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A Work of Biographical Proportion-In Progress
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This Is For You Steve! Jul 16, 2008 1:56 pm
Mood: Contemplative, 595 Views
A dear friend emailed this to me and asked me to post it. Here's to you Steve, I like the old paths too!

The Old Paths

I liked the old paths, when;

Moms were at home.

Dads were at work.

Brothers went into the army.

And sisters got married BEFORE having children!

Crime did not pay;

Hard work did;

And people knew the difference.

Moms could cook;

Dads would work;

Children would behave.

Husbands were loving;

Wives were supportive;

And children were polite.

Women wore the jewelry;

And Men wore the pants.

Women looked like ladies;

Men looked like gentlemen;

And children looked decent.

People loved the truth,

And hated a lie;

They came to church to get IN,

Not to get OUT!

Hymns sounded Godly;

Sermons sounded helpful;

Rejoicing sounded normal;

And crying sounded sincere.

Cursing was wicked;

Drugs were for illness;

And divorce was unthinkable.

The flag was honored;

America was beautiful;

And God was welcome!

We read the Bible in public;

Prayed in school;

And preached from house to house.

To be called an American was worth dying for;

To be called a Christian was worth living for;

To be called a traitor was pure shame!

Preachers preached because they had a message;

And Christians rejoiced because they had the VICTORY!

Preachers preached from the Bible;

Singers sang from the heart;

And sinners turned to the Lord to be SAVED!

A new birth meant a new life;

Salvation meant a changed life;

Following Christ led to eternal life.

Being a preacher meant you proclaimed the word of God;

Being an Elder/deacon meant you would serve the Lord;

Being a Christian meant you would live for Jesus;

And being a sinner meant someone was praying for you!

Laws were based on the Bible;

Homes read the Bible;

And churches taught the Bible.

God was worshiped;

Christ was exalted;

And the Holy Spirit was respected..

Church was where you found Christians

on the Lord's day, rather than in the garden,

on the creek bank, on the golf course,

Or being entertained somewhere else.

I still like the old paths the best!



"The Old Paths" was written by a retired minister

who lives In Tennessee.
9 Comments
More Pics For Your Viewing Pleasure! lol Jul 15, 2008 4:32 am
Mood: Contemplating the memories, 732 Views
I posted another 20 pics in the album for the BC Bash, on my profile. There's one posted previously with 130 views, someone really likes that one, as I only have 92 friends, lol. Hmmmmmm..........

Hope you enjoy!
19 Comments
The Facts VS The Truth Jul 13, 2008 5:44 am
Mood: Speaking Truth!, 743 Views
Many times during my walk with the Lord, I have been faced with the dilema of speaking and believing the facts that were ever present, all around me, or the truth of God's Word. Thet're actually two different things.

What are facts anyway? I like to use the word "f-a-c-t" as an acronym for False Appearance Contradicting Truth. Many people confuse fact with truth. They are not the same. Facts can change; truth does not. Facts relate to situations and circumstances; truth relates to God's Word.

Jesus prayed and said, "Thy Word is truth!" God's Word is truth, but a doctor's report reveals only facts. A bank statement tells you the facts only, not the truth.

We are called to fight the good fight of faith. If living by faith was easy and the results instant, then there would be no need to fight the good fight of faith. Doubt, fear and unbelief are great adversaries to faith. They usually get stronger when the answer takes longer.

How do you fight the good fight of faith during long delays in God's fulfillment of His promises? It's easy to live by faith when God answers quickly. But what happens when the answer is taking a long time in coming? Do you give up? Of course not! But what do you do in the meantime?

The answer is right here in 1 Timothy 6:12: "Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses." Right there is the answer, a positive confession.

We don't deny the facts, we simply believe that the facts will change and truth will prevail. And because we know the power of God's Word, we can face the facts and say, "Yes, the facts are that I'm feeling sick, my bills are piling up, and my children are in trouble, yet the truth is, I'm healed, blessed with provision, and I am saved and so is my household." Get the picture?

If I speak what the Word says, regardless of what the facts may be, perhaps the facts will change. I made a list of positive confessions, that I spoke aloud every day. They were all promises I found in the Word, not just something I made up. At the time of writing them, none were true in my life, none of them. But now, some 10 years later, almost all have become facts.

