Trey Morgan.net

THE BEST BIBLE TRANSLATION

2010-02-09T07:46:00.004-06:00

Based on Bible sales, a recent study shows which bible translations are the most popular. Here are the top 10…

1. New International Version

2. New King James Version

3. King James Version

4. New Living Translation

5. English Standard Version

6. Holman Christian Standard Bible

7. New American Standard Bible

8. The Message

9. New International Readers Version

10. Today’s New International Version

There are many opinions as to which translation is the BEST overall. Let me just simply suggest that it doesn’t matter what translation you have, if you’re not willing to open it and read it, it’s not doing you any good. Spiritual growth comes from reading God’s word and obeying what He’s asked us to do.

Take some time today to read from God's word. If you'll let it, it will transform your life.

What's YOUR favorite version?

IT'S NOT ABOUT ME

2010-02-08T07:08:00.000-06:00

I love to preach, and I want to bring my A-game every week. Nothing KILLS me more than when I don't feel like I've done a very good job presenting a lesson.

I don't know, maybe it was because I had the stomach bug this weekend, but I just didn't have it this Sunday morning when I preached. I felt drained, tired and had no energy. When I finished preaching, I had no doubt I had simply wasted 25 minutes of everyone's time.

When I got home, still frustrated from the morning, I sat down and checked my messages. I had a new Facebook message from a lady who'd been at church that morning. She basically told me how much that lesson had touched her and that something I had said had really helped her open some doors to some things that she was struggling with. Right then, I was reminded once again, it's not about me and my lesson ... it's about God and what He does with it. You never know what God's doing to someone's heart.

When it comes to presenting God's word, I'm guilty of putting too much emphasis on myself. Yes, I have to study, present a good message, make it applicable, BUT God's word is the one with the power (Romans 1:16), not me. Three things I'd like to do from here on out ...

Not allow myself to get in the way of God and His word.
Not give myself too much blame when I don't think things went well.
Not give myself too much credit when things do go well.

I guess everyone has a bad day. Fortunately, I find comfort in knowing that the batter that struck out four times, the quarterback that threw 3 interceptions and the basketball player that couldn't make a shot, will all get a chance to make up for it the next time they play. So thankfully, next Sunday's coming! :)

KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF MY MOMMA

2010-02-06T11:54:00.004-06:00

One of the main things I love about the Super Bowl is the commercials. Here's one that'll play tomorrow called, "Keep your hands off my momma & keep your hands off my Doritos." I love it.

MY BORING CHILDHOOD, ACCORDING TO MY 8 YEAR OLD SON

2010-02-04T07:54:00.007-06:00

Yesterday after getting my 8 year old Cooper from school, we had this conversation on the way home...

COOPER: "Dad, how old were you 30 years ago?"

ME: "I would have been 14 years old."

COOPER: "I bet your life was boring back then."

ME: "What do you mean by that, because my life was NOT boring."

COOPER: "You know, you didn't even have televisions back then."

ME: "WHAT? Yes we had televisions in 1980, you crazy kid."

COOPER: "Well, maybe you did, but they weren't in color."

ME: "They were too in color."

COOPER: "Seriously, you had color televisions?"

ME: "Yes, Cooper, we had color televisions."

COOPER (after a couple of minutes of silence): "Okay, but I bet you didn't have computers."

ME: "Okay, you're right. Home computers didn't come along for about another 7 years. And when they came out, we didn't play games on them. Computers mostly did work-stuff."

COOPER: "WHAT? Computers that didn't play games? No wonder your life was so boring back then."

ME: (shaking my head in disbelief...over my apparent "boring" childhood)

PUTTING YOUR MARRIAGE BEFORE YOUR KIDS

2010-02-02T17:50:00.006-06:00

If you're stopping by because you caught "Your Time with Kim Iverson" on the radio, I'm glad you're here. Kim and I talked on her program about the necessity of "putting your children second" behind your marriage, and not neglecting your marriage while raising your children. Here's a little more information on that subject that I wrote a while back...

When it comes to marriage, Lea and I struggle with the same things you struggle with. We often find ourselves taking one another for granted for the sake of less important things. Things like busyness, work and hobbies will always crowd a marriage for time, but I think the biggest challenge for any marriage, including ours, is balancing marriage and raising children. This is especially a struggle when you have young children.

