George Clooney My Mentor!

Yes it is true, George has dropped out of the major motion picture industry and started to sell food for US Foodservice. Well OK, maybe not. This is actually Curt my mentor and he is really a nice guy. I was just amazed at how much he looked like George Clooney, what amazes me the most is that he has never heard that and does not see it himself? Crazy or just me? Let me know if I have lost it or what?

Admiration

It is funny how things bring people together, I was talking to a great guy last night that I really admire. When someone says the word "Character" I think of this individual. He has gone through a ton of trials in the past two years, some of which I have been part of, some I was just a spectator to. All the while he has grown and become a great man as a result. He has stepped up and is such an inspiration to me. I look at the controversy he has walked through, the loss and transition all the while keeping strong and true to himself and his beliefs. Until you walk a mile in a man's shoes you don't know, but watching it has amazed me. Well if you get a chance visit Scott's Blog you will be sure to enjoy it! He has blessed me and I am sure he will you too!

I ate some bugs, I ate some grass, I used my hand, to wipe my tears.

My middle son was singing this to me yesterday and it made me laugh! Well I know it has been awhile since I posted and I wanted to give a brief update as to what has been a great paradigm shift in our lives. First I started my new job and it has been a dramatic change from what I am use to. I have worked nights and weekend for the past sixteen years so being off has been awesome I can't believe I did it for as long as I did. It has had a major change to my relationship with the family and really has taught me to appreciate the time that much more. The week prior I got off work everyday by 2:00 PM and was off for four days leading up to this week. The people I work with are great and although I am training it seems like I am really going to enjoy this line of work. We finally got a new townhouse which we are moving into on the 14th of this month. It is really awesome cause not only is it bigger it has a garage and is three stories so we have a ton of storage and room! Then we are going on vacation to Tulsa from the 25th to the 1st of August which everyone is pumped about. Jared made the All Star team and has really excelled at baseball, he loves it and is pretty good at it to boot! Finally, Rachel started a new job with the leasing office in the community we live in so no more waking at quarter to four AM and no more standing on her feet all day. I think she is going to like it for now, but our goal is for her to stop working in the next year. So, I have to say God has really blessed us and we have come full circle. While things always come at a cost it is nice to reap some of what I believe our family has sewn for so long. Well I will try and keep up more as time permits and would love to hear from you as well!
Here are some pics for you all to enjoy!

First Day Squared

Well not only was it the first day at my new job, but it was Rachel's first day as well! I will let her tell you how great it was herself. As for me well I loved it, it could not have gone better! I walked into a conference room with all the Executive VP's and they greeted me with open arms and enthusiasm. It was nice to be working in a high level of respect. The best part about it was the Human Resources person who did my orientation was the wife a my Dean from High School who remembered me! Scary. Anyway, it is odd to think I have nights and weekends and Holidays off? I am still having to have that one sink in, well you know what they say? Cause I sure as heck don't! Well pray for us as we are still going through a ton, we are moving in the next two weeks to a HUGE town house almost twice as big as our current digs and I am trying to find a new used car. God is GEWD all the time!

SURPRISE SURPRISE SURPRISE

OK, for some of you this will be a surprise for others not. I am on my last week at Joe's which ends Friday the 16th YEAH! I start my new job on the 19th which is a great, fantastic, awesome sales job! I work Monday through Friday 8 to 5 through twelve weeks of training then I work out of my home from that point forward my own schedule. I am so sad and will miss all the wonderful people at Joe's and at the same time am excited not having to work nights and weekends or on a schedule. Anyway I thank all of you for your prayers and words of encouragement (Geoff you rock!). Well I will keep you posted as to how things go down and will have some new pictures to post soon!

A SIMPLE REQUEST?

Hey I know people read my blog cause I have a secret hidden counter, even though none of you are man or woman enough to comment. That said I just have a simple request for your sincere prayers right now as we are going through a HUGE time of transition and life changes! Thank you! GOD BLESS US EVERYONE OF US!
BMAC

FUD

Sorry it has been a while since I posted anything worth reading. Well I am back with the FUD. FUD use to mean something different to me. Obviously to those of you that know me, those that don't to bad! J/K. Anyway we have been in a FUD fog lately and I found this article to explain:

