Charge Your Battery

Everyday I have to charge the battery in my cell phone. Today my cell phone went dead at noon while I was still in the woods hunting. Before my battery lost all power I saw I had five messages but I could not retrieve them because my phone was dead. I was on a ridge ¾ of a mile away from my car. I felt urgent about getting to my car to charge my phone so that I could receive the messages. I finally made it and returned the calls. That’s sort of what it’s like in my walk with Jesus. I have to stay plugged in and keep my battery charge. I charge my battery through prayer, Bible study, meditating, and serving so that I can receive messages.

Cherish Your Trophies

1 Samuel 17.54 David took the Philistine's head and brought it to Jerusalem, and he put the Philistine's weapons in his own tent.

Imagine David carrying that big old head into Jerusalem. Like a hunter mounting the head of a Pope and Young buck, David walked into town with the head of a giant for everyone to see. He also put Goliath's weapons in his own tent. I can see David walk by and pat the armor and say to himself ‘My God did that for me, and I know that he is going to do it again. It is a trophy of grace.’ Do you have some trophies from the past? Don’t bury them, cherish them because they will give you confidence to face the future.

Happy Birthday Shayna!

Shayna turns 10 Sunday. It's hard to believe. She's growing up so fast. She's happy, always smiling, and full of joy. We love everything about Shayna (and her sisters). We are celebrating her birthday Sunday. Then, next Friday night we are having a sleep-over party for her and her friends. Father, Thank you for Shayna Nicole. She is beautiful! Thank you for blessing her. I know your hand is on her. She loves you. And we love her. Thank you Lord for Shayna. In Jesus name, Amen.

I'm Glad I Was Caught

I'm glad I was caught. If it didn't happen I would probably still be drinking and doing bad things. But God has changed me, forgiven me, and he is using me. I praise his name! God wants to forgive us more than we want forgiveness. God does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. You have never and will never do anything to make God stop loving you. The woman who was caught in the act of adultery discovered how much Jesus loved her (John 8.1-11). After silencing her condemning accusers Jesus told her to leave her life of sin. She staggered out of the court yard stunned by the love and forgiveness of Christ. If you have been recently caught in sin don't give up. There are a number of stories in the Bible about people who were caught in sin. On two occasions Abraham was caught lying to Pharaoh about his relationship to his wife Sarah. Judah was caught soliciting a woman he thought was a prostitute but she turned about to be his daughter-in-law. Moses was caught when he killed an Egyptian. David was caught in adultery and murder. Peter was caught denying Christ. Paul was caught on his way to arrest Christians but Christ arrested him. These Bible characters were caught and repented and far from being rejected, they continued to serve God in important ways. God is still doing this today. Every saint has a history and every sinner has a future. God will forgive you just like he has forgiven me. This is the way he forgives and loves all of his prodigals. So don’t stay in the far country. Run home knowing that the only feet faster than the feet of repentance are the feet of forgiveness. Acknowledge your wrong doings and stop sinning so that you may avoid more serious consequences. Set your feet on the road to recovery, make relationships a priority and experience the love and forgiveness of God. If you are struggling with alcohol or illicit sex or greed or some other vice, don't keep it a secret. Confess your sins to God and a trusted friend and you will be healed (James 5.16). Don't worry about loosing your reputation. I'm glad I lost mine. Now that I lost my reputation I can work on my character.

Dancing in the Hospital

Once a month I play my guitar and sing for the patients on the 5th Floor at Saint Mary's Hospital. The 5th floor is a skill unit where physical therapist work with elderly patients who have had knee or hip replacement surgery. I play my guitar and sing while the patients clap and sing with me. During my most recent visit I played Dance, Dance, Dance (an old Steve Miller song) and a man got up and danced. The director caught it on video tape. It's fun to watch.

