New Year Prayers for 2007

I’ve started writing New Year Prayers rather than New Year Resolutions. I did it last year (see my blog post on December 31, 2005) and it worked. God answered many of my prayers. Although I didn’t receive everything I prayed for I did receive many things and I thank God for it all. I am so grateful for all that God has done. I still need God to help me in every area. My New Year Prayers for 2007 are below. Spiritually – Father, help me to follow my Lord Jesus Christ. Help me to love him better. Help me to trust and obey him in all things so that I can please you. Make me sensitive and responsive to the Holy Spirit who lives in me. Protect me from the evil one. Keep me sober. Use me to lead others. Open up more doors of opportunity so that I can use the gifts and talents you’ve given me. s Mentally – Father, give me wisdom. Do not hide things from me. Make me hungry to learn, grow and change. Teach me. Show me. Help me to apply what I learn in practical ways. Socially – Father, help me to love Kim as Jesus love his bride. Help me to father my children like you father me. Bless my relationships with family and friends so that we grow closer each day. Physically – Father, keep my family and me healthy. Give me motivation to exercise regularly and take care of my body. Financially – Father, make me prosper and help us to manage our money wisely. Help me to be generous with all that I have. It all belongs to you. Help me to be a good steward. In Jesus name, Amen.

How it Works

The following passage is read before every AA meeting. It comes Chapter 5, pages 58-60 of the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous. I’ve heard it a thousand times but it never gets old to me. It only becomes more meaningful. How It Works Rarely have we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our path. Those who do not recover are people who cannot or will not completely give themselves to this simple program, usually men and women who are constitutionally incapable of being honest with themselves. There are such unfortunates. They are not at fault; they seem to have been born that way. They are naturally incapable of grasping and developing a manner of living which demands rigorous honesty. There chances are less than average. There are those, too, who suffer from grave emotional and mental disorders, but many of them do recover if they have the capacity to be honest. Our stories disclose in a general way what we used to be like, what happened, and what we are like now. If you have decided you want what we have and are willing to go to any length to get it - then you are ready to take certain steps. At some of these we balked. We thought we could find an easier, softer way, but we could not. With all the earnestness at our command, we beg of you to be fearless and thorough from the start. Some of us have tried to hold on to our old ideas and the result was nil until we let go absolutely. Remember that we deal with alcohol - cunning, baffling, powerful! Without help it is too much for us. But there is One who has all power - that one is God. May you find Him now! Half measures availed us nothing. We stood at the turning point. We asked His protection and care with complete abandon. Here are the steps we took, which are suggested as a program of recovery: 1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol - that our lives had become unmanageable. 2. Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. 3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him. 4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. 5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. 6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. 7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings. 8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all. 9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. 10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it. 11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out. 12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs. Many of us exclaimed, "What an order! I can't go through with it." Do not be discouraged. No one among us has been able to maintain anything like perfect adherence to these principles. We are not saints. The point is that we are willing to grow along spiritual lines. The principles we have set down are guides to progress. We claim spiritual progress rather than spiritual perfection. Our description of the alcoholic, the chapter to the agnostic, and our personal adventures before and after make clear three pertinent ideas: a. That we were alcoholic and could not manage our own lives. b. That probably no human power could have relieved our alcoholism. c. That God could and would if He were sought.

God blessed our Christmas service.

God blessed our Christmas service last Sunday. We could sense the presence of God as we worshiped. We praised the Lord Jesus. We encouraged one another. The assembly was filled with thanksgiving and love. The theme of the service was “Joy in Christ” and we were joyful! Matt Hayes did an awesome job leading and directing us. Everyone worked so hard. I can’t name them all – but everyone did an excellent job. The shepherds spent an entire year preparing for this service. We used instrumental music during this service. It was a big step for an a cappella church. The care and sensitivity our shepherds demonstrated during the past year made this step possible. The step I’m referring to is not merely the use of instrumental music. I’m referring to a larger, more important issue that focuses on the person of Jesus and his love for people. The need to wrap the gospel of Jesus Christ around the most powerful forms of communication so that we can connect with them and show them the love of Christ. Our purpose is to know him, follow him, share him and worship him. That’s our mission. Everything is focused on Jesus Christ. I thank God for our Christmas service last Sunday. I’ve played it over and over in my mind. I can see their faces and hear all the people praising the Lord. I am so grateful for our church. I’m so happy to be one of the ministers here. I love my job. I pray that the Lord will continue to bless us and use us so that many people will come to know Jesus Christ.

The God-Man at Christmas

Is Jesus God or is he man? The answer to that question is “yes.” Jesus is the God-man. God in human flesh. Isaiah said “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). When Isaiah said “a child is born” he was speaking of his humanity. When he said "he will be called ... Mighty God” he was speaking of his divinity. He is the God-Man. As a child, he was born in Bethlehem. As God, he has ruled from eternity. He did not have his beginning in Bethlehem, that’s just where he was born. Fully human and fully God. That’s why the wise men came to worship him (Matthew 2:1-2). That’s why we worship Jesus.

The first time Jesus came as a baby. But he is coming back as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. When he came the first time there was no room for Him in the inn. When he comes back, all of the earth will be full of his glory. When he came the first time only a few people saw him. But one day, when he comes back, the whole world will see him. Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord. All of your neighbors will bow. Every world leader will bow. Every athelete from Mickey Mantle to Michael Jordon will bow. Every rock star from Jimmy Page to Eddy Van Halen will bow. You will bow and confess that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God the Father. God became man in the person of Jesus Christ. He died for our sins and rose from the grave. He is King of kings and Lord of lords. Fully God. Fully human. There is a man in heaven. Jesus Christ! Worship him today. It's Christmas.

We saw the movie and it was great!

Tonight we saw the movie. Kim, Amber, Tori, Shayna, Allen, Jeanie, Todd, Theresa, mom and I went to the theater. I loved it! We all love it. It's my favorite movie. I'm so proud of Allen. He's my hero. The movie made me cry and laugh. It was so inspiring.

Allen has been speaking at several events and now he is going to be speaking at Erich Robinson's church. When Erich read the article about Allen in the Christian Chronicle he sent it to his elders. Erich invited him to South Lake Church in Texas. I know he will inspire and encourage them. If you would like Allen to speak at your church his email address is Allen.D.Meadowns@pmusa.com

Worshiping Jesus Creates Unity

I heard Ravi Zacherias tell a beautiful story a that occurred many years ago. During the cold war, one of the team members of the Billy Graham Crusade was in Romania. It was a cold, blistery snowy day and he was bundled up, trying to keep warm as he was walking down the street. But one Romanian walked by with his hands in his pockets and he was whistling a tune. He wondered how that fellow could whistle in the cold. Then he paused and listened. He was whistling an old hymn “The great physician now is here, the sympathizing Jesus.” He said, “I ran after him and I asked ‘Do you know Christ?’” The fellow shrugged his shoulders because he did not speak English. He didn’t know what to do. Then he decided to whistle the hymn. And the fellow’s eyes lit up. His face just beamed. He whistled the melody with him. They hugged one another. Pointed towards heaven and walked away together whistling. Two worlds were bridged by the mystery of worship. That’s what Jesus does for us. Worshiping Jesus creates unity. Just the tune of a hymn about Jesus can cause you to wrap your arms around a total stranger because you know that they are in the family of God.

Garbage for Grace

We have more garbage cans than anybody in our neighborhood. When I drag the garbage cans out for pick up, everybody else has one or two cans. But we have five or six. I don’t know why. Perhaps it’s because there are more people living in our house. Maybe all my neighbors have trash compactors. Maybe their garbage cans are bigger and better than mine. But we have more garbage than anybody else. Every Wednesday all my garbage cans are full. I feel a little self-conscious about it. I sometimes help the men who pick up my garbage. I help them lift the cans and dump it in the truck. One morning I bought them donuts. I thought I should give them something. All I give them is garbage – and lots of it! So I gave them donuts and they accepted them. Sin is like garbage. Everybody has garbage. I have more than others. There was a time when my life was so trashed. I had so much garbage piled up I couldn’t see. Shame. Guilt. It overwhelmed me. But I couldn’t stay out of the garbage. I threw my addiction (my bottles) in the garbage and made vows and promises that I did not keep. I could not stop. At night, I went back to the garbage. Literally! This brought more guilt. More shame. But I couldn’t quit. Then I hurt myself. I hurt others really bad. It woke me up. I came to my senses and cried out “Lord, help me! Save me!” He did. He took my garbage away. Jesus Christ is my garbage man. As I say that I cringe. I almost deleted it. It sounds so irreverent. But it’s true. All I had to give Jesus was garbage – and lots of it! He took it away and told me to stay out of the garbage. Jesus told me to “get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you” (James 1:21). So, by his grace, I accepted his word and he saved me. But I still have garbage in my life. More than anybody else I know. I try to stay out of it. I keep giving it to Jesus and he keeps taking it away. He picks it up every day so that it doesn’t pile up. I feel self-conscious about it. I sometimes try to help him but he always tells me that he has to take care of it. I can’t help him. He has to do all the work. He takes my garbage and I take his grace. I try to give him things to show how grateful I am but my gifts are equivalent to donuts. He doesn’t need my gifts but he accepts them anyway. What an exchange! Garbage for grace. Jesus takes my garbage and I take his grace. He takes my guilt and shame and credits me with his righteousness. Lord, Thank you for saving me. Thank you for the cross. Thank you for your grace and love. Help me to stay out of the garbage. In Jesus name, Amen!

