Should We Offer Grace Or Castration?

As I was watching the news last night, once again I was horrified to learn that another married couple had been involved in the molestation of a 12 year old girl.  When the husband was interviewed by police back in June, according to an affidavit, James Woodcock admitted that his "urges" are getting stronger and he sees a "pattern" to his behavior. He told police he wanted help, because he didn't want to hurt anyone.

Funny thing is he told the police this back in June, but he failed to show up for court on December 4th.  I don't know about you, but this guy's actions don't quite meet up with his words.  In other words, he might have said he wants help, but in all reality does he?  I would think that if he really wanted to get help, then he would have shown up to court to get some.

And let us not forget his wife, Jennifer Woodcock, 55, was charged with permitting child sexual abuse and failing to report child sexual abuse, after police said she walked in on an incident, but allowed him to continue to be around the child and never reported it to police.  So, she is just as guilty of the crime as he is in my opinion.

Which brings me to the point of my blog, should we offer grace or castration?  The Bible is very clear on the fact that we are all sinners (Romans 3:23).  We have all done wrong, no matter how good we think we are.  And the one thing that I understand about God, is that there is no degree of sin with Him either.  For instance if picking your nose was considered a sin to God, then in the eyes of God it would be no different than murdering someone.  If it is something that separates you from God, it is sin.  It's us as people that tend to assign a degree of evilness to each sin, not God.

Yet I can't help but think (my opinion only here) that there is a special level of hell reserved for those who abuse children.  Remember what Jesus told the disciples about causing a little one who trusted in Him to fall into sin?  He said it would be better for that person to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone hung around his neck.  (Mark 9:42)  Yes, and for those of you who are Bible scholars I have taken that out of context to fit my blog.

Years ago there was a young man who had been involved in satanism and through that had murdered his mother and stepfather in cold blood.  He was arrested  tried, convicted and placed on death row.  While in prison, he was born again, and truly made every effort to bring as many people to Jesus as possible telling his story from his cell.  He truly had a prison experience with the Lord, and a lot of people thought that he would be released because of that.

He was never released, and subsequently was killed by lethal injection, the form of capital punishment the state of Oklahoma meets out for inmates convicted of heinous crimes.  In an interview with this young man's grandfather he was asked what he thought about his grandson paying for his crime with his life, to which he replied, "Sean has given his heart to the Lord Jesus, but his body belongs to the state of Oklahoma."  You see in this instance both grace and justice were served.

So in order to answer the question of my blog this morning, I think we can offer both grace and punishment.  To this couple I would say, please accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, give Him your heart and accept the grace His sacrifice offers, but understand that you have committed a crime that must be punished by the state of Oklahoma, so you will have to be jailed for this, and if castration is an option on the table to prevent him from doing this type of thing again, then perhaps that is what he needs in order to stifle those "urges" which he said are getting stronger in his life.

Well there's that...strength and honor for the Kingdom and the King!

So Who Controls The Criminals?

Gun control.  It's a hot topic in the news again, as it is every time a horrible tragedy occurs in our nation.  What is gun control exactly, and why are our politicians so keen on putting it into place I wonder?  Could it be realistically that in order to control a population you must first take away their ability to defend themselves?  Is it possible that what lies behind this is truly just one more freedom being eroded away from the population by the river of good intentions? 

I will go on record here saying that people who steal from others are on the bottom rung of the ladder of society, and should be treated with contempt.  Now I will add, that if they choose to change their lifestyle and find gainful employment, becoming good citizens I will welcome them with open arms.  Until then if they choose to take from others instead of earning an honest living however, I will consider them scum, bottom line.

I don't know about you, but I work hard for my money.  I work at least five days a week for my employer; arriving at work before seven in the morning and leaving shortly after six in the evening.  I spend almost half of my day working to earn money.  Now if someone comes and takes what I have worked so hard for, I will have no compassion for them if they get what they deserve.  Take this short little story I read this morning:

Last Thursday night around midnight, a woman from Houston, Texas was arrested, jailed and charged with manslaughter for shooting a man 6 times in the back as he was running away with her purse.

The following Monday morning, the woman was called in front of the Arraignment Judge, sworn-in, and asked to explain her actions.

The woman replied, "I was standing at the corner bus stop for about 15 minutes, waiting for the bus to take me home after work.  I am a waitress at a local cafe.  I was there alone, so I had my right hand on my pistol in my purse hanging on my left shoulder.  All of sudden I was spun around hard to my left.  As I caught my balance, I saw a man running away with my purse.  I looked down at my right hand and saw that my fingers were wrapped tightly around my pistol.  The next thing I remember is saying out loud, "No Way Punk!  You're not stealing my pay check and tips!"  I raised my right hand, pointed my pistol at the man running away from me with my purse, and started squeezing the trigger of my pistol.

When asked by the arraignment judge, "Why did you shoot the man 6 times?"  The woman replied under oath, "Because, when I pulled the trigger the 7th time, it only went click."

The woman was acquitted of all charges.  She was back at work the next day.

I don't know if this is a true story or not, but it does help illustrate what I'm trying to get at this morning, and that is we should have the right to protect ourselves and what we work for from the element in society that chooses to take instead of giving something back.  I realize that there are several people who will disagree with my position and who would probably say that the man in that story needed that money to go feed his children or buy medicine for a sick wife.  Making the victim of a crime the bad guy, wanting desperately to be compassionate to the criminal, saying it's not their fault, they act that way because of how they were raised.

Bull hockey!  People are the captains of their own destiny.  No matter how you were raised, or what happened to you in your past, we all have the same ability to make a decision, for good or for bad.  And when you decide that you are going to take from someone, then you will have to face the consequences of your actions.  You can't blame your choice on someone else, that is part of the problem in society.

