Can I get some help in here?

Wow, August is almost gone. Just a couple more days and hopefully the cooler weather that usually arrives in September will be here, except for my faithful readers "down under" who are about to enjoy the heat that we've been perspiring under! I'm back at it again after a few days rest, and part of that was to go see a movie that came out a few weeks ago. It is simply called, "The Help" and stars Sissy Spacek (in a role that I would not have thought of for her) and Cicely Tyson (Always a great actress), among a cast of many others who shine in the movie.

If you haven't heard of it, I'll give you a quick synopsis. Back in the 1960's in "the south," here in the US there was a big "to-do" about slavery and blacks and how they were treated. (I know, slavery was abolished in 1865, but if you were black and lived in the south back then, it never really ended in how you were treated, hired, paid or many other things). Well, this one girl, "Skeeter" (Emma Stone-now i'm a fan of hers) decides she wants to be a writer and she gets a job at a local newspaper in Jackson Mississippi answering the "cleaning column." She wants to do more with her writing, and she turns to a maid that she trusts to help her with the comments and suggestions. While talking about cleaning, she tells her she wants to interview her to see what it is like "from her side." The maid, Aibileen (Viola Davis-another powerful actress) agrees and the stories are told, laughed about, cried over. A lot of things about the injustice in the treatment of blacks are pointed out and well presented, while the snobbishness and foolishness of the actions of many whites, especially the "hoity-toity" ones are depicted fairly acurately as well. (yes, I use the terms black and white. I do not accept "African American" for a title unless they hold dual citizenship. Blacks are Americans if they are of a legal citizenship status. Whites are Americans if they are of a legal citizenship status. They are not German Americans, Polish Americans, French Americans, British Americans unless they hold a dual citizenship status. They are just Americans. Therefore I use skin color to denote the difference, although many shades of a dark color are included, and many pink ones too!)

Anyway, I digress.

When the movie was over, the lights came up in the auditorium and people began to file out. I hate the "rush and brush" of the initial surge so my wife and I sat in our seats for the time being. It kept coming to my attention that everyone who was leaving was white. White, White, White. Finally, as the crowd was thinning, a black couple emerged from the upper levels and descended down the stairs. Then back to White, White, White. Then White-Black, a new sign of our age that is growing in more intensity every day.

I began to wonder and marvel at this. Here is a movie depicting the troubles of the black people in a time that was very boisterous and upending in our history, and there were no blacks in the auditorium to speak of. A piece of history was being presented from about 50 years ago and they were not there to do several things: Point out their mistreatment, teach their children/grandchildren what it was like growing up in the days where a black person couldn't even touch a white person in many cases.

So now my question is: Has the black population of America become complacent? There were tons of them at the studios (this theater has 16 showings of different movies). So it was not a lack of blacks present to be the problem.

I look around me everyday and I see many couples where the guy is black, the girl is white. Few times are the roles reversed. Kinda seems like it is now a thing of, "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em" going on here. In some ways it is good, in some it is bad.

But I do worry about history repeating its self. You say there are laws that could prevent it from happening. Yes, there are laws in place. But the heart of man can never really be controlled, except by God. There are still the "White Supremacist" groups in existence today, just as there are the "Black Supremacist" groups (you know who you are, though the covers your lie behind are transparent) still marching along also. But will we ever keep the terrible racial things from the 1900's from happening again if we don't remember what we did back then? Shouldn't we show our young people what it was like to be so unfairly mistreated?

There were even some of the "hoity toity's" in the movie who threw around the name of Christian in their speech and in their way of dealing with the black "help" that worked for them. Truthfully, it made me sick. The name "Christian" gets attached to too many SCREWBALLS who can only ruin the chance for the gospel of Jesus Christ to ever be taught to others. If I didn't know who Jesus was, and after reading and watching the news of some Christian ?!? congregations and their actions, and the actions of ministers and priests, I wouldn't want anything to do with Jesus or God or any other lunatic that attached himself to that name.

I guess I just wonder why all of the blacks that have preached injustice for so long (although it seems Sharpton and Jackson sure have been quite for some time now) and yet they are not there to show the ones who were born too late what they should be glad that they don't have to face now.

I don't often give movie endorsements. Well, actually, this is my first, and may be my only. But go see the movie "The Help" or rent it when it becomes availaible for "on demand" or overnight rental. Grandparents, sit the kids down. Show them how it feels to be beaten for your skin color. Accused because of your skin color. Make sure they understand how the blacks felt.

The same thing is in danger of happening now since 9/11. We see someone from the Middle East and they are automatically a terrorist, or a muslim (which for all intensive purposes is a style of government, not a religion) intent to destroy Christians. If we're not careful, we could wind up back in the 60's again, just Americans vs. Muslims instead of Black vs. White.

Educate your children now. Show them the harmful effects of racism. Let us not go down that road again. Blacks and Whites do seem to have gotten past many of the racial issues, and are now even living together/marrying each other. While I am not saying that going this far is needed (no cumin needed in this diet), we do not need to go down a bloody road that is still strewn with many awful memories.

“There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:28 NIV

I love this version of a verse that is so well known.

John 3:16-18

The Message (MSG)

 ^16-18"This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn't go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person's failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him.

Let us all return to this way of thinking, learn from our mistakes, and vow to never repeat them again.
Thank you for your faithful readership, and please return on Wednesday for the next segment in Upside Down Christianity.

I've half a mind ...

