be more economically friendly. I am recycling more. I even bought some cloth bags for shopping.

I may not be able to financially support all the organizations that pull at my heart but I can try to raise awareness of them. My heart breaks for those who suffer around the world but also in our own backyard. I pray that God will somehow in His master plan provide me ways to minister to these people and share His love. There are those in our own neighborhoods that have never felt His love.

I recently became aware of a situation in Africa and would like to share their struggle in order that we all can join in prayer for these innocent lives. This pulls on your heartstrings especially if you are a father. Follow this link and learn more. www.cifkids.org

Sleepless in Apopka!

What a night! I was pretty much up all night with my mind jumping from one thought to the next. I wish I could just turn the old thinking cap off at times. Thoughts raced around my mind like cars on I-4.

Some were thoughts about how dysfunctional of a society we have become and how this is creeping into the church and destroying it. As we look at many of the families within our churches we see how dysfunctional they really are. For years many of us have said that our church was our family. Now even the church has taken on a dysfunctional appearance. Then we try to tell others that if they would only accept Christ they would have a better life. We expect them to have a healthy living relationship with Christ, someone you can't physically interact with, when we can't have a healthy relationship with each other.

My mind drifted everywhere last night but I spent a good amount of time thinking about relationships. I have already stated that I believe we see more and more dysfunctional relationships but I think we also see more and more relationships that are leaving people feeling empty. The results of this are divorce. I am not here to bash on divorce or even take sides. I am saying relationships are leaving us feeling like we are missing something. This is so prevalent in Baptist churches that many of them have begun to allow divorce men to be deacons. (A big no no in the past) This is not changing because we have had scripture interpreted better for us but because we have run out of men who fit the criteria. Not because we have advanced theologically but because of a digression morally.

Make an appointment to see the doctor?

9Passing along, Jesus saw a man at his work collecting taxes. His name was Matthew. Jesus said, "Come along with me." Matthew stood up and followed him.

10-11Later when Jesus was eating supper at Matthew's house with his close followers, a lot of disreputable characters came and joined them. When the Pharisees saw him keeping this kind of company, they had a fit, and lit into Jesus' followers. "What kind of example is this from your Teacher, acting cozy with crooks and riffraff?"

12-13Jesus, overhearing, shot back, "Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? Go figure out what this Scripture means: 'I'm after mercy, not religion.' I'm here to invite outsiders, not coddle insiders."

There is so much in these verses I don't know where to start. I will probably refer to these verses again at a later time to give them justice. I will focus on the company Jesus was keeping for now.

First let me say this. Matthew gives us a great example to follow. We try to "clean up" our friends before we tell them about Christ. We try to make them "church friendly". I have heard a song sung for invitation time and wonder if we mean it. The song tells us to come as we are. Do we really mean it? I sometimes get the impression what we really mean come just as you are as long as you are like me and don't carry too much baggage. Come as you are as long as you fit this stereotype.

Then Jesus says who needs a doctor? the sick or the healthy? Two points are to be made here. First the least painful for me is that Jesus came for those we write off. The drunk, the homeless, the criminal, the gay, insert your favorite group to be prejudice against. I am learning to accept this pretty easily. I have begun, (not perfected) to be able to see all people differently. I try to see them as Christ does and love them and value their life. The ones that I have the hardest time with are unfortunately those who label them selves as Christian but have no love. Sure they love their friends but don't cross them. If you do their inner demon is exposed.

That brings me to my second point. As I write this I think of people in my own church, my former church, and people in churches all over the world who are sick. I am not referring to physically sick and nor do I believe Jesus was. I am referring to those who have a diseased heart, a hardened heart. They have lost all ability to love. Christ came for them. He came to heal their hardened heart. Not only did he come for them but he came to heal those of us whose hearts have been wounded by putting to much faith and stock in religion and not our relationship with Him.

Christ came as the Great Physician but we have to make an appointment to talk to the doctor. As I write this I pray that we realize his purpose wasn't to sanction a religion but to save and heal humanity. He wasn't selfishly promoting an agenda but unselfishly giving up himself so all could be well. What are we doing? Are we here to help those who are hurting or to surround ourselves with those who make us comfortable?