I had a discussion with a young man who had decided that he was a pacifistic several years ago and vehemently defended his choice to not own a gun, or to be violent in any way.  I asked him what he would do, if a violent man took his girlfriend and began to rape her in his presence?  His answer was that he would reason with the rapist, and explain to him why his actions were wrong.  I was shocked to say the least.  I asked, "You mean to tell me that you would stand there and try to reason with someone who was defiling your girlfriend, instead of pulling him off of her and knocking some sense into his head?"  To which he said yes.

Now while I guess I should applaud him for sticking to his guns (no pun intended) and remaining a pacifist in light of that horrendous crime.  I can't help but believe that if that were to actually happen, he would become just as big a neanderthal as he probably feels I am for thinking that the brute should be beaten within an inch of his life.

And if we are to see gun control in our lifetime here in America, do you think the criminal element of society will adhere to it?  Will they willingly give up the guns that they carry, most of which have been stolen or purchased illegally?  What gun control will truly do in my opinion is to make it easier for criminals to take what isn't theirs because becoming unarmed and unable to defend what is ours will make us easier targets for crime.  So I say, lock and load, and criminals beware!

Strength and honor for the Kingdom and the King!

The Christmas Story

I saw this little video yesterday at church. I don't know who the author of it is, but it is such a neat presentation of the story of Christmas I wanted to share it with you.  Enjoy and Merry Christmas.

Strength and honor for the Kingdom and the King.

Confessions Of Dad

Harry Chapin wrote a song back in the 70's called "Cat's In The Cradle".  It always got me choked up, but now looking back on my years as a father it pulls on my heart's strings even more.  Take a look at the lyrics to this song:

My child arrived just the other day

He came to the world in the usual way

But there were planes to catch and bills to pay

He learned to walk while I was away

And he was talkin' 'fore I knew it, and as he grew

He'd say "I'm gonna be like you dad

You know I'm gonna be like you"

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon

Little boy blue and the man on the moon

When you comin' home dad?

I don't know when, but we'll get together then son

You know we'll have a good time then

My son turned ten just the other day

He said, "Thanks for the ball, Dad, come on let's play

Can you teach me to throw", I said "Not today

I got a lot to do", he said, "That's ok"

And he walked away but his smile never dimmed

And said, "I'm gonna be like him, yeah

You know I'm gonna be like him"

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon

Little boy blue and the man on the moon

When you comin' home son?

I don't know when, but we'll get together then son

You know we'll have a good time then

Well, he came home from college just the other day

So much like a man I just had to say

"Son, I'm proud of you, can you sit for a while?"

He shook his head and said with a smile

"What I'd really like, Dad, is to borrow the car keys

See you later, can I have them please?"

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon

Little boy blue and the man on the moon

When you comin' home son?

I don't know when, but we'll get together then son

You know we'll have a good time then

I've long since retired, my son's moved away

I called him up just the other day

I said, "I'd like to see you if you don't mind"

He said, "I'd love to, Dad, if I can find the time

You see my new job's a hassle and kids have the flu

But it's sure nice talking to you, Dad

It's been sure nice talking to you"

And as I hung up the phone it occurred to me

He'd grown up just like me

My boy was just like me

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon

Little boy blue and the man on the moon

When you comin' home son?

I don't know when, but we'll get together then son

You know we'll have a good time then.

I'm not disappointed with my years as a father, I feel as if I have done a fairly good job instructing my kids and being there for them, supporting and providing for their needs.  And yet at times I still wonder if I'm doing alright by them.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not coming from a place of sadness or regret, just asking myself those hard questions that help a person to grow.

I told a man just last night that the best advice I could give him on being a good father is to repent often when  you make a mistake, and own up to your mistakes with your kids.  I've often been amazed at how many men think their children are just stupid by trying to cover up their mistakes instead of just asking their children to forgive them when they happen, (and they do happen more often than I would like to admit).  I may not have always done everything right with my kids, but this one thing I did, and I feel it has made my kids better because of it.

As Christmas season comes at us full bore, it can be easy to take things out on your kids, try to not let that happen, but when it does (and it will) be quick to repent and to forgive, and show your kids the way a real man handles the stress.  You can do this, there is greatness in you just waiting to come forth.  For the Kingdom and the King!

Me And My Merry Band Of Misfits

This is one of my favorite images from The Lord of the Rings movies.  I love it because it is a picture of my life so to speak.  An interesting group of different individuals traveling a path together towards a common goal.

Several years ago, I began to put together a group of men who I felt could help me in my journey with the Lord, and in return I could offer my strength to their lives as well.  The invitation went out to ten men, asking them to join, and six accepted.  Since then, we've added one more to our merry band of misfits as we've continued on our lives together.

One of the things that I so love about this picture is the fact that each one these characters who are pictured are not all the same.  There is a wizard, two men, a dwarf, an elf and four hobbits.  Each one bringing a different something to the table through their personalities, viewpoints, appetites, etc.  And that is what I looked for when inviting men into my life.  A good friend of mine has said numerous times, "If two of you are just alike, then one of you is not needed."  How true, that is what we need in our lives, others who perhaps think differently than ourselves and will tell us the truth.

Every man needs a group of friends to hold him accountable, tell him the truth (even when he doesn't want to hear it) and to be there for him in times of trouble.  I was thinking about Jesus, even He had a group surrounding Him while He was here on the earth.  And before you go all spiritual on me, yes He was making disciples out of those men, but I believe that He also needed men around Him for companionship and camaraderie too.  Even the best can't do this alone.

I want to share a short glimpse into my life from a dark day where I was glad to have my band of brothers with me.  The day of my youngest son's funeral, at the grave-site, I had drank too much water and really had to pee.  The only problem was there were no facilities anywhere close and wouldn't be for close to thirty minutes.  Unfortunately my bladder was not going to wait, so spotting a mound of dirt a couple of hundred feet from the grave I motioned for my buddies to come to me.  Explaining the situation, I asked them to form a shield around me so that I could relieve myself.

