... Robbin's Cross Walk

We're not worthy!!!

2010-05-01T23:20:00.005-05:00

When God blesses us Christians, I think at times we feel unworthy.

That old phrase from that silly Saturday Night Live spinoff movie “Wayne's World” comes to mind. Wayne and Garth's mantra in that movie when they received something that they felt was undeserved was “We're not worthy”. I think we all are guilty of that at times. Christianity is based on God's love for us even though WE ARE NOT WORTHY!

Recently, I was struggling tremendously with some things in my life. They were very ordinary issues that people have. A couple of these issues were related to my household finances. The financial struggles of a new baby can add to a household plus just dealing with past bad decisions of one kind or another were really bringing me down.

Finally, last Thursday morning I had a Job moment. Job is one of my heroes of the bible. I know I probably choose odd heroes. I always admired Job for his resolve and strength of character. It takes a lot of courage and maybe even a little stupidity to challenge God.

Well, I am sure with me, my challenging God was way more stupid than courageous. More than anything it was just desperation. I often have pictured myself challenging God would be something like Wile E. Coyote challenging the Roadrunner. I would say something less than reverent out of frustration and a lighting bolt would strike me. I would then look like Mr. Wile E. Coyote did when one of his wonderful ACME bombs blew up in his face. I can picture me still trying to finish my sentence when the lighting struck. My face charred, my clothes burned up, what hair I had left still smoldering on top of my head.

You know what... That is not how our God works. God wants to help us and bless us with all we need. I think we all have problems turning things over to God like we should. I know that I do.

Well, in this particular instance, I was so very desperate and I was really in this poor pitiful me mode asking “Why me Lord?”. "How could this happen to me?" I didn't see any possible way out of this situation. I had exhausted all of my options. You notice I said “my options”. My options are those things that I thought that I could do to fix the situation. I was depending on me. I only had to turn it over to God. Don't ever forget that all things are possible through God.

God has a plan. That very same day I questioned God. He answered me. He blessed me and handled my problems in a way that I could have never ever foreseen or even imagined. For me personally it was a miracle. What a humbling and blessed experience for me! I was in shock for most of the rest of that day. I truly did not feel worthy. I did not feel that I deserved what God did for me. One huge flaw exists in my theory of my worth.

I am worthy because I am a child of God!

Nothing else is needed. Our worth as children of God is freely given and cannot be bought.

So, when you are struggling and feel as if your situation is impossible. Just remember this...

You do not live in Wayne's World! You live in God's world! The world that God created and rules. Nothing is beyond God's capabilities and God's capabilities are beyond our understanding.

I am going to share a little bit of what God said to Job from Job 38 in His first discourse to Job.

Job 38

The LORD Speaks

1 Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm. He said:
2 "Who is this that darkens my counsel
with words without knowledge?

3 Brace yourself like a man;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.

4 "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation?
Tell me, if you understand.

5 Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!
Who stretched a measuring line across it?

6 On what were its footings set,
or who laid its cornerstone-

7 while the morning stars sang together
and all the angels [a] shouted for joy?

8 "Who shut up the sea behind doors
when it burst forth from the womb,

9 when I made the clouds its garment
and wrapped it in thick darkness,

10 when I fixed limits for it
and set its doors and bars in place,

11 when I said, 'This far you may come and no farther;
here is where your proud waves halt'?

12 "Have you ever given orders to the morning,
or shown the dawn its place,

13 that it might take the earth by the edges
and shake the wicked out of it?

14 The earth takes shape like clay under a seal;
its features stand out like those of a garment.

15 The wicked are denied their light,
and their upraised arm is broken.

16 "Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea
or walked in the recesses of the deep?

17 Have the gates of death been shown to you?
Have you seen the gates of the shadow of death [b] ?

18 Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth?
Tell me, if you know all this.

19 "What is the way to the abode of light?
And where does darkness reside?

20 Can you take them to their places?
Do you know the paths to their dwellings?

21 Surely you know, for you were already born!
You have lived so many years!

22 "Have you entered the storehouses of the snow
or seen the storehouses of the hail,

23 which I reserve for times of trouble,
for days of war and battle?

24 What is the way to the place where the lightning is dispersed,
or the place where the east winds are scattered over the earth?

25 Who cuts a channel for the torrents of rain,
and a path for the thunderstorm,

26 to water a land where no man lives,
a desert with no one in it,

27 to satisfy a desolate wasteland
and make it sprout with grass?

28 Does the rain have a father?
Who fathers the drops of dew?

29 From whose womb comes the ice?
Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens

30 when the waters become hard as stone,
when the surface of the deep is frozen?

31 "Can you bind the beautiful [c] Pleiades?
Can you loose the cords of Orion?

32 Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons [d]
or lead out the Bear [e] with its cubs?

33 Do you know the laws of the heavens?
Can you set up God's [f] dominion over the earth?

34 "Can you raise your voice to the clouds
and cover yourself with a flood of water?

35 Do you send the lightning bolts on their way?
Do they report to you, 'Here we are'?

36 Who endowed the heart [g] with wisdom
or gave understanding to the mind [h] ?

37 Who has the wisdom to count the clouds?
Who can tip over the water jars of the heavens

38 when the dust becomes hard
and the clods of earth stick together?

39 "Do you hunt the prey for the lioness
and satisfy the hunger of the lions

40 when they crouch in their dens
or lie in wait in a thicket?

41 Who provides food for the raven
when its young cry out to God
and wander about for lack of food?

I can only imagine what Job felt like as God spoke to him. He also learned that it was God's world and not Job's.

I hope that you all receive God's blessings knowing that you are worthy and thank God daily for those blessings.

I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

Blessings,
Robbin

Men's Prayer Breakfast 3/24/2010

2010-03-24T14:29:00.003-05:00

As I was sitting in the Lenten luncheon yesterday, Brother David was introducing Ashley as our speaker, he said that she was a great speaker and a Bible scholar. Well, neither of those applies to me. I would imagine, that you all remember being excited about having a substitute teacher in school. They were often much less trained than your regular teacher and did good to even get the class under control. Well, hopefully you guys, will not get too far out of line.