Have you ever had someone use the title of this blog to emphasize something that they are considering doing?
Well, i have. And lately it has been aimed at my computer. Yesterday I was not feeling particularly well and when I booted my computer that morning, it was giving me "Disk Error" messages, saying something about consistency. After several tries, I was able to get it up and running. But at first, the thought that was running through my head was "I've half a mind to throw this thing out the window."
Then I had a revelation. If I do that, it will finally be finished. I will have to go and purchase another one (who can live without their computer nowadays?) and that would be an unwelcome expense right now. So for now, my 6 year old XP running Dell laptop is still puttering (and sometimes putering) on.
Okay, I'm glad I have half a mind. The half I didn't have didn't get a chance to override the half I do have into making such a mistake.
I've heard it said that we only use 10% of our possible brain power in our everyday living. So I guess I'm either at 5% (half of 10) or I'm 5 times the average at 50%. SUPERMAN! lol  Well, not really.
What I do know is that the 10% that we supposedly use is part of the other 90% which together make up something that our God gave us. A brain. And a brain that knows right from wrong.
Our minds really are about half and half. One half knows what we should do, one half knows what we shouldn't do. It is our choice as to which side of our brain that we follow. Evil and good exist in the world. No matter your beliefs, you have to admit that. Just look at the bombings/killings of innocent people worldwide, yet the rush of relief sent from many nations to a continent gripped in famine.
So my question to you today is: Which "half a mind" are you going to let control you today? Is it the one that flips a bird to the driver who will cut you off in traffic? Or is it the one who waits another minute, holding the door for someone who is disabled and will have a hard time getting it open once they get to the building?
Don't let what can destroy you control you. No matter what your beliefs are, let this be the start of a new day where you make a change for the better. I know, we're all human, and we're all going to screw up. But God forgives, and we can move on.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go shut the window before I do change half of my mind!
Thank you for stopping by and have a blessed day.!

Have you ever wondered?!?

1.  Who was the first person, to look at a cow’s udder and think………..I gonna squeeze those things hanging down and Drink it?
2. Or the first person he looked at a Chicken and said……………..The first thing that falls out of its rear end  I am going to eat?
3. Why does the FAA call the incident were two airplanes pass to close in flight…………" A Near Miss"?
4. Why do they put Braille dots on the keypad of the drive-up ATM?
5. Why  do some fast food Restaurants have a sign hanging on the drive thru Menu that reads………….Picture Menus Available for the Reading impaired ?
6. If pro is the opposite of con, is progress the opposite of congress?
7. What was the best thing before sliced bread?
8. Why do Women wear a pair of panties and only one bra?
9. If you try to fail, and succeed, which have you done?
10. Why is it that when you transport something by car, it’s called a shipment, but when you transport something by ship, it’s called cargo?
11. Why do we drive on parkways and park on driveways?
12. If you’re in a vehicle going the speed of light, what happens when you turn on the headlights?
13. If nothing ever sticks to Teflon, how do they make Teflon stick to the pan?
14. Why are there interstate highways in Hawaii?…………What State Borders Hawaii
15. Why are there flotation devices under plane seats instead of parachutes?

Was Chicken Little Little?

There was a famous story years ago with a small chicken running around hollering "The sky is falling, the sky is falling" when she believed her world was literally crashing around her. (just because something fell on her head.) Well, turns out she was wrong. The sky didn't fall. At least not yet.
So she runs around and her friends enquire as to what is going on. She tells them, and they believe her. Finally, they run into a fox, who convinces the group that he can help them in their destination, only to have the sky really fall on the fox.
When that happened, they just went home. Decided that there was nothing else to do. Never mind that more of the sky could have fallen.
I worry that our economy is going to be just like this if our actions do not change. And I worry about the spiritual and economic state of our union if people do not change their ways.
Something fell on chicken little (US). It is called 'the sky.' (debt ceiling) So chicken little starts running around telling everyone that we were about to be crushed (unable to pay the US bills). So the US runs around telling everyone that the sky is falling. Nothing is done to find out why or how it can be actually prevented, other than 'raising the ceiling.' (the sky) Everyone runs around exclaiming what is happening, but no one knows where they are going. (politicians blaming politicians.) Nothing is being done. The fox steps in (Obama?, Boehner? As Yet Unknown?) and tells the people that they can get them to the destination, yet they secretly try to lure them into where harm can be done. The sky really does fall, the fox is crushed (many people have speculated as to the fall of the US) and everyone goes home, defeated.
Look at today's economic scenario. Europe is in terrible shape with some nations being on the verge of bankruptcy. The US is basically in the same shape. What is it that drives every nation? Money. Currency.
What if one man stepped up to the plate, showed the world how to pull itself together, if only they would follow his path?
Sound familiar? The anti-christ. People wonder when they read or hear about the anti-christ how someone could take control of the world. Well, this certainly lends a way for it to happen.
And if you are a bible believer, you recognize that this would be a sign of the "end times."
Christians, I'm not saying the world is about to end. I'm not forecasting that Jesus will come back in the next day or two (although He could and can if He wants to!) I am saying that we need to be vigilent in our work for Him. I know you're worried about paying your bills, or your government check coming on time. I understand that. But Our God will supply our needs according to His riches in glory as the bible has promised. We need to be focused on the salvation of so many people that we care deeply about.
What if you're wrong Reverend Moreland? What if this is like the Great Depression and we come out of it?
Well, Hallelujah I Say!!! I look forward to better times. But either way, I'm going to be serious about winning people to the Lord, and for winning back the ones whom the church has run off from their grounds.
That way, He will be able to say to me one day, "Well done my good and faithful servant."
Thanks and have a blessed day.

If you've never read the story, here it is:
http://www.rickwalton.com/funstuff/skyfall.htm

It's Worth What?!?

Yesterday I watched the show that I had seen advertised many times, but I had never watched it. It stars Cedric the Entertainer, who is not one of my favorite comedians, as I find his humor a little dry. But my wife had control of the remote, so I sat on the couch and observed this show.
Now the main theme of this show is to discover if you know how much something is worth. Then you have to guess how much is the price, or if it is lesser or greater in value than another object, or if it belongs to someone famous.
I especially couldn't believe that a pair of dirty underwear that pop singer Madonna had worn at some time would be worth almost 2 grand. A tissue that another star had blown her nose in was worth hundreds.
It got me to thinking. We put such a high value on such ridiculous things, and yet one of the lowest valued items in many homes today is the bible. For many people there is no value to it, except to sit on a shelf somewhere collecting dust. If it is fortunate, it may get taken down on Sundays to visit church, or if it is really lucky, it gets to sit on the coffee table in case the preacher comes by.

Why is it that something so precious as God's word, and so priceless as the instructions that are contained therein are not valued anymore? The US has turned from being a nation built on God and His principles. We are making into law things that God calls an abomination.

