Just Don't Wear It..

It’s easy to wear the bracelet; t-shirt even put the letters up to make a very corny church sign but living it out well that’s a totally different matter indeed. Last year I heard a pastor telling a story about how his friend was going on and on how "we" (referring to his favorite football team) won the game. And he asked his friend what position does he play? And he went to say much of us have a fan mentality in our lifestyle. And this is true in that if we wear a "Christian item", listens to the "right" music and even attends church and/or do the tithing and this supposedly puts us on The Team. It’s our Jersey. We wear it and that’s more than enough for most of we don’t have to even play a position (live it out) or even sit on the bench for that matter we can cheerlead and "wear the jersey". God knows there’s plenty to cheerlead in the likes of the Grahams, Francis Chan, Compassion International, World Vision, Greg Laurie,James Robison,Charles Swindoll, Mission work, and the list goes on and on. But nowhere does God call us to be a cheerleader or even for that matter to stay on the bench. He says Go ...and in Greek and Hebrew that word still means GO. Get involve and be a team player. Missions start in your home but it must carry on to next door, your neighborhood, From Keyser to Kenya. So many of us wrapped ourselves in being a fan of teams, which it carries out in the way we live. I find myself being a fan more than a follower much of the time in many areas of my life.  Picture Jesus and His disciples wearing it well. Jesus with His "WWID" bracelet on and there’s Matthew with His "Hooked on Jesus"(fish hook shaped into a cross to make it official) shirt and John with his "Jesus went into Sky and all I got was this Shirt" Shirt. Obviously You don’t have to wear a jersey or a bracelet even a cross necklace to be on the team. But you do have to be a follower and Not a fan to actually be a Believer (team). In 2009 over 75% of Americans claim they were Christians. Ah I believe the majority of that makes us the fan base. Fans from wearing the “right stuff” to still getting cold chills when Lee Greenwood sings “God Bless The USA” (Not slamming Mr. Greenwood just his music :)). We need to stop living as if our life’s goal is to be a paratrooper but being completely satisfy in walking around forever with a mint condition parachute. Or course it’s much easier to be a fan (and at times perhaps more fun) but the cost in being a follower is worth it, worth it all simply because Jesus said Follow Me.

PS For those wondering no I haven’t read “Not a Fan”, Yet.

You Have Just WON One Million Dollars!!

At least thats what Publishing Clearing House is telling me. And all I need to do is find 10-100 specific stickers and place them accordingly and then answer three emails a week. And of course it doesnt hurt my chances if I buy the backscratcher for my dog. And hey if that doesnt work out I can always reply to my emails from Sydney in Australia or Toby in Kenya. It seems those two chaps have come upon Millions but of course they need my help in securing this money and randomly they have chosen me to be, well the chosen one. ALL I need to do is send them my bank account number and my social security number and perhaps a credit card account or two and they will make me their joint partner in millions of dollars. Sign me up. PCH may be a bit more realistic than the spam emails but for years I always imagine PCH's Ed McMahon knocking on my door and then realizing he has the wrong address its my neighbors he wanted to inform that they just won One Millon dollars, yea thats right Toby & Sydney, congratulations.

In A Hurry?

When did our lives become so busy?  With all of our technology, our lives are suppose to become easier.  What it's done is make us spoiled. 
How long is too long to wait at a red light?  When did 3 minutes become a lifetime?  I'm guilty of getting anxious when I have to wait for more than 30 seconds for a light to turn green.
Remember dial-up on your computer?  I remember waiting minutes to download a picture years ago and I didn't mind because before that, someone had to mail it to me.  Now, if it takes more than a few seconds, we think something is wrong with our computer or we call our internet provider to complain of the slow service. 
We have become a nation of instant gratification.  We want everything as soon as we demand it.  Coffee in an instant, microwaveable meals, news as it happens, cell phone coverage at all times.  We are spoiled. 
Take a few minutes...because that is probably all the time we can devote to one thing....ask yourself when was the last time you spent some prolonged quality time with a friend, your spouse, God.  Many people think Facebook time is quality time.   Uh...no!   Do these four steps  1.  Turn off Facebook, your laptop or iPad, your cell phone.   2.  Meet someone face to face.  3.  Spend more than five minutes together.  4.  Repeat as often as possible.   
Oh, and while your at it, Super Bowl Sunday is coming up.  Quit staying at home and join the folks from Fire Escape at Believer's Fellowship and be a part of something great than just a championship football game.  Contact us for more info or look up the Fire Escape on Facebook.  Lol.

Gold Seal T P the Only way to "go"..

A few months ago I kept seeing this commercial for toilet paper. Trying to sell us the idea that if you didn’t have a special casing for your toilet paper then you were not in style. After being thankful that I was not in style I thought who are these people that sit around and say lets sell the idea "respect the toilet paper." I mean they do realize the function of this item, right? It will be used once as in one time and one time only. And while thankful we have indoor plumbing and toilet paper at hand (literally and figuratively) Im not sure if this is respect and Im quite sure having a cover for my "butt wipe paper" is the least of my concern and hopefully any other human being. I thought the animated bears walking around with "paper berries" were bad enough but now I’m told to respect the toilet paper. Perhaps we have so much technology as it continues expand the market agencies are getting low on ideas (maybe the pet rock will lead to pet dirt, or pet rock kids also known as gravel). So anyway while this "bugged" me I had no thought blogging about this until our last stay in a hotel and I found that our toilet paper had a gold seal. Now I’m not sure this is just for looks or somewhere this paper was honored with a gold seal approval. This once was just tissue paper but now surely there is a higher meaning either way I finally realize that this toilet paper is getting some respect but I also found out more importantly (?) its all the same. So in closing I’m asking PETA to protest and ban the abused of those animated bears with all those paper berries because it’s JUST Toilet Tissue and unless you are out in the middle of nowhere with no paper (which is another story that we don’t want to talk about) it just doesn’t matter and if does matter to you then go to your local dollar store buy some golden seals. Tag your toilet paper, if it doesn’t impress your neighbors maybe it will improve your experience

Jan 11 the NEW New Years Day

Happy New Years, Yes just a mere 11 days off. I guess 2012 technically hasnt started foe me since I havent made a resolution yet? Im still waiting (on what Im not sure?) So what are your resolutions or better yet what were they since for most of us they have already been swept away into the wind or postpone to a magical monday ("tomorrow") or even 2013? Again I tend to be king of the small things like straightening part of a house which leads to finding a lost item which turns a successful day into a journal entry. Resolutions are made to be broken i believe that is the make up of all humans. We eat all the food we can the day before the great diet starts. We promise to read the Bible through in a year and after two weeks we find that we are about 2 weeks behind in the reading. Before tv and computers (esp the compters) im sure hardwork and reading took up most of peoples time but I wonder when times were harder (less technology) were resolutions any easier. Im not sure about that but I bet many of them were more meaningful. I doubt if scrapbooking was involve, cleaning your computer desktop,organizing your music on the ipod,etc..For a believer the only thing worst in not carrying out a new year resolution is "attempting" to make one to the Lord as if you are going to be a "new you" and yea how long did that last? Chambers says all our vows and resolutions end in denial because we have no power to carry them out. Never the less theres absolutely no reason to stay the same and be satisfied in a "as is" condition. So make a resolution and no matter what day it is, January or June begin a new day, a new year just dont solely rely on yourself. Because as the song says we are not as strong as we think we are..which is easy to forget and even easier to find out. Happy New Years


PS By the way a good resolution would be to read these blogs and reply to let me know you are reading them...