Great Is His Faithfulness!!

Psalm 18:25-26a:

"With the faithful You prove Yourself faithful;
with the blameless man You prove Yourself blameless;
with the pure You prove Yourself pure"

Psalm 33:18-19

"Now the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him-
those who depend on His faithful love to deliver them from death
and to keep them alive in famine."

1 Corninthians 1:9

"God is faithful; by Him you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord."

As I was looking through God's Word last night, I came across these passages that reaffirmed God's consistency in all our lives.

He is faithful.

In fact, in my new Bible I got for Father's Day, the NIV Archeological Bible (very cool maps & commentaries in it) the word "faithful" (faithful, faithfully, faithfulness, faith) is mentioned over 420 times. If something is mentioned that often and reinforced time & time again, there's got to be something to it, right?

What it says to me is that God is faithful in ALL things...what He says, what He does, how He does it, where He is. I don't know what kind of week (or month) you may have been going through but for me, there has been a real season of spiritual plateauing. It seems like I've been doing what I'm supposed to do, like reading His Word, spending time with Him and allowing Him to use me according to His will.

Yet through all that, it's kinda been like "OK God...I'm here and I'm listening. What do you want to say today?"

What I feel like God has been doing through me during this time is actually refining me a bit more. You know, we all have a few rough edges and every once in a while, the Potter needs to bring us into the shop and smooth those corners off, sometimes reshaping us, remolding us and getting the impurities out of the way so we can be created (ie: used) by Him. Sometimes that means that WE have to get out of the way to let HIM do what needs to be done in our lives.

But as His Word says so very often, He will never leave nor forsake us. He is faithful to be with us and what He says He will do, He does.

One of my favorite verses is 1 John 1:9. Again, keeping with the subject of God's faithfulness it says:

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous (just) to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

I don't know about you but that passage just excites me and gives me such hope. In all the things I do and all the screwups I make, when I go to the Father for repentance, God is faithful to meet me, forgive me and make me better than I was before.

This God, the One who created Heaven and Earth, who hung the stars in the sky, who knows the plight of the sparrow yet cares so much more for you and me, who knows the number of hairs on my head...

the One who knows my name...

the One who sent His Son to die for MY sins...

the One who reigns for ever and ever...

He is faithful to me.

How awesome a thought is that? Someone so mighty and powerful cares for "such a worm as I". I don't know about you but that humbles me immensely yet it also gives me more hope & joy than anything this world could offer.

Oh, the words of these 2 incredible hymns are in my heart & mind today. Would you sing them with me right now?

"He leadeth me, He leadeth me
By His own hand He leadeth me
His faithful follower I would be
For by His hand He leadeth me."

"Great is Thy faithfulness,
Great is Thy faithfulness
Morning by morning new mercies I see,
ALL I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness
Lord unto me."

Thank you Jesus for Your faithfulness!! You are worthy of all our praise!

Let's Go Fishin'

There's a new song out that the kids & I love to sing. It's by the Gaither Vocal Band and it's called "I Catch 'Em, God Cleans 'Em" and it's a real upbeat, catchy tune. It's so cool to hear your kids sing a song that while it's simplistic in it's melody & lyrics, there's such power & truth in what it says.

"I catch 'em, God cleans 'em
I bait the hook with the love of the Kingdom
I've been called to be a 'fisher of men'
I catch 'em, God cleans 'em
Heaven knows He saves every soul that believes Him
I reel them in and He washes away their sin."

The song is based on Matthew 4:19 where Jesus says to Peter & Andrew:

"Come, follow Me and I will make you fishers of men."

You know, the main reason I started doing this blog is that I really wanted to share my faith with as many people who would come and read it. I was hoping so much that all my radio friends, my family members, church friends and whomever else I could get to read this would not only see what God is doing in my life but that God would then begin to do a work in their lives as a result.

Since I'm no longer on the radio, I wanted a way for my voice to still be heard. I figured a blog like this would be a great start. The only question I wonder about is:

a) is anyone reading this
b) is anyone being AFFECTED by what they read and seeking the Lord because of it

No one will really know until we reach the other side of Heaven. But as I've tried to maintain over these past months, my heart's desire is to share what incredible things God is doing within me, not to make myself appear pious or "holier-than-thou" but to make all who read this aware that they too can have the very same joy & peace I have, knowing that Christ is Lord & Savior of our lives.