I firmly believe that the ONLY thing that should be more important than your marriage is your relationship with God. Raising your children should be of the utmost importance, but not to the degree that you put your relationship with your husband/wife on the back burner. One couple recently said this about their marriage, "We don't have a marriage. We have a business. We make money, pay bills and raise kids, period." How sad!

I'm amazed at how many people justify putting their marriages on the back burner for their children's sake. If you invest all your energies into your children and none into your marriage, your marriage will struggle to survive when the kids are grown. What happens is, once the kids are grown, you'll look across the table at your marriage partner and realize you really don't have anything in common anymore.

So to keep your marriage happy and healthy, you're going to have to be willing to invest time in it. Finding time to reconnect in your marriage is healthy. Lea and I strongly feel that raising our boys takes lots of time and energy, but not to the point that we lose the healthiness of our marriage. We personally feel that we must reconnect regularly for our marriage to remain healthy. Sometimes we reconnect in our marriage by simply ...

Making time a couple of times a week to go for a 30 minute walk together.
Going on a date once a week and trying to talk about things other than just the kids.
Calling home from work just to say "hello."
Spending twenty minutes at a Sonic drive-up just to talk.
Having lunch together.
Going grocery shopping together.
And it's very healthy when we can occasionally spend a night away somewhere or have a whole weekend away.

Our children are SO important in our lives, and we should be investing a ton of time into the ministry of parenthood. But our children also need to see their parents display a healthy marriage, and for that to happen it takes investing time. That's why finding ways to reconnect is so important.

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Here are a few more marriage posts you might find interesting.

Thanks for stopping by...

HELL OF A FUNERAL PREACHER, HELL OF A FUNERAL

2010-02-01T08:19:00.007-06:00

I went back and looked at an old post this morning to see when I first met my friend John Thomas. It was February 7, 2007, because I wrote a post about him. I will never forget the occasion because he made a lasting impression on me. It was following a graveside service that I did for a friend of his, that he strolled up to me. He looked like a worn out old cowboy whose skin was a tough as leather. He waited until I was off by myself, then he walked over with his hat in his hand, struggling a little to hold back his emotions. In total sincerity and with the only words he could muster, he said, "Hell of a funeral preacher, hell of a funeral," and walked off. Those were simply the only words he knew to say. I remember going home after the funeral and telling Lea, "You'll never believe the cussing compliment I got today..." and told her the whole story.

John and I bumped into each other over the next few months. I'd shake his hand, ask him how he was, and we'd visit a little. John and I were about as different as day and night. I still don't know how or why John liked me, but he did. It's as if he adopted me as his preacher, and better yet, his friend.

Over the next year John did a lot of thinking about his life. He'd lived a hard life, and he knew he needed to make some changes (his words, not mine). I was amazed when John called me and said he was ready to give his life to Christ. When I baptized him, I remember him telling me, "I've lived a hard life, so you may need to hold me under a little longer just to make this work." I smiled and assured him it would work fine. He left the building that day still looking like an old cowboy on the outside, but inside he was as clean and pure as a new born babe.

A week later John amazed me again. What did he do this time? He simply came to church ... for the FIRST time ... EVER! I saw John while I was preaching. He was in his best "Sunday" clothes, and even his best clothes were what most folks might call their work clothes. I couldn't help but shake my head in awe thinking about an old cowboy who'd lived a hard life, packed in a pew surrounded by three hundred people. When asked later about his first church service, John said, "Never been around a crowd that big. What few crowds I've ever been around were those in dance halls and bars." He was much more comfortable being on a horse surrounded by a bunch of cows than he was a bunch of people. It's hard to imagine just how uncomfortable he must have been in his first church service.

Mine and John's friendship grew over the next two years. Even though John was battling cancer, he would regularly call to check on me when I was sick or just to say hello. One of the things that meant the most to me was when John invited me to one of his family get-togethers... which I gladly accepted. I have been greatly blessed by an old cowboy's friendship, a friendship that has made me see people in a very different way.

