New Year's Resolutions

New Years is always a fun time for me. One, because it marks the end of the holiday season, and by this time, I am usually ready for it to be over. Two, because it means my birthday is only one day away. Although I have to admit, I am looking less and less forward to this one as the years go by. ha! And three, it marks the beginning of a fresh start. A new beginning, so to speak.

There are many traditions that have become a custom for us to participate in throughout our lives; perhaps none bigger than the ones that often take place at New Years. It is not so much that we are a superstitious people as much as that they are simply a part of our culture. Sometimes they are fun; sometimes we take them very seriously. Perhaps one we take the most serious is "New Year Resolutions." Yes, we have all done it. The lists are practically endless of things we resolve to do each year. And if you are anything like me sometimes, all you can do is hope that the motivation to carry them out will last more than a couple of months.

The Bible certainly has a lot to say about commitment, both explictly and implicitly. So I thought I would end the year by giving some thought to what I am resolved to do for the upcoming new year, which begins tomorrow. This is not desgined to tell anyone what their "New Year Resolutions" should be. That is between you, God, and whomever you choose to share them with. I am choosing to share mine with you (1) to hold myself accountable; and (2) to provide encouragement concerning some things that should be taken seriously by all of us as Jesus' followers.

My New Year Resolutions:

1. "I gotta lose some weight and take better care of myself, physically." I know, I know. Probably the most talked about resolution of all. The difference for me however, is that before, it was usually for the wrong reason. Whether it was to look better or because someone else wanted me to, the reasons were vain. For me it has now become a matter of two things: (1) health and (2) discipline. I do not feel healthy right now. Yet, I want nothing more than to serve in God's kingdom and be fruitful in everything I do. Everything about Jesus while living on earth was to effect man's salvation. Jesus tells me to do the same. I want more energy, enthusiasm, and excitement. I can start with shedding this excess weight that makes me tired, lethargic, lazy, and depressed. And I think discipline has to be a factor as well. To serve God and walk with Christ in this world, we need to be a disciplined people. I have always had some discipline in my life. But I have not in the area of food choices and exercise. That needs to change. If I can't discipline myself in the taking care of my physical body, then how can I do so in my spiritual life, which should be far more important? God has blessed me with a physical body and I have enjoyed tremendous health up to this point in my life. I want to be a better steward with what God has given me. I don't FEEL like I have at this point. I covet your prayers in this regard.


2. "I want to pray more regularly and fervently." The Bible reminds us that the fervent prayer of the righteous is a good thing and that we should do it. Fervent implies great passion and zeal that is boiling over. Jesus, while living on earth, came across every problem that we encounter. He was stressed. He was rejected and ridiculed. He was persecuted. He was lonely. He was tempted. He was sad. These encounters were met with prayer. Of all the reasons we could mention as to why we should pray, that Jesus did it, is perhaps the greatest. My hope is that by spending more time with my Heavenly Father in prayer this year, I will be better reminded of His presence in my life.


3. "I want to do more for those commonly unaccepted in society." The more I see the homeless, the poor, the sick and diseased, the less-fortunate children, and even those deeply embedded in sin, in my community, the more my heart goes out to them. And while it is easy for me to think to myself, "well they have no one to blame but themselves," it becomes necessary for me to remember that this was never Jesus' atttitude. Certainly, there are those who are less fortunate who probably could do more for themselves. I won't deny that. But my purpose as a disciple of Christ is to introduce God's kingdom to people. And the greatest example of one promoting the kingdom is Christ Himself. Who did He reach out to? Who did He spend the majority of His time with, besides His apostles? It was the ordinary people in His society that most thought had nothing to offer. It was those who the religious elistist looked upon as sinners who were to be shunned. May my good fortune in life always be a reminder to me that it was God who blessed me with what I have. And may it forever be a reminder to me that I have no right to be arrogant or puffed up about it, and every obligation to share it so I can have a good influence on others.


4. "I want to be more focused on how to fix ME and be less judgmental of others." I believe my relationship with God in recent times has been greatly hindered by my judgmental attitude. I pray for forgiveness over my arrogance. This past year has been one of the greatest years of my life. I think I have grown as a Christian and in my relationship with God more so this year than in other years, combined. And it all started with putting down my gavel and remembering that God did not create me to be His helper as Judge. My title is "Christan," not "Assistant vice-president of God's judging committee." I pray that I will never exude the kind of arrogance I once did. I hope that my motivation to be a Jesus follower will be driven by my humility and remembrance that I am still in just as much need of God's grace and mercy as the one on the street who has never known God. I am not saved by my faith, works, theology, or wisdom alone any more than I am by another person's. I am saved by the grace of God who has sent His Son to shed His blood for me. And while there is no doubt that I must do what God says in order to contact that blood (Romans 6:3-4; Acts 22:16), this is not THE SOURCE of my salvation. The source is God and His love and mercy for mankind.