Three Recent Speaking Engagements

On Monday December 11 I provided training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for counselors at The Counseling Center in Portsmouth Ohio. On December 12 I spoke for Pat Chambers at a holiday luncheon at St Mary's Hospital. On December 18 I provide consultation focused on the clinical application of CBT for Kindred Spirits near Lucasville Ohio. I thank God for these opportunities to speak at other places. The people are great and I love it!

Allen Meadows in the Christian Chronicle

The Christian Chronicle featured the story about Allen Meadows and his friends from the 1971 Young Thundering Herd. Bobby Ross Jr. writes ... "On a recent Sunday, the Young Thundering Herd came to church. In town to see a premiere of the new Warner Bros. movie We Are Marshall, more than 30 players and coaches from the 1971 Marshall University football team received a heroes’ welcome at the Norway Avenue church in Huntington, W.Va.“Your story is going to be told all over the world, and millions of people will be inspired,” minister Jeff Garrett told the special guests in a sermon titled “The Hall of Faith."

You can read the rest of the article by clicking on this link - http://www.christianchronicle.org/

We are Marshall - The 1971 Young Thundering Herd Came to Norway Ave Church

Allen and Jeanie Meadows invited the 1971 Young Thundering Herd football players to our church on Sunday (December 10). It was fantastic! At 8:30 Allen led a memorial service in the cemetery across the street from our church building. Several people spoke at the memorial service including Head Coach Jack Lengyel and quarterback Reggie Oliver spoke. At 9:30 we had for coffee and refreshments for the team, church and community. This was followed by a worship assembly. Our assembly was filled with the presence of God in a unique way. The Holy Spirit moved us and Jesus Christ was praised. I preached a sermon from Hebrews 11 called “The Hall of Faith.” You can download the podcast of the service from itunes – just type in “Norway Avenue Church of Christ” and click on the free subscription. The Young Thundering Herd received two standing ovations during our assembly. They signed autographs afterwards. The community came, school administrators from Marshall came, we had to shuttle people from other parking lots (the bank and HIMG because our lot was packed). Newspaper reporters and television reporters were present. It was a great weekend. I thank God and give him praise! I thank Allen and Jeanie for there hard work and making it possible.

1971 Young Thundering Herd at Norway Ave This Sunday

The 1971 Young Thundering Herd football team will be at our church this Sunday. Allen and Jeanie Meadows contacted the players and they responded. They are coming to our church this Sunday - a total of 47 with family members. We're so excited! We are having a breakfast for so that the community can meet the real stars - the original players who rebuilt the Marshall University Football Program. This is two days before the premier. After the social at 9:30 we are having a worship service and I will be preaching "The Hall of Faith" from Hebrews 11. I pray that everything goes great and that Christ is glorified.

I killed a 4 point buck in WV

I killed a 4 point buck yesterday in Mason County WV. I hunted with Bob Mays Sr. – my brother-in-law’s dad. It reminded me of hunting with my father. Dad taught me how to hunt when I was a little boy. We spent a lot of time in the woods together. I can remember hunting with him like it was yesterday. One time dad and I went to Mason County and we both killed a deer the same day. We tracked dad’s deer for 3 hours. We loaded our deer in his pickup and drove to Bob’s house. I took a video of Dad – we still have it somewhere. I'm going to look for it so I can watch it again. It was a great hunt and it was on the same farm (Bob's farm) that I was hunting on yesterday. As I walked the trails I remembered walking with dad. Those are great memories. Dad was such a good man. He loved mom, Jeanie, Susan and me. He loved Allen, Bob, Kim and all of his grandchildren. He loved us all and we are grateful for him. Dad died November 23, 2000. He’s been in heaven six years (earth time). We will see him again when Jesus takes us to heaven. Hunting with Bob Sr. makes me think of dad. Bob Sr. is such a good Christian man and I enjoy spending time with him. We are going to hunt on 4-mile in Ohio next Monday.

Headed for Seattle Washington

I'm headed for Seattle Washington to meet with Jim Henderson, author of "aka lost". I had originally planned to see him at a workshop in Holland MI but the seminar was cancel. Fred Peatros is Jim's friend. Fred wrote Jim and asked him to meet with me. Thank you Fred!

Speaking at the Pike County Recovery Council

Last Friday I did another training for the counselors at the Pike County Recovery Council. This was my sixth training in Pike County Ohio. I am teaching counselors how to use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to treat addiction, mood disorders and a variety of emotional and behavioral problems in outpatient treatment. The counselors are doing great work, applying the principles of CBT. We are doing a year-long outcome study of treatment effectiveness using three standardized measures. I love working with them.

By the grace of God I now have four years of sobriety.

By the grace of God I now have four years of sobriety. My sobriety date is October 19, 2002. I thank God for saving my life. I am so thankful that Kim stayed with me. She loved me when I was unlovable. She stayed with me and I am so thankful and I love her. We have three wonderful daughters that are happy and healthy. I’m so thankful for them. I love them. I thank God for my mom and Jeanie and Susan and all my family. I so thankful to be serving as a minister at Norway Avenue. The Christians at Norway Avenue are wonderful. I thought I had totally disqualified myself but God’s grace covered me and people forgave me. God has opened many doors for me. If you could have seen me four years ago you wouldn’t believe it. God did a miracle in my life and I give him praise. God saved me. I thank God for AA and my sponsors and all my friends in AA. I am most thankful for my Lord Jesus Christ.

You Can’t Grill It Until You Kill It

I love to hunt. I grew up in the WV hills. When I was a kid I played in the mountains and creeks. Swinging on grape vines, riding down trees, building a cabin, and damming up a stream. Fishing in the summer time, hunting in the fall, me and family we all had a ball, in the country (I may put that to music some day). I learned to hunt when I was a boy. It's stayed with me. I love to be in the woods. It was my day off and I stayed in the woods all day. Well, I did come out to eat lunch but I went right back. I killed a deer today. I killed another deer two days ago (last Saturday). I killed one in September on a land damage permit. God gave me three deer and it's only the first two weeks of 2006 deer season. I thank God for the thrill of the hunt and the meat. I eat what I kill. Tonight I grilled deer tenderloins and deer hamburger. I read the two scriptures below with fresh eyes this evening. Genesis 9:1 Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth. 2 The fear and dread of you will fall upon all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air, upon every creature that moves along the ground, and upon all the fish of the sea; they are given into your hands. 3 Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything. Acts 11:6 I [Peter] looked into it and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts … 7 Then I heard a voice telling me, 'Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.' As Ted Nugent says "You can't grill it until you kill it."

Dreams

I dreamed about deer hunting last night. It was so vivid and real. I was hunting that big buck I've been hunting for two years. I saw him in my dream last night. I’ve seen him twice while awake (in real life). He is huge, a monster moose of a deer. And now I’m dreaming about that buck. I can’t get out in the woods to hunt him because of my schedule. So I’m dreaming about hunting him. Weird, isn't it. In the Bible God spoke to people in dreams. God spoke to Abimelech, Jacob, Joseph, Gideon’s friend, Samuel, Solomon, Daniel, and Joseph in dreams. God can still speak to people in dreams but I don’t believe my dream is a message from God. It’s simply my desire to hunt deer. I think about it a lot. My feeder and bow are in my garage. Three hundred pounds of corn are in my trunk. I just can’t find the time to get out in the woods. So I think about it while I’m working and even while I’m sleeping. We dream every night. It’s one of five stages of sleep. We don’t always remember our dreams but we always dream (if we sleep well). I believe dreams are an attempt to resolve some thing i.e., a problem, a thought, a desire, a preoccupation. We think about it even when we are unconscious. That’s probably what happened to me last night. I’m preoccupied with a sport that I can’t enjoy right now. So I just think about it. This cooler weather makes me want to rub my head against a tree or something. I want to hunt and until I actually get out in the woods I’ll dream about it.

Worshiping God Under the Stars

I like to think about the size of the universe when I look up at the stars. It is so large that scientist have to measure space by the speed of light. The ruler of measurement is one light second. Light travels 186,000 miles per second. It’s 1.3 light seconds to the moon. It’s 500 light seconds to our sun. When you move beyond the sun to other stars you need a bigger ruler called a light year. A light year is 32 million times longer than a light second. It takes 10 light hours get from one side of our solar system to the other. There are about 100 billion stars in our galaxy (the Milky Way) and it takes 100,000 light years to get from one side of our galaxy to the other. That’s just our galaxy. Over 2 million galaxies have been counted and scientist estimate that there could be as many as 100 million galaxies. When I look up at the stars and think about the size of God’s creation I feel like singing with David - "O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? 6 You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet: O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!"