Wake up America! Either we do love God or we don't. We cannot be both ways. Either we will get back to having a country that is founded on Him, or we had better be prepared to face His wrath.
Look around you. See the turmoil in the markets! The crime that is now prevalent everywhere, even in small towns. Godlessness creates this, fosters this and will eventually be our downfall if we're not careful.
Christians, step up! Start to tell the people in charge that it has to get back to the bible before we collapse completely. I just pray that it is not too late for us to turn around and become a God fearing nation once again!
May God bless you and thanks for stopping by!

I Want Everything! Well ... Almost!

I am a huge Barbara Streisand fan (yes, crooked long nose and all!). I have a lot of her music and I have seen all of her movies. The one movie that I love the most is the remake of a 1954 movie called "A Star Is Born." In the film she stars as a singer in a bar with a couple of backup singers and Kris Kristofferson is a singer on top of the world singing to millions around the world. They meet one night and began a romance while watching his career spiral downward in an out of control manner, all the while pushing hers upward to new heights.

During the movie she sings a song called "Everything." In the lyrics she lists what all she would like to do in her life. And for the most part, she isn't talking about material things. She is talking about things that she wants to accomplish, one being a "cure for the traffic jams." (Amen sister, if you've ever been down I-85 at Pelham Road about 4pm, you'd understand how wonderful that would be!)
My question to you is ... Do you want Everything? Our minds always go to the materialistic side of that equation. Or do you even "want" anymore?
Our country is going through some terrible times right now. There is so much uncertainty about the financial state of our economy. Stock market is having terrible losses, the price of gold which has been steadily climbing lost ground even. People are worried about whether they will be able to continue their style of life that they currently enjoy.
For them I say think on the words of the song that I mentioned above:

I want to learn what life is for
I don't want much, I just want more
Ask what I want and I will sing
I want everything (everything)
I'd cure the cold and the traffic jam
If there were floods, I'd give a darn (edited)
I'd never sleep, I'd only sing
Let me do everything (everything)
I'd like to plan a city, play the cello
Play at Monte Carlo, play Othello
Move into the White House, paint it yellow
Speak Portuguese and Deutch
And if it's not too much
I'd like to have the perfect twin
And who'd go out as I come in
I've got to grab the big brass ring
So I'll have everything (everything)
I'm like o child who's set free
At the fun fair
Every ride invites me and it's unfair
Saying that I only get my one share
Doesn't seem just
I could live as I must
If they'd give me the time to turn the tide
Give me the truth if once I lied
Give me the man Who's gonna bringMore of everything
Then I'll have everything
Everything

Notice the line above that is in bold. "Give me the man who's gonna bring, more of everything." We already have "the man" among us. God came to earth to live as a man. He brought us more than we could have imagined. We have so many books in the bible in the Old Testament, yet look at how much knowledge we can glean from just the 4 gospels that cover the life of Jesus. God gave us dominion over all of the world in the book of Genesis when man was first created. It is us who have given it back. It is us who have decided we can't, when we can. They say we use 10 percent of our brain's capacity. Start to use what God gave you. Start to want everything that God has in store for us. But you have to believe in God, love God, live for God so that you will receive what God has for you. Then we can have everything!

The Weeds Are Coming! The Weeds Are Coming!!

oh wait, they are already here!

Wow, this has been a hot dry summer. I don't know why, but here in Easley SC it seems like every time any rain comes to the area this year, it either: (1) Falls apart before it gets to us (2) Goes around us or (3) Falls apart before it gets to us, Gets below us, Re-forms and takes off again moving away from us.

60% chance of rain Sunday. Dark clouds on the horizon. Thunder booming all around us. Not one drop of rain. Temps flirting with 100, makes for a hot and dry day.

What does this have to do with anything about Christianity? Just wait, it's coming!

I love gardening. Especially flowers. They are all over my front and back yard and deck. So I have been watering them most mornings, yet the heat has been so bad, the flowers are still often droopy from the heat by afternoon. I feel so sorry for them that I want to gather them all up and take them inside where we have central a/c.

But the WEEDS are really getting on my nerves. While I'm steadily trying to keep the flowers alive, the weeds are THRIVING! They are sprouting everywhere in my beds. I put down a fabric underneath the mulch and plants, and now they have found a way to poke thru them. EGADS. So today I had to spend quite some time pulling them. It looks like a bomb was dropped from high above and plants lie scattered around. While pulling weeds, a thought hit me. This is just like church.

Churches have weeds. YES, weeds. They are the ones who are always seeming to prosper in position, while causing a bunch of consternation to everyone. You know, the person who gabs about everyone, never truly likes anyone, yet is trying to be better than everyone. They tend to run people off. They will hurt your feelings, either indirectly or directly, and they won't care. They take over committees and run them with their own agenda, choking off the ideas of anyone who doesn't agree with them.

Dictionary.com defines a weed as:

'any undesirable or troublesome plant, especially one that grows profusely where it is not wanted.'

Any undesirable (why do you let people whom everyone knows is not good for the betterment of your congregation run your church) or troublesome (do you really want troublemakers/problem creators in your church?)  plant (reckon Satan has placed them there, either known or unbeknownst to them?), especially (wow, that is a word that has strong meaning) one that grows profusely (read what i said earlier about the takeover) where it is not wanted.

How does it happen?

I blame pastors and congregations alike. People are too worried about being too politically correct for one thing. They don't want to hurt anyone's feelings. It is too hard to get people to church nowadays (and after reading so far, you wonder why????) and they do not want to lose membership/attendance so that they can boast of how big they are.

Pastors! Preach the word. Create a congregation that is strong in the word. Not a congregation that shows up, listens to you carry on for a while, then goes home, never fully understanding why they were there in the first place. You need to show people why they should even be there in the first place. Get their attention back to what matters. That is what Upside Down Christianity is all about. Shake out the bad, the poorly rooted, and put your church (WHICH IS GOD'S HOUSE) back in order.

(don't know how to do it, contact me, I'll come help!)

"Well, I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings," is what I hear. Bologna. I'm not saying go and be mean. But confront them. Gather your elders (although a lot of the time a good bit of them are the problem!!!!!) or people who you can trust and will back you. Go to them. Explain to them what they are doing and why it is hurting the ministry of the church. Then give them a choice. Quit doing whatever or you will call them out and ask for their resignation. (notice I did not say throw them out of the church, they still need the word of God!!!!!!!)