With their backs to me, I let nature take its course and after what seemed to be at least five minutes was able to return to the group of people standing around.  Everyone there thought that I had called my buddies to console me, none of them knowing what the real purpose was until later.  Each of those guys told me afterwards that they hadn't signed up to do that, and to expect their letters of resignation from the group.  And I look back on that with a grin now.

Seriously, each of those men were there for me in my family's time of need, and I love each one of them.  Do we all like the same things?  No, but we are there for each other when needed, and I would not want to walk this path alone.  It's awesome to have men like this in my life, and it is something that we all need, we just have to go out and develop it,because it won't come on its own no matter how bad we want it to.

If you are walking alone right now, let me suggest that you find men around you that you would like to get to know, pray and ask Jesus to show you these men and then invite them to lunch and get to know them.  Then take a little time, invest in their lives and watch what happens.  Strength and honor for the Kingdom and the King.

Oh, and if you'd like more information, email me: godsfirstknight@yahoo.com

The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year...Is It Really?

With less than one week til Christmas, I've been thinking about the state of things in the world, and have come to the conclusion that if this is in fact the most wonderful time of the year, then why are so many people stressed?   It must be all the hype to make this the best Christmas ever.  Like Clark Griswold in the movie Christmas Vacation, people across the United States are setting themselves up for failure this Christmas.  What I mean is that instead of taking things the way they come  and enjoying them, we build up in our minds how we think Christmas should be, and in doing so make it impossible to achieve.

I know that for myself there have been many, many times when I tried for the "perfect Christmas" too.  I just mucked it up and by the end of the season seemed to be more upset with those around me than I should have been.  I'm sure we've all done that too.

What we should be doing I think is enjoying what time we have with friends and family, not focusing on gifts and how much money we spent.  Which unfortunately seems to be the gauge by which people view whether or not their Christmas is a good one or not.

What happened to the meaning of Christmas?  You know the birth of the Savior of mankind?  That little manger scene that we all had somewhere in our homes years ago during Christmas time which depicted the birth of Jesus?  Yeah, I know that it is not a true representation of what happened, but it is a simple image for us to help remember what happened all those years ago.

I don't want to come across as a Scrooge or anything, but it seems that in the pursuit of having that "perfect" Christmas if we are not careful we could miss the entire meaning of the season.

Remember the reason that Jesus came was so that we could come back into relationship with our Heavenly Father.  Relationship was the goal, and still is.  God wants to have a relationship with us more than anything, and that should be our goal this holiday season too.  To rekindle those relationships with the ones we love.  To make time to enjoy each other and not stress over whether or not the sweater is the right size or color.  It's about people with God and we need to make that our priority as well.

So as you're celebrating this Christmas season, remember to think about why we celebrate Christmas, and then enjoy your time with family and friends regardless of how crazy they might be.  Strength and honor for the Kingdom and the King!

Father Knows Best

I like Facebook.  There I've said it, I've admitted it for all to see.  I enjoy the social networking it provides, and I have re-connected with many, many people I had lost touch with over the years.  Plus it is a good way to know what my children are up to, and where they are.  And that is what brings me to my thought today.  As I was perusing Facebook this morning, I happened upon a picture posted by a young lady who I have known since she was born, and what I saw actually shocked me a bit.

Lately I have noticed something which causes me concern, and it's the amount of skin which young ladies (seemingly younger and younger each day too) show in pictures of themselves.  It's as if they are trying to get their fifteen minutes of fame or something, and believe that in order for that to happen they need to flash a little skin.  Now I will admit that I am an old fashioned kind of man, who thinks that a woman's body should only be seen by her husband, and not the entire world.  We used to have a name for girls who did that when I was in school, and it wasn't a nice one.

As the father of a beautiful daughter, I am constantly aware of the way in which she handles herself around others, and the way that she dresses too.  I am a blessed man because she chooses to not dress provocatively, and really is a very modest young lady when it comes to the clothes she chooses.  But many, many girls are not this way and I often wonder why.

A while back I had the opportunity to meet a great young couple named Matt and Alyssa Shull, who wanted to interview my son Micah for their television show Skunks TV.  Afterwards we became friends on Facebook, and every so often I would read something that one or both of them would post there.  Alyssa wrote an article called "Cleavage, Bikinis & Facebook", which is something I believe that every young woman should read.  Alyssa really hits the nail on the head with this one.  Take a minute and read it please.

I have spent the better portion of the last ten years finding out what it means to be a true and authentic Godly man.  One of the things that I have learned, is that men are very visual when it comes to their sexuality.  In other words, seeing the naked or nearly naked body of a woman causes a man's physicality to react in the way that God intended it to.  This is not wrong, it is the way men were created, which is not an excuse for men to be pigs, we are after all not animals and have the ability to control ourselves...if we will.

What I have learned from my own experiences is that I have to work a lot harder to control myself when women dress in a way that reveals more of them, rather than less.  And please understand me, I am not saying that women should wear a burka or completely cover themselves in the presence of men.  I do wish however that as a society we didn't place such an emphasis on showing skin as a way of feeling better about ourselves.

As I said before, I really think that the only man who should see a woman's body is her husband.  I love the way that my bride looks, and am very thankful that I am the only man who gets to see her body without clothing.  That is the way that God intended it to be, and that is the way that it should be.  I'm reminded of the old phrase, "Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?"  Of course again, I'm not calling you ladies cows, I'm just saying stop giving men's eyes something to look at, and if you are not yet married, save that for your husband.  He will be glad you did, and so will you.