My Lecture Notes from Current Psychotherapies (My Other Blog http://coun603.blogspot.com/)

I have another blog which contains my lecture notes for the class I teach at Marshall University. This blog is for my graduate students but you may be want to look at it if you are interested in counseling psychology. It covers a variety of theoretical approaches from Corsini’s and Wedding’s text Current Psychotherapies. I post my power point lecture notes every week so my students don't have to take notes. The therapeutic approaches include … • Psychoanalysis • Adlerian Therapy • Analytical Therapy • Person-Centered Therapy • Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy • Behavior Therapy • Cognitive Therapy • Existential Therapy • Gestalt Therapy • Multimodal Therapy • Family Therapy • Psychodrama • Experiential Psychotherapy The address for this blog is http://coun603.blogspot.com/

Help me to be faithful in my peanut patch

George Washington Carver prayed “Lord, teach me about the universe.” But God said, “That’s too big for you George. Leave the universe to me.” George said, “Then teach me about the peanut.” God said, “That’s about your size. OK, you study the peanut and I will help you.” So Carver studied the peanut and discovered over 300 peanut products that have helped mankind. Jesus promised that if we are faithful in the little things he will put us in charge of many things (Matthew 25.23). Father, Help me to be faithful in my peanut patch. Amen.

Shayna's love note

I just got in from hunting and found a note from Shayna on my computer screen. She wrote ... Dear Daddy, Thank you for being the best dad in the whole world. I love you so much. You do a wonderful job as a dad to. Shayna I love and cherish her notes. She frequently writes little notes to Kim and me.

The Rusty Welborn Story

A young man cowered in the corner of a dirty, roach-infested death row cell in a South Carolina prison. His body curled in a fetal position, he seemed oblivious to the filth and stench around him. His name was Rusty, and he was sentenced to die for the murder of a Myrtle Beach woman in a crime spree that left four people dead. Police arrested twenty-three-year-old Rusty Welborn from Point Pleasant, West Virginia in 1979, following one of the most brutal slayings in South Carolina history. Rusty was tried for murder and received the death penalty for his crime. Bob McAlister, deputy chief of staff to South Carolina’s governor, became acquainted with Rusty on death row. Bob had become a Christian a year or so earlier and felt a strong call from God to minister to the state’s inmates—especially those spending their last days on death row. Bob’s first look at Rusty revealed a pitiful sight. Rusty was lying on the floor when he arrived, a pathetic picture of a man who believed he mattered to no one. The only signs of life in the cell were the roaches who scurried over everything, including Rusty himself. He made no effort to move or even to brush the insects away. He stared blankly at Bob as he began to talk, but did not respond. During visit after visit, Bob tried to reach Rusty, telling him of the love Jesus had for him and of his opportunity—even on death row—to start a new life in Christ. He talked and prayed continuously, and finally Rusty began to respond to the stranger who kept invading his cell. Little by little, he opened up, until one day he began to weep as Bob was sharing with him. On that day, Rusty Welborn, a pitiful man with murder and darkness behind him and his own death closing in ahead of him, gave his heart to Jesus Christ. When Bob returned to Rusty’s cell a few days later, he found a new man. The cell was clean and so was Rusty. He had renewed energy and a positive outlook on life. McAlister continued to visit him regularly, studying the Bible and praying with him. The two men became close friends over the next five years. In fact, McAlister said that Rusty grew into the son he never had, and as for Rusty, he had taken to calling McAlister “Pap.” Bob learned that Rusty’s childhood in West Virginia had been anything but “almost heaven.” His family was destitute, and Rusty was neglected and abused as a youngster. School was an ordeal both for him and for his teachers. Throughout his junior high years he wore the same two pair of pants and two ragged shirts. Out of shame, frustration, and a lack of adult guidance, Rusty quit school in his ninth grade year, a decision that was to be just the beginning of his troubles. His teenage years were full of turmoil as he was kicked out of his home many times and ran away countless others. He spent the better part of his youth living under bridges and in public rest rooms. Bob taught Rusty the Bible, but Rusty was the teacher when it came to love and forgiveness. This young man who had never known real love was amazed and thrilled about the love of God. He never ceased to be surprised that other people could actually love someone like him through Jesus Christ. Rusty’s childlike enthusiasm was a breath of fresh air to Bob, who came to realize how much he had taken for granted, especially with regard to the love of his family and friends. In time Rusty became extremely bothered by the devastating pain he had caused the family and friends of his victim. Knowing that God had forgiven him, he desperately wanted the forgiveness of those he had wronged. Then a most significant thing happened: the brother of the woman Rusty had murdered became a Christian. God had dealt with him for two years about his need to forgive his sister’s killer. Finally, he wrote Rusty a letter that offered not only forgiveness but love in Christ. Not long before his scheduled execution, this brother and his wife came to visit Rusty. Bob was present when the two men met and tearfully embraced like long-lost brothers finally reunited. Rusty’s senseless crime ten years earlier had constructed an enormous barrier between himself and the brother. The love of Christ obliterated that barrier and enabled both men to realize that, because of Him, they truly were brothers reunited on that day. It was a lesson Bob would not forget. Not only did Rusty teach Bob McAlister how to love and forgive, he also taught him a powerful lesson about how to die. As the appointed day approached, Rusty exhibited a calm and assurance like Bob had never seen. Only his final day, with only hours remaining before his 1:00 A.M. execution, Rusty asked McAlister to read to him from the Bible. After an hour or so of listening, Rusty sat up on the side of his cot and said, “You know, the only thing I ever wanted was a home, Pap. Now I’m going to get one.” Bob continued his reading, and after a few minutes Rusty grew very still. Thinking he had fallen asleep, Bob placed a blanket over him and closed the Bible. As he turned to leave he felt a strong compulsion to lean over and kiss Rusty on the forehead. A short time later, Rusty Welborn was executed for murder. A woman assisting Rusty in his last moments shared this postscript to his story: As he was being prepared for his death, Rusty looked at her and said, “What a shame that a man’s gotta wait ‘til his last night alive to be kissed and tucked in for the very first time.” From Bad Beginnings to Happy Endings, by Ed Young, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publ., 1994), pp. 3-5.

