It Is What It Is!

A group from our church went into one of South Carolina's maximum security prisons the other day, to minister to the inmates during the Christmas season. Because of the giving of the people here at Beech Springs, we were able to carry in gift bags and serve a meal to the guys as well. The appreciation that was shown from the inmates was very genuine and in some ways overwhelming. I could not help but think about those men and their situation, in comparison to my life. Here are a few things that may have made the difference between us.
1)Choices
One bad decision on their part could have resulted in a backlash of destructive life patterns. Smoking one joint, taking one drink, or engaging in one bad relationship could have started the down spiral. By the way, bad choices may not always pertain to drugs, alcohol, and wild friends.
2)Parents
How many of those guys were from broken homes? Maybe there were no parameters placed on their lives during the formidable years. I'm glad I had parents who would 'bust my butt' when they caught me stepping outside of those parameters.
3)Caught
Yes, Caught! A lot of you are just like me. I deserved some "time" for some of the things that I participated in. Don't take this to mean that I was some hardened criminal. I'm not a fugitive! I have had some dark days back there, and unlike some of those inmates, I never got caught.
4)Grace
If not for grace where would I be? Where would you be? God has blessed my life. He's given me so much that I never deserved! "To whom much is given, much is required."

You may not like to think of yourself as being so closely related to the "criminals."
But, It Is What It IS!

Don't Miss Christmas

With all of the effort to be politically correct and non-offensive in the day we're living in, let me take a shot at being just the opposite. I've had my fill of this idea that the term "Christmas" may be offensive to some within our society. I realize, that for the greatest part, with the readers of this blog, there is a slim chance that the "offended" may show up here. But maybe this will give you a little room for mercy if you run into some of the crowd that scowls at the greeting, "Merry Christmas!"
There are plenty of people that miss the reason for the "holiday" season. They never stop to recognize the Christ of the Christmas celebration. But, if you read the story of the first Christmas, you will see there were many people who missed the first one! The reasons that they missed that first Christmas, are the same reasons people miss the celebration of Christmas today. Consider these:
1)Herod: He was too busy building his own kingdom to recognize another. How often do we focus on building our own empires instead of building up the Kingdom of God? How often do we do that even in the 'church world' today?
2)The Innkeeper: Business must have been booming during the time of the census. The innkeeper was so busy building his own riches that he failed to even recognize the riches that another had to offer. Who had time for a baby? How often do we fail to recognize the gift of the Christ child in the midst of all the 'booming business' that comes along with the Christmas season?
3)The Chief Priest and the Teachers: They were too busy perfecting their religion to discern the invitation to relationship. The Magi(Wise Men) even inquired of them as to the place that the messiah was to be born, yet there is no evidence the religious crowd set out to search with them. God sent his son to a manger so that we might have relationship with him. How often do we look AT the baby in the manger but look OVER the relationship that he longs to have with us?

You see how easy it can be to walk right past the manger, and never recognize the extraordinary event that is taking place. We do the same thing when we're caught up - too busy to disconnect with the rat race that we are in - to stop at the manger and worship the King. Jesus is there waiting for your full attention. Don't Miss Christmas!

Heroes Needed!

Superman. Spiderman. Even Santa Clause! Everybody is looking for a hero. Do you know where to find one? In Hollywood? On Wall street? Maybe the Sports World? Any of the aforementioned arenas usually turn up nothing. Positive role models are hard to find there. What makes it even worse is the fact that most of the news that comes from those arenas is simply not "hero stuff." What about you, do you have the "stuff" that heroes are made of?
Jesus taught us what the "stuff" is.

1)Being right in the wrong. In a culture of twisted religion, Jesus spit in the face of the self-righteous, and welcomed the unloved, the unaccepted, and the unthinkable.
2)Small was Big. Jesus lowered himself to humanity, and became a "nothing" to become my "everything." Remember that the next time you're trying to be "something."
3)Life is Death. The Living had to die so that the Dying could live.
4)Giving Gains. Hold on to what you got and you'll lose everything you've got coming to you. Let it go, and get it all!

I realize that the terms may be a little vague, but think about it in the light of His life. Jesus is the ultimate Hero! Before you disqualify yourself from the possibility of stepping into that role -Hero - remember he said his disciples would do even greater things than he did. And, Lord knows, and I think you'll agree, there are some Heroes Needed!

