Man Lives Only Once

"At least there is hope for a tree:

If it is cut down, it will sprout again,

and its new shoots will not fail...

But man dies and is laid low;

he breathes his last and is no more.

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Job 14:7,10

Unfriendly Wave

I want to apologize to the driver of the large white van that I nearly ran off I-65 yesterday. Although you are probably not reading this, I was driving the small white Mazda that swerved severely into your lane, causing you to nearly hit the concrete barrier in the middle of the interstate.

Although I could not read your lips or hear the words you were speaking, I am confident that I understood your sign language.

You, the driver of that large white van, should know that I was swerving to miss a concrete block and 2x4 that was directly in middle of my lane. Thankfully you, or I, was not injured in our little incident.

*Note to all of you reading this...you have assumed that the driver of the van was a male. Right?

You would be wrong. Have a great day.

Thought For Today

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"There must be some great truth

underlying the instinct for worship."

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- Sir Oliver Lodge.

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Springtime!

The rosebush outside our front door just bloomed this morning. Another reminder of spring. A reminder of growth. The deep red blooms are absolutely gorgeous. The bush has grown an amazing amount just in the last 2 months.

As I look back over the past 5 years of my life I can see many areas where I have grown. What about you. Have you grown in patience? In compassion? In being a peacemaker? In forgiving?

I would like to know what your favorite time of the year is? Although I love spring it is not my favorite. Use the comment form and tell me what your favorite time of the year is. Grace and peace to you today!

Memorial Day

Are you watching any marathons on the television today? Are you spending time with family? Maybe you are going on a ride on your bike, or taking some time doing some home improvements.

Whatever is in your plans today, take a few moments to thank God for the freedom we have to do them, and for the freedom from sin that He provides.

Psalm 27:1

Memorial Day

Sitting behind my desk this morning, I was wondering how many people would come to church today at Trafalgar Christian. My guess is that most people will be taking advantage of what God has created outside. I know that several have Memorial Day plans. Some are going to the race.

I think we will be lucky to have more than 50% of our normal attendance. So, I have decided not to preach my full message today, close our service early, and send off everyone with a smile. We might skip some hymns too! :->

If I get kind of tired, we will probably not have time for the offering. Communion is a must though. Some people need that snack just before the sermon to keep them alert.

Although this is a bit cynical and sarcastic, I will point out something about church. Doesn't matter how many show up, it only matters if He shows up.

Back to the Real World.

Vacation has come to an end. Very sad. Transitioning back to the real world is tough sometimes. We had a great time at Disney World.
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At Epcot, one of the Disney Theme Parks, they have have a large building full of new technology, games, and interactive displays. One of the displays is a large kiosk, where you can step in, get your picture taken, choose a background and caption, and email your pic and greeting to friends and family.
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I took the time to email a picture or two to some family. (only the email addresses I could remember!) I had Tegan with with me, and Yvette was back at the room (Beach Club) with Tristan and Tiffany. The picture I emailed was so good, I thought I would share it from my blog.


He liked Disney World too, he just didn't see nearly as much of it as the other two kids!

Any Guesses?

There is a prize for the first person to correctly guess where this photo was taken. Just use the comment form on this post with-in 36 hours of the posting of this post. Post Haste.

Contest Coming Tomorrow!

Fun Contest Tomorrow! Winner receives prize!

Exceptions to the Rule

There are several places I would expect to see this sign like this one besides on the internet.

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This is still not as funny as the time machine!

My Friend...

God created you to be His friend. If we are friends with Him, then we must deliberately and meaningfully lay down our lives for Him.
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If we are the friends of Jesus, we are being called, even right now, to exhibit HIS love with everyone we meet. Who will you exhibit his love to today?
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"You are My friends if you do whatever I command you." - John 15:14

I am so glad I am a friend of Jesus. I wonder just how I can lay my life down for Him today.

When All Is Lost...

When all is lost, I feel scared.
When all is lost, God is there.
When all is lost, my soul beware.
When all is lost, tis' Christ who cares.

For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.Luke 15:23-25

Stating the Obvious

I guess I am guilty. Someone recently told me my sermon series on "The Beattitudes" is just stating the obvious. Well, they are right. I am glad they are right. I am really good at stating the obvious. But certainly I am not as good as stating the obvious as others in this world. just take a look at the picutre.

So, are you guilty of ever stating the obvious? Or like Bill Engvall says, "Here's Your Sign!"

Daily Dose of Truth

I love it when I receive new insight about a situation I am in, or to see the solution of a problem I am dealing with. Most of the time insight comes to me as I am reading the Bible or spending some time in quiet meditation.

Jesus said to me recently, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man comes to the Father, except through me." John 14:6.

When your path is confused, He is the Way.
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He is the Way.

Time Expired!

What would your gravestone be like? What will it read?

Natures Work

"As you do not know the path of the wind,
or how the body is formed in a mother's womb,
so you cannot understand the work of God,
the Maker of all things."

