Calling in sick--this is hilarious!

Cat Lover or Not, this is Hysterical! We've all had trouble with our animals, but I don't think anyone can top this one:

Calling in sick to work makes me uncomfortable. No matter how legitimate my excuse, I always get the feeling that my boss thinks I'm lying.

On one recent occasion, I had a valid reason but lied anyway, because the truth was just too darned humiliating. I simply mentioned that I had sustained a head injury, and I hoped I would feel up to coming in the next day. By then, I reasoned, I could think up a doozy to explain the bandage on the top of my head. The accident occurred mainly because I had given in to my wife's wishes to adopt a cute little kitty.

Initially, the new acquisition was no problem.

Then one morning, I was taking my shower after breakfast when I heard my wife, Deb, call out to me from the kitchen.

'Honey! The garbage disposal is dead again. Please come reset it.'

'You know where the button is,' I protested through the shower pitter-patter and steam. 'Reset it yourself!'

'But I'm scared!' she persisted. 'What if it starts going and sucks me in?'

There was a meaningful pause and then, 'C'mon, it'll only take you a second.'

So out I came, dripping wet and butt naked, hoping that my silent outraged nudity would make a statement about how I perceived her behaviour as extremely cowardly.

Sighing loudly, I squatted down and stuck my head under the sink to find the button. It is the last action I remember performing.

It struck without warning, and without any respect to my circumstances. No, it wasn't the hexed disposal, drawing me into its gnashing metal teeth. It was our new kitty, who discovered the fascinating dangling objects she spied hanging between my legs. She had been poised around the corner and stalked me as I reached under the sink. And, at the precise moment when I was most vulnerable, she leapt at the toys I unwittingly offered and snagged them with her needle-like claws. I lost all rational thought to control orderly bodily movements, blindly rising at a violent rate of speed, with the full weight of a kitten hanging from my masculine region.

Wild animals are sometimes faced with a 'fight or flight' syndrome. Men, in this predicament, choose only the 'flight' option. I know this from experience. I was fleeing straight up into the air when the sink and cabinet bluntly and forcefully impeded my ascent. The impact knocked me out cold.

When I awoke, my wife and the paramedics stood over me.

Now there are not many things in this life worse than finding oneself lying on the kitchen floor butt naked in front of a group of 'been-there, done-that' paramedics.

Even worse, having been fully briefed by my wife, the paramedics were all snorting loudly as they tried to conduct their work, all the while trying to suppress their hysterical laughter......and not succeeding.

Somehow I lived through it all. A few days later I finally made it back in to the office, where colleagues tried to coax an explanation out of me about my head injury. I kept silent, claiming it was too painful to talk about, which it was.

'What's the matter?' They all asked, 'Cat got your tongue?' If they only knew!

Why is it that only the women laugh at this?

poop...

go here http://www.ichilly.com/?p=518 and see what Chilly Chilton who pastors Real Church in Hamtramck, MI...Chilly wrote about poop, saying poop=sin

after reading Chilly's post this story relates...last night I was mowing the yard and Finn, my bulldog was getting just a bit too far away a couple of doors down...went to get him, picked him up and...well you know bulldogs have these like square butts and when they poop every once in a while it doesn't all fall therefore it sticks like a glob to their butt...anyway, I proceeded to pick up this 50 pounder to carry him toward the house and felt this smoosh...oh crap, no pun intended but I then realized that he had poop stuck to his butt which was now smeared on my forearm...gross! found a napkin and wiped it off...got home and used the soap and water...I wanted it off!...not until I read what Chilly shared did I equate my sin with this *@#% or poop...hopefully, this will cause me to look at sin differently and have a greater desire to live a pure life that is pleasing to my Savior...thanks Chilly for getting my attention...guess I should thank my bulldog too!...

off to Southern California...

...Susie and I headed out last Wednesday with our 18 year old and youngest son to SW Oklahoma where he was meeting up with two others, to drive out as he moves to Southern California...tough to say the least...however, the purpose of this note is to mention my other children and how they were concerned about their brother who they fight with, may not talk to alot, and sometimes even argue with and get mad at....they certainly asked about Kramer but two of them blessed me...I was certainly touched as I walked into the kitchen the morning we were leaving...saw a note there with his name on it that one of his sbilings had written...assuming it was from his younger sister, when I asked him about it he said it was from Cooper, our 21 year old son...needless to say my heart was pleased (with a few tears) that Cooper had taken the time to write and share with Kramer his heart...don't know what it said but I know it was kind and thoughtful...our 17 year old then called to see if we had left...she was crying and ended up coming back home from school to say goodbye...tough on her as well...we miss having him around the house...on the other hand we are proud of Kramer, we know that he will do well, make wise decisions, and have fun...better do it now because as you get older and have more responsibility it is more diffcult to just go and do...we will go out in a month or so and see what he is up to....a bit more difficult to let Kramer go as there seems to be somewhat more of a finality to his moving, not the same as sending one to college knowing they will be back in the summer...Kramer is probably our most sensitive child, takes our hearts with his humor and joking around...glad that he is confident and secure that he can take this step of faith and move 1300 miles from home....we hope he does his laundry...

FCA at the house!

last Wednesday night we had the Jenks High School FCA at the house...Quincy is an officer in FCA and had asked if she could have FCA at the house, they have a gathering every week during the school year...of course she said, they would be outside and would only need to come inside to use the restroom...no problem, just no horseplay and you cannot be throwing people in the pool, do not put the trampoline by the pool and try to, well you know plus do not try to get 38 people in the hot tub...anyway, we have been out on Wednesday nights and by chance a few times in the last few years have driven by the location where FCA is held and the cars are parked for several blocks...anyway, we were expecting 75 to 100 high school students...then what happens it rains...Dad, "is it okay if we have it inside." "what?" "there won't be that many kids there." "okay, I guess"...if you have been to our neighborhood you know the streets are pretty narrow and you cannot park on both sides of the street or you run the risk of someone hitting your vehicle trying to navigate through and there is certainly no way that an emergency vehicle could get through...Wednesday night is here, where do I find myself?...outside in the drizzle, directing traffic... "you cannot park there, everybody has to park on this side" "straight in there please" when I said this, what did I hear? "yes sir" "thank you" "not a problem" got everybody parked then I headed toward the house...walked in the door, what did I see? shoes and more shoes as you see in the picture...what did I hear, approximately 80 students in our living room and kitchen sitting then standing shoulder to shoulder (picture to the left) with very little room to move...they had moved a couple of pieces of furniture out...as they stood I heard a mix of voices singing praise songs that literally almost brought me to tears...I was touched and blessed!...one of those WOW moments, it was sweet...then Andrew Money from Tulsa K-Life shared for about 15 minutes encouraging these 15 to 18 year olds to fall in love with Jesus...they were quiet and attentive...good times...I did not hear any complaining, negative comments, or any foul language...as they left, they thanked us and were very polite...I saw a group of students that as a bystander I was proud of, as a parent I glowed, and as a believer they touched my heart...thanks Jenks FCA students, you blessed my wife and I..we are proud that Quincy is involved with FCA, surrounded by many who will grow to be great leaders of tomorrow...Jenks FCA..you are welcome back to our home anytime, and yes, you can come inside...we already knew it as many of these kids and others have always been welcome in our home...but Jenks High School has halls full of great students....parents, teachers, and administrators alike should be proud...I am!