Dr. David Olson Performed Additional Analysis with My Dissertation Data

It was such a surprise when I received an email from Dr. David Olson telling me that he had done additional analysis with my dissertation data. Dr. Olson, from the University of Minnesota has authored 100s of publications, including four marital satisfaction inventories that have been used by millions of couples. He’s like a guru in the marriage and family field and he used my research. I thank God for this. It came out of the blue – like a gift from heaven. Olson used the same data I used for my dissertation and did a comparison of the four groups on couple typology. It is unreal how similar the percentages are in each type across the four groups. He is featuring it in the PREPARE/ENRICH Newsletter since they are coming out with the Empowering Couples book in Spanish. You can read a short summary at this address - http://image.exacttarget.com/members/3362/hispanic_study.pdf - Or I pasted the summary below. _________________________

Hispanic and Caucasian Couples have Similar Couple Types Jeffery Garrett & David Olson (2006)

Although it is often assumed that couples from different ethnic groups will have unique patterns of marriage, this study found considerable similarity in the ENRICH couple types across four ethnic combinations (both Hispanic, both Caucasian, Male Hispanic—Female Caucasian, Male Caucasian—Female Hispanic) of married couples. The results indicate that the four groups had very similar numbers of couples in each of the five ENRICH types. These findings are based on ENRICH data used in a dissertation by Jeffery Garrett (2004) who found no significant differences between the four groups of couples on the major ENRICH scales (i.e. marital satisfaction, communication, conflict resolution). Using a national sample of 868 married couples who took ENRICH, these four groups of married couples were compared on the ENRICH Couple typology. The average age of the males was about 35 and females was 33 and they were married an average of 9 years. The individuals were second or third generation Hispanics. As illustrated in Figure I (see http://image.exacttarget.com/members/3362/hispanic_study.pdf), there are no significant differences in the percentage of the four groups of couples in any of the five couple types. About 20-25% of the couples were Vitalized, 5-10% were Harmonious, 10-15% were Traditional, 20-30% were Conflicted and about 25-35% were Devitalized. The only difference (not statistically significant) was that there were slightly more Hispanic couples that were Traditional and Devitalized, and fewer that were Conflicted than the other ethnic groups. This study clearly demonstrates the ENRICH Couple typology is relevant to Hispanic couples where one or both are Hispanic. It also demonstrates there is no significant differences between the Caucasian and Hispanic ethnic groups using this couple typology. These findings are similar to a study by Bill Allen and David Olson (2001) that found no significant difference between African American couples and Caucasian couples on the ENRICH couple typology. In summary, the current and earlier studies demonstrate that the five couple types based on ENRICH are valid for use with Hispanic, African American and Caucasian marriages. This is a powerful and important finding since it says that marriages across ethnic groups are not that different in terms of their underlying patterns. References: Allen, W.D. & Olson, D.H. (2001) Five types of African American Marriages based on ENRICH. Journal of Marital & Family Therapy. 27, 3, 301-314. Garrett, J. (2004) The Marital Satisfaction of Hispanic-White Interracial Couples. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Counselor Education, Ohio University. Garrett, J. & Olson, D.H. (2006) ENRICH Couple Typology and Hispanic and Caucasian Married Couples. Unpublished manuscript. Minneapolis, MN: Life Innovations.

Back home with our girls

The Greenbrier was great and it's good to be back home. I love my girls. They are so precious and dear to me. Kim and I had a great time. I was happy with my presentation and I thank God for the opportunity. I also thank Pat Chambers - she's great!

From the Greenbrier

Kim is sleeping. I am rehearsing i.e., preparing for my talk in the morning. We had dinner with Pat, two sisters, the president and president elect of the auxiliary, a volunteer and her son (who was a graduate of Bob Jones University) and the CEO of St Mary’s and his wife. Pat is wonderful. Her personality is perfect for her job as director. We had a pleasant evening at the table with 11 people. It was a 3 course dinner plus dissert. We thank Pat for the treat. This was a special night for Kim and me. I pray I do a good job in the morning. I have to get back to rehearsing it.

Headed to the Greenbrier Hotel

Kim and I will leave in the morning for the Greenbrier Hotel. My friend Pat Chambers invited be to speak to the Directors of Volunteer Services for hospitals in WV. It’s a special treat for Kim and I and I pray I do a good job speaking.

A Prayer for My Classmates

I emailed this prayer to my classmates and posted it on our blog. I thought I would share it. _____________________________ Classmates, I hope you don't mind me saying a little prayer for our class. I just feel like praying for everyone. So here is my prayer .... Father, Thank you for the wonderful time we had at the reunion. Thank you for our friendships that last forever. We seldom get to see each other but when we get together it’s like we were never apart. We feel just as close and connected as we did when we were teenagers. We truly love and care for each other and it is so great. We realize all of this comes from you. So thank you God. Thank you for taking care of us. Thank you for blessing our families. Thank you for our parents and brothers and sisters. Thank you for our children. It means so much to see our friends’ families. We realize that everything good comes from you and we thank you Lord. It was great to learn about all the wonderful things our classmates are doing in their community. We are homemakers and dentil hygienists and coalminers and construction workers and electricians and computer technicians and communication specialists and teachers and school administrators and real estate agents and car dealership owners and restaurant managers and office administrators and secretaries and truck drivers and businesswomen and businessmen and computer programmers and on and on. Our classmates are gifted and talented. They are making the world a better place. We are spread out from California to Virginia and from Indiana to Florida. Our class is making a positive difference in the world. Thank you for blessing our friends with all of these abilities and the contribution they are making. We know all these good things come from you. Thank you Lord! We are sadden because we have lost some of our friends to death. Please bless and comfort their families. Thank you for the time we had with them. Now, after thanking you for all of these things, we want to ask you to bless us more. Please keep us and our families healthy and safe. Cover us with your protection. Send strong angels to guard our children. Help us to trust Jesus Christ, your Son, and bless us with faith to believe you, hope for the future, and love. Help us to love you and to love others as you love us. Bless us financially and materially, but most of all bless us spiritually so that we are close to you. Bless us in everyway and we will give you all the glory and thanks. Lord, in five years, bring us all back together again for another reunion. The older we get the more important it becomes. Until then, we will remember our 25th Year Reunion. We will remember the smiles, the laughter, the hugs, the music, the dancing, the stories – we will remember it all and give you thanks for allowing us to grow up together and to be friends. So bring us all back together in five years. And then one day, take us all home to be with you. Please forgive all our sins and take everyone of us to the big reunion you have planned for us in heaven. In Jesus Name, Amen! Jeff

Long Time No See

I've been absent from this blog because I have been working on four other blogs. Two for my students at Marshall (which would probably bore you to tears) and two for my high school reunion. My high school reunion was wonderful! I loved it! If you you would like to see a slide show of my reunion (my daughter Amber helped me with this slide show on myspace. Amber is great with this stuff!) just click this link and turn up the music - http://www.myspace.com/scott_high_1981

Tristate Chinese School

My friends, Berlin and Fountane Fang, began the Tristate Chinese School which meets in our church building. It is growing! Berlin and Fountain (and their children Faith and Frank) are an amazing family. They shine so bright because they are full of Christ. Watch this video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6v2X2xvm-Q

Preaching on a Harley Davidson

Last SundayI preached on a Harley Davidson that belongs to Will Edwards. My sermon was called "Treasures in Heaven" from Matthew 6:19-24. I had several props but my favorite was the Harley. I'll never forget when Will started his bike and rode it out. Jesus said "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions"( Luke 12:15). It won’t last. It will captivated your heart. Distort your vision. Make you a slave and ruin your life.

However, if you hold on loosely, love God with all your heart, see things clearly, and make Jesus Christ your Lord you can enjoy all of these things and use them to God’s glory. 1 Timothy 6: 17 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

Paul didn’t command the rich to give all their possessions away. The only person Jesus said that towas the rich young ruler because his possessions were his god (Luke 18:22). If that describes you the best possible thing that could happen is for you to loose everything you have so that you can trust Jesus Christ.

But I don’t think that describes you. I believe 1 Timothy 6 describes you. Paul gives you seven commands and specifically tells us that this is how to store up treasures in heaven. 1. Don’t be arrogant. 2. Do not put your hope in wealth. 3. Put your hope in God. 4. Enjoy what you have and thank God for it. 5. Do good 6. Be rich in good deeds. and 7. Be generous and willing to share.

Notice that v.19 specifically says that when you do these things you are storing up treasures in heaven. It says 19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. If you think the things you have now are good wait till you get to heaven.

I Killed a Deer Today

My friend Dana Edwards obtained permission from the Game Warden to the kill deer that are damaging his property. Dana gave me permission to hunt the deer. Today I killed a doe. I'm not allowed to kill bucks until October 1st. Last Sunday Bruce saw the monster I hunted last season. I'm happy he made it. I will hunt him come October. Another friend, Mike Shepherd, is going to help me plant winter oats on the point above Bruce's house. I have also been watching some nice bucks in another field that Stewart Kaiser owns in Miller. From my stand I saw three eight points and a nice ten point buck. I can't wait for the season to begin. Until then, I get to hunt does and I am happy!

A post from Mom about Dad

This post was written by mom. Jeanie typed it and now I'm posting it. It appeared the the Sonshiner's Bulletin this month.

God's Word

"My husband was a Bible scholar—especially an Old Testament Scholar. People came from near and far to ask him Old Testament questions. He preached and taught classes for 40 years. Never a day went by that he didn’t have his head in the book and his knee on the floor. I used to wonder how he could learn anything new after studying all those years. I had studied the New Testament but thought the Old Testament didn’t apply to us and it was too hard to understand. How wrong I was!! About two years before he died I began to study the Old Testament. I learned that the Old Testament was an unfolding plan for Jesus to come with wonderful prophecies about Jesus. "As I began to study, I made a lot of notes and used workbooks. Then I got the idea to become a scribe. I found that I could remember so much more if I wrote it down. So I began with Genesis and wrote the Old Testament by hand. I have forgotten much of what I studied but remember so much more than I would have if I hadn’t written it down. "My husband is in heaven now. He has joined the great cloud of witnesses cheering us on that we read about in Hebrews chapter 12. He is saying 'read it, write it, memorize it, and teach it. It is God’s word.'" written by: Betty Garrett

A Buck Attack

Check out this video of a buck attacking a hunter. It's wild! Just click on this link. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIylw1vPhxA

My Girls made the Volleyball Team

I was more nervous than they were. We prayed that both of them would make the volleyball team and they did. I am happy right now. It's the beginning of another year of school for our girls. I pray that God will help them in school, in sports and with their friends. I pray that it is a great year for all three of our girls.