That's Funny

A joke for you. I hope you can laugh!


Drunk in the Rain
A man and his wife are awakened at 3 o'clock in the morning by a loud pounding on the door.
The man gets up and goes to the door, where a drunken stranger, standing in the pouring rain, is asking for a push.
"Not a chance," says the husband, "it is 3 o'clock in the morning!"
He slams the door and returns to bed.
"Who was that?" asked his wife.
"Just some drunk guy asking for a push," he answers.
"Did you help him?" she asks.
"No, I did not - it's 3 o'clock in the morning and it is pouring out there!"
"Well, you have a short memory," says his wife.
Can't you remember about three months ago when we broke down, and those two guys helped us? I think you should help him, and you should be ashamed of yourself!" The man does as he is told, gets dressed, and goes out into the pounding rain. He calls out into the dark, "Hello, are you still there?"
"Yes" comes back the answer.
"Do you still need a push?", calls out the husband.
"Yes, please!" comes the reply from the dark.
"Where are you?" asks the husband.
"Over here on the swing!" replies the drunk.


Now that's funny! The Bible says that laughter is like taking medicine. It will cure what ails you. Laughter will do you good!
Sometimes it's hard to laugh in the world that we live in. True laughter is born out of a merry heart, and a merry heart is conceived when a man comes to know that God truly loves him. His love will help you laugh.

1-Laugh at yourself and all of your deficiencies. Everybody has them. Don't take yourself too seriously.
2-Laugh at others and all of their oddities. Go to the mall or someplace where people are in motion. Watch their mannerisms and expressions. Even God has to be amused.
3-Laugh at life and all of its comedies. There may be some situations that are humiliating at the moment, but if you will allow it, they will become some of the most hilarious moments of your life later.

Laugh out loud! It'll do you good.

Party...

Party! Anybody old enough to remember Cool and the Gang's - Celebrate good times...come on! I love this time of year and all that comes with it. The decorations, the cold weather, and yes, all the partying. God's people should be the greatest at partying, the way I see it. If you read the Bible, you will see that the people of God knew how to celebrate. There were times that their feast would last for two weeks. We need to take from their example. Let's celebrate the greatest event that has ever taken place for humankind. It's Christmas!

Here are some of the ways my family and I will celebrate Christmas over the next few weeks.

1)Food! You had to know that one. There are some things that are only available for consumption during the Christmas Holidays. Bring on the Desserts!

2)Gather! We try to gather with family and friends as much as possible during the week between Christmas and New Years.

3)Chill! There are some days that you need to plan to not have a plan. Just hang out!

4)Give! It's a lot more fun to give than to get. Buying "surprise" gifts for someone is great!

5)Play! We love to play games and watch a funny movie during the holidays. I recommend Chevy Chase's Christmas Vacation. PlayStation or Scrabble. And I will fight if I lose! I hate to lose!

I hope this gives you some ideas for celebrating with your friends and family, as you celebrate Jesus' and his arrival on planet earth.
Hey all you Christians out there, Let's Party!

"Followerable?"

I thought I would do something that is not the norm for today's blog. Wednesday night I teach an adult Bible study in our church. From a practical standpoint, I thought that some of the stuff, from this past Wednesday, may be good for the readers.
In Ephesians 5:1, we are encouraged to "...therefore be followers of God." In some of the newer translations, it uses the word 'imitators' instead of 'followers'. In other words, we are called to imitate or mimic God - God copycats. We are to act just like God. Boy, that's a challenge! Before you throw in the towel and give up on that notion, look a little bit closer. The phrase "..be ye therefore..." carries with it, the necessity of a process. The statement could actually read like this: "So make sure you are continually in the process of becoming an imitator of God." Man, that helps me realize that I'm on my way to becoming more like him! And for me, that has been a long and enduring process. Hey, I realize that some of you "saints" out there were so close from the start that you did not require much processing, but I did.
Why is it important to mimic God? Because that's the only way many people will ever see him - through your life. I hope you do feel some of the responsibility of that if you are a believer. You need to be "followerable". As you follow him, maybe you will lead someone in the right direction.
How does that work?

1-Let your walk match your talk. Like I read somewhere, "God forgives and forgets, but people keep scrapbooks."

