The Bob Blog

5-8-13

2013-05-08T10:09:00.002-04:00

What's Bob Been Up To?

I thought I'd give a brief update and bring things in my life up to speed.

Work
I am still working at the place I was before. There have been some changes. One of our graphic designers quit and we hired another one that only lasted a few weeks. Finally we hired a graphic designer that works well with me and my other co-worker. We make a great team and the culture of our office is quite productive.

Church
I am still at the plant church in Lorain. We're called The Refuge Church. We have experienced some growth and there have been some positive things over the past few months. I will be blogging about this in the future.

Personal Life?
I added a question mark because some folks wonder if I even have one. Ha! Yes I do. Recently I have started dating someone. We've been official since February. We do ministry together and we enjoy spending time together. She's a wonderful woman with a love for God. I am very blessed to have her in my life.

Health
For almost a year I've had problems with my shins. I have not been able to run. I've gone through some depression over this and in the last year I've gained a few pounds. Recently I started eating right and noticed a drastic change my energy levels and outlook. Next week I plan on heading back to the gym. I hope I can get myself back into shape without running. I guess it's time to figure out some different cardio.

Well....that's a brief overview of what I've been doing for the past few months. I look forward to sharing and blogging about Bob stuff again.

5-6-13

2013-05-06T07:45:00.002-04:00

I Need to Blog Again...

I have not been blogging consistently for almost a year now. Every now and then I post something but nothing substantial. I want this to change.

During my time away I have developed a new appreciation for blogging. When I was blogging consistently my creativity was better. My thoughts were better articulated. I could look back on my posts and see how I have evolved.

I stopped blogging because the past few months have been a repetitive cycle of work, church and sleep. I'm not burned out but I'm definitely reminded that cycles are sometimes not good and I need to reflect on what I'm doing.

So I'm getting back to blogging. I want to start chronicling again what has been going on in the world of Bob.

Hello blog. It's nice to meet you again. :-)

2-7-13

2013-02-07T21:20:00.000-05:00

Burning the midnight oil...

Earlier this week I told my boss that I would have one of our clients websites presentable so they could test it. On Monday I was feeling pretty confident but as the week progressed I ran into some hurdles. So I'm in the office right now working on the site that is due tomorrow. I may be here a while. I don't mind though. It's one of the fun parts of my job. Plus I do my best work at night. I wish I could work third shift as a web designer. I don't think that would go over very well.

1-11-13

2013-01-12T00:56:00.000-05:00

Why I Support Rob Chudzinski

The Browns hired a new coach and the choice seemed to come out of nowhere. Big name coaches were tied to the team and even some prominent coordinators. Yet the Browns went with a guy who had two previous stints with the team and no head coaching experience.

I have always like Chud as a coordinator. Since the Browns came back in 1999 I have not seen such an exciting offense in Cleveland as when Chud was offensive coordinator. He was the offensive coordinator from 2007 to 2008. He was fired along with everyone else after the 2008 season. The 2008 season was pretty bad but I believe Chud was a victim of circumstances and not necessarily part of the problem that season.

For history's sake I went back and looked at the 2007 and 2008 seasons.

2007
The Browns went 10-6 and just missed the playoffs. The Browns drafted Joe Thomas and Brady Quinn in the first round. Charley Frye was the starting quarterback and after an abysmal performance in the first game he was traded. This began the reign of Derek Anderson who in the second game against the Bengals put up 51 points. His first couple games were electrifying. Jamal Lewis came over from Baltimore and became our feature running back. Joe Jerivicious was a great third down receiver. He led the league in third down catches that year. Tight End Kellen Winslow Jr. was healthy and had over 1000 yards receiving. Wide Receiver Braylon Edwards continued to drop passes but it didn't matter. Anderson threw so many times to him that he too had 1000 yards receiving. Anderson, Edwards, Winslow and rookie Thomas made it to the Pro Bowl.

The Browns could have made the playoffs if they could have beat the Bengals in week 16. Unfortunately teams now had enough film on Derek Anderson and Chud's offense to contain Anderson's passing attack. Still it was an amazing year and it seemed like the Browns had finally arrived. Chud's offense was explosive and the Browns were exciting to watch.

2008
The Browns struggled even before the season began. I believe the biggest blow to the team was losing Joe Jerivicious. Losing your most important weapon on third down is crippling. Jurivicious would suffer a pre-season knee injury and staff infection. This would end his career. The Browns signed WR Dante Stallworth to replace him. Stallworth was injury proned and only started 7 games. Plus he spiked WR Braylon Edwards in the foot playing around after practice and Edwards missed all of training camp. Derek Anderson missed two preseason games with a concussion. TE Kellen Winslow was injured half the season and had less than 500 yards receiving. RB Jamal Lewis started to show his age and the running game suffered.

The Browns had to deal with yet another quarterback controversy between Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn. Cornerbacks Eric Wright and Brandon McDonald caught the sophomore slump and were awful. During the season both Quinn and Anderson got hurt and were replaced by Ken Dorsey and Bruce Gradkowski. The Browns ended the season with 6 straight losses and not scoring an offensive touchdown in four straight. To add insult to injury, General Manager Phil Savage cussed out a fan on twitter.

The 2008 Browns were a dysfunctional team that could never get their playmakers on the same page and in synch with each other. A lot happened off the field and in the locker room that equate to losses on the field. After a complete collapse in the last six games General Manager Phil Savage, Head Coach Romeo Crenell and his entire staff would be fired. They were replaced with former Jets coach Eric Mangini.

Rob Chudzinski went back to coaching tight ends in San Diego and eventually got an offensive coordinating job with the Carolina Panthers. There he produced a high powered offense with rookie quarterback Cam Newton.

So here are my points:

1. Chud's offensive talent works wherever he goes. He produced in Cleveland and in Carolina. That is much more to go on than Pat Schurmer's resume.

2. Chud was here during the dysfunction of Butch Davis and Romeo Crenell. He has seen the mistakes and I'm hoping he has learned from them and can move forward with a talented young Browns team.

3. His offense fits Brandon Weeden. Chud won't say anything about Weeden right now but I feel that this may be a positive thing.

4. My only concern is that now he is a head coach does he know clock management and personnel?

Rob Chudzinski may not be the sexy pick but I think he is a good choice. As long as the dark cloud of Browns dysfunction doesn't come knock in his door I foresee good things.

For those who are not impressed or don't think this was a good choice I would say let's wait and see. I'm not ready to hit the panic button just yet.

Up next is a GM, the draft and filling out a staff. Let's see how this pans out.

Go Browns!

12-15-12

2012-12-15T17:12:00.001-05:00

I posted this on facebook. Thought I'd share it here. It's my response to the gun debate that is happening because of the shooting in Connecticut.

Guns by themselves are nothing. They don't fire on their own. But when placed in the hands of a person they become an extension of the intent and desires of the wielder. One person may use a gun to feed his family. Another person may use a gun for sport. Sadly, as we have seen today we have people who will use a gun to take lives that don't belong to them.

I believe guns are the greatest symbol of who we are as a society. I believe this because the sole purpose of a gun is to injure or take life. The power a person has when they wield a gun is on par with God. When a person murders another human being that is exactly what they are doing. They are playing God. They have convinced themselves that they have the power to decide who lives and who will die.

So what does that say about us as Americans? How should we continue to look at ourselves in light of the gun related violence that has plagued our country over the past 5 years?