As it is when you go fishing, you cast your bait out in the water and then you wait. Sometimes you wait a very long time but hopefully, eventually, a fish will come up and give you a nibble, checking out to see if your bait is something he wants to chomp onto. If he likes it, he'll hit it and cinch that hook in deep & firm and we reel 'em in, anxious to see how big a fish we caught.

In a spiritual sense though, it doesn't matter how big the fish is you catch. What matters is that you cast something out into the water, giving people something to consider and (hopefully) become hungry for.

Of course, it's not because of anything WE do as believers that saves anyone or redeems them. However, the way we act, the way we talk and the way we love can be all the bait someone needs to get a little closer to you for you to share the wonder of Christ's perfect love for them.

There's always room for one more at the table. Maybe you're hungry & tired of all the rat-race this life offers you today. Why not stop by and take a bite of this thing called "the Gospel" and see how much it'll satisfy your longing. See how it fills the emptiness of your life. Watch how it gives you the peace & joy you've searched for all your life.

Forget about all your preconceived notions about televangelists, denominations and what you THINK Christianity is all about.

Check it out at it's source today: the Bible. I promise you...you'll be so blessed and encouraged by what you read, you'll be delighted to hear that at this table, this is no one course meal.

It's all you can eat!!

What do you say? Let's go fishin'!!

Practice What You Preach

Matthew 7:21

"Not everyone who says to Me 'Lord, Lord' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father who is in Heaven. Many will say to Me on the day "Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your Name and in Your Name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly 'I never knew you. Away from Me, you evildoers!'"

I started today's blog with this Scripture because I'm mentally tired of seeing a trend, especially in the media, namely the newspaper editorial sections. Perhaps you've seen this too.

What I'm referring to is how people will argue their points of "logic" based on certain Scriptural passages that (apparently) reinforce their position. These arguments also are quick to point out how not only are they doing the 'will of God' but how those opposed to them are not. I see this so very often between conservative and liberal readers. Those are the "tags" many of them love to wear to describe themselves and each other. It's especially disgusting seeing this form of post-modern, convenient Christianity being displayed by politicians who can quote and cite the Bible only when it serves their purposes but fail to adhere to Biblical standards when it matters most.

A great example of this is when Republicans will castigate Democrats for their stance(s) on issues like homosexuality, abortion and an overal liberal mindset that doesn't include a central belief in God. Democrats, conversely, will in turn accuse Republicans of being greedy, deceitful, robbing the poor to line the pockets of the rich and ignore the social plight of Americans (as well as all people) who suffer from poor living conditions, strive to make it with no medical insurance benefits and the continuous deterioration of our planet's natural resources.

NEITHER of these parties are correct about their own personal "correctness". Neither of these parties are doing anything to "earn" a special favor from the Lord. The Bible plainly states that "God does not show favoritism" so for Republicans and Democrats, conservatives and liberals, to claim that THEIR beliefs are more in tune with Christ is pure political double-speak hogwash.

I'd call it something a bit stronger except my Mama would wash my mouth out with soap. LOL I'm sure you all can guess what this kind of political language is more commonly known as.

I don't know how many times I've read editorials in the paper where someone is railing against a pastor in our area, pointing out his human flaws and then quoting scriptures about how Jesus wouldn't be seen driving around NWA in a big SUV. Jesus would be riding a bike or walking among the homeless, not socializing with the "big money" people.

While there is a small nugget of truth buried in here somewhere, these opinions, and everyone has a right to one, are nothing more than hate-filled diatribes, set out to cause harm and hurt rather than live by the principles they espouse.

The point I'm trying to make today is this.

If you're going to assert your position is of God, make sure it is. Make certain that if you're going to try and appeal to Christians to support you and your cause, it isn't flawed with a good dose of humanistic self-worth. That's something that grates on my nerves so much and totally makes the person's argument invalid to me.

"I'm a Christian and if you don't believe that, look at how I vote on these issues. Isn't that how Christ would've voted if He were in the Senate?"

Gag. Please...your reasoning is disgusting.