"But that will leave me with so few people to work with. The problem children are the only ones who will do anything."

Then get to preaching. And teaching. And PRAY! Ask the Holy Spirit to convict their hearts that they will want to SERVE God, not just Attend Church! (read the earlier blogs (May 2011) on how to have a successful church)

THE WEEDS ARE GOING TO CHOKE YOUR CHURCH!! Then when all you will have is a church with a bad name and a bad reputation (the church I grew up in became known as a problem church because a family ran it, and no one would even come to be an interim, let alone a pastor) and you have no one to preach to eventually (the weeds aren't going to listen, and you will soon realize the spiritual level of the church is dead.)

Once the weeds are all pulled, then the church can begin to grow. It will take your church some time to regroup and start a true growth, (it took my former church almost 2 years), but it will happen, and you, your congregation and your community will be better for it.

NOTE: Are you a member of a congregation where you see this happening all around you? Go to your pastor, tell him what you see, agree to be a part of the solution. But if he refuses to see the problem, then you need to decide what other course needs to be done (change churches/new pastor/etc). DO NOT just sit there and say, "Oh well, I tried but there is nothing I can do about it." THERE IS! And you just may be the one that God will use to do it! END NOTE
Zephaniah 2:9

Therefore, as surely as I live,” declares the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, “surely Moab will become like Sodom, the Ammonites like Gomorrah— a place of weeds and salt pits, a wasteland forever. The remnant of my people will plunder them; the survivors of my nation will inherit their land.” NIV 1984v

Matthew 13:

 ²⁴ Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. ²⁵ But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. ²⁶ When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.

   ²⁷ “The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’
   ²⁸ “‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.
   “The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’

   ²⁹ “‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. ³⁰ Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’”

(the above further explained by Jesus later on in the chapter)

³⁶ Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”

 ³⁷ He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. ³⁸ The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, ³⁹ and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
   ⁴⁰ “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. ⁴¹ The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. ⁴² They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. ⁴³ Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.

Now, I ask you, do you want the weeds to take over your church? Do you want to have to let them grow until Jesus has to weed them out for you?

Take care of God's house now. If you see a weed, pluck it before it can grow. Preach the word so that people will know and recognize a weed when they see one.

Stop the weeds before they can start. Let your "wheat" be able to help you keep the "weeds" in check. Then you can have a successful ministry and your church will truly prosper.

May God bless you in the days to come!

God Ain't Never Had a Grandchild

GOD AIN’T NEVER HAD A GRANDCHILD

John 1:12-13

12      But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name;

13      Who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

I helped with Vacation Bible School last night at my church here in Easley. I had the boys from 1st to 5th grade. Now, these guys still have a lot of energy, and they can be a bit much to keep up with. (ever tried running after 7 kids who are over 40 years younger than you?)

One of the kids was the pastors son. The lesson is very basic, and I could tell probably boring to him. He is very bright, and astute in his learning of the bible. SO it set me to thinking.

How many of us have ever gotten something because of our family heritage? Maybe you got into a better school because it was your parent’s alma mater. Maybe you got a job because a parent was in a position of influence in your community. Maybe you’re working hard in your career so that your family name can be kept in a higher regards. In our world that we live in, it is possible to get ahead because of our family, especially our parents.

But let me tell you about a time when it isn’t going to help you to have a politician for a dad, a Sunday school teacher for a mom, or a preacher for a close relative.

There is going to be a man at a desk, with a very large book in front of Him, and in that book are going to be a bunch of names. Your loved ones who have passed on before you may or may not be in that book. One by one people are going to step up to the desk, and then He will look in the book to see if He has their name anywhere in the list. If He finds it, He will say “well done my good and faithful servant, you may enter into Heaven”. If He doesn’t find it, He will tell you “Depart from me, for I never knew you”. No ones name will be listed in a sub category under someone else’s name. Each name will have to stand there by itself.

This He I’m talking about is Jesus, and He has the final word. You can’t ask Him to look under anyone’s name, or explain who you are kin to. He won’t accept it. As a matter of a fact, there is no excuse that He will accept.

That is why it says in verse 13 that you must be born of God, not flesh or blood, like your kinfolk. So today I am asking you, are you born of God? Have you accepted Jesus as your Savior, and asked him into your heart? I pray that you have. If not, contact me and let me talk more with you about it.

God bless and Have a Great Day!

The Waiting is the Hardest Part

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers sang a song called "The Waiting" in which the title of this blog is a line in the song.

The Chorus of the song:

The waiting is the hardest part

Everyday you see one more card

You take it on faith
You take it to the heart
The waiting is the hardest part.
(words by Tom Petty)

This speaks to me in so many ways. Right now I feel like God is having me wait until all the pieces of the puzzle are ready to be assembled. At times it is frustrating for me. I have such a desire to reach out now to people all over, yet here I sit writing blogs several times a week.

Then today happens. Right before Easter, a lady Jehovah's Witness came up to me and when she introduced herself, I introduced me. She seemed taken back only for a minute at the announcement of Reverend, but she composed herself and we briefly talked, with me telling her about Upside Down Christianity. She gave me her "Watchtower" magazine, I gave her my business card with my blog URL and she left. File 13 on the mag and I didn't think anymore of it. (i was going out of town that day for the weekend and had too many other things on my mind. I especially didn't have a lot of time to talk.)

Fast forward to today.

She came back today with another man. Bibles in hand, they are ready for battle. She said she had thought of me often and wanted to come back and talk to me. (God is giving me one more chance to witness to her? Maybe? Since I was too busy last time? Sorry God, I won't do that again!)

So they are quoting scriptures, and I'm answering them right back from memory, even backing up my own beliefs with my own scriptures from Micah, Revelation, Joshua (not everyday scriptures that you carry around in your head.)

Years ago i would have had to shut the door on them to get some peace. (one time I scared a bunch of them to death (unintentionally), another story, another time, although I am almost dying to tell it right now.) This time after about 30 minutes, they said they had to go, and said goodbye and left. But for 30 minutes I got to witness to her.

So I got to thinking. If I was at another town, in another church, I would have missed today's opportunity. What she does with the info that I gave her I am not sure. Will she remember it? Will she shrug it off? I pray not. But it lightened my load a bit to know that while I wait on where God will send me next, He is still able to use me here where I am.