Being the true rookie, I wondered what I could talk to you about today, I thought I would use the kiss method (you know the keep it simple stupid method) and talk about what the absolute biggest strength and biggest weakness of this group is. We are men as just Christ was also a man.

We men, the supposed stronger sex, have been blessed with certain hormones that keep us from being able to accomplish certain tasks. We are easily distracted, easily angered and prone to random acts of stupidity. I told my Mom one time that I was thinking about something and she said “There you go working without tools again”. So, you see.. My Mom had it figured out and I bet your Mom did as well.

For those that don't know it already. I am in the candidacy process to become a part time local pastor. Ted seemed to think that I could practice my preaching on you guys. Hopefully, I will not be too rough around the edges. Most of my past experiences with any kind of speaking had to do with mostly male groups, but they were truck drivers.

One of the questions that I have been asked over and over in my candidacy books is what are my special gifts and talents. I am not sure that I have any and those that I do have probably wouldn't work very well from the pulpit.

I am intelligent by Louisiana public school standards. I think the Louisiana public school system ranks like 49th or something out of 50. So when I finally get my license to preach, it makes me wonder if it will only be good in Louisiana and Mississippi.

My wife says that I sing pretty well, but you have to understand that she is extremely hard of hearing. I think that is why we have such a wonderful relationship. I know that on several occasions where I was brave enough to complain and trying to exercise my man rights that are listed in the Bible. You know the part how wives are supposed to submit themselves to their husbands, Annalee just answers me “I LOVE YOU TOO”. Somehow, I don't think she really understood what I was saying.

Now with that being said.. I think the world of my wife. If God gave me the ingredients to build me a wife, I would make one just like her. We were recently blessed with a baby boy. Annalee believes that men are supposed to be involved with every aspect of child rearing. Did you know that a diaper that says it is for 10 pounds will not hold 10 pounds of poop. Live and Learn.

I have learned lots of new terms during this candidacy process. One of the more unusual ones is License to Preach. After a lot of work and review by both this church and the district board I will hopefully get my License to Preach. Being one that was so well educated in the Louisiana public school system, this brought a lot of questions to mind.

This license to preach, is that anything like a fishing license? Jesus did say that he would make us fishers of men. Does this license expire? Do I have a limit that I can catch? Is there a game warden for preachers out there that will write you a ticket if you preach without a license? Could I be arrested for preaching this morning? I don't have a license yet? Did Ted set me up? You know those State Troopers probably drink coffee with those game wardens.    Besides the limit thing.. What kind of men can I fish for? What about murderers and thieves? Is it ok to catch those? If I catch a lawyer or a politician? Do I have to throw him back? Hopefully, you got my humor there.

You know Jesus had the best catch and release program ever. He took the men he caught.. changed their hearts and changed their lives and sent them out to share the Good News. I don't think Jesus had his license to preach either. I think he really angered those Pharisees and Sadducees because he didn't. They were extremely jealous of His wisdom and power. They were so angered by the fact that he didn't have his license that they had him arrested and eventually had him crucified on Good Friday.

Good Friday, I believe deserves more focus by Christians and is definitely not appreciated or even liked by Non-Christians. Many Christians think of Good Friday as anything but good, because it is that horrible day that Jesus was crucified before the joyous day of His resurrection on Easter Sunday.

Many years ago, I worked for a trucking company and they had swapped Good Friday off for Thanksgiving Friday off. I find that more than a little ironic. They were just trying to get a 4 day weekend, but Good Friday should truly be Thanksgiving Friday.

It is the day that God showed His love for us sinners. We should be forever grateful and thankful for that day. Good Friday is does not only happen just one day of the year, it is a day that is relived everyday of the year. Our present, our future and our eternity are all based on what happened on that Friday Afternoon.

Many Non-Christians believe that the horrible agonizing and bloody death that Jesus faced on the cross is reason enough to not even consider Christianity. Total shock is the unbelievers point of few as to how could a Father let his Son be crucified.

For the Christian, Good Friday is the foundation of all that we believe. Without the cross and the crucifixion there is no salvation plan.

Good Friday really means God's Friday just like Good-Bye is short for “God be with you» , both phrases were shortened over time and somehow the word God was removed (imagine that). Jesus made only 7 statements from the cross that were recorded in scripture on that first Good Friday.

I am going to read each one and give my thoughts on each one. Like I said these are my thoughts. Hopefully, John Wesley will not turn over in his grave as I share my thoughts with you.

Jesus first words from the cross are found in Luke 23:34.

Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.

Who was Jesus forgiving? The leaders of His own people? Pontius Pilate? The soldiers that beat Him? The ones that drove the nails? The one that thrust the spear? Is he forgiving Adam so many centuries before that led to this day. Or was he forgiving me and you.

I think that some are guilty but all of us are responsible for that horrible death on the cross.

The forgiveness of Jesus had a great cost. Forgiveness always costs something. Remember that forgiveness is not forgetfulness. The forgiveness that costs is atonement, atonement for our sins. Atonement can also be stated as at-one-ment with God. The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, allowed for us, to finally be at one with God, no longer bound to the Laws of Moses, because God knew that we were unable to uphold his commandments.

Jesus second statement from the cross was Luke 23:43

Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.

For those that don't remember the story, Jesus was speaking to one of the 2 thieves hanging on one of the 2 crosses next to him. Jesus spent a lot of his life preaching and just being with the outcasts of his time. I guess that it was only fitting that it continued even to the end.

One thing that we all should take great comfort in is the unchanging nature of God and of Jesus Christ. Jesus did not judge people based on their pasts, their race, their financial condition or any other worldly category that you can place people in to.

Jesus did not judge people and we shouldn't either. So even on the cross Jesus offered salvation to the good thief. I call him the good thief because he is the one that believed. The wonderful thing about the salvation that Jesus offered to that thief and still offers to us today is that it required no training and no waiting period. It was immediate because of his belief. It is often said that the first will become last and the last will become first. Jesus proved that no matter how far we fall, it is never too far that we cannot be redeemed. This to me is assurance or more precisely Blessed Assurance just like the old hymn that we all love to sing.