Am I an advocate for "name it and claim it"? No, not in that regard, however, if you're believing for something--saved loved ones, healing for your body or emotions, or provision to meet your needs, begin to speak the truth and take your focus off of the facts, they ARE subject to change. We serve a God of impossibilities, He is able to accomplish that which we are unable to accomplish in our own efforts.

There really is life in His Words and if we pray according to His Will, believe for His Words to come to pass, and speak them outloud, rather than speaking the circumstances we face, they have the power to accomplish that which we are believing for--I'm living proof!

What do you have to lose? It doesn't cost a cent to speak His Word, it takes the same amount of energy as speaking doubt and unbelief, try it! You'll feel better for doing so and the benefits far outweigh the effort. Speak the truth into your circumstances, every time you catch yourself speaking the facts, rebuke your words and replace them with only the truth. His words will NOT return to Him void!
27 Comments
Brainwashed By Thoughts Jul 12, 2008 4:06 am
Mood: Soaking up His Word, 628 Views
"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the Lord."
Is. 55:8

Thoughts precede actions. Every deed came forth from a thought. People often say, "I don’t know what got into me to do that." They did that because a thought got into them. The thought may have been brooding for a long time, but finally the seed of thought produced a harvest of action. You might as well accept the fact that all actions are preceded by thoughts.

"The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him."
Matt. 12:35

Your mind is like a computer—it stores information. A computer can only perform functions according to the software that is in it. The mind is the hard drive. The software is the information your mind has received and accepted. Just as there are viruses in the computer world, there are viruses of the mind. Viruses are contracted when people copy unauthorized software.

Listen, when you receive unauthorized knowledge from people, you are copying unauthorized software and may receive viruses from them. This will cause your mind to malfunction. The only hope is to clean your mind from these diseases that others have given you. No one is authorized to impart knowledge to you. The only authorized software is "Word Perfect—the Bible." This will make your mind perfect.

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s Will is—His good, pleasing and perfect Will."
Romans 12:2

All thoughts come from one of three sources: God, the five senses, or the devil. God’s thoughts are recorded in the Bible. When you think on that book, then your thoughts come from God. This is the only sure way of knowing whether the information you have received is truthful. "Let God be true, and every man a liar"
Romans 3:4

The second source of thoughts come from your five senses. How do you know whether something is cold or hot, dark or bright, sweet or sour, loud or soft? You know it by your five senses. Normally, the five senses do not mislead you, however sometimes, the five senses get in the way of trusting God.

Finally, the third source of thoughts is from satan. The devil works on the mind. Any part of the mind which is not renewed will become fertile ground for him to plant his satanic thoughts. Those areas are the battleground for satan. He will fight you there. And you don’t stand a chance against him, until you renew that part of your mind.

If you want Godly actions, you have to have Godly thoughts. It is in His word that your mind and thoughts are de-programmed and renewed. He gave us His Word for a reason, it's the instruction manual for life, how to live, and how to have the victory in every area, but it can't teach you if you don't learn it.
10 Comments
How Do I Deal With My Failures? Jul 11, 2008 5:15 am
Mood: Succeeding, through my failure, 649 Views
I've had a few occasions recently, to acknowledge my failures. Yes, believe it or not, I'm the most imperfect person you can ever wish to meet, lol. I could repent and wallow in conviction and condemnation, I could spend time meditating on my shortcomings, but how does God see my failures? Isn't that the measuring stick by which we should measure our imperfections?

As one old preacher said, “God uses only failures, because there aint’ any other kind to use.” All of us have failed—some royally, others not so grand, but we all make mistakes. It is the response to our mistakes that show the kind of people we are.

We need to see failure from God’s perspective, not from our own.

1. God sees that failure is unavoidable.

As much as we try to avoid it, failure happens. The Bible says, “All have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory.” Despite the inability to avoid sin, God does not see us as sinners. He calls us “the righteousness of God” Isn't that amazing?
2 Cor 5:21

People may view our sin, but we are “blameless in his sight” (Ep 1:4). God has different eyes than we humans. He sees things different. What this means is that God will not label us as sinners. Harsh religion will try to pin you with a label—addict, adulterer, and divorcee—but Christ will never see you that way when you change. He sees you as forgiven, as a new creation, and a child of God.