FUD was first defined by Gene Amdahl after he left IBM to found his own company, Amdahl Corp.: "FUD is the fear, uncertainty, and doubt that IBM sales people instill in the minds of potential customers who might be considering Amdahl products." As Eric S. Raymond writes: "The idea, of course, was to persuade buyers to go with safe IBM gear rather than with competitors' equipment. This implicit coercion was traditionally accomplished by promising that Good Things would happen to people who stuck with IBM, but Dark Shadows loomed over the future of competitors' equipment or software. After 1991 the term has become generalized to refer to any kind of disinformation used as a competitive weapon."
Opponents of certain large computer corporations state that the spreading of fear, uncertainty, and doubt is an unethical marketing technique that these corporations consciously employ.
By spreading questionable information about the drawbacks of less well known products, an established company can discourage decision-makers from choosing those products over its wares, regardless of the relative technical merits. This is a recognized phenomenon, epitomized by the traditional axiom of purchasing agents that "nobody ever got fired for buying IBM" equipment. The result is that many companies' IT departments buy software that they know to be technically inferior because upper management is more likely to recognize the brand.

I think it is funny cause the enemy uses FUD in our lives everyday, stay with me I am safe, Good Things will happen to you if you do nothing! Stepping out of your comfort zone is hard, but if you do it, the rewards are eternally greater, OBVIOUSLY ONLY IF YOU CHOOSE TO GROW FROM IT! Many people step out and fail to see anything, but negative, these are the ones that run back to the safe haven before God and say He missed them. When really they missed HIM!

The ones that seek growth before, during and after the trials gain the most and allow God's favor to shine upon their lives. You can't be grateful with out loss. Sux I know, I am grateful for my kids, cause I lost time with them while at work. Again, I know easier said than done, goes back to choice.

Choose joy and it will come! Choose Peace and it shows up! Choose Love and you win! Anger, Bitterness, Unrest, Anxiety, Unhappiness are all choices! The first one comes independently when Joy, Peace and Love are not chosen in your daily walk. Worst yet it will consume your being if you don't choose them! How to avoid it? Pray, read the Word and Praise Him for the littlest to the large!

I look at where I am at right now and geographically it is beautiful, from a personal stand point it is a mine field. It would be easy to choose a ton of things not good for me or my family to focus on here. But I don't, I CHOOSE TO look at the positive, I have a healthy family who loves me (sometimes), loves the Lord and loves each other. No one is going hungry and we are all Growing in ways we never imagined.

I will give you one example of what I mean by GROW (God's Right Of Way) and then I am out! I have been drinking Diet soda my ENTIRE life. If you asked me five years ago would I ever quit? I would have laughed you off so hard its not funny, same is true if you asked me the question six months ago. Now you have to understand I would consume four liters of Diet Soda a Day! Again, if you know me you know that is an understatement. That said, I joined a gym and quit soda because I learned to step aside and give God the right of way in my life as a result of a trial in my life at the time. Would I have done that in OK? I don't believe so because the trial would never have happened there! Anyway, I have never been healthier and felt stronger that today, why? Cause I choose to grow from a situation that sucked!

Hope this inspires you!

Love
B

A Great Friend and Even Better

I am so blessed to have a great friend and even better a true man of God.

This man is one of the most selfless, kind hearted examples of Christ I know. He does not look in things as perspective to his age would suggest.


He is wiser than pastors three times his age the only one close to him is DeVern F. Fromke (which only he would know who that is). This person has really shown me the Lord, Love and Life in such a phenomenal way. I have been shown what true transparency means.


Even though I often argue and get under his skin he never lets that stand in the way of being a true friend. I have seen this man break down and shed tears in empathy of the pain someone is going through in such a true and loving way.

But the best thing about this person for me is two fold, one he is a friend and mentor for life and two I know one day we are going to fulfill the destiny(again no pun intended here) God has called to the both of us.

Even if he won't admit it! J/K OK,not really!

Finally, I got time to spend with him and his awesome wife/pastor along with his incredible boys for a whole week! I love them all so much and really miss them a ton.
Anyway just in case you can't tell from the photos my wife is the good lookin one and he is the young cat to the left of her.

I have to say I really hit it off with Nate Dog as well what a stinkin cute kid! "of course"

Enjoy the pictures!

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly!