So Tom, here is my breakdown of your song:

The waiting is the hardest part

Yep, it's a booger when you have to learn patience while God prepares you and others for where you're going next.

Everyday you see one more card

They say you live with what cards you're dealt in life. Frankly, each hand keeps getting better and better.

You take it on faith

Twofold: My faith is what drives me to do the ministry, and my faith in God will supply all I need to have the ministry that He has planned for me

You take it to the heart

I have treasured your promise in my heart so that I may not sin against you. Psalm 119:11 NASB

The waiting is the hardest part.

Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD. Psalm 27:14 KJV

May God bless you in your waiting.

A new makeover for the body and the house

The new carpet and padding is installed. The guys who came out to put the carpet in were great, and they completed their job in only a few hours. What was once just barren plywood and nails with tack strips (those things really hurt when you step on them! especially in bare feet!) is now carpet that runs "wall to wall" in both bedrooms.
The daunting task now before me was to put the furniture back in place before I start hauling boxes back in to be unpacked (honey, do we really need all this clutter? lol) So I grab the hand truck and start moving pieces back to their places one at a time. For the most part, I remember where everything goes. But then the worst of it happens.
Remember the monstrosity of a computer desk that I talked about? Well, I got the pieces back into the room and near where they were to be assembled. Then, I forgot how it came apart. Now, mind you, it is only two pieces. But they have all of these interlocking pieces (pins and these funny little round things) that have to fit just right before it will go back together, and I can't remember exactly how to do it so that it will fit like it originally was. Well, with the removal of two pins that weren't really doing anything (I hope) I managed to get the desk back together and everything tightened back down.
Now, I know what you're thinking. What has this got to do with anything religious? Well, in Revelations chapters 21 and 22 it talks about God sending down a new heaven and earth after the old earth has been obliterated. And I got to thinking, sometimes it seems like it would be the easiest thing. Just bulldoze the house and start over. Have a modular dropped in, and new furniture delivered and setup and start anew. No sweat, no back breaking lifting (thank goodness for these cool furniture pads I used from the shopping channel) and beautiful things to enjoy.
But God isn't like that. We can't just start over when we want. We can redo material things, but we can't relive our existence here on earth. We can spruce up our houses with new carpet and paint, repaint/repair our old cars, but underneath it is going to be the same thing that it was before.
Some people don't understand how saved people (or church people as some people use the term - argh, that one drives me crazy) can be "made new in Christ" yet still not be perfect. It's because it is the same body that you were born with. The same brain that you were born with. Everything that caused you to sin is still there. But you are given a new carpet without any stains, and a fresh coat of paint so that you will look different to the world. What you choose to do with it will be up to you. And what you now bring into your life will make a difference as to how clean it stays.
Will you walk on it with the same things that stained the previous carpet (alcohol, drugs, adultery, lies, etc.) and try to get God to vacuum it up for you the next time you are in the presence of others that you want to impress? Why should you carelessly trample what God has given you anew and expect Him to clean up your mess every time you need it?
Start today to take care of what He has given you, both materially, spiritually and physically. People who get a transplant are particularly careful to take care of their new body part. So we should do the same with our mind, spirit and our body.
So you've never gotten a new coat of paint or new carpeting in your life? Admit that you have stained your inner carpet and dinged the walls of your body beyond repair. Ask God now to forgive you of your wrong doings. Believe that Jesus came down from Heaven and lived a blameless life as stated in the bible. That He died for you, His blood staining the ground ( Those stains are the only ones we should ever need. ) as He hung on the cross, and then He arose from the grave and went back to Heaven to be with His Father. Then you can have the new start, the fresh carpet, the new paint job (people will notice how much brighter and different you look).
For the rest of you who got your new carpet and paint job some time ago. Get out the vacuum cleaner and address those areas that need cleaning. Pull out the paint brushes and touch up the areas that have been scarred on you and the ones around you.
Then, enjoy what you once had before you, a beautiful and fresh home (your body/life).
Now, if you will excuse me, I have to remember where the rest of this stuff goes!
Thanks, God bless, and have a great day!

I Love To Eat!

I love to eat. I am what most people would call a "meat and potato" kind of man. So when I found this list that I am including today, I couldn't help but chuckle. It is sad when we wind up laughing because of people not doing what used to be common not too many decades ago. I hope people will stop giving excuses, start getting out of bed on Sunday morning for more than going to the lake or nursing hangovers, and start attending a local church of their choice. Thanks for stopping by, and may God bless.

Top Ten Excuses For Avoiding Church Services

Many people have an excuse for not attending church services each week.
If you were to take those excuses and apply them to other things we do (for example -- eating), those excuses might look like this:

10. I was forced to eat as a child.

9. People who eat all the time are hypocrites; they aren't really hungry.

8. There are so many different kinds of food, I can't decide what to eat.

7. I used to eat, but I got bored and stopped.

6. I only eat on special occasions, like Christmas and Easter.

5. None of my friends will eat with me.

4. I'll start eating when I get older.

3. I don't really have time to eat.

2. I don't believe that eating does anybody any good. It's just a crutch.

and the # 1 excuse for not eating.......

1. Restaurants and grocery stores are only after your money.


Now that is something to think about!

There are two grave sides to every story

We are in the middle of replacing the carpet in two of our bedrooms. (one reason I haven't had time to blog as much as I would like.) Well, a local warehouse store in Easley had the carpet we liked, and a special on installing if we had everything empty and ready, it was only 37 bucks for as many rooms as we wanted for the install. Great Price!

