New Baby

Since the last time I was able to post on here...we now enjoy a new baby girl--Lydia Grace. Lydia has been a great joy to our family, but she has also been a new challenge. We were used to a boy being around and now a girl in the house changes the flow for sure. Now our house is full of pink and bows. When first thinking about having a girl in the house--it scared me...literraly. Now that she has come she has stolen my heart. Pink and bows are cool now. I am so thankful for healthy and beautiful children. By the grace of God He has blessed us and by that same grace we move forward each day.

Our Country...

I have not watched very much news lately. I was watching a good bit of it and found myself worrying, depressed somewhat, and becoming angry. Angry with our government and angry that no one does anything about it, including myself. I now watch just enough to know what is going on and know that I am still very frustrated.

That being said, I see that our government is very determined to push this health care bill. I have seen and heard numerous things that scare me about this. One issue I read today said that we would basically be paying, with our tax money, to support abortions. This is only one of many problems with the bill. The new government has been very suspicious and very sneaky at what they are about from day one. Actually before the election! It's almost as if, the American people took "common sense" and threw it out the window. Why do we continue to think these people know what they are doing?

I really didn't study history too much in school, but the past few years I have had to teach it. This has caused me to study it. I've always heard since I was born that we must learn from the mistakes of the past. There are several issues in the past that concern me about our government today. One issue is Hitler. Looking at the way Hitler came in was much like Satan. He came in and took a little at a time making the people think they were getting something good. This approach is very similar to today's approach. We have slowly been stripped of our rights until we think it's o.k. and even normal. WHAT?!

Another issue that caught my attention was Thomas Paine's Common Sense. Very much similar to Glenn Beck's approach of America today. We must wake up and use some common sense!!! Am I saying Beck has all the answers? No, but he sure is waking some people up! And I say it's about time.

The other issue, which is fresh on my mind is the Civil War. My students just got through studying it, and I noticed some key things. One of the things that we often get stuck on was the issue of slavery. Slavery was one of the many reasons the southern states seceded from the Union. One of the final things that helped that decision was the election of Abraham Lincoln. Not just because he was elected, but how he was elected. NOT ONE vote in the southern states was for Lincoln. Not only that, they didn't even put him on the ballot. With Lincoln not receiving the majority vote but getting the electoral votes, he was put into office. The southern states realized--"if we ever want anything, we will never get it, because our votes our outnumbered." Thus, finally seceding from the Union.

There have been many begin to fight back and exercise what rights we still have. Starting rallies, Tea Parties, etc. Some say that the South today have more morals than alot of northern states--I don't know. I do know that some of these key issues are pressing today. And the majority of the people are not being represented well. Instead the ones with most representatives, senators, and electoral votes are calling the shots, and that is not a good thing.

This could be a wake up call. This could be the beginning of the end. This could be... Who knows?

God...We could worry about this stuff all day. But we must trust our creator, follow after Him, stand for what is right, and see America come back to God...a place always intended by our forefathers. That started this country on prayer and fasting. Shouldn't we continue this process? But never forget--With Prayer comes Great Responsibility...

Prayer Life?

Do you ever think about prayer? What it's like and how we must sound?

Lately we have been discussing this during our youth time. I think about people I used to hear praying growing up, people that pray now, and even my own. Then I think...we sound ridiculous! The more I get into the Word, it seems to me that God is about joining in with us everyday on this journey. That He desires us, and wants us to be REAL with Him. Sometimes I laugh at my own prayers because, to be honest, they are really religious. Using terms like thee, to refer to God, or thou. I never talk like that, and neither does anybody I know. I guess we think since the scripture must be in King James then our prayer life must be also.

I have been purposefully trying to break this habit of mind. One encouragement to do this is to picture myself with God--a real being, fully alive--not dead. Interacting with Him and hanging out together...living life together. This has not been easy. When trying to do this, I see how religious prayer has become in my life--that it must fit a mold, instead of living life with my Creator.

I used to think of God on His throne like the Lincoln memorial. Picturing God this way would never allow me to see how He could care for me like the scripture told me. My view on God has changed and because of it, so has my life. I realize that He desires to spend time with me, quality time, talking about real issues, and conversing with me.

I feel that many of the greats we read about in the Bible, somehow understood that--they interacted with the creator of the universe and experience Him like none other (James 5:16-18).

Does He still do that?

“I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! ² But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. ³ The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ⁴ After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. ⁵ They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.”

--John 10:1-5

We do not hope God follows us around, we interact with Him, and He leads us...

Be Fruitful

"As for you, be fruitful and increase in number; multiply on the earth and increase upon it." Genesis 9:7.

³ Sons are a heritage from the LORD,
children a reward from him.

