OK, some people are not going to like this post. That said, let me dive in. I saw the other day that a local church has a website that “rats” on business that dare to say Happy Holidays and not “Merry Christmas”. The whole idea is to encourage Christians to boycott business and complain about governments who dare to be on their naughty list.
Frankly, I think this is sad. It portrays Christians to the world as nit picky people who make non issues big issues. Frankly, we don’t need any more bad press. The same church has taken funds away from the local homeless shelter it started under another group of leaders because it just can’t afford it anymore. I guess the website was costing them too much. “To bad baby Jesus, we don’t have a warm room for you because we are trying to make sure everyone warms you with birthday greetings, doesn’t that feel good?”
I remember a few years ago that people were all up in arms because some people dared to call it X-mas instead of Christmas. Did we realize that the X is an ancient church symbol for Christ? So called Christian Governments didn’t like Christmas Holidays for some stupid reason. Believers would say and write x-mas in times of persecution because they wanted to celebrate without being persecuted. Of course we don’t waist time trying to understand and instead of knowing our own history we just ignorantly attack those who would dare to challenge us.
Now before anyone starts to reply let me say something about our current situation, to me you can’t call it a Holiday tree any more than you can call it a Holiday Menorah or a Holiday Kwanza Candle. All those events including my own have their own definitive celebrations, styles and traditions. It is just that in the public sector I don’t care if a business which operates in that sector says “Happy Holidays” or “Merry Christmas”. Frankly I am more concerned with whether or not my Co-Co is hot or cold. Business leaders live in our DFW pluralistic society and have to act accordingly. Most are not trying to herd the Christians back to the Coliseum lions but are just trying to take care of all of their multicultural customers and not a select group of Christian legalistic Pharisees. Is it the spirit of Christ that leads us to demand special recognition or is it the spirit of self? In such a searching society can we present a better witness?
I think we can. We can act Christ-like to them. You know imitate the birthday boy who became a man and told us to let our light shine (Matthew 5). I don’t remember the early church having a government local or national that bent to their needs. That early church had great power because they made the main issue the evangelization and discipleship of their local and national world. They were interested in the Kingdom of God. We should follow their example. To do that we must rely on what we do conforming to what we say we believe. Maybe if we stopped worrying about greetings, buildings, and our kingdoms and returned to the expansion of God’s kingdom we would see the world demand to say “Merry Christmas” based on our testimony and not our cries of indignation. So guys shut down the website and give the money to the homeless. It’s a better way to celebrate that homeless family in the manger.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Monday, October 18, 2010
Shadow Warriors: The Faithful
Shadow Warriors
Life is filled with people who stand in the shadows and accomplish great deeds of courage. It has been my pleasure to benefit from so many of these people. These sons and daughters of encouragement who through their persistent acts of tear filled courage stand as examples to the rest of us about the need for commitment.
There is my secretary, Wanda. She is west Texas strong from the old pioneer stock. Her husband Jack struggles with reality as Alzheimer’s claims more and more of his memory. Through his fog he knows that Wanda will be there. She has stayed true to her commitment of “until death we do part” made many years ago. It cost her physically and emotionally and pushes her to lean on her spiritual strength to help her and Jack make it through this night. Through it all she stand firm in her faith, teaches it to her 3-5 grade Sunday school class, and gives her grandkids an example of faithfulness.
There is my good friend, Alecia. Although she uses a walker to get around I wouldn’t ask Walker Texas Ranger to mess with her. She is a prayer warrior, one who doesn’t just say she’ll pray about it, she writes it down and does it till you get an answer. In the middle of all this her son, Tony, has been in a struggle with his health for years. Many times we thought he was going to his true home in Heaven only to have God say “not yet, my boy”. He carries on the family tradition often to the detriment of his own health as he listens and prays for others. Alecia could have let go a long time ago but she has remained faithful to her calling as a mother and prayer warrior. Many barriers have been broken, many schemes have been stopped. Yet, her humility shine through as she gives glory to God for his goodness, mercy and grace.
Two unknowns, unseen, not touched by the world's spotlight, they give of themselves each day. Pray for them. Pray for the many that are like them. They don’t need our pity, they need our praise.
Life is filled with people who stand in the shadows and accomplish great deeds of courage. It has been my pleasure to benefit from so many of these people. These sons and daughters of encouragement who through their persistent acts of tear filled courage stand as examples to the rest of us about the need for commitment.