If you want to profess that it's God that guides your voting, then allow Him to do just that. Say no to special interest groups and lobbyists who may be giving your office a little somethin' somethin' under the table. I'll never understand politicians and social groups who say they believe in God but "we can't let our personal feelings (read: God) dictate how we vote in session".

Really? Why is that? Are you afraid you'll "offend" someone or alienate yourself from your peers & powerful lobbyists? If you believe in something like you assert, then why (or how) can your beliefs not guide you in every area of your life?

I've been reading the Bible on a consistent basis for about 2 years now and I have NEVER found a verse or reference in either Testament that says "Love the Lord your God and serve Him but only as it will serve your whims and agenda".

Now, as I've mentioned, I haven't found a verse like that so if you may know of one, please let me know. From what I've seen, each verse has been quite contrary to the hypotheical verse (yet literal lifestyle) I made above. I keep reading things like "There shall be no other gods before Me" and "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your soul and with all your strength". "

Ideals like trusting in the Lord in ALL things, believing in Him at ALL times, placing your faith in Him and allowing Him to lead & guide your paths.

The road to destruction is wide. Don't fall prey to a bright smile, soothing words uttered for your appeasement and people who view you only as one more vote. I'm not here to endorse one party over another. What I am trying to bring up is how both parties are flawed (some would say fatally) and we can't just be led down the road like sheep. Issues need to be investigated, discussed and prayed about before casting our blind support.

There's only ONE Shepherd and it's only His instruction we can depend upon at all times.

Guilt-Ridden Dad

This weekend, Jennifer's sister & family are in for a visit so it's a near-chaotic time with all 4 kids in the home, but it's a good kind of hectic. Jake's of the age where he wants to be involved with the big kids and he's actually able to hold his own rather well. However, this morning, I decided to take him in to school for a little while as I gave the older kids some "older" activities to do. But as I tried to make school sound as fun as I could to Jake, he responded with all kinds of gut-wrenching tears & moans.

Oh, the guilt being laid upon me.

I had the boy settled down until we pulled into the parking lot of his school. Then, the silent sobs, the shaking of the shoulders and the faucet of tears began.

"D-d-d-d-daddy" he began to weep..."I don't want to g-g-g-go to school".

Great. Drive the knife in deeper.

"But it'll be fun" I tried to explain.

Increase the volume of wails & amount of tears.

"Noooo!" he pleaded. "I wanna stay with you."

Ahhh, I thought to myself. Obi-Wan has taught you well the art of "guilting the father". Ugh.

I got out of the truck with a heavy heart and we walked into the school together, hand in hand. They said the kids were already outside playing, since it's been much cooler in the morning than in the afternoon.

"Cool Jake" I exclaimed. "Let's go out & play!!"

We walked out and he went inside the play area, walking as bravely and as assuredly as a distraught 4 year old can, all the while, the knife of guilt made it's way deeper into the dark recesses of my black, cold heart.

I lowered my head and slowly got into the truck to drive away. I'd already felt bad about dropping the boy off at school because all he really wanted to do was stay home & play with the big kids and be a part of things. Here I was, the mean old daddy, leaving him behind to accomodate my preferences to watch the older (and more independent) kids at home.

"Don't look up" I whispered to myself. "Don't look up...don't look up...don't look---"

Ugh.

"I told you not to look up!!"

There at the gate was my son, clutching his shirt and wiping his eyes, reaching through the bars to plead with me one last time.

"Daddy!!"

I had signed him in at 9:30am with an estimated time of pickup around 3pm.

I signed him out at 9:35am.

It was the right thing to do. I knew it immediately and to be honest, I'm excited about spending the day with my little buddy. I believe we're going to all go try & hit a matinee of "Cars" so pray for me that I can manage all 4 kiddies in the theater, who will undoubtedly be amped up on lemonade, popcorn and M&M's.

Lord, hear my prayer.

LOL

We Survived...Barely

Although I'm a few days late with the post-birthday celebrations, I'm glad things are starting to get back to normal. Jake turned 4 and Kaitlyn turned 8 this past week. Jake had a "superhero" party, in which all the kids who showed up got Superman capes my wife had made them plus all kinds of superhero stuff hagning around (literally). We had the upstairs playroom converted to a super hideout with Batman, Spiderman and Superman posters, action figures and cars all over the place. We topped it off with over 50 Superman cupcakes and pizza, sending the kids home that night full of sugar & carbs. Good thing was that with as hard as they all played that day, jumping around on the trampoline, smacking our Spiderman pinata and racing through the house with their capes billowing, I'm sure each child summarily collapsed by 8:30p.