2-Act right! You know how to act in a restaurant. You know how to act at work. Begin to ACT like God.

3-Be Real! People despise hypocrites. If they know you're real as a human being, and they see your passion for God, they want trip over your flaws.

Try those things out and people might find you "followerable".

Rivalry Week

For those that don't know, I'm a huge fan of college sports. In particular, a huge fan of college sports in the form of the Clemson Tigers. There's a purity in the competition at the collegiate level that the professional sports just don't have. This past weekend was labeled as rivalry week in college football, and my beloved Tigers came out on top in their game against the South Carolina Gamecocks. What else would you expect when a chicken tangles with a tiger? Yet after all the emotion and bickering between the fans, I have to ask the question, "does it really even matter?". I mean, here I am 3 days after the 'big win', and life continues on about the same as at it did last week at this time. I'm not any richer, wiser, or slimmer! Too many people live and die with the wins and losses of their favorite team. Believe me, I've "been there and done that." I like to win as much as anybody! But here are a few things to remember in our Sports saturated culture:

1)It is a game! Most of us are only spectators. Remember that the next time you refer to a win or a loss in the first person. "We" didn't win! "We" watched!

2)Sports are great for developing people and disciplines. Try to take the life lessons that can be learned from them. Don't allow them to lessen life!

3)Enjoy it when you come out on the winning side, realizing that will not always be the case. If you can't handle success, you probably won't have much of it!

Hey remember, if your team comes out on the losing end, it's not the end of the world. There's a great God who will determine that. There's a lot more to life than a ballgame. It's taken me about 43 years to really get a handle on that, and I hope you can arrive at that place a little earlier than I did. It really helps remove that bitter taste of Rivalry Week.

Thanks!

What are you thankful for? The good, the bad, the bold, and the beautiful. Yes, even the bad produces some good sometimes. I'm glad God said, "in" everything, and not "for" everything give thanks! Because there are some things and people that I'm probably not very appreciative of. But, whatever situation they or it places me in, I will be thankful. Come on and try it, BE THANKFUL! HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!!!!!!!

It Still Hurts

As we enter the Holiday season, one thing that I face now is the reality of how life changes. People that have been such an important part of your life, are not there anymore. And boy, how the holidays bring that reality home! Over the last decade, I have experienced the loss of three of my family members. As I move further away from their departures, I have to admit It still hurts. The laughs and sounds of their voices are still very clear, but only in my memory. My Grandfather's Santa-like laugh, my Father-in-law's nasal voice, my Niece's girly giggle would be wonderful to hear during the holidays, but that will have to wait. So wait I will, until we are together again. It is so wonderful to know that what we know as life, does not end here. The great Apostle Paul wrote, "...that if in this life only we have hope, we are of men most miserable." I could not live without that hope! This life is so fragile and can change within seconds. The people that we love so much, can be taken with or without warning.
I think that people in ministry are sometimes perceived as being bullet-proof. A pastor like myself, can be viewed as without weaknesses or pains that the real world has to go through. But let me tell you from my own experience, we are real people in the real world! I know that many of you experience the same kind of grief that I'm talking about, especially during the holidays. Our sorrow is not as devastating because of the hope that I have in Christ. We know this is not the end, but it still hurts!

"...kiss my..."

"After all that punishment I had dealt the beast that day, all I could think was, 'after this is over, I need to kiss my ass'." This may be what the story would have read like in the King James Version, had Balaam's recounting of the event to others, been recorded in Numbers 22. The Bible says that he smote the animal over and over in an effort to make her move in a direction that God was against. The story tells us that Balaam entered a conversation with the ass, saying "...if I only had a sword, I would have killed you." In reality, this man's beast saved his life - and what did the animal receive for it? You guessed it - a real ass beating! Now don't go and get your religious devil's riled up too quick because of the "play" on words. There's a powerful point here if you will see with your heart.(By the way, there are several great sermon titles afforded here if we allowed for the true vernacular of the KJV. Here are a few: "Hauling Ass", "The Talking Ass", "Stop Beating Your Ass", and my personal favorite, "Kicking Your Ass!".) This donkey was perceived to be an obstacle for Balaam and his own plans. Yet the stubbornness of the donkey prevented Balaam from walking into sure peril. The Angel of the Lord said, "if she would not have turned back, I would have slain you, and saved her life."
I wonder how many times in our own lives we have faced perceived obstacles, that in reality, is the providence of God at work in our lives. How many times have we stubbornly forced our way past resistance, only to find out that the grass, on the other side of the fence that we hurdled, was not that great after all? You see there are times that God is watching out for your best interest even when you're not really aware of it. Many of those times we even question God as to why He's saying "NO" - when obviously, to us anyway - "YES" would be so much better. That promotion, that new car, that girl or that guy was the thing that would have fit perfectly into our plans. "Lord,I need it my way, and right now! Those donkeys that are in my way and keeping me from getting to where I want to go, need to be shot!" Not so quick there young fella'. God may be keeping you from a mistake that could cost you the rest of your life!