Fred Peatross

My friend Fred Peatross has been on a blog sabbatical from March til' August but he is now blogging again. Check out his blog at http://fredpeatross.blogspot.com/

My Brother-in-law is a Movie Star

Hollywood came to Allen and Jeanie's house to interview Allen. You will see this inteview when the movie make's it to DVD. Warner Brothers will release the "We Are Marshall" movie in theaters December 22, 2006 and I can't wait. Allen is my hero! It's an amazing story and Allen is right in the center of it. Watch this movie trailer at http://www.apple.com/trailers/wb/wearemarshall/featurette/.

Stained Glass Masquerade

I just learned a new song on my guitar. It's called Stained Glass Masquerade and it's by Casting Crowns. I've been playing and singing it over and over. I've played it a hundred times. I love the music and the words are meaningful. Stained Glass Masquerade Casting Crowns Is there anyone that fails Is there anyone that falls Am I the only one in church today feelin’ so small Cause when I take a look around Everybody seems so strong I know they’ll soon discover That I don’t belong So I tuck it all away, like everything’s okay If I make them all believe it, maybe I’ll believe it too So with a painted grin, I play the part again So everyone will see me the way that I see them Are we happy plastic people Under shiny plastic steeples With walls around our weakness And smiles to hide our pain But if the invitation’s open To every heart that has been broken Maybe then we close the curtain On our stained glass masquerade Is there anyone who’s been there Are there any hands to raise Am I the only one who’s traded In the altar for a stage The performance is convincing And we know every line by heart Only when no one is watching Can we really fall apart But would it set me free If I dared to let you see The truth behind the person That you imagine me to be Would your arms be open Or would you walk away Would the love of Jesus Be enough to make you stay

The True Story of the Three Little Pigs

I found "The True Story of the Three Little Pigs" at http://www.shol.com/agita/wolfside.htm. A. Wolf took the stand today in his own defense. This shocked and stunned the media who predicted that he would not testify in the brutal double murder trial. A. Wolf is accused of killing (and eating) The First Little Pig, and The Second Little Pig. This criminal trial is expected to be followed by a civil trial to be brought by the surviving Third Little Pig. The case has been characterized as a media circus. His testimony is transcribed below: "Everybody knows the story of the Three Little Pigs. Or at least they think they do. But I'll let you in on a little secret. Nobody knows the real story, because nobody has ever heard my side of the story. I'm Alexander T. Wolf. You can call me Al. I don't know how this whole Big Bad Wolf thing got started, but it's all wrong. Maybe it's because of our diet. Hey, it's not my fault wolves eat cute little animals like bunnies and sheep and pigs. That's just the way we are. If cheeseburgers were cute, folks would probably think you were Big and Bad too. But like I was saying, the whole big bad wolf thing is all wrong. The real story is about a sneeze and a cup of sugar. THIS IS THE REAL STORY. Way back in Once Upon a Time time, I was making a birthday cake for my dear old granny. I had a terrible sneezing cold. I ran out of sugar. So I walked down the street to ask my neighbor for a cup of sugar. Now this neighbor was a pig. And he wasn't too bright either. He had built his whole house out of straw. Can you believe it? I mean who in his right mind would build a house of straw? So of course the minute I knocked on the door, it fell right in. I didn't want to just walk into someone else's house. So I called, "Little Pig, Little Pig, are you in?" No answer. I was just about to go home without the cup of sugar for my dear old granny's birthday cake. That's when my nose started to itch. I felt a sneeze coming on. Well I huffed. And I snuffed. And I sneezed a great sneeze. And you know what? The whole darn straw house fell down. And right in the middle of the pile of straw was the First Little Pig - dead as a doornail. He had been home the whole time. It seemed like a shame to leave a perfectly good ham dinner lying there in the straw. So I ate it up. Think of it as a cheeseburger just lying there. I was feeling a little better. But I still didn't have my cup of sugar . So I went to the next neighbor's house. This neighbor was the First Little Pig's brother. He was a little smarter, but not much. He has built his house of sticks. I rang the bell on the stick house. Nobody answered. I called, "Mr. Pig, Mr. Pig, are you in?" He yelled back."Go away wolf. You can't come in. I'm shaving the hairs on my shinny chin chin." I had just grabbed the doorknob when I felt another sneeze coming on. I huffed. And I snuffed. And I tried to cover my mouth, but I sneezed a great sneeze. And you are not going to believe this, but the guy's house fell down just like his brother's. When the dust cleared, there was the Second Little Pig - dead as a doornail. Wolf's honor. Now you know food will spoil if you just leave it out in the open. So I did the only thing there was to do. I had dinner again. Think of it as a second helping. I was getting awfully full. But my cold was feeling a little better. And I still didn't have that cup of sugarr for my dear old granny's birthday cake. So I went to the next house. This guy was the First and Second Little Pig's brother. He must have been the brains of the family. He had built his house of bricks. I knocked on the brick house. No answer. I called, "Mr Pig, Mr. Pig, are you in?" And do you know what that rude little porker answered? "Get out of here, Wolf. Don't bother me again." Talk about impolite! He probably had a whole sackful of sugar. And he wouldn't give me even one little cup for my dear sweet old granny's birthday cake. What a pig! I was just about to go home and maybe make a nice birthday card instead of a cake, when I felt my cold coming on. I huffed And I snuffed. And I sneezed once again. Then the Third Little Pig yelled, " And your old granny can sit on a pin!" Now I'm usually a pretty calm fellow. But when somebody talks about my granny like that, I go a Little crazy. When the cops drove up, of course I was trying to break down this Pig's door. And the whole time I was huffing and puffing and sneezing and making a real scene. The rest as they say is history. The news reporters found out about the two pigs I had for dinner. They figured a sick guy going to borrow a cup of sugar didn't sound very exciting. So they jazzed up the story with all of that "Huff and puff and blow your house down" And they made me the Big Bad Wolf. That's it The real story. I was framed." But maybe you could loan me a cup of sugar? SOMERSET PA (AP)

Simple things add up

I’m in the office in my garage listening to Casting Crowns. “Who am I” is playing now. Worship. My heart swells. Gratitude. I feel really good right now. I jogged four miles and walked one. Still sweating. It’s after midnight and I’m not sleepy at all. Everybody else is asleep. I’m going to work on my sermon till I get sleepy. I’m studying Matthew 5:31-32. Marriage and divorce. It’s a difficult section of scripture. Sticky. Controversial. I quoted it over and over while I was jogging. I’ve read it a hundred times (literally). I’ve prayed for insight. I’ve done word studies in the original language. I’ve consulted my teachers (i.e., my commentaries). But the sermon manuscript is still not coming together for me. I hope God turns on my light bulb soon. I want I do a good job with this sermon so that it’s accurate, clear and practical. I hope that it encourages the married to stay married and that it gives hope to those who have been divorced. Simple things help me. A jog. Tucking in my kids. Massaging Kim's feet. A kiss goodnight. Listening to music. Worshipping in my garage. All these simple things add up and take me where I need to be. Now it's quite. Really quite. No music. No noice. Just a Bible. I'm ready to write.

Eric and Angie’s wedding

We all enjoyed Eric and Angie wedding. We had a great time at the reception. We celebrated and danced and laughed together. It is a day we will always remember. I’m smiling as I write because I’m thinking about how much fun Allen and Jeanie had on the dance floor. Allen and Jeanie can dance! Allen enjoyed it to the hilt! You should have seen him dance – it was so much fun! It was so good to see all our friends from church who drove from Huntington. Mom got to visit with all her children and grandchildren and great grandchildren. Our family loves weddings and we know how to celebrate them. Eric and Angie are now in Mexico on their honeymoon.

Headed to Morgantown for Eric and Angie's Wedding

We are traveling to Morgantown in the morning for Eric and Angie's wedding. Eric is Jeanie and Allen's oldest son. He's my nephew. He's a wonderful man and I love him. He's been working at WVU for years. We are so happy for Eric and Angie - they were made for each other.

Lust Arrested

Donald Barnhouse told a story from his book on Romans that illustrates Paul's idea of what it is to be dead to sin. A man came to Dr. Barnhouse's office and told this story. I work for such a company and I have a private office. Several months ago my secretary was absent and I had to use another lady. One day when she brought a paper for my approval she got too close and when she leaned over the desk, she let her hair trail across my face and I fought it down but after all I am a man and toward the end of the day I put my hand on her and she came right back to be kissed. Even while kissing her I was visualizing my two children running to meet me and my wife standing in the door. I hated what I was doing but I kept on. I had the greatest desire to push her from me put I kept pulling her to me. My body was doing one thing and my mind was doing another. When I went home that night I hugged my children so hard that one of them cried and when I got him to laughing I told him that I loved him so much I had tears in my eyes and my wives eyes were shining, we all clung together in one of those moments that are indescribable. My wife was supremely happy because I walked around the house that night touching familiar things that we had scrimped to buy expressing my love for the home and for her. And for God I was never more true. Next day, the office intrigue began all over again. I was never more miserable in my life. Before a month had gone by I realized that my lust and my love was in a terrible battle. When I came home, there was everything I wanted in life. When I went to the office the machine of my body seemed geared to something terrible that was purely mechanical in which I wanted to get out of more than any fly ever wanted to get off fly paper. I heard my wife tell someone that I was becoming more and more a homebody and that all I wanted to do was stay home and its true. I’d follow her around the house, talk with her in the kitchen where she’s working, I’d watch her as she put the children to bed. This morning when I left the house she told me that she thought she was the happiest woman in the world because I showed her so much that I loved her alone. I could hardly talk and when I lifted a lock of her hair to dry them I said I love you more than life itself and she cried, I crushed her to me until she screamed and smiled at the same time, I ran off to my train. But now what shall I do? With the husbands consent, says Dr. Barnhouse, I called the wife to my office and told her the story. Fear leaped to her eyes but I reassured her. We took a taxi and went to his office. He was expecting us and I stood by as they embraced and she said, “I know, I know, I understand, it’s alright”. And then I called the other lady in the office and the scene that followed typified the mortal struggle between the flesh and the Spirit. Both striving for the mastery of that body. But the wife was not striving; she knew that the mind soul and heart of her husband had never been away from her. She understood the glandular warfare of his body and that his lust had sprung to life in response to the lure of strange flesh. She looked at him with complete understanding and love. The secretary stood there speechless. I said to her “she knows all about it. She loves him and he loves her completely and he has never had any thought toward you except one of animal lust. You were never wanted except physically and you are not wanted at all from now on. Do you understand? I asked her to wait in the hall while I prayed with the couple and then I went out and saw the secretary dabbing at her eyes and I talked to her about her need for Jesus Christ. I wished all stories on lust ended like that but they don’t. I wish all pastors were as faithful as the late Dr. Barnhouse and could be called in to intercept before adultery has happened but that’s not possible. And my message to you today is that you do not have to have a pastor, you do not have to have another Christian to intercept your lust. You have Christ the master and he will do it. But you have to present yourself as an instrument of righteousness and just "no" and he will come to your rescue. God who raised him from the grave can raise you above the level of your sins if you will let him.