I know our's did.

By the way, here's a look at our "super" family that day. It was way too hot for Mommy & Daddy to wear an actual costume so we took the easy way out & wore our "Incredibles" t-shirts instead. MUCH cooler considering the 94+ degree heat.

Kaitlyn had over 8 girls come over for a sleep-over on Friday night. 9 girls, 8 years and above, ALL jammed upstairs in the playroom to watch movies and fight over who Jake would get to sit by. Yes, they were fighting over the boy. Man, he's going to get the big head, isn't he? As you can imagine, it was a late night. A VERY late night that lasted until about 2am Saturday morning. I think that even last night (7/17) we were all still dragging a bit but things are slowly getting back to normal. The good thing about doing the mondo-sleepover this year is that we realized...

we WON'T do one next year. HAHA!!

A BIG tip of the hat to my wife for organizing so many of the activities for both parties. If it were left up to me, I'd have probably put on some DVD's for all the kids, gave them a cupcake & some punch and told them not to make a mess. Hey, that's fun sounding, right?

A party coordinator I'm not.

So, now that the kids are one year older, Jake is officially in "Power Ranger" mode and Kaitlyn has moved onto "pre-teen makeup" mode. Me and the wife?

We're gliding into the gray haired mode.

Well, one of us is...and it ain't me!!!

Happy Birthday Jake!!

Yesterday was our son's 4th birthday...and what a day it was!!

I'd forgotten to get some wrapping paper & gift bags for his presents so I got up at 6am to head out to the Supercenter. The theory was I get up early before the kids, get to the store, make my purchases, snag some donuts for everyone and be back home before the chaos erupted.

I didn't even get out the door before Jake saw me, at 6:15am and informed me that he was probably getting some presents for his birthday.

Man, that kid is way too smart for his own good.

"Yes" I whispered. "You're going to get some presents but first, Daddy has to go to the store to GET those gifts. So why don't we tiptoe down and get in bed with Mommy?"

We crept down so we wouldn't wake Kaitlyn up because I knew that if the kids were up at 6:20am, Mommy would have to get up and it'd somehow come back on me that I woke the kiddies up...thus, putting Mommy in a slightly irritated mood toward yours truly.

Jake got into bed to a smiling, welcoming Muddah (that's what I call her sometime because the kids, when they were younger, couldn't say "mother" and "muddah" has kind of stuck) and I was able to get away without a boy wanting to go with.

As I drove away, I heard the pre-recorded message I'd done at KLRC a couple weeks ago come on the air. It was me, giving birthday greetings and a message to Jake in conjunction of our family's sponsorship of that day's music. We've also done the same thing for Kaitlyn's birthday this Friday. I was excited to hear it on air and couldn't wait to tell the rest of the fam when I got home except...

my wife called me at 6:27am excitedly asking if I'd heard it. Jake was in the background going "Awww yeah!"

We were able to get the boy a few of his gifts before breakfast, some of which included cars from the movie "Cars" (Jake calls it "pixar cars"...I told you he was smart) and a few Power Ranger items.

Yes, Jake has entered the 4 year old realm of superheroes and pounding on his Daddy...which I absolutely love!!!

He put on a Power Rangers costume we'd gotten him, along with a foam rubber sword and then proceeded to do some sort of boyish karate routing before pouncing on me. I think I was assaulted no less than 5 times yesterday.

The rest of the day included being serenaded for lunch at Logan's Steakhouse and then again for supper at O'Charleys (we ate supper there because kids eat free!!). Both times, we walked away with cake (or ice cream) in our bellies. Birthdays are good.

So today, we are prepping for his superhero party tomorrow with his friends from school. Jennifer & I are wearing our "Incredibles" t-shirts, keeping with the theme, while who knows which character Kate & Jake will decide to be. Regardless, it should be a lot of fun in spite of all the pizza, cupcakes and Capri Sun fruit drinks the kids will be hyped up on.

Happy Birthday Jaker...we love you so much, my little man!!