Pop psychology states that most girls reveal a lot of skin because they are looking for love from their fathers. I know this is not always the case, but it does have some truth to it.  Maybe your dad didn't show you the love that he should have.  Maybe he was abusive, or just not there for you.  Let me step in for just a moment and tell you as a dad:
"One day your prince will come.  He will be the man that will treat you like the princess you truly are, and you should wait for him, no matter how long it takes.  Don't buy into society's ideas of what a girl should do to get attention.  While you wait for him, prepare yourself to be the helper that he will need you to be, get close to God and stay there.  Remember, you are a beauty which God created, a masterpiece who is unlike anyone else ever created, and so worth the wait.  And your daddy loves you!"

Some Days Fighting Orcs Would Be Easier

Life can be challenging most days, at least for me it can be.  There are times when I feel it would be easier to face down a horde of angry Orcs rather than enter into what the day holds for me.  If you know me, then you know that I love fantasy and science fiction.  Really what I love is a good story, I always have. I'm a very visual person too, that's actually how I learn .  When I can see something in a story that I can apply to my life, then it helps me to learn and grow.

There is a scene in the Lord of the Rings which takes place as Frodo decides he must leave the fellowship and take the ring into Mordor by himself.  As Frodo is talking to Aragorn and asking him to watch over his friends, a number of Orcs arrive on the scene.

Telling Frodo to run, Aragorn turns to face what for most men would be certain death, yet there is a smile which creeps onto his face as he draws his sword gripping it ever so tightly, then charging straight towards them.  And there is a part of me that thinks that would actually be easier to deal with too.

I think the reason I feel this way, is that at least if you are fighting 100 Orcs, you know what you are up against, there is a tangibility by which I can judge where I am.  Yet the day to day life for me can at times become so mundane.  It's hard to know what God is up to in my life some days because of the normal daily grind; I'm up early, drink my coffee, do my Bible reading, go to work then come home and clean up, rest for a few hours then go to bed so that I can get up and repeat the cycle the next day.  It's like rinse, lather, rinse, and repeat.


The thing is that I know God is working in my life even when I can't see it, it's just that at times I sure wish I could see what was going on behind the scenes.  Have you ever felt like that?  Some days a little bit of clarity would be nice, although I have never found where God promised that we would have clarity, instead He says that we just need to trust Him.  Take a look at Proverbs 3:5 - 6:

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him and He will make your paths straight."

So while I may never face down a horde of angry Orcs, and my days may at times all look the same day after day, I will continue to trust the Lord with all of my heart, knowing that He is at work in the background making my paths straight.  And that my friends does my heart a world of good for sure.  Strength and honor for the Kingdom and the King!

⁵ 

What Were You Created To Do?

Isaiah 6:1-3 "In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. ² Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. ³ And they were calling to one another:  


“Holy, holy , holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”


A few days ago, I was having a conversation with a young man and we were talking about our place in the world and what God wanted us to do with our lives.  During the course of our talking together the passage in Isaiah came up.  He asked me, "Don't you think that those creatures ever get tired of doing what they're doing and want to do something different?"


As I thought about his question, I found myself saying to him, "Not at all.  You see they were created for just that one thing.  And when you are doing what you are created to do, then you never get bored with it, or want to change and do something else.  Because you are doing exactly what you were created to do."


The conversation ended, and we went our separate ways, but I continued to think about what I had said to him.  It was one of those moments when the Holy Spirit had revealed something to my heart, and I had spoken about one of the mysteries of the Kingdom by revelation, and not from my own knowledge.  And the truth of what was revealed to me that day is astounding.


There are all kinds of people who are in the world doing all kinds of things with their lives. There are those kids who finish high school and go to college seeking an education so that they can go out and make lots of money, and become someone in this world.  And don't get me wrong, I don't think there is anything bad about getting an education.  What I find is contradictory about education is when young people go after it in order to chase the dream of what they think will make them happy.  And the truth of what will make you happy and satisfied in this life is if you are doing what you have been created to do.


I have told my kids since they were old enough to understand me that I didn't care what they did with their lives, as long as they followed the leading of the Holy Spirit and did what God created them to do.  I have not pushed my agenda for what I think they should be doing with their lives, instead their mother and I have encouraged them to find out from the Lord what they are supposed to be doing and go and do just that.  And praise God that is what they are doing.


Because the truth of the matter is, no matter what God has created you to do, if you are doing it you will be satisfied, have the supply which you need to make it and never once be unhappy with your life.  And there are so many unhappy people in this world, mostly because they are chasing the dream of what they think will make them happy, instead of finding that thing which God created them to be and doing that.  And we can never truly be happy, satisfied and blessed unless we are doing what we have been created to do.


You might ask then how do I find out what I have been created to do?  First I would suggest that you talk with God about it.  Just ask Him.  The Bible is very clear that if we lack wisdom we should ask God and He will give it to us.  (James 1:5)  The second thing that I have often encouraged men to do is to get alone somewhere and think about what it is that makes you come alive on the inside.  You know, that thing that if money were no object you would make every effort to go and do.  That is a clue to what you were created to do, and sometimes it has been hidden by years of doing things you were not created to do.


Of course we have to weigh these things out and compare them to Scripture and make sure they are not contradictory to what God's Word says either.  I have known people who have taken this out of context, left their jobs and run to do what God created them to do and in the process have lost everything.  We have to use a little wisdom here too.  Talk to God about what you should be doing, get a plan to work towards that goal.


For instance, what makes me come alive, and the thing that God has created me to do is to write and help people discover the things of God.  So for some time now I have been moving in that direction with my life.  But, I have not quit my job and stayed home to write a best selling novel, no I get up every morning and go to work.  You see, I have responsibilities which I have to meet in order to continue eating and living in my home and providing for my family.  But I do work towards my goal of following what the Lord has created me for every day, looking for opportunities to achieve this little by little.  Remember our life is run like a marathon, not a sprint.  


So do that, ask the Lord what He created you to do, find those things that make you come alive and then begin to follow after them.  And what you will see is that one day you will be doing that thing that you were created to do, and you will be very content in your life.  Strength and honor for the Kingdom and the King!

