HIA - The Alt...

I didn't keep up with this the way I wanted to, so I decided to try again.  Here's the link: http://pneumaoflife.blogspot.com.

I thought I would take a moment to share one of my favorite songs from one of my favorite artists. This was written by Rich Mullins prior to his death and then recorded by Amy Grant on Rich's Jesus Record. It is Awesome!

I am continually fascinated and captivated by the depths of his lyrics.

Where could I go, where could I run
Even if I found the strength to fly
And if I rose on the wings of the dawn
And crashed thorough the corner of the sky

If I sailed past the edge of the sea
Even if I made my bed in Hell
Still there you would find me

If I should shrink back from the light
So I can sink into the dark
If I take cover and I close my eyes
Even then You would see my heart

And You'd cut through all my pain and rage
The darkness is not dark to you
And night's as bright as day

Nothing is beyond You
You stand beyond the reach
Of our vain imaginations
Our misguided piety

The heavens stretch to hold You
And deep cries out to deep
Singing that nothing is beyond You
Nothing is beyond You

Time cannot contain You
You fill eternity
Sin can never stain You
Death has lost its sting

And I cannot explain the way You came to love me
Except to say that nothing is beyond You
Nothing is beyond you

Here is a word for you from the Word.

It is 2:03 PM and I just received news that my grandmother, Rosa Mae Hodge (a.k.a. Mama Rose), has died. She awoke this morning with great pain and cramping and was rushed to the emergency room. While there, she had a stroke and did not recover.

As I watched her deterioration from Alzheimer disease, I do not mourn her release from this world. She truly was a woman of God...woman who displayed Godly character in the face of mountains of adversity.

Divorced from a cheating husband, she left small-town Alabama and took her 4 children to Nashville so they could attend a good Christian school. She raised her children in the presence of God and now she is resting peacefully with him.

Bless you Rosa Mae Hodge for the example you provided for those of us on your watch!

I was talking with a friend last night about two very possible scenarios for the United States in the near future:

1. An Electro-magnetic Pulse (EMP) weapon detonated at a high altitude over the central United States that would basically render useless all of our current technology that relies upon electricity
   
2. The possibility of a nuclear strike on one or more of our large cities.

I had an individual recently comment that it is "all or nothing" with me. I got to thinking about that statement and want to pose this question: Is there really any other way to be?

Nobody likes indecision. You don't want someone who vacillates between two polar opposite opinions. Nobody likes wishy-washy people. As a matter of fact, Jesus himself commented in judgment on the Church at Laodicea, saying "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth." (Revelation 3:15,16 NKJV) Stern words for a lukewarm church!

As I seek to follow God in all things, I find that there is no "gray area." Rather, I find things to be very much "black and white" with Him. You're either on or off, in or out, right or wrong, righteous or evil. There is no mixing of the two! Can you be partly evil? Partly on? I don't think so.

And so, in the sum of things, I find myself either hot or cold, but not in the middle on much. Sure, there are things that require serious thought before plunging in; but once the decision is made, I make it and stay the course.

After serious reflection, I find the comment to be a compliment. Thanks!

I'll close with a famous statement: "There is no try...there is only do or do not!" - Yoda, Jedi Master

When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there. And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was.

Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched Him were made well.

Mark 6:53-56 NKJV

I was listening to the Dramatized New King James audio Bible on the way to work this morning and this passage was part of the reading. When I heard it, something about the wording struck me. And then I heard the quite voice of the Holy Spirit say that this was how we are to be as ambassadors for Christ.

You see, there was no shame in these people. They recognized Jesus for who he was - the one who could heal them...the one who could take away their sickness and infirmities...the bright beacon in a world of darkness.

Are we to be any different? We are called to "put on Christ."

Does the atmosphere change when you enter a place? Do people come to you with their problems, issues, and infirmities? Do they recognize the mark of the Master upon your life? Do words of life and healing issue forth from you?

Let us all realize who we are and be the salt and light we are called to be to a dying world!

Another thought provoking video from Paul Washer...

The following is a poem written by Judge Roy Moore from Alabama . Judge Moore was sued by the ACLU for displaying the Ten Commandments in his courtroom foyer. He has been stripped of his judgeship and now they are trying to strip his right to practice law in Alabama ! The judge's poem sums it up quite well.

I received this clip below in an email and I almost dismissed it to my "I'll look at it later" file. I clicked on it and was captivated. I will dwell on this for quite awhile.

Clip:



Full Sermon:

I'm currently reading an excellent book and I would like to share it with you.

Epicenter - Why the Current Rumblings in the Middle East Will Change Your Future by Joel C. Rosenberg, author of the New York Times best seller The Last Jihad.