Jesus third statement from the cross was a personal one to his Mother and John.

In John 19:26-27 Jesus said Woman, behold your son, Son, behold your mother.

How awful must it have been for Mary to watch her Son die on that cross. I think she probably knew that it would come to this. Probably, like me and you would have, she just hoped that it wouldn't ever really happen. Mary probably had the most difficult job in the world, raising the Son of God.

Jesus would often distance himself from Mary and this had to hurt his mother greatly. I think maybe he was trying to prepare her for what was to come. She knew that Jesus had to honor His Father in heaven first and foremost. Mary had to learn the extremely hard love of letting go. Something that all parents go through on some level.

Mary was a model disciple. She was totally available to the will of God. She never questioned what God's plans were for her or for her Son. When Jesus told Mary to behold your son and John to behold your mother. That was truly a very human moment. If you know much about life for a woman in biblical times, women really needed a man both as a provider and a protector. Jesus was just doing what any good son would do for his mother. He was making sure that she would be taken care of.

Jesus fourth statement from the cross in Matthew 27:46 (and also in Mark 15:34) shows the reality of the suffering that Jesus is going through.

My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?

No statement from the cross to me shows that Jesus was a man more than this one. Can you even imagine how terrifying this would be if it happened to me or you?

For those that do not know it or maybe don't remember it, the 22nd Psalm talked about the cross and Jesus suffering long before it happened. I am just going to read parts of it.

It starts with the exact same words that Jesus used.

1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
     Why are you so far from saving me,
       so far from the words of my groaning?

2 O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,
       by night, and am not silent.

7 All who see me mock me;
       they hurl insults, shaking their heads:

8 "He trusts in the LORD;
       let the LORD rescue him.
       Let him deliver him,
       since he delights in him."

9 Yet you brought me out of the womb;
       you made me trust in you
       even at my mother's breast.

10 From birth I was cast upon you;
       from my mother's womb you have been my God.

11 Do not be far from me,
       for trouble is near
       and there is no one to help.

14 I am poured out like water,
       and all my bones are out of joint.
       My heart has turned to wax;
       it has melted away within me.

15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
       and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;
       you lay me [b] in the dust of death.

16 Dogs have surrounded me;
       a band of evil men has encircled me,
       they have pierced [c] my hands and my feet.

17 I can count all my bones;
       people stare and gloat over me.

18 They divide my garments among them
       and cast lots for my clothing.

19 But you, O LORD, be not far off;
       O my Strength, come quickly to help me.

20 Deliver my life from the sword,
       my precious life from the power of the dogs.

30 Posterity will serve him;
       future generations will be told about the Lord.

31 They will proclaim his righteousness
       to a people yet unborn—
       for he has done it.

Prior to these words from the cross, Jesus had always addressed God as Father. Now, through the awfulness of the cross, Jesus addresses God like any ordinary man of the day would have. Jesus knew that he was fulfilling God's plan. However, fulfilling God's plan was still a excruciating thing for a human body to endure.

Did you know that the word excruciating actually came from the word crucifixion and it means suffering pain like the pain suffered by Christ on the cross?

God calls upon us to deny ourselves. My belief and it is just my belief, I am not a theologian, Jesus in that statement was denying his deity only for a moment. He was being human because that is what His Father's plan was. He had to be totally human and could not even try to save Himself. He had to suffer as a human and die for our salvation.

Jesus fifth statement from the cross in John 19:28 was only 2 words. I thirst.

If you remember when Jesus said this, someone from the crowd offers Him a sponge full of vinegar. Ironically Jesus said just a few chapters earlier in John 7:37 “If any one thirst, let him come to me and drink”. Now, He is asking for something to drink. As Christians, we should all kneel at the cross and thirst for him and in this case I think Jesus was thirsting for all of mankind.

Once again a Psalm foretold this event. Psalm 69:21 says “For my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink”. No talk of thirst or drinking when it comes to Jesus can help but to remind us of the Lord's Supper. Our chance to share in that Holy Sacrament were we share the body and the blood of Jesus Christ.

In Isaiah 53: 2-5 once again Jesus great suffering on the cross was foretold.

2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
       and like a root out of dry ground.
       He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
       nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

3 He was despised and rejected by men,
       a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
       Like one from whom men hide their faces
       he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely he took up our infirmities
       and carried our sorrows,
       yet we considered him stricken by God,
       smitten by him, and afflicted.

5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
       he was crushed for our iniquities;
       the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
       and by his wounds we are healed.

As Jesus thirst on the cross for us, we are to thirst for Him. Our thirst for Him is our desire to share the Good News to the world and to live a good Christian life. We are to be an example to others, so much so that people would take notice and say “You know there is something different about old Bill”.

In Jesus sixth statement from John 19:30 He said It is finished.

One might think this would mean “It's over, the fat lady has sung”, but nothing could be further from the truth. In this case, it means what was foretold is fulfilled. It is brought to perfection. It is finished in any other situation involving someones death would mean that it was over. Just like in the good old days when movies ended with “THE END”.

In this case it was the beginning. On this certain Friday afternoon, the only one like it in history, the world was forever changed. We are all participants in this great drama in some way or another, whether we realize it or not.

It is a great tragedy in someways and a great blessing in others. Such a tremendous cost paid for us. Without the sacrifice there could be no redemption. So it is finished, but it is not over, no not until every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

It is finished refers to something completed and something completed by God.

“It is finished” in this case refers to the only man whose life and work were perfect. This is what we Christian men are supposed to aim for. It should be our goal to be more like Jesus in everything we do.

And finally Jesus last words from the cross are in Luke 23:46

Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.

Only Luke's gospel shares these words with us. If you notice Jesus calls God Father again. If that were translated into my simple words it would be “Daddy, I am coming home”. Because of Jesus sacrifice we are all His brothers. His sacrifice made His Father our Father. If it weren't for the death of this man and the life he lived we couldn't address our Heavenly Father at all. Jesus provided us with the way.