My friend John died early yesterday. This Wednesday, almost 3 years to the day that John gave me the "hell of a funeral" compliment, I'll do his graveside service. That old cowboy reminds me of the thief on the cross. The thief had nothing to lose and took a chance on Jesus's ability to save him at the end of his life. 2000 years later, a hard old cowboy took a shot on the same Savior. I think both gambles paid off big. I'll see you in heaven, John.

WHY IT'S GOOD TO BE A RUNNER...

2010-01-30T04:26:00.001-06:00

I JUST LOOKED OUT MY FRONT WINDOW AND CAN'T BELIEVE WHAT I SAW...

2010-01-29T08:43:00.004-06:00

That was sure a BIG ice storm that came through here. I hope they like fish-sticks! :)

I hope you're staying warm today.

SUPER BOWL PICKS, BASEBALL, AVATAR and OTHER RANDOMNESS

2010-01-28T07:29:00.008-06:00

CANCELLED: Last night as I tucked Cooper into bed, he told me, "Dad, make sure you check the radio in the morning to see if we have school." My comment to him was, "Don't get your hopes up. We're only supposed to get rain." This morning Cooper got his wish... due to freezing rain, school's out today. I think I'll work a little and then spend the day watching movies and playing games with the boys.

SUPER BOWL PICK: Here's a first. I actually like both teams playing in this year's Super Bowl so whoever wins will be fine by me. I'd rather choose between teams I like than teams I dislike. I can't even imagine what it would be like to have a Pittsburgh vs Philadelphia match up to choose from.... ugh. I'll probably pull for the Saints since they've never won a Super Bowl before, but it's hard to root against Peyton Manning. He's just so like-able. What I'm really hoping for is just a really good football game. My pick is the Saints by a field goal.

BASEBALL: I'm already getting spring baseball fever. I've been recording Baseball Tonight on ESPN for the last two weeks and opening day for the Texas Rangers is about two months away. I can't wait.

SPANISH CLASSES: I'm currently taking a Spanish class. I'd just like to say ... it's tough. I haven't even perfected the English language yet.

AVATAR: Wow, what a great movie. After two and a half hours of watching, I was left thinking, "No, it can't be over yet." I have friends who saw it in 3D and said it was incredible, so I may have to see it again in 3D before it's gone.

TULSA WORKSHOP: Somehow one of my classes at the Tulsa Workshop wound up being the same time as Patrick Mead's class. Patrick is an amazing speaker, so I'm currently trying to come up with ideas on how to bribe a few people to come to my class. I'm thinking door prizes. :)

I CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT IT: You can take my iPod, my phone and everything else, but there's one thing I can't live without. I've had it about a year and it's the best thing invented since the washing machine. What is it? It's THIS and it makes me happy. :)

I'd love to know ...

Do you have a Super Bowl pick?
What's your favorite gadget/appliance that you can't live without?

MAKING GOD A PRIORITY ... NOT A HOBBY

2010-01-27T08:33:00.006-06:00

I got up this morning at 5 a.m. to go run. Call me crazy, but I did it because it was important to me so I made it a priority. We pretty much make time to do anything we REALLY want to do.

If you like to golf, you'll make time to golf. If you like to shop, you'll make time to shop. If you like to watch television, you'll make time to watch TV. We like to eat, so we'll make time to eat two or three meals today. You get the point. You make time to do the things you REALLY want to do.

So what do you say to someone who says, "I'm finding it hard to squeeze some quiet time with God into my daily schedule."

Let me just simply say that if you can't find time for God and His word on a daily basis ... then it must not be a big priority in your life. AND if you're not finding any time because your schedule is packed, then it's time to give your 'to-do' list a major overhaul. You need to place a high priority on spending quiet time with God each day. Each day is a gift from God, and if you are wise, you'll spend a few quiet moments each day thanking God for being so good.

So if you've acquired the unfortunate habit of trying to "squeeze" God into the corners of your life, it's time to reshuffle the items on your priority list by placing God first. Make it a priority everyday to place God into your schedule.

I know my priority list could use some work, how about yours?

JESUS FLAVORED or 100% JESUS

2010-01-25T08:12:00.008-06:00

One of my latest Runner's World magazines was singing the praises of pomegranate & blueberry juice. Both juices are packed full of antioxidants, which are cancer (and other disease) fighters. I need all of that I can get.