up to a buck eighty

yep...a week ago Satuday running with Lucy and chasing Susie...after we finished, Lucy, my 4-legged girl friend and I were walking across Riverside to Starbucks and I found the most mangled, bent penny that I have ever picked up...$1.70 now...then last Friday, Derrick and I were running east on 91st between Mingo & 169 and I found a dime (easier to find coins when you are running in the middle of the street, some call it the turn lane..we think it is a running path), I was grateful that Derrick got up early and ran with me on his day off...I appreciate him...now sitting at $1.80...I need someone to drop some paper so I can get this number up a bit higher...before I started keeping track of the running coins I did find a five dollar bill in the middle of the trail just off of Riverside under a bridge a couple of years ago as I ran...a five dollar bill at the car wash at about 80th & Memorial, IMO best car wash in town...one thing I do is, walk through and look for coins that have been left accidentally above the coin drops, I know I am cheap but I do it and have found quite a few coins, mostly quarters at various car washes...and yes I pick up pennies, especially near the vaccums...again, at the car wash at 8oth & Memorial here in Tulsa quarters will often be dropped in the drain that runs the length of the car wash but they will get stopped up on dirt or debris that is visible through the grate...FYI, you can lift these grates off and get the coins...yes, I lift the grates and get me a quarter(s) then replace the grate...have not figured out how to do this without getting my jeans wet on the knee...go ahead, laugh at me I can take it...

'never count God out' (copied)

copied from Kristian Stanfill, worship leader from the Atlanta area, "Jesus Paid It All" and "Marvelous Light" are two excellent worship songs he has done...even though his blog isn't updated often I enjoy the read...

what is this place?!!?
August 16, 2008
About half way through our summer a friend of mine called me and left me this message, “kristian, never count God out.” he said some other stuff too, but these words leapt out at me and stuck deep in my soul. i couldn’t shake them. what was it about those words that kept chasing me down? i realize now the reason i couldn’t shake my friend’s warning was because i was in fact counting God out. the beauty of it all is that it was in those times, when i had counted God out, that He made Himself known the most. just when i thought all was lost and that we might as well pack it up and call it quits cause nothing good was going to come from all this, we got more than we ever dreamed of.
a lot of this summer felt like i was being blindfolded, thrown into the back of a car and driven to a remote location a long way from anybody or anything that was familiar. i was scared to death to be in this new place. a place where all comfortability and predictability went out the window. i didn’t know which way to walk or what to do. i felt alone. until i stopped pitching a fit and realized who i was with. i wasn’t alone and in fact i was with the One who loved and knew me the best. God was there, and He began inspiring me and leading me to new places that i could never have made it to on my own. i had a closer, more intimate relationship with God than ever before. He spoke…i listened. He led…i followed. it was that simple. it IS that simple.
this all didn’t happen because i’m sooooo spiritual or because i take 1000mg of holiness pills everyday. this happened because God knew i was becoming a complacent follower and i needed to be shaken a little. i was becoming a revelation 3:15-16 Christian…lukewarm and in need of nothing. my proud heart of stone needed breaking and my white knuckled grip on the world around me needed to be loosened. the truth is, my heart is still breaking and becoming tender. the process isn’t over yet. even tonight as i write this post my heart is troubled because so much of what i have depended on for so long is crumbling. the days of depending solely on my gifts as a musician and worship leader are coming to an end. Leading worship and living the Christian life is less about singing and going to vacation bible school and more about complete dependence on God. The next season of my life is on the horizon and it’s all about dependence. God is teaching me that in every part of life…Him. that’s it. i need nothing else. we need nothing else.
this is really all there is to say about this past summer. i had planned on going through and sharing some details about what went down and how God changed my life forever, but i’m not going to do that. Simply…this summer was the summer that God cut a gaping hole in my “bag of tricks” and one by one they fell out until i had nothing left to rely on but His Holy Spirit and the truth that i profess to live for. i feel exposed and naked, but in beautiful, intimate fellowship with my creator.

for you Okies I believe he led worship at Falls Creek one week this summer...

up to $1.69...

Saturday, Derrick and I ran from 101st & Delaware across the Jenks pedestrian bridge around by the Aquarium back through downtown Jenks...found 5 pennies...4 of them thanks to a detail shop dumping their vaccum near the street...

found a penny....

running coin change update, up to a $1.64....found a penny this morning in the parking lot at 96th & Garnet...failed to update that I had found 3 cents and another penny over the last couple of weeks...hope to keep adding to this number if my knee will behave....

Good! makes me think..

"what you draw people with is what you draw people to."

saw this comment on Twitter from @worshiptechie

'and then some'...

great message last weekend at church to wrap up our One Prayer series...

for me...
I want to think... 'and then some'
I want to be... 'and then some'
I want to do... 'and then some'
I want to love... 'and then some'
I want to encourage... 'and then some'
I want to pray... 'and then some'
I want to give... 'and then some'
I want my life to... 'and then some'

Jentezen Franklin's message and his one prayer to 'Make Us Powerful'

http://www.lifechurch.tv/message-archive/one-prayer/5

this has resonated with me and encouraged me the last few days...Blessings!

WOW! and WOW!

saw this guy at Catalyst last year...pretty funny, comes walking into Gwinnett Arena in Atlanta with a camel...anyway, he has just started blogging...he shares about BigStuf youth camps and about Jack from Kenya, Jack lost his arms and now he testifies to the faithfulness of our big God .... Jack was at BigStuf In Florida this past week and shared with the kids there and they, read 'Africa Hears About Jack' ...read through Lanny's posts about Jack and be sure to check out this comment (scroll down to the 3rd comment, well worth the read)...you can also check out HeyJackRadio...interesting, needless to say it BLESSED me....will take some time but good.....then Text "Jack" to 23000...

btw if you would like to go to Catalyst 2008...I am going and would load up the car and drive...any interest?...

Worship...

copied from Mark Batterson, he shares, "for what it's worth, here are my personal definitions of worship and evangelism."

"Worship is bragging about God to God. "

"Evangelism is bragging about God to others."

"I think evangelism is a simple extension of worship. Let's not stop bragging about God when we walk out of church!"

then Steve says, "I catch the evangelism definition but the worship definition puts it in a different light...good stuff!"

only kind words and encouragement...

WHAT IF we refused to participate in slandering and tearing down another person?
WHAT IF every church became a cheerleader of other churches and not critics?

these are a couple of thoughts from Perry Noble this morning that are excellent...

and by the way we get to hear Perry bring it this weekend at church for the 2nd week of One Prayer, Make Us Dangerous....it will be good

backslapping not backbiting...

copied/stolen from Mark Batterson today, from National Community Church in Wash DC who is participating in One Prayer.....I took out the church name and shortened this, but the point is the same, let's be about backslapping and not backbiting!

I think there are basically two kinds of people. People who are doing things and people who aren't doing things but they need something to do so they take potshots at people who are doing things.

Come on, folks. Let's be about the Father's business.

Can I be brutally honest? The psychological tendency to try to feel better about ourselves by pointing out what's wrong with someone else is immaturity at its worst. And no where is it more prevalent than the church or in believers.

Am I saying the church or someone is perfect? No. Neither am I. And neither are you. But instead of backbiting maybe we should try backslapping.

