utechblog

The Lord’s got me thinking again and after reading Janet’s blog today I see that He has her thinking too. I too am a big fan of those questions that make you think. Unfortinately whenever I try to ask a question like that it comes across wrong, but hey I ain’t Jesus. You know, He said some pretty tough things to the religious people of his day. I keep thinking about a song by “Truth” that was sung by Russ Lee. The name of the song is Living Life Upside Down. Here are the lyrics to the chorus…

What if we fall into the bottom of a well, thinking we’ve risen to the top of a mountain?

What if we’re knocking at the gates of Hell, thinking we’re Heaven bound?

What if we spend our lives thinking of ourselves, when we should have been thinking of each other?

What if we reach up and touch the ground, to find we’re living life upside down.”

Here is one of my favorite passages of scripture – this is a strong warning from Jesus, I think, directed at the church…

This is Matthew 7:21-29 from The Message Translation

“Knowing the correct password–saying ‘Master, Master,’ for instance–isn’t going to get you anywhere with me. What is required is serious obedience–doing what my Father wills. I can see it now–at the Final Judgment thousands strutting up to me and saying, ‘Master, we preached the Message, we bashed the demons, our God-sponsored projects had everyone talking.’ And do you know what I am going to say? ‘You missed the boat. All you did was use me to make yourselves important. You don’t impress me one bit. You’re out of here.’ “These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on. If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit–but nothing moved that house. It was fixed to the rock. “But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don’t work them into your life, you are like a stupid carpenter who built his house on the sandy beach. When a storm rolled in and the waves came up, it collapsed like a house of cards.” When Jesus concluded his address, the crowd burst into applause. They had never heard teaching like this. It was apparent that he was living everything he was saying–quite a contrast to their religion teachers! This was the best teaching they had ever heard.

My prayer is that I would be a part of the applauding crowd and not of the religion teachers.

Since I have just been posting articles and web links I figured I should post something real. Have had a lot of things over the last couple of days that I have wanted to write about. For some reason they all escape me right now. Just in case you haven’t been there make sure you check out Janet’s blog. The other night as I was driving home Janet read me a entry she had put up and I was so impressed by it that I started to tell her about it when I got home and was telling her about my day. Kinda funny it just seemed like what she had written had been on the radio. I listen to a lot of talk radio. Sean Hannity better look out! It is pretty humbeling to have a wife that is as articulate and knowledgable as she is.

Kids are gone! All 3 kids left this morning with grandma/pa to goto TN. We will head down there next week Thursday. But for now we are without children. And our aniversery is on Friday. Been thinking about a couple of things we can do friday and this weekend. One thing is for sure, we will be going back to NLCC for service on sunday. I could go on for awhile about stuff regarding that but let me just leave it as this – Pray for our family as we seek direction from the Lord concerning our ministry. Thanks.

The blogging world is very exciting to me, kinda like when I first started havening back in 1994.

Had an intresting thing happen last night. And I don’t mean to share it just to say hey look how good I am. Lord knows if this is a contest of works I have far to much ground to make up to ever get anywhere. Anyway, last night I went out to get Zoe’s perscription refilled so she would have enough while she is gone. Anyway, I stopped at UDF to get some ice cream. Incidently I only got something for Janet, I had a bad food day yesterday (cheese coney for breakfast, BW3 for lunch [it was wings day] and 2 big macs for dinner). While I was standing in line, and there was a big line, I overheard a man talking about his wife being in the hospital. So after he was talking to someone else in the line, I asked him about his wife and asked for her name so I could have our church pray for her. He told me about her and I asked about how she was doing and everything. Turns out she was having some heart/blood pressure problems. He thought it was due to stress and after finding out that they have 5 girls ( from 2 – 17) I tend to agree. He stated that she was doing much better, the doctors were pretty confident that they got everything under control and that no real damage was done. He was on his way home, to see what condition it was in and get some rest as he had been at the hospital with her all day. He really appreciated that we were going to pray for his wife and I told him that we would pray for him too. So if you don’t mind mention Valinda and Russell next time you talk to Jesus. After I paid for Janet’s ice cream I left the rest of the change to pay for whatever he got and left our pastor’s business card with a note saying that we were praying for them. You know that just felt good! Actually what felt good was just connecting with someone and showing a true concern for them and what they are going throught. *GASP* That is what we are spose to do as the church! WOW, being Jesus with skin on. I could go on about that for…. ever. But gotta run. Have a vendor conference this afternoon at Montgomery Inn at the Boathouse. WOOHOO!