This may help:
1)Perceived obstacles may be the exact opposite of your perception. These may be the stepping stones or the open door to your most beneficial opportunity.
2)Try to discover the source of your resistance. If it's God, I'd advise you to STOP!
3)Hold On! The thing you are 'hating on' right now, may be the thing you love the most later.
4)Look Again! There may be more to it than you see initially.

I hope the point is taken well. Believe it or not, I'm NOT encouraging the use of slang. I'm not trying to be a wise-guy or disrespectful in any way. But what I promise to do, as best I know how, is to be real with you on these blogs. I hope this is an attention-getter! There are so many life's lessons that we sometimes miss or overlook in the scripture. You may say I could have gotten the point across another way, but, one thing for sure, you won't ever forget this one! The blog where the Preacher said... "there may be times that I need to 'kiss my ass'."

The Biggest Loser

I couldn't help but laugh at myself Tuesday night as we sat eating a late supper, while NBC's reality show "The Biggest Loser" was being aired. There I was - with one of my favorites for supper - KFC's fried chicken and a double order of mashed potatoes and gravy.(Don't forget the scratch-made biscuit!) A BIG man's meal, with all the calories and fat that is recommended for my next 27 meals, all in one!
If you don't know the show, it's basically NBC's version of "Survivor", with weight-loss being the goal of the participants/players. They are put through rigorous exercise routines and placed on calorie-pinching, habit-altering diets. I've yet to see any of KFC's "original" included in the meal plan!
So, what I'm I laughing about? Here I am, needing to lose a few pounds(tons) myself, and I'm being entertained by this grueling training-camp that these guys are going through. No food, tread-mills, stair-climbers, and every kind of torture they can impose on these poor people.(I've always said that the first stage of Hell will be 100 yrs. on a stair-climber. Folks you don't want to go there!) I'm laughing at the fact that I'm willing to be entertained, and even pulling for these people that are doing something that I desperately need to be doing myself. That's the world we live in today. A lot of spectators and commentators that are judging and critiquing everyone else on something they should be doing themselves! I mean, com'on Eric, "get your fat backside off the couch, and do a little stair-climbing yourself." It surely wouldn't hurt to get a little exercise. It may be that I'm in denial, but I'm not even going to go there - the "diet" thing - Who needs one anyway?
Do you see my point? How many of us sit by watching someone else do the things that we know we should be doing ourselves? Maybe it's something at home that we know we could do, that goes undone; something at work, school, or even our church. Maybe we sit back and criticize everyone who is involved doing the thing, while not lifting a finger to help make things better. If that's the case, I'll guarantee you one thing, you're the Biggest Loser! Get off the couch and help make a difference - It all starts with you! Who knows, you may make it to the next round?

Dog-gone-it!!!