I was familiar with the weapons that Dale Eagle used to murder my parents and shoot me. The guns were legal. He used them to provide food for his family. He used them to bag that prize buck during deer season. So what changed? His heart did. Dale through his anger allowed his heart to get to a place where we were no longer seen as people. Once you start to look at a person as non-human you can do anything to them. It is the reason a German man could work eight hours at a concentration camp and then go home to his wife and kids and say grace before eating a meal together.

I understand that the rifle Dale used to kill my parents and the pistol he used to shoot me didn't tell him to do it. They were instruments he used to fulfill the desire of his heart to take the lives of people he hated.

So where do I stand on the issue of the second amendment? I fully support it. If only for the reason that I believe that we have the right to protect ourselves from people like Dale when they decide to determine the fate of our lives. Just like our founders I believe the second amendment was designed to protect us from governments that try to do the same thing. Throughout history governments have played God with the lives of its citizens. When our leaders decide that they too will play God and determine who will live and who will die we have the right to protect ourselves.

So what does this mean in light of today? I think it means that we need to take a hard look at ourselves as individuals and as a community. We need to understand that just because we live in the wealthiest country on earth, that we can live our lives from a smart phone, and live in a safe manicured neighborhood in the suburbs does not mean that we have evolved beyond evil. We have bought into the lie that we have evolved beyond the barbaric nature that we see in third world societies. Truth is we are as evil as they are. We as Americans have a more subtle way of displaying it.

We are all capable of great evil. Taking away our guns will never change that.

We are all sinners. And as long as we sin we will continue to do things that will disrupt, hurt or end the lives of people around us. There is only one way to overcome sin. That is through the saving power of the blood of Jesus Christ.

5-6-12

2012-05-06T22:30:00.000-04:00

My Browns Draft Review

I took some time to let the NFL Draft sink in. Let the dust settle and take a look at the pics the Browns made. Here is my take.

Round 1
#3 - Trent Richardson RB - I would have been happy with Clairborne, Blackmon or Richardson. So taking Richardson was alright with me. I keep hearing people grumbling about taking a running back this high in the first round, it's a passing game, blah blah blah. I will tell you why this is a great pick for the Browns. Last year the Browns lost 10 of their 12 games by 7 points or less. As a Browns fan I am used to this team having a 4 point lead going into the 4th quarter only to lose it by giving up a score to their opponent and losing by 3 points. Now the Browns have a running back that can get us the first down yardage to sustain drives in the 4th quarter. We can eek out those 4 point wins!!!!

#22 - Brandon Weeden - QB - I think I was with the rest of America when we expected this to be a wide receiver. I think that went out the window when Tennessee picked Wright. It's definitely an upgrade over Cold McCoy. My only problem with this pick is what I've read about Weeden makes me think he's the second coming of Derek Anderson. Both are big guys with strong arms that threw picks when pressured. Now I find out that Weeden is going to wear #3 just like Anderson.

Round 2
#37 - Mitchell Schwartz - T - Still no WR! Schwartz was a smart pick. His draft stock was going up and the Browns desperately needed a lineman for the right side. He will start early. I hope this pick pans out well. I read about people griping about this pick but I'm okay with it.

Round 3
#87 - John Hughes - DT - The WTF pick that Heckert seems to do every year is this one. First, we traded down 20 spots. Second this guy would have been around in the 5th or 6th round. For some reason the Browns gods decided to pull the trigger on a back up DT instead of a wide receiver.

Round 4
#100 - Travis Benjamin - WR - Yay! We got a wide receiver! He's very small. He's really fast. Maybe we can nick name him "Ice Cube?" Nope. That one's already taken.

#120 - James-Michael Johnson - LB - Solid pick to provide depth to our linebackers. Taken in a round where you should take depth.

Round 5
#160 - Ryan Miller - G - With the depth at Guard that the Browns have this guy may have shot at starting.

Round 6
#204 - Emmanuel Acho - LB - More depth. Special teams
#205 - Billy Win - DT - This should have been John Hughes.

Round 7
#245 - Trevin Wade - CB - The obligatory Heckert defensive back pick. He'll see snaps.
#247 - Brad Smelly - TE - um.....why? Does Schurmer hate Evan Moore that much?

My overall thoughts. The Browns upgraded positions with the first three picks. The rest provide depth to positions that desperately need it. Now lets see if this all results with more games in the win column.

4-19-12

2012-04-19T22:28:00.000-04:00

Well hello there blog!

I have had writers block for the past few weeks. Every time I try to write something it just doesn't come out right. I'm hoping that if I just write even if it's just a little I can break out of my funk.

Here's some updates I guess. I have gone all Apple products. I have owned a macbook pro for a while now and it's what I use at work. I switched my phone to an iphone and I bought an ipad. I use the ipad at work to check sites for smartphone compatibility. Plus I use the ipad to read books. I'm loving it. I'm loving the application Instagram for my iphone. I'm taking pictures like crazy!

There has been a lot of things happening in my neighborhood. It seems like for every one positive thing there are two negative things though. It's a struggle but we keep at it. I'll have to blog about that.

Well, I need to get to bed. I'm trying to get back on a sleep schedule so I can get to the gym consistently again. That hasn't been happening.

Night all!

2-27-12

2012-02-27T22:32:00.000-05:00

An Apathetic Political Update...

So my fears about Newt came true. His character flaws manifested themselves and he dropped like a rock.

So much for that.

I haven't been paying that much attention to the primaries. I have noticed that it's down to two people. Rick Santorum and Mit Romney.

I'm not suprised by Mit. This is his primary to lose. But Santorum?

I shouldn't be surprised by this either. Four years ago when Obama announced he was running for president I laughed. I thought is was someone's idea of a practical joke. Well guess whose president!

So why should I be shocked that anyone is taking Santorum seriously?

It's gotten so ridiculous that we're actually arguing over birth control.

Do we not have better things to worry about than birth control?

...I just don't care anymore.

2-23-12

2012-02-23T08:01:00.000-05:00

Power Clean Finally!!!

So after weeks of bad weather on the weekends keeping me from heading to Pittsburgh, I finally went. I met up with a friend of mine and he showed me how to power clean. I think I allowed my enthusiasm to get the best of me. I cleaned until my back got tired and when I drove home I was pretty stiff. Sunday morning I felt like I had been hit by a bus.

The good news is that I seem to have a natural knack for the power clean. It's just a matter of not over-thinking. I tend to over-think things and the result is a missed rep.

This morning I went to the gym and I did the power clean by myself. I felt good. It was a good workout. Now I'm sitting at Starbucks getting ready to work.

We have a website going live tomorrow and we're in final run through and preparations. This shouldn't be stressful but it is. It's kinda like a dress rehearsal. I'm proud of our work on this site. I'm glad the world is going to see it soon.

2-21-12

2012-02-21T09:54:00.000-05:00

Track & Field...

I went to the 3rd Annual ASICS Comet Clinic yesterday. It's a track and field clinic held at my old high school. One of my friends spoke at the high jump/long jump seminar. I was interested in the sprints.

The 100 meter/200 meter seminar was excellent. I had no idea how much information I had lost. I took a lot of notes. Now I can adjust my blocks back to where they are and focus on the different phases of my race the way I'm supposed to.

I went to the 400 meter seminar and wasn't impressed. Mainly because the guy speaking was a distance runner and not a true 400 meter sprinter. Distance folk tend to be into that focus/mental toughness/touchy feely stuff. Sprinters already have that embedded into their psyche. We like to sweat the details because one small detail can mean 10ths of a second from first to second. So except for some new ab/core exercises I learned nothing.