So while at the store this weekend, I thought I'd see if they had a bottle of either juice. It didn't take long in the juice section to find one that had BOTH pomegranate and blueberry juice combined. The label shouted the health benefits of both. Being a label reader, I checked the ingredients of the half-gallon jug just before I headed to the checkout lane. Here's a picture of the label I took with my phone....

Reconstituted vegetable blend? Sweet potatoes? Purple carrots? WHAT?

You probably know that law requires food companies to put ingredients on the label in the order of the amount in the product. So the first item listed is the greatest ingredient and so on and so on. Notice how far down pomegranate and blueberry juices are on this list. Talk about surprise! They weren't first, second or third. Basically there was a lot of everything in this EXCEPT the juices I was looking for.

After looking at the front label again I noticed way down in the corner the words "Pomegranate & Blueberry FLAVORED" drink. Ugh. I was looking for 100% juice and instead was about to by flavored juice.

That got me to thinking...

If I had an ingredient label on me, how far down the list would Jesus be on my label? Would he be towards the top, in the middle or at the bottom?
Would I be 100% Jesus or just Jesus flavored?
Do I proclaim to be Jesus on my outside label, but on the inside I'm not Jesus at all?

The bible tells me that the ONLY place Jesus will accept in my life is at the VERY top, the FIRST ingredient. I've got some work to do.

How about you ... are you 100% Jesus or just Jesus flavored?

CHURCH IS FOR WEIRDOS TOO

2010-01-23T07:03:00.000-06:00

(I was asked by a friend to re-post this, so here you go)

I was reading through my journal from a year ago and found a quote that I wrote down that I really like. It's about the church and our discomfort with people who are different than us.

"The church loves blue hair on the little old ladies. But not on a 16 year-old teen who looks like he's just crawled out of a tackle box. Then we're not so sure about that."

How true. What is it about people who are different than us that we just aren't comfortable with? People with different looks, different opinions and different backgrounds often make us uncomfortable. When will we begin to understand that God loves the people we consider weird just as much as He loves us? He loves the pierced, tattooed, the black, the white and the foreign.

God loves the man in prison just as much as He loves me.

God loves the homeless man just as much as He loves me.

God love the unemployed on welfare as much as He loves me.

God loves the 3-time divorcee as much as He loves me.

As the church we need to be as interested in reaching, loving and serving people different than us as we are in reaching the middle class white family that's just moved to town. Didn't Jesus spend all his time with the outcast, the different, the unloved and the lowly?

The woman at the well. She was married five times and was shacking up with another man when she met Jesus. Yet Jesus found her incredibly important and salvation worthy.

The thief on the cross. One of the greatest stories of grace, ever. But I missed it the first part of my life because I was too busy arguing about the thief's salvation.

The woman caught in adultery. Sadly, had I been there, I would have probably been holding a stone.

He ate with sinners. He taught the prostitutes. There were also the tax collectors, lepers, the demon possessed, the crippled, those of lower status... He offered them hope, the truth, and a way out of their misery.

And understand, it's not our job is not to try to make people look like us. Our job is to share the Good News with them and let Jesus fix them on the inside.

I look around the church where I worship and thankfully I'm beginning to see more people all the time who are different than me. I'm beginning to see people from different backgrounds, kids who have never been to church and people who make some uncomfortable. Unfortunately, most of the people I see still look just like me. It is my conviction this year to reach out to more people that are different than me. People who I've overlooked in the past.

The church is in the people business, and when the church becomes just a business and quits being about people, reaching out to people and helping people, that's when the church ceases to be a church.

TULSA WORKSHOP

2010-01-22T07:40:00.002-06:00

I'm sure looking forward to this year's Tulsa Workshop. I hope you're making plans to attend.

I DON'T WANT TO BE THE SHAMWOW GUY

2010-01-20T14:34:00.015-06:00

I'm not sure I've ever watched an entire infomercial. Much like someone running their fingernails across a chalkboard, it's the infomercial spokesmen that always get on my nerves. Do they look for annoying people to host these things? Whether it was Billy Mays or the "Shamwow" guy, I've always prayed that I would NEVER come across as an infomercial spokesman for God.

So you can understand my confusion when this past Monday I got a call from a friend who said, "Trey, I've been hired to put together an infomercial for television and I want you to be the spokesman." After a long period of silence on my end, the only words I could come back with were, "Is this a joke?" He explained that it would be easy, it wouldn't require much time and they would even pay me a little bit.