There is my secretary, Wanda. She is west Texas strong from the old pioneer stock. Her husband Jack struggles with reality as Alzheimer’s claims more and more of his memory. Through his fog he knows that Wanda will be there. She has stayed true to her commitment of “until death we do part” made many years ago. It cost her physically and emotionally and pushes her to lean on her spiritual strength to help her and Jack make it through this night. Through it all she stand firm in her faith, teaches it to her 3-5 grade Sunday school class, and gives her grandkids an example of faithfulness.
There is my good friend, Alecia. Although she uses a walker to get around I wouldn’t ask Walker Texas Ranger to mess with her. She is a prayer warrior, one who doesn’t just say she’ll pray about it, she writes it down and does it till you get an answer. In the middle of all this her son, Tony, has been in a struggle with his health for years. Many times we thought he was going to his true home in Heaven only to have God say “not yet, my boy”. He carries on the family tradition often to the detriment of his own health as he listens and prays for others. Alecia could have let go a long time ago but she has remained faithful to her calling as a mother and prayer warrior. Many barriers have been broken, many schemes have been stopped. Yet, her humility shine through as she gives glory to God for his goodness, mercy and grace.
Two unknowns, unseen, not touched by the world's spotlight, they give of themselves each day. Pray for them. Pray for the many that are like them. They don’t need our pity, they need our praise.
Monday, October 11, 2010
So I took my son to see the Rangers play on Sunday. There in lies the lesson.
After listening to the early week games in Tampa Bay we were both excited to see them play at home. Saturday’s game was less than spectacular. They could of won something in front of the home crowd but they chose to lay on the ground and loose, I guess it was all the Tropicana juice or maybe jet lag. Anyway, Saturday’s loss opened up to Sundays perceived day of Salvation, we could watch them go further than they had ever gone before along with 1 Billion other screaming slightly stinky fans sitting moist knee to moist knee above the clouds in the supposed “cheap seats”. We were going to see History we thought.
We knew it was going to be chaos because dad works for a boss that doesn’t let him off early on Lord’s Supper Sunday so Dad is tied up past the Star Spangled Banner. We get over there OK but there is no parking anywhere because some Evil imp from Hades has scheduled Jerry’s boys on the same day as the Ranger’s playoff game. For some unknown reason Arlington actually thought Jerry would live up to his word about funneling money for traffic issues. We had to dodge our way around soused up Yee Haw boys and girls who were stumbling down the roads to watch Deputy Dog and his boys try again to beat someone. Finally we get a parking place behind a warehouse that reminded me to lock my door and look out for Tony Soprano and his boys. We get to the game in the 5th inning, the 5th! I am Ok, Caleb is Ok. We think that the last part of the game will prove the Rangers want to win it for Nolan who spent everything to own them this year.
What we found from the 5th inning on is a team that just gave up. They should have been singing “Take me back to Tampa, I’m to messed up to win this thing”. Poor Ranger fans with our white swinging towels. Come on guys, Pop Fly’s in the majors…at a playoff game….I paid how much to watch this? Well we at least had a good nacho experience and Rangers Ball park had the good sense to stock Coke Zero.
Speaking of Zero, that is what their performance was like. My opinion is that they should have been outside the ball park crying on their knees asking us to forgive them. I know that some of you guys who color coordinate with the “jersey of the day” are going to think I am nuts and that is fine. It is for all of us I plead. The Ranger fan has waited eons for them to get to this point. We have endured seasons where all we had was Nolan’s style and a good Kenny Rogers brawl with a reporter. The fans have bought a bountiful supply of those t-shirts so that they can have a man’s fist in the middle of their chest and a deer on their back. Just a little clue guys, don’t go to SE Texas with those on unless you want to be stuffed and mounted. We have embraced them and can’t wait for them to win. I would settle for them just to wake up before they end up sitting home watching the Yankees win yet another world series….I dislike profusely the Yankees. Mom said we can only hate the Devil and since he owns the Cowboys and not the Yankees…we’ll you get the picture.
Then of course my preacher/pastor side kicks. I always know when that happens because organ music plays and I hear a choir slowly hum. A glow comes out of the sky and hits my face as I hear God’s voice tell me what I should take away from this experience. By the way, God sounds like Jimmy Stewart to me. God opened up something to me from this experience and since Ron Washington won’t be giving me a refund let me at least get some value for my bloggie. The Bible says….Heb 12:1 Therefore since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us, and run with endurance the race that lies before us,
I just wonder how many times that crowd of witnesses feels let down by the “game” I have played before them? How many times to they feel that I gave less than my all? How many times have I forgotten to hear their cheers and encouragement and dropped a ball or swung on a ball? Maybe I should think a little more about the home team, what they gave up for me, the hours they put into lessons that shaped my character. They taught me not to rely on myself and realize that to win this game I have to know that with his power I can do anything. I need to remember my “Fan Cloud” as they do a Holy Spirit wave and realize I have a better game in me and it’s time to give it my all for the home team.
