steal this video

i saw this on kem meyer's blog (http://www.kemmeyer.typepad.com/) and had to share it. very creative and fun!

Bubblicious from Rex The Dog on Vimeo.

what's going on?

i read yesterday where a man in southern california under the stress of job loss and money issues shot and killed his wife, their five children and then himself. it haunts me. how low do things have to get that murder-suicide becomes an option. this morning while reading the daily devotional "my utmost for his highest" by oswald chambers, he refers to matthew 11:29; "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls". things must have been so dark and unbearable that this man could not even find his way to God for help - how tragic. in the midst of mounting and crippling credit card debt over five years ago did i find God through His Son Jesus Christ who reached out and said to me in matthew 11:28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest". i was in serious credit card debt and while the words of Jesus did not make the debt go away, they did provide an immediate peace that washed over me and gave me the ability to see things more clearly. i don't have the answers, He does though. i can honestly say that He has lead my life ever since. to this day i do not carry any credit cards, just a debit card so if there is no money there is no purchase. He has given me new eyes for the "wants and needs" in my life. i do not want for the things that i used to. i am more content with what i have - no more "keeping up with the jones". what others think of me is of no consequence, only what He thinks of me is important. this murder-suicide in california is not the first nor the last but it should be. we have got to help each other. now is the time to stand up and make a difference. what's going on with you? are you weary and in need of rest? take a moment and read matthew 11:28-30;
28"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
now that is real peace

things that burn my ass vol. 1

Burnin for you
Originally uploaded by aknacer

i guess i tend to be a bit critical but some things just down right burn me up. this may be a vent of mine but i am open to your opinion as well.
here i go - volume one;
alltel cellphone television ads - they are moronic, stupid and i wish i didn't have service with them. i can't figure out who or what team came up with such a lame campaign and bigger yet, who would buy this idiotic mishmash - stooopid!! i wonder what the casting director had to say to the people that came to try out for the parts.... we need four people, sorta like the three stooges except four. one nerdy, one fat and stupid and the other two just sorta there - be as dumb as you want. and this chad guy? what a dope! and don't even get me started on that "wizard" campaign. does alltel really think that makes people want to buy their products?
next time...hardee's

yesterday

yesterday the augusta-based band, number 9, played at truenorth church to open a five week series titled, "all you need is love". it was a fabulous morning. i doubt the guys in the band have played many, if any, churches and doubt they have opened a set at 8:30am many times either - but they did. they were great and i think Jesus was diggin' it as were george and john too. i am thankful to be a part of a church that is open to this. while they did not sing the song "yesterday" yesterday, as i began writing this blog post today, the song took life in me. i had not really looked at the lyrics to this song that paul mccartney wrote in the mid-sixties but it intrigues me. look at the first two verses;
Yesterday,
All my troubles seemed so far away,
Now it looks as though they're here to stay,
Oh, I believe in yesterday.
Suddenly,
I'm not half the man I used to be,
There's a shadow hanging over me,
Oh, yesterday came suddenly.
this song has been regarded as the most covered song of all time. a song of love lost. yesterday is gone and today may be all we have. what did you have yesterday that you want today and tomorrow? what do you love? is it just yesterdays love?
Yesterday,
Love was such an easy game to play,
Now I need a place to hide away,
Oh, I believe in yesterday.
peace

Amazing Grace

Amazing Grace,
originally uploaded by davebrosha.

grace is defined in several terms but the one i am focusing on is this one;
the freely given, unmerited favor and love of God.
how often do you get something that is freely given and unmerited? you don't except for the love of God. this morning i awakened around 5am and spent a little time with God in prayer and just conversation. it is through His grace that i am alive and through His grace i find my purpose. recently i have been seeking His plans for me instead of my plans. not an easy thing to do but something that i want to learn as much as i can about. how do i know His plan for me? how do i know that what i am doing is in His plans for me or not? i don't know that i ever really know His plans for me except that, i believe, if i continue to ask, seek & knock that He will give me the guidance i need. i miss the path quite a bit, but with His grace i am always shown the light to return. i don't know about you but this is what gets my motor running. i have seen His grace and it is amazing! and it is free and unmerited. wow, i am so unworthy but He loves me just the way i am. how does anyone live without Him? they don't

renegades

no matter how hard you try, you can't stop us now! are you a renegade?
renegades are described as outlaws, traitors, or someone who rebels against a cause. if you you listen to the words from the song, "renegades of funk" performed by rage against the machine (http://www.ratm.com/) and written by afrika bambaataa you get the sense that renegades are not outlaws at all, they are people of substance with a clear vision. check out the lyrics to one of the verses of that song;
Now renegades are the people with their own philosophies
They change the course of history
Everyday people like you and me
We're the renegades, we're the people
With our own philosophies
We change the course of history
Everyday people like you and me
C'mon!
in the song renegades of funk, i am assuming, that afrika was testifying to this genre of music that he was creating. music that stirs the soul and makes you want to move. he also was pointing to the injustices of the world and he wanted to people to rise up and become renegades. when i hear the song i think also about Jesus. now He was and is a renegade. He came to change everything we thought we knew about His Father and our Father. instead of rituals and sacrificies, Christ came to set us free with the final sacrifice - Himself. He changed the course of history for everyday people like you and me.
when will we rise up as renegades against the injustices to the One who created us! when will we rebel against the ways of the world? the consumerism, slavery, addictions to things that destroy! when will we rise up to be the people we are created to be and change the course of history? there is an air of renewed optimism that we can rise up and be a better nation - one nation under God! the stakes are too high to back down. we can rise up and say, no matter how hard you try, you can't stop us now!