There was a large turn out. I was impressed. There was a plyometrics seminar and shot put/discuss seminar. The clinic covered pretty much everything you need for track and field.

I'm definitely going to go next year. Even as an older track athlete I learned something that will help me be a better sprinter.

2-19-12

2012-02-19T23:11:00.000-05:00

Is It Just Me or...

I'm upset. What makes me even more upset is that I'm the only one upset.

Today we went on our prayer walk. What we do is we go door to door in South Lorain and we ask people if we can pray for them or if we can give them a bible. Right now we're in a rough area. It's not that bad during the day but there is always potential for something to go wrong.

Today was a day where something could have gone very wrong.

We split up into groups and canvassed the area. The day was productive as we passed out bibles and talked with some of the people in the apartment complex. We all met back at our cars except for one group. They were nowhere in sight.

I was under the impression that the missing group was two young women and a teenage boy. I was told later that one of our older men was with them. That didn't settle me down though. I looked in the apartment complexes they were canvassing and they weren't there. We called their cell phones, no answer. I started to get upset.

We then proceeded to knock on doors again. One building had a bunch of thugs hanging around the door. I walked in with another guy and we started knocking on doors and looking around. I could hear one of the thugs running his mouth. I gave him one of my trademark "death" looks and he shut up. What makes the situation worse is that you could feel the darkness in the apartment complex.

After a lead from one of the tenants we went over to the last complex. There we found them talking to a man eager to know more about God who lived in one of the upstairs apartments. They were safe.

I was still upset.

My church as been going door to door for months and there were no rules in place for such a situation as this.

The apartments we were at are some of the worst in Lorain. At night these apartments turn into an awful place. We call the people who live here the Walking Dead because they get so high that they look like zombies.

This past November one of the walking dead attacked my 18 year old neighbor. He was never caught. So I'm positive that one day we're going to knock on the door of the person who tried to rape my neighbor.

Everyone thinks it can never happen to them. Until it does. I used to think the same thing. Bad things happen to other people. I thought that until I watched my parents leave to get groceries and I never saw them alive again.

Something could have happened today.

It didn't but it could have.

We were unprepared.

I'm upset by this and I feel like no one else is.

2-7-12

2012-02-07T17:11:00.000-05:00

My Two Cents on the Christian Gender War!

So the past couple of weeks I have noticed what I call a Christian battle of the sexes going on. One side led by an incredibly dim witted pastor (out west) presented views that are reminiscent of the He-man Woman Haters club from The Little Rascals. This in turn made every woman who thought She-Ra was a documentary and not a cartoon respond with vigor.

I’ve been reading the back and forth, each side claiming to have that one verse or example that justifies their position. There have been some valid and compelling points on either side but for the most part I have found the discussion equal to the “tastes great, less filling” commercials. This has left me a little confused.

I guess my confusion pertains to what the actual argument is. Is this about women being pastors? Is it a reaction to the chauvinistic comments of a misguided pastor? Do women really feel that teaching Sunday school and cooking food for potlucks is the modern day equivalent of being barefoot and pregnant? I really don’t know what this argument is.

I believe that often times we allow our cultural and political leanings to dictate how certain groups are treated. The church is no different. Paul had to call Peter out in the book of Acts because he treated gentile Christians different than Jewish Christians. See! It happens even to pillars of the church. If the Apostle Peter is susceptible to cultural prejudice I’m sure we are too.

With that said I do believe that we as men can go overboard with the manly thing. I mean c’mon! How many times are you going to watch the movie Courageous? We can easily dismiss a well rounded Christ centered view of masculinity with a testosterone-laced overbearing Chuck Norris one. We as men should be seeking the heart of Christ and displaying that in our relationships with our families and not trying to disguise lording over them.

So what about women? I personally think women can do what ever they want. I believe that God has given women gifts and abilities that must be used. Christ said to go out and make disciples. Jesus didn’t say only men go out and make disciples. Yet at the church I go to I see women breaking down the door to work in the nursery and join the quilting club. How do you quilt the gospel? And why does every female think she’s a photographer?

Ok. I have to make a clarification. I think women can do anything they want except for one thing. This one thing is made pretty clear in scripture. I don’t see it as negotiable or debatable. Ironically it’s discussed in scripture twice. Just for those folks who didn’t get it the first time. That one thing women are not called to do? That would be the position of elder/pastor.

You can locate the qualifications for this position in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. The deal breaker is the qualification “the husband of one wife.” This qualification is mentioned in both places. Except to Joyce Meyer I do believe this qualification is pretty self-explanatory. Sorry Joyce!

I believe the debate must start here. I feel that once we set the boundary as to what the bible says about certain position requirements we can then begin to explore the roles that both men and women can share and flourish in. We can leave our gender preferences behind and respect the wisdom of God. I know way to many women who are great warriors for the kingdom of God. They produce spiritual fruit that humbles me at times. Yet none of these women hide in the nursery or quilting class nor do they aspire to be pastors.

Our main focus should be to go into the world and make disciples among all nations. We should be doing this together!

2-6-11

2012-02-06T10:05:00.000-05:00

Leviticus...

I'll probably catch a lot of flack for this post.

I finished reading what for many people is the most difficult book in the bible to read. I understand that. Leviticus is full of laws and sacrifices. It’s redundant. It discusses issues that are uncomfortable. By today’s standards it’s considered backwards and the focus of ridicule for it’s narrow-minded ideology. After reading the action packed books of Genesis and Exodus it is a huge down when one starts reading Leviticus.

To my surprise I enjoyed Leviticus.

I think it’s because I can read it now and understand it in its context. I didn’t get bogged down in the laws and sacrifices. I focused on the structure and reasoning behind the laws and sacrifices. What I wound up learning was an understanding of what God finds important. I also got better insight on how God continued to build a great nation.

Let’s Recap

Genesis is the story of God promising Abraham to bless him as a nation. God leads Abraham to an area that is promised to him and his descendants. After three generations Abraham’s descendants are no longer in that area and wind up in Egypt. Exodus is the story of Abraham’s descendants being enslaved and delivered by God through Moses. Exodus ends with Moses on the mountaintop getting the system of laws that God will use to rule over his people.

Leviticus is the book of those laws. I think this is kinda cool. I believe the bible is divinely inspired but not in a direct way. What I mean by that is I don’t believe someone sat down with pen and paper and God said, “Here buddy! Write this down word for word.” I think Leviticus is the exception. It’s different because Moses was on the mountaintop and God did say, “Moses, write this down!” Think about that. If you’re one of those people who reads Leviticus and thinks it’s backwards and insensitive to today’s enlightened post-modern tolerant culture of love an acceptance, well you think God is a judgmental bigot. Way to go! Pat yourself on the back and receive a free Starbucks coupon.

Sign of the Times

God wanted his people to be separate and distinct from the other inhabitants of the land of Canaan. He wanted them to follow and worship Him. He wanted the nation of Israel to live lives pleasing to Him and He would bless them accordingly. The laws in Leviticus give insight into what God is pleased with.

I found some things sad. There are some things that I would think would be common sense. No sex with dead bodies. No sex with animals. No sacrificing your children to false gods. Those seem like no brainers to me. Not so much during the time of Moses.