A Daddy's Proud Heart

My daughter with two of her friends after The Color Run, a 5K race.

One of the things which literally thrill a father's heart, is when his kids do something on their own, without any coaxing from him.  And if what they choose to do is physically challenging when their father never does anything like that, it makes that even that much cooler I think.

I experienced this yesterday as my daughter April (#7575 on the right) participated in her first 5K run . In case you were unaware as I was, a 10K run is 6.2 miles long, so that means according to the math that a 5K is 3.1 miles long.  (Thanks for helping me with the math yesterday sis, it was  SO hot and my brain was melting I think!)

April, along with her friend Mallory and another April joined together to participate in "The Color Run", a fun way to be healthy, be happy and be you.  Watch the video to see what these girls actually were a part of.

What makes me the proudest about my baby girl is that many months ago April started attending a work out boot camp.  Truthfully I thought it was a fad and that it wouldn't last more than a few weeks, and I told her as much each time she talked about paying to go to boot camp.  I don't know if it was to prove me wrong or that she was really enjoying the punishment, but she surprised both her mother and me as she continued month after month working out and getting physically fit.

She would even make an effort to go work out before she had to go into work, and on the rare occasion when that wasn't possible, she would come home after work, put on her running shoes and run around our circle driveway in the dark, always telling us to "not" watch her.  I saw a screen capture between her and Mallory on the night that she ran 1 mile without stopping.

Seeing her develop in the discipline of getting fit is wonderful, because it proves to me that she's figured it out.  She's figured out that she can do anything that she believes she can.  And that is a great place to be, because Scripture says that "All things are possible to him/her who believes."  (Mark 9:23)

My little girl is growing up, and even though that saddens me at times, I am one very proud dad.  She really is becoming a very amazing young lady, and I know God has great things in store for her.  Thanks for giving me the opportunity to brag on her just a little bit today.  Strength and honor for the Kingdom and the King!

He Lives

Here is another guest blog which my son Micah wrote a while back. He is attending Hillsong College and living large in Australia.  Wish I had done something like that when I was 19.  Anyway, I wanted to share it with you guys, it's a really good one.

Micah on our family cruise ~ 2011

So today I got the opportunity to join a songwriting group here at college. I can’t begin to tell you how excited I was when I heard about it.  The past week, or maybe even past two weeks, almost every thought of mine has revolved around the idea of writing worship songs.  I even messed around with a couple of ideas because I just couldn’t stop thinking about songwriting.  I don’t know if this will ever be something I will do a lot of or not, but I’m going to give it a try. Basically I’ll be writing a new song every two weeks and bringing it to the group, and we will all look at each other’s songs and stuff. It’s awesome. I was asking God for some direction a couple of days ago concerning this issue, and I guess this is what He’s given me.

What I really am writing about tonight though is not the songwriting group, even though it’s such a good opportunity for me.  For our first meeting today the leaders of this group told us that our first song write was going to be an Easter feel.  Like Jesus is risen kind of stuff (not like the Easter Bunny or egg hunts). I was super excited because I have never really written anything along those lines before. I was crazy eager to write, so when I got home from school I got right on it.  I sat down and came up with a few little things that I thought sounded okay, but they weren’t great so I stopped messing with it.  

As I went inside from the garage (our music room), I began to think about that fact that Jesus is alive.  Alive in spirit, person, alive in us and really there are so many aspects to that fact that He is alive. It is an absolute reality that our God is alive and not dead.  For some reason as I was thinking about this and talking with a God a little bit about it, I started to think about losing loved ones.  In my life the past few years I’ve seen a few deaths that have not been easy.  My little brother, my pastor and more recently one of my uncles.  

Of course other people have passed in this time also.  I hate death.  Even after the amount of loss that I’ve had to deal with in my life, I still don’t know how to deal with it.  Complete separation from someone you love is so hard.  I would never wish the pain of losing a loved one on anyone, I don’t care who they are.  It’s terrible. 

Why would this be on my mind when I’m talking to God about how He is alive?  Why would I be reminded of the loss of life when I am deliberately thinking about God’s life?  I was really perplexed at my own thoughts.  I actually became sad.  I thought about my brother.  I really miss him and I hate that he is gone.  I have had such a hard time coping with this loss.  I thought about my pastor and how much I hate everything about the fact that he has passed on.  I thought about my uncle and how saddened I am by losing him.  

There are things in my life that need healing from these losses and they’re taking forever.  God has done some awesome things in my life but I have really been in heartache over these losses. I think tonight though I finally came to a point where I actually gave God some room to move in this area.  I think tonight I finally allowed God to show me things about this.  Really, it was like He did it without me even knowing it.  I was going about my night just doing random things like doing the dishes and I think I played some guitar.  Nothing really spiritual honestly.  

But suddenly as I was just going about my night, something clicked.  God is alive. He is alive.  There are people in my life that have died and left this earth, but God is alive.  Even though I have lost  family, God is alive.  Even though I’ve lost friends, God is alive.  I can put my trust in God and know wholeheartedly that, In EVERY season of my life the one that I love the most (Jesus) will never die, but is always alive and strong!  I can know that even though my life has, at times, been filled with uncertainty, God is ALWAYS there.  He is alive! 

It’s such a fresh and renewing revelation.  It’s something I’ve always known and believed but for some reason it’s so real to me tonight.  I’m still saddened by the loss of my brother, my pastor and my uncle; but tonight I have been moved to a different level of recovery from it. I think that there are stages people go through after losing somebody. I believe God is walking with me through each step and each day gets better and better and knowing that He is alive has helped to see so much clearer.  I have more joy because I know that my God is alive and right now my brother, my pastor and my uncle are more alive than they’ve ever been.  They’re all three with God in His matchless presence living it up.  