But I'm fiercely loyal to those who have made an investment in my life. So when someone is taking some shots on the chin, I want to be the guy on the other side saying thanks!

pray more ______ less

great post today over at Swerve...Craig shared how he was struggling to prepare his messages and the Lord laid upon his heart to pray more work less...ouch, pray more, I don't have time...yea right! good greek word for that, baloney!...for me, it may be "pray more do less" or "pray more tv (sports) less"...your thoughts?...

running coin update...& Tatur Estim8ur...

not finding any change...to be honest, no running in June, have not run in two weeks...according to the doc any running or exercising I do has to be non-impact...therefore, I have been running in the pool and I am not finding any change...duh!!!...hope to pick it back up the first of July with no pain in the knee...we'll see...I still find change when I am out and about but it does not count toward this total if I do not have my running shoes on...

dissappointed that I will miss the Tatur Estim8ur Sunday morning, was looking forward to running with and chasing my beautiful bride...this is an 8 mile run on an unknown course, including pavement, hills, trails (probably Turkey Mountain), and other unknowns...the winner is the one who is the closest to guessing their finishing time not the fastest...no watches, no timing devices, no one telling you your time...you simply give them your estimate in advance...Susie is of course still doing the run, it will be interesting and fun to see what it is and how she does......

pray for Peter!

please join me in praying for Peter Jessee who is currently paralyzed from the waist down, Kramer our youngest son played hockey with Peter for several years. About 3 weeks ago, Peter's parents, Bud and Janet stopped by the house...I visited with them as they were excited about a pending move a couple of blocks over and Peter was planning to attend the University of Oklahoma in the fall as he had just graduated from Broken Arrow High School...all seems well, then something like this...speaks to the fragility of life and our health that we take for granted...I will love on my family today!...evidently there are a very limited number of cases of non-traumatic Myelopathy making this even more difficult to treat...

the story below is from the Tulsa World, Thursday 6/5/08
Ex-BA kicker paralyzed: Peter Jessee, a placekicker for Broken Arrow the last three seasons and a Tulsa World All-State honorable mention selection in 2006, is currently a paraplegic, suffering from Surfers Myelopathy. On Wednesday, he was transported from Honolulu to Denver. He was admitted to Craig Hospital’s rehab center, where he is expected to spend the next 45-to- 60 days.

“He has no feeling from his bellybutton on down,” said Jessee’s father, Bud, on Wednesday. “His spirits are good. There’s a girl here from Long Beach who had this happen to her in Maui and she is walking again after being paralyzed from the teeth down. We are hoping that will happen for Peter. He has always been a competitor.”

Jessee’s ailment, which struck almost two weeks ago on a trip to Hawaii just after graduation, usually strikes first-time surfers. There was no blunt trauma involved. Blood flow can be cut off from the lower spinal cord by the way a surfer arches his back, stands up on the board and looks back over his shoulders.

“He had been taking lessons, we had a surfing instructor and were at a place where the waves weren’t very big,” Bud Jessee said. “When he finished surfing and began walking on the beach, he said that he was in tremendous pain. Forty-five minutes later, he couldn’t walk.

“This is a nightmare and we’re all waiting to wake up. We appreciate all the calls, text-messages and prayers. Peter told me he will walk again, even if it takes him 20 years.”
______________________________________________________

if you would like to send Peter a note and let him know you are praying for him you can do so through Facebook (Peter Jessee)...

Count me in!

I enjoy hockey, okay I love hockey...was watching the 5th game of the Stanley Cup Finals Monday night which went into overtime...Pittsburgh won in the 6th period....generally a game is only 3 periods but here was a game that was tied, lasted over 110 minutes, almost 2 complete games, 4 1/2 hours....these guys were dog tired...they kept going...one guy took a puck to the face, needed a few stitches to go along with his chipped teeth, but he kept playing with some gauze hanging out of his nose...another guy went head first into the end wall trying to make a play, ended up with back spasms but was back on the ice at the end of the game...another guy took a couple of bags of fluids during the long game because he was cramping but kept playing...then this guy took a stick to the face which resulted in a 2:00 high sticking penalty to Detroit giving Pitt a power play, a 1 man advantage and he is hoping he is bleeding because the penalty then becomes 4 minutes, which it did...Pittsburgh soon scored to win the game...crazy, all of these guys are nuts...playing hurt...why?...here is what the guy who was cramping said....

Orpik insisted there was no way he was staying off the ice when he cramped up."I think the biggest thing is you never want to feel like you are letting your teammates down, especially in a game like this," he said. "You just gotta battle through it. All the guys on both sides are going through the same things. It's just one of those things that you have to grind through. A lot of times, fatigue is more of a physiological thing than anything."

Is this the way I often feel? I may be tired, maybe I do not want to play in a game like this (deal with what is in front of me at the moment) but Jesus says to do all things for Him. I don't want to let my teammates down, I want go all out. For me, my teammates are my wife, my children, my parents, friends, Lifegroup, the folks I work with, etc. You get the picture! Sure I am to relax, refresh, refuel, and be ready! Sometimes I need to play hurt (when I don't want to) and be there (when I am tired) for my teammates so they can count on me. I am about 1/2 way through life at my age. I will be there! I want to finish strong! I want to finish well! Hebrews 12:1-3 says it well and through His strength I will not grow weary and lose heart! Count me in!

...want to be about Hugs!...

my brother posted today about being disrupted at times that irritate him...my mom then followed up with a comment saying, "don't get bent out of shape when you are disturbed by a little one", then she went on to say, "how Steven Curtis Chapman would like to be disrupted by his 5 year old girl Maria today" ...ouch...makes me stop and think, how I often find myself bothered or disrupted when my children call me or talk to me when I am busy...even when my 22 or 24 year old call me as they are away at school or when my other 4 children, even being 16 to 21 years old speak to me I need to not even consider it a disturbance but an opportunity...I need to be about giving out physical hugs and word hugs to each of them...Lord, do a work in my life today!...Lord, I know what to do but I don't do it! (I am an idiot!)...I am reminded of Philippians 2:5 today, "in my life I must think and act like Christ." Seeking to remember this verse continually! then to have and express a heart of gratefulness for my wonderful children and my beautiful wife! Hugs!

my 2 cents worth!...

running coin update!...found 2 pennies in the LaFortune Park parking lot last night near the pool after taking one lap around....puts us up to $1.59...

Proud dad!...senior and class of 2008!

Our youngest son and 5th child, Kramer will graduate from Jenks High School this evening! Hard to believe that a little over 18 years ago Kramer was born, it seems like such a short time ago but yet here we are today. Kramer, I am proud of you! When I think of Kramer these are a few words that come to mind; respectful, sharp, smart, frugal(very), skateboarder, sensitive, caring, kind, friend, son, creative, wise, forgetful (he says he forgets), diligent, gentle, determined, active, fearless, generous, confident, honest, secure, talented, thrifty, quick, and funny. Kramer, I believe in you and look forward to how the Lord will use you as you grow and mature. Have a great summer! love, dad

Running coin update....plus zero!

have not found anything in a little over 2 weeks...running a little less (darn knee!) but will find some coins shortly and add to the total.....have a great day!

One Prayer!

I am fired up about One Prayer!...thrilled to be a part of
Lifechurch.tv...partnering together with close to 800 churches and
over 500,000 believers throughout the world...praying that the church
will be united as One...that barriers will be lifted and broken down,
division would cease to exist in the hearts of believers and their
churches.... that others would recognize Jesus in us...that we would
step up within our communities, being real...loving and serving
others...join in...let's work together to engage in the awesomeness of
our Lord...

Happy Birthday Seth!