Volleyball, Basketball and Kim's Birthday

Amber's team won the volleyball champtionship. She played great! Her team was undefeated in her conference. I loved watching her play. I just became the assistant basketball coach for the girls league in fairland. I look forward to the season with my girls. Kim's birthday was Saturday. The girls and I bought her a nice present.

God didn’t come to take sides, he came to take over

Joshua 5. 13 Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, "Are you for us or for our enemies?" 14 "Neither," he replied, "but as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come." Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, "What message does my Lord have for his servant?" 15 The commander of the LORD's army replied, "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy." And Joshua did so. I believe this is a pre-incarnate manifestation of the Son of God. His answer to Joshua’s question (i.e., Are you for us or for our enemies?) is interesting. He didn’t say “I’m on your side Joshua.” He said “Neither.” He didn’t come to take sides he came to take over.

Three Years and Two Days Sober

Today, by the grace of God, I am three years and two days sober. I thank my heavenly Father for his amazing grace. I thank Jesus for saving me and changing me. I am so thankful for Kim who stayed with me. I am so grateful to have our precious children. I'm happy to be alive and sober. It's a miracle! I talked to my old sponsor (John C.) in Columbus and my new sponsor in Huntington. (Tom J). They were happy for me. I am thankful for all my friends in AA. The meeting today was great. I will continue to work my program of recovery and live one day at a time.

Blinded by the Bible

As strange as it may sound, people can be blinded by the Bible. That’s what Jesus said to the Pharisees of his day. John 5.39 You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life. Amazing! They diligently study it and meticulously obey it but Jesus was standing before them and they did not recognize him. That’s what legalism does – it blinds you to Jesus. The Bible is not an end in itself. It points to someone greater than itself. It points to Jesus. The law condemns. Jesus saves. So study it diligently and obey it meticulously but with no idea that it will give you life. The Bible is the X-ray – it reveals our sin and then points to the Great Physician – Jesus our Savior. Father, Open my eyes so that I can see the wonderful things in your word. Make me hungry for it. Then fill me up. Let me see Jesus on every page. Amen!