Our Summer Vacation

Pack. Car trouble. Laughter. Borrow Sharon’s car. Six hours late. Long drive. Kim sleeping. Girls sleeping. Long drive. Coffee. Coffee. More coffee. Sermons on iPod. 4am. Kim wakes. I’m lost. It figures. Laughter. Unstoppable giggles. Found map. Arrive 5:15am. Bed. Kids. Wake. Beach. Sun. Water. Swimming. Lazy River. Sleep on beach. Shop. Kroger’s. Walmart. Sleep. Wake. Kids. Beach. Boogy Board. Body Surfing. Putt putt golf. Beach balls. Flying kites. July 4th. Fireworks. Pool. Balcony. Daughter's ears pierced. Sea mist. Calabash. Crabs. Steak. Shrimp. Back to the beach. Sting ray. Jelly Fish. Beach shops. Floats. Necklaces. Girls talking to boys. Sharks teeth. Laughing. Singing. House of Blues. Kool and the Gang. Dancing. More swimming. Hot sand. Sandles. Sunburns. Tans. Ear aches. Doctor. Ear drops. Pack. Drive home.

My intake of God’s word has quadrupled thanks to Text Aloud and my iPod

Thanks to TextAloud and my iPod my intake of God’s word has quadrupled. Here’s how I do it. It’s a two step process. First, I download 36 sermon podcasts a week from iTunes. I choose the ones I want to listen too and transfer them to my iPod. I burn the rest on CDs so that I can use them as resources in the future. My podcast sermon library is growing daily with great preachers and teachers like Swindol, Begg, Rogers, Zacharias, Piper, Stanley, etc. Second, Jeanie scans in chapters from commentaries. She has OCR software i.e., Optical character recognition which translates images of typewritten text into editable text. After Jeanie scans the chapters from the commentaries she copies them into Word and emails them too me as attached files. I then copy them from Word into TextAloud and my computer reads it using the AT&T Natural Voice of Mike. I set the reading speed to 257 words a minute. I don’t read very fast but I can listen at lightening speed. I save it as an MP3 file and transfer it to my iPod. During the past four days I have listened to 16 sermons. I’ve also listened to commentary book chapters on Matthew 5:27-32 from Dallas Willard, D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, and James Montgomery Boice, as well as three sermon manuscripts from Ligon Ducan, Rubel Shelly, and John MacArthur that I retrieved from internet websites. Where do I find time? I listen to my iPod while I walk on the beach, workout in the weight room, and at night as I lay in bed waiting to get sleepy enough to rest. I have a big appetite. I frequently copy books of the Bible from biblegateway.com, paste them into TextAloud, and transfer them to my iPod. I look forward to listening to the Bible, sermons and books using this technology. And it has not interfered with our vacation. I’ve had a lot of playtime with our kids and I have had lots of fun with Kim. This would be IMPOSSIBLE without TextAloud and my iPod.

Dancing at the House of Blues

Tonight Kim’s parents watched the kids while Kim and I went to the House of Blues. The house band was great and we danced the night away. It was fun!

Myrtle Waves Water Park

Today Carl and I took the kids to the Myrtle Waves Water Park. The kids rode almost all the water rides and slides. Some of the slides are fast – they loved it!

Happy 230th Birthday America!

On July 4, 1776, we claimed our independence from Britain and Democracy was born in North America. Today we celebrated Independence Day on the beach with thousands of people. Fireworks everywhere! Up and down the beach as far as we could see, fireworks, cheering, and applause. The kids loved it. I thank God for the USA! Christians should criticize less and pray more. Paul explained why we should pray for our country's leaders in 2 Timothy 2:1 I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. We should pray for President Bush and for everyone who leads our great country. We are so blessed by God. We are free and there is peace in our land. Yes, there is a war in Iraq, a war on terror, and trouble in North Korea. But we are so blessed! Since there is peace in our land we should live godly, quiet lives so that people can see Jesus in us and put their faith in him.

It’s so big!

Everybody is asleep. Kim, the kid’s, her parents, they’re all asleep. Except me. The sliding door is open as I write this post. I can hear it. It roars peacefully. It’s rhythm is nearly perfect. I can see it. Barely. White foam lapping on the sand. Beyond the dim hotel lights I see thick darkness. I see two lights. Fishing boats I guess. They make me think of the life teaming under it’s surface. I feel the breeze. I smell the salt. It’s so big! And I feel so small. God is so awesome. Who else could create something so big? Who else could control something so great? God established it’s boundary. God said, “Here is where your proud waves halt.” The Spirit of God hovers over the waters. God is speaking in every pounding surf. He says, “My grace is deeper than this ocean and wider than this sea.” God’s handiwork makes my heart sing his praise.

Beach Bound

We’re headed to the beach this afternoon. Kim, her parents, the girls, their cousins and me will spend a week at Myrtle Beach. We will be staying till next Sunday. Fun in the sun!

Floating on the Ohio River

I just got back from floating on a big inner-tube in the Ohio River. People tell me not to float in the Ohio River but I can’t stay away from it. I grew up swimming in the Little Coal River. When I was a kid we had a great swimming hole with a long rope and a tire swing. The Ohio is MUCH bigger! But it can’t be any more dirty than the Little Coal River. I figure it all washes off in the shower anyway. Floating on the river clears my mind. I sometimes get mentally stuck as I am working on my sermons. So, this Saturday, I studied till I was stuck, then I mowed the grass and cooled off in the Ohio River. I think I’m ready to work again.

The Heartbeat of the Sermon on the Mount

The heart beat of the Sermon on the Mount is found in Matthew 5:17-21 17 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19 Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. Jesus fulfilled the Law and the Prophets, he did not abolish them. You couldn’t abolish the Scripture anymore than you could abolish God. Every jot and tittle is accomplished in Christ. Disciples of Jesus are moved by the Spirit to obey everything that God has commanded and Jesus will reward them, from the least to the greatest. However, no self-righteous Pharisee who denies Jesus Christ will enter the kingdom of heaven. Why was Jesus so hard on the Pharisees? Here are six reasons: 1.) They rejected Jesus. 2.) They were legalistic law keepers. They tried to establish their own righteousness by good works. 3.) They were partial law keepers. They paid a great deal of attention to insignificant details (e.g., tithing spices), while managing to totally ignore the whole spirit of the law. 4.) They were exclusive law keepers. They believed they were the only true people of God. 5.) They were more devoted to their traditions than to the Law of God. 6.) They were proud law keepers. So Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.” Jesus was not saying that in order for you to be in the kingdom you must have a slightly higher degree of the same kind of righteousness that the scribes and Pharisees have. Jesus was saying to enter the kingdom you must have a different kind of righteousness altogether. Your righteousness begins and ends in a personal relationship with Jesus. You must humble yourself and mourn over your sin so that the Holy Spirit can make you meek and gentle. You must hunger for righteousness so that you will be full of mercy and grace. Then your heart will be pure and your motives will be sincere. Once the character of Jesus is formed in your heart you will be a peacemaker. When people mistreat you because of Jesus you will rejoice because you know Jesus will reward you even more. This total transformation happens from the inside-out. It's an inside-out righteousness that allows you to shake and shine i.e., you can shake the salt and shine the light. I was a Pharisee and I’m in recovery from legalism. I was a legalistic law keeper. I thought I had to be saved by good works. I was an exclusive law keeper. I thought we (i.e., the COC) were the only true people of God. I was devoted to our traditions and confused our traditions with God’s commandments. I’m still not over it. I’m still in recovery. But I’m learning that the key to righteousness is a relationship with Jesus. I’m learning that the more I love Jesus the more important his law becomes. I'm learning to look at law, not as a means to salvation, but as insight into the heart of Jesus. It doesn’t save me. The Law helps me know him better and there is no greater thing than knowing Jesus.

From Louisville KY

We’re having a good time at the NACC. We’ve enjoyed good preaching and singing and fellowship and food. Tonight we ate at the Spaghetti Factory. It’s late. Kim and the girls are sleeping and I’m working on Matthew 5:21-26 for my sermon this Sunday.