Ok, so since I got that lesson to communicate to you I can now write off my game and snack cost as a business expense. Something tells me Ms. Wanda will say “NO!”
Monday, September 20, 2010
Is Facebook the Cause of Evil?
Is Face book the Devil? I read a brief headline about that the other day. It seems like Christians looking for notoriety and a fast buck are always looking to blame the evils of this would on something in it. Jazz, Back Seats, Rock-n-Roll, Dice, Video games, Disco, Television and many other things have all have been blamed for causing evil in the world. Let me just be plain in my line of thought. These things including Face book are not the cause of Evil. They are inanimate objects that can be used for good or evil based on the people who are involved with them. Evil is something we carry around with us. It is something we use to pervert that which is created good or at least without moral complexity into something we can use for our own evil purposes. It isn’t the Devil who forces us; it is our own evil desires that push us into sin. Face book can be used to create disunity, anger, fear, lust, and many other sins if the person posting wants it to be that way. We should approach Face book with the same questions we approach any “thing” with which we involve ourselves. We should ask “Is what I am about to say going to encourage and edify my friends and family or is it going to cause them shame, embarrassment, anger, or conflict?” I am convinced that if we applied that question to our post and pictures there would be a lot less post in Face book nation.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Fingerprints on the soul
This last week I attended the funeral of a friend. Kenny Hodgekiss was a man who affected many lives with his humor, friendship, and by just being the pleasant soul God created him to be. He will be missed by his family and our continued prayers go out to, Teri, Lori, Maw-Maw Elaine, and their families.
His passing from this life to the greater life beyond made me think. We Christians like to make big shot pastors, creative writers, and the newest song singers our “poster” children examples of what it means to be a Christian. We put them on magazine covers and read their blogs. Many of these people are legitimate good people. However, I think we miss the reality testimony of real Christian servants many times, and then we miss the chance to say how much their examples mean to us. Few if any magazine articles are about those souls like Kenny who sit in the background and just do what God created them to do. They don’t blow their own trumpets; they just get the job that other people plan, done. They drive us places without complaint, they hold our hands when we are afraid, they make us laugh, the hold us up in their prayers, they listen when we don’t understand. Like a modern day Barnabas they encourage us.
I remember how Kenny would come by the office when my dad, another quiet lay soul, was going through his recent heart issues. Kenny would let me know he was praying for my dad and give me some time just to have a listening ear. Such people are a wonder; a special God given treasure. I really think when it comes time for the master to honor us in heaven with his “Well done” we will find that he holds something special for those people who served others and put them first beyond themselves. What has been done in the darkness will come to full light. I am thankful that I have had so many people like this in my life who have been appointed to be there just when I needed them most. I will have a lot of “Thank You” time when I get to Heaven.
I hope will all take a moment this week and tell someone who does this kind of ministry “Thank you, for letting God work through you”. I hope we all will live in the legacy of those who encouraged us by being an encouragement this week.
His passing from this life to the greater life beyond made me think. We Christians like to make big shot pastors, creative writers, and the newest song singers our “poster” children examples of what it means to be a Christian. We put them on magazine covers and read their blogs. Many of these people are legitimate good people. However, I think we miss the reality testimony of real Christian servants many times, and then we miss the chance to say how much their examples mean to us. Few if any magazine articles are about those souls like Kenny who sit in the background and just do what God created them to do. They don’t blow their own trumpets; they just get the job that other people plan, done. They drive us places without complaint, they hold our hands when we are afraid, they make us laugh, the hold us up in their prayers, they listen when we don’t understand. Like a modern day Barnabas they encourage us.
I remember how Kenny would come by the office when my dad, another quiet lay soul, was going through his recent heart issues. Kenny would let me know he was praying for my dad and give me some time just to have a listening ear. Such people are a wonder; a special God given treasure. I really think when it comes time for the master to honor us in heaven with his “Well done” we will find that he holds something special for those people who served others and put them first beyond themselves. What has been done in the darkness will come to full light. I am thankful that I have had so many people like this in my life who have been appointed to be there just when I needed them most. I will have a lot of “Thank You” time when I get to Heaven.