Chet Szuber has his daughter’s heart

Ezekiel 11.19 I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. 20 Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. By the time Chet Szuber, from Harrisville MI, was 50 he had two massive heart attacks, three bypasses surgeries, and was on a waiting list for a heart transplant. His daughter Patti was an organ donor. She died after a fatal automobile accident in TN. Though the family knew Patti had signed an organ donor card months earlier, they were stunned when a doctor said... “‘You can have Patti's heart,’” Chet Szuber recalled. “Well, I was flabbergasted. I had never considered it; never thought about it. And I couldn't say, ‘No’ fast enough. A million things went through my mind: Is this right, is this ethical? Is this a selfish move? Can I stand the thought of every heartbeat reminding me of Patti? And I turned it down.” (reported on the CBS Early Show, August 20, 2004 – 10 years after Patti’s accident) Chet Szuber refused the offer, but minutes later felt something. He said, “I don't want to sound corny at this point, but as I was waiting for the elevator, I swear Patti was pleading with me to accept her gift. And I thought, ‘My God, you know - How am I going to explain this to the family?’” Chet did explain it and the family agreed. The doctors recovered Patti's heart at 4am in TN and it arrived in Michigan at 6am. Chet cried as he said, “Patti's heart took its first beat at 9:47 that morning in my chest.” Almost immediately, Chet Szuber not only felt healthy, but also felt the beat of his daughter's heart. He said he feels she is always with him. It’s been 11 years since the surgery (in 1994) and Chet Szuber is still healthy and active. He has his daughter’s heart. Because of Patti, two blind ladies now have vision, two others share her kidney, and another has her liver. But the most meaningful transplant was her heart. Chet Szuber said, “As Patti looks down and sees all the good she's done, she has to be the happiest angel in heaven.” Jesus did this and more. He was more than an organ donor. His death was no accident. He died to save you. He gave you life. He put a new heart and a new Spirit in you. Try this. Put your hand over your heart. Be still. Be quiet. Do feel it beat? Now pray – Father, thank you for the heart transplant. You took my stone-heart out and gave me the heart of Jesus. I will never be the same. Move me to follow you degrees and keep your laws. Amen.

We give sin respectable titles

We give sin respectable titles. Adultery is an affair. Fornication is a cohabiting. Profanity is mature language. Sexual immorality is sexual preference. Abortion is termination of pregnancy. Pornography is adult entertainment. Drunkenness is getting high. Lying is an indiscretion. Greed is the good life. We use all sorts of euphemisms to describe sin. But you don’t change the lethal nature of poison by putting a new label on the bottle. The Bible warns us that the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). The best (and only) way to deal with sin is to turn to Jesus.

Worship in the Woods

Twenty feet high in a tree stand waiting for day break. Quiet. Dark. Brilliant stars – diamonds on black velvet. A distant rooster crows. Shadows. Sun. Bright. Gentle breeze. The woods come alive. Birds. Squirrels. Chipmunks. Deer. My heart swells with excitement. I whisper “God, you are awesome! Look at what you created. It’s beautiful! Thank you Lord.” That’s the way it typically goes during morning hunts. It’s worship in the woods. I often think of Psalm 104 (read it from the New Living Translation when you get time). Yesterday, Dana and Bruce (two friends) let me hunt on their land. I went through a thicket with lots of saw-briars and thorns and I thought of this passage: Cursed is the ground because of you. … It will produce thorns and thistles for you … (Genesis 3.17-18). When I reached the ridge it opened up. Big oak trees with a lot of mast – acorns accumulating on the ground. Deer sign everywhere – trails, rubs, scraps, droppings. I sat on a high rock. A perfect stand – not built by human hands – overlooking a flat. A red squirrel came within three feet of me. He didn’t see me until he was right beside me. Surprise! He ran off. I smiled. Later, I saw a monster. I had heard about him but yesterday I saw him. He’s a big buck. He was 50 yards from me but I couldn’t get a shot. My blood pressure went up. My heart pounded. I prayed for him to come back but he didn’t. That’s why he’s so big. I love the woods for many reasons. Like Isaac, I have a taste for wild game (Genesis 25.26). Like David, I am in awe of God’s creative power (Psalm 19). The wilderness has always played an important role in God’s story. It was a home for the wondering patriarchs. It was the training ground of Moses and David. It was a testing ground for Jesus. It was John the Baptist’s pulpit. No wonder my mind turns to God when I’m hunting. When I look at the beauty of creation in the wild the natural response is worship.

