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!