I hope will all take a moment this week and tell someone who does this kind of ministry “Thank you, for letting God work through you”. I hope we all will live in the legacy of those who encouraged us by being an encouragement this week.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
I love my Dog, Maggie. She is older. That means she is calmer. That means she doesn’t chew things up or pee on the carpet. She has been the quietest dog I have ever had. She loves to be petted and loved on by the kids. To us she is the perfect dog. Of course, I have always said if there were such a thing as reincarnation, I would want to ‘come back” as a dog in this house. They would be loved if they had three legs, one eye, and came with a color that gave their name as “Lucky”
As I said, she is getting older. That has some issues. She wakes Julie up a couple of times a night to go outside. She does this by flapping her ears or even barking if Julie doesn’t get up fast enough. Those of you who don’t know we found her abandoned. She came to us house broke and leash trained. This was after a couple of years without a dog. We had her predecessor, Ginger, since she was a puppy. She was our baby before we had the kids and she loved them like they were her puppies. Maggie does the same; in fact sometimes I think she is Ginger in a Black lab body.
One of the joys of her being older is she helps us as a family learn about treating something and even someone who is older with grace, dignity, and care. She isn’t always ready to run and play, although with her new meds she is friskier then she has been. She takes a pill and a liquid medicine which I am responsible for giving her. She and I pill pop together.
God often brings situations into our life to teach us. Sometimes they aren’t the things we want but they are sent by him so they deserve our correct response. Through obedience we grow, learn, adapt and eventually become happier as we adjust to challenging situations that stretch us beyond ourselves.
Lord, help me learn through the situations you allow into my life today, tomorrow and in the weeks ahead.
As I said, she is getting older. That has some issues. She wakes Julie up a couple of times a night to go outside. She does this by flapping her ears or even barking if Julie doesn’t get up fast enough. Those of you who don’t know we found her abandoned. She came to us house broke and leash trained. This was after a couple of years without a dog. We had her predecessor, Ginger, since she was a puppy. She was our baby before we had the kids and she loved them like they were her puppies. Maggie does the same; in fact sometimes I think she is Ginger in a Black lab body.
One of the joys of her being older is she helps us as a family learn about treating something and even someone who is older with grace, dignity, and care. She isn’t always ready to run and play, although with her new meds she is friskier then she has been. She takes a pill and a liquid medicine which I am responsible for giving her. She and I pill pop together.
God often brings situations into our life to teach us. Sometimes they aren’t the things we want but they are sent by him so they deserve our correct response. Through obedience we grow, learn, adapt and eventually become happier as we adjust to challenging situations that stretch us beyond ourselves.
Lord, help me learn through the situations you allow into my life today, tomorrow and in the weeks ahead.
Monday, August 2, 2010
A Great Day
Sunday 1 August 2010: Today a lot of people got "right" with God. The Prayer service was a great way of focusing our attention on God. It made a good church a great church. God will continue to bless as we become obedient in our daily lives to him. Thank you, Master, for your work. Help us to be open to being broken, shaped, and molded in your hands.
Monday, July 26, 2010
More Movie Reivews for Summer 2010
I also saw
Toy Story 3 - Instant Classico. Love the Spanish Buzz. I went out that night and purchased the first 2 on DVD.
2012 (Netflix) - It had great illusionary special effects. The story line was a little lame. I would give it a B+.
The Ride (Netflix, Yute VBS) - saw it for the 5th time. It is good and still holds most everyone's attention.
Still Want to see: Russell Crowe's Robin Hood - any good?
Toy Story 3 - Instant Classico. Love the Spanish Buzz. I went out that night and purchased the first 2 on DVD.
2012 (Netflix) - It had great illusionary special effects. The story line was a little lame. I would give it a B+.
The Ride (Netflix, Yute VBS) - saw it for the 5th time. It is good and still holds most everyone's attention.
Still Want to see: Russell Crowe's Robin Hood - any good?
Review: Movies of Summer 2010
I have seen the following movies this summer.
Iron Man 2 - Excellent. Perhaps even better than the first one. Best Charecter in the movie - hands down in has to be Black widow.
Despicable Me - Excellent. Steve Carrell channels his hilarity into the charecter of Gru. Best Line in the whole movie "It's sooooo Flufffffy".
GI Joe (DVD) - I loved GI Joe, I didn't care to much for the movie. Spent to much time trying to set up a franchise. Special effects were good not great.
Moma Mia (DVD) - 2 hours I will never get back again.
More reviews to come.
Iron Man 2 - Excellent. Perhaps even better than the first one. Best Charecter in the movie - hands down in has to be Black widow.
Despicable Me - Excellent. Steve Carrell channels his hilarity into the charecter of Gru. Best Line in the whole movie "It's sooooo Flufffffy".
GI Joe (DVD) - I loved GI Joe, I didn't care to much for the movie. Spent to much time trying to set up a franchise. Special effects were good not great.
Moma Mia (DVD) - 2 hours I will never get back again.
More reviews to come.
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