There are only two people whose views matter: God and you! What others think does not count. Historians may view someone in a certain way, but they do not have the final word. God has given His Word, and it is up to you to accept His Word about you. If you have truly repented then you accept God’s total forgiveness and move on. Let the critics gossip and write about you, but you will silence them with your actions. There is no stigma attached to you because of failure.

2. God sees failure as a friend.

It is interesting to note that the people who dropped their stones first were the older ones (John 8:9). The young people had not learned enough from their mistakes to be tolerant toward those who failed. It took more time for them to be willing to drop their rocks and not stone the woman. Even today, you will notice that the most intolerant, religious fanatics are mostly young people. How many elderly men become suicide bombers? Young people have not been through enough failures to be compassionate on those who have failed.

Most of the things we have learned have come from our mistakes. Without our mistakes we may possibly never learn. Many of the great Psalms in our Bible were written specifically because David had learned from his mistakes. Experience includes failure, and failure becomes a great teacher, not an enemy.

3. God also does not see failure as irreversible and final.

Thank God and praise Him!
There is a saying, “It doesn’t matter how much milk you spill so long as you don’t lose the cow.” Another similar saying, “Don’t cry over spilt milk.” The thing you cannot lose is your self esteem and confidence in God’s love for you. You must believe in a God-of-another-chance, and another, and another! He really does give people chances to make up for what they did. You must believe that God really wants you to make it.

You see, God can turn your failures into ultimate success. He can turn your test into a testimony; your mess into a message.

So you have fallen! Join the club. We all have! What you do with your failure will prove the kind of person you truly are. I encourage you to move forward, learn from your mistakes, and be a better person from it.

I have a saying too, "The only failure is the one who quits trying." When I fail, I ask for forgiveness, receive it, learn from it, and pick myself up and get back to living. "There is therefore now, NO CONDEMNATION to those who are in Christ Jesus." Time to discover that we need to "Let go of what lies behind, and press on to the GOOD things that are ahead." It's my humble opinion that each time I fail, puts me one step closer to success!
22 Comments
You've got pics!!! Jul 10, 2008 4:33 am
Mood: Inspired, lol, 1010 Views
I've posted some pics for your viewing pleasure, lol.

Go to my profile, there's over 20 of them. Will post more real soon!

Yes, there's pics of Ken and his grass skirt and coconut bra, lol.

If you're not in my friend's network, let me know or send me an invite.

Enjoy!
48 Comments
Growing Up Jul 10, 2008 2:50 am
Mood: Growing up in Him, 529 Views
As I look back upon my journey with the Lord, I find that the process of growth is much like that of a baby, initially. First, so innocent and vulnerable, like a sponge, soaking up His Word, basking in His love, and resting in it. As He fed me milk, I began to grow, knowledge replaced the innocence, strength and power replaced the vulnerability. Hunger continued, the more I fed, the more I grew, my appetite insatiable. Now that I'm on solid food, I crave the meat of knowing Him, the intimacy of His love for me, desiring His presence, every moment.

The Bible equates spiritual growth with natural growth. Just like a person is born a baby, so we are born again, a spiritual baby. "For you have been born again."
1 Pet 1:23
"Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation."
1 Pet 2:2

No one is born a full grown adult. The same is true spiritually: no one is born again as a mature Christian. It takes time to grow. The way you grow is through the spiritual milk of God’s Word. The more you feed on it the more you will grow.

The Bible teaches us that there are basically three stages of spiritual development. Paul mentions them in 1 Corinthians 14:20:

"Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults."

Notice the three levels of growth: infants, children and adults—that pretty much summarizes human growth as well. Just like in the natural, certain age groups generally behave in a certain way. I've noticed that there are typical characteristics of Christians within their spiritual age group. Baby Christians act one way, children behave in another way, and spiritual adults do other things. Of course, our goal is to be a spiritual adult.

At first, the growth is exponential, so much to be learned. As we grow and mature in Christ, our progress slows, but His Word takes root in our hearts. Some Christians feel frustrated when they get older in the Lord, because when they read the Bible, they don’t seem to get as much out of it as they used to. Well, if you are looking to learn more new things than you first did, then you are expecting too much. How can you learn more by reading something over again? When you first read a book everything is new, but when you reread it, you get some new things, but not everything is new. You can’t expect to continue to learn as much as you used to. But at the same time, you should cultivate a hunger for the Word of God.