I often times find myself talking to God without ever pausing to hear His response. I will go on and on and on and on and never once pause to wait to hear what He has to say? Funny how I can do that no matter what it is about. If it is good well then I suppose he does not have much to say except, "Your Welcome." If it is bad, then maybe it would serve me well to listen, it definitely could not hurt. BUT when it is ugly, I am sure I am missing it by not pausing to listen! Obviously, today it was ugly. What I don't like about being on salary is the more hours I work, the less I make per hour(FYI, I am just whining here). So nothing is worse than having to work a 14 1/2 hour day with out eating any lunch or dinner in a restaurant no less and in complete ugliness. The worse part about it is no mater how much I pray for and about it, I still miss my wife and kids. I leave they are in bed, I get home they are asleep in bed. Then I stopped and paused and you know what God said to me? "Now you know how I feel!" Ouch! That's not G E W D at all. Cause it is true. Like that cavity you are waiting to get filled, you can try and manage the pain and avoid cold until just so long and then WHAM it hits you, you forget and drink something cold. You may be asking yourself, "Where is he going with all this?" Good question, I know that if we spent as much time listening to God, as we do trying to deal with the Bad and Ugly, while working to increase the Good. The Good would come without working for it and the Bad and Ugly while still there would be far more manageable. Stop, listen you might hear something GEWD today!

What's your rank?

It is one of the goals of every soldier. Rank yes they work and train to move forward in rank. It is funny how we all do the same thing. Yeah maybe not in the same way, but we do it! If I just get that house, if I am able to purchase that blouse, I am able to go to this event or if I can hang out with these people I am in! I can't imagine how it would feel if God showed up in the midst of it all? Turn from your sins and turn to God, because the Kingdom of Heaven is near. The Kingdom of Heaven is God! Take time to evaluate what is truly important in your life, God? Family? Friends? Things? People? Sacrifice? Forgiveness? We have been given the greatest gift of Love and Grace maybe we should pay it forward more and work for our life less? God wants us to bring the Kingdom of Heaven near, He wants us to bring it to the Earth cause eventually He will! What is your rank and how important is rank to you?

What you believe in?

I am constantly hearing from many different sources you have to believe in God and Jesus in order to be saved and live a life with the Lord. I am left asking myself do I really need to believe in God as much as I need to believe that God believes in me? I read in the book of Job where in the midst of the horrible trials Eliphaz says to Job, don't you remember the words of encouragement the Lord shared with you in encouraging others through trials? The truth is God wants you to believe more that HE believes in you, because you can't believe that He believes in you without believing in Him. If you look at when Peter went to walk on water Jesus said, "You of little faith" faith in who? Faith in Jesus? Or faith in himself? The more you believe that God believes in you and your faith grows in yourself the further you can stretch yourself for the Lord.

Memory

I don't know what the deal is but I am starting to freak out! Example being if Rachel has a photographic memory (which she does) I have a doodle memory. I was on the phone tellins someone how long we lived in our last house and I said two or three years. Well Rachel comes around the corner and says uh five! I am like what happened to the atleast two years? How could I not remember that? Is it true that the aluminum in my deodorant is causing me to loose my memory. Then I got to thinking about what it was like to be 6 Jaydens age and I could not remember? I tried 8 Jacksons age? Still no luck, then Jared 12, right? No LUCK! I can't remember earlier than like 13-14ish! I guess its not important but I am still concerned cause it is not just long term memory it can be short to. Like being told to go to the store for eggs and bringing back milk or something like that. Saying one thing and then finding out I did not say anything at all? Well no reason for this post I almost forgot why I posted it to begin with. Now I remember, to make you comment since you don't anymore! Oh yeah you know who you are cause I can't remember and your irresponsibility to our relationship is only making it worse. So for the love of my memory comment already!
BMAC OUT

The Who The Why The When and The How

I listen to sermon after sermon and hear many different pastors preach and it never ceases to amaze me the way in which they complicate God and His Word. In using big words and a deep theological tone I hear over and over How to Live, Why I live, When I am to Live and Who I am. In forty days I can find my purpose, I didn't realize I lost it?

I am. Isn't that what He said, I am. Simple, like Love it is simple. Love's choice is not easy, but it is simple. I don't think knowing the rational behind the twelve toad stools can help me as much as Love. Every time we are hurt, mad, depressed or overcome with affliction, if we move in Love we have made the right decision and it all works out! I am = Love, if you want a great life choose a simple one, a life of Love! Maybe if we studied and mastered love we could move on to the more complex, but last I checked I had a ways to go!

Christians Hate Sex

I was reading an article talking about how Christians are anti-sex and just blasted us it really aggrivated me. I found inspiration in a prayer from a wedding dating back to a 1559 Book of Common Prayer.

WITH this ring I the wed: with my body I the worship: and with all my worldly goodes, I the endow. In the name of the Father, and of the Sonne, and of the holy Ghost. Amen.

What the reality is that Christians are the ones who know what really good sex is! It is sex with one person in a marriage in Christ for a lifetime. Not only that but it is my opinion, as the love and commitment grows so to does sex, because it is the fruit of the relationship in Christ. So the call to worship is the call to holiness, which is the call to good sex.