Traveling to Louisville for Big Reunion at NACC

In the morning we will travel to Louisville for the North American Christian Convention. The a cappella COC and instrumental Christian Church are meeting to end 100 years of division. It will be an historic meeting - the largest gathering of our denomination since Cane Ridge. Jeanie, Allen, George, Dana, Brendan, Kim, our girls and me will be leaving in the morning. At this point in my life it all seems so strange. How could I have ever been so confused? How could I have thought that instrumental music was a salvation issue? I feel like I brain washed myself. One hundred years of division over a piano or a guitar. It just seems so strange to me now. I think about the people who come to me with problems like depression, sexual abuse, physical abuse, divorce, and people who are trying to break free from addictions to alcohol and drugs. I think about their pain and guilt and their desperation. What these people need is the Lord Jesus. They don't need to hear anything about issues like instrumental music vs. a cappella music. So I am resolved to share Christ and try to avoid talking about our history of division over something so irrelevant. Outsiders would not understand it because it is so weird. I’m happy that most of our denomination is together again but I regret that we split in the first place. It should have never happen. This convention is the right thing to do and I want to be there to celebrate at this reunion. However, I dream that we will move beyond our denomination and acknowledge everyone who follows Jesus Christ. I pray for the unity of all Christians. We don’t have to have unity meetings, such meetings have been taking place for years in events like Promise Keepers, Leadership and Church Growth Seminars, Marriage Conferences, Passion, Catalyst, etc. We’ve worshiped in arenas with 18,000 Christians at Marriage Conferences and football stadiums with 60,000 men who make promises to Jesus. These events continue to take place across the country and around the world. Christ’s church is huge! These events always inspire us. But it’s the day to day contact we have with Christians from other denominations that inspire us more. We develop friendships at work and in the community with people from various tribes. The main thing is that we follow the Jesus of the Bible. That’s it. That’s what we need to focus on. And when nonbelievers see our love for each other they will believe that Jesus is the Son of God.

Objections to the Gospel

When the gospel is preached there should be occasional objections like “This is too good to believe”; “Won’t this encourage people to sin?”; or “Are you saying that we don’t need to keep God’s commands?” or “Aren’t you disregarding the law?”. When I hear people asking such questions I know I’m preaching the gospel. Why do I say this? That’s what happened in the Bible. As Paul explained the gospel he frequently stopped to clarify inevitable objections. Below are a few examples. Romans 3:8 Why not say—as we are being slanderously reported as saying and as some claim that we say—"Let us do evil that good may result"? Their condemnation is deserved. Romans 6:1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! Romans 6:15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Romans 7:7 What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Sometimes these questions come from disciples who sincerely don’t understand and are seeking clarification. At other times these questions come from people who twist your words and accuse you of encouraging people to use grace as a license to sin. Regardless of the motive, when this happens, I know I’m preaching the gospel.

Speaking in Pike County

Today I provided six hours of training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for counselors at the Pike County Recovery Council. It went well. This was my fourth training and I'm scheduled to do four more trainings over the next year. They asked me to do an outcome study. The study begins in July and will last for one year. I believe we are ready. Today the counselors demonstrated their abilities in using CBT. The training I provide is interactive. I teach concepts and techniques. This is followed by having the counselors practice it using role play. We review and rehearse it until they know how to do it. The counselors I'm training are fast learners. They are very good people. Many are Christians. You would be surprised at how freely they talk about Jesus. It's really different from previous mental health settings I have worked in. Anyway, we are doing pre-post assessments using standardized measures. I'm excited about the study. And something else happened. Another agency, which provides mental health services to adolescents, asked me to come train their therapist. I thank God for these opportunities. When I think about where I was 3 years and 8 months ago and compare it to today - it's a miracle. God brought me out of the pit and sit me on a rock. I praise him tonight! I love you Jesus! I love what I'm doing and I am so grateful. I know these opportunities are gifts from God and I am so thankful.

Mistreated

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. In 1965 my mom and dad were a member of a church that, at that time, was very legalistic in their views regarding youth activities and cooperation with other churches, orphan homes and Christian Colleges. I do not remember this because I was only three years old but Jeanie and Susan witnessed it. Dad was an elder at that church and was taking the youth to Charleston once a month for area wide youth activities. This church had made a list of rules that were not found in the Bible and one of those rules made it a sin to have area wide youth activities. Some of the men in that church mistreated dad. They came to the house and knocked on the door. Dad would go out to their car and they would grill him for hours. They finally called the church together to disfellowship him. Other preachers came to that meeting in his defense and sit beside dad. Two men lead the meeting and they brought the ridiculous accusation against dad. They were going to excommunicate him for taking the young people to Kanawha City Church for youth fellowships. After they made their speech and formally disfellowshiped dad the man said “Now, I want the church to follow me and leave the building.” He walked to the back and no one followed him. Jeanie told me that Susan, who was 16 years old, said aloud “There goes the church.” Dad and mom went to another church and people all of the area invited him to preach. That legalistic church fell apart. The hostility and the power struggle became so bad that it actually escalated into a physical fight between two families. While all of that hostility was going on Dad was busy working a job, preaching on the weekends, and taken care of his family. He didn’t talk about it. He didn’t have a bitter bone in his body. There was not even a hint of resentment. Mom and Dad never mentioned it after that Sunday. They forgave them. When I read Matthew 5:13-16 I know that it describes dad and mom because they were the salt of the earth and the light of world because Jesus was shining in them. The way this sad story ended was so wonderful. The two men who mistreated Dad finally repented and apologized. Twenty years later one man called dad when the man was on his death bed. He said that he didn’t want to die without confessing and apologizing to dad. That church invited dad to preach for them again. Dad and mom went back to that church and supported it with their love and leadership. The last sermon dad preached was in that church before he died. Dad and mom loved the people in that church. I love them too. Dad and mom handled insults and mistreatment with grace and dignity. They were salt and light. Great examples for me to follow.

Peacemakers

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. This beatitude is built on all the others. In order to be a peacemaker you have to be poor in spirit, you have to mourn over your sin and be meek so that you’re not emotionally reactive. You need to hunger and thirst for righteousness. You need to be full of mercy and your heart has to be pure so that your motives are sincere. When you possess these attitudes you can be a peacemaker. As far as it depends upon you, live at peace with everyone.

Pure in heart

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. When I was a boy a spent the night with a friend and his dad had a stack of Playboy and Hustler magazines. I don’t think this father understood the harm that comes from pornography. If you have anything like that in your home throw it away. Pray David’s prayer “Create in me a clean heart O God”. This beatitude, however, is focused on something different. To be pure in heart means to be single-minded. It means that you don’t have ulterior motives. Your devotion to God is real and authentic – not hypocritical. It means you’re genuine. Let it be said of you “There is not a phony bone in his body. He’s not fake. He’s real. He’s a genuine, bona-fide disciple of Jesus.” The pure in heart will see God.

Mercy

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. You can show mercy two ways. First, show mercy by helping other people. Be like the good Samaritan showed mercy to the man on the Jericho road. He put him up in the Holiday Inn and paid for his medical expenses. Second, show mercy by forgiving other people. Ephesians 4:32 says “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” You don’t merit God’s forgiveness by forgiving others. You forgive others because God has forgiven you. A sure sign that you have been forgiven is your willingness to show mercy to others.

Hungry

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled. Your growth in Christ depends on your spiritual appetite. You're not supposed to hunger for blessedness or happiness. You're suppose to hunger for righteousness. God bestows his righteousness on us through our faith in Jesus Christ. Once God declares and imputes his righteousness upon us the Holy Spirit writes his laws on our hearts. The Holy Spirit provides us with new DNA. Even more, the Spirit takes our stone heart out and puts a new heart in. A heart that is sensitive and tender for God. He gives us a new spirit and he moves us to keep God's law. Far from this being some mechanical response to a list of rules, the Spirit shapes us into the image of Christ . God takes over our thoughts, will, and emotions so that he can work out the righteousness that he put in. How does he do it? He makes us hungry. That's right. God makes us hungry to live right. As you go about your day think about doing the next right thing. Then do it and see if it's not satisfying.

Meek

Meek means “gentle”, “considerate”, and “courteous”. Meek does not mean weak. Meek means “strength under control.” Think of it like a horse bridle. A horse is very strong. Before it’s broken you can’t even ride it. But once the horse is broken it becomes so gentle that a child can ride it. God wants to put the bridle of his Spirit on us. He controls our strength and makes us gentle, considerate and courteous.

Mourn

It’s one thing to be sorry for your sins, it’s another to cry about it. Most men have been taught not to show emotion. It’s not masculine, we think. But think about David. No one could be more masculine than David. He was a warrior and a king. Yet David prayed, “O LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath. 2 Be merciful to me, LORD, for I am faint I am worn out from groaning; all night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears” (Psalm 6:1,2,6) God loves a bent knee, a broken heart, and wet eyes. When we mourn over sin God comforts us. We feel better after a good cry. We become more sensitive and empathic. We become more responsive and tenderhearted. If you know what it’s like to be comforted by the Lord you will be equipped to comfort others.

Poor in spirit

To be poor in spirit means to have a humble opinion of yourself. I’m not surprised that this beatitude comes first. To enter the kingdom you have to humble yourself before the Lord. You have to acknowledge your sin and ask Jesus to forgive you. You must admit that you are spiritually poor and morally bankrupt. God loves a broken spirit and a contrite heart. When this virtue is present it makes apologizing easier. One evening last week I was irritated and grouchy with my daughters who had done nothing wrong. I was studying these beatitudes and the Lord “spoke to me”. Not literally. But it’s like he said “Jeff you’re studying about these attitudes of the heart and your attitude stinks.” No matter how hard I tried I could not concentrate. My conscience was bothering me. I felt like the Lord was telling me to apologize. So I left the office in my garage and walked into the house. The girls were in the living room watching TV. I said, “Girls, I’m so sorry for raising my voice at you. You did nothing wrong. I apologize. Will you forgive me?” They said, “OK dad. Can you move out of the way so we can see the TV.” Now it wasn’t a big deal to them but it was a big deal to me. As I walked back to my office I wondered - How many times do I ignore this feeling of contrition and miss out on the blessing of God?