Seth, our oldest boy is 24 today...hard to belive that 24 years ago today at St Johns Hospital in Tulsa, Seth Douglas was born. Name after both of his grandfather's, Seth now lives in Oklahoma City and goes to hair design school in Edmond. He will finish school this summer and begin working at ??. I am confident that Seth will do well! At the age of 21 and 22 were Susie and I ready to be parents, not sure but here we are today. I remember talking to Susie on the phone when she was at the hospital with Seth and heard him crying in the background. I said please ask the Dr. when he will stop crying, his answer, when he is 18. Then we took him home to our apartment, he was a good little boy/baby but I do remenber him crying for quite a while one night and the only thing that would calm him was walking circles in our small kitchen as he looked at the light. The joys of parenting or of learning to parent. We are still learning.

We will leave here shortly for OKC and go see Seth. He will cut Susie's hair this afternoon, we will take him to dinner this evening and probably go shopping with/for him a bit. Looking forward to spending the time together.

Seth, I am proud of U! I believe in U! Have a wonderful day! Love, dad

Impressions....

If someone only met me one time, what kind of lasting impression would I leave them with? Would they recognize Christ in me? ouch!!

In my life I must think and act like Christ. Phillipians 2:5

I am of course reminded of how impressionable my children are...even though they are now 16, 18, 19, 20, 22, and 24 they are still watching and noticing what there daddy does. What do they see? Phillipians 2:5 hits me good!

Happy Birthday Dad!

Today is my dad's birthday...he was born in Bowie, TX on May 5, _ _ _ _ to Bill and Dimple Harrison and is the 2nd of 4 children. The oldest of 3 boys, I am sure he was a challenge to his parents. Anyway, I am very grateful for the example he has set in front of me and I am thankful that he loves the Lord. He has always been supportive of me, encouraged me, has loved his grandkids, often surprises us by showing up at the house for whatever reason...he is an awesome dad! As you see in this picture he is working in the yard and he probably still mows his grass twice a week whether it needs it or not. I borrowed this picture from his pastors photoblog...my folks are very involved at Skelly Drive Baptist Church here in Tulsa. If my dad, who is now retired is not out chewing the fat with his once customers in the parts business, he may be found walking at the Promenade Mall, is also often taking care of his other yard at the church where he is on the lawn crew, he might even be in charge, or as my mom says just out chasing his traps. He has been married to my mother for coming up on 48 years...wow!...neat!... a great example for Susie and I...thanks mom and dad! ...thanks for all you have done for me! I feel lucky to call you dad! I appreciate you! Thanks for always encouraging me! Thank you for being there! I will continue to pray for you and asking the Lord to grant you many more years of full health and strength to enjoy each day! You are a blessing to me! You are a blessing to my family! Have a wonderful day! Above all, richest blessings to you this day that the Lord has made! I love you dad!

lifechurch.tv worship is good!

Where would normal people - people like me - be without the artists who help us worship? With great artists leading me, I confess my sins more throughly. I praise God with more focused enthusiasm. I repent more deeply. I sing more confidently. Jesus-loving, God-fearing, Spirit-led artists are God's gift to the Church. Every artist who commits their art to the glory of God enriches the Church. Artists arise! No one can do for the Church what you can do, so bring it, and we'll gladly follow.

Derrick Henslee at Lifechurch.tv Tulsa brings it! Thank you!

Hebrews 6:1 - "So come on, let's leave the preschool fingerpainting exercises on Christ and get on with the grand work of art. Grow up in Christ. The basic foundational truths are in place: turning your back on "salvation by self-help" and turning in trust toward God."

copied from Mark Beeson, Senior Pastor at Granger Community Church...his blog blesses me, always excellent thoughts and short...

Proud dad!

got home last night and was talking to Cooper about his search for a job...confident that he will find one soon because he is a good young man and will be an excellent employee for someone, dependable, honest, hard working, always on time, and never misses work...he decided that he need to move on from the movie theatre that he had worked at for 3+ years as they hardly increased his pay...so pleased that he is well liked there and the other employees, his friends will miss him...again back to my original intent with this note, as he was visiting with a manager at a restaurant looking for a job he walked outside and was approached by a man asking for money...this man was with his son and Cooper spoke with him for a second...did he give him money, no!....but he did take the gentleman and his son inside of Cici's and with his own money bought them both a pizza buffet...cool that Cooper is willing to give of himself to those that may be in need...thanks Cooper for allowing this man to see Jesus in your life...pretty neat and made me proud of Cooper....

Running coin update...

ran with this guy this morning who keeps me accountable which I greatly appreciate...amazing how when you have someone to meet that you get up and feel good compared to those days when I am on my own that I am so tempted to go back to bed...I often go back to the pillow then run later (maybe)...thanks drock!...I appreciate you...anyway, we took off from 96th & Garnett then I tacked on a little at the end...as I walked back down 96th Street just west of Garnett I found 14 pennies within about a 50 foot run against the curb...cool there is a penny then another and another and another and another...etc. $ .14 later we are now up to $1.57

Honoring Pastors! Excellent!

http://claytonking.com/the-plague-restoring-honor/ this post copied from Clayton King

The Plague: Restoring Honor
I am sure that a post of this sort offers itself to misunderstanding. I write it nonetheless, in hopes that you will hear my heart and glean the good from it.

The church in America seems to have lost the ancient, and dare I even say Biblical understanding of correctly honoring the man of God; one who dedicates his life to service to God and God’s people (this could be the worship leader, youth minister, or most often the pastor). We have confused honor with obsession, treat our ministers like hired hands, and become addicted to personalities on TV or the internet and swallow anything they try to sell us while starving our local pastor on a salary that allows him to qualify for food stamps.

There is a distrust and skepticism afoot that is a result of the hideous scandals of the 1980’s. And I do believe that the Swaggart and Baker scandals were, in the long run, good for the family of God. That bubble had to burst, and the scripture had to come true that judgement must first begin in the house of God. There have been plenty more, even the Ted Haggard scandal of recent days, that have caused the world to view us with a cynical eye. We should expect this and live our lives accordingly so that the world can see a true Christian witness. But in the wake of these scandals, not to mention Enron and WorldCom, there is a “mood” where it seems that churches treat pastors as expendable, replaceable, for hire and for fire. We almost automatically distrust anyone in leadership now.

I am not advocating that the church makes the pastor a little king of a little kingdom with freedom to do or say whatever he wants. That is insanity. I am advocating for a return to honoring the man of God, not worshipping him, but understanding the heavy burden laid upon him, the struggles and pressures he faces on a daily basis that NOBODY else experiences, and the specific needs the pastor faces that are uncommon to all other people in the church.

Perhaps this is the reason so many pastors burn out and quit ministry. The statistics are staggering, so much so that the Eli Lilly Foundation is pumping hundreds of millions of dollars into churches, seminaries, and other non-profits to try and figure out why pastors walk away and how they can help stop the mass exit. When questioned as to this reality, pastors who quit most often say that a lack of support from the church and lack of understanding from the members as to the stresses and pressures of the job is the largest contributing factor to pastoral burnout.

Can we regain a sense of honoring the man of God without becoming obsessed with personalities or worshipping personas? Of course we can. Pray for your pastor. Slip a $100 bill in his hand after church. Send him and his wife on a cruise. Give them gift certificates to their favorite restaurants. Babysit their kids so they can have a night out to watch a movie and eat a good meal. Stand up for them when you hear gossip. Get their back when they cannot defend themselves against the untrue accusations of others. Encourage the deacons or the elders to take up a special love offering for your pastors family once a year, honoring them with respect and generosity.