For those of you not married, it is the promise of true worship in the sexual union under God in covenant. To say no, is to say no to the idolatry of false gods who think that Sex is the ultimate, when it is God who is the ultimate! PEACE OUT! B

All is quiet in New Years Day!

You would be proud of me, I went to this party and I only had one drink on New Years Eve!

Scope

It is not just a mouth wash! It is defined as "The range of one's perceptions, thoughts, or actions." And I am often times perplexed at the range of peoples perceptions, thoughts and actions. Like someone saying to me they have to much time on their hands? Really, like they want to leave this Earth early due to boredom? My all time favorite has to do with actions, when someone asks me what time it is and points at their wrist. I don't point at my butt when I ask where the bathroom is, so why would you insult me by pointing at your wrist? Is this some kind of validation that they are not wearing a watch, like I would think you are going around trying to trick people into telling the time, when you really have a watch. I guess you just had too much free time on your hands aye? So the point is everything has scope, even God's Word has scope cause we all have different perceptions of the way things are. That said, the Bible is suppose to have scope, it is to be perceived constantly. How else are you going to make it relevant to your culture and life? This I believe is a good scope, unlike the mouth wash with dries your mouth out and gives you bad breath!

RATE MY LIFE

I recently did this exercise and was unsurprised!

This Is My Life, Rated
Life:	8.5
Mind:	8.3
Body:	9.6
Spirit:	9.2
Friends/Family:	6.9
Love:	9.1
Finance:	7
Take the Rate My Life Quiz

Women Vs. Men

I am often perplexed by the difference between Men and Women, especially being married to one. By the way the on/off switch for the woman does not work!

Life is

Does not matter where you are or what you are doing as long as you are with family for Christmas. What a great time of year to share with the ones you love. I saw a guy walking accross the Causeway today and he was homeless and alone. I hurt for him not because he is homeless, but because he is alone. I am so blessed to have people in my life. As God I am sure is blessed to have you in his life. Rejoice and praise him for this season is not only a time to be thankful for what we have, but also to appreciate why God made us and keeps us with our families, you, me, Him and all of us together! He is so flippin awesome! I Love our God! I Love all of you! Life is Merry Christmas to All! All of you and All year round!

Porn Hits Video Games?

If you have a chance you need to watch this!

http://www.wallythewiener.com/wallyawards.html

Think no? How about these facts to encourage you:

THE FACTS ABOUT THE INDUSTRY

How did an industry that used to be represented by PacMan and Donkey Kong turn into Leisure Suit Larry and Extreme Thong Volleyball? 2004 was the year of porn and sex in video games and Wally along with Mike and Craig at XXXChurch took notice.

THE FACTS:

• Game industry worldwide video game annual sales reached $20 billion (Cohen, 2000).
• In households with children, 67% own a video game system (Subrahmanyam et al, 2001).
• In a report by the Federal Trade Commission, of 118 "M" rated games, 70% were targeted to children under 17 years of age (FTC, 2000).
• Unaccompanied children, ages 13 to 16, were able to buy "M" rated video games 85% of the time (FTC, 2000).

FINALLY, NOTHING IS SACRED NOT EVEN THE FABLE PAST TIME OF FOOTBALL MAINLY THE SUPER BOWL. YOU WON'T LIKE THIS BUT HERE ARE SOME MORE FACTS TO CHEW ON!
Advertising Stats

•The average 18 year old has already watched 22,000 hours of television including 350,000 commercials. This is more than the total hours spent in schools (912,000 hours by the end of high school)

•By age 70 these kids will have watched TV for 7 to 10 years.

•TV exposes children to more than 14,000 sexual situations and innuendoes per year.

The Money

•59 in-game spots have been getting a record average of $2.4 million per 30-second commercial.
That's $80,000 per second.

I only ask you to think about how this affects your kids and why it is so important to instill in them the Word and Godly value, if not you are letting tv do it!

Peace B

THE ANSWER TO THE AGE OLD PROBLEM OF WHO HAS CONTROL OF THE REMOTE IS HERE!

Now husband can sit on the right and watch the game, while the wife watches Beaches on the left side of the couch. Who says technology isn't improving?

Something Good!

OK, I am not a huge fan, but after watching the trailer I really want to see this one!

click here

A Funk? A Friend? And Family?