Feed your spirit the Word even if you think you have read that passage before or already heard the teaching. You do not stop eating your favorite foods just because you ate it once. No, you keep eating it. The same is true with the Word; you need to keep feeding your faith with a good, solid diet of balanced teaching. Just as your physical body, your spirit needs to be nourished, on a daily basis, in order to continue growing in wisdom, character, and strength. If you go days without food and water, your body begins to feel weak and unable to function adequately. The same is true with your spirit. In order to function properly, it must be nourished daily.

If we gave as much consideration to feeding our spirits, as we do to feeding our bodies, several times a day, our spiritual stature will increase. Pick up His word each day, feed your spirit, fellowship with Him regularly, intimately, through prayer and praise, and you will become mature in Him, strong and unwavering.
8 Comments
The BC Bash Officially Ends Today Jul 9, 2008 3:45 am
Mood: Relieved, yet Sad, 675 Views
This morning, I take Brad, Ginny, and little Haley to the airport, for their return home. As I ponder the official ending to the BC Bash; they are the final guests to leave, I am caused to reflect on the entire experience. Wow, it certainly has been a whirlwind of events, leading to this final culmination. During my time with the Lord today, I thanked Him yet again for this awesome opportunity to serve Him and my fellow bloggers in this way. I have mixed feelings in regard to this final fruition of the BC Bash. On one hand, I am relieved to have it finally end, it has been months in the making, with a great deal of work and planning, but God sent me many laborers to assist me. You know who you are, and I take this final opportunity to thank each of you.

On the other hand, I'm feeling a bit melancholy, that it has to end at all, for it has been such a wonderful privilege to meet my fellow bloggers in person and pray and worship and interract with each of them. I miss all of you already!

And, on the third hand, lol, I contemplate how God led me to this place and what a blessing it has been this last year to get to know each of you and have a small part in your lives, even all you Newbies. The fellowship you have all given me, the prayers, the encouragement, and even the righteous anger from time to time, have enriched my life in a way that no other experience has.

For today, I thank you Lord for BigChurch, regardless of its owners and regardless of its mixed-bag of members. No other place or group of people have had such a profound impact on me, as this place. I have met people here that I know will be in my life forever, both on earth, and for eternity. I praise You for each and every one and I continue to claim it for Your glory, in Jesus Name! Amen and Amen!

PS--As far as the pics of the party, BC tells me that as a Gold member, I am only allowed 50 pics on my profile page, so please bear with me, as I will delete all my other albums and post 50 at a time, and leave them for a week or so, so you all get a chance to see them, and replace them with 50 more. Remember, patience is a virtue, lol and I will make a post when I get the first 50 done.
14 Comments
The Holes Of My Life Jul 9, 2008 2:51 am
Mood: Grateful for all the holes, 515 Views
An email I received from a dear friend, (thanks Steve!) that caused me to reflect on all the "holes" that have been in my life. So many holes, some bigger than others, but large in quantity. These "holes" have caused me to feel ashamed, embarrassed, and certainly less than perfect. But this email made me consider that all of my "holes" were actually God-ordained, and meant to show me the love of Jesus, and hopefully, others too.

QUILT OF HOLES

As I faced my Maker at the last judgment, I knelt before the Lord along with all the other souls.
Before each of us, our life was laid out like the squares of a quilt in many piles; an angel sat before each of us sewing our quilt squares together into a tapestry that was our life.

But as my angel took each piece of cloth off the pile, I noticed how ragged and empty each of my squares was. They were filled with giant holes. Each square was labeled with a part of my life that had been difficult, the challenges and temptations I was faced with in everyday life. I saw hardships that I had endured, which were the largest holes of all.

I glanced around me. Nobody else had such squares. Other than a tiny hole here and there, the other tapestries were filled with rich color and the bright hues of worldly fortune. I gazed upon my own life and was disheartened.

My angel was sewing the ragged pieces of cloth together, threadbare and empty, like binding air.
Finally the time came when each life was to be displayed, held up to the light, the scrutiny of truth. The others rose; each in turn, holding up their tapestries. So filled their lives had been. My angel looked upon me, and nodded for me to rise.