I picked up my first real penalty last Saturday while coaching my son's little league football team. A 15-yarder for unsportsman-like conduct. Yeah baby, I did it right! I'm not exactly proud of the penalty, but it wasn't 'uncalled' for to be 'unsportsman-like'. That referee had it coming anyway. All I was asking him was, "Can you sleep with the call you just made?" - Fair question, right? I mean, if you feel like you made the right call, then sleep away. But if not, then toss and turn your way to a red-eyed tomorrow morning. He deserved it anyway!
Now, for the record, that's not really the reason I provoked the guy to throw the yellow hankie. What got me in trouble was the fact that I was standing beyond the coaches' box, on the field of play. Maybe the yacking was what got his attention, but the reason for the penalty was the violation of the parameters of the designated area for players and coaches. I remember the sinking feeling that hit me at the moment the "ref" reached for his back pocket, for his little yellow "snot-rag"(sorry, I'm still a little miffed). Dog-gone-it! It almost cost us the game! But, I had crossed the line, and I knew it.
Have you ever been there; at a place where you know you've crossed the line, you've gone too far, or said too much? Maybe it was a few more words than was needed to get your point across, or a thought that you held a little longer than you should have. Too far, and you knew it the moment you indulged yourself in the self-gratifying act. Does it still make you feel a little queasy to think about it? You see, we all know that there are parameters that need to be recognized in our every day life. Parameters for every arena of life. One of the most important attributes we can possess through life is the ability to discern the boundaries. And when you see the line, dog-gone-it, don't cross the thing! The penalty may cost you the game.

Rolling Back Time...

Rolling the clock back one hour every Fall is something that I always look forward to. That one hour just seems to be so special, a gift that adds to the crisp newness that the cooler weather always brings with it. If one hour feels that good, I wonder what days, weeks, or years would feel like. What if you could roll back time to last week before the argument with your spouse and live the week over? What about 5 years, before you left the job you've regretted leaving ever since? Most all of us would love the chance to get a "re-do" in one area of life or another. Shute, I'd like to get a "mulligan" on a lot of stupid things that I've done over the years! One of the greatest discomforts that we all deal with is living life with regret. We all experience regret over some event or choice that we wish could have been different. If we could only go back and do it again. But, we'll all have to settle for the hour we pick up every fall. Yet God does promise us in Joel 2:25 that He will restore the years that the locusts and the canker worm have destroyed. You may not be able to roll time back, but you can have a new start. All of us have the opportunity to become a new creation in Christ. I don't think they'll come up with any kind of "daylight saving time" that will roll back years or even days. But, God can do more for you than simply rolling back time. He'll give you your whole LIFE!

Halloweeeeen

We used to have a lot of good, clean, scary fun around this time of the year. I remember we always had a spook house in the basement of the church that I grew up in. Maybe that's why we had all those feuds in the church, all those "bad spirits" that we invited into the church every October 31st. No wonder we had so much fighting! Maybe I'm being a little sarcastic here, but there are times we probably give way too much credit to the enemy's camp.
Don't misunderstand what I am saying, I do believe that there are more blatant attempts by the powers of darkness in the context of society today than ever before. But, I also see that we in the Church have sometimes over-spiritualized a lot of things. Remember, the Bible says that our adversary is like a "roaring" lion, not a "biting" lion. Maybe we have become such alarmists that we are afraid of the forces that really are not a threat, and friendly with some forces that could do real harm. If we were as aware of some of the things that flow through the airways and fiber-optics as we are of a carved pumpkin, then there would probably be more trashed monitors and TV's laying around the dumps. Don't be afraid of all the spooks and goblins that might be lurking around on Halloween night. But, BEWARE of all the 'tricks and treats' that might show up on any given night! Fight the fight, and Keep the Faith!...and to all the ghosts and monsters out there on Halloween...I Say....BOOOOO!!!

"Streaking"...

I don't know how many of you are old enough to remember a cultural phenomenon that occurred back in the 60's and 70's, called "streaking". The 'hippy' generation of that day was known for disrobing, many times leaving nothing on except a pair of Converse sneakers, and running through a crowd at a sports event or some public arena. Many times their actions were motivated by a sense of protest to something that was taking place in the government or political scene of that day. I'm sure that for the greatest part, you probably never had any dealings with such a crazy idea. I can't say that I am totally oblivious to this mad trend that swept through our nations youth in that era, being one of them. I owned a pair or two of Converse tennis shoes in my time. Being a mischievous little boy at the time, we would have a try at this notion every now and then, just to keep up with the teenagers in our neighborhood. It's scary now to think of some of the things that we participated in, really not realizing the dangers many times. I realize this may be a silly way of doing it, but there's a point I'm trying to make. There were a couple of streakers in the Bible. One was Isaiah, who was ordered to prophesy for three years, with not even a fig leaf. The other is found in a story that is a little more popular with most of us. It comes from the book of II Samuel. In chapter six we read the story of David and his returning of the Ark of the covenant to the city of Jerusalem. The story tells us that David uncovered himself as he danced before the ark, which represented the presence of God. He literally danced with such vigor that he lost his clothes. David "streaked"! His praise to God was so passionate that he was stripped of his royal robes. All of his pride, dignity, and his clothes were lost. I wonder how often we "streak" before the Lord. No, I'm not advocating stripping as a new form of praise! But, it would probably bring a fresh approach in our worship if we would lose the pride and dignity that we clothe ourselves with. Let's grab our spiritual tennis shoes and go "streaking"...for Jesus!