Jesus is God

John 1.1-3 & 14 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. … 14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. We serve a triune God – God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. There is one God - Three persons. Expressed mathematically this would not be 1+1+1 (which equals three), but 1x1x1 (which equals 1). There is one in three and three in one. Jesus is fully God. He is equally God with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Jesus possesses all the attributes of God. Colossians 2.9a says For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form…. Jesus is not the Vice President. He is not the Junior Partner. Jesus is equal with God the Father. He is Christ, who is God over all, forever praised! (Romans 9.5). Phil 2:6 says (Christ)… who being in very nature God did not consider equality with God …”The fact that Jesus is God is demonstrated by his creative power. John 1.3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. “All things” is a reference to the infinite detail in creation - all things individually, all things separately! From the vast expanse of the universe to the tiny atom and even the sub-atomic particles within the atom - all things were created by him. Nothing that has been created can be credited to any other than Jesus. Paul said, “He is the image of the invisible God, the first born over all creation: For by him all things were created; things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible … all things were created by him and for him.” (Col 1:15,16) God became flesh in the person of Jesus. God became a human being. He lived among us. He served his Father by the power of his Spirit. Jesus died for our sins and was raised for our justification. We can't full understand the Trinity. Trying to understand the Trinity is like an ant trying to understand the body, soul, and spirit of a human. I don't fully undertand it but I believe it because scripture is so clear - Jesus is God.

Homecoming 2005

I got to visit with Phil and Jill Richardson this weekend. It was during the 2005 homecoming weekend for University Christian Fellowship (UCF). I am so grateful for the ministry of Phil Richardson, Burney Baggett, Donnie Williams, Mark Mills, and Robin Weir. I am thankful for Jonathan Thomas and Matt Hayes who also served as campus ministers. All these men laid the foundation and we are reaping the benefits of their labor. This was the first time I had seen Phil in three years. I love Phil. He has had a huge impact on my walk with Jesus. I met him in 1980 at Spiritual Uplift when I was 18 years old. At that time I did not realize that our friendship would last so long. We were roommates at Lipscomb. I have always admire him and looked up to him.

You do not have, because you do not ask God

James 4.2b You do not have, because you do not ask God About 40 years ago the King of Saudi Arabia asked Arnold Palmer to play golf in his country. Palmer impressed the king with his amazing skill at hitting golf balls. That evening a servant came to Palmer’s hotel room and said “The king would like to give you a gift.” Palmer shrugged his shoulders and said, “The king doesn’t need to give me anything. His hospitality is enough.” The servant said, “You will greatly offend the king if you don’t ask for something.” So Palmer said, “Alright, tell the king that he could give me a golf club.” The next day the servant came to Palmer’s hotel and gave him the deed to a 300 acre golf club. When you pray remember who you're talking to. You are praying to the King who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine (Eph 3.20).

Can I lick the bowl?

Ephesians 3.17-19 And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. The depth and width and length and height of God’s love are too wonderful to understand. It is beyond our comprehension. One morning, when Amber was little, we were making pancakes together and I had one of those “my-little-girl-is-growing-up” moments. She was stirring the pancake batter and talking so big. She looked at me with her big eyes. Her long hair was flowing over her red flannel pajamas. She looked so beautiful. I said, “Amber, I love you so much. I wish could explain it. You are growing up so fast. I just want you to know that you are always going to be my little girl. I love you more than I can explain.” Amber stopped stirring the batter and looked up me. She said six words I’ll never forget. She said, “Daddy, can I lick the bowl”. She didn’t understand. But that was OK. I just laugh really big, squeezed her tight, and we ate the pancakes. The love of a father is larger than the comprehension of a child. Our heavenly Father tells us but we can’t fully comprehend his love – it’s too wonderful to understand. But that's OK - he just smiles and squeezes us tighter. Nothing can ever separate us because his love is so passionate.