uncommon

i just finished reading tony dungy's book "quiet strength" and it was one of the best books i have ever read. i have not ever read a book that i couldn't hardly wait to pick it up and resume reading like this book. as soon as i was finished, i took it straight to my pastor, steve davis. he is a sports guy as well as a man of God and while you think that the book is going to be just about football, it is mostly about his faith in Christ and his desire make his life count for His Kingdom. bigtime players make bigtime plays and tony dungy is bigtime!! i am looking forward to reading his new book, "un common". dungy is so inspiring yet so humble. well done coach, you are uncommon! also a special shoutout to nathan whitaker, the co-wtiter, who pursued dungy to do the book. thanks

lost

the tv show "lost" began its fifth season on abc network last night. it is a maze to navigate as they swap places in time. the "oceanic six" are needed to return to "fantasy island" to save the others. it can be very confusing as john is in one scene under the plane in the trees and above it in another scene depicted as years later. this whole lost thing has been a part of my life even after fully committing my life to Christ over five years ago. i find myself lost in the question, what does God want me to do with my life? in that i miss the simple answer, love God and love one another. but how do i do that? how do i love this God that i do not physically see, hear or touch? i guess that is where faith takes over. i have the faith that He is always there no matter where i am. i have confidence that He will give me the directions when i am lost for in Him i am found. it may not be directions that i understand but if i keep asking, seeking, knocking on His door, He always answers. that trust in Him keeps me from the fear of being lost no matter the darkness that surrounds me.
but how do i love others? people that i do physically see, hear and touch? how do i love the unlovable? i guess it is that matthew 7:7 thing again, ask, seek. knock. if i continually take it to Him, He will show me how. forgiveness is a big part of this. forgiving myself and forgiving others. letting go of what i want and reaching out, grabbing a hold, and hanging on to what He wants. no easy deal, but who said life would be easy?
peace

remember me

i have been reading tony dungy's book "quiet strength" and i found a few words i wanted to share. in chapter 11, defining success, dungy writes,"what will people remember us for? are other people's lives better because we lived? did we make a difference? did we use to the fullest the gifts and abilities God gave us? did we give our best effort, and did we do it for the right reasons? God's definition of success is really one of significance - the significant difference our lives can make in the lives of others. this significance doesn't show up in win-loss records, long resumes, or the trophies gathering dust on our mantels. it's found in the hearts and lives of those we've come across who are in some way better because of the way we lived." so well spoken - a true champion. thanks tony

make me smile

i received a call this morning from my daughter jessica. i missed the call but returned it about forty minutes later. she had called because her son, our grandson, jay wanted to say hi to his grampy, "be be" as he calls me. man does that make me smile. the simple love of a child. the chicago song, "make me smile" opens with this verse,
"Children play in the park, they don't know
I'm alone in the dark, even though
Time and time again I see your face smiling inside."
children don't know the dark side of life. they know love, food and a good dry diaper. simple. and they know how to make you smile. thanks jay

let it snow

it was not much but it was snow! barely a dusting but it was something that i enjoy watching and i even went for a walk in it this morning. i think snowflakes remind me of God - the white of purity and just as we are, no two snowflakes are alike. one of my most vivid memories is from the winter of '69-'70 while i was in military school on monteagle mountain in tennessee - i was awol from school in the middle of a heavy snowfall out in a field. the snow was coming down in large flakes, the field was covered and there was only the tinkling sound of the falling flakes - no other sound. it was a God moment and even though i did not realize it then, i have always remembered those moments. we are all like snowflakes - individuals with a common link and that is God. it is God who has created us and He should be our purpose. instead of saying "God bless america" let our cry be "america, bless God"! when will we sing a new song? - yep, p.o.d.
peace

free at last

this morning i watched and listened to the "i have a dream" speech given by the late dr. martin luther king, jr in washington dc august of 1963. what an amazing dream. he saw america as whites and blacks together as "one nation under God". today is inauguration day for the forty fourth president barack obama and my prayer is that today is the dawning of a new america. a day in which we will finally stop labeling people as black or white for we are people of many colors, but mainly, we are people of God. the last few words of that speech have resonated greatly in my heart lately, "free at last, free at last, thank God Almighty, we are free at last". man, what a dream!