I can't tell you how blessed I am. That said, I am going through a time of transition in my life and raising the bar a bit. The standards I once believed were just my level are no more. God has revealed to me that my level is only limited by Our own potential (Our being God and Me). I know God's level is a lot higher I just have to wrap my mind around it. Still I feel kind of in a Funk. Why? Well I love life and what God has done with mine. I don't worry about much anymore, and God honors that. I am so in Love with my wife, and God honors that too. I have three of the best behaved boys who I also love and trust their lives to Christ, and God honors that as well. The lesson? God Honors Trusting Him, Right Behaviour and Attitudes. Being here has only been hard in one area for me, and that is friends. Not like hey lets have dinner, or eat after church. But the type of friend like I have in which I would go to lunch and vomit my hopes, fears, and anger, then get checked against the glass for being such a wuss. The answer, keep on keepin on, and God will honor it. I know my wife misses Lil Jean incredibley as do I, but I also miss my friend as well, I miss those good lunch talks. Oh well, friend if you are reading this and I doubt you are, you are your missed, God is faithful and just. I am just venting in a public forum and wanting to say appreciate what you have today, for today should be better than tomorrow and if tomorrow happens to be better than today, PRAISE GOD either way we win! Thanks for listening!

What I want of Christmas?

Yeah know sometimes I see a car or bike that I would like to own, but ya know if it meant one less minute with my wife and kids, No thanks. I have everything I could ever want right in front of me now, God is Awesome! OK, THERE IS ONE THING, I WANTED A FLAT SCREEN TV. ONCE AGAIN GOD HELPED ME GET CREATIVE AND I MADE MY OWN! PRETTY COOL AYE?

WHY I PREFER MAC

Man this new Vista OS is great I love that start screen, finally Microsoft is letting you see what you have to look forward to right from the get go!

What makes you happy?

Sometimes, it is simple, sometimes not? But all of us find happiness in certain things. I once heard if your gonna be dumb, you better be tough and if you are gonna be happy, you better make room for friends. Why? Cause dumb people will hurt themselves through stupid actions and funny people are a joy to be around. That said, find your happiness and choose to sorround yourself with it. So, What makes me happy? My wife and boys! And Florida! And My Family! And a nice warm day with the ones I love! A Date! A Convertible! BUT MOST OF ALL ME! I CHOOSE TO BE HAPPY AND GUESS WHAT THERE I AM! GOD LOVE YOU AND CHOOSE TO BE HAPPY! IT WILL BE HONORED! SO WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY?

For a Fee

A price, it is universal isn't it? Everything and everyone for a price. We all have it. Yeah, I know your first reaction is to say, oh no I can't be bought! Really? What do you give up to have that car you drive? That house you live in? The ability to go to the mall and buy a new clothes? Oh, but that is not being bought. Yeah sure keep kidding yourself, but think about it. You work for a company and trade your time and skills for a dollar figure. That money is what you settle for in lieu of your time. So in essence you are selling yourself for a price. I am not saying that there is anything wrong with working or having a job, I am just saying that everyone has a price. The sooner we can establish this the sooner we can realize we are selling ourselves short! For most, God values you way more than you value yourself. Why would he create you if he did not value you? Why would He want YOU to have a releationship with Him? Why would you even be here? You serve a purpose and a function GOD finds important and worth something. The value of you is so high that GOD sent His one and only Son to die for you. Not only that when you devalue yourself by not trusting God with every aspect of your life, you hurt God and yourself. Today look in the mirror and see who God sees. He made you in His likeness, not yours! God is LOVE and so are you!

Why do I live here?

So, I walk out to my car after enjoying my favorite Grande Vanilla Bean Frapaccino and Barrista and this is what I find on my truck.





















So, as we have been driving around I have said to my wife, "Hey was that an aligator in that lake?" And my wife has said to me, "That is not an alligator Give Me A Break!" Then I am like really! Well low and behold as I am driving away from the Egret which was once perched on my car I see not one but two alligators sunning themselves on the bank of the lake by our home. All I have to say is AHAAAA!











































This is why I love living here! Where else will egrets perch on your car and gators bask on your lawn, I LOVE THIS PLACE! The only thing that would make this place better would be a beach! Hey wait its got it!

Top Ten Reasons Golf Is Better Than Sex

#10 - A below par performance is considered good.

#9 - You can stop in the middle and have a cheeseburger and a couple of beers.

#8 - It's much easier to find the sweet spot.

#7 - Foursomes are encouraged.

#6 - You can still make money doing it as a senior.

#5 - Three times a day is possible.

#4 - Your partner doesn't hire a lawyer if you do it with someone else.

#3 - If you live in Florida, you can do it every day.

#2 - You don' t have to cuddle with your partner when you're finished.

and best of all................

#1 - If your equipment gets old and rusty, you can replace it.