5. "I want to always keep in mind how much my kids need me." I don't know if there is more we can do to deprive our children than to not spend time with them. My 2 boys are precious to me and I hope that I will always remember that there is more to raising them than discipline. That is important. But so is the value of giving them my time, my ear, my affection, and my fun. Research suggests that my boys (and all children) need these things, especially from their dads, for their sense of security and well-being. May God be with me as I strive daily to bring them up in the admontion and training of the Lord!

So there you have it; things in which I have resolved to do a better job this upcoming 2009 year. I have been praying about them for quite some time now, and am confident with Christ walking by my side, I can succeed. I hope you will pray for me. I continue to pray for you as my loved ones daily. Please feel free to share what some of your resolutions for the new year are. I would love to hear them and if you have something to share that can be helpful to me and others, to God be the glory!

Have a wonferful New Year and please, be careful if you are doing anything tonight...

Therapeutic Venting and Random Thoughts

Colin Cowhered has it right. By the way, I love Colin. He has a great radio show on ESPN. Often I feel that it is too bad I am so busy, because I would love to take 3 hours every morning to listen to him. He is smart, he is funny, sarcastic (now you know why he appeals to me), and usually on target with his opinions. His insight over various issues going on in the sports world, in my opinion, are usually dead on. Many don't like him because he calls it like it is. And as much as I hate to admit it, he has been correct in his analyses of my beloved Cowboys for the past year. He has been callling it all year that this was a train wreck waiting to happen. It happened about the 4th game of the season and has now come to it's full fruition. What a frustrating team to be so in love with. It hurts, man. They have way too many problems to try and dissect, so I am not even going to go there. I just can't. I know the players are supposed to play their game and they are ultimately responsible. But how does a coach let a group of prima donnas not show up like what we saw yesterday? How does a "leader" of a team wih that much talent allow his team to come out lethargic and with no urgency in the last game of the season, with everything on the line? How does a "leader" allow players under him to get by with acting like crybabies when they don't get the ball enough? How does a "leader" allow his team to become a soap opera by focusing on everything BUT football throughout the football season? I just don't get it. And apparently the owner doesn't either. How do you not change anything after this debacle?

Well, with this said, I want to thank the Cowboys. September was great, but the rest of the season was miserable, watching these guys underperform. But now that they have taken me out of my misery, I can now watch the playoffs with no expectations of this team that I have grown to hate to love. It should be great! Thank you Dallas Cowboys. Now I can move on and get my focus back on things that I should be more concerned about anyway....you know, like life?

Well, at least until September of 2009... ;-)


Well, we had a good Christmas. It is always good to be around family. We went to Gladewater for a couple of days to be with Cody's family and had a great time. Her dad was home for the first time in a couple of years after having been in Iraq. Her brother was home for Christmas for the first time in a couple of years also. We had a lot of fun.


Oh yeah, speaking of sports. This is a really cool story, written by Rick Reilly, of ESPN.com. What a great reminder to all of us about what should be most important in life!


I have recently become acquainted with someone that I already consider a friend. He has a great blogsite. I encourage you to check it out, here; he has some great thoughts and he has a unique way of challenging me to be a better Christian while at the same time, making me laugh. Here is something I found from his website. This is hilarious! I think I enjoyed it so much because it probably fits my counseling style in more ways than I would like to admit.


Speaking of counseling, I think this is very therapeutic. Perhaps this is what I need to listen to after the Cowboys lose. If this can't make you laugh, what can? Check it out:




I hope all are enjoying their holidays.

Why pray?

About a week ago, someone close to me told me that he was praying for me. Of course, it means a lot when someone says something of this nature because it usually means you are important enough to them that they think about you even when they are not with you. It is always nice to know that you are cared for. But I began to consider these words of my friend shortly after he said them and I have not stopped thinking about them since. How significant is it that one would take my well-being before the throne of our Almighty God? And that made me think even more, “Why even pray to begin with? What is the significance of it, really?” James reminds us to pray for one another and that our prayers are powerful (James 5:16). Paul says it this way; “pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17). But in light of our seemingly insignificant nature compared to that of our Creator, is it really necessary? Why do it? Are we really accomplishing anything? What possibly could we reveal to God, that He is not already aware of?


I enjoy having discussions of this nature with my wife. It is one of the many wonderful qualities that drew me to her. I remember many years ago when we were talking about prayer, she stated that prayer is for us. That really has stuck with me over the years. Yes, our prayers are to be directed to God but it is for our benefit. Prayer brings us closer to God. It is a source of reminder to us that we indeed need Him; and that we cannot on our own, live as He wants us to, in the midst of a society that does not glorify Him. Prayer serves as a means of remembering our role in this present-day world; He is the Creator and we are the created.