BBHQ: The Great American Civics Quiz

Check this out! I scored a 33.5. Need to go back to school or else pay more attention when listening to talk radio. Let me know what score you got.

PawSense helps you catproof your computer.

I checked the FAQs and they are working on a version to baby/kid proof your pc as well. Will keep my eye out for that, Evan keeps opening multipul windows.

If you are reading this you have noticed the NEW look. Let me know what you think. Also let me know if you have any problems. Like not getting the content all the way down. If this does happen to you and you know how to fix it please let me know as well.

Praise the Lord! I knew there was a medical reason for not wearing ties… Yahoo! News – Tight Neckties Linked to Glaucoma Risk Does this mean that glaucoma patients can go back and sue their employers? what about churches?

Don’t you just love it when you find something that justifies your scruples!

Tonight as we were out and about looking for dinner. Jae and I got Subway. We spoted a billboard for Domino’s Pizza. They currently have a special where you can get a Large 1-Topping pizza for $5.99. So the kids had pizza tonight. The amazing thing is they ate the WHOLE THING! They are only 7, 6 and 3!!! What in the world are we gonna do when they are teenagers!?!

Ok I mentioned the song “Welcome Home” a post or so ago. Well I just went out and looked up the lyrics for the song. WOW. I think I need to listen to the radio a bit closer. The weird thing tho is the way he sings/says “welcome home” in the song. It is such a passionate and inviting way, and looking at the lyrics it makes sense that that one part is but overall this song is not what I thought it was. Granted it is still a great song, Shaun Groves is a pretty good singer. But it just wasn’t what I thought it was.

I heard the song “Welcome Home” this morning on klove as I was getting ready for church. Can’t remember who sings it but I know who it is. The funny thing is whenever I think about today I keep hearing the words, “Welcome Home”

This morning Janet, the kids, and I went visiting at New Life. I met Tom Planck some 5 years ago through the credintialing process in the SWOA distric of the Chuch of God. Over the last few years I have been a lurker of Tom’s Blog and the sites of others connected with Tom. About 4 years ago during the process with SWOA I promised Tom that some day the family and I would come over a visit. Well just a short 4 years latter we finally followed through.

To make a long testimony of abundant blessings short, WOW – God is SO good! What a blessing to attend a service and have a great presence of God’s Spirit, have GREAT music, have great preaching (including a clip from Braveheart, I have preached from A Bug’s Life & The Grinch Who Stole Chirstmas) and a ministry team that uses Multimedia CORRECTLY!!! enhancing the worship service and not having to do any of it myself!

I can go on and on about this but I have to get the lawn done before Janet gets back home.

All I can say is I was truely blessed! I sense The Lord making a change in our life and while we always say that we love change, it is always challenging and a bit painful. And even though it pops to mind as a comparision I am not going to compare it to child-birth simply because I don’t want the wrath of mothers everwhere to come upon me. So pretend I didn’t mention that.



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Do you send a solider in to battle the day he gets his uniform and gun? Is he really a solider by the uniform he wears? or is he just another guy that signed up? a day before being just like you and me?

Fortinately today you can’t go sign up for the war and be on a plane tomorrow to Iraq. You have to be trained first.

So what in the world am I talking about?

First let me give you another example… If a person feels called to the foreign mission field do they immediately get sent to live in Ecuador for 5 years? No. They go on a work camp, and more work camps. They talk to those serving in the field. They get training.

Bringing it back to me.

My point is, took long enough didn’t it …. I feel called to ministry beyound the expectation placed on all Christians (read your bible, it is in there) and specifically I feel called to relational ministry. That is [insert church key word here] (small groups, cell church, home church, care groups, etc.) and discipleship (equiping of believers). In addition to that I have a calling to preach and a desire to play drums. So my question is, do I stay where I am, where these ministries are needed, but they just ain’t happening due to various reasons. Or do I go where they are in the midst of it and preparing to take it to the next level. Where I can see care groups/home churches WORK! I think it is the latter. I don’t know if the time is now but I have about 80% peace about it. Gotta pray I guess…



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