The eyes of the world are on the epicenter:

• Iran's president vows to wipe Israel "off the map" and says the end of the world is just two or three years away.
• A leading U.S. presidential candidate says that if Iran goes nuclear, "we could have Armageddon."
• Russia signs a billion-dollar arms deal with Iran and helps Iran build nuclear facilities.
• The president of the United States refuses to rule out preemptive nuclear strikes.

Current statistics report there have been more than 40 million abortions in the twenty six years
since the U.S. Supreme Court legalized unrestricted abortion on January 22, 1973. That statistic boils down to an average of 1 in 4 children currently aborted each year in America. 1 in 4 converts to a percentage of 25%.

A rate of 25% is a huge number. In addition to the grave moral implications that a figures so large holds (1 abortion is too many), that also means that doctors, lawyers, scientists, social workers, ministers, teachers, and all other classes of workers are reduced by 25% as a result. What effect does this have on our nation's ability to compete in the world market?

I didn't pen this post to harp on the negatives...rather, I chose this opportunity to show the difference a single choice can make. Please think about the implications of a single choice and choose life!

Pam knows about the pain of considering abortion.

More than 21 years ago, she and her husband, Bob, were serving as missionaries to the Philippines and praying for a fifth child. Pam contracted amoebic dysentery, an infection of the intestine caused by a parasite found in a contaminated food or drink. She entered into a coma
and was treated with strong antibiotics before they discovered she was pregnant. Doctors urged her to abort the baby for her own safety and told her that the medicines had caused irreversible damage to her baby. She refused the abortion and cited her Christian faith as the reason for her hope that her son would be born without the devastating disabilities
physicians predicted.

The doctors "didn't think of it as a life, they thought of it as a mass of fetal tissue," Pam said.

While pregnant, Pam nearly lost their baby four times but refused to consider abortion. She recalled making a pledge to God with her husband, "If you will give us a son, we'll name him 'Timothy,' and we'll make him a preacher."

Pam ultimately spent the last two months of her pregnancy in bed and, eventually, gave birth to a health baby boy August 14, 1987. Pam's youngest son is indeed a preacher. He preaches in prisons, makes hospital visits, and serves with his father's ministry in the
Philippines.

He also plays football. Pam's son is Tim Tebow.

Last year, the University of Florida's star quarterback, became the first sophomore in history to win college football's highest award, the Heisman Trophy. Tim's notoriety and the family's inspiring story have given Pam numerous opportunities to speak on behalf of women's centers
across the country.

She was the keynote speaker at the Oct. 23, 2008, benefit banquet for two Louisville ministries. A Woman's Choice Resource Center offers such services as free pregnancy tests, post-abortion counseling, adoption information, and material support. Necole's Place is a companion ministry that provides support services for women in need.

Several Louisville-area Kentucky Baptist churches and Long Run Baptist Association help support both ministries.

A Woman's Choice board chairman, John Schmitt, reported at the banquet that in the 20 years since the resource center opened, 4,500 children have been saved from abortion -- 400 in this year alone.

Speaking of the thousands of lives saved, Pam Tebow said, "That just blows my mind. Every little baby you save matters."

I was talking with a friend today and realized that my image of them and the actual reality of their life was two different things. Sure, the major stuff I had right...the place where she worked, her academic endeavors, the name of her boyfriend, and even some historical facts. But the reality of it is that I had a superficial view of things.

As she began to describe some of the things that were going on in her life, I came to understand that we are comfortable with the superficial...the facade. We operate well when we don't have to get our hands dirty with the down and dirty details of everyday life. That is not to say that we are a heartless people. We most certainly do help those with whom we have intimate bonds. But the point I'm trying to make is that everyone you see walking down the street is not okay. There are hurts and pains, scars from past events, depression, anxiety, and a host of other maladies lurking just beneath the surface. We all experience some of these things in our own lives from time to time. I just want to see...

To see what is really there. To be able to make a meaningful impact on those with whom I have regular contact.... To join with them in their sorrows, struggles, and grief as well as sharing the momentous and happy occasions.... To let them know that they are important and meaningful in my life and that they matter in this existence we call life.

But, more than that, I wish to see that others around me, no matter who they are, are all dealing with their own personal issues that affect who they are and what they do. When I encounter someone who irritates me, or does something to me with which I take offense or disagree, I want to have the presence of mind to realize that there are things that I cannot see that may be at work.

We are all human and worthy of respect.

For more on that idea:

Wow...I promised myself that I would blog more on a regular basis. This should be therapeutic for me, but I keep forgetting to put my thoughts down.