Jesus and His Father were One and are One. This sacrifice was the greatest act of love of all time. On that cross, through that one complete act of love, all is offered up. Nothing is forgotten. He bears our scars, from the nails and from the spear for all of eternity.

Because of this great sacrifice for us, Paul writes in Romans 8:38-40

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[a] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. «

So you see, Jesus the Man had a will all His own, that is the reason He said “Not My will, but Thy will be done”. Jesus the man surrendered all for you and me. If He hadn't He would not be the man that He was supposed to be. Just like it had been foretold long before, Jesus followed through on God's plan. It had to happen the way that it did. It had to be this Man on the cross. He did it for me and He did it for all of us.

We didn't have a say in how, when, where or even why it happened. Our Heavenly Father knew what was required. We silly humans sometimes think we know something, but compared to the awesome wisdom of God, we are but bumbling fools.

In John's gospel Jesus often speaks of being glorified in His death. The glory in what Jesus did for us in all of this was His tremendous faith and sticking with it to the end. We as Christian men need to have a similar perseverance and keep the promises that we have made to God.

With all of the horrible events of the cross, it is truly difficult to talk about the glory of it. But in Christs utter defeat we find hope. The suffering, the death, the resurrection and the ascension of Jesus are all points of glory. That glory and the amazing grace that came from it, gives us all hope.

These seven statements from the cross, in no way sum up all that happened on that Friday afternoon or after it. My purpose in this message this morning was to remind us that without the cross and without the unwavering love of a man, who also happened to be God's only Son, we would have no Easter, no salvation from sin, and ultimately no hope. As for me, I will take Hope.

So I will end with my lucky 13 scripture. 1st Corinthians 13:13

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Jesus had the Faith in His Father to endure the cross just as we should have Faith in the message of that same cross, and through Jesus sacrifice he gave us the Hope of salvation, and only the purest Love of our heavenly Father could possibly have ever allowed for His one and only perfect son to be crucified on that first ever God's Friday or Good Friday as we call it today. So, yes it was a Good Friday as all things that God has made are good.

The Famous M&D Breakroom Tabernackle Choir

2010-03-14T09:07:00.000-05:00

MD Christmas Party 2009

I could not get over how good we sounded for such a small group and only meeting once before we sang. We have some talented folks at our company. They really know how to praise the Lord.

Blessings,
Robbin

Where do you hang your hat?

2010-03-09T02:24:00.005-06:00

I always liked the expression, “That is something that you can hang your hat on!”.

I thought I would add a few more “hat expressions” just for fun. It is interesting to me how such seemingly silly expressions, can have such deep meaning.

How did I ever get on the subject of hats?

Well, I am what I would call a Semi-Texan. Most all of my relatives and immediate family are from Texas including my mom and my wife. The city I live in is only about 10 miles from the Texas state line. Even though I have really never worn a cowboy hat much, I have been known to wear a baseball cap. For the uninitiated that have never lived in the southern part of the US, the baseball cap in all of it's variations is the common hat to be worn. Some men even have special caps that are to be worn on dates or for special outings like a trip to Walmart. They often have a different hat for fishing, working on the car and for going to work. No, I am not kidding.

I have found when dealing with complex issues, I prefer to put them in my own everyday words if at all possible. That is how I got on this subject of hats. This whole thought process started with thinking about church doctrine complexity. I almost feel at times that a law degree would help me better understand some of the nuances of the different church doctrines.

It is very important to me, that the doctrine of the church to which I am a member of and particularly the one I am trying to become a minister for is one that I can hang my hat on. I do believe that God accepts all Christians and that we are all a member of His church.

For me, all of these different denominations are like the 31 flavors at Baskin-Robbins. All of the flavors are still ice cream, but each has its own unique taste and texture. If I were going to describe United Methodists beliefs as an ice cream flavor, I would go with Pistachio. One, because it is my favorite, and two, because its a very traditional flavor that has a long and consistent history. I guess you could call it a classic. We could have fun describing all the denominations as ice cream flavors, but that might get a little silly. I guess my only question would be, “Which one is Rocky Road?” Also, I think "Cherries Jubilee" even sounds rather charismatic.

So, my squirrel disease (see previous blog for meaning if required) got the better of me for a moment. Well, I am human and a little silly at times. The doctrine of my chosen church is very complex, it seems. I think it aligns itself with many other Protestant church doctrines. The difference, I guess, would be that the United Methodists wrote it all down. Many churches have extremely similar beliefs, but the doctrines are not quite as spelled out as the United Methodist doctrine. Some doctrines are as detailed as the United Methodist, if not more so.

For many of the denominations that chose to be much less detailed than the United Methodist, one is required to search the scriptures for guidance on the particular issue. I think this method has pros and cons. The pros would be that any rules regarding what a church should be must be inspired by scripture, which is the ultimate authority for any Christian church. The cons would be if it isn't written down then it could be interpreted like the Pharisees did Jewish law. The Pharisees often made their interpretation of the laws a benefit for themselves and impossible for the person trying to follow their interpretations.

I personally do not see any denomination as infallible in the interpretation of what and how a church is supposed to exist and act. I know that my knowledge on this subject is so very limited. I also know that the Holy Spirit is with us and that should be our guide. The Holy Spirit would be the ultimate authority on this subject, as far as I am concerned. For me, the United Methodist Church's acceptance of me as a candidate for ministry is a very big deal. The United Methodist Church has been so very accepting of me and my imperfect past. It would not do me any good to try to become a minister in a some other denomination where someone like me, would not even be considered.

I know that the particular United Methodist Church of which I am a member is a wonderful place to worship. They are a very loving and caring congregation. I would not be on this path to become a minister if it weren't in part to the love and support that I am given by my fellow church members and my pastors. Because of all these wonderful folks, I found a church and a denomination where I could hang my hat.

Bring on the hat metaphors! These were just some thoughts about Christians explained using hats. Hopefully, it will not be a catastrophe or a hat-tastrophe either.