When I was a young boy, my daddy and I got our hair cut every other Saturday morning at Garrett’s barbershop in Fountain Inn. And everytime that a local pastor would come in the barbershop to get a haircut, all the men waiting would stand up, take off their hats, shake hands with the pastor, and it made a heavy impression on me as a little boy. Since then, I have made it a personal goal to always honor the pastor when I go somewhere to preach, to always honor him from the stage, to tell him publicly how much I appreciate him and his family and their sacrifice for the church, and then to tell him personally and privately how much I look up to him. This simple practice has opened up friendships between me and hundreds of pastors over the years. Sometimes, they just need to know that we believe in them and that we’ve got their back when they need us. Let’s restore honor, correctly, to the man of God in the church.

neat story..."My Feet Are Off the Ground"

copied this from my brother, Michael Harrison's blog...thought it was excellent...just being there and acting as the Lord calls you in the moment can change a life and you may never know if in fact it did or how...in this instance Tyler Perry found out...Lord, "I pray you will help me to listen to you, to be sensitive to others."

"My Feet Are Off The Ground" 
From Tyler Perry (writer and actor) 

This morning I awoke and was so frustrated about all of the stuff that I'm dealing with in trying to get this studio open. I was about to open my mouth and start complaining when I remembered something that happened to me about a year ago. 

I was walking to my car when this woman who appeared to be homeless started walking towards me. I'm ashamed to say this but I thought, "I don't feel like being hustled today." Then I got quickly convicted. I felt guilty so I started digging in my pocket for some money. As she got closer I noticed that she had the kindest eyes that I had ever seen. As I was reaching into my pocket she started to speak. I thought, "Here goes the sales pitch". She said "Excuse me sir, I need some shoes. Can you help me?" My eyes filled with water because I remember being out on the streets and having only one pair of run over shoes. I was taken aback for a second.

I took her inside the studio and had my wardrobe people find shoes in her size. As she put the shoes on she started crying, praising God and thanking Jesus, and saying, "My feet are off the ground! My feet are off the ground!" Several of the wardrobe people started crying. I was crying. But I never forgot those words. "My feet are off the ground!" I thought, "Wow! All she wanted was some shoes." She quickly disappeared and never asked me for a dime. I realized that I still had the money in my hand so I went out looking for her. She was gone just that quick so I looked all around the neighborhood for her. I found her standing on a corner looking down at her shoes, still crying. I was so touched. I asked her how she had gotten homeless. She told me that she had AIDS and that she was waiting to get into a shelter. She said that her family had turned their backs on her and that she had no place to go, but she knew that God would make a way for her. I said to myself, "He just did." Her faith and her praise moved me.. I took her to a nearby hotel and put her up until she was able to get on her feet. I had someone that worked for me to check on her from time to time and to make sure that she had food and clothes. After about a month or so we lost touch, but I never forgot her.

This past summer I was shooting "Daddy's Little Girls" and this woman walks up to me smiling. I didn't recognize her face, but her eyes were familiar. She had on a really nice dress and her hair was done. It was her! She told me that the little help that I had given her had changed her life. She was in a house now and doing very well.

I said all of that to say this. After I met this woman, every time I think about complaining and mumbling I remember, "My feet are off the ground!"

I wanted to share this with you just to let you know that when I say that I am thankful for you, I mean it. And when I say that you are a blessing to me, I mean it. We take so much for granted sometimes that I just wanted all of you to know that I am grateful to God for you everyday. Thank you for being in my life.

~Tyler Perry

running coin (& green) update.....

went for a short run with Lucy (our female lab) this morning to go pick up a co-workers paper who is out of town....found a penny at E 105th Pl & Urbana then we were headed back to the house and cut thru Jenks SE Elementary school and found green, a pretty clean George Washington dollar bill in the oval parking lot...not sure if this dollar should count as I was walking because my stinkin knee is hurting...ouch!...I am going to count it anyway since my intentions were good...with this $1.01 that takes me to a $1.43 as of today....

running coin total update.....

up to $ .42! found a bright shiny 2007 D penny this afternoon at East 76th Street and Kingston, just a few blocks west of Sheridan...in pretty good shape...probably had only been run over 10 to 20 times....

Who you are is more important than what you do!

in our Lifegroup last night we were talking about Passion, what is our Passion? Who can we serve? I think it is often easier to be more outwardly focused as to what we can do as opposed to looking inside of ourselves (inwardly focused) as to what Jesus can do in us. Growing in Christ takes real commitment! It is not easy! My comment to Susie as we headed home was that I/we need to be focused on my personal realtionship with Him so that the change within is so evident and apparent in my own life that what comes out is simply the overflow of what He is doing in me. If this is the case my passions and my desire to serve will be that much stronger. Then it will not be an effort or a thought process for me but merely a picture of Jesus working through me. Being in Christ (what I am) is more important than doing (what I do), for those that are in Christ will be doing! Then I read the following this morning....


below is copied from Herbert Cooper, pastor of Peoples Church in Oklahoma City...I am often blessed by his thoughts...

"Who you are is more important than what you do!"

"I was in college and a pastor came to speak during our spiritual emphasis week. The pastor told all of us students that being was more important than doing. WOW, that one statement has had a profound impact on my life. It's amazing how one line out of one sermon has stuck with me all of these years. I am a child of God. I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. I am a friend of God. I am a co-heir with Christ. It's a passion of mine to stay focused on who I am more than what I do. If you focus your life on doing instead of being, there is a high probability that you will end up a public success and a private failure. WHO YOU ARE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN WHAT YOU DO!"

If I do the dishes, do I get a treat?

"Eighty percent of success is showing up."--Woody Allen

running coin total....

found a penny this afternoon just north of Incredible Pizza as I was adding a few minutes on to my run after Jim said I had had enough...that puts me up to $ .42 at this time.....

Running coin total...& Red Letter Day!

up to $ .41 this morning....12 cents added....$ .01 in the parking lot of the medical building on the SE corner of 81st & Memorial...then another $ .01 on 81st east of Memorial...and then a dime at the intersection of E 75th St & S. 88th E Ave...yep, dropped my Jeep off this morning to get the Catalytic Converter replaced (5 yrs old & under the 8/80 emissions warranty thankfully) at the Dodge/Chrysler dealership at 93rd & Memorial then headed toward work and found some change....pretty neat at church yesterday as Jeff asked me what the coin total was at...since I found the 2 pennies first...I thought wow a 2 penny day and the Lord brought to mind the song Red Letter Day (2 penny day=Red Letter Day, yea I am weird) from a few years ago and how I need to hide His word in my heart...the words to Red Letter day are below, they blessed me as I read them.....

Red Letter Day from Newsong

Every day before the rush gets started
I get down on my knees
And I pray, Lord, I need You here to guide me
Please speak to me
And something happens that I can't explain
His Word starts talking to me and
I'm out to face this world again

I do believe it's gonna be another red letter day
It's gonna be another red letter day
I do believe it's gonna be another chance for me
To take His Word and walk by faith
I got a smile with every step I take
Knowing He is here with me
It's gonna be a red letter day

I had a friend call me up and tell me
How he struggles through each day
I told him that I didn't have all of the answers
This world's a crazy place
But I've learned to hide God's word in my heart
So I can have it with me when the pressures of the day start

I do believe

So many hidden treasures in God's Word for us to find
The mysteries and secrets that are there to bring us life

I do believe it's gonna be another red letter day
I do believe it's gonna be another chance for me
to take His Word and walk by faith

I do believe it's gonna be another red letter day
I do believe it's gonna be another chance for me
to take His Word and walk by faith

More! Do you want more!