Just one thing, we have to empty the rooms of furniture (where do you put the furniture from two rooms when you have a house full of furniture?) We finally decided on the garage and filled it up with boxes of stuff that we packed and the furniture from the bedrooms.
Well, one bedroom, one office (that could be a bedroom.) Have you ever seen those monstrosities that are called computer desks that come in an L-shape and takes all day to assemble? Well, It had to be disassembled and moved as well. Oh boy, that was fun.
So we get this great idea to paint the master bedroom to match the master bath, since the carpet was out and it would be easier. Well, a small project has turned into a big one. (story for another day)
But, I digress.
I needed to haul the carpet away once we pulled it up. No truck. And a convertible with the top down and carpet sticking up everywhere wasn't gonna do the trick either.
So, I commandeered a truck and we went in search of the place to dump the carpet. I thought I remembered how to get to the one that Easley residents are supposed to use. My stepson had shown me how to get there by turning up the side of a graveyard and following the road out through several intersections.
So we turn beside the graveyard and start out. Well, we go for a few miles and things do not look too familiar. Then we go a few more miles and they really don't look too familiar. We turn around and start back the way we had come.
Then I have a brainstorm. Let's get back on Hwy 93 and watch for the signs. Well, we got back to the graveyard and guess what? There was the sign for the recycle center. But it is on the other side of the graveyard, and it goes in a different direction (westerly instead of north, i think). So we start out in the direction of the sign and a few miles down the road, we are fortunate enough to come to our destination.
Coming back I recognize the name of a road that is closer, and we turn down it, not having to backtrack to the graveyard. (maybe next time I go by a graveyard I will be lying in a casket and i won't have to look. those places are too weird.)
Christianity is like my journey today. We start out on the journey to know God, then someone shows us a way to get directly to our destination, but for some reason we get sidetracked. (Baptists call this backsliding, I think.) Then when we get back on track and we want to head to the same destination (Heaven), we think we know the way and try to find it ourselves. But we wind up in the wilderness (at least most of us didn't spend 40 years there like Moses and all those people). We start to backtrack, and when we decide to look for a sign (the Bible) and we find it, and read it, then we can begin our journey in earnest.
I pray that you will take the time in the coming days and read your bible. Don't have one? Email me. Do have one? Open it up. Can't understand a word it says? Go to a Christian book store and find one that you can read. NIV translation is one that some people find easier to understand. (I know, some of you are KJV all the way. Remember, it was translated hundreds and hundreds of years after the original.) Or you can visit www.biblegateway.net and you can pull up many versions of the bible for free.
The main thing is read. Then once you do, follow the instructions. Still need help? Find a church where you can worship (and where they actually worship, not just go through the motions like most churches these days). Get involved, ask questions, and hopefully learn from the sermons and classes that you will attend.
May God bless you on your journey!

25 Lines to Make You Smile

Here is a preview of the basis of my next book. (I hope you bought the last one). I thought that on a Monday, we could all use a few good laughs, (and a few smiles to brighten your day!)

25 Lines to Make You Smile
1.  My husband and I divorced over religious differences.  He thought he was God and I didn't.
2.  I don't suffer from insanity -- I enjoy every minute of it!
3.  I used to have a handle on life, but it broke.
4.  Don't take life too seriously -- no one gets out alive.
5.  You're just jealous because the voices only talk to me.
6.  Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder.
7.  Earth is the insane asylum for the universe.
8.  I'm not a compete idiot -- some parts are missing!
9.  Out of my mind.  Back in five minutes.
10.  God must love stupid people -- He made so many!
11.  The gene pool could use a little chlorine.
12.  Consciousness:  that annoying time between naps.
13.  Ever stop to think, and forget to start again?
14.  Being "over the hill" is much better than being under it.
15.  Wrinkled was not one of the things I wanted to be when I grew up.
16.  Procrastinate now!
17.  I have a degree in Liberal Arts -- do you want fries with that?
18.  A hangover is the wrath of grapes.
19.  A journey of a thousand miles begins with a cash advance.
20.  Stupidity is not a handicap.  Park elsewhere!
21.  He who dies with the most toys is nonetheless dead.
22.  A picture is worth a thousand words, but it uses up three thousand times the memory.
23.  Ham and eggs -- a day's work for a chicken, a lifetime commitment for a pig.
24.  The trouble with life is there's no background music.
25.  I smile because I don't know what the heck is going on.

Counseling Southern Style

Grumps and Bubba are quietly sitting in a boat fishing, chewing tobacco and drinking beer when suddenly Bubba says, "I think I'm gonna divorce my wife - she ain't spoke to me in over 2 months."

Grumps spits, sips his beer and says, "Better think it over - - - - women like that are hard to find.”

One thing I have always loved, and that is fishing. Bass fishing, Crappie (Ain't March a wonderful month) fishing and late night summers waiting on a big cat to strike can be some of the best times a person can have.

One thing I've noticed while being out on the lakes. Not many women fish. The lake is full of guys and their 20K dollar boats, but very few times do I ever see a woman on the lake. When I do, it is usually with their hubby/bf, and they are not always enthused.

Now before you go saying anything, yes, there are women fisherpersons (p. c. term i think). But you are outnumbered.

So it is not unusual for two guys to be sitting in a boat and chatting about what is happening in their lives.

So my question to you is: How can guys sit together and talk about things that are on their minds, yet they won't take the time to even say more than a hello to their wives? Somehow their buddy becomes a sounding board for them, although what they are saying is probably sounding bored to them.

Guys, take the time to talk to your spouse. And women, even if you're not that interested in their hobbies, try to have some. Ask how their trip was. What did they catch (although you probably won't know what they are talking about, or the great importance thereof).

If you start talking now, hopefully you'll avoid having to talk to a pastor or counselor later, when it may be too late and too much damage done.

Silence is not always golden. Sometimes it is the most cruelest thing on this planet. Break the silence now, you'll be thankful later.

Thank you and have a God blessed day.

If all you hear is poop ...

A daughter was sitting beside her mom and talking to her, but she couldn’t get her mom to respond to her questions. She kept telling her mom to turn her hearing aid up, but still no response. Finally, in exasperation, she reached over to her mom’s ear to turn the hearing aid up herself. When she put her finger to her mom’s ear, she saw a white capsule and pulled it out.

“Mom, is this your suppository?” the daughter asked.

“Why yes, I think it is.”

“Oh no, I think I know where the hearing aid is then!” the daughter exclaimed.

Sorry for the subject of the joke, but I wanted to use it to prove a point.

As humans, we are given many things that we need to use on a job. A drafter gets a drafting table and writing instruments. A football player gets pads, helmet, and cleated shoes. A police officer gets for the minimum a pad for tickets, uniform, badge and weapon.