Ecclesiastes 11:5

My sister-in-law posted this on her blog, and

it really spoke to me today.

Make sure that you really let this sink in to your unique

situation, in your life, right now. If you read it three or four times, as

with any scripture, you will see it come alive.

TIME EXPIRED - COMING LATER TODAY!!!

Disney 04

We are getting ready for our trip to Disney. I was browsing some pictures from our trip in 2004. Observations following...

This is the last year that I had more hair than Tiffany.

What in the world am I pointing at or trying to touch? I'll bet anything that Yvette had the camera on this one. Whatever the case, Maggie is really worried about me :->!

Disney Fanatics, any guesses where this picture was taken?

???

???

In the GM employees area above Test Track!

Mother-in-Law 2

After a brief phone call with my Mom-in-Law, I thought I would post a couple of more pictures...the not so embarrasing type! (blackmail is very effective)

So, here we are back at the nature preserve in Florida.

Tagged

Tracey Kisha and Mia tagged Amy - Amy tagged Tricia - Tricia tagged Tammy - Tammy tagged Kris- Kris tagged me.



Here's how the tagging works:

(1) Each player answers questions about themselves.

(2) At the end of the post, tag 5 people by posting their names.

(3) Go to their site/blog and leave a comment telling them that they have been Tagged. Invite them to your site/blog so they can read the Tagged post.

(4) Let the person who tagged you know when you have completed your Tagged post.



1. What were you doing 10 years ago? Yvette and I were serving as pastors at Jonesboro (IN) Friends Church.

2. What are 5 things on your "To Do" list? 1. Devotions. 2. Pack for vacation. 3.Play with the kids. 4. Think about learning Spanish. (operative word - think) 5. Visit family.

3. Name some things you would do if you were a millionaire. Save the whales, study abroad, watch TV all day long, travel to Walt Disney World and live in that little room in top of the castle. All those are false, I would begin a non-profit parachurch organization spreading the gospel all over the world...based in the little room in the top of the castle at Disney World ;-)

4. Name some places where you have lived. Farmland, IN; Haviland, KS; Jonesboro, IN; Snow Camp, NC; Trafalgar, IN. (Some wierd city names huh?)

5. Name some bad habits you have. I drink way too many carbonated bevrages.

6. Name some jobs you have had. Sold fireworks, Hog Farmer, Facilites Maintenance, Dairy Farm, Youth Pastor, Pastor.

7. Name those whom you are tagging: This ends now...NO ONE!

Signs, Signs, Everywhere Signs...

This is my mother-in-law. What is she doing? Some of you people think I give her a hard time for no reason at all. But here we are...on vacation...at a nature preserve...in Florida. There are signs ALL OVER THE PLACE that clearly read...STAY ON THE PATH...DO NOT PICK UP ANYTHING...ACT NORMAL...well, that last one I made up. There were signs everwhere. Everyone else was following the rules. What should be her punishment?

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The other pictures of this rule breaker are way too embarrasing to show here on my blog.

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(I'll post them tomorrow.)

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Is the song "signs" going through your head yet? (5 man electrical band song) Yes, I know it is sad that I know that. Tesla performed it much later and it was a big hit.

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This is really a wierd post...more on my mother-in-law tomorrow.

Charitable Giving

I found the following article from Barna Research quite interesting.
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Tithing in 2007
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Whether they believe in the principle of tithing or not, few Americans give away that much money. In 2007, the research revealed that just 5% of adults tithed.
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Not surprisingly, some population groups were more likely than others to have given away at least ten percent of their income. Among the most generous segments were evangelicals (24% of whom tithed); conservatives (12%); people who had prayed, read the Bible and attended a church service during the past week (12%); charismatic or Pentecostal Christians (11%); and registered Republicans (10%).
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Several groups also stood out as highly unlikely to tithe: people under the age of 25, atheists and agnostics, single adults who have never been married, liberals, and downscale adults. One percent or less of the people in each of those segments tithed in 2007.
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Among all born again adults, 9% contributed one-tenth or more of their income. The study also showed that Protestants were four times as likely to tithe as were Catholics (8% versus 2%, respectively).

Brown Baby Bunny Pictures!

Here they are...(see previous post about the bunnies if you are confused why I have pics up)

It would be best NOT to ask how many are still surviving :-<

Missing from Heaven

We spent some time sitting in hospitals this week with our son Tristan (who is now on the road to recovery-praise God!). During those few days of seemingly endless waiting I was thinking about heaven. There will be places to live, tasks to perform, and people to share with. But what would be absent or missing from heaven? This is what I have come up with while watching over our little one.
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Heaven will be a place of perpetual peace, eternal bliss, and unending blessedness. We will experience those things without the interruption of sickness, disease, or death. No interruptions at all. No waiting, no commercials, no lost cell phone call, no loss of signal or service. No interuption of satellite signal, no lost mail, late bills, or lost keys.