God is so good and He is so alive.  He’s with me as I’m typing this.  He’s with you as you’re reading this.  Know that even though things in your life may be dying and falling apart, there is a God who you can hold onto who will never change.  He is our complete security and we know that every morning we wake up that He is there to be our tower, anchor, provider, stronghold and really He is everything that you and I would ever need and so much more than that even.  Know that God loves you and He is alive in you and wants to use you for great things! He is always there for you whenever you need it!  

I’m sorry this was so long, and it was pretty emotional.  I just felt like somebody might need to read this! Hope God has showed you what He showed me tonight!

God and Pooper Scoopers

A very good friend of mine, Austin Maschino shared an observation which he had written about.  I thought it was so good I asked if he would mind if I posted it to my blog for all to see and he agreed.  Thanks Austin.

Tonight when I came home, I noticed one of my neighbors taking her dog out and she was carrying a pooperscooper.  It struck me as funny just because the phrase “pooper scooper” makes me laugh.  Then, as my mind tends to do, I wondered what that dog was thinking.  In the mind of that dog, his master is like a god.  She provides shelter, food, water, probably toys, and attention—all the things he perceives as love.  The dog knows she is a superior creature and the source of the comforts he enjoys.  Then he goes outside and, seemingly embarrassed,“does his business” without looking his master in the eye.  (Ever noticed that about a dog?)  But as soon as he is done, he looks up as if to say “I’m done.  What’s next?” She immediately scoops it up and throws it in the trash.  If he could reason, he must be thinking “Why does she do that?”

At this point, my internal musings ceased for a minute.  Then it hit me.

Is this not kind of like what it is with us and God?  We thank Him for providing us shelter, clothing, food, and all of the blessings He gives us.  We know He is superior and the source of all that is good.  Then we go out and make a mess.  But if we look up and say “I’m done. What’s next?”,He scoops it up and throws it in the trash.  Unlike a dog, we can reason and ask “Why does He do that?”  The answer is simple.  He does it because He loves us.

The Story of Your Life

The movie industry is a billion dollar business engaging in the telling of stories for the masses.  I was thinking about that this morning, and wondering exactly what it is about movies that draw people in so much and I came up with this reason.  People may watch movies because they feel that their lives are not as exciting as they wish they could be, and want to see a story that is exciting and not mundane.

Now before you think that I'm griping about life, or that I think there is something wrong with people, put that out of your mind, that is not my point here at all.  What I find interesting is that we are all created to do something on this planet.  But not all of us find that, or are even looking for it for that matter.  There are countless millions of people who are just existing on this planet, waiting for the end to come for whatever reason.  They never really live, and find escape for their lives wrapped up in the stories that others are telling.

While you may find your life boring, or not as exciting as the latest action movie, the story of your life is a very important one.  You might say, "Yeah, Dave, but I'm just a stocker at Wal Mart, how could that story possibly be a good one?"  How could it not?  I mean after all you, the lead actor in your story, were created by our Heavenly Father and put here on this planet at this point in time for a reason.  There is a reason you are here, and it is an important one.

I love what Samwise Gamgee tells Frodo in the Lord of the Rings trilogy:

"By right we shouldn't even be here, but we are. It's like the great stories, full of darkness and danger, they were. and sometimes you didn't want to know the end.  Because how could the end be happy?  How could the world go back to the way it was after so much bad had happened?  But in the end, it's just a passing thing, even the darkness must pass. and when the sun shines, may it shine the clearer.  Those were the stories that stuck with you, that meant something, even if you were too small to understand why.  But I think I do understand.  People in those stories, always had the chance to turn back only they didn't,  because they were holding on to something."

"What are we holding on to, Sam?"
"That's theres some good in this world, Mr. Frodo. and its worth fighting for."

"Do you remember the shire, Mr. Frodo? It'll be spring soon. the orcherds will be in blossom, and the birds will be nesting in the hazel thicket.  And they'll be sowing the summer barley in the lower fields. and having the first of the strawberries with cream.  Do you remember the taste of strawberries, Mr. Frodo?"
"no sam. i cant recall the taste of food. nor the sound of water. nor the touch of grass."

"I can see the shire. Hobbiton. Bag-end. Gandalf's fireworks. The large banner, and the party tree."
"Rosie Cotton dancing. She had ribbons in her hair. If ever I were to marry someone it would have been her. it would have been her."
"I'm glad you're here with me Samwise Gamgee. here at the end of all things."

I love this because at the heart of it, Sam is saying that their lives matter, no matter what, they do.  And your life matters, regardless of how mundane it may feel at times, it matters greatly.  If you were just to engage and begin to see your life as full of meaning, well I'd venture to say that you would begin to live a life that really was full of adventure and would rival that of anything which Hollywood can put on the silver screen.  

I guess what I really wanted to say is that you matter. Your story matters, and we need you to play your part!  Strength and honor for the Kingdom and the King!

Words From Your Father

It is a fact that words in fact can hurt or they can heal.  And words from your father can  do that more than anyone else's.  It is not by chance that God instructed the father's to talk to their children at all times about Him and the mighty things that He had done for them.

What I have found to be true in life, is that there are so many people who have grown up without a father's influence in their lives.  And some of them were with fathers who had not left them.  There are a lot of "absent" fathers in this world, men who are hard workers who provide for their family, but just check out once the cross the threshold of their homes.

And truthfully, these may be the worst kinds of fathers.  What I mean by that is when there is no father present physically, it is easier to deal with the lack of words of affirmation from him.  The lack of good words is still tough, but when you see him sitting there night after night and not engaging you, that is much harder to handle.

I have known many young men in my life who have not had the opportunity to have a father in their lives, and I find that very sad for them.  Mainly because each one of them longs to know their dad, to feel his embrace and needs to know that he is proud of them.  Yet there is one constant in this life that applies to every man no matter whether his father lived in his home or not, and that is the fact that our Heavenly Father God is a father to the fatherless.