Nation Building and the Seriousness of Sin

Leviticus is a book of laws. It’s a social contract between God and his people. It’s a constitution. Within its pages are the penalties for disobedience and the requirements for productive God pleasing interaction between him and each Israelite.

You can break up Leviticus into a number of categories. I will mention the ones that stood out.

1. Treatment of bodily fluids and handling of dead animals – the cleanliness laws.
2. Business agreements – payment and penalty for destroyed property and servants
3. Sin offerings – requirements determined by economic status.

The cleanliness laws are the ones that most people would be uncomfortable with. How many people want to read about menstrual cycles our male ejaculation? The business agreements are mostly compensatory requirements for damaged property. Slaves/servants and the conduct towards them are also discussed. Sin offerings are interesting because of how they are dealt with. If you are wealthy you are required to sacrifice your best. If you are middle-class then you must do the same but of a lesser more affordable animal. If you are poor you are to sacrifice two birds. The required birds are affordable. The result is that there would be no excuse for anyone to not be able to take care of his or her responsibilities to God.

Focus on the Family

This is the thing that stuck out the most to me in Leviticus. There is a level of penalty. For example, being labeled unclean for a certain amount of time, compensating someone for damaged property, being banished from the nation for violating certain laws and the most extreme penalty being execution.

I did a study of the laws involving execution and interestingly enough, about ninety percent of the capital punishment laws involved interaction of the family.

The family!

God considered the treatment of the family so important that disobedience meant execution.

How many of us take our families and our responsibilities to our family that serious?

This struck me as powerful. I’m not going to get on a soapbox regarding this. I just wanted to share and hopefully make whoever reads this think.

How important is your family? Is your family important enough to die for?

Politically Incorrect

There are a few things that stuck out to me in Leviticus that are contrary to some modern political thought. It’s these items that both sides of the political spectrum like to overlook. Most of the time these issues are dismissed, saying that Leviticus is backwards and an old document written thousands of years ago. We’re more enlightened now. I’ll share the anti-right issues first.

There is clear evidence of a social safety net in Leviticus. God commands the Israelites when they pick their crops to leave some behind so the poor are able to take care of themselves. As I have mentioned earlier God decreed sacrifices and that certain sacrifices were commanded by economic status. Consider this a progressive sin tax system.

I believe God is green. I don’t know if he believes in global warming but God definitely believes in conservation and taking care of the land. He had laws regarding the treatment of animals. Farmers were to cultivate the land for a certain amount of years and then take a year off to rest the land. Conserving and storing food was important.

Kinda goes against the libertarian view of government today doesn’t it? Think about it? In Leviticus God is president and the white house is the tabernacle!

What the left overlooks.

God believes in capital punishment. I had some issues with this, as I do not. I still feel that as a Christian I would not want to be in a place to decide the fate of a person’s life. But I believe God allows governments the right to exact whatever punishment the feel necessary for the violation of their laws.

God frowns upon homosexuality. This is one of those things God punished with death. As I stated earlier God took the family relationship extremely serious. I know way too many people who try do dance around this.

I will end with an issue that both sides of the political spectrum have problems with. That being the family structure.

You can argue that homosexuality is an abomination towards God but if you have unruly children then you are an abomination also. You can scream about how gays are destroying the sanctity of marriage but when your churches are full of divorced and remarried families, some two or three times, you are the ones who destroy the sanctity of marriage.

God’s people are called to be separate and distinct from the world. The world should know us by our love. We should be examples of loving productive Godly relationships. When we miss the mark then we are no better than the Israelites who intermarried with the other nations and worshiped other gods.

Conclusion

I don’t mean to judge. Everyone has a story and a set of circumstances as to why they are where they are in life.

I know people who have been married two or three times.

I know people who struggle with emotions regarding the same sex.

I know people who neglect their kids.

I know kids who rebel and speak ill of their parents.

My prayer for them is that wherever they are in life that they would not look at Leviticus as a weapon to justify or condemn a person for the way they live.

Leviticus is no longer a list of laws and penalties but a glimpse into the mind of God and what God considers productive and pleasing ways to live our lives.

He will meet us wherever we are involved in whatever we are doing.

The law has not been abolished but fulfilled.

You don’t have to be stoned.

You don’t have to offer a ram, goat or dove as a sacrifice.

The penalty and sacrifice has already been paid through the blood of Jesus Christ.

1-31-12

2012-01-31T20:36:00.000-05:00

Winter Jam!!!

This past Sunday I went to a Christian music concert called Winter Jam. I had a great time. The experience wasn't without it's issues though.

The Idea

About three weeks ago I was at men's bible study and a thought occurred to me. We have a lot of kids, teens and a few young adults, so why not start putting together some type of youth group? I wasn't the only one with the idea. We all agreed this was something we should do. The next step was to decide what to do. I suggested Winter Jam. So it was decided that our first event with the youth would be to go to the concert.

The Gameplan

The plan was to leave around 4pm, get some food at Golden Corral and get to the concert around 6pm.

Not everything goes as planned.

We went to Golden Corral and wouldn't you know it, all of Elyria was there too. There were two large parties in front of us and the estimated time to be sat was almost an hour. That wasn't going to work so we decided to go to Subway.

All 20 of us walked into Subway and scared the lone worker behind the counter. Poor girl. She looked like she was about to cry. Her eyes got real big and you could see the life get sucked out of her. Luckily we were considerate and smart enough to go somewhere else. It would have taken too long to make 20 subs and this girl was about to have a panic attack.

We wound up going through the McDonalds drive through and eating on the way to the concert. By the time we got to the concert and parked we were at about 6pm.

Seating?

The concert was 10 dollars general seating. First come, first served. We arrived late so it was impossible for 20 people to sit together. We split up and tried to find at least 3 or 4 seats together. I think we were wrong about the time also because we missed the first four acts.

Always Somebody to Spoil the Fun

It's a Christian concert. There were about 15,000 people in attendance. So it would be logical that there would be a few rotten apples in the bunch.

Guess who found them?

I was standing with a few friends and we were content with standing. I had brought my camera and I thought about walking around and getting different shots of the bands. Then the MC of the concert asked if people would move inwards to open up seats near the isles so people could sit. As this was happening an usher came up to us and asked how many people we had. We said 4. He said to follow him. He placed us at for open seats near the stage. Winning!

So we were happy to sit there. I noticed that the people we were sitting around didn't move or smile. They just sat there and acted like it was torture to be at the concert. I thought that was odd.

About 20 minutes in the guy next to me says, "You stole my friends seats."

I said, "Excuse me?"

He continued to say that I stole his friends seats. Then the guy in front of me said that their friends left and we stole their seats. I told them both that we were unaware that these seats were taken and we were placed here by the usher. That quieted them.

Then during intermission the woman that was with them kept talking about how we stole their friends seats. She talked to people as if we weren't there. I kept quiet. I really wanted to say something. Those of you that know me know that my keeping quiet is quite an achievement as I am prone to making my thoughts known. :-)

Honestly, we had no idea that those seats were occupied. We thought they were what was open after everyone moved inward. The usher brought us there. There were no coats on the seats to claim them. No one said anything to the usher that they were occupied. But yet they continued to accuse us of stealing those seats.

I write about this encounter because it's things like this that make people not want to go to church. I guess I'm spoiled to be around such godly and loving people that things like this don't happen. They allowed the seat thing to ruin their entire concert experience and that is sad.

OK. Enough about party poopers...