20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Ephesians 3:20-21 NLT


More of Christ! not more stuff!
you can accomplish more than you ever thought possible in Christ!
much less of you, much more of Christ!
when you want to quit, don't quit, there is more in you through Christ!
you are capable of doing much more than your mind believes!
there is more in you!
be more real!


we want more!
we want more of Christ in us!
we want more of Christ through us!

I want more!
I want more of Christ in me!
I want more of Christ through me!


heard Craig speak at our campus tonight and this is one of things he shared that resonated with me, I want MORE!

Shout to the Lord!

I am not an American Idol fan and do not watch the show...just not for me as I cannot sing, I am not musically inclined, then when it comes to clapping in time I am in real trouble (no comments)...but I do love to worship....anyway, as I was getting ready to put my head on the pillow last night....my wife and one of my boys are catching up on American Idol that they taped and I hear a song I recognize, step in there and all 8 finalists along with a choir are singing Shout to the Lord...stood there for a second, told Susie that it gives me chills...she said me too....pretty awesome moment that the most popular show on television would be ushering me into a time of worship...picked it up off of iTunes this morning and will continue to be blessed......

I think I am ready!

this week on swerve he has been talking about being broken....the pain that comes with it...I know for me I want to grow, mature, and be all that the Lord wants me to be....check out these posts if you haven't all ready....

You Will Be Broken!
Am I Broken Yet?
The Blessings of Brokenness
The Most Dangerous Prayer......“God, please break me.”

for me I cautiously but in my heart want to be broken before the Lord...take my life and continue to show me your greatness Lord...grow my faith...make me a stronger, more faithful Christ follower, a better husband, a more loving dad, a good son, and above all a servant for my Father...Lord, break my heart with the things that break your heart!....I pray I have the strength to endure what You are going to show me, which will only come through Him...I think I am ready!...are you?

1 Corinthians 1:25 (NIV)
25For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.

Running coin total...

is at $ .29 $ .11 added, found 1 dime and 1 penny this evening at
111th & Memorial....how cool is that!...yep maybe I am weird for
stopping to pick up change...

Running coin total....

Total is at $ .18

Found 1 penny today at 111th & Yale, nice & shiny 2008D...not
destroyed as is often the case when tires hammer coins a few times....

just started keeping the total on 3/27/08

Makes me think...

“Dreamers dream about things being different. Visionaries envision themselves making a difference.” :::Andy Stanley:::

“Unexpressed gratitude communicates ingratitude” :::Andy Stanley:::again

Risking it all is easy when you’ve got nothing to lose from Steven Furtick

these 3 quotes have me thinking.....good stuff!

Do you read?

reading Mark Batterson this morning.....these thoughts and comments from him resonated with me!...

Oliver Wendel Holmes said, "A mind stretched by a new idea never returns to its original shape." Cool thought isn't it?

Batterson said, "Proverbs 18:15 is one of my life verses." It says, "Intelligent people are always open to new ideas. In fact, they look for them." (NLT)

All I know is this: leaders are readers and readers are leaders!

Run'g coin total at... $ .17

Found a dime this morning as I headed back down the hill just north of Grace
Fellowship on 96th?? street just west of Garnett....

Running coins total at... $ .07

Found just west of Elm on C street as I took the 96th Park West
Aquarium loop....

PHAT PHILLY'S...excellent eats!

... reason #41 that I like Lifechurch.tv...my buddy Derrick turned me onto Phat Philly's....in downtown Tulsa lunch there today with Josh and Derrick...my choice Phat Steak combo, steak and cheddar with grilled onions and jalapenos which includes ketchup on some pretty awesome waffle fries, okay I like ketchup but the waffle fries are good....this has probably moved to the top of the lunch favorites when I go out...next trip though calls for the Phatter Steak combo....good eats for the boys...I am a little tired of Phat Philly's right now...I would not go back until tonight or may try breakfast in the morning...gotta recover from lunch...okay, recovered!...as Derrick twittered, we were waiting for our food today and  about 12 of Tulsa's finest from the Tulsa Police SOT walked in to break bread together....yea, maybe Derrick (mean) and I (ugly and bald) look like we may cause trouble but with Josh there they are not going to mess with us.....

Running coin count at $ .01 from zappos!

Starting with this 2006D penny is my initial post of money found as I
run...saw Chris P. doing this on the zappos.com running blog....good idea, would be interesting to know how much money I have found in my 15 years of running here in Tulsa and in many other states.....starting today we are keeping a running total......man if you have not checked out zappos.com, if you need shoes they have them and you will get them fast with awesome service....a shoe company, no!...they say they are a service company who happens to sell shoes and a few other things...probably will do a billion dollars this year...wow!....what do I like?...the culture, bottom line great service, did I say great service and I think they have fun doing it....they serve their customers....all about service and the wow! factor...this post blessed me about the core values at zappos being paid forward by an employees 7 year old daughter...pretty awesome!....

UP! Worship!

you can read about this here and here and here....truly touches me...that is what Jesus is doing for me and you...He is holding us UP...I need to be this for my family...I want to hold them UP!...this gentleman, Matt is helping his friend/brother worship...Jefferson has Cerebral Palsy but this is a tremebous picture of worship on Easter Sunday at Buckhead Church in Atlanta.....Buckhead is part of Northpoint where Andy Stanley is the lead pastor.... what a picture of worshipping our Father!

What are you going to do?

Just heard Pat Summitt who coaches the Tennessee Lady Volunteers ask,
what are you going to do to help your team win? Hoops, yep...but for
me it is about my family...what am I going to do to help my team win?
At church today Craig spoke of Jesus being a Warrior...He had a cause
worth fighting for and in the end worth dying for...I think about my
cause, what is it? I desire to be a Warrior for my family...UP...hold
them up, lift them up, pray them up, and love them up...I pray for
each of them to look UP to Jesus and prepare themselves individually
to be what the Lord has called them to be...great day
today! ...blessed today when I looked over at Cooper, he had both
hands lifted high as he worshipped our risen Savior as we sang Jesus
Paid It All from Kristian Stanfill...Blessings!...blessed this weekend
to worship with 5 of our 6 children...it was good!

"I'm trying to leave better children for my world."

Carlos Slim, the richest man in the world from Mexico........
The son of a Mexico City shopkeeper has built a staggering $59 billion fortune. This number puts him just ahead of perennial No. 1, Microsoft founder Bill Gates, whose net worth is estimated to be at least $58 billion.

Slim explained his life's work:

"Many people want to leave a better world for their children," he told the crowd. "I'm trying to leave better children for my world."

I thought this comment by Carlos Slim was very good. Impressed upon me that that the Lord has given me much, and much is required...I have a great responsibility!....for me that is to be a devoted Christ follower, show my children how I love my wife and their mother, and continue to and even do a better job of loving and nurturing my children, regardless of whether they are teenagers or adults.....

I do not know where this man stands spiritually...that is not my point....I cannot begin to fathom the dollars nor the desire for the money...but his words do speak to me.....

the article is here

realtionship!...influence!...