Teaching at Marshall University

I love to teach in the counseling department at Marshall. This fall I'm teaching graduate students (Current Psychotherapies) and this spring I will be teaching undergraduate students (Theories and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy). I am enjoying every minute of it. Working in these two settings (ministry and academics) is what I was made to do. I love it! Father, Thank you for the opportunity to preach your word and teach school. You've completely turned my life around and blessed me. It's all because of your grace and love. Three and a half years ago I was miserable because of my sin. I hated what I was doing to myself and family. Now, I am enjoying my family and my work and I love what I am doing. Thank you Lord! It's all because of Jesus. Amen.

A Prayer for Earl

Father, You are good all the time. I praise you! Please help Earl Williams as he recovers from heart surgery. He is your servant. Heal him! In Jesus name. Amen.

Children are like wet concrete

Ann Ortlund said children are “wet concrete.” When I read that I called my friend Jim Galloway because he is in the concrete business. Jim emailed me this description … “Concrete has 4 main ingredients - Sand, Gravel, Cement and Water. When combined these ingredients will set up (harden) - this is an exothermic chemical reaction. Concrete arrives on the job in a liquid state. You pour it to form the foundation of a house. In 90 minutes it reaches a state known as the “initial set” – it begins to thicken like play-do inside with a semi-rigid outer shell. At 240 minutes it reaches its “final set”. The strength of concrete is measured in pounds per square inch (psi). In about 7 days it reaches 75% of its targeted design strength. The other 25% occurs at 28 days. Concrete is theorized to continue to gain strength indefinitely if placed in the right environment.” Now I know why Ann Ortlund said children are like “wet conrete.” They arrive soft, pliable and moldable. You have about 18 years to do your job – to pour the foundation of their life. Actually, you don’t have that long. In the first seven years they reach their initial set. That’s why Saint Francis Xavier said “Give me your children for the fist seven years and you can have them for the rest of their lives.” During the first seven years they learn core beliefs like “Jesus is Lord; I am loved; I am wanted; I can trust; Relationships work; I am honest; I am capable; I can succeed.” After the first seven years you are simply refining the foundational work that has already been poured in the life of your child. At the age of 18 they need to reach their “final set” and they are on their own. If they stay in Christian environment they will continue to gain strength indefinitely.

Holy Kisses

Greet one another with a holy kiss (Romans 16.16) A young man walked into a candy shop and he asked for three boxes of candy – a $5 box, a $10 box, and $20 box of candy. The man behind the counter asked, “Why do you need three boxes of candy?” He explained, “I’ve got a hot date tonight. When I take her home, if she shakes my hand I’m going to give her the $5 box. If she hugs me she gets the $10 box. But if she gives me a big kiss she gets the $20 box of candy.” So he bought all three boxes of candy and put it them in his car. The young man drove to her house that night. The girl’s parents invited him to have dinner with the family before they left on their date. The father said, “Young man, we pray before our meals. Would you lead our prayer?” He bowed his head and prayed the most eloquent lengthy prayer they had ever heard before a meal. The girl leaned over to him and whispered, “I had no idea you were so spiritual.” He whispered back “I had no idea your daddy owned the candy store.” If you could walk into a first century Christian assembly you would have been greeted with holy kisses. The holy kiss was commanded five times in the New Testament (Romans 16.16; 1 Corinthians 16.20; 2 Corinthians 13.12; 1 Thessalonians 5.26; 1 Peter 5.14). Early Christians greeted each other warmly with a kiss of love. Don’t misunderstand - it was not like people were making out at church. It was not a romantic kiss or a sensual kiss - it was a holy kiss! I imagine this greeting was very important to early Christians. When the prodigal son came home the father embraced and kissed him (Luke 15.20). When Jesus visited the house of Simon (in Luke 7.45) he made it known that he received no kiss when he was greeted. In Acts 20.37 the elders at Ephesus wept and kissed Paul’s face because they would never see him again. Early Christians, who were persecuted, cherished this practice because they viewed the church as their family and families are supposed to show love and affection. Today, the holy kiss is not our custom. We greet people with a smile, a warm handshake or a holy hug i.e., the cultural equivalent to a kiss. The point is we are supposed to show love and affection for brothers and sisters. Do you?