After he filled me in on the details, I told him I'd call him back and let him know. I'm not sure I was very interested, but Lea and I had just been talking about how we needed to come up with some extra funds this year because we are committed to taking our entire family to Honduras this summer. I called him back and told him I was in.

As crazy as it sounds, tomorrow I'm going to meet a camera guy for a quick "trial" shoot so the company making the infomercial can take a look at me. It is completely possible that they will take one look at me and say, "This guy won't work, find someone else."

All in all, I think it's going to be fun. I just don't want to be known as a screaming infomercial guy that people say, "That guy really gets on my nerves."

10 FACEBOOK RULES FOR MARRIED COUPLES

2010-01-19T06:49:00.008-06:00

Facebook has become hugely popular in the past few years. Lea and I both love being able to catch up with old friends and family on Facebook. But with anything that comes along, there can also be dangers and problems if not used responsibly. Sometimes Facebook and other online communities can cause problems in marriages if some rules aren't followed. Here are 10 guidelines for married couples that Lea and I talked about and I'd like to share...

1. Don't spend more time on Facebook than you should. How much time is that? It depends on what your spouse says. Communicate with your spouse and ask them, "Am I spending too much time online?" You want to make sure your spouse is your number 1 relationship, not your buddies on Facebook. Pursue your spouse more than you pursue online relationships. Don't Facebook during "couple" time (ie. When your wife asks you to watch a movie with her, do you Facebook through it? Or don't facebook every night instead of going to bed with your husband.).

2. NEVER hide things from your spouse on Facebook. I've said it before and I'll say it a 1000 more times, openness and honestly is the glue of your marriage. When you start hiding friendships, conversations, chat sessions and comments from your spouse, THAT IS UNHEALTHY. If you're not allowing your spouse to know what you're doing on Facebook or online, that's a sign that you're doing something you shouldn't be doing. Cheating on your spouse online is JUST AS WRONG as physically cheating on your spouse. If you're doing it ... STOP IT!

3. Share your Facebook password with your spouse. I share every password with my wife ... from my Facebook account to every email address I have. Why would I want to do that? It's called trust, and it's also called accountability. Knowing my wife can open my laptop at anytime and read anything I'm doing, or see any place I've gone, keeps me accountable. Don't hide things from your spouse. Make sure you regularly tell them, "You are welcome to see what I'm doing anytime."

4. NEVER befriend anyone of the opposite sex that your spouse is uncomfortable with. Befriending an old boyfriend or girlfriend should NEVER be done. Don't search for old boyfriends and girlfriends. Simple communication with your spouse about this is best.

5. Defriend anyone who crosses normal boundaries. If someone is saying things, doing things or asking questions online that make you uncomfortable OR would make you uncomfortable in person, then that's not a good sign. Listen to the little voice in your head. If something tells you "this isn't right," then it's probably not. Never be ashamed or afraid to defriend someone that may have ulterior motives.

6. If you're married, PROUDLY set your "Relationship Status" to married. I wish there was a "Happily Married" status or for that matter, an "I'm madly in love with my incredibly gorgeous wife." I'd change my status to that in a heartbeat. :)

7. Post pictures of you and your spouse on your Facebook, OR use a "couple" picture as your profile picture.

8. Don't be afraid to proclaim your love for your spouse on Facebook. Someone of the opposite sex won't question your love for your spouse if you occasionally brag on your spouse on your Facebook status. It's healthy to brag on your spouse, and occasionally doing it in public conveys your love for your spouse to the world. It doesn't bother me one drop to tell the world just how much I love my wife. At the same time, I would NEVER use my status to complain about my spouse. Not smart!

9. Think before you type. Don't make comments on statuses and pictures of other people that come across as suggestive.

10. No matter how many friends you have on Facebook, remember that your #1 friend should be your spouse. Strive to better that relationship on a daily basis. Work 1000 times harder to grow in your relationship than you do at finding friends on Facebook. NEVER take your relationship with your spouse for granted. THE LAST THING YOU WANT is 1000 Facebook friends, while the love between you and your best friend slowly dies out.