I have met a few Christians that talk through their hats. Their beliefs are not based on sound Biblical principles. Usually, it is just because they heard something wrong at one time or another, or because they were actually taught incorrectly.

Many persons upon understanding that they really got it wrong, may want to consider eating their hats. I know I would, if I made such a mistake. I know that I have made lots of mistakes and probably will again.

I would imagine that going to church and being a Christian could be old hat for the sanctified out there and for Christians that have been in church from the time they had no teeth until the time they had no teeth again.

Now, some of those folks that operate those cults out there could be considered mad as a hatter. (I think maybe they were sniffing mercury as well. A reference to the definitions listed at the end.)

I think that we all must approach the cross with our hat in hand. We are to be humble before God. I think humility is required for repentance. We must submit to God and His authority.

Passing the hat is definitely a standard operating procedure for all churches and charities. The Lord does truly love a cheerful giver. Those gifts are required to allow churches to do all the wonderful things they do.

I guess in some ways, I threw my hat in the ring when I decided to go into the ministry. It is about accepting the challenges being a minister will bring into my life, no matter what they may be.

Obviously, we all have to wear many hats in life these days. Being a part-time pastor and working full time is only one example. I think all the Moms of the world wear lots of hats everyday.

I really like this next one. Some folks are all hats and no cattle. I think lots of folks pretend to be something more than they are. I hope that I don't ever do that.

Life and death both happen at the drop of a hat. That is why we all need to be prepared. To know and accept Jesus Christ is the only way to be prepared.

As Christians we are not supposed to keep our beliefs under our hats. We are supposed to be a light unto the world.

And finally when Jesus comes riding in the sky, you know he will be wearing a white hat. All the good guys wore white hats.

Here is a short list taken from a website about phrases using hats. I only included the ones I used above.

Talking Through Your Hat

To talk nonsense or to lie. c1885. [In an interview in The World entitled "How About White Shirts", a reporter asked a New York streetcar conductor what he thought about efforts to get the conductors to wear white shirts like their counterparts in Chicago. "Dey're talkin' tru deir hats" he was quoted as replying.]

Eating Your Hat

There is no such thing as a sure thing, but that's where this expression comes from. If you tell someone you'll eat your hat if they do something, make sure you’re not wearing your best hat-just in case. [The expression goes back at least to the reign of Charles II of Great Britain and had something to do with the amorous proclivities of 'ol Charlie. Apparently they named a goat after him that had his same love of life which included, in the goat's case, eating hats.]

Old Hat

Old, dull stuff; out of fashion. [This seems to come from the fact that hat fashions are constantly changing. The fact of the matter is that hat fashions had not been changing very fast at all until the turn of the 19th Century. The expression therefore is likely about 100 years old.]

Mad As A Hatter

Totally demented, crazy. [Hatters did, indeed, go mad. They inhaled fumes from the mercury that was part of the process of making felt hats. Not recognizing the violent twitching and derangement as symptoms of a brain disorder, people made fun of affected hat-makers, often treating them as drunkards. In the U.S., the condition was called the "Danbury shakes." (Danbury, Connecticut, was a hat-making center.) Mercury is no longer used in the felting process: hat-making -- and hat-makers -- are safe.]

Hat In Hand

A demonstration of humility. For example, "I come hat in hand" means that I come in deference or in weakness. [I assume that the origins are from feudal times when serfs or any lower members of feudal society were required to take off their hats in the presence of the lord or monarch (remember the Dr. Seuss book "The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins"?). A hat is your most prideful adornment.]

Pass The Hat

Literally to pass a man's hat among members of an audience or group as a means for collecting money. Also to beg or ask for charity. [The origin is self-evident as a man's hat turned upside down makes a fine container.]

Throwing A Hat In the Ring

Entering a contest or a race e.g. a political run for office. [A customer wrote us with the following: "I read in "The Language of American Politics" by William F. Buckley Jr. that the phrase "throw one's hat in the ring" comes from a practice of 19th Century saloon keepers putting a boxing ring in the middle of the barroom so that customers who wanted to fight each other would have a place to do so without starting a donnybrook. If a man wanted to indicate that he would fight anybody, he would throw his hat in the ring.

At one point, Theodore Roosevelt declared he was running for office with a speech that included a line that went something like, "My hat is in the ring and I am stripped to the waist". The phrase "my hat in the ring" stuck, probably because "I am stripped to the waist" is a little gross.]

Wearing Many Hats

This of course is a metaphor for having many different duties or jobs. [Historically, hats have often been an integral, even necessary, part of a working uniform. A miner, welder, construction worker, undertaker, white-collar worker or banker before the 1960s, chef, farmer, etc. all wear, or wore, a particular hat. Wearing "many hats" or "many different hats" simply means that one has different duties or jobs.]

All Hat and No Cattle

All show and no substance. For example, in October 2003, Senator Robert Byrd declared that the Bush administration's declarations that it wanted the United Nations as a partner in transforming Iraq were "All Hat and No Cattle". [This Texas expression refers to men who dress the part of powerful cattlemen, but don't have the herds back home.]

To Hang Your Hat (or not)

To commit to something (or not), or stake your reputation on something (or not), like an idea or policy. For example "I wouldn't hang my hat on George Steinbrenner's decision to fire his manager." [Origin unknown. Can anyone help with this one?]
At the Drop of a Hat
Fast. [Dropping a hat, can be a way in which a race can start (instead of a starting gun for example). Also, a hat is an apparel item that can easily become dislodged from its wearer. Anyone who wears hats regularly has experienced the quickness by which a hat can fly off your head.]

Keeping Something Under One's Hat

Keeping a secret. [People kept important papers and small treasures under their hats. One's hat was often the first thing put on in the morning and the last thing taken off at night, so literally keeping things under one's hat was safe keeping. A famous practitioner of this was Abraham Lincoln. The very utilitarian cowboy hat was also commonly used for storage.]