What does it mean to be fatherless?  We just celebrated father's day this past Sunday, and I had the chance to think about it, since it was the first father's day in which my children were not at home with me.  Both of them are out living their lives, and walking in the stories that God has written for them from the foundations of the world.  It really didn't bother me either, I'm proud of Micah and April and glad that they are experiencing life.  After all that is what we as fathers are supposed to do?  Train them to go out and take on the world?

What I have found true in my life is that even at 48 years old, I need to hear words of affirmation.  I think it is hard coded into us as humans.  Even Jesus needed to hear from his Father, and as He came up from under the water when John baptized him, He heard these words.  "This is My Son in Whom I am well pleased."  So if the Son of God needed to be affirmed then why do we find it odd that we do too?

This is not to bash fathers, but there are so many of us out there that are still longing to hear those words that Jesus heard.  I know that a lot of dads out there don't really know what to say, or how to say it.  Some are hard on their kids, seeing that as a way of making them tougher and able to handle the challenges that come their way.  Others are just passive and don't say anything, or do anything because they don't want to make waves.  The bottom line is that we all want to hear our fathers tell us that they are pleased with us.

There is a clip from the movie Rocky Balboa that I love.  It is the scene where his son thinks that the idea of Rocky getting back into the boxing ring is going to be bad for the both of them. For the son, mainly because it is going to damage any type of reputation he has.  Click this link to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Z5OookwOoY to watch the clip.  But as you watch this clip, I want you to do something.  Instead of just watching it for the sake of watching it, I want you to pretend that Rocky is your Father God, and that you are the son listening to him.  Put yourself into the scene and hear the words of your Father talking to you.  This can be a powerful thing, I know for me it was.

And whether or not your dad lived in the home or not, whether he said good things or bad ones to you, or i he said nothing at all.  Understand that you have a Heavenly Father who loves you, and always has.  He has your best interests in mind, and wants only the best for you.  If you are harboring resentment because of your father's lack of interest in you, then forgive him today.  Holding onto that pain will only hurt you, not him.  Forgive him and begin to move forward today, you'll be glad you did.

Strength and honor for the Kingdom and the King!

Comfort Isn't The Goal

I've been reading a book written by Donald Miller called "A Million Miles in a Thousand Years", it's a good book, and this morning there was this part about how people in abusive relationships tend to go back to their abusers even if they have the opportunity to get free from them and stay with family or friends, because of the familiarity of their situation.  Even as bad as their life is there, they know and understand what to expect, and they get a sense of control from that.

The dictionary defines comfort as a state of ease and satisfaction of bodily wants, with freedom from pain and anxiety. Nobody wants to be or feel uncomfortable do they?  As human beings, we tend to seek out those things which will bring us comfort.  We work so that we can have the creature comforts of home.  We purchase things that will make our lives easier.  Take for instance, the remote control for your television.  How many of you actually remember the days when you were the remote control for the family?  Sitting there close to the t.v. (but not too close, it can damage your eyesight remember) turning the dial to each of your four channels in hopes of finding something to watch.

Life is not really made to be comfortable however.  If you actually enter into it, and work at it, you will find it to be messy and uncomfortable most of the time.  Think back for a moment to some of the times in your life that you cherish the most; those situations where you experienced the human condition to the max.  Were they comfortable?  Did you feel at the time you were loving what was going on?  Probably not.  But I know from my own personal experiences that those times in my life, when I reflect on them do give me a sense of accomplishment and knowledge that I am in a better place because I entered into the challenge and ignored my desire for comfort.

Thinking about comfort this morning, I remembered the Pixar movie "Wall-E".  Now, I'm not a big fan of this movie, mainly because of the underlying story of how wasteful we humans are, and that we are only concerned with ourselves.  (There is some truth to that, but I go to see movies to be entertained, not berated.)  Yet there is an interesting thing in the movie, and that is how the humans built their space ship to provide all the amenities and comforts that they could ever need.  It was so bad that the people had become so fat and lethargic from all of the comfort that they couldn't even walk on their own anymore.  It's a great picture of taking comfort too the extreme.  I wonder if that is the direction humanity is really taking?

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy my comfort.  I don't want my life to be disrupted by stress or anxiety, even though I know there are times when those things enter in.  Let me ask you this, how much time do we spend working to be comfortable, dodging the problems instead of just entering into them?  I know it's in the times I experience challenges that I learn and grow as a person.  I can't really remember any times where I actually grew while enjoying some type of comfort.  It may happen, but more often than not it doesn't.

And herein lies the point that I wanted to get across this morning, comfort isn't the goal.  If we are just trying to work more comfort into our lives, we have missed the point of what life is truly all about.  Jesus told us that in our lives we would have challenges to face, but not to be upset by that, but to be of good cheer, because He had overcome the world.  (John 16:33)  Or in the words of one of my new heroes Phil Robertson, be happy, happy, happy.

What I really like about this passage of Scripture is that Jesus doesn't sugarcoat it for the disciples.  He tells them just how it's going to be.  He says, "Listen fellas, you are going to have trouble, just don't let that bother you. I have overcome the world."  For years when I would read this passage of Scripture I would tell the Lord, "Yeah, well that's good for you Jesus, You're not here and I am."  But one day as I was meditating on this, I heard His voice in my heart say, "David, if you are in Me, then you too have overcome the world."  Wow!  That turned my world upside down.  That meant that as long as I stayed hooked up with Him, then I would be able to overcome anything the world threw at me and stay, happy, happy, happy.

What I hope that you have gotten from reading this, is that comfort, while a good thing, is not the goal.  We should enter into life, experience all that it has for us, using the challenges that we each face to learn and grow in the process and become better people.  Let's get out there and face the world today!  Strength and honor for the Kingdom and the King!