10 Thoughts to Ponder

Number 10 - Life is sexually transmitted.
Number 9 - Good health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die.
Number 8 - Men have two emotions: Hungry and Horny. If you see him without an erection, make him a sandwich!
Number 7 - Give a person a fish and you feed them for a day; teach a person to use the Internet and they won't bother you for weeks.
Number 6 - Some people are like a Slinky.....not really good for anything, but you still can't help but smile when you see one tumble down the stairs.
Number 5 - Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of nothing.
Number 4 - All of us could take a lesson from the weather. It pays no attention to criticism.
Number 3 - Why does a slight tax increase cost you two hundred dollars, but a substantial tax cut saves you thirty cents?
Number 2 - In the 60's, people took acid to make the world weird. Now the world is weird and people take Prozac to make it normal.
AND THE NUMBER 1 THOUGHT FOR 2005:
We know exactly where one cow with mad-cow-disease is located among the millions and millions of cows in America but we haven't got a clue as to where thousands of illegal immigrants and terrorists are located.
Maybe we should put the Department of Agriculture in charge of immigration.

It's Dot Com!

www.homestarrunner.com

Looking for a good laugh? I am really enjoying this and if you go to SB EMAIL you have to watch "crying" it is great!
ABE

www.homestarrunner.com/sbemail.html

Understanding is an Understatement

God is said in His Word to be an Infinite Spirit with No Shape or Form. OK, so how do we relate to that? Really? What is a Spirit? Have any of us really seen a spirit, touched a spirit, smelled a spirit. No I don't mean spirits in a bottle either. It can get pretty complex when you think about it. I remember sitting on the beach recently with my wife and her amazement at God knowing the number of crystals of sand on the beach. When I think about the fact that the average human can only hope to use 12% of their brain in an entire life time it starts to come into perspective. If I am to understand God, I am to understand JESUS. Cause truth is, Jesus defined how we are to live and to put it in the simplest and easiest of terms and without going to seminary and studying Greek, Latin, and Hebrew. I believe it is often times the understated life of Christ that leads to understanding God. If we are live everyday as He did and make every one of our choices based on how He taught us to live, then maybe that shows how in tune we are with God? If we make the understated choice of truth, love, justice, compassion, forgiveness, and sacrifice then we are in tune with God!

They can remove the Ten Commandments from inside the building?

But can they remove them from the building itself? Thats right as you walk up the steps to the building which houses the U.S. Supreme Court you can see near the top of the building a row of the world's law givers and each one is facing one in the middle who is facing forward with a full frontal view. Who is that noble man in the middle? It is Moses and he is holding the Ten Commandments! Sweet aye?

Drop it like its Hot!

I did not get to post anything on this cause, well my wife usually does, but I figure what the heck its a free blognation right?
So we were so blessed to see Rob and the guys again, it is really funny I have seen and spent more time with Rob now that I am 1500 miles away then when I lived 5 miles away. So here are some cool pics from the time we spent together. They actually played in Clearwater where my restaurant it so that was cool, although we did not get to go to the beach. That was not cool. Enjoy!



Me and the boys and some boys from church waiting for the show to start.













Me and Jackson



















RA & JAZZY















Rob eatin some crab!
















Jayden and our Youth Praise and Worship Leader AROD

















Jackson GETTIN DOWN!










THE WHOLE GANG OUTSIDE MY RESTAURANT

CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? PRAYER = SPEAKING?

OK, so in the beginning of the evangelical movement there were these two well known evangelists, lets say for anonymity sake their first names are Oral and Jerry. Jerry says to Oral, "Hey Oral, this week when we pray with our congregations why don't we make a bunch of funny noises and owwww and awwwww. Then be all crazy Like OHHHHHH HOLIEST OF LORDS WE EXALT YOU AND WORSHIP YOU AND OHHHHHHHHHH LORD PROSPER US, IF YOU DON'T TITHE LIGHTENING MIGHT STRIKE YOUR HOME HEEYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY." Then we could make all kinds of guttural sounds and hack and coooo. So, they did it and guess what it back fired on them. Everyone accepted it and they were all so insecure in their relationships with God they embraced it. Afterward the two met and decided they must have been cooler than they thought and setting a trend, so they never told anyone and today the church still practices this and we call it prayer and supplication,worst yet we accept it?