We have all heard the phrase, “communication in a relationship is like blood is to the body.” No relationship can survive without communication. One of the most essential needs of us is to encounter God and have a relationship with Him. Outside of this, there is no hope of salvation through Jesus. Prayer gives us that opportunity to communicate with our amazing Creator. It is amazing that while we are so small and insignificant compared to the vastness and greatness of God, yet we are very significant in that He created us and loves us enough to go to the extremes He did to give us salvation.


There are a lot of ways we can answer the question “why pray?” I think the ones I mentioned fit the bill. And there are certainly others we can throw out there, such as God said to do it or that it gives us a way to express thanksgiving to God and acknowledge that all of our wealth is because of Him. But I think one of the most significant reasons for prayer is simply that Jesus did it. From the moment man sinned in the Garden of Eden, God immediately began to put forth His plan to reconcile man back to God. The entire Old Testament prepares the people of God for the Messiah, through Whom this reconciliation would take place (2 Corinthians 5:20). And then it happened (Galatians 4:4). Christ came to earth and established His precious church. He would eventually suffer an unfathomable crucifixion in order to bring us closer to God (I Peter 3:18). Leading up to His death however, as He carried out His ministry, we are told that He was tempted in every way that we are (Hebrews 4:15) and that He did not sin. Just like us, Christ was tempted. He was persecuted. He was stressed. Probably moreso than any of us have or ever will experience. And these challenges He encountered were met with prayer. Paul reminds us that we are imitators of Him (1 Corinthians 11:1). If I am to strive to be like Jesus in everything that I do, then hopefully prayer will become a bigger part of my life. I know I need to do much better.

Can we truly walk with Jesus, who prayed often, without prayer being part of our walk with Him? Because of our Lord’s example and what He taught throughout His ministry, prayer is an essential element to kingdom living. Not so much because God wants us to live in fear of “Do it or go to hell!” But rather because we want to emulate Jesus and strive to live as He would live if He were physically present on this earth today.


I am curious as to some of your thoughts on why prayer is so important in our lives. Please feel free to share as we all strive to grow together in Christ.

Celebrating Christ

In Isaiah 7:14 we read the announcement of the forthcoming Messiah. “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” We see this prophecy fulfilled in Matthew 1:21-23. “She will bear a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS: for He will save His people from their sins. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: ‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ (which means, God with us)."

This is such a special time of year for so many of us. Children get excited because they get toys and games they have longed for. Parents get excited because it is such a joy to see their children happy. Many of us get excited because this is one of the few occasions during the year that we actually get to see and be with all of our families at the same time. And certainly there is nothing wrong with this. In fact, it is right. These are definitely reasons that we should be excited about the holiday season.

However, I would hope that this is not the only time of year that some people decide to get “religious” or "spiritual." Often, people may choose this as the only time of year to follow Jesus, express their love to Him, and celebrate His wonderful birth. Such would be unfortunate because the effects of His cross and the joy of our salvation is something that should radiate all year around.

Please understand that my intentions are certainly not to discourage people from being spiritually minded and celebrating Christ during the Christmas season. I am actually hoping to encourage it. My point here is that perhaps each and every day of the year should be a special day for loving God and appreciating Christ’s coming to earth in the form of man. The aforementioned verses indicate that the Messiah’s coming into this world was a much-anticipated event. Now it has happened. So, how do we respond? Let us rejoice indeed! And I personally think it is great that our culture has set aside a time of the year to honor our great King. But do we love God enough to show our commitment to Christ 365 days per year?

May we all have a wonderful holiday season. May the Lord bless us and keep us safe during this joyous time of year. May we all strive to have the spirit of Christ every day as we enjoy the blessings of His beautiful kingdom.

The Heart and Compassion of a Child

I wrote this a few months back when my wife had to leave town for a couple of days and I kept the boys by myself. They taught me a great lesson.


Yesterday was an interesting day at the office. First, I am by myself with the boys this week, as my wife needed to go to East Texas to get the house ready for her dad. While in Iraq he had a stroke, and has been in a hospital in Germany for the past week. Well, he returned home Monday evening and Cody went to go help her mom tend to him for a couple of days. She should be back today or tomorrow. My father in law is expected to make a full recovery and right now his plans are to return to Iraq in about 3 weeks. He is doing well but please pray for him.

In any event, I mention this because the boys are with me this week. It makes for an interesting day at the office as they are running and playing all throughout the church building while I study in my office. The biggest challenge is keeping them out of the baptistry.