Flattery will get you no where!

“I can’t stand your religious meetings.
I’m fed up with your conferences and conventions.
I want nothing to do with your religion projects,
your pretentious slogans and goals.
I’m sick of your fund-raising schemes,
your public relations and image making.
I’ve had all I can take of your noisy ego-music.
When was the last time you sang to me?
Do you know what I want?
I want justice—oceans of it.
I want fairness—rivers of it.
That’s what I want. That’s all I want.”

- Amos 5:21-24

The previous verses have been taken from The Message. A contemporary translation of the Bible.

These verses have been playing over and over in my head for the last two weeks. It is like that catchy song that once you hear it you can't forget it and find yourself singing it unintentionally. We read the Bible and try to place it in its historical setting but many times forget that it is just as relevant today as ever. I am quite honestly sick of the perversion that we have allowed to come int the church. We have not only allowed it to come into the church but we have embraced it and too many times taught it to our people.

We build our churches and spend millions on furnishings. Why? Because it pleases God? Because we are doing it to show how much he means to us? No because it justifies our materialistic lifestyles. If I am willing to support the church's desire to become commercial friendly than I can justify the 52" plasma screen television I buy. (note to reader I don't have the television but dream of it). We do not spend thousands of dollars on marketing to show Christ true concerns we spend it so we look better than the church a mile down the road. I believe we are more like the Israel we read about then we are willing to admit! Amos was trying to get across to the hard headed Jews that God could care less about their ritualistic feast and slogans and goals. Amos is telling us God could care less about our branding, the color of our sanctuary, or if we sit in chairs or pews. Some how these things seem to dominate the thoughts within our churches.

I find it sad but true that church has become a ritualistic form of worship for so many people on Sunday mornings. Just as Israel was practicing religion and not focusing on true worship so do we every Sunday morning. Lets face it how many times have we heard about the "anonymous" gift being given but know that the little old lady on the third row whose husband died two years ago faithfully gives all she can only to be overlooked. When we sing our songs do we sing him to God or so the people next to us can admire our voices? Do we even pay attention to the words? I find many times that when I actually think about the words I can't manage to get the words out because my throat swells up with a giant lump in order to fight the tears. You ask why fight them? Isn't that what we are taught to do? Sing the songs, go through the motions? We have a schedule to keep. If we experience revival in our churches we must do so by 11:45 so we can make it to lunch on time.

We ask where is God in times like this? How do we see God in this situation? I sometimes wonder if he isn't saying the same thing. Where are the Christians in all of this? Where are my followers in this situation?

Long overdue!

It seems like forever since I have had time to write a little note. Life has been a blur lately. Last week was spring break for the family and it was a great week for all of us. I took a day off and went to Epcot again. They were having their Flower and Garden Festival. I tried to do my best not making everyone wait while I took countless pictures of flowers and crazy tourist. Everyone seemed to enjoy it and we took in a bunch of things we have always been in too much of a hurry to see.








It was a busy week because we also got a puppy. We got a teacup chihuahua. I know not the manliest dog but I am quite fond of her. I am looking forward to using her as a subject of my photography and who knows maybe you can purchase a calendar with her as the star someday!?!





Last Sunday I was allowed to do Children's Church. I know the thought of this makes most of you cringe but I love it. I can not wait until next time. I had already been able to get to know many of the kids. (I probably remember more of their names than the adults.) We had a really good time. I decided to do a lesson on the loaves and fishes miracle. I wanted them to see how important they are to the church and how they were so special to God that he used them in a huge way to perform this miracle. We had a really good time. During snack time I even taught them how to throw Ritz bits in the air and catch them in their mouths. (Sure that has been a hit with mom and dad.) This Sunday one of the boys came and sat with us during church. That made Sunday perfect.

I am in charge of VBS and have no idea what to expect. If it is anything like Sunday I can't wait. The week might be hectic and I may have a few sleepless nights worrying about making everything perfect but if I connect with one child all the problems will disappear.