White Hat

Although I don't see or hear this expression as much as "Black Hat", it simply is the opposite of that and it means that the good guys wore/wear white hats.

Well, that was way too much information about hats, but I hope you enjoyed it.

The United Methodist philosophy of “Open Minds, Open Hearts and Open Doors” is something on which I can hang my hat. It is my hope that if you do not already have a church home that you can find one where you can hang your hat. Why not give us a try?

Blessings,
Robbin

Even Moses started out as a Basket Case!

2010-03-05T19:30:00.003-06:00

Even Moses started out as a Basket Case!

Well, I am back on the subject of talents again. I know, I know, 2 blogs in a row.

I don’t really know why but it seems to be what I am being led to write about talents or our lack of them. Maybe it is because I am going through the candidacy process for ministry that it keeps showing up in my blog. I am definitely someone that is lacking in so much. I thank God that I have so many examples in the Bible, where God used the least talented people to serve His purposes. In most cases, I think God used the one that was willing to be used and by using someone who had no talents to accomplish His purposes, all glory would be God’s, as it should be, and not man’s.

When God uses someone less talented like me to accomplish His purposes, the unsaved and the doubters take much more notice. I am glad Moses started out as a "Basket Case" and even required Aaron to speak for him. God provided him with all that he needed to do His will. That gives me tremendous hope not in my own abilities, but in God’s grace to help me.

We are all born with zero talents. I know many of you might would disagree. Everything that we know how to do and whatever abilities we have, are learned. Have you ever seen these kids that know the geography of their country at age 2? How about the kid that can read, do math problems or play an instrument at a very early age? These are all learned abilities. These are abilities, that their parents had the interest in teaching them, which created the interest in the child.

So, how does that relate to God and our relationship to Him? By the time we reach adulthood, we have learned many things and developed many abilities. Some of these abilities are useful in God’s work. I think the lesson that the Bible had is that if we are given an ability, we are supposed to make use of it and multiply it. In other words, we are to gain additional abilities that we need to be successful in God’s purposes. I think that just like when these parents teach these infants abilities that are normally associated with someone much older, so our Father in heaven will guide us and teach us if we are listening. We are His children and His wisdom definitely exceeds our understanding.

I think what Jesus said in Matthew is a good example of our Father’s love and desire to help us serve and glorify Him. "Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! Matthew 7:9-11 NIV

So, we are to pray that God would give us the gifts that we need to do His will. In my case the gifts I need are many. Really high on the list for me is the ability to stay on task and not to be distracted by the things of this world.

My wife says that I have squirrel disease. For those of you without small children and would not normally watch children's movies, I highly recommend seeing the movie "UP". It has a good message about life. In the movie, a dog is able to talk because he has a special collar that translates barking into speech. Almost every time this dog starts to talk in the movie, he thinks that he sees a squirrel and stops mid-sentence and looks around and says “Squirrel”. So, when my wife says that I have squirrel disease she is putting me in the category of dogs and toddlers that are easily distracted. She is so very right. (Just don’t tell her I said so.)

I think Jesus knew how to handle the distractions of this world best. He would often go off and be alone with God. I think His disciples and many of His followers may have thought that Jesus had squirrel disease as well. Many times, someone would be speaking about Jesus and they would say something that in modern English would equate to “ Where is He? He was just here!” When they would search and find him, He would have gone off somewhere to be alone so that He could talk to God.

At least with Jesus when He wandered off was actually on task and doing what He was supposed to be doing, which is what we are supposed to be doing. Unfortunately, my distractions and probably your distractions are not of that type. How easy is it to just plop down on the couch and watch a mindless show and waste away the hours? That may not be your weakness, but we all have one of some kind or another.

Besides not being able to stay on task, I also lack the boldness that I should have. I also lack the writing, speaking and teaching skills. That only scratches the surface of all the abilities I need to be an effective disciple. I pray every day for help in all areas. The few people that actually read my blog or any other things I write, say that I am improving very quickly. I promise you that is not all me. I know that God is helping me to get better.

So, here I am. I am the "Basket Case" that struggles to keep making progress and moving forward. I think that we are all too busy doing all the things that don’t matter so much, that we create our own basket. To change an old expression.. You made your basket , so now you have to lie in it.

It is my hope that we all take time to slow down and to listen. Spend a little time several times a day talking to God. Combine that with Bible study and loving and serving others and I think you might find the prescription to reduce the size of your basket of troubles. If your basket is like mine, it is full of doing too much that just really will not matter in the end.

Blessings,
Robbin

I used everything you gave me.

2010-03-01T00:19:00.008-06:00

When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, "I used everything you gave me".

~Erma Bombeck

As I was musing the other day over the fact that I waited so late in my life to answer God’s call. I looked at a few quotes on the subject. I think Erma Bombeck got it right. My Mom always liked Erma Bombeck. She would tell it like it was. I have always had a fondness for people that said what they felt. I have never been one that subscribed to the idea of PC or being PC. PC in this case stands for Politically Correct.

I realize that we are not supposed to use harsh or harmful words just to use them, but we should not shy away from the truth, particularly when it needs to be heard. This country of ours was based on the right to freedom of speech. Somehow, that has been interpreted that it is acceptable to bad mouth this country. Burning flags and such is considered an acceptable practice, but if someone stands up for what most would call normal moral, ethical and religious rights, he is considered out of line. So many of our laws that were put into place in order to protect our citizens and this country itself have been used and interpreted incorrectly. Their original purposes forever lost to history.

I will not even begin to address what our forefathers meant by freedom of religion and what that has led to today. No prayer in schools is only scratching the surface of all that has gone wrong. Ok, that’s enough of my soapbox. Let's get back to Erma Bombeck and her tremendous insight.

To paraphrase Erma Bombeck, she hoped that at the end of her life that she had used every talent that God had given her. I think that is a wonderful goal for all Christians. I decided to do a little Bible research to see if I could back up Erma’s quote with scripture.

First of all, we need to discuss the word talent and its meaning in the Bible and how it came to mean what it does today.