Daughters

Kim and I are so blessed. We have three daughters and I am so happy with my girls. I spent the day with my girls. They had three friends spend the night. Last night Kim and I pulled out futons and a mattress and the living room was full of girls. They giggled for a while then went to sleep. They were all so good. They woke up this morning and ate breakfast. Kim fixed cinnamon rolls and I fix bacon and eggs. Sloane, Tori’s friend, taught me how to fix egg whites. After breakfast they jumped in our pool and played all morning. I fixed the ladder for the pool as they laughed and screamed and chased each other. I ordered pizza for lunch. After taking the girl’s friends back to their mothers, Shayna and I went on a father-daughter date. Shayna asked some interesting questions about World Religions (she’s a deep thinker). We went to Stone Cold for ice cream, browsed the book store and then we went to the theater and bought popcorn. We saw Nacho Libre. Shayna said that it was “OK.” The best part of the date was not the movie however. It was just being together. When we got home Amber asked if she could have the next date. So I will take Amber on a date next week and Tori the following week. I like John Mayer's song "Daughters". My favorite line in the song is - On behalf of every man looking out for every girl. You are the guide and the weight of her world So fathers, be good to your daughters Daughters will love like you do I love my girls. I should say “We” love our girls. Kim and I are so bless and so thankful.

What Gnostic Writings teach about Jesus

In 1945 in Nag Hammadi Egypt a number of manuscripts were discovered that contained the writings of Gnosticism. This was an important archeological discovery. To that point in history we only had what the early church fathers said about Gnostic heresy. Now we not only have what the church fathers said, we also have some of the manuscripts they were referring to. I have read the Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Phillip, and the Gospel of Mary Magdalene. Another one that was recently publish is the Gospel of Judas. I have only read sections of the Gospel of Judas. These manuscripts were not included in our New Testament for several reasons. First, they were not written by the apostles or any close associate of the apostles. We have no idea who wrote these Gospels. They used the names of some apostles and other famous people to make them look authentic. Second, the manuscripts were written late i.e.,150-200 years after Christ. Third, these Gnostic manuscripts contained heresies which denied the humanity and deity of Christ. The Gnostics didn’t even believe in the same God as Christians. The Gnostics worshiped a great invisible spirit. They didn’t know what his name was but they believed he ruled over a vast host of deities. They believed that there were 72 luminaries and each of them ruled over separate heavens. These 72 were higher deities than the God of the Old Testament. They believed that twelve angels were made to rule over Chaos which is our world. One of these angels was defiled with blood. This particular angel’s name is Nebro which means rebel. Others called him Yaldabaoth which probably means “Child of Chaos” and Yaldabaoth is the God of the Old Testament. That’s our God. He is Yaldabaoth, child of chaos. He’s a rebel. There was a second angel named Saklas which means fool. The Gnostics believed that our material world and that we ourselves were made by a rebel and a fool. Paul dealt with Gnostic heresy in the first century. Colossians 2:18 Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions. The Gnostics believed Jesus was not the son of the God of the Old Testament. They believed that Jesus was the son of the female counterpart of the highest Gnostic deity and that he was not really a man. He did not take on flesh. The Gnostics believed that Jesus was not really crucified. They believe that real Jesus was a spirit who hovered above the cross, laughing at the people below. John dealt with Gnostic heresy in the first century. 2 John 1:7 Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. The Gnostics did not observe baptism or the Lord’s Supper because they believed those rituals were instituted by the God of the Old Testament who was an evil being that should not have made this material world in the first place. According to Gnosticism, when you get all this secret knowledge you become aware that divinity is within you. You also become aware that this material world and all the works of the Creator of this material world are worthless. Even your body is of no value and you would be better off without it. The goal of the Gnostic was to free the soul of the body and everything material. Now, do I have to tell you any more bizarre beliefs that come from the Gnostic writings for you to understand why these books were not included in the canon of the New Testament. They are valuable because they teach us what the Gnostics believed, but they teach us nothing about Jesus.

VBS and the International Coffee House

Thanks to Dana Welty and all the fabulous volunteers she recruited, our VBS is going fantastic. The kids love it! While the kids are learning, their parents relax in our International Coffee House. We offer a variety of coffees, good music, and live entertainment. We are having a good time.

Dear anonymous, (regarding legalism)

I sympathize with your struggle. I also carried the heavy baggage of legalism for a long time but I dropped it because it wore me out. You also need to drop it and trust Christ alone. Today I try to focus on Jesus Christ and not the Church of Christ. The Church of Christ is no longer my Savior. It used to be. But no longer. I used to convert people to the COC (rather than to Jesus Christ). I used believe that I had to be saved by a moral code that I couldn't keep. I excluded people from other denominations because they didn’t do the ceremonies like us. I actually thought that the COC was the only true church. I no longer believe or teach this way. You shouldn’t believe this way either. Let go of all of that. I have a history. I am a reformed legalist. I’m a recovering alcoholic. I have been broken by my own sin. I know that the only reason I am saved is because God loves me. I’m saved by his grace and love. I’m not saved because I got the doctrine right. I didn’t have the doctrine right – I was wrong! I’m still wrong about many things. I still struggle with sin. But I’m so happy today because I know I don’t have to be good for God to love me. He loves me all the time just like I love my children all the time regardless of their behavior. God may discipline me but he will not disown me because he cannot disown himself. I am his and so are you. Believe it. Accept it. It will free you up to obey him. It will give you motivation to keep his commandments. I am saved because Jesus died on the cross for my sin and God raised him from the dead. God saved me by faith in Jesus Christ alone! My behavior and my understanding do not contribute to my salvation. God did it all. Everything I have is a free gift from God. Even my faith and repentance are gifts from God. God caused me to repent and gave me the faith to believe. He saved me completely So today I follow Jesus. Today I try to follow the Bible. And I know that there are Christians in all the denominations that follow Jesus and the Bible as they understand it. Who in the world I’m I to think any different. I have been forgiven of so much. I am saved by grace alone. I am so happy to get out from under the burden of thinking that my salvation depended on whether or not I played Amazing Grace with a guitar. I just focus on Jesus. If other’s see it different I love them and say “God bless you!” and move on. I try not to get side tracked by spliting hairs over minor issues. I am very grateful to every church that preaches Christ. I'm even grateful for churches that are legalistic because, I figure, at least they are talking about Jesus. I respect them. But I can never go back. I hope this helps. Grace and peace, Jeff

The Bible is Reliable

If the Bible is reliable it should be accurate in all of its historical references. If someone could prove that it is historically inaccurate it would cast doubt on the rest of its claims. Does the Bible align itself with facts, dates, and people who lived at the time it was written? Josephus was a first century historian. In his Jewish Antiquities he referred to Jesus and his half-brother James. “Annus convened the judges of the Sanhedrin and brought before them a man named James, the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ and certain others.” References like this, from 1st century historians outside the Bible, support its reliability. The Bible does not read like a myth. Myths are usually vague e.g., Once upon a time in a far away place … . That’s not the way the Bible reads. The Bible is rooted in history. It speaks of countries and nations and fortified cities and the kings that ruled over them. It chronicles the succession of rulers and often dates events (e.g., Nehemiah 2:1 In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes … ). The Bible contains geological references about rivers and mountains and bodies of water and islands and roadways. It also describes palaces and houses and buildings and walls and the materials that were used to build them. Unlike mythical stories, it is possible to stick a shovel in the ground and dig up artifacts that verify the historical accuracy of the Bible. Archaeology continues to confirm the historical accuracy of the Bible and has never produced one contradiction. In the 19th century skeptics criticized the Bible because it described a nation called the Hittites. The skeptics called it the “Hittite Myth” because at that time no secular evidence existed for that nation. But in 1906 archeologists discovered the capital city of the Hittites and concluded that the Hittites did exist as a powerful nation. At one time skeptics said that Bible was historically inaccurate because of it’s statements concerning Belshazzzar. At that time there were no secular historical records that listed this ruler. But in 1853 archaeologists found an inscription in Ur which confirmed that Belshazzer reign with his father. U.S. News and World Report published an article that read “New finds cast fresh light on the Bible.” The sub-headline read “From Mount Sinai to the Dead Sea, examination of historical artifacts is producing some real surprises about the origins of religious beliefs.” The article reads “A wave of archeological discoveries is altering old ideas about the roots of Christianity and Judaism and affirming that the Bible is more historically accurate than many scholars thought. For example, until recently most scholars dismissed the Biblical cities of Sodom and Gomorrah as legendary. Now, two highly regarded American archeologists believe that they may have found the remains of these cities plus three other settlements referred to in Genesis as the cities of the plain. The ruins were where the Bible indicated they would be within a few miles of the Dead Sea. Moreover, at least three of the cities appear to have been destroyed by fire, which the Bible says was reigned down by God in vengeance and the cities are estimated to be destroyed about the same time, in 2300-2400 B.C.” Do you remember when Jesus said to the Pharisees – “If my disciples don’t testify of me the rocks will cry out.”? Today people are trying to suppress the testimony about Jesus and the archeologists are discovering that the rocks are crying out to give testimony to the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Da Vinci Fad

Dan Brown’s novel is a fast-moving thriller that keeps you in suspense. It’s also a money making machine. I was amused to see all the Da Vinci Code merchandise being sold on the internet. Leonardo never dreamed he would inspire so many crazy ideas. If you need to exercise you can purchase "The Da Vinci Fitness Code" for $21. If you need to loose weight for $16 you can buy "The Diet Code" which contains revolutionary weight loss secrets from Da Vinci. If you want to gain creative advantage in your career or business, for $18 you can buy the book "Work like Da Vinci". If you want to play you can buy "The Da Vinci Code Video Game" for your Play Station 2 for $39.99. Entrepreneurs are capitalizing on it’s popularity by selling everything from T-Shirts to posters. My favorite is a poster of Forest Gump running from an albino, killer monk. The Da Vinci Code is just the latest fad sweeping the nation. Like all other fads it will soon pass. I agree with Rubel Shelly who wrote “In the end, we may owe a debt of gratitude to Dan Brown for creating an opportunity for authentic faith to shine.” Despite the outrageous claims the novel makes, I think at least two good things have come from it. It’s easy to start spiritual conversations and it has caused us to study deeper. It has actually strengthened our faith in Jesus and our trust in the Bible.