The drafter sits at the table and uses the pencils, protractors and other curved instruments to create a drawing of whatever needs to be built. A football player puts on the articles of clothing that will keep him safe and help him do his job more efficiently. A police officer wears the uniform and puts a badge on it, while using the ticket pad and weapon to perform his tasks.

What would happen if the officer was a female and put the badge in her hair like a hairbow, etched the information onto her gun, gave it to the speeder, and beat the poor sap with the ticket pad if he gave her any trouble? I don’t think she would be able to do the job for very long, if at all.

However, you say she had everything that she needed to do her job, and she had them with her.

I’m not disputing that. I am saying that she didn’t use what she had been given properly, thus she wasn’t accomplishing anything.

Just like the little old lady in the joke at the beginning. Unless she had “poop for brains” and had the ability to talk out of the wrong end, as the old sayings go, she wasn’t going to accomplish anything either, although she had the tools to accomplish each task at each end.

We have to use what we’ve been given, and we have to USE them to begin with. Then we have to use them properly, as they were meant to be used.

If you’ve been given the “gift of gab,” use it to teach a group in a bible study or Sunday school class instead of gossiping about people and things that you shouldn’t even be mentioning.

Guys, if you are constantly trying to turn around in your pew/seat in church to see everything that is going on, try being an usher and you can keep up with what is happening and still help someone at the same time.

Ladies, if you are constantly “tsk-tsking” about how certain women have no skills in applying their makeup, and you have been taught how to properly do it, have a class during the week sometime and help them learn how to properly apply all of the items that are commonly used.

In other words, get the tools out of the wrong places and use them where something can be accomplished. Instead of being the problem, start helping others who are having problems or need help. Then you can get things accomplished that would only wind up in a bigger mess otherwise.

(14) People wonder when Jesus fed the 5,000 whether the two fish were bass or catfish.

(14) People wonder when Jesus fed the 5,000 whether the two

fish were bass or catfish.

Why do we get so focused on specifics? Too many people get too nit picky in things and they forget the most important thing: Jesus FED 5000 People with not really enough food to feed Him and the twelve disciples, even if things had been severely rationed.

I think that one thing that drags us down is the thought of miracles happening. We just can’t imagine how that happens. WAKE UP! That is why they call them MIRACLES!!!! DUH!

Let’s focus on what God WILL do for us, instead of how we can help make it happen. When God tells you to do something, do it. Even if you don’t think it is enough. Do it. Then trust Him to finish the job and make the results happen.

Trust in something that you can't see or touch is hard. We live in a visual world, unless you are blind or severely visually impaired. In that case, I understand what you’re going through. My mom was blind also for the last 12 years of her life. But her belief that I would not let her fall down the stairs, off the curb or anywhere else even though she couldn’t see me helped her to conquer her fears about going out of the house.

Why can’t we do the same with God? Try Him. Believe in Him. (make sure you truly believe in Him, don’t act like Satan and only tempt Him). Step out and trust God to keep you safe, guide you and cause your life to prosper in many ways, not only materially buy spiritually.

Then the bass and catfish won’t matter. The feast before you will be scrumptious!
Come back Wednesday and find out what a suppository and a hearing aid have to do with each other!

(13) High notes on the organ set dogs in the parking lot to howling.

(13) High notes on the organ set dogs in the parking lot to howling.

Luke 19: 37-40

³⁷ When he (Jesus) came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:

 ³⁸ “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”^[b]

   “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

 ³⁹ Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”

   ⁴⁰ “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

I remember when “pet rocks” were the latest trend. Everyone had to have one. Some painted them, put clothes on them, hung signs around them and too many other crazy things to mention. The one thing that I liked about the rock as a pet was it didn’t poop or pee on the floor. It never barked incessantly while I was watching TV or talking on the phone. If it had “cried out,” it probably would have been my poop that needed to be cleaned up.

The Psalms reveals that all God's creation have contact with God (Psalm 93). All God's creatures praise Him (Psalm 145:10). It is only mankind who needs forgiving and saving and teaching as to how to worship (Psalm 36 & 51), the animal kingdom worships God continually and naturally.

"Praise Him, hills and mountains, fruit trees and forests; all animals, tame and wild, reptiles and birds." Psalm 148:9, 10.

So I ask you, next time the dogs start to howl outside the church doors, are you going to let them do the worshipping for you? I have talked in previous blogs about our role in worship. Let’s start worshipping now, before the dogs start to drown us out and our voices of praise aren’t heard at all.

(11) There is a special fund-raiser for a new septic tank.

(11) There is a special fund-raiser for a new septic tank.

In many churches I think the septic tank has stopped up, for you’ll never find more poop (figuratively) in some septic tanks than what is floating about the congregation. But I’m not going to dwell on that subject for the moment.

Instead I want to talk about why the church is having a need for a special fund-raiser for a new septic system.

Too many times we live day to day on what we receive for an income. We make no effort to save anything for “a rainy day.” We choose to spend too much on too many things that we don’t have to have. Many people will argue that they have to have the many things. After going through a divorce, I had to redirect my finances, so I cut out a lot of things. I ate out less. I turned the cable tv off. I went back to “dial-up” for my internet – ¼ of the price of broadband and it taught me patience. We are a society of “I want it now!” and that has hurt us in many ways. Why don’t we want God with that much urgency? If only we did.

Two other problems arise from the above situation.

(1) Tithing is not an option. It is required. You say you don’t make much money. Then 10 percent won’t be a big sum to give! Sit at home for one weekend a month and spend time with the family watching TV, movies, playing board games. A family of four can spend $100 easily on a night of dining out and movies in the US. If you find yourself indulging in this more than once a month, consider giving it up and giving that $100 to the church. If you already tithe, this is your “offering.”

(2) Churches get in an “I’m scared to spend money” situation, especially in a tough economy. Finance committees worry about the money coming in from tithing to pay expenses, let alone repairs. So if they do have any extra, they won’t spend it. I agree that some should be kept back for emergencies, but if you truly trust God, don’t hoard years of expenses away in the bank. Be reasonable. God gave you all of that excess that you refuse to let go of now, don’t you think He can give you that much and even more when you need it again. Be smart, don’t be stupid with His money. Trust in God to provide what you need now, use what He has already given you, and make sure that you aren’t asking God for something while you aren’t giving to Him either.