Here is the last paragraph from Wikipedia's definition of talent. The talent as a unit of value is mentioned in the New Testament in Jesus' parable of the talents. This parable is the origin of the sense of the word "talent" meaning "gift or skill" as used in English and other languages. Luke includes a similar parable with different details involving the mina. The talent is also used elsewhere in the Bible, as when describing the material invested in the dwelling of the commandments. Solomon received 666 gold talents a year.

So the word talent was often use metaphorically in the Bible. When used metaphorically it usually had something to do with a personal ability. Throughout the Bible God gave men abilities or talents that they needed to complete a task. Often these were called gifts and came in many different forms.

I think from the way Erma Bombeck worded this quote, that she hoped to use all of the gifts that God had given her so they were not wasted in any way. I think that is a wonderful goal for all of us. It leads to some wonderful questions that we should ask ourselves about how are we using the gifts God gave us and are we using all of them the best that we can.

Lets look at some scriptures that discuss God's gifts.

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.” James 1:17-18

These gifts are given in order that we might resist temptation and overcome it and empower us to do God's will.

Gifts are mentioned often in the New Testament.

God's Gifts Can't Be Bought

“When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money and said, "Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit." Peter answered: "May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!” Acts 8:18-20

God's Gift's Are Based On Our Faith And Our Needs

For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake; Philippians 1:29

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Ephesians 2:8

“I wish that all men were as I am. But each man has his own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that.” 1 Corinthians 7:7

“For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:6-7

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: Matthew 7:7

But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. James 4:6

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. James 1:5

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

God Gifts Are Because He Loves Us

If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? Luke 11:13

We Are To Be Good Stewards Of God's Gifts

As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 1 Peter 4:10

The Gift Of Eternal Life

“but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:14

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23

When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life. Acts 11:18

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life John 3:16

These scriptures are just a few examples of the wonderful gifts that God gives us through His grace. God wants us to be successful in doing His will. If we earnestly seek to do His will, He will provide us with what we need to accomplish His purposes. The power of the Holy Spirit can help us to refrain from temptation and to know the pure joy of doing God's will.

I pray the power of the Holy Spirit comforts and protects you in your life, and God blesses you with His amazing grace. I pray these things in the name of Jesus. Amen

“I shouldn’t have” or “I should have”! Which one do you have trouble with?

2010-02-23T15:18:00.005-06:00

You are more sinful than you can believe, but you are more loved than you can imagine.

I read this phrase for the first time yesterday. It put a tremendous conviction on my heart. We are truly much more sinful than we could ever imagine. Hold up your life in comparison to that of Jesus and it doesn’t take long to see the extreme differences. At this time of Lent (or preparation for Easter for the non-Methodists out there), it is important to really look at the flaws and the just plain old sins in our lives.

For me, I know that my sins fall in all categories, but to greatly simplify this subject, I am going to break them into two categories, the sins of commission and the sins of omission.

I think when I am dealing with the people I know and the normal worldly tasks, my sins are sins of commission. I shouldn’t have said that. I shouldn’t have done that. I shouldn’t have thought that way about that person.

When it comes to what the Lord wants me to do in service to Him or in service to others, my sins are sins of omission. I really should have studied my Bible or said my prayers. I should have helped that stranger. I should have given to that mission.

So, it is really quite simple. We all have the “I shouldn’t have” and the “I should have” decisions in our daily lives. Thank God we have grace from above to cover both, because God does love us more than we deserve through His Son.

The Lord blessed this sinner today as he does every day. Doing what is required to become a Methodist pastor can be fairly expensive to someone in my shoes. My wife and I have considerable financial burdens placed on us because of our pasts and the fact that we have been recently been blessed with a baby.

School books of any kind, as everyone knows, are very expensive and I had reached a point where I was in need of some. I went to the Lenten lunch at our church today and one of my Sunday school class members, Mrs. Nancy H., gave me the books that I needed to continue at this point in my training. It was truly a blessing. Through her help, God blessed me with a way to continue along my path. I am so very grateful to her for thinking of me and praying for me. I truly need all the help I can get.

The gift of those books to me is just one example of how God loves us sinners more than we can imagine and way more than we deserve.

May the Lord bless you today with a repentant heart and understanding of the all those times that “I shouldn’t have” or “I should have”. We are blessed with free will in all things, but those who are saved through Jesus Christ have the Holy Spirit to guide them in their lives daily. It is my wish for all who read this that they learn just how wonderful a redeemed life through Jesus Christ can be. For those that are saved, may the power of the Holy Spirit and the love of our Lord Jesus Christ continue to work in and through our lives as we reach out to others. Amen

Blessings,
Robbin

Stereotypes and Fried Chicken - Both Can be Bad For You!

2010-02-19T01:30:00.006-06:00

It is funny how the mind reacts when you hear certain words, especially words that describe a type of person or their vocation. Usually you picture certain images immediately that are somehow placed there from your past experiences or maybe even by Mrs. Mars your second grade teacher. Here are some examples: bum, martyr, truck driver, poet, banker, lawyer, doctor and finally Christian. Each person reading this probably has a slightly different take on each of these terms. I would imagine those opinions are based on what we have learned from our pasts. I am not saying that making assumptions about people is a good thing. I think that it is just human nature.

Many years ago, at one of the few times in my life that I was unemployed, I went for a job interview with a local car dealership. It was a fun filled afternoon of recruiting that seemed like some kind of motivational speaker nightmare. For someone like me, that has always thought that honesty and humility will get you further in life, I didn't really know what to make of these guys and their high pressure sales techniques.

Anyway, to get to the point, we had to fill out a survey that had some basic questions in order to show our views on certain subjects. One of the questions on my survey I had to answer was, "What words come to mind when you hear the term Used Car Salesman?" Well, I am sure that my viewpoint was tempered by my own past experiences and the show that I had been watching during this hiring carnival. I answered honestly. I know that as Christians we are not supposed to make assumptions about others, no matter their lot in life. Anyway, my answer to the Used Car Salesman question was "Shyster". Well, my interview process was immediately halted and I was led out the nearest exit.