My Teachers for the Summer

I’ve signed up for my summer classes which focus on the Sermon on the Mount. My teachers for the summer include John Stott, D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, James Montgomery Boice, John MacArthur, and Chuck Swindol. I’m so excited because I get to sit at the feet of these great expositors. O, I forgot to add Bill Hybels and Mike Cope. Yes, these are my teachers. They come from around the world – from the Westminister Chapel in London and the Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia and the Grace Community Church in Sun Valley California and the First Evangelical Free Church in Fullerton California and the Willow Creek Community Church in Chicago – they come from different places and different traditions. I like it like that. They feed me well. They are brilliant, godly, and gifted expositors. My greatest teacher is Jesus. I love to imagine that I’m sitting on the mount listening to Jesus’ sermon. I pray, ““Lord, help me understand” and the Holy Spirit opens the eyes of my heart. Then, I see the others on the mount – my teachers. They are sitting closer to Jesus. Yes, Stott, Lloyd-Jones, Boice, Swindol and MacArthur are high on the mount in the front of the crowd near Jesus and his apostles. I can’t resist asking them questions about what Jesus said. They have more insight because they are closer to the Savior and they have been sitting on the mount longer than me. One by one they speak and I listen. They all have good things to say and they help me understand. Then I pray again “Lord, make it real to me too. Help me apply it to my life.” And he does. He helps me understand as I go about my daily routine. Jesus’ words resonate at strange times - when I’m playing with my children or talking to my wife or taking a walk or playing my guitar or visiting the sick. A scripture, a story, a thought, a memory, or an image will come to my mind and I will have an “Ah-Ha Experience” which I believe is the Holy Spirit’s work. This process goes on all week until I’m full. Then, when I’m full, I am ready to share what I’ve learned with others. The whole process is exciting, consuming and I love every part of it.

Tonsillectomy

Tori and Shayna had tonsillectomies today. They were so brave and good. The surgery went well. We are watching "Parent Trap" right now. They like eating Orange Sherbet as they recover.

Memorizing the Sermon on the Mount

This week I’ve been memorizing the Sermon on the Mount. I plan to quote it this Sunday. It only takes about 20 minutes to preach but it takes me a long time to memorize it. I’ve done it before. I think it was 1992. It’s been a long time. I could still quotes sections of it but now I’m “re-memorizing” it. I copied Matthew 5, 6, 7 from my Bible and I’ve worn it out. I read it over and over aloud. Then I did memory work on sections of the sermon. I use “memory beads”, sticks, rocks, and my fingers to count. I repeat each section ten times until I can say each section without many mistakes. I tape my self and then listen to the tape while reading the sermon. I highlight words, phrases and sentences that I missed and do the same memory exercises ten times over again. At this point I can quote chapters 5 and 6. I've still got a ways to go. I typically walk while I’m memorizing. When I finish a section or a chapter I drop a bead or break a stick or drop a rock until I’ve done it ten times. I quote it over and over until I get dizzy then I take a little break and do it over again. I wish I could find a short cut to memory work but this is the only way I know how to do it. I like to do this memory work in the cemetery across the street from the church. Jeanie has walked with me a couple of times. When I make a mistake she corrects me. I also quoted chapter 5 to mom this morning while we were waiting for folks to show up at the food pantry. It helps to have others listen and correct me when I make mistakes. Distractions are a problem. A dog can run across the cemetery or a person can walk by and I get distracted. I have to overcome this because there will be all kinds of movement in the assembly this Sunday. I hope I can do it without drawing a blank or experiencing some uncomfortable pause because I forget some part of it. There have been several wonderful moments of worship this week. At times, I remember all of chapter 5 and 6. And as I quote the sermon I feel so alive in the Spirit. I’m spellbound by Jesus’ words. Sometimes, before I quote it, I pray “Lord, live in me. Speak through me. Let me say it like you said it.” It’s the greatest sermon ever heard. I hope I do a good job this Sunday. I hope I can remember it and that the people will see and hear Jesus.

Softball with Tori

Tori and I passed softball this evening. We walked around the block playing catch. I walked backwards all the way around the block as we pass the ball. She would say “Dad, throw grounders” or “Throw pop-ups.” She catches them all and throws it right back at me with enough speed to make my glove pop. Tori is great and I love to play with her. She has a game tomorrow and I get to see her play.

Speaking in Pike County

Yesterday I did another training for counselors at the Pike County Recovery Council. I enjoyed it! I am teaching them how to use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. I signed a contract to provide four more CBT trainings, write two manuals (one for individual and another for group), and conduct an outcome study on the effectiveness of the treatment they provide. We will be using several measures like the MAST, the BDI, and the BAI. I thank God for this opportunity. I love working with the people there.

Attention

My light bulb has been on all evening. I love it when it happens. Especially when I really need it to happen because of time. This took place after an extended period of reading and preparing for two sermons on The Da Vinci Code. I got home at 9pm, helped Amber prepare for a science test which she has to take tomorrow, then I went to the office in my garage and started writing. It was weird. I started writing a blog post about the Da Vinci Code and it turned out to be too long. Then I thought, this is my sermon! It may not be weird to you but it felt weird to me. It was coming so fast my fingers could hardly keep up. I love that feeling - it just keeps flowing and I just keep writing. I did not get up and walk around. There were no mental pop-ups to distract me. I stead in one window and accomplished a lot during the past 7 hours. Now, at this point, I really don't know if I have anything because I'm tired. I may wake up, go to the office, read it and thing "This is terrible! I can't believe I wasted all that time" and start over. I will not know until four hours from now. But my hopes are high because I put it in text aloud and had the computer read it to me. I think it's what I want to say. I think.

Mom

Mom raised three children – Susan, Jeanie, and Jeff (that’s me). We grew up on Six Mile in Boone County WV. We’re proud she is our mother! She is a godly woman. She is full of Jesus. She has devoted her life to her children. She loved dad and was married to him for 52 years. Mom is strong. She possesses “quiet power” – which means dignity and strength and stability. She is beautiful inside and out. Her beauty comes from her inner self. It’s the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit which is of great worth in God’s sight and in ours. Her heart is full of love. She is kind and good. Mom is sensitive and considerate of others. She’s always interested in us. Mom is dignified. She has a wonderful personality and a great sense of humor. We love to see her smile and to hear her laugh. She likes funny stories, especially stories about her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. We’ve laughed so hard (I’m smiling as I write) we could barely catch our breath. Jeanie, Susan and I have so many wonderful memories. All of her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren love her. She is respected and esteemed by her friends. All of our friends looked up to our mom when we were growing up. The people in the Boone County Churches respected our parents and depended on their leadership. Mom was a rock for her parents and sisters and their families. She was a wonderful daughter to Granny and Paw. She was a wonderful sister to Jenny, Carol, Johnny and Nan. She was stable and strong. Nothing bad was tolerated in our home. Mom and dad were shinning examples for our entire family, for the community and for the churches in Boone County. I believe the Lord will have a special gift for mom’s service to Sue. She was so patient and good to Sue. After Dad died Mom moved to Barboursville. To say that she has adjusted to her new home doesn’t communicate how well she has done. I mean, she has established friendships and remained active – well, it’s like she’s lived here all her life. The people at her new church praise mom for her devotion to Christ, her knowledge of the Bible and her sweet spirit. Mom has written the Bible by hand. She studies hard-to-understand passages. If you ask her what she’s studying she may say Ezekiel or Daniel and she does this in her own personal devotion. She leads ministries and gives good counsel. She writes a monthly bulletin for the Sonshiners (the senior group at Norway Avenue). People asked her questions and she writes letters explaining God’s word to them. She’s always growing and stretching and learning. She challenges people to think differently. She influences people to change for the good. The elders of the church read her letter about instrumental music and even asked her permission to share it with others. That’s awesome! We are so proud of mom. Dad, who is now in heaven, would be so proud of her. Mom is smart. She edits all my papers. She tirelessly helped me with my dissertation. She read, re-read and edited my dissertation. I couldn’t have finished my dissertation without mom. She continues to proof manuscripts for me. She helps our girls with home work. Jeanie and Susan could tell you more stories than me because they’ve known mom longer than me. They could add to this post with stories of how she has served them and their children. Mom loves us! She is always available, always dependable, always on call to help in any way. She raised us right. She made us feel secure and loved. She taught us to follow Jesus and study the Bible. Her faith is inspiring and her love is wonderful. We thank God for our mother. She is the best!