Can you think of any Facebook rules for married couples that I might have missed?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CONNOR

2010-01-18T06:35:00.011-06:00

Connor is our 3rd oldest son. This past Saturday the 16th, he celebrated his 14th birthday.

Connor is very outgoing and loves to make you laugh.

Unlike his younger brother Cooper ... there isn't a shy bone in Connor's body.

Connor loves hanging out with his friends.

This is one of my all-time favorite pictures of Connor. All one summer he kept his head shaved just because he wanted to.

After going a full summer without a haircut.

Connor at the "Jesus statue" in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

Connor has gone with me on mission trips to both Mexico City and to Honduras. It's been a great experience for him, and I've loved watching him grow from these trips.

Everyone needs to experience Coke in a bag.

Connor is excellent with kids. He spent an afternoon in Honduras helping Sisi, a young girl at Casa, learn how to ride a bike. After a couple of hours pushing her around the house, she took off riding like a pro. It was then he realized that she'd known how to ride a bike the whole time. I tried to tell him that he was just a good teacher.

TWO THINGS I'M THINKING TODAY (HAITI & SPANISH)

2010-01-15T07:46:00.007-06:00

HAITI: Just some perspective on what has happened in Haiti. The death toll of hurricane Katrina was around 1300. The death toll from the 9/11 attacks were around 6000, and the Haiti death toll (estimate at this time) is 50,000 people. The pictures (warning: graphic) coming out of Haiti are heartbreaking. I would love to jump on an airplane and go help, but I can't and neither can you. BUT there are two things we can do... PRAY for the people, the country and the workers. And we can GIVE some of our money. There are a lot of ways to give. I gave a $10 donation yesterday, simply by texting the Red Cross on my phone. Just text the word "Haiti" to 90999, and it will add a $10 charge to your next month's cellular bill, giving the donation to Haiti relief. You may be thinking, "But that's only $10." Yesterday alone, over half a million people gave $10 through texting and raised over 5 million dollars. If you are looking for other ways to donate, my friend John Dobbs has some excellent links to other organizations.
SPANISH CLASS: I'm going back to school ... yip, I'm starting a Spanish class this Sunday evening and I'm SO pumped about it. I've always wanted to learn some Spanish, but after a couple of trips to Honduras, I realize I NEED to be able to communicate. I'm really tired of having to ask people, "How do you say....," when I'm in Honduras. Sadly, I've got a lot to learn. I really know nothing about Spanish. Hopefully I'll pick it up quickly.

Hasta Luego (just in case you didn't know, that means "See you later") ha

HOW TO MAKE SURE YOUR CHURCH IS BORING

2010-01-14T08:57:00.004-06:00

I liked Perry Noble's post yesterday on his blog and agree totally that "church should never be boring..." Here's what he said...

I know some people do not agree with me…but I FIRMLY believe that church should not be a boring place…because…

The Bible is NOT boring–the teachings of God’s Word are more relevant and exciting that anything on the planet.
Jesus was NOT boring – to see His life lived out in the Scriptures AND to see WHO HE IS should inspire AWE, not apathy!
Our message is NOT boring – Jesus was DEAD, came BACK TO LIFE and offers us the same opportunity, to cross over from death to life and be reconciled to God–THAT’S FREAKIN AWESOME!!!
The Book of Acts is NOT boring – there is NOWHERE in the book of Acts that ritual replaced relationship!

If the tomb is empty, Jesus is alive and HOPE is possible then HIS church should reflect that.

BUT…if you want to make sure your church is boring, here are Eight Simple Steps…

#1 – There has GOT to be apathetic leadership – Seriously, the leaders in the church MUST be obsessed with not rocking the boat and pursuing personal comfort!

#2 – There CANNOT be a desire to reach people far from God! Seriously, new birth can bring excitement to a church, which is NOT what people in pursuit of boredom desire. SO…don’t focus on the Gospel…instead teach lots of history lessons and talk about things that very few people actually care about. This will keep people far from God away from your group of people, thus not messing up the chemistry in your holy huddle. WHATEVER you do…DO NOT talk about the Gospel…it changes people!!!

#3 – DO NOT call for ANY type of commitment from ANYONE–EVER! People MUST be allowed to come and go as they please…and must NEVER be made to feel uncomfortable under any type of circumstances. If people begin responding to God it will increase the excitement level, which cannot happen in a boring place.