The Concert

I will admit I didn't expect much. I have been to christian concerts before and let's just say the production value was sub par. I had seen local worship bands with better production value than some christian artists performances. To my surprise every group we saw was top notch.

What struck me the most was how great these groups sounded live. There were a few groups that I have heard their music on the local christian radio station and they sound domesticated and adult contemporary. I hear them play live and their songs came alive. They rocked it out! I will admit there were a few times I stood there with my mouth open in disbelief that the song I hear live is the same one currently in rotation on the radio.

I gotta go to more live performances.

The Message

Winter Jam was in many ways the 21st century equivalent of a tent revival. There was of course, mass marketing and all the bells and whistles you would expect. It didn't bother me though. Mainly because the producers of Winter Jam made a great case as to why they are relevant and why you should support them.

This concert was not only an opportunity to hear great bands and have fun, but to reach out to teens and young adults that are hurting. Being a teenager today is a lot harder than it was when I was a teenager and I'm not that far removed. These musical groups weren't there to just sing and get a paycheck. They truly want to touch the lives of people through their music and change lives in the process.

A message was given by Pastor Nick Hall. He knows how to talk to young people. He did a great job of bringing the gospel message home. The headliner was a band called Skillet. They are a hard rock band along the lines of Evanescence and Linkin Park. They were great. I was pretty pumped after hearing them.

Afterthoughts

I believe that the bands for Winter Fest were carefully picked and the event carefully produced. It was obvious that Winter Jam was more than just entertainment but an opportunity to connect with teens and young adults through a language that is so universal all of us know it. That is the language of music.

I am so glad I went. I know lives were changed. I have a greater appreciation for today's christian artists.

I can't wait for next year!

1-27-12: Addendum

2012-01-27T11:15:00.000-05:00

Reconciliation...

First, I noticed that I still keep putting 2011 as the year. I updated my posts to display 2012. oops!

So the other day I sent an email to a couple that I know in regards to reconciliation. A little over a year ago I broke off our friendship because things just didn't seem to be in the right place. There was something broken that I didn't feel at the time could be fixed. Time has past and I am in a place where I'm strong enough to work things out.

They are not.

The response to my email was disappointing but not unexpected. Like I said, there is a reason I broke things off.

In situations like this you have to meet people where they are. In this case my friends aren't really in place to move forward. That's okay though.

At least they know where I stand. They know that I harbor no ill will and I look forward to a different and more positive future. I pray that they will one day see the same thing.

1-27-12

2012-01-27T10:22:00.001-05:00

A Week of Illness...

This has been an exhausting week. I've spent a great deal of time in hospitals or visiting people who are sick.

Monday and Tuesday I was supposed to take a friend from church to work but he had to call off because his kids were throwing up. He wound up taking them to the hospital. I would get on facebook and I saw numerous status updates by friends saying they were sick. There must be a bug going round.

Wednesday I found out my cousin was in the hospital for kidney failure. I went up to visit him. I plan on visiting today too. He's feeling better but his kidneys still aren't working at full capacity.

Probably the most emotional for me was taking a young man from my neighborhood to University Hospital to see his mom. His mom had a brain aneurism and they did surgery. He had been trying to get to her for two days. Many of my neighbors don't have vehicles so they depend on others to help them get to where they are going. I took him to the west side to see if he could get a ride and no one would help. He got extremely upset. I told him I would take him.

We got to University Hospital and he was able to spend some time with his mom. She's doing better but she's not out of the woods yet. Before we left I prayed over her. I plan on keeping in touch with this family. There is a lot going on and they truly need God's strength right now. Actually there are a lot of people, my family included that need God's strength right now.

Ghana Update

I was able to chat with Pastor Ben online the other day. He and his family are still struggling with the emotions in the aftermath of the attack on his daughter. Pastor Ben is a wise man and the Lord is with him. He said that God is working. The good news is that his daughter's fiance is not going to leave her. That is wonderful news. That is all the information I have for now.

It's Friday and I'm beat. Ready for the weekend.

1-25-12

2012-01-25T08:20:00.000-05:00

Finished Exodus!

I just finished reading the book of Exodus. It's a great continuation of Genesis. I'm amazed that their is such a controversy over who wrote the first five books of the Old Testament. I've done my own research and the writing style plus geographical information is distinctly Egyptian in nature. You would have to deduce that Moses, being raised by Egyptian royalty would naturally be the author. I sometimes think that scholars have too much time on their hands and they come up with controversies just to write papers.

So Exodus opens up about 400 years after Joseph. The Israelites are great in number and the powers that be in Egypt don't like that. So they enslave the Israelites and kill their first born children for population control. Think if it as a crude ancient method of abortion. Moses's mother places him in a basket and into the Nile river where he is found by Egyptian royalty and raised as their own. Moses grows up and see the plight of his people. In the process he kills and Egyptian guard and flees into the desert. There is where Moses talks to God(burning bush) and is commanded to return to Egypt and deliver his people.

I love the first half of Exodus. The story of the ten plagues and the passover still gives me goosebumps. I'm spoiled by the animated movie "The Prince of Egypt." I think that movie is the best depiction of what happened. The parting of the Red Sea in that movie is amazing! I grew up reading the story of Moses. It is one of my favorites.

On a side note, scientists believe there is some validity to the ten plague story. Scientists believe that the volcanic eruption that destroyed the island of Thera may have been the catylist for the resulting plagues. Such a volcanic eruption would have triggered chemical changes in water, changes in animal patterns and migration and a whole slew of other things. The only thing it doesn't explain is the killing of the fist born and the parting of a large body of water.

The second half of Exodus I didn't care for that much. I understand it's significance though. The second half tends to spend a lot of time on the specifications for the Ark of the Covenant and the Tabernacle. As we all know the Ark of the Covenant was recovered by Indiana Jones and killed all the Nazi's. (joke) The Tabernacle is the temporary worship place where God's presence resided among the Israelite people. I must admit I didn't read the specification chapters as in depth as the rest of Exodus.

The highlights of the second half of Exodus are when Moses meets with God to get the Law. Imagery of a cloud with lightning and thunder sitting atop a mountain. Moses wanting to see God's face (glory) and God telling him that no man can see His face and live. I love this stuff.

I have a number of complaints though. The first one is that the Israelite people are dense as all get out. They just experienced God delivering them from the Egyptians. They escaped through a parted sea for crying out loud, but yet the continued to complain and doubt when things got hard. Moses was gone longer than they expected on the mountaintop and they decide to build a golden calf and worship fake gods. Really...dense.

But aren't we like that though? How many of us feel all spiritual and great on Sunday at church and as soon as we leave we turn back to our grumpy selves? Maybe we are as dense as they are?

My second critique is the conversation that Moses has with God about the golden calf. God is ready to wipe the Israelites out and start over with Moses. Moses talks God out of destroying them. I may need to study this passage because it just doesn't fit for me. God keeps his promises. Why would he break his promise and start over with Moses? Why does God need talked out of something by Moses? Is this a test for Moses? I really don't know. The entire scenario doesn't jive with the rest of the book. I'll have to look into this.

I'm starting Leviticus today. Leviticus tends to be a hard read. It's all about laws and offerings for certain sins. Luckily I don't have to read more than three chapters a day. I'll keep you posted.

1-19-12

2012-01-19T16:50:00.000-05:00

Bob and the Art of Social Justice...

Recently I have been bothered by things I see around me. Enough so that I've had to take a stand and say something. Other things have touched my heart and I feel compelled to reach out.