So maybe I embellished a bit here, but really? Think about it, prayer is defined as Speaking to God.
Definition
pray (SPEAK TO GOD) Show phonetics
verb
1 [I or T] to speak to a god either privately or in a religious ceremony in order to express love, admiration or thanks or in order to ask for something:

Well then why is it made to be more than this or twisted from this? I mean you don't have reverence for you father and mother, obviously you don't worship them, but if your children were like, "OHHHHHHHH Father I think you are great can I borrow the car?" "Will you please bless me with your wheels OHHHHHHH most gracious, steadfast, beautiful, caring, selfless mother?" We would be like "What are you smoking?" As I grow closer to God, He has shown me that it is not for reverence, but relationship that He created me. Nothing I speak will prove my adoration of my heavenly Father, nor anything you speak will either. It is in my actions and our relationship. So where you ask, "Where am I going with this?" I will tell you. I am talking more to God and growing closer than I have ever been through simple conversation as with any relation I have. Seems simple to some, but I have been led to believe "Some Divine Revelation" had to occur for this to happen? Well it has, I don't need anyone to show me God or how to speak to Him, He shows Himself to me and He will to you " JUST BE REAL!" I heard it once said the finest form of flattery is imitation. Imitate God not a man, God wants you to speak to Him as a Father to a Son and Mother to a Daughter. He sees through everything else.

Talk to God and be you, He will honor it and talk back to you!

Our new church and passion in the south!

So, I am driving down the road and see this sign for a church and think this is da place fer me!

Then I pull in and see the building and I am like yeah multi-tasking this is definetely fer me!

I head in side and see they are having a candle light vigil!

But the tops is the passion of the congregation members, turns out after the sermon is NASCAR! Or is the three stand for the Holy Trinity?

THE ULTIMATE IRONY

OK, So I could not strike for very long? I saw this and could not resist!

ON STRIKE!

THATS IT I AM ON STRIKE, I AM TIRED OF POSTING WITH NO COMMENTS SO LIKE ORAL ROBERTS I AM NOT POSTING AGAIN TILL I HAVE ATLEAST ONE MILLION COMMENTS! OK, MAYBE NOT A MILLION BUT ATLEAST HALF A MILLION! OK, MAYBE NOT A HALF MILLION BUT ATLEAST 5 COMMENTS!

Need Potty Training?

I saw my sister in law potty trained my nephew and felt bad I did not share this ad with her sooner.



We are actually considering a franchise? Let me know what you think?

Garbage in, Garbage out?

I am sure many of you have heard this at least once in your life. If not let me explain, it is the flawed premise that if you are to partake in the evil fruits of the druid secular culture you are filling yourself with garbage and therefore will spew garbage as a result. I can remember a time when I took my rather large CD collection and got rid of it to have nothing but "Christian" music. Now not to say there is anything wrong with that, and before I get blasted for approving of explicit things, which I do not, let me explain my view.
The first real flaw with this is that there is no part of society that is not tainted by sin or sinners, including "Christian" entertainment. I was watching Mark Lowry speak and I have a new respect for him, because he spoke about the only difference between a "Christian Entertainer" and the audience was three feet. The three feet that the stage is raised above the audience. Other than that he suffers with the same sin the rest of us do.
The next flaw is who for certain knows what distinguishes clean "Christian" music from unclean "secular" music? Is "Left Behind" so much better than "The Hunt for Red October?" Because it is on a "Christian" label the Priest has blessed it with Holy Water it is ok? I guess POD is no longer saved cause they are on a secular label?
Truth of the matter is "garbage in, garbage out" operates under the premise that if I see and hear sin up close, I will want to participate in it? THE TRUTH IS SIN LOOKS ATTRACTIVE FROM A DISTANCE, the closer you get to it the more clearly you see it for what it really is. I was around alcoholism my entire life, growing up I watched it destroy lives, hurt and scar people for life. This was more than enough to convince me that getting trashed all the time and becoming an alcoholic is in no way fun or enjoyable.
God sent the Holy Spirit for discernment and that requires us to use it to filter out the culture of our time. We do this in both Christian and Non-Christian environments moving toward what is good and rejecting what is bad. In order to engage the culture we live in and be relevant to today we must watch films, listen to music, read books, watch TV, shop at the mall, and most importantly engage with others. Otherwise we can't begin to do the transforming work of the gospel in our culture and we become ineffective to the ones God has called us to Love.

Its good to be at home!