An Inconvenient Truth

Pretty good weekend, as far as time with the wife goes. The kids' behavior? That's another story and probably the reason I'm going to be grey headed by December. That or I'll have been in the hospital for my third stint in my veins due to my high blood pressure. LOL

In the world of entertainment, you may have heard that "Pirates of the Caribbean 2" shattered all kinds of opening records this weekend, bringing in a whopping $132 million, beating "Spiderman" as best opening weekend...EVER. Sadly, we were not part of the people contributing to the $132 mil but not for lack of trying. It's just that all the early shows were sold out here locally on Saturday night.

So, we ended up going to see the Al Gore semi-documentary "An Inconvenient Truth". This is the film that chronicles Gore's recent speaking tour on the effects of global warming and it's continuing downward spiral trend, at least in regards to overall bad results. It was truly an eye opening experience to see, according to his data, all the ill-effects of the global gases that are building up at a staggering rate. I'm not into science and all the numbers he showed us but I can assure you it does not look good for the earth and it's problem of increasing warming trends.

To see the carnage that's being caused by pollutants in the air and the thickening of our atmosphere, which is supposedly keeping these warming gases earthbound, thus the rising temps worldwide, it's quite depressing and sad. I will say this about the movie though...

Mr. Gore, you had me with the facts and figures. You had me with your charts & graphs. You even had me calling my senators and considering trading my SUV in for a hybrid version...

UNTIL

You had to bring up the 2000 election and all the controversy surrounding it. This had absolutely NO MERIT related to the movie and was nothing more than an attempt to rip the scab off American voters' memories, further undermining the current administration. I'm not here to be a Bush apologist and I will agree with Gore's assessments that not enough is being done. I even appreciated his comments that this is not a political crisis but a moral one (very true). But to slag the President where the election outcome had nothing to do with your speech was a poor attempt to pander to your supporters instead of reaching out to others, like myself, to get on board and urge people to do what we can to save the environment.

I'll probably still look into the hybrid SUV's when they become available, as well as other energy saving tactics, but Al Gore's methodology to just sprinkle an otherwise very well done documentary with a liberal (no pun intended...I think) dose of partisan venom was sophomoric and lessened his argument's validity.

Get over it, Al. It's over & done with. Sour grapes are not what the American public needs to focus on. Changing our world for the better is. You've got a lot of potential to reach thousands, even millions of people with this message. Don't dillute it with political double-speak and hurt feelings.

Overall, I give "An Inconvenient Truth" 3 out of 4 stars on information content and keeping my interest. That's surprising too, considering the previews before it were all (obvious) anti-Bush/anti-establishment movies, except for the Nicholas Cage flick "World Trade Center". That one is going to be big and quite emotional.

In fact, you can imagine the emotional roller coaster my wife and I were on that night. We left our home in high spirits, glad to be alone together sans the chillins, ready to go eat and check out "Pirates" and keep our light-hearted moods going. Instead, the night became quite sober and serious due to the film topics we saw in the previews as well as watching "Truth".

I'd recommend this movie to everyone, regardless of political affiliation or pattern. I think this issue will affect us all much sooner than we think. Of course, the other side says global warming is all "hot air" (another bad pun) and is not nearly as bad as Al Gore maintains. I'm not so sure I'm going to just blindly follow any politcian's word anymore.

It's time to get off the sidelines and see for myself what the facts really are.

Take Time To Pray

As the weekend begins, a few things are on my mind.

First and foremost, we need to pray for our President and pray for him often. We need to pray for him to receive God's wisdom and guidance for every decision affecting our nation today, most notably the very tense North Korea situation. God only knows how this soap opera will play out but we need for all our leaders & military officials to rely upon His guidance in these trying times.

Second, we need to pray for our men & women who are fighting in Iraq & Afghanistan. They need our support and prayers so much right now. This should never be about politics whether or not we ask for protection for our armed forces. I cannot fathom how some people so blinded by their hate for President Bush will go out of their way to criticize our boys & girls over there, fighting and spilling their blood unselfishly. Regardless if you agree with this war right now or not, please take time to utter a few prayers on behalf of our service men and women. I have a very bad feeling that their time in the Middle East will either get much longer or they will be sent over to the Pacific Coast to aid in the (impending?) North Korean affair.