Well, let's see...Obama is now the president - plenty more to come on that one. I want to hope that he'll do right by the American people, but his desire to push the Freedom of Choice Act forward (FOCA) shows what I think are his true colors.

It is 2009. WOW, 2008 flew by.

I'm in Grad school pursuing a Master of Science in Administration with a concentration in Database Administration.

So, as you can see, 2009 will be just as busy as 2008. But I promise to write more.

I send out a daily inspirational thought and I usually type up a week's worth on Monday and set them to go out on a schedule during the week. Here's one that caught my eye:

I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.
Jeremiah 31:34 NKJV

To love conditionally is against God’s nature. Just as it’s against you nature to eat trees and against mine to grow wings, it’s against God’s nature to remember forgiven sins.

You see, God is either the God of perfect grace…or he is not God. Grace forgets. Period. He who is perfect love cannot hold grudges. If he does, then he isn’t perfect love. And if he isn’t perfect love, you might as well put this book down and go fishing, because both of us are chasing fairy tales.

But I believe in his loving forgetfulness. And I believe he has a graciously terrible memory.

Max Lucado – Grace for the Moment

My question is this: Why can't we forgive and forget as well?

I have a friend that has a rant she wants me to express in here: The blaming of the fast food industry for the obesity of our children. While it is true the fast food industry provides calorie and fat laden food, are they really to blame for the bulging waistlines of our children?

Here's a quote straight from the mouth of my friend:"I find it a warped truth. I grew up on McDonalds and Taco Bell....but i also didn't grow up with 600 gaming systems that kept me in the house instead of being outside."

I think she has a point. If you eat high calorie/high fat food, then sit on your butt all day long, what other thing could you possibly expect to happen? I can personally attest to that fact (see previous posts...).

Parents...you are ultimately responsible for all aspects of your child's well being. Hello...anybody out there? That includes how much they weigh. And trust me, I know it can be a constant battle. My wife is always reminding me that our children mimic what they see. And if they see me overeating, they will be inclined to to do so. If they see me vegging out in front of the TV all day long with no exercise, who do you think they will emulate?

Now, I will dissent in this argument on the fact that it is not partly the fast food industry's problem. There are less fatty ways to produce the foods they sell and I'll bet they could make it taste just as good. While I do not think the industry should be forced to comply, they should be able to see the correlation between the man boobs a lot of guys are sporting and bad food intake.

For a totally different view of the issue, See what the Schwarzanator (Gov. Schwarzenegger, Republican, CA) has done.

I've found a new (at least for me) way to use my treadmill. I used to use an interval training method that warmed up for two minutes, went to 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, and 90% of max effort for a minute each then dropped back down to 50% for three cycles with the addition of 100% effort on the last and two minutes of cool down. I liked it but saw a different method in my Men's Health magazine.

This one uses all-out sprints for 60 seconds followed by a 180 second cool down to complete one cycle. I tried it last night and decided this is a keeper. Try it and see what you think. You do three cycles the first day, four the second, and so on. The exact information can be found online at the Men's Health website.

It's getting...well, it's gotten...late. I'm so sleepy I can't even keep my eyes open. I just fell asleep while installing Adobe Reader 9. I want to sleep. I need to sleep. My body is begging me for sleep. Why can't I just log off and go to...sleep. So many things to do. I haven't even read the news on FoxNews.com. So little time left in a day to get them accomplished....

I run my body, my body doesn't run me. It's trying to rebel...to keep me pegged to this seat, staring at this screen...but I will win this battle...wait...Firefox just released and update and I need to install it...no...I am in control...goodnight!

You're dressed up really nice...you don't necessarily want the attention from every man, but you know you look good and they're going to look. They can't help it, right? You just know you're "all that" today. You've got the dress, the makeup is perfect, and you've accessorized to a tee. The shoes are perfect! Nothing can stop you...you are perfection exemplified. But wait...those beautiful sandals that just add icing on the cake reveal a flaw....

Here's the deal: I just don't understand how someone can pay so much attention to every little detail of their appearance, look so pretty and vogue and then have...how should I say it...crusty heels. Oh...that is so unappealing. Actually, it's gross and foul (but that is just my opinion). It goes right up there with chipped nail polish. How does that happen? How can you let a "biggie" like that one pass you by? I've got a suggestion: PedEgg! Do us all a favor!

While I'm on the subject...I firmly believe there are some people (men and women) who just should not wear open-toed shoes or sandals. Their feet just weren't made for public view. See, I can talk because I know my feet are "jacked"...but I keep them covered. No revealing here.

Maybe I'm just weird, but I notice these things.