How G.I.Joe Helped Me Become A Writer

The year was nineteen seventy-eight, and I was the tender age of eight years old. Sitting at my desk in that second grade classroom full of boys and girls who were my classmates, we waited for class to start.  

Mrs. Smart, my favorite teacher, and one of the greatest ladies I have ever met to this day, rose from her chair and walked over to the chalk board saying, "Children, today we are going to write a story."  Then she picked up a piece of chalk, and wrote on the black board, "If I could be any toy, I would be...", then turning to face us she instructed us to write this sentence on the top of our papers, and then finish the thought. There were groans from around the room as  my classmates murmured about our assignment, but not from me.  

School was never much fun for me, as I never really got into math, science or even gym for that matter.  But when it came to reading, and writing, these things seemed to make sense to me where everything else didn't.  So, grasping my number two pencil and running my small hands over the piece of paper a couple of times to smooth it down, I began to work.  In my childish handwriting I wrote, "If I could be any toy, I would be..." and then I sat back in my wooden school chair and began to seriously think about which toy I would choose.

I loved toys, (still do actually) and had quite a few of them as a child.  Living in the suburbs, my two brothers and I never lacked for things to entertain us.  Actually one of my favorite activities as a child was spending hours in my bedroom, making up adventures with all of my toys.  So you see I had a great frame of reference when it came to this writing assignment.  As I sat there thinking about which of my toys I liked the most, and would possibly want to be, it hit me.  I would be a G.I. Joe!  I had a bunch of these, and they were like my best friends.  There was always a world that needed saving, and my G.I. Joes were just the guys to do it.

Once I had made the decision about which toy I would most like to be, I got to work writing.  This is what I wrote on that day:

If I could be any toy, I would be a G.I. Joe.  Because the little boy who had me would love me and play with me and drag me through the dirt, and make me fight off the bad guys in this world.  The little boy who had me would spend a bunch of time with me, because I am the best toy ever.

I finished my writing assignment and turned in my paper, filled with the satisfaction of a job well done. It felt almost as if there was something inside of me which had come alive as I penned those words.  The reason is because what I had written that day had not come out of my head, but had come directly from my heart. This was the first time I had created something in this way, and it felt good. 

My second grade writing assignment had given me the opportunity to share just a little bit of who I was as a person, and while I couldn't have expressed to anyone at that time what writing meant to me, now forty years later I can.  Why do you think that I can do that now, when I couldn't have done it back then?  Well, that is because now I have come to realize that I am a writer, and as a writer that's what I do, share a little bit of whom I am.  Plus I'm entering a contest found at http://youareawriter.com and blogging is the avenue I have chosen in which to enter the contest.

Why Didn't I Listen?

I'm pretty sure that we all have asked that question of ourselves at one point in our life or another, I know that I have on numerous occasions.  I was thinking about all of the kids who are graduating this year, and the fact that my daughter is now a senior and the possibilities of her leaving the nest soon, when I was hit with this thought of whether I've instructed her as well as I should have or not.  And as my thoughts went here, I began to remember things that I was told when I was her age. Those thoughts were muddied and took me a few moments to actually remember them because they were from so long ago.


I remembered a man coming to my high school and talking about saving for retirement, and how that we could have a pretty good sum of money if we would just set aside $10 a week.  Well, I didn't take his advice, and now that I'm approaching 50 I wish I would have.  Why didn't I listen?  For those of you who perhaps didn't know, if you started saving $10 a week when you're 20, then by the time you're the age in the left hand column below, you will have saved the amount in the right hand column.  

Age	Capital	Interest	Total
25	$2,600	$170	$2,770
30	$5,200	$700	$5,900
35	$7,800	$1,640	$9,440
40	$10,400	$3.050	$13,450
45	$13,000	$4.980	$17,980
50	$15,600	$7,510	$23,110
55	$18,200	$10,710	$28,910
60	$20,800	$14,680	$35,480

I remember thinking at that time, who's got $10 to set aside?  I've got things to buy and places to go, I can't do without $10 a week.  Of course back then gas was like .55 cents a gallon, and a pack of smokes was like .90 cents.  (Yes I was a smoker back in the day.)  The thing is, I didn't listen, and today I don't have any money in savings.  Why do you think there are so many older people in the work force today?  It's not all because they lost their life savings due to investment fraud.  A lot of them didn't plan ahead, and this is what they are forced to do now.

Proverbs 1:8 says, "Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching."  God tells us what to do, but I know that so many of us kind of only half way listened when our parents spoke to us, and then we only heard the parts that we wanted to hear, didn't we?  I know that for me, I didn't always listen.  And I'm like that with God too I think.  I hear Him, when I want to, but when I want to go my own way, I do.  And then when I end up in a place that I don't like, I wonder, "Why didn't I listen?"  Some days I'm just not as grown up as I'd like to think I am.

It's kind of like when you're talking to someone on the phone, and you know that they aren't really listening, how does that make you feel?  I know that if I'm talking to someone, and I realize that they're not really paying attention to what I'm saying, or listening to me, I'll just say, "Hey, gotta go!"  and get off of the phone.  I figure if I'm not worth their time, then why waste it on them.  I wonder if God ever feels that way? Thankfully He said in Scripture, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."  (Hebrews 13:5b)

I know that I need to listen more.  I heard it said one time that God gave us two ears and one mouth because we need to listen twice as much as we need to talk.  I am thankful that my Father God listens to me when I talk to Him, but I'm much more thankful that He forgives me quickly when I don't listen, then He guides me in the way that I should go.  And one thing I love about God, is that He will redeem the time that we've wasted.  It's just that's not the best will that God has for us.  He would much rather we listen and learn and live in His perfect will for us.  So listen up kids, if you haven't been paying as close attention to those adults around you, now's the time.  Listen to what they tell you, and to what God tells you, that way you won't have to ask yourself at 50, "Why didn't I listen?"  Strength and honor for the Kingdom and the King!