Martin Luther King who?

I work on a college campus. Monday the college was closed for Dr. King's birthday. Tuesday classes resumed and around noon there was a presentation to celebrate his birthday in the campus meeting area. There were guest speakers and local activist leaders.

Do you know how many people attended?

Seven. Well five actually. Two of those in attendance were media.

While this was happening the Starbucks was packed and the Apple store in the college bookstore was busy.

Good to know the future of America has their priorities straight.

I Don't Care What You Call It, Hate is Hate!

I am friends with Bobby who is the head of the LCCC Pride organization on campus. He's one of the friendliest and most helpful people on campus. LCCC for whatever reason makes it very difficult to get an organization started on campus. Bobby is good with getting things done.

The Pride group is an openly gay organization that promotes tolerance and understanding among students. Pride also provides a place for gay students to socialize and experience community. Someone this past week went into the LCCC Pride office cubicle and wrote "Kill all Gays" on one of their flyers.

That upsets and troubles me greatly.

I don't care what your feelings are about homosexuality. There is no excuse for this! I have stated this before and I'll say it again. When we start to look at people or groups as "they" or "them" we begin to view them as not human. Once a person or group is dehumanized then we can justify doing anything to them.

What happened to the Pride group is hate.

There is no place for this.

Bobby and the members of the Pride group don't deserve to be treated like this either.

The Returning Soldier

Recently I read an article about a photo of some marines urinating on the bodies of some dead Taliban. I didn't finish the article. It upset me too much.

President Obama has recently brought our troops home from Iraq. Sadly the urination picture story has gotten more press than our troops coming home.

In the name of freedom we place our men and women in uniform into positions to exercise the lowest common denominator of human interaction. We send them to kill. We send them for long durations to foreign countries where the temptation to fill the void of loneliness is overwhelming. There are acts of heroism in war, but there are also acts of cowardice and debauchery. For every Purple Heart there is a Gitmo or Mai Lai.

I think about what led those marines to do what they did. I think about what they must go through over there. I'm not making excuses for what they did. I just think about the baggage they bring home.

I started thinking about what we could do as a church. What could we do to help relieve our soldiers of the mental, emotional and spiritual bagged they bring home with them?

I have ideas. I'll keep you posted.

The N-Word

I was at the college gym locker room this morning. While I was in there a young african-american guy decided to play a song he had on his phone while he got dressed. I was washing up and all I could hear was the f-word, references to women's genitalia and the n-word. This song was nothing more than verbal pornography.

The more I heard the angrier I got. After about 1 minute of this I turned around and in a loud and forceful voice told this guy to turn that song off. I think I scared him. I told him that I do NOT want to hear the n-word.

I didn't stop there.

I asked him why he would listen to something like that. To me the n-word is the most disgusting and deplorable word in the English language. Anyone who thinks that it's a cultural term of endearment to the black community is an idiot and a fool. They have bought into the lie that a word that demeans an entire race of people is acceptable.

I have a friend from Africa who is a missionary in Ghana. His family is going through hell right now in the name of Christ. To say that the n-word is a term of endearment to him and his family or the people he ministers to is a slap in the face.

I hate this word. I HATE IT!!!!!!

This young african-american guy didn't answer me. He just lowered his head, grabbed his bag and left the locker room.

Helen Keller

A friend on Facebook thought it cute to post a pic of some black squares with the caption "The Adventures of Helen Keller."

I didn't find that funny.

For anyone who knows Helen Keller's story she is an example of someone overcoming their handicap and living a wonderful life. She overcame blindness and deafness to experience the day to day things that we take for granted.

The irony is that Helen Keller made more of an impact with her handicaps than most people do with full sight and hearing.

Reconciliation

There is an american-indian man in my neighborhood. He let me borrow an Indian history book. I have read it. Most of the history I already knew. The thing is he is very bitter. He hurts.

My thought for him is how can he have peace? How can there be reconciliation?

I have been listening to an Native-American Pastor named Richard Twiss. He went through a lot of the bitterness. He also has gone through the shunning of his own culture in the name of fitting in as an evangelical christian. He has a lot of truth that I feel can help my friend. I plan on sharing with him.

I'll keep you posted.

For the Kingdom

The more I try to live for the kingdom the more sensitive I become to the actions and words that divide us as people. I think about the healing in my own life. I think about the grace I have received. I want that for so many people.

I want wars to end.

I want a people burdened with loss of culture and home to find another in Christ.

I want an entire race of people to have self-respect.

I want people to quit dehumanizing each other to the point of hate.

I want that which divides us to be healed.

I want to share with everyone the only place where this can be a reality.

...that is in The Kingdom of God

1-17-12

2012-01-17T09:12:00.000-05:00

Good and Bad...

Training

I like to call myself the reverse gym rat. Have you ever seen those guys at the gym who have these massive upper bodies and stick legs? Well I have strong legs and no upper body. I still have yet to find my ceiling on the squat. My legs get stronger the more I sprint. I may have to spend more time on my upper body to compensate. It's not uncommon for different parts of the body to make bigger gains than other parts. I must be mindful of that.

Exodus

I'm enjoying Exodus. I just got through the 10 plagues and the exodus from Egypt. I'm up to chapter 21. Moses has just received the 10 commandments. Moses's father-in-law is named Jethro which I think is funny. Interestingly enough Jethro understands democracy. Moses is judging Israel by himself and Jethro suggests to Moses to find able men to delegate smaller items to. Kind of like electing representatives and having a city council. I found this interesting.

I'm also fascinated at how easy the people of Israel start to complain when the going get's tough. They just witnessed some of the most amazing miracles anyone has ever seen in their lifetime. They just passed through a large body of water unscathed and yet they forget and complain. Aren't we the same way? Even in my own life I sometimes forget that God has delivered me from so many things. Yet I find time to complain. Fortunately for the Israelites God hears them complain and blesses them with food and water to drink. God still provides. That is a great lesson for me. No matter how much I complain God provides. He like to remind me and his people of who He is.

Something HORRIBLE!!! Please pray

I have a friend who runs a ministry in Africa. His oldest daughter was brutally beaten and raped. He and his family have been through so much and this is another blow. I don't want to go into too much detail. Just pray for my friend, his daughter and his family.

In the midst of such a horrible event I can only think of what I've read in Exodus.

God will provide.

1-11-12

2012-01-11T17:28:00.000-05:00

Genesis...

I decided to try one of those read the bible in one year thingies! So far I'm doing pretty good with keeping up every day. I read about 3 or 4 chapters a day. It's been a while since I read Genesis in it's entirety. I usually do studies on parts that are relevant to the topic I'm researching.

My thoughts on Genesis?

There is a whole lot of history crammed into this book. Maybe too much. Thankfully it slows down once Abraham moves to where he's supposed to be. The last third of Genesis deals with Abraham, Issac, Jacob and Joseph.

There is a lot of description and detail when it comes to places and civilizations. I wanted to stop and study but that negates a daily reading doesn't it. I will say that if you are doing a surface reading of Genesis like I am, the details don't matter that much. Focus on Abraham's family and you pretty much got it covered.

At first glance one would think that the only thing God has going is a mission to annoy and test Abraham and his family. If you look deeper you will realize that God is testing but he's teaching lessons to Abraham and his family. He's grooming them to be the nation they will become in the future. Through the experiences and trials they go through Abraham, Issac and Jacob go from a dysfunctional family to wealthy men of integrity who God has blessed.