Well yesterday, a young woman, twenty three years of age, came by the church building and wanted some counseling. I invited her in and we sat in the auditorium and talked for a considerable amount of time. This young woman's world is absolutely falling apart. She is sick and because of her sickness, her fiance left her. Her parents are divorcing, which cannot be easy for any twenty-three year old, much less for one who is experiencing a separation of her own. Her sister is strung out on drugs. And she has no money and insisted on me not giving her any. In addition to all of this, she does not like her job and wants to move to Austin to get a better job but her father absolutely forbids it, even though she is an adult. A lot of this, of course, has to do with her culture. So as I sat and listened to her, she was sobbing quite heavily.

I have experienced moments like this, but this time was a bit different. My kids were running around the auditorium and foyer, playing and laughing while all of this was happening. I tried to get them to go elsewhere and play but it was to no avail. Finally, my youngest, a 3-year old, came up to her and gave her a hug and patted her on the back and asked if she will be okay. He had never even seen this woman before. He had no idea who she was and he did not particularly care. As I sat there in awe, she burst out with laughter and told me that I will never know what that meant to her. I'm sure Chase will not either, but it sure made his daddy proud. He helped this young lady in a way that I could not.

After she left, I went to ask the boys if they were ready to go get some lunch and Aaron, my oldest, a 5-year old, was teary-eyed himself. I asked him what was wrong and he said he was sad because that girl was sad. Again, I was awe-struck. I have two precious boys that have tremenous hearts of compassion. May I do my best to instill in them the drive to keep it.

But while the temptation exists for me to point out my children as unique in that regard, I really don't think they are. They are indeed special, and I couldn't be more proud of them. But I believe for the most part, all children have hearts of gold and the type of compassion for which all of us should strive.

In Matthew 18:3-5, our Lord stated, "I assure you, unless, you are converted and become like chldren, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child--this one is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one child like this in My name welcomes Me."

I am grateful for children in this world. They truly are a blessing. And I am especially thankful that God has given me two of them to raise, witness, and learn from each and every day.

Roller Coaster of a Weekend

Sunday morning, between Bible Class and worship, I was visiting with people in the auditorium as I always do, and one of my friends asked me how my weekend had gone. For some reason, I did not respond right away. I wasn't sure how to answer the question. On one level, it was one of the toughest weekends I have had to experience. But it was also a wonderful weekend filled with great things. The only way I could describe it to the person who asked was, "it was a roller coaster ride of emotion, but I wouldn't change a thing."

Last week, early Wednesday morning, someone in the congregation had passed away from a heart ailment. He was 25 years old. He was a great young man who in spite of his illness, had a heart of gold, and served God. I had the privilege of spending quality time with the family up the point of the funeral and I was glad I did. It helped me in my efforts in conducting the funeral service, but I also believe it helped the family in a therapeutic kind of way, to verbalize and process their hurt. The funeral went well I suppose....I guess about as well as a funeral can go. I was amazed at the strength and faith of the family. I can't begin to imagine what it would be like to say goodbye to one of my precious boys. From a selfish standpoint, I hope I never have to experience it. I don't want me and Cody to hurt like I saw this family hurt. But while it hurt this family immensely to say goodbye to their beloved 25-year old son, there was no doubt in their minds that they would one day be reunited with him. Their faith in God was incredible. I learned a valuable lesson in being around them; there will be a day in which every single one of us, if we have not experienced it already, will have to say goodbye and "let go" of someone while on this earth. And may our trust in God be strong and unwavering when it happens. Because it will hurt. And the temptation will surface to be angry and confused. The amazing thing was that the family wanted me to mention this in the service. They wanted their situation to benefit others. I ask that you please pray for this family in the coming days, weeks, and months. It will be tough for them. But I am confident that because God is the awesome refuge that He is, and because of the strength and faith of this family, they will be okay. They told me repeatedly, that they wouldn't a change a thing, because their loved one is now in a better place, and that he is no longer sick. They wouldn't change a thing. Wow!

Well, after the funeral and gravesite service, we had plans to be in Victoria that evening. My parents were taking us all out to dinner at a fancy (not to mention expensive) restaraunt in Victoria, Olde Victoria. It is a beautiful place on the 12th floor of the plaza center in downtown Victoria. Joining us would be the parents, myself, Cody, the boys, Megan (my sister), and her boyfriend Matt. Mom spinned it off to my little sister that it was the only time all of us would be around during the holidays so she wanted to buy us all dinner so we could be together. It was a wonderful time. Well, unbeknownst to Megan, Matt was planning to propose to her in front of the family. He waited until we got back out to the house and did it. It was touching. Cody got it all on video, so we will soon get it posted here on the website, once we get Matt and Megan's permission to do it. Matt is a good guy, and I will be gaining a great brother-in-law. I am glad that my sister will be in good hands with someone who loves her and will always cherish her. She deserves it! We got home around 11:00 PM Saturday night, got the kids to bed. I slept soundly that night as I was obviously very tired.