In hindsight, I guess I really shouldn't have made such a broad generalization. I am sure that used car salesmen exist that uphold the highest moral and ethical standards. There are even lawyers that fall in that category as well. I know, I know. It shocked me too! Well Christians aren't perfect, we are just forgiven.

That brings me to what happened to me just the other day. I was at church for a meeting, when a member of our congregation that I didn't know very well came up to me and said "You're that guy that is going to be a preacher". Well, immediately I didn't know what to think. I had about 10 different versions of what the definition of a preacher is to me, going through my mind.

I know lots of people that call themselves preachers, whose actions that I would not agree with, so that concerned me a little. Then I had a rather silly thought go through my head, Preachers, particularly southern preachers, often get to eat fried chicken on Sunday! Before you laugh too hard, really good homemade fried chicken on Sunday after church is almost a religious experience. Immediately after my fried chicken epiphany, I thought of all the positive connotations of the word preacher. Preaching God's Word is truly something honorable and something to get excited about.

Honestly, I hope to be more of a teacher or someone that is just simply sharing God's word. However, someday hopefully I will earn the title “Preacher” and maybe even get some homemade fried chicken on a Sunday afternoon after preaching my sermon.

Blessings,
Robbin

The reason some churches do not observe Lent.

2010-02-17T16:01:00.000-06:00

Why doesn't my church observe Lent?

Ash Wednesday

2010-02-17T14:25:00.001-06:00

Some appropriate scriptures for Ash Wednesday. May the Lord bless us all with a repentant heart.

Psalm 103:8-14 (New International Version)

8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.

9 He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;

10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.

11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;

12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

13 As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;

14 for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust.

Matthew 6:16-21 (New International Version)

Fasting

16"When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 17But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Treasures in Heaven

19"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Luke 18:9-14 (New International Version)

The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector

9To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: 10"Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11The Pharisee stood up and prayed about[a] himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'

13"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'

14"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

What is Lent and why does it last forty days?

2010-02-16T19:41:00.000-06:00

What is Lent and why does it last forty days?

What is the significance of ashes being placed on the forehead on Ash Wednesday?

2010-02-16T19:28:00.000-06:00

What is the significance of ashes being placed on the head on Ash Wednesday?

The History of Mardi Gras

2010-02-16T19:18:00.000-06:00

The History of Mardi Gras (or Fat Tuesday)

In my humble opinion... Christians and excess feasting or partying don't really go together. I do believe celebrations can be a wonderful thing. We all have lots to celebrate and be thankful for.

Global Warming, God's Call, New Orleans Saint's Super Bowl Win and Relying on God and Not Yourself

2010-02-11T16:18:00.003-06:00

Well that title contains a whole list that seems like a bunch of things with different levels of possibility.

Global Warming - I am not so sure about that. It is snowing like crazy in parts of the south today, particularly in Louisiana. In light of the falsified reports on the nightly news about the subject, my doubts continue to rise. I think God intended for us humans to be good stewards of this planet. I don't think global warming or the lack there of should even be a factor. It all started with Adam and he was given stewardship over the garden and the animals. Nothing has changed in all these centuries. We should not waste anything and we should make good choices when we can that protect our environment and our future. However, God gave us freewill and the ability to make choices to help humans. So if making changes puts hundreds of people out of work and they go hungry, I don't think that is the answer either. I think we must take any decisions like that very seriously and pray about them. Obviously, in some situations a win-win scenario is probable. With new innovations in technology, the goal of a greener planet should be more likely. It is something which we should truly strive to accomplish.

God's Call - I truly believe God's call is for everyone and that the biggest problem we have is that we aren't listening. Many are called but many aren't listening is my paraphrase. If you would have asked me years ago, if I would have ever considered going into the ministry? I would have said that you were crazy. My lack of speaking abilities are only rivaled by Moses. I don't think God will send me Aaron but I believe he will bless me with all the talents and abilities I need to do his will.

New Orleans Saint's Super Bowl Win - I often heard that when this happened that Hell would have to freeze over. Did you happen to notice that it is snowing in Louisiana today? Wow, that Global Warming thing (mentioned earlier), boy that is some scary stuff. As soon as I get these mittens off my hands were I can type better, I will write more on the subject. Okay, maybe not.

Relying on God and Not Yourself - This one falls under the most likely not to happen. We are raised in this society to believe that we are self sufficient. We are all born and raised to be winners or atleast really good competitors. Well, as I have learned from so many failures, I am not anything like that old Mack Davis song. The song goes like this.. "It hard to be humble when you’re perfect in every way". Our parents, our friends and society puts pressure on us to be our best. Often that is at the cost of others. I do not disagree that we should all strive to be our best. I just think we need to place more emphasis on putting God first and doing God's will first. That, my friends is much easier said than done. Whenever you think that task is too hard remember these things.

God always blesses those who do his will.

Living that way can greatly reduce the amount of worries in your life, because you turn them over to Him.

Finally, look at what He did for us. Look at the sacrifice. He gave his only Son who had no sin to become sin for you and me. He allowed Him to die on a cross so that we could be saved.

I don't think anything that God could ever expect of us could be too much to ask!

Blessings,
Robbin

My First Post

2010-02-09T21:46:00.003-06:00

Life is moving at the speed of life... Which for me has been at the speed of sound lately or at the speed of my newborn baby's crying for attention. The year 2010 contains a large number of new beginnings for me. Just 12 hours before the new year started my wife gave birth to our first son. She seems to be good at making boys. I had only been involved with making girls before. Anyway, Baby J came on New Years Eve just in time for me to get my tax deduction.

I am truly blessed to have such a loving and supportive wife as well as a loving and supportive mother and stepfather. They all have kept me going through the last few years of my life. My wife has truly kept me sane and helped me to find my way back to church.

Tonight was a rather historical night for me. In order to become a minister in the Methodist church, you are required to be voted in by your home church. I am very lucky that the church council approved of me and is supporting me. It has been a truly blessed day.

In Faith, Hope and LOVE,
Robbin
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