Joseph is a great story. I am always encouraged by Joseph and his amazing technicolor dream coat! It's a story of reconciliation and family now matter how messed up a relationship is.

So why spend so much time on Abraham's family?

God found favor with Abraham and promised that he would make his descendants a mighty nation. It's the story of how Abraham's line began to see this promise come true. Land was promised also. All of this plays a huge role on Exodus.

By the end of Genesis, Joseph and his brothers were living in the land of Egypt. Their families were growing and their wealth increasing.

As they say, to be continued.....

1-7-12

2012-01-08T00:19:00.001-05:00

Visiting and Old Friend...

Today was a very good day. I spend most of it with an old friend.

Her name is Theresa Lesko. Her husband Joe and her son Matt were good friends with me and my parents. Joe past away a few years ago from Leukemia and Matt is married now and lives out of state. Theresa still lives in the same place and I decide to go over and say hello. It's been a while. I have a list of people I need to make time and see.

The last time I saw Theresa she wasn't doing well. She was still struggling with the loss of Joe. We talked but I didn't know what to say to be an encouragement. This time she was in better spirits. It was great to hear how God was working on healing her and showing her that she is a stronger person than she gives herself credit for. I was excited because it sounds like she's ready to step out and be active in ministry again. I encouraged her to visit the plant church in Lorain. I think she would like it.

I must say, I miss Joe. My dad and Joe were really good friends. My mom and dad and Joe and Theresa went up to Toronto one time to see the Phantom of the Opera. They had a blast. Joe was the most amazing man of God I've ever met. We had such wonderful times together.

It's strange. Joe passed away in February of 2006. My parents were gone three months later.

I plan on visiting Theresa more often. I enjoyed my time with her today. It wasn't depressing or sad because of who we lost. It was nice to sit with an old friend, someone I grew up with and catch up.

I need to see Matt and his wife when they come into town. He has a child too. I used to teach him in Sunday school.

Gosh I feel old! :-)

1-5-12

2012-01-05T22:46:00.001-05:00

Power Cleans and Fiestadas!!!!

New Year's Post

I would like to thank everyone for the kind words in response to my January 1 post. It meant a lot. I am very much encouraged by the new year. I'm also encouraged by what God has in store for the future.

You Don't Know How to Power Clean?

I'm trying to incorporate as many full body lifts that increase explosiveness as possible. One of the best lifts to do that is the Power Clean. It's a staple for any serious sprinter or footballer. It's been years since I have done the lift and I don't want to attempt the lift without someone overseeing my form. That way I don't injure myself. After a few days of asking around, I can't seem to find anyone that knows how to perform this lift.

Are you kidding me?

To make a long story short, I'm going to go to Pittsburgh and hang out with a buddy of mine who runs his own personal training business. He's going to work with me on getting my Power Clean form correct.

I'll tell you this. I'm going to plug the heck out of his business every chance I get.

The Fiestada

One of the highlights of attending the Amherst Exempted Village Schools Education System is something called the fiestada.

What is a fiestada? It is sometimes called the Mexican Pizza. It's a pentagon shaped bastion of oh so yummy goodness. I have no idea what it is made of. All I know is that I can mention the word fiestada on facebook and Amherst Schools alumni will immediately go nuts commenting and liking your status. I do believe the fiestada is the highlight of our years in school.

I found out that they still sell the fiestada at lunch. I'm totally going to Amherst and getting me a fiestada.

Fiestadas are like catnip for Amherst students.

1-1-12

2012-01-01T22:10:00.000-05:00

2011 in Review...

2011 was an amazing year. It didn't start out that way.

The first three months were kinda bumpy. Actually they were very bumpy. Just enough to snap me out of a downward spiral that I didn't want to go down.

By the grace of God I was able to bounce back. I would like to share with you some of the highlights and wisdom that I listened to which made this year one of the most exciting times of my life.

Dig into the Word

This was the main advise my boss gave me. This is probably the most important advise too. See, I have a bad problem of retreating inward and sulking. I become broody and melancholy. Not the funnest person to be around. So instead of wallowing in my guilt and sorrow I opened up the Bible and started reading. I searched the scriptures diligently for answers and promises of comfort that would give me peace. The more I read the more I started to understand that every problem is spiritual. Pop psychology wasn't going to cure what ails me.

Re-Renewing Your Mind

Romans chapter 12 talks about not conforming to this world and looking at yourself with sober judgment. It also talks about renewing your mind. I'm not a novice when it comes to scripture. I've read this numerous times. I went to see a counselor about the issues I was having. I've gotten to a point where I couldn't deal with these issues on my own. Actually, that was precisely the problem. We'll get to that later. I had been told by other psychologists that because of the trauma from the shooting my mind had been rewired. Dr. Schaffer's solution was to make Romans 12 the main focal point. But instead of renewing my mind. We were re-renewing my mind.

Grace

I love this word. I'm getting emotional just writing about it. Grace by it's very nature is powerful. It's something none of us deserve. Actions have consequences. Grace not only takes away the consequences but lifts you up regardless. I was extended grace and I will forever be thankful and grateful. Through the extension of grace I came to realize that I did't fully understand what grace is. I needed to understand grace fully. One of the first things that I learned is how high the cost is to the person who extends the grace. In essence they pay your penalty. Someone paid my penalty.

Which Bob is More Dependent on God?

Since the shooting I have lived with a duality. I've longed to get back to a normal life. My idea of normal was the life I had before the shooting. My life was pretty easy. I went to college, hung out with friends and my biggest problem was when a paper was due. After the shooting I've had to deal with things I wouldn't want wished upon anyone.

So I was having lunch with a pastor friend and I was trying to explain to him this duality. I told him how I just wanted to get back to my normal comfortable care free life. After I was done telling him this he looked at me and asked, "So the Bob you were before the shooting and the Bob you are now, which one is more dependent on God?" I had to think a minute. After some careful thought I answered that the Bob I am now is more dependent. That's when he smiled and said, "Then maybe that is the Bob you should try to be."

That hit me like a ton of bricks. It never occurred to me. I have spent so much time trying to be someone that no longer exists. Instead I've become frustrated, angry and anxious. It was time to stop pining for a person that no longer was. It is time to let God show me the person he wants me to be.

Hallowed be Your Name!

I was listening to a John Piper podcast about the Lord's Prayer. Dr. Piper dissected the prayer line by line. What he revealed was incredible to me. He said that "Hallowed be your name" wasn't a phrase of description it was a call to action. So in essence when your recite the Lord's prayer you are commanded to make God's name holy. When His kingdom comes his name is hallowed. When His will is done His name is hallowed. When you forgive others their trespasses His name is hallowed.

That's awesome! Obedience became easy that day.

After listening to that I felt like I was truly part of the kingdom of God. I felt like I could stand in the throne room of God and kneel in front of Him and say to my king, "HALLOWED BE YOUR NAME!!!!"

The Book of James, love Dad

I blogged about this a few months ago. I'm still blessed by this. I found my fathers' study guide on the book of James. It was full of his notes. James is a great book to study for practical living. It was my dad's favorite book to teach. I sorely miss my dad's advice and council. Finding his study guide was like my dad trying to teach me one more life lesson from beyond the grave.

Philippians

This book helped to guide me towards things I should think about and take delight in.

Philippians 4:4-8 says,

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."

Prayer became a focus. Going to God in prayer when I became anxious became a necessity.