So Sunday morning rolls around, and I am up early as I usually am on Sunday mornings, looking over my lessons that I have prepared for the day. And my phone rings at about 7 AM and it is a dear friend who I had not spoken to in almost a year. We talked for about 20 minutes. It was good to hear from him and it absolutely made my day... and weekend.

Then the highlight of the weekend came after morning worship. Some people in the congregation, about a month ago, began to think of something they could do for a group of underprivileged children, including adults who are residents at a home for mentally disabled. And what they did, was met a couple of Wednesday nights ago and decorated stockings. The kids in the congregation drew a person's name and were to give a stocking filled with various "goodies" to the individual of whose name they drew. We had a luncheon for them yesterday in their honor after our morning worship where the stockings were exchanged. What a hit! The smiles on their faces said it all. The joy and pride seen in their eyes, as they were reminded of how important they are to us and that they were made to feel like a part of our family, was priceless. But amazingly, to me, that wasn't the biggest part that sticks out in my mind. As I watched the kids interract with them, it hit me that they were visiting with these people moreso than the adults. And as I sat and watched what was happening, it was the youth in the congregation that were being the example to the adults, as eventually we adults began to interract as well. Again, I am reminded of Matthew 18 when Jesus charges us to become like children. I was proud of our kids and I think the parents have a great reason to be overjoyed with what their children accomplished. I hope that they learned a lot from the experience. I did, undoubtedly. It is meaningful because it was the people who were socially unaccepted in society that Jesus actually reached out to. It is a reminder to me that the kingdom is in reality an entity that is available for all, not merely for socially, economic, or religious elitists. And although the kingdom is within the grasp of all man, including the underprivileged, they may never possess it, if we don't get out and introduce it to them. Last I checked, people are not knocking on our doors asking us to introduce Jesus to them. We are the ones who need to get out and do it. I saw that in our youth group and their parents yesterday.

Also, it is in the plans of our youth in the near future, hopefully during the holidays, to make a trip to Central Texas Children's Home, for a day and spend some time with the children there, playing games, watching movies, etc. I am happy to serve in a congregation with people who have kingdom hearts. The people here in La Grange have taught me a lot. May all of us continue to grow in our efforts to develop hearts like Jesus.... and may we continue to do our very best to live our lives as Jesus would live it if He were in our place.

What a weekend!

Heart Medication

I love the psalms. My wife will agree in that I don’t get by as well during the day, if I don’t get my morning dose of the psalms. Many of you have often heard me refer to the psalms as my heart medicine that I have to take each day. The psalms will change one’s heart. They will strenthen our hearts. They will cleanse our hearts. The psalms are there to maintain our pure hearts before God. I am convinced that such is a large part of what God intended the psalms to do for us today. I am by nature a moody person so I have to be very careful sometimes. I pray every day that I will get better. In fact, I hope you will pray for me. It is no secret in my house that when “daddy” finds himself snapping at the kids or speaking in a tone of voice to his wife that he shouldn’t, it is very likely that he didn’t get his psalms “fix” for the day. Therefore, every morning, I wake up realizing that I must spend some time reading and meditating on the psalms before beginning my day. I cannot emphasize enough, what this portion of scripture means to me and my spiritual, emotional, and mental well-being on a daily basis.

It is just something about waking up to be reminded that the beautiful creation around me of which I am so blessed to be a part is a testament to the existence of Almighty God and His glory (Psalm 19). It is edifying to hear one’s heart poured out to Yahweh, pleading for Him to cleanse his heart. To see David shout to God for joy and affirm God’s victory is a tremendous reminder to me that I ought to do the same (Psalm 20). It is just something about rising out of bed in the mornings in a quiet house and being reminded through inspiration that God loves me and will see to it that I will get through my day, if I allow Him to be by my side. And that there is just so much more to being a follower of Him than arrogantly thinking I have it all figured out. Nothing like beginning your daily journey with words like, “God will redeem my life.” It is comforting to know that I can walk with Jesus, without fearing what man says to or thinks of me because God alone is my Judge (Psalm 50). In fact, it is also quite liberating to know that it is not my role as a Christian to play Judge. I am thankful God didn’t give that role to me. It is motivating to see the psalmist on a daily basis begging God to restore his heart (Psalm 51). If only I would learn the humility to do this on a daily basis, myself! It is powerful to be told at the beginning of the day about how even in the midst of a confused and rebellious world, we can have faith and salvation through our submission to God’s will (Psalm 79). There is nothing quite like being reminded as soon as I wake up in the morning to renew my commitment to our God who is awesome (Psalm 80). I love hearing so early in my day, to sing for joy to my great Jehovah God (Psalm 81). Listening to David plead with God to save him from his enemies, lets me know that God’s strength will get me through the day and that there is nothing I cannot overcome because He is with me (Psalm 109). It is wonderful to be reminded on a daily basis that I serve the greatest High Priest in the world (Psalms 110). What an honor it is to serve an All-Knowing and Ever-Present God. The psalmist reminds us that God’s knowledge and comfort to us is extradordinary and beyond us; so much so, that we are unable to completely grasp or fathom it (Psalm 139:6, 17-18). And He indeed is a God who rescues His people (Psalm 140). Just as He rescued us from the bondage of sin (Romans 6) by giving us hope through His beloved Son (John 3:16; Romans 5:8-9).