LOST!!!

Most Christians come in contact with hundreds of people every day that are lost and on their way to hell; and, for the most part, those Christians really don't give a #&#?@! What bothers me the most about this, is that most of you are bothered by the second statement that I made more than you are by the first statement. It would really bother you if I would have pecked out an expletive. I hope this is of some "shock value" to some of the people that are reading this blog. The sad truth is that many Christians are more interested in self preservation than they are with the lost that they cross paths with every day. We live in a day that people are inundated with more information than ever before. Yet, with all of the information, people have more questions than answers concerning the issues of life and its meaning. The answers that they find are many times the wrong answers, propagated by vain philosophies and teaching. Jesus said those are like blind people being led around by the blind. They are Lost and have no knowledge as to where to turn to find direction. Those are the people that we, as believers, have been called to reach out to.
But, Do you care? Do you care enough to be the life of Jesus Christ to a Lost, hell-bound world? Or, does your Christianity consist of a life that focuses simply on survival? Save yourself while everybody else goes to hell! If that's the case, you're probably a little aggravated with me right now.
I hope this post has ignited some emotions within your life. You may think it is unnecessary to use a ploy like the one used to start this post. I hope that you do get a little 'rattled' with these thoughts. But, more than anything, I hope you are upset over one thing - The Lost!

By The Numbers...

Most everybody knows something about the life of David, the giant-killer, who became the second king over the Kingdom of Israel. He's the one who had a real heart for God, but got himself in hot water more than one time with the true sovereign over Israel. One of my favorite stories about someone else's trouble is found in I Chronicles 21. Now don't pretend that you never indulge yourself in another's misery every once-in-a-while. You know it makes you feel better about your own short-comings!
The story tells us about David and his big idea of taking a census of all of Israel. The scripture actually alludes to this being a seductive move that Satan pulled over on David. Either way, David failed in his decision. The taking of a census does not seem to be a big deal on the surface. Yet God saw this as an evil act on David's part. Why???
(1)David had a need to know his empire's strength. Any time you begin to guage your ability to accomplish God's purpose through human strength, you've began to think more highly of self than you should. David's act was like a man standing in front of a mirror and flexing his muscles, all the time thinking to himself, "Boy, you look GOOOOD!".
(2)David had begun to derive his confidence from the size of his army rather than God. It was not neccessary for David to know the number of fighting men that were in Israel. Just ask Gideon!
You see, any time we begin to adjust our faith by the numbers, we limit what God can do. Our success is never determined by the size of our army, our church, our denomination, or our pocketbook, but rather by the size of our God. You can live life by FAITH in him, or you can live it by the numbers.

Appreciated...

This past Sunday was Pastor Appreciation Day at Beech Springs. As always, this day was a very humbling yet rewarding day all in one. There were so many of the folks that showered my family with gifts and notes, that it really becomes overwhelming at times. I guess we all have to wonder at times if we are really making a difference in any one's life. Because the reality is, that is what life is really all about. Our greatest discovery on this journey called life, is when we find that niche that brings purpose and meaning to this time that we are granted on earth. Purpose is realized when you make a difference for someone else. Jesus is the epitome of this life. He came to give his life away for others. We now have great appreciation for what he has done for us. I hope I show appreciation to him by the way I live my life, the way I give my worship, and the way I follow his example. "God, help me to live my life like him!" Live life for others, like Jesus has. Live for your spouse, your children, your neighbors, your fellow-workers, etc.. One man asked the question, "If you were not here, who would miss you the most?" Those are the people that you are living your life for. You may spend your time, money, energy, and love on those people. But, don't feel like you are "spending" your LIFE on them, you are "investing" your life in them; and as undeserving of it as we may feel sometime, you will find your life appreciated!