Focusing on things that delight God made the next verses a lot easier to deal with.

Philippians 2:3 says

"Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves."

This is easier said than done. But when your heart is set on the things that delight God it does become easier. There is one person in my life that I can honestly say it has been a struggle to treat better than myself. I've tried to justify my treatment of this person in my head but what it comes down to is plain selfish ambition and conceit. It doesn't matter whether I'm justified or not. I am to treat everyone with humility and respect.

Remember, when this is done His name is hallowed. When you respect others it honors God.

Applications and Encounters

The first one would be when I began attending a men's bible study at my church. The men are older than I am and it has been good to be around husbands and fathers that I can seek wisdom and guidance from. There isn't a lot I can say because what is talked about in our group stays in our group. The confidentiality is paramount. Just know that the transparency is refreshing and this has been a great encounter.

The next would be meeting my roommate Kevin. Kevin is truly a righteous man. His humility and wisdom is contagious. It's been wonderful having a roommate that I can depend upon and confide in. We keep each other accountable and we build each other up. We live in a low resource neighborhood and we both are able to minister to our community. It's a great feeling to go to war with a valued brother in Christ.

A friend of mine called me one evening and shared with me what I call the call to action. She said that God had told her to tell me that I needed to serve. Not in the way that I'm accustomed to but in a more intimate and personal way. For many years I have served in an administrative capacity. I've started groups or been the head of organizations but It's been a long time since I took time to deal with real people. She felt that God was telling her to tell me that I needed to serve others. I had become calloused towards others different than me. I needed to reconnect.

Interestingly enough. A week after she told me this I moved to a poor neighborhood. Ha!

The Plant Church

I wasn't living at Kevin's a week before some folks showed up at the door. At first I thought they were Jehovah's Witnesses but then I saw someone that I knew with them. They were from a plant church in the area and they were knocking on doors asking people if they could pray for them. I immediately became interested and soon started going to their weekly meetings.

This was in August. Today I am very much involved with the plant church. We are called The Refuge. We want to be a place of prayer and healing to our community. South Lorain needs it. I'm blessed to fellowship with some dynamic Christians. I expect miracles to happen. I'm very excited about what God is doing with this church and I can't wait to see what happens moving forward.

Putting it All Together

Since the shooting I've dealt with a lot of the after affects on my own. At first that seemed like a good idea. It wasn't. I leaned on my own understanding and tried to find my own solutions. All the while people were telling me how strong I was. People kept telling me how I have a purpose. It's safe to say that I started to buy into the hype. I'm not saying that God wasn't working in my life. I will say that I let Him work on my terms and at my discretion.

2011 is the year that God put an end to me being in control.

I am His soldier.

I am His slave.

I write this post to testify to the wonderful grace that was shown me this past year.

I write this to acknowledge the people who have entered my life who may or may not know that they were instrumental in directing me on a path of dependence on God for my peace of mind.

I write this so that others may know that when you seek God out, study his word and pray to Him that he listens. He will not forsake you.

2011 was an amazing year. I have full faith that 2012 will be even better!

Hallowed be His name!

The Death of Optimus Prime

2011-12-31T03:38:00.001-05:00

Anyone that knows me can attest to the fact that I love Transformers. I've been a fan of Transformers since I was a little kid. It's something I've never grown out of. I love the concept, the mythology and the characters.

When I was a kid the Transformers cartoon and comic was nothing more than glorified toy commercials. The characters were fleshed out enough to make them interesting and collectable. There was enough personality to make every 8 year old boy want Bumblebee, Jazz, Iron Hide or Starscream for Christmas. Today it's a different story. Many of those kids grew up and are now working at Hasbro, in Hollywood or at comic book companies. These adults remember their favorite cartoon characters and are giving them a better treatment then they got in the 80's. Today we can watch Michael Bay movies where the robots have more depth than the human characters (sorry Meghan Fox). There are video games with amazing story telling. My favorite so far is IDW's Transformers comic book line.

It is the comic book that I want to focus on.

The greatest of all Transformers is the legendary Autobot leader Optimus Prime. To me he symbolizes the 80's. He's a mixture of John Wayne and Ronald Reagan wrapped in a red and blue semi. He's the noble leader with a strict sense of honor. He believes that freedom is the right of all sentient beings and he's willing to fight anyone or any thing to protect that right. Seems almost American doesn't it? The poster boy for US foreign policy.

Since the 80's Hasbro has tried to boost sales with gimmicks. One of those gimmicks is to kill of Optimus Prime. They did it in a 1986 animated movie. They have done it numerous times in the Marvel comic. So I was saddened to see that the current comic book company to own the Transformers title (IDW) decided to do the same thing.

I bought the issue The Death of Optimus Prime. I was surprised at the outcome.

I have always believed that good science fiction tells a story relevant to today's events in a fictional setting. Movies and shows that entertain us yet make us question our perception of things is to me the high art of storytelling. IDW has taken the Transformers story and moved into this direction. No longer is the comic a 32 page commercial.

For those that don't know, the Transformers are a robotic race of beings that can morph their bodies into alternate modes. These modes can be vehicles, planes or weapons. The Transformers are fighting a civil war which has lasted millions of years on their planet Cybertron. The heroic Autobots led by Optimus Prime fight the evil Decepticons led by Megatron. Their war has spilled over onto countless planets including earth.

In the IDW comic, the war is over. The Autobots have won. Over the centuries the cybertronians that didn't align themselves with the Autobots or Decepticons fled Cybertron to escape the civil war. Now that the war is over they are returning home. The cybertronians are not happy at the war torn planet they are returning to and they view the Autobots as occupiers. They want the Autobots gone and things are getting violent. Doesn't this sound familiar? Some may say that we are occupying countries in the middle east. There are those in the middle east that don't want us there.

Optimus Prime takes stock on the situation. He sees tensions rise. He also sees that for Cybertron to flourish everyone must work together. So Optimus gives a speech to the newly repatriated Cybertronians. He tells them that his soldiers have fought for their right to return and live in peace. Because of this his Autobot army should be allowed to live in peace also. Their war is over. Optimus tells them that he understands that he is a symbol of the war that tor them from their home and that if he stays his presence will only be a reminder of the pain and suffering everyone has gone through. So Optimus Prime decides to leave and never return.

So where does Optimus Prime die?

Before he was Optimus Prime, he was a Cybertronian named Orion Pax. When the war started his character and integrity led Orion Pax to be entrusted with the Autobot Matrix of Leadership and to be named Optimus Prime, witch is the equivalent of a 5 star general. No longer Orion Pax, Optimus Prime has fought for over 4 million years. He's seen countless friends die and planets destroyed because of their war.

Now that the war is over Orion Pax can lay down his weapons.

Optimus Prime can be laid to rest.

The last page of the comic is Optimus flying away from Cybertron. The Transformers version of riding off into the sunset.

I found this fitting for one of my most beloved childhood characters.

12-30-11

2011-12-30T23:33:00.001-05:00

Productive Cleaning... Today I spent my day cleaning dishes and most of the kitchen. I took the groceries I bought Wednesday and placed everything in the appropriate Tupperware. That way I can easily make my food during the week. My computer room is a huge mess. That was my task for the day. I needed to reorganize and situate everything so I can work easier. Cleaning the computer room took most of the day. It's immaculate and functional now. yay! Now I get to sit down and catch up on blog posts. Well, I think I'll call it a day.