Have I told you lately, how much I love the psalms? I would encourage everyone to make the psalms a daily part of their lives. Of course, any reading and pondering on the word of God is wonderful. And I certainly don’t want to appear to be implying that one part of God’s Word is more important than another. I simply want to convey that the psalms are a great heart medicine for me. Try it. I try to read and spend time meditating on 5 psalms every morning. It takes me about 20 minutes (except when I read Psalm 119). By doing this every day, I get to spend time in every psalm by the end of the month. I have been doing this consistently for a while now and it has done wonders for my heart and for my relationships.

May God be with me and help my heart to be renewed on a daily basis! I firmly believe that if I allow my heart to be renewed by God and His word every day, then I can help others see Jesus and effectively introduce people to His kingdom. The psalms certainly help me accomplish this.

Today's Idols

"Do not make an idol for yourself, whether in the shape of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth. You must not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the fathers' sin, to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing faithful love to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commands" (Exodus 20:4-6, HCSB).

I have been thinking a lot about this 2nd of what we commonly refer to as the "Ten Commandments." I think it is easy to look at the first few of these commandments and dismiss them without a lot of deep thought because they seemingly do not apply to us. Of course we believe in God and believe that He is the one, true, and living God among us (the 1st commandment). And certainly we understand we are not to use the Lord's name in vain (the 3rd commandment). But what about this one, placed in between about idols? Does this carry application for us? And if so, how? I believe it does, and that it does perhaps, in more ways than we like to admit.

Personally, I have such an addictive nature to me. It is why I will not play video games. I don't believe video games are wrong but I believe for me it can become such because as I have played them in my past, I get so consumed with them that I forget what is most important. How many things are there in life that hinder us from walking in the light with Jesus? What things do we have going on in our lives that serve as nothing more than an obstacle in our efforts to deny ourselves and take up our crosses daily to follow our risen Savior? I believe that it is far from my (or anyone's) responsibility to answer that question for any other individual but I do think it has everything to do with our responsibility to ourselves in our daily self-examination.

Idols today can take on a plethora of forms. Paul tells us covetousness or greed is idolatry (Colossians 3:5). What are our idols today? Could it be money? Our jobs? Clothes? The latest technology? Fantasy baseball? Ouch! Now, I am meddling in my own affairs, aren't I? :-) My point is that when something becomes so important to me that it begins to take away from my responsibility to God, my family, and service to others in the kingdom, then I must take a look at it and re-evaluate what I am doing.

I hope and pray that I will always have the strength and courage to acknowledge those things in my life that prevent me from serving God. If I don't recognize these, then it makes it nearly impossible for me to lay aside that weight that so easily ensnares me. And what a tremendous freedom it is, to be able to lay those things down because we realize that it is not as important to us as our Christian service. To me, one of the more sobering passages in the New Testament is when Jesus asks in Mark 8:36-37, "What profit is it to a man if he shall gain the world, yet lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" What are we giving in exchange for our soul? Is there anything serving as an idol in your life, personally? Jesus invites you and me to lay it down and come to Him instead (Matthew 11:28-30, Hebrews 12:1-2).

Reality can make us lost for words

This morning has been a stunning one. I'm lost for words. I'm in a situation where I want so badly to say something to make a family feel better and I have no idea what to say.

In the middle of the night last night, a person associated with the congregation where I preach, died. He was 25 years old. He had a bad heart and was in need of a transplant. A couple of days ago everything shut down, and now the inevitable has become a reality. A beautiful family now has to stare this reality in the face. Their 25 year old blessing from God is now gone.

As I get ready to go over to their house in a little bit, a question keeps racing through my mind; What in the world do you say to a mother and father who is having to let go and accept saying good-bye to their son? I suppose there is not much I can say. I will be there to listen and offer my support to them in whatever way I can. I will spend time with them deep in prayer. I also pray that through my conversation with them and with God's help, I will be able say something worthwhile and encouraging Saturday at the funeral. More importantly, I pray God's blessings on this sweet family who is obviously hurting. Please pray for them.