Consistent, perfect living. Sure makes me long for home. In heaven there will be former doctors and non-practicing nurses, but no hospitals. NO HOSPITALS! NO interruptions at all.
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What do you think heaven will be like?

Test for Maturity

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"The surest test of maturity is the power to look back without wincing." - Oswald Chambers.



I confess, there are times when I look back and I do more than wince; I shudder. Being embarrased or ashamed doesn't even cover it. What I need to do is keep things in perspective and live in the now, with a few deliberate glances in the rear view mirror of my life. These glances are not to judge and be ashamed, but to simply remember where I have been and what direction I need to keep heading.


Can you glance back into your life and not wince?
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Where is God taking you on your road of life?

Ok, ok...bunnies on the way.

Due to some unfavorable comments about my care for small, brown, little rabbits who cannot defend themsleves against the onslaught of my verbal abuse (I said they were stupid), I will be posting the beautiful baby bunny pics of the brown baby bunnies on my blog very shortly...
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...then Yvette will start speaking to me again.

Blessed are the merciful...

Mercy is a great thing. Not being punished for something we should have been punished for feels pretty good. Thanks be to God for showing his great mercy on us. Sometimes I think that is where transformation begins. When is the last time you realized just how great mercy felt?

We're Goin' to Disney World...

We are leaving in a couple of weeks to go to Disney World. I love going there on vacation. The atmosphere, the food, the rides, the food, the architecture, the food...you get the idea. The kids love the swimming and would spend all the time in the water if we would let them. Yvette likes the "no" part of vacation. No dishes, no making the beds, no cooking, no cleaning.

What is your favorite aspect of a vacation?

Yvette's New Pets

The home next us just received a new sod lawn. So, in preparation a company used a skid-steer and prepared the front and back lawn. Yvette happened to be outside while the skid-steer was working. While getting Tegan out of the van, a baby bunny ran from the edge of THEIR lawn and tried to run in our garage. Upon further investigation, which I was silently opposed to, she found 6 more baby bunnies.

Of course we adopted them...stupid rabbits.

Back to the Future!

OK, Let's go! Looks like it will work, just what I imagined a time machine would be. I have to admit, when I saw this picture, I laughed out loud for about 5 minutes. A church member who was with me, just looked at me and then rolled his eyes.

I'll bet there are lots of things that you would like to go back to the past and fix. I would probably spend lots of time fixing, not enough re-living. I can see Kris, my brother-in-law, laughing at this one for a long time. He will probably make a sermon series out of it.

If this time machine really worked, what would be one thing you would go back and change?

What moment would you re-live?

Time Machine

Coming 5/6/08 - A picture of a real time machine. I AM SO EXCITED!!!

When Food Fights Back

"Don't play with your food!" Whoever carved this is really rebelling.

I am so trying this when I go to Disney World.

Talk about pouting...

I thought everyone would like to see what Molly looks like when she does not get what she wants...

I think she gets that from Yvette :->

What do you pout about?

Garage Sale...

Today we had a garage sale. Never Again! (I always say that.) Oh well, it was time to get rid of the junk. It was kinda fun to watch the old, the ragged, the dirty, and worthless leave the garage. Don't worry we kept the kids. Two of them.

It would be a good idea to have a garage sale for our inner-space. Take an afternoon to sit before the Lord and get rid of all the junk in our lives. I like to take a journal page and list all the things that need to be disposed of in my life, and then begin to seek the things that I want to fill my "house."

The cool thing is that we can now get our cars in the garage! That is a miracle.

"Willy Nilly"

I don't know really what that means. I just read it from one of Saint Augustine's Messages. What do you think "willy nilly" means?

"When you die your body will dissappear for a while only to rejoin you at the end of time. This is going to happen whether you like it or not...Even if you don't believe in your eventual resurrection, you will still rise from the grave 'willy nilly.'" Sermon 344,4

Blessed are the pure...

I had lots of feedback from my message Sunday. Thanks. I think. For those of you out there reading this (both of you), I shared about being pure of heart. Matthew 5:8, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God..." was the scripture passage.

I talked about some of the nasty, bug-filled, bacteria laden, drinking water in Jamaica that I watched people drink on my last trip there. I described, in the message last Sunday, how the people get sick and die from the impure water that they take into their bodies.

For us, it isn't drinking water that causes sickness and death. Hatred, malice, bitterness, pride, jealousy, and lying (just to name a few I deal with) sometimes keep us from being pure in heart. It sure is hard to "see God" with all that filth inside of us, isn't it?

Thankfully, when we become pure of heart through the blood of Jesus Christ, we can see God much more clearly.

I guess I'll give it a try...

I am certain that about 3 people will read this blog. I will read this post, Yvette will read this post, that leaves Kris. So, I hope you both enjoy this new adventure.

If anyone stumbles on to this blog by accident, then I hope you take a few moments to think about transformation, as well as get involved in my life.