God is Great! So is America!

French writer Alexis de Tocqueville, after visiting America in 1831, said, "I sought for the greatness of the United States in her commodious harbors, her ample rivers, her fertile fields, and boundless forests--and it was not there. I sought for it in her rich mines, her vast world commerce, her public school system, and in her institutions of higher learning--and it was not there. I looked for it in her democratic Congress and her matchless Constitution--and it was not there. Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because America is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great!"

(10) Baptism is referred to as "branding."

(10) Baptism is referred to as "branding."
(12) Finding and returning lost sheep is not just a parable.

I’ve never worked on a farm or ranch, but as I understand it, you “brand” your livestock with whatever emblem is custom to you so that everyone will know that the particular animal belongs to you. That way if it wanders off of your property, the person who finds it can return it to its rightful owner.

Unfortunately, there are also people who wish to steal what isn’t theirs and keep it for themselves. As long as they need to property to stay alive, they always run the risk of someone finding out that the item isn’t theirs. When they are finished with the item, they dispose of it where no one can discover their secret. For an animal, a thief could simply “skin” the critter and the branding would be gone, plus they could provide themselves with food for a short period.

Satan is like this thief. I mentioned in an earlier blog about people who are “backslid.” These are Christians who for whatever reason let themselves be used by Satan for his purposes, which is to keep them from doing anything that might glorify God. He’ll use them to get others to trip and stumble also. But then when they are “used up,” he will toss them away, possibly “skinning” them, i.e. fatal effects from unsafe sex with multiple partners, drug use, alcoholism. He delights in watching them curse God and walk away as their lives diminish and they soon perish. Then he moves on to the next victim that he can find.

Ranchers often use fences and dogs to protect their livestock. The herd will hide behind the protecting animal in an attempt to hopefully stay safe. We as Christians need to do the same. We need to put God before us and let Him fight for us. He is all powerful, all knowing and He is capable of a lot more than what we are. We shouldn’t run in front of God exclaiming, “I can fight my own battles!” We usually wind up quite wounded and retreating hopefully instead of being devoured.

So if you are “branded” as a Christian, let your Shepherd do His job. It doesn’t mean that you won’t have battles or problems. But you will have someone who can help you succeed and defeat the enemy of the situation!
In celebration of Independence Day which is celebrated in the US on July the 4th of each year, Monday's blog will be on a related subject. Number 11 in this series will continue on the 6th of July.

(9) The only time people lock their cars in the parking lot is during the summer and only so no one leaves them another bag of tomatoes!

(9) The only time people lock their cars in the parking lot is during the summer and only so no one leaves them another bag of tomatoes!

Wouldn’t it be nice if the world were a safer place and we could live like that all the time? I remember growing up when the windows would be raised during the summer so that the breeze could blow in. Doors were rarely locked, and neighbors went in the other neighbors houses while they were away to “keep an eye on things.”

But today’s world is another reality altogether. Doors are locked in our cars the instant we step out of them and in newer cars, alarms are set to warn possible intruders. Houses have locks on the handles, and deadbolts in addition to sometimes chains that are put across the doorway.

But I don’t want to concentrate on just this aspect of #9.

One of my favorite sayings is, “You can’t outgive God.” And you can’t. He owns everything on this earth. You say, “well, man made such and such, God didn’t.” Well, there are two ways to look at it. In the US (I’m not sure of the laws of other countries) if you have something that you leave on someone else’s property, especially if it is attached, it becomes “abandoned” and is then their property. So unless the item you’re talking about is suspended in the air (and since God created that, I don’t think it counts) it belongs to God, as he owns the earth. He made it, He put many things on it, and He allows it to continue to flourish.

So why is it that we sometimes refuse to accept any more blessings, whether from man or God. You may say that you don’t want to be “overwhelmed.” Well I say, “Overwhelm Me.” If I don’t need it, or I’m afraid that it will spoil before I can use it, I’ll find someone who will. If I am blessed and in need of nothing, let me find someone who is in need. Then let me bless them. (Hear that God? I’m ready for more blessings!)

Quit turning down opportunities for betterment because you feel like your plate is full. If you have a chance to obtain something, even if you don’t see how you can use it right then, do it anyway! God is not going to give you something that you’ll never need. He provides each of us with the tools and knowledge to do what we need to. We just need to realize that He uses others sometimes to further His goals. And if you need the strength to go after whatever it is, then pray for strength. But make the first step. Don’t shut out others or God. Welcome them both in and your life will be richer for it.

(8) The church directory doesn’t have last names.

(8) The church directory doesn’t have last names.

I can’t decide if this is good or bad. I think it can be both. If your church is so small that first names are never repeated, either you live in a VERY multicultural neighborhood or you simply have a small church. I know of a church not far from here that basically has all family in it. There are a few others who have known the family members for years and years, but their numbers are few. The church is small, and for many reasons will probably stay small.

But then again, it could be a good thing when people would be known by their actions. I lived in a neighborhood that had a local mom and pop restaurant. There were 4 Keith’s who ate there on a regular basis. I was Motorcycle Keith (always on my Harley). A guy who fished constantly was Fishing Keith. A Sheriff’s Deputy was Cop Keith. And an owner of a concrete business who rarely cooked for himself was known as Eatin’ Keith.

So why can’t we have the same thing happen in church. People should be thankful for their talents, as they truly are a gift from God. I know, you went to a trade school/college for a degree in your field. But God gave you the brain and the smarts to be able to study and learn it. (so take a minute and tell Him thank you if you haven’t already!)

We could have Teaching Susan, Piano Susan and Kitchen Susan in our congregations. It would honor them for their service to God and to the church. Make people feel appreciated. When people feel needed, loved and appreciated, they tend to stick around. Don’t wait until they leave to run and tell them how much they are missed.

It’s like how I feel about dying. Don’t wait until I croak to stand up and tell everyone how much you loved me or enjoyed doing things with me. Tell me now. Then maybe I will want to do more with you. No, I don’t need a big head, and that is not why I’m saying do this. But we’re humans. We have the need to feel loved. Needed. That is what should help to draw us to God. Knowing that He loves us and needs us to further his work here on earth. Then we will be renewed and ready to march on in our lives, even when the going gets tough.