Something else that comes to mind here however, is the wonderful home we have available to us in Heaven (John 14:1-6). Jesus taught that His kingdom is within the grasp of everyone of us. I pray that I, along with all of us, will have the strength and courage to walk daily with Jesus, with our hearts set on service to Him and His perfect kingdom. Because when we do this, there is a hope given to us that allows us to not be shaken by the cold, hard reality of this life's occurences. The hope of an eternity with God is what helps us through difficult times. Heaven reminds us that this world is not our home. I am convinced that at least in part, trying times happen in this life for the purpose of reminding us that something better awaits us. If everything were perfect here on earth, what would be so special about the next life?

Reality! It can be quite sobering. But may we also keep in perspective the reality of this temporary life. James reminds us that as a vapor, life is only for a little while, and then it is gone (4:13-14). Nothing is guaranteed except for eternity. This is real.

Jerry Lewis--The Patsy (Singing Lesson)

One of my all-time favorite childhood memories is watching old Jerry Lewis movies with my mom and laughing hysterically. It usually would get to the point where we were likely laughing harder at one another than we were at the actual movie itself. Well, I found this on youtube. It is a scene from the movie, The Patsy. It is definitely my favorite Jerry Lewis scene. As I was watching it, Aaron and Chase began watching it with me and even they were laughing at it. It was at that point that I knew I had to post this. Mom, I know you will remember it. I hope everyone can enjoy this and get a laugh out of it! :-) It brought back great memories for me.

Preaching and Politics?

*This is something I wrote a couple of weeks before the elections in early November. It did create some discussion when I put it in our church bulletin, but for the most part, people appreciated it....so they told me that anyway, ;-)

It is interesting to me how this is a particular time when politics is such a great part of discussion among so many people. I’m not being critical of it, altogether. I am certainly guilty of it myself. I undoubtedly have my opinion as to who I want or don’t want to be our next president, just as I have my thoughts on our current president and presidents of our past.

But what I find fascinating is how many articles I have seen written in church or religious publications, promoting certain political parties. The amount of advertisements for various churches with regard to sermons that will be preached surrounding the issues of political candidates is astounding. For example, about a week ago, there was a big news story that began with, “On Sunday, more than 30 pastors across the country are expected to preach a sermon that endorses or opposes a political candidate by name.” The article goes on to discuss how technically, this is a violation of law that says tax-exempt organizations (i.e., churches) are banned from involvement in political campaigns. It then goes on to discuss certain “pastors” who fully intend to violate this “ban.” Now whether or not this is really a matter of breaking the law, who knows? I guess it can be debated among those who actually care. I personally don’t. There is another point in the article where a quote is given, “if you are a Christian, you cannot support a candidate like ______.” Now again, don’t get me wrong. I have my reasons for supporting certain candidates and not supporting others. And yes, a large part of my ideology does surround moral issues. I’m just not convinced however, that the pulpit is the place for me to promote this. I don’t believe that is what Jesus called me to do as one who is privileged to preach His precious and saving gospel message. I believe if our elders were primarily concerned about whom you vote for, they would advise you to watch a certain news channel or read a particular newspaper. Besides, I am probably not knowledgeable enough on every issue to make that my agenda anyway.

There are certainly a lot of things that I do not know, believe me. Hopefully I will always realize that I have a lot to learn. But let me share with you what I do know for a fact. Jesus stated in His Word, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I wouldn’t be handed over to the Jews. As it is, My kingdom does not have its origin here” (John 18:36). Thank God that we can have the peace and security that our citizenship is in a much grander place than what this present-day world has to offer (I Peter 2:9-17). Thank God that we will have the freedom to choose where we want to worship Him and the right to exercise our privilege to worship Him regardless of who our president is. I want my citizenship and therefore focus, to be in heaven (Philippians 3:14). May that be what I strive for! This is the hope that I have through the resurrection of my Great Redeemer in Jesus Christ. It is an inheritance that cannot perish and will never be corrupt (I Peter 1:3-4). It is my desire to promote and endorse this kingdom, and it’s King.

I know this article will probably come across as somewhat controversial. If so, please accept my apologies. To offend anyone is far from my intentions. I am confident that there are dear friends of mine who will disagree with me because in their mind, we have a moral obligation as preachers to talk about these issues. And perhaps they are correct. My opinions have been wrong on many occasions. If that is the case, then by all means, do what you feel is the right thing to do. I hope your Lord’s Day will be fruitful. For what it is worth, at one time I thought this way too. I have changed. As for now, my time will be spent preparing to promote Jesus Christ, not our political candidates. My loyalties will be on what Jesus says concerning these “issues,” not on what political parties say about them. Please pray for me, that I am successful in promoting the cause of Jesus Christ, not only in my teaching but in my actions, personal conversations, and attitude. And may I seek every day to follow Him and conform more to His image.