I have been thinking and considering relationships the last few days…whether it is with my family, those I work with, worship and fellowship with, or others that I come in contact with…I was reminded in reading about the Cross and Crown Mission in OKC again last week of this…a young 16 year old girl who is pregnant, often homeless with no where to go…she attends there services at Rock Island (youth and childrens facility) and often comes by as needed if I understand correctly…what touched me is that one of the young men who is on staff there is married with three children of his own…what did his family do?...they had a family meeting and decided that she could move in with them, there family will not be a family of 5 but of 7…I began to think, that is nice of them to provide a room but as I read further it stated we are not about providing a room but desire to provide her a relationship…Wow!...on another note, Jim a fellow I work with recently gutted his garage and remodeled it to make room for his 90ish year old mother and her sister who need help daily and cannot take care of themselves…of course, I think Jim what are you doing!...then it dawns on me even though the 90ish year old women have the financial means to be cared for elsewhere…Jim and his family have said come stay with us…not because of anything other than relationship…that speaks to me….who is growing in this?...Jim said as much as anyone it is his 3 children who are seeing Jesus modeled before them…I want to and will work to further develop great relationships in my life…I want to see beyond just the conversation or something I may be involved with to develop a relationship that can grow…leading me to be stronger and that on both sides providing opportunities of influence…in both of these situations above, old and young alike are being influenced and in return there is growth in families!…growth in relationships!…opportunities for influence!...Lord, help me to grow in this area of my life…..

“God couldn’t give a RIP about your comfort-He simply wants you to be obedient…and at times that means facing things head on that scare you and completely take you out of your comfort zone.” - Perry Noble

FOG!!!!

I am in a FOG today! why? because the Favor Of God is upon me! why? because He loves me! why? He has blessed me! how? with a wonderful wife, great kids, friends, family, church,and life...I am in a FOG!!! thankful for His favor on me!...are you in a FOG?

Psalm 84:10-12
10 Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.
12 O LORD Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you.

Race....awesome thoughts!

this is copied from the Buckhead church blog, posted by Carlos Whittaker from www.ragamuffinsoul.com

Race

Did you realize that Lance Armstrong won 7 Tour De France races in a row? If you are not a cycling fan, welcome to the club. It is just not that much of a spectator sport. So understand that this is coming from a guy who doesn’t watch the sport. The closest I’ve ever been to cycling was riding my mom’s 10 speed to Briarlake Elementary School in 4th grade thinking I was the coolest Latino on campus only to be made fun of because I was riding a chic bike. I was let know that a “boys” bike has a bar running parallel to the ground. Enough about my cycling career. How did he do it? I have never had cancer. I have never been in the hospital. I have never been faced with life or death. But many have. Many have stared death in the face. Most wilt under its gaze. But transfixed in my head is that clip that is shown in every Lance Armstrong story where he is cycling with no hair on his head or above his eyes. The chemotherapy was hard at work. But so was he. What clicks in his mind that allows such determination? I am a firm believer that God can work in whomever He pleases. The passion and endurance in Lance can only come from God. As a believer and privileged Ragamuffin I have the Living God breathing His breath into me day by day. But where is my passion? Where does it hide? I believe it is within us all. We just have to find it. It is late Monday night. Tomorrow I wake up and drive to Buckhead early in the morning to help create an environment to help people worship the Living God. Yet a man who wears a Yellow Jersey seems to have more passion than I. There is something fundamentally wrong with this picture. Tomorrow I pray I race toward the finish line of Christ Jesus as if I have stared death in the face and realized that it has no power over me. I pray that I run hard tomorrow with a renewed sense of passion that no song could ever bring me. Lord infuse in me that fire.I know Lance won the race.But we already have.

So why not run as if I believe it?

Carlos
Carlos Whittaker - SPD DirectorBuckhead Church

this blessed me....

stolen from Mark Beeson, lead pastor at Granger Community Church.......

Mark shared.... One of My Heroes

I recently read an interesting proposition. I read that most people don’t attend church services to learn something new. Most people go to church to be reminded of those things they already know; they go to be reminded that life matters, that God cares, that hope and love can conquer despair, that sin exacts a great toll and Jesus is a Wonderful Savior.

That’s why I sat spellbound when Bill Hybels spoke so eloquently about the power of a life “fully devoted to Christ.” I already knew that. I knew a sold-out-life carries incredible power. I knew that, but it inspired me to hear him say it. His aide memoire really helped me.

“I remember when I crossed the line from adolescence to full devotion to Christ,” he said. He talked of one great truth; it is Christ-centered people who drive everything. Christ-centered people are the ones driving the work and ministry of Christ’s Church.

I already knew that. People who want nothing more than “to do whatever God wants them to do” have a huge impact.

I knew that.

You knew that.

Now to live like it….

the Giants David Tyree before the Super Bowl

this is an excellent video of David Tyree of the New York football Giants being interviewed before the Super Bowl....this is of course before he made what some are calling the greatest catch in Super Bowl history...greatest catch or not he made a great catch that enabled the Giants to continue moving the ball then go ahead and score the winning touchdown.....be sure to check out the video below as well...

David Tyree of the New York Giants after the Super Bowl

some pretty strong words here from David Tyree be sure to check out the other video above as well...it is excellent!

....I'm just an evangelist!...for what?

"Honestly, I'm not a visionary. I'm just an evangelist." Tony Morgan shared this quote this morning from Guy Kawasaki...as I think about it we are all an "evangelist"...we have a passion and a love for something or for many things that others see in our lives......what is it for you? for me?....it may be our job, our family, some of our possessions, could even be ourselves in some area of our life....the bottom line we all have character traits or something that is recognized in our life by others?...again, what are you an 'evangelist' for?...me, I love my wife and family, oh how I enjoy hockey and my Buffalo Sabres, love what lifechurch.tv is about....as Jon Randles shared with us this weekend at church we are either breathing life or breathing death into others....I want to 'breath life' into all I touch this week.....I want to be an 'evangelist' for life...most importantly I want others to see Jesus in me....what about you?

Uganda 2008 Large

be "about deeds, not creeds"

Tony Morgan mentioned this article in the Washington Post from Rick Warren, read it but two things he said.....

be "about deeds, not creeds."

and he said

"I just think we're becoming too rude," he said. "You have no right to demonize someone just because you disagree with them."

two great words, excellent! again, you can read it here or here!

this will preach!.....

check out this post by Mark Batterson, wow! spoke to me as Rick Warren shared yesterday with a group of leaders in Washington DC at Ebenezer's.....about three temptations that leaders face.....
Integrity. 1) lust of the flesh
Generosity. 2) lust of the eyes
Humility. 3) pride of life
http://evotional.com/2008/02/integrity-humility-generosity.html
you don't have to be a pastor or on staff to be a leader or to gain some tremendous value in what Rick Warren shared.....for myself in business or as a father, I need to hear and listen to the Lord as I face the same temptations as others that I must guard against....good stuff....

two things Mark mentioned that really struck a chord with me.....
1) "I'd rather die than embarrass Jesus Christ."
2) .....humility! .....Rick's definition. Humility is not denying our strengths. It is admitting our weaknesses....wow! that will preach!

also saw where Jay Hardwick was there and I anticipate he will share some awesome insights as well in the next few days.....

How To Be Rich!

week 3 at Lifechurch
Why did God make you rich?
11You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. 2 Cor 9:11

God has blessed us with more than we need. We're rich. But we will not trust in our riches, but in Him who richly provides. Because we have more, we will give more!

*because I have more, I will give more!
How can you learn to give more?
*you must be an intentional giver. plan! practice giving!
2 Cor 9:7

I will intentionally...
1) return to God what belongs to God
Leviticus 27:30 Malachi 3:10
*tithing teaches me to put God first!
The purpose of tithing is to teach you always to put God first in your lives.
Deuteronomy 14:23 The Living Bible
*tithing increases my faith in God!
Malachi 3:10
2) give more and more and more!
2 Cor 8:7

We will not give like average people! We will give like one who is rich!