Born With "it"...

Another day, another headline, another lead-story, and so-on and so-on... . Everywhere you turn there is another case of someone with the 'I can't help-its'. "I was, born 'that way' - I was born with 'it'." The 'it' is the source and cause that, "makes me what I am and gives me the right and excuse to do whatever I have to do. Besides I really don't have a choice because 'it' came with the package people, and regardless of the damage that 'it' may cause to me, my family, or anyone else as far as that matters, that's the way 'it' is."
As ridiculous as this argument seems, this argument is "winning out" throughout our world today in the mindset of people, if not in the courts of our land. We have labeled 'it' with a lot of nice apologetic terms like addiction, sexual origin, chemical imbalance, etc.. It's the peel of the reason as to why people act or live in a particular manner. It's the excuse that people use for the lifestyle that they choose. My question is, what is the limit? Where do we draw the line and say, "now let's just be responsible"? I mean come'on, Michael Vick may have just been born with 'it' - "pitbullia" (Defin. - The uncontrollable urge to watch pitbull dogs fight until death, with the euphoria of making great profits from the money wagered if your dog wins.). I was born with
'it' - "roadragia"(Defin. - The uncontrollable need to drag you out of the car and beat the devil out of you for tailgating me, especially when my kids are in the car with me.) You see the reality is that everybody was born with 'it'. 'It' may hide in darker corners for some more than others. But if the light ever exposes that corner, we will all discover that there are urges and temptations that must be kept under restraint by everyone. We are all victims of 'it'. Another name for 'it' that's not nearly as popular these days is SIN. We were all born with 'it'. Thank God that he loved us even when we were born with 'it' and he's done something about 'it'.
There is great remedy for 'it' of the humankind. There is a pill that you can take to help you with the uncontrollable urges that are caused by 'it'. I'm not sure of the pharmaceutical name for it, but here is the generic name: it's spelled -
"R-E-S-P-O-N-S-I-B-I-L-I-T-Y".
Take Some when the urge hits you!!

Are You Scared...?

Today's American Christian culture is one that in many ways taught us that we are here to stay safe, and preserve ourselves in this wicked world that we live in. We are frightened by the aggressiveness of our counterparts in religion, lifestyle, and values. Let me ask YOU,... ARE YOU SCARED??? Are you scared that they may find out that you are one of those fanatics that believe Jesus really is the only way? Are you scared of the thoughts, philosophies, and ideals that may challenge what you 'say' that you believe? Are you scared of the people that are engulfed in a society of intellect and greed? Let me encourage you, don't be a "Scaredy-Cat"! God never intended for Christianity to become a sub-culture within the culture. His intention was that we become a counter-culture that would stand face to face with the sources of intimidation within our society. Look at the Christian leaders in the book of Acts! They stood up with boldness in the midst of aggressive opposition. Opposition that had crucified their "ring-leader" just a few weeks prior.
We back down too easily in a day that the world desperately searches for what's in you! I've often asked the question recently, "Do you really believe that what you believe is really real?". If you do believe that Jesus is who he says he is, then stop allowing the world around you to back you into a corner as if you are facing a grade-school "bully". Hey, I'm not advocating going out and looking for a fight, but... "I ain't scared!"

Blogging...

Who would have ever "thunk" it? Boggs blogging! In an effort to keep up with the "techno" age that we live in, I have decided to start a blogg that will simply add a personal touch to the ministry here at BST. I hope to be able to share small insights that I gather along this journey that we know as life. The blogs may consists of simple life's events, devotional thoughts, or even contraversial subjects, as we try to discover all that God has prepared for us along this journey. I want to share from my life as a Husband who is madly in love with his wife of 21 years, a Father who feels that fatherhood is my greatest responsibility, and as a Godly Man who faces the challenges of a very complex society. Some of my blogs may seem silly or oversimplistic,
but hey, that's me! As you visit, hopefully there will be those days that you leave scratching your butt(whoops...I meant head), or feeling really challenged, or even angry if nothing else. I'll try to post 2 or 3 blogs per week, maybe more as I become more technologically advanced. There will be guests bloggers fom time to time as well. The grammer won't be great, but it will be better than most of yours.HA! So Let's Do This thang. Boggsblogs are on their way!