I will conclude with a quote from the leader of the greatest kingdom: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you” (Matthew 6:33). I am Jason Browning and I approve this message. :-)

For what (or Whom) am I yearning?

*This was written in June of this year, the day after I returned from taking the youth group here in La Grange to camp.

Camp is always a great time. For my 9th consecutive year, it was good to get out of the world in which I am currently caught up and have the opportunity to grow closer to God and renew my relationship with His Son. It is also a fun time to rekindle acquaintances with brethren I do not get to see all year round. However, although camp was wonderful, I must admit that it is good to be back home too. Especially as I get older there just doesn't seem be a bed quite like the one I inhabit each night in the comfort of my own home.

Speaking of home, while at camp this past week, something dawned on me and it hit me like the proverbial "ton of bricks." I missed my family. I missed being around them. I missed my wife's sweet and beautiful smile. I missed laughing with her. I missed hugging her. I missed telling her that I love her. I even missed her exasperated "sigh" when I often need her to do something for me. I missed my kids' laughter. I missed their tender little voices that tell me they love me. It was an intense longing and yearning. It was a deep pining. It was a craving, a hunger, a genuine desire to be with and to hold those who mean more to me than anything else in this present day world. As I sat there on this particular evening, pondering this, and became teary-eyed, I realized that it is my relationship with them that allows for this. As each day passes, I grow closer and closer to these ones who are so dear to me. At least I strive to anyway. If not for my relationship with them, my desire to be with them at that particular moment would not have been so intense. Currently my wife and kids are in Wisconsin visiting family and will not be back until the latter part of June. There is little doubt that the length of my absence from them contributed greatly to my intense feelings that particular evening.

So as this was going through my mind, it made me think how our relationship with Jesus should be similar. If we are not pining to one day come home and be with Jesus, then perhaps our relationship with Him (and with this world) is worth re-evaluating. As for me, I pray (and certainly ask for your prayers) that as I personally live my life on this temporary earth, like the Apostle Paul demonstrated in Philippians 1:23, I will forever long and yearn to one day be with Christ. I hope that I will never cease to look forward in happy anticipation to one day joining Him in glory, always keeping my eyes fixed on Him (Hebrews 12:1-2) with a deep hunger and sense of craving. I pray that I never lose sight of what awaits me in that place Jesus has gone to prepare for me (John 14:1-6) as I strive to enjoy life in His Kingdom (Matthew 5-7) and complete the beautiful journey and race set before me today (I Corinthians 9:21-24).

The truth of the matter is that the closer we grow to Christ and the more we get to know Him, the greater our desire will be in spending an eternity with Him. The more familiar we grow to His ways, the more intense our hunger will be to experience them for an eternity. Think about it. We are told that Jesus' blood cleanses our sins when we walk in the light with Him (I John 1:7).

Thank God for the realization that this world is not my home! I do not know all of the details about how an eternity with God will be apart from this world, the only home we have ever known. Who does? In fact, I am quite convinced that it is not intended for us to know every detail about Heaven. But I do know enough, from what the Bible reveals to us about that grand abode as a place of rest and refuge from earthly hardship (Hebrews 4:1-10), to know that I want to be there one day. May my service in His kingdom forever be a source of remembrance to me, that as I certainly look forward to being reunited with my family when they return home from Wisconsin, I undoubtedly have something far more glorious and exciting for which to look forward in one day being united with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit for an eternity.

What am I doing?

I have wanted to do this for a long time. Now I am finally doing it. WooHoo! I am not really sure what has taken so long. I guess it was mainly because I realize this takes some time and I wasn't confident that I would have that time to spare. I don't know if I have the time to do it as much as I would like, but I figured since I write for our church bulletin and a weekly column for the local newspaper here in La Grange, I should have plenty to post on here. At least, it should provide a start. Of course, I also plan to post other things that I find amusing, funny, or worth mentioning.

In addition, I will write (and provide pictures) about events that are going on with our family. I'm still trying to completely figure this out, so bear with me. I am certain this site will get better as I figure out more what all I can do on here.

So, I have three main purposes in creating this blog: (1) to try and encourage all of us as we strive to maintain New Testament Christianity in today's world, (2) to provide a means of communication with those of you who mean so much to me. And (3) so you can keep up with what is happening with me, Cody, and the boys. Truly I am blessed, and I am excited about sharing with you what is happening in our lives.

I hope you enjoy! Let me know what you think or if you have any suggestions. I plan to begin with posting articles I have written already throughout this past year while I get the hang of this.

Peace,
Jason