Monster Movies

Recently we showed a short video at our church. However, due to a small technical glitch, the audio portion was not exactly in sync with the video feed thereby producing sort of an “old Oriental monster movie” effect. You remember those old movies, the ones where the overdubbing was just a little off. In our case the problem did not spoil the intent or effect of the presentation, but it did cause me to ask myself a question.
Do my words match my actions?
The book of Hebrews tells us that we are “surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses” and these witnesses are watching our “presentation.” We are also instructed to “lay aside everything” that might keep our motions from matching our words. The world is watching and they can spot a “glitch” a mile away.
Looking back, I realize just how cheesy and poorly produced those old monster movies really were. They make me laugh.
I don’t want my life to be a “cheesy old movie.”

Soulmates

On this date, twenty years ago, two hearts truly became one......forever.
To be continued...

Blessed!

There is an old song that tells us that we should “count our many blessings”, but were I to have attempted that yesterday I would have needed a calculator. Along with a calculator, an industrial sized box of Kleenex would have also come in very handy. You see yesterday was Pastor Appreciation Day at our church and my family and I were truly blessed by our congregation. Let me give you a brief recap of my Sunday.
My day began with rare opportunity to sleep in a little later than usual. Once I arrived at church all I had to do was sit back and be blessed. The praise team rocked, I cried. Pastor Skip preached a great sermon, I cried. Then they showed a video filled with our people telling me how much they appreciated me. I laughed and cried. The children gave me handmade cards, I cried. The teens gave me more cards, I cried some more. Pastor Skip’s wife, Alison presented gifts to my daughters, Katie and Hannah, they cried. Next, Allison presented flowers and a lovely gift to my wife, Kim. Allison cried, the girls cried, Kim cried, and guess what, I cried again.
At the end of the service I was given a brand new guitar, a generous offering and a lot of hugs. I…uh …. (see above emotions). After a great lunch with friends complete with watching my beloved San Antonio Spurs beat the Dallas Mavericks I headed home with my lovely wife and my awesome daughters. I am truly a blessed man. Thanks guys.
Oh yeah, I finally quit crying.

Rights or Wrongs?

Nowadays, it seems like everyone is marching or protesting in hopes of receiving some sort of right that they supposedly deserve.
Let me say right up front that I am so thankful that we live in a country where we are free to voice our opinion in public without fear of retribution and we have the opportunity to work to make our county an even better place to live. It just seems to me that some are calling for rights they already have.
First we have the illegal immigrants marching for the right to become American citizens and calling on Congress to pass new immigration laws. Correct me if I am wrong but I was under the impression that we already have an immigration process in place whereby a person can become an American citizen and I am pretty sure that breaking the law to get here is not the first step in the process. I don’t think we are having this discussion because of a lack of laws but, rather, a lack of Iaw enforcement. I think most people understand the desire of these immigrants to find a better life in this country and I for one hope we can find a way to simplify and expedite the process of becoming a legal citizen. After all we are all descendants of immigrants. I think what bothers most Americans are those who demand a right that they have not earned. Don’t demand a right to become a citizen simply ask for an opportunity. As a Christian, I, of all people should understand the concepts of mercy and grace, but I also understand these are not things I can demand.
Next, we have some radical homosexual groups pushing for “Gay Rights.” Hey, if anyone wants be “happy” in their private lives that is their business, just don’t try to pass a law to force me to say it is ok or teach my kid in school that having unnatural sexual relations is an “alternative.”
Then there is the Hollyweird crowd crying out for the right to film themselves cussing and getting naked. Wait, they already have that right, but now they want the right to transmit their so-called “art” into our homes so our kids can think it is normal to cuss and get naked. I thought that was what HBO was for, so that “adults” have a place where they can pay good money to be cursed at and mooned. Didn’t I read somewhere that when we grow up we should “put away childish things?"
If the “artists” of our day are not talented enough to “express themselves” without using dirty words and flashing I really wonder if they are “artists” at all. If saying four letter words and going around half- naked is the mark of a celebrity then we have we got some “superstars” walking around the malls of America.
I could go on but I think the best thing I can do right now is exercise my “right” to pray. Oh wait, is that the ACLU at the door?