She asked, “Daddy, can I preach when I grow up?"

My daughter Shayna asked me, “Daddy, can I preach when I grow up?” I said “You sure can.” She smiled. I dream that my three daughters will be free to use their spiritual gifts and talents to their full potential. Phillip had four daughters who prophesied (Acts 21.9) – why couldn’t one or all of my daughters do the same. Perhaps they will be the next Beth Moore and Kay Arthur. Father, Fill our daughters with your Holy Spirit and use them to do great things for Jesus. Whether in quiet service behind the scenes or out front in public – use them! Make them fruitful and let them find joy in serving Jesus. Amen!

Cell phones make people talk louder

I’m sitting in an airport in Charlotte NC. There are two people talking very loudly on their cell phone. Everyone else is talking at a normal volume. Those two were talking normal before they started talking on their phones but now they are really loud and very annoying. It is like they are oblivious to everyone around them. It is so distracting that I stopped writing about Scripture to write about them. It’s merely an observation – cell phones make people talk louder.

Ethnic Diversity in Romans 16

I can't sleep so I am writing. A close study of Romans 16 reveals that the church in Rome was a dynamic mixture of racial and cultural backgrounds. I want to highlight two areas – racial and socioeconomic differences. Racial differences - There were many Gentiles listed (e.g., Epenetus v.5). There were also Jews listed like Priscilla and Aquilla (v.3-5) and Andronicus and Junias (v.7) and Herodian (v.11). Timothy (v.21) was biracial. Acts 16.1 says that Timothy’s mother was a Jewess and a believer, but whose father was a Greek. So there was racial and ethnic diversity. Socioeconomic differences - There were wealthy people in the church at Rome like Aristobulus (v.10), the grandson of Herod the Great. And Narcissus (v.11), a rich and powerful man who had influence on the Emperor Claudius. Erastus (v.23), was an government official in Corinth. But there were also poor people. Some appear to be slaves like Ampliatus (v.8), Urbanus (v.9), Hermes (v.14), and Julia (v.15) - these were common names for slaves. The church in Rome was diverse. There were Jews and Gentiles, biracial couples and biracial children, slaves and free people, and wealthy and poor people. There was not a more diverse group of people in all of Rome and yet they experienced a profound unity which transcended their differences. How did they do it? How did they maintain unity? Well, it’s right there in the text -in the Lord (v.2), in Christ (v. 3), in the Lord (v.8), in Christ (v. 9), in the Lord (v. 10), in the Lord (v.12), in the Lord (v.13). Do you think Paul’s trying to tell us something? Jesus Christ breaks all racial and cultural barriers and makes us one family so that there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3.28). How do we compare to the church in Rome? Are we diverse or segregated? Forty years ago Martin Luther King Jr. said that the most segregated hour of the week was Sunday morning at 11am. Has it really changed that much? I pray for more ethnic diversity in our church. We have Euro-Americans and African Americans. We are blessed to have international students from Vietnam, China, Japan, and Africa visiting our church. Most of these students do not know Jesus. Jay (Campus Minister) is teaching english and the Dozier's are serving the international students. Our church is excited about all of this and we pray that God will continue to lead us to people as well as bring people to us i.e., people who do not know Jesus. I pray that we can be as flexible as Paul in our ability to communicate Jesus cross-culturally. In 1998 Dr. Doston (prof at OU) shared the following. It changed my perspective. "If we could reduce the world’s population to a village of precisely 100 people, with all existing human ratios remaining the same, the demographics would look something like this The village would have 60 Asians, 14 Africans, 12 Europeans, 8 Latin Americans, 5 from the USA and Canada, and 1 from the South Pacific 51 would be male, 49 would be female 82 would be non-white; 18 white 67 would be non-Christian; 33 would be Christian 80 would live in substandard housing 67 would be unable to read 50 would be malnourished and 1 dying of starvation 33 would be without access to a safe water supply 39 would lack access to improved sanitation 24 would not have any electricity (And of the 76 that do have electricity, most would only use it for light at night.) 7 people would have access to the Internet 1 would have a college education 1 would have HIV 2 would be near birth; 1 near death 5 would control 32% of the entire world’s wealth; all 5 would be US citizens 33 would be receiving --and attempting to live on-- only 3% of the income of the village” If it were possible to reduce the world’s population to a village of 100 people, I wonder if we would treat people differently? Would our churches be more diverse? ______________________________ Father, Help us to love and accept each other. To value our differences and view all people through your eyes. To accept people regardless of their racial and ethnic background. Make our church family more diverse. Let it be said of the church - "that there is not a more diverse group of people in all the world." For Christ sake. Amen!