Well as you all now know I am home, what you did not all know is I was living in Hellston, TX the fourth largest city in the country and the second dirtiest. I can't believe it now, but I started this little journey on July 4th and minus two weeks home for paid time off, I was gone the entire time. Well suffice it to say you learn a lot about yourself and your family while apart. I learned that I can still cook for myself. I also learned I can't do laundry for myself, see dingy grey white shirts. I found out that if you kids are watching a movie and on the phone, the movie always wins, no matter how long it has been since you talked to or seen them. This also applies to your spouse as well, I know I am guilty too! I also found that it can be a pretty lonely world out there without your family. I not only take a new appreciation for being able to spend time together, but also being able to just do the most mundanest of chores together. There is no place like your own bed, but more importantly there is no better place to sleep than holding my wife. I also found that I could get depressed without my wife to talk to. Finally, I know why God paired me with such a beautiful, young, loving, sincere, caring wife. Because, first off He could, second she encompasses everything I hope and aspire to be. She is my earthly reason for being and will make up the better half of my future here on the second rock from the sun. Till I go to be with the Son. I thank God for Him and what He has done with my life thus far, I am more excited than ever to see what He does with our future!

Its good to be at home!

Well as you all now know I am home, what you did not all know is I was living in Hellston, TX the fourth largest city in the country and the second dirtiest. I can't believe it now, but I started this little journey on July 4th and minus two weeks home for paid time off, I was gone the entire time. Well suffice it to say you learn a lot about yourself and your family while apart. I learned that I can still cook for myself. I also learned I can't do laundry for myself, see dingy grey white shirts. I found out that if you kids are watching a movie and on the phone, the movie always wins, no matter how long it has been since you talked to or seen them. This also applies to your spouse as well, I know I am guilty too! I also found that it can be a pretty lonely world out there without your family. I not only take a new appreciation for being able to spend time together, but also being able to just do the most mundanest of chores together. There is no place like your own bed, but more importantly there is no better place to sleep than holding my wife. I also found that I could get depressed without my wife to talk to. Finally, I know why God paired me with such a beautiful, young, loving, sincere, caring wife. Because, first off He could, second she encompasses everything I hope and aspire to be. She is my earthly reason for being and will make up the better half of my future here on the second rock from the sun. Till I go to be with the Son. I thank God for Him and what He has done with my life thus far, I am more excited than ever to see what He does with our future!

Tradition, Tradition what would we be without Tradition

In case you did not know what that is from it is Fiddler on the Roof. Unfortunately it is a very wrong methodology.
The problem is traditionalism fails to distinguish between biblical principles for ministry and cultural methods for implementing those principles. Traditionalism clings to dated ineffective methods in the name of staying truer to tradition than to Scripture.
Bottom line is the result of traditionalism is a Christianity that has all the right answers to all the wrong questions, why? Because the questions being answered are no longer the ones being asked. We have to be culturally relevent to today. The Bible has applications we have to translate those applications to the current days operating system. Like trying to run software on an older version of Windows, it does not work. We have to be relevant to our current culture. Look at God's Word as a prime example of this. Ever read Mathew, Mark, Luke and John? They all tell the same story of Jesus. So why would God tell the same story four times? Each one is relative to different cultural group of that time. Mathew was written for Jews, Mark was written for Romans, Luke was written for Gentiles and John was written for Greeks. Kind of like ABC, CBS, NBC and CNN each telling the news of Jesus. We have to look at how the news is told today, in color, up to the minute, and in relation to how it affects our life in the most sensational format possible. How does Jesus affect our life to today the same way? People don't want to know what Jesus did for Isreal, but what Jesus will do for New Orleans and what he continues to do for all of us in the future. So let go of tradition and start to become a good reporter. Explaining the news of Jesus and all the benefits therein. In the end everyone looks for meaning in their life and convince themselves of false meanings without finding meaning through Christ.

Survival

As I watched the people arrive in Houston going into the Astrodome and watch the peoples will to survive and keep going. I was amazed looking at the children and my heart is crying out to them, I can't imagine how the children are feeling, thinking or hurting.

In Corinthians Paul ended his eulogy with Our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort (v. 7). I believe suffering is not incidental or even accidental in life. Paul did not say the Corinthians MAY share in his sufferings, they WILL share in them. This, however, results not in despair but rather in hope, a hope not in the Corinthians' ability to weather hardship, BUT in God's ability to sustain and strengthen us. This is why Paul can call this hope firm, which is written as God's Word is a guarantee. One thing to see is His warning to not place confidence in our own own spirituality. Cause as he says, it is the ones who consider themselves spiritual who are most prone to fall when faced with hardship. But for those of us who trust in God, Paul says, to be certain that those of you who share Christ's sufferings will also share God's comfort.

So as we see this tragedy realize that we as God's Children are essentially characterized by hardship and affliction. Yet, there is in this the promise of God's comfort. Pray God's comfort for the refugees and families suffering!