Third, our families and homes need prayer. There are so many needs and cares, hurts & disappointments going on all around us and we need to lift up our friends and loved ones to God for His intervention in their lives.

I'd intended for this entry to be a bit more light-hearted but as I began to write this, I started to feel very burdened for all these causes and I wanted to share them with you. Chances are if I'm feeling these concerns, many others are actually living them out.

Bottom line...only God can save and protect and intervene in every one of these situations. We need to humble ourselves, fall before Him and pray earnestly in His name.

2 Chronicles 7:14
"If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land."

No truer scripture has ever been read, especially in this day. Lord, hear our prayer...hear us from Heaven.

Sold Out

I can't believe it.

My wife, my best friend, the mother of my spawn, my most precious confidant...has sold me out. Sent me up the river. Held me up for ridicule in front of our neighbors & friends. I'm an emotional wreck today and from where I'm looking at things today, only a new giant screen TV with hi-def and an accompanying XBox 360 will even begin to heal the wounds.

Maybe throw in a new set of Nike's for good measure.

Let's go back a few days ago.

There we were, at our neighbors' home, enjoying the 4th of July over a huge stack of BBQ ribs. Our neighbor Ken is a fiend at grilling out ribs!! Oh baby....

Anyway, we (the adults) were sitting around the table talking about anything and everything when all of a sudden I heard a huge roar of laughter and my wife patting my arm in a patronizing manner.

Uh oh, I thought. I just got punk'd somehow.

"What's so funny" I asked.

"Oh, nothing" my wife said, trying to hide the "funny" she'd had at my expense. Our neighbors, however, were laughing so hard they had no problem telling me what my wife had revealed to them.

"Jennifer said you believe in BIGFOOT!!" they screamed in hilarity.

Oh man. The wave of emotion that washed over me at that moment...humiliation, betrayal, astonishment, shock, awe, ebarrassment and hunger...hey, we were eating ribs and I don't care what's going on. When I eat ribs, I'm eatin' me some ribs!!

"Well" I stammered in a pathetic excusatory way "I'm not saying I DO believe in Bigfoot but then again, I'm not saying I don't."

WHY DON'T I LEARN TO LEAVE WELL ENOUGH ALONE???? I could have easily deflected their bold, brazen accusations with the first part of my response and been moving on to the caramel apple dessert but NOOO!! I have to add that last 'disclaimer' about my wavering belief in Sasquatch. The result?

More laughter and table smacking...and that was just from my wife. The things you confide in your spouse with are suddenly dinner-time fodder. I'll remember that the next time I develop a rash.

So, after being branded with a giant "L" for my own scarlet letter (Arthur Dimsdale I'm not), we went out for the fireworks and the rest of the evening. However, my wife's under-cutting was not quite over.

Last night, about 12:30am, we'd just drifted off to sleep when I began to dream. It wasn't a good dream either. I dreamed that I was standing on our deck at night with the family next to me and from the corner of my eye, I saw this big furry shape come running out of the darkness behind our swingset toward all of us. Naturally, being the man of the house, realizing my duty to protect my loved ones, I did the thing that any red-blooded American male would do.

I (apparently and allegedly) whimpered and screamed at it in an effort to frighten it away. I did this so much so that I woke up my wife, by which then she returned the favor to me by saying, in her most loving "you just woke me up" voice...

"Hey! Knock it off! You're dreaming again! Be quiet!!"

I've heard steam pipes with less hissing than her voice had last night.

"Wha??" I asked, bleary eyed.

"You were moaning and whimpering in your sleep. What's the matter with you...you dreaming about Bigfoot again?" she asked accusatorily.

How did she know about that? Is she inside my mind somehow, playing tricks on me for her own personal enjoyment? Whatever you do, I told myself, don't let her know. Don't let on. She musn't gain the upper hand. Be strong.

"No" I mustered. "It wasn't Bigfoot. It was a possum or a beaver."

Danger Will Robinson, danger!! Idiot on the flight deck!! Idiot in control!!!

"Oh you are kidding me" she groaned. "A possum and you're shrieking at it?? Way to protect us, Miss Muffett. You are such a girl."

Ouch.

Point, serve, match.