My gaze dropped to the ground in shame. I hadn't had all the earthly fortunes. I had love in my life, and laughter. But there had also been trials of illness, fortune, and false accusations that took from me my world as I knew it. I had to start over many times. I had often struggled with the temptation to quit, only to somehow muster the strength to pick up and begin again. I had spent many nights on my knees in prayer, asking for help and guidance in my life. I had often been held up to ridicule, which I had endured painfully, each time offering it up to the Father in hopes that I would not melt within my skin beneath the judgmental gaze of those who had unfairly judged me.

And now, I had to face the truth. My life was what it was, and I had to accept it for what it was. I rose and slowly lifted the combined squares of my life to the light. An awe-filled gasp filled the air. I gazed around at the others, who were staring at me with wide eyes.

Then, I looked upon the tapestry before me. Light flooded the many holes, creating an image, the face of Christ. Then our Lord stood before me, with warmth and love in His eyes. He said, 'Every time you gave over your life to Me, it became My life, My hardships, and My struggles. Each point of light in your life is when you stepped aside and let Me shine through, until there was more of Me than there was of you.'

May all our quilts be threadbare and worn, allowing Christ to shine through!

A quote I send with love and prayers--"The point in life isn't to arrive at our final destination in a well preserved condition, but rather sliding in sideways, yelling......hallelujah, thank you God, for the ride."

As a racefan, I can certainly appreciate that, lol.

So, what do you think? Is your life full of holes?
8 Comments
What Happened To Integrity? Jul 8, 2008 4:17 am
Mood: Striving for integrity, 641 Views
Integrity-The quality or state of being in sound moral principle; uprightness, honesty, and sincerity. Forthrightness, complete and uncompromising, soundness, purity, and perfection.

What happened to integrity?


This quality used to be taught to children, as a regular part of growing up. My Dad firmly instilled this teaching in my life. He taught that, "Your word is your bond" and, "If a job is worth doing, it's worth doing right". But, today, in the business and secular world, it's practically nonexistent. Even in the life of believers, it is a rare quality. Yet, throughout the Bible, we are given many examples of godly men and women living lives of integrity. Job, David, Paul, and Jesus lived lives of moral uprightness, honesty, and unscrupulous behavior. Of course, it doesn't mean that we are without sin, it simply means we live by a principle of doing the right thing, even when no one is looking. It means that when we tell someone we are going to do something, we try our best to accomplish it. It means we don't lie or cheat, and live by a code of ethics that God would approve of. But where has integrity gone? How often do you see people that live by their word? Just today and at least once weekly, I have clients that set up appointments with me and not show up nor even bother to call. They tell me they're going to pay me next week, but now, months later, I'm still not paid. After 22 years of being in business, I have come to expect that and am no longer surprised by it. However, it amazes me how many Christians have such little regard for living by this standard. It is the single most frustrating thing for me to deal with. When I meet someone with a level of integrity, 100% of the time, they are a strong, seasoned believer and I latch onto them for life.

We serve a God of excellence and He has called His people to strive for excellence in every area of our lives. But, where can it be found? For me, it is an extremely valuable commodity and necessary in any close relationship I'm in. To know that someone is honest and trustworthy means so much. To have the confidence of knowing that you can count on and rely upon someone, no matter what, is priceless to me. It is something I have never had with a man in my life. To be assured that when a person tells you something, you can depend on it. What a wonderful blessing it is to have someone in your life that is loyal and will be there for you, no matter how imperfect you are.

The most important quality I seek in a relationship is integrity. Perhaps that is why I have so few true friends, but the few I have, I will have for my lifetime. In the ministry, I have discovered how vital this quality is. So many have been deceived and let down that they have built walls around their hearts, unable to trust, afraid to love, for fear of suffering, yet again. It takes a great deal of time to prove to them that I am worthy of their trust, but when I do establish that fact, it is worth more to them than any amount of money.

My friends, I admonish you to consider the quality of integrity today. Do what you say you are going to do, perform your jobs as if the world will see your signature on it, be a person of excellence, let others know they can count on you, and do the right thing, even when no one is looking. One day you will hear the words we all want to hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant."
13 Comments
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