Zoe Conference

The Zoe Conference was great. I loved the worship and fellowship. Michael Card was awesome. I was happy with my presentation. Thank you Lord!

From the Marriott

My sponsor just called. This is how the conversation went. Tom J. - "Where are you?" I am in my hotel room. Tom J. - "What are you doing?" I am going over my presentation. I am doing well. Tom J. - "OK, I will call you tomorrow." Thanks Tom. Well, we said a little more but that was the jest. That's what you have to do when you're a recoverying alcoholic like me. I'm sober. By the grace of God, I will have three years of sobriety under my belt in 12 days (October 19). The conference is awesome. The worship is great. High praise to the King. I've spent time with Matt and our Praise Team. I've got to visit with some people I haven't seen in a while. I'm having a good time. I pray I do well when I teach. My presentation is entitled How Churches Can Reach Out to Prodigals Like Me.

Headed for Nashville

I'm headed for Nashville in the morning. The schedule for the Zoe Conference (Look to the Hills 2005) is found at http://www.zoegroup.org/ Lord, I pray for everyone who participates in the conference. Be pleased with our worship. Encourage us. Let this conference make a difference in our lives so that we can be more like Jesus. When I do my part, fill me with your Spirit and speak through me. In Jesus name. Amen!

Thank God we can still drive

A support group of people over the age of 90 meets in a cafeteria in Florida every week. During a recent meeting the men were all sitting around a table talking. All of them were over 90 years of age and one guy started complaining about his ailments. He said, “My arms are so weak, I can hardly lift up this cup of coffee to my mouth!” Another guy said, “I can relate to that. My cataracts are so bad; I can hardly see my cup of coffee! Where is it?” Another one said, “My arthritis is killing me so badly, I can hardly even turn my neck to get the waitresses attention to tell her I need another cup of coffee!” Another guy said, “That is the price we pay for getting old.” Another man broke the silence and said, “Yeh, thank God we can all still drive!”

Interviewed on WSAZ Channel 3

Channel 3 News interviewed me regarding the sign in front of our church building. Carol Durst puts great messages on the sign. I tried to get Carol to do the interview but she wanted me to do it. I don’t know how it will turn out. I hope I did OK. It will be aired tomorrow on at 5pm.

Peter's Vision and Deer for Dinner

I killed a deer today. I asked the butcher to make filets out of the tenderloin and make the rest into burger (2 part deer to 1 part sausage because deer meat is so lean). I thank God for the deer I killed. When I am in my tree stand I sometimes think about Peter's vision in Acts 11. Acts 11.5 " ... in a trance I saw a vision. I saw something like a large sheet being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to where I was. 6 I looked into it and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, reptiles, and birds of the air. 7 Then I heard a voice telling me, 'Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.'" Today I killed a deer and Wednesday I will eat it. Native Americans used to pray for the spirit of deer when they killed it. I don't do that but I do pray to God and thank him for the thrill of the hunt and taste of the meat.