My self-defense classes against rodents begins later this afternoon. You never know when it may come in handy. It might help me in real life combat situations against nocturnal beavers & racoons but nothing can protect me from the razor-sharp wit and tongue of my beloved.

Anyone know how much chain mail costs these days?

Independence Day

Today is the 4th of July and it's the day where we celebrate our nation's independence. Isn't it amazing what basic history can be retained throughout the years? haha! No doubt, the day will be filled with all kinds of celebratory activities like get-togethers, cook-outs, BBQ's & hot dogs, baseball and of course, fireworks.

I have to admit, this isn't my favorite time of the year because of the last one there. Fireworks and the noise they create...especially when I'm trying to get some sleep...you young whippersnappers and your loud music. Am I really that bad? Ugh. I thought that the noise would bother the kids but guess who were still up last night at 11pm wanting to see the fireworks out our front window?

Yep...the kids. They're at that age where the noise doesn't bother them and staying up late SURE doesn't put a damper on their spirits. Come to think of it, it also makes them go down easier (the late hour) so maybe this isnt' a bad thing afterall.

I'm not too sure what the agenda is for today but I've heard rumors of a neighborhood cookout and some possible fireworks viewing at Baum Stadium later tonight but as of 9:15am, nothing has been solidified. Ahh well, the wife is off today and the kids are (hopefully) getting over a summer cold so it'll be nice just to kick back and chill out.

Our church had it's annual Summer Freedom Celebration concert this past weekend. I had the privilege to be in it a few ways. One was as Ben Franklin and a skit involving a few of the Founding Fathers (yes...I wore tights and a wig...lovely...I looked as bad as Leonardo DiCaprio did in "The Man In The Iron Mask") and I also had a chance to narrarate a video about the history of spiritual awakening in our country. I was also supposed to be back in the choir in time to sing after my Ben Franklin part was done but it took me a little longer than I anticipated getting out of my costume & wig.

But during the prayer time when I was getting changed, my grandmother told me of a specific line in a prayer that was offered that really hit home to her. When she told me, it was very powerful yet so obvious that it seems we often forget what real freedom means and how it was gained.

I believe it may have been my buddy Jordan that was praying that morning that said something to the effect of how the stripes on our flag represent the blood that was spilled for our nation's freedom but the stripes across Christ's back represent the blood that was shed for our personal freedom from sin and death.

To me, that's extremely powerful imagery and truth. Yet with all our "intellect" we seem to profess, our nation continues down a dismal path away from this truth, relying upon our own understanding, attempting to satisfy our own lustful needs, never truly finding ultimate peace and satisfaction.

We remember on this special day, this hallowed day, all the lives that have been given over the years to gain, preserve and protect our freedoms that so often are taken for granted. We remember all of our sons & daughters, fathers & mothers, family & friends who are currently serving abroad to fight for these freedoms and we offer up earnest prayers to God alone for their protection, safety and ultimately, that His will be done.

Today, I also pause to reflect on the price that was paid for MY freedom and redemption from sin, death and hell. I thank my Lord & Savior Jesus Christ for paying that price for me, someone so small and unworthy of saving. I pray today for thousands and millions of people, this very day, to pause and think of the sacrifice given on an old, rugged cross nearly 2000 years ago that bought us not only a pardon from our sins but also a freedom that ensures us of an eternity with God Almighty.

It is a precious gift that has been given by One yet is available to ALL. Thanks & gratitude to Jesus both now & forever for shedding His blood for our sins and wearing those stripes as a reminder to all of us the price that was paid.

Praise God we are free and today YOU can be free as well. I'm reminded of the lyrics of an incredible song called "Let Freedom Ring" that says...

"God built freedom into every fiber of creation
and He meant for us to all be free and whole
Oh but when my Lord bought freedom
through the blood of His redemption,
His cross stamped pardon on my very soul!
I'll sing it out with every breath,
I'll let the whole world hear it
This hallelujah anthem of the free
That iron bars & heavy chains can never hold us captive
The Son has made us free and free indeed!

Let freedom ring down through the ages from a hill called Calvary
Let freedom ring wherever hearts know pain
Let freedom echo through the lonely streets
where prisons have no key
You can be free and you can sing
Let freedom ring!"

Amen! Praise God for His mercy & goodness to us all!