⁴ Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
are sons born in one's youth.

⁵ Blessed is the man
whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to shame
when they contend with their enemies in the gate.

Psalms 127:3-4

And with that I say...we are expecting our second child. When thinking about having children thoughts rush through my mind. Will I be good enough? Will my strengths outweigh the bad? Will Eli be too jealous or dislike his sibling? ...and on, and on, and on...

Then I have to remember that has to be thoughts from satan because I know that God wants me to purpose these things in my heart and fight for them everyday. I believe that God wants plans to prosper me and not harm me, but it's a fight. A fight which I have to purpose to fight in everyday. I see the enemy trying to take me out in many different ways--to lose heart. I must not! I want to see a new generation emerge. One that is full of God, full of life with fire and zeal, and a love that distinctively sets them apart from any other. And that every generation that comes after them will follow and grow more and more.

I realize this is no easy task. I can't fight it alone either. May you join me in trying to raise a new generation for the KINGDOM!

Long time no see...

For the past two days I have been stuck in the house with the stomach virus. Being forced to just lay around and not be able to do much on my own. As I'm laying here I thought of how we go everyday at our own pace and rarely take time to acknowledge the things around us and that we are to take time and rest. When we stop, we actually have time to listen. And yes God still speaks to His children, if we will listen.

As I have been laying here, I remembered that I had a blog at one time. So I found it again, but it took me a while because I hadn't used it in so long I forgot my password.

I hope to continue writing on here and catch up to some things going on in my life...

--to be continued.

Almost Forgotten

I almost forgot that I even had this thing.  I was just reading my last post and remembered how hard it was for me to even think the last time I wrote.  There was so much going on in my life and my emotions--that I really didn't want to talk.  Thank goodness for Jesus Christ--who has set us free from bondage, to not be entangled by these emotions.  He brings peace and joy! 

Sunday, my father-in-law preached on--Not just being set free "from" but set free "to."  We have been set free from bondage, sin, snares, traps, etc. But most of us don't know that we have been set free to do something--we just sit around in this neutral area and say were free.  We have been set free to now go and be slaves to righteousness.  To do the work of the Lord.  Not that we are saved by the good works, but we are saved to do good works.  It is not religious acts but a lifestyle of devotion that leads to righteousness.

Lots of times--I see in myself and others--we say man I wish I could be set free from...

The truth is--at the cross we were set free, and when we receive salvation we receive all that was accomplished on the cross.  But for the most part we don't know it.  We still walk around in chains or in prison.

Remember in Acts, when Paul was in prison and the angel came and opened the doors and broke the chains, he stayed there.  Christians are very much the same.  God has set us free--no more chains, no more bondage, but we ignore that the door is open and set us free to go do something, and we just sit in our prison still trapped even though we are set free.  We must embrace what God has done--not just a ticket to heaven but the whole package.  I encourage you to read the word and find out what I mean by the whole thing--I could write some down but it would mean more to discover them yourself--I still find new things everyday that I already have and didn't even know it!  You are free, free indeed!

RollerCoaster!

What do I mean by this word? I have been on a rollercoaster of emotions the past week. Last week my first baby was born Thursday. I seemed to be on top of the world. During the night that night I woke up with uncontrollable fear. Fear about how to take care of him and things like that--but most of all just covered in nervous fear. I seemed to get better the next day and was doing pretty well. Just loving my new son.

Monday morning I was awakened by a phone call (that I will never forget) about my brother being in an accident. He was outside of his vehicle on I-20 and was hit by another vehicle. I have been with him the past few days at LSU-Shreveport.

My stomach feels like a bunch of knots tied up in one, nervous, scared, tired, excited about good news, sad about what happened. I've also felt torn. Torn between two places--wanting to be at home to see my new baby, but also wanting to right with my brother.

A rollercoaster is the best way to describe this feeling. Not just any kiddie rollercoaster, but a massive top of the line rollercoaster--with speeds that put you back in your seat.



I've wondered how people get through times like these without knowing God. If I did not know Him and could not experience his peace--I think I would be a crazy man! But he gives peace, rest, joy, love, healing, and so much more. He clears my mind of negative emotions and fills them with good thoughts!

I'm not going to lie. Sometimes it's hard! Sometimes I have to really fight. There's a war going on daily in our lives--a spiritual war. Whether we engage or not--it still goes on! As I look back over the past few weeks--I see so many attacks by Satan--in my mind and against my heart. The enemy's desire is for me to lose heart and give up--but we must not! We must realize that we have been given authority over the enemy and we have to see the attacks for what they are--alot of them are in our minds and things he whispers to us--and we can make no agreements with him. We must agree with God!