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.