coming out of the dark

if you are reading this, you see how long it has been since i last posted. but as the allman brothers band sang in the song "wasted words"..."that was then, this is now. don't ask me to be mister clean 'cause baby i don't know how." that was then and then turned into darkness. now i feel like i am coming out of the dark. darkness can be lonely and difficult to understand. darkness is hard to navigate, hard to find your way out. it is hard to let people in when there is darkness surrounding you. darkness can be perception only with virtually no reality and darkness can be very real. so what do you do when darkness closes in? seek help? where? can you let go? as james taylor sings..."i've seen fire and i've seen rain. i've seen sunny days that i thought would never end. i've seen lonely times when i could not find a friend. but i always thought i'd see you... one more time again." who is you? your best friend, your spouse? God, Jesus Christ? if today was your last day on earth, who would you want to see just one more time again? peace

a day in awe

i shouldn't be, but i am still so amazed at the continued growth of truenorth church. today was the second anniversary celebration at tnc. record numbers of people came and celebrated the love and grace of our redeemer Jesus Christ. i watched from the rear of the auditorium light booth as the people in the second service sang "how great is our God" with voices loud and hands upraised. it was awe inspiring! people just want to live out a life of praise for Him. it is our desire to glorify Him. awe inspiring.

supernova

i think gary lamb got me watching rock star, supernova. at first i wasn't that engaged but as i have continued to watch i have taken quite an interest in it. first off the set is fabulous! cool lighting and set design. second, awesome band!! these guys rock major league! third, there are some incredible talents up there. dilana has got this thing won i think but things can change. i think this show turns some people off with all the tattooing and piercing but i find that we forget that God loves us all and that they might just take this talent and use it for His purposes. rock on God! peace

been tagged

i have been tagged by the mad babbler gary lamb and so here it goes:

one book that changed your life: pastor rick's purpose driven life
one book that you've read more than once: same as above
one book that you would want on a desert island: the bible 'cause i just don't spend enough time in it - there would be no excuses there
one book that made you laugh: orbiting the giant hairball by gordon mackenzie
one book that made you cry: unlike the lambster, i do cry and it all started with my new life in Christ three years ago - but a chapter in donald miller's "through painted deserts" got to me - when they were stranded in the desert on the way to vegas.
one book you wished had been written: an idiot's guide to God back in the 70's
one book you wished had never been written: i don't know
one book you are currently reading: God's blogs by lanny donoho
one book you have been meaning to read: now, discover your strengths by marcus buckingham and donald clifton
i ain't figured out how to link blogs yet on this mac, but rest assured i will tag four more!
thanks gary!

dead or alive

a couple people wondered if i was dead or alive 'cause i went over a week off the blog. thanks, it was nice to be missed.

outside the box

i love that truenorth church is willing to try different things, sing new songs and think outside the box. we opened today with wanted: dead or alive and our "stainless" band rocked it! our house band "the kelvin bradley quintet" took the day off and the chris brown band from columbia, sc amazed us. these dudes are good!! real good! they are from midtown fellowship in columbia. if you are in their neighborhood, check 'em out. they did their self-penned song "absorb" and had us dancing, spinning and singing. our fearless leader was back from two weeks vacation and appeared in a cowboy suit. to paraphrase, "stevie-d, you are no john wayne"! sorry man, but you know, you think outside the box. i love that about tnc!
hey lcfo - you missed a big one! peace

crazy days

i haven't been feeling on top of my game lately. maybe the intense heat, maybe the ugly conflict between israel and lebanon, or maybe i am just kinda winding down from several weeks of research and purchase of gear for the move to the gym next month. on top of all that comes one of the most distressing stories about a church crisis. in my hometown of nashville, tn, bellevue community church has fired their founding pastor, david foster. my sister serves on the bcc media tech team and she was stunned last sunday when she heard the news. as it has played out this week in the news media and blogsites, it appears that this gut wrenching situation has been escalating for over a year. no matter what the bottom line to this is, the church suffers. people are hurt, split in their feelings. i hope that anyone in ministry that might read this blog will look at this with eyes wide open. it can happen anywhere, anytime. it continues to bring up a fundamental call - are you looking inward or outward? it seems most, if not all, conflicts arise when we lose sight of the most famous five words: "it is not about you"! it is all about HIM! we must get over ourselves. we must keep focus on His direction and not ours. peace

small group, large time

wednesday night is journey team time at our house. my wife and i facilitate one of the many small groups at tnc. tonight we began a north point series titled "go fish". with the impending move to the gym in a few weeks, we will have lots of room to grow. the growth of truenorth has always been through investing and inviting. andy stanley has such a marvelous way of describing how Jesus teaches us to be "fishers of men & women". it is intimidating to invest and invite. will i say the right things...? that's my problem. it isn't what i say. it is what He says through me. i want people to experience what i am a part of at truenorth. freedom. free to seek and serve God like never before. alive in worship with all honor and praise to Him. and the backbone of this church is in the small groups - journey teams. where we truly seek God's love and direction as a small community. you can get lost in a big church, but found in small groups. we are so blessed with an awesome group and several new people came tonight. i hope that we will be a blessing to them as they are a blessing to us. am i listening God?