God has blessed us with more than we need. We're rich. But we will not trust in our riches, but in Him who richly provides. Because we have more, we will give more!

Fin is ready......

Fin is ready to go for a ride with his mommy...I do believe he is a
momma's boy...

"It doesn't take a leader to kill something that is already dead. Instead, leadership is killing something that is working in order to make something else work better." - Reggie Joiner-

found this on another blog (http://rolandgilbert.blogspot.com/) and thought it was an excellent thought......

Icicles on my chin...

Lucy and I went for a run this morning...my phone said it was 16 degrees...we got back to the car and I took a quick picture of her, you can see her whiskers on her chin are now icicles...she is a real trooper and loves to run...she is always ready to go...when I do not take her it is like she asks why not?...she is probably dissappointed but on the other hand when I come back home she acts as if everything is great...that is grace!...I know it may seem silly to compare our pups to what the Lord asks of me but there character is unforgiving, they don't hold grudges, and for the most part if they are trained well they are obedient...bottom line regardless they love me! and us! okay I may be weird but just thinking out loud....you can click on the picture and better see her chin when the pic is bigger, duh!...

a grateful heart.....

“Unexpressed gratitude communicates ingratitude”
- Andy Stanley

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.
---Proverbs 17:22 (NLT)

How To Be Rich! week 2

The Deceitfulness of Riches 1 Tim 6:17

17Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.

*God has blessed me with more than I need. I am rich. But I will not trust in riches, but in Him who richly provides.
Riches are Deceitful!
*Satan wants you to serve money! or worship money, be a slave to money...deceitful!
Matt 6:24 and 1 Tim 6:10

People who love and trust money
1) never have enough Eccl 5:10 and Proverbs 18:11
wealth promises things it cannot deliver...deceitful!
riches distract us from important things...deceitful!
money, the #1 competition for your heart...deceitful!

People who love and trust money
2) have money in the bank but no peace in their hearts Prov 15:16
turmoil...miserable...not satisfied...stressed...deceived!

People who love and trust money
3) find it increasingly difficult to give BIG! 2 Cor 8:2-3

God has blessed us with more than we need. We're rich! But we will not trust in riches but in Him who richly provides.

Lord! help me to seek meaning in Jesus who gives life! That is rich!

Just received....

I am excited to read this book that I just received from Joe
Sangl...Joe is on staff at NewSpring church in Anderson, SC teaching
and sharing financial stuff....looking forward to using some of the
tools he shares in our own lives to be better stewards of what the
Lord has given us....so grateful for the wise individuals that we come
in contact with....

I would rather.......

Jesus! I would rather know you than have the answers to all of my questions. Jesus, who are you? Please continue to show me even though it is unexplainable but absolutely not undeniable!

I enjoyed listening to Andy Stanley yesterday as I drove and he got me to thinking.....again, good stuff!

oh no......then, yes, thank you Lord!

received one of those phone calls this weekend that we as parents do not like to get regarding a decision that one of our children makes.....oh how we hurt for those (our child) the Lord has entrusted to us for some of the decisions they make and the situations they put themselves in....I post this to say that I have gone from tears at church Sunday morning to a heart of joy and thankfulness today for having a couple of days of renewed fellowship and a strengthened relationship with one of our children.....God is good all the time!...only He knows his timing and the why's...we are grateful for His protection, thankful for His love, and will continue to seek Him and His goodness in our own lives and for the lives of our (His) children....

How to be Rich

Blessed this week with the 1st message in the series
'How To Be Rich', Good News, Bad News 1 Timothy 6:17-19
1) the good news is your rich
Eccl. 5:19
*If your going to be good at being rich, you have to first admit you are rich.
*God has blessed me with more than I need, I'm rich!
2) the bad news is your rich
Luke 18:24-25
The problems with being rich...
*it is harder for you to depend on God!
*it distracts you from true priorities!
*you have a greater responsibility!
1 Timothy 6:17-19 again....

Craig mentioned how blessed and how rich we are in comparison to the rest of the world...most of us have homes, a car (or cars), and even homes for our cars (garages)...we also have all the food we need to eat and much, much more than we need...not much to worry about...bottom line because of this great country in which we live we are spoiled beyond belief, most of us really cannot even glimpse how blessed we are...I pray that the Lord will burn that upon my heart in the days ahead!....I often find myself comparing what I have or want to what someone else has or is...this is not who I want to be and is certainly not what the Lord has called me to do...I am to be more Christlike in all I do!...I am excited to see how the Lord will use the next couple of messages in this series to impress upon my heart what He wants me to hear...good stuff! how blessed we are to be a part of what the Lord is doing at and through Lifechurch .....I am in awe of what I see...I have a great sense of expectancy about tomorrow and how this ministry will be used all over the world....

Unstoppable Idiots!

this message that I listened to today (twice) really stretched me...wow!...Craig (message 3) shared some thoughts that hit me good, great stuff......lifechurch.tv blesses me.....
**......Ephesians 4:11-12.....It was God who gave some to be.......pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of ministry....
**idiotes (id-ee-o'-tace); an ignoramus, an ignorant or unlearned peson, an idiot
**God specializes in using everyday, ordinary people...everyday, ordinary idiots who believe Him at His word!
**Jesus used ordinary, unlearned people, idiots to do His work. Acts 4:13
**if you are a big enough idiot to believe God can use you, He will!
**I want to be surrounded by idiots
**be a church full of idiots for Jesus growing together
**idiots that don't know what can't be done
**idiots who are simply foolish enough to believe that Jesus is who He said he was and that we can do what He says we can do
**idiots that believe all things are possible with God
**Man is looking for people who fit into the world's system but Jesus is looking for idiots
**idiots go all in, radical, complete, total surrender

IDIOTS WHO HAVE BEEN WITH JESUS
1) give their whole lives to Him, go all in Luke 5:8-11
2) become Unstoppable Acts 5:38-39

are you doing anyone any favors?

"If we come to plant a church in a particular area, we're not perceived as doing anyone any favors."

love the quote above that I read this morning from Jay Hardwick ...great thought...so important that wherever the Lord has called us we are to serve, love, give, fellowship...be a part of the community to the point that if we were to leave we would truly be missed...are you doing what the Lord has called you to do?...would you be missed?...would your church be missed?...love what these folks are doing at Cross and Crown Mission in downtown Oklahoma City!...awesome!...they bless me just by sharing!...would they be missed?...absolutely!...check out Use Me Here

Oops! you can tell ....

this morning as we got back into the running routine after being out of town and not feeling real well…head out with my LC friends to go 5 or so…about 3 miles in I stub the left toe and proceed to fall to the ground…thankfully I fell towards the grass and not on the concrete as has happened in the past that tends to draw blood on the knees and the palms…yep, maybe I am a klutz…where am I going here?…you can tell who your friends are by the way they respond…there were 5 of us, 4 males (myself included) and 1 four-legged female, the only one who appeared real concerned was Lucy, my female yellow lab who was busy licking me as I was there on the ground…yes, the LC fellas were asking but Lucy was using that big ol tongue making sure all was okay…I knew there was a reason she came with me today to make it all better…what a pain to feel a twinge in the same muscle for about the fourth time in the last 6 weeks or so…the facts of getting older….however, I am grateful for these men who I get to run with, discuss life with, and have fellowship...thanks! you guys are awesome!...I appreciate you!