#4 – Always be predictable. Do the same songs at the same times, pray the same prayers and make SURE that people can look at their watch at any point in the service and know exactly what’s coming next.

You can read the rest by clicking: HERE.

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#1 and #6 were my favorites. HERE'S what I wrote about boring churches a while back. The post got me a couple of angry emails ... which means it's an issue that must be dealt with. :)

I WAS THIRSTY, BUT YOU DRANK BOTTLED WATER

2010-01-13T06:41:00.002-06:00

Today is Wednesday. I love this day because I know that every Wednesday the people at the Tegucigalpa dump in Honduras are fed because of your generosity. Today will be a good day for them because instead of eating what they find in the trash at the dump, they'll most likely get a bowl of beans and rice. Thank you again.

I love Rich Stearns translation of Matthew 25 that he gives in his book, "The Hole in our Gospel." Here's how he writes it ...

“For I was hungry, while you had all you needed. I was thirsty, but you drank bottled water. I was a stranger, and you wanted me deported. I needed clothes, but you needed more clothes. I was sick, and you pointed out the behaviors that led to my sickness. I was in prison, and you said I was getting what I deserved."

Thank you for caring about others, and thank you for feeding dirty, hungry people.

Today is Wednesday and I'm reminded that the people of the Tegucigalpa dump will eat because of you. Today I give thanks for you ....

CELEBRATING MY BIRTHDAY WITH THE BURGER FROM HELL

2010-01-11T08:47:00.013-06:00

This past Saturday I celebrated my 44th birthday. (Oh, and thank you for the "happy birthdays" that you sent my way on Facebook and Twitter). We've never had big celebrations when it comes to birthdays. Our normal birthday routine consists of a couple of presents, a cake and your choice of where you want to eat.

Since we were in Amarillo on my birthday, I chose to eat at the Coyote Bluff cafe. If you are a fan of the television show "Man vs Food" that comes on the Travel Channel, you may have seen the show where Adam eats at the Coyote Bluff cafe (here's the clip). I chose the "Burger from Hell" and it WAS smoking hot and very good. This spicy burger comes loaded with jalapenos, habanero sauce and Tabasco. We also had the cheese fries, which is 2 pounds of fries topped with 1 pound of cheddar cheese, Monterey jack cheese and green chilies. I'm usually a healthy eater, but boy did I splurge on this meal. :)

It was also a day of desserts. My dad made me an apple pie, my favorite. My friend Becky made me banana pudding, my other favorite. And then about dark, a friend showed up with the biggest apple pie I've ever seen. They were all amazing. I will be running extra miles this week.

Here are a few pictures...

Coyote Bluff may look rough on the outside, but it was full of customers on the inside, and I don't know how many people they turned away when they closed for their afternoon break.

Three pounds of fries, cheese and green chilies.

Burgers are the specialty, and the Burger from Hell is one of the biggest sellers.

The "Burger from Hell" had my lips burning.

The inside of Coyote Bluff.

The family (minus Taylor).

The Menu.

The amazing, gigantic and delicious apple pie.

COLT McCOY AND NOAH

2010-01-08T10:07:00.009-06:00

Noah is a beautiful little boy at our church with Tay-Sachs diesease. Tay-Sachs is a fatal genetic disorder in infants that causes the destruction of the central nervous system. Currently there is no cure for this disease, and at best most doctors have said Noah may only have a few years to live. But, Noah continues to suprise the doctors with how well he's doing. Noah's parents, Jacob & Amanda, were missionaries in Mexico City before moving back to Childress to be closer to family and healthcare.

In August, Noah's Uncle John sent a letter to Colt McCoy, along with a mini UT helmet, asking if it would be possible for him to sign the mini-helmet for Noah. John made it clear in the letter that if it was asking too much, or if he was overwhelmed by similar requests, then please disregard the request and letter. Not knowing if Colt would even get the letter or helmet, John sent it anyway.

A few weeks later the helmet arrived in the mail for Noah.

There was more than just an autograph on the mini-helmet, there was an entire message for Noah.

Thank you Colt McCoy. You are a very classy guy and a great example.

BABY IT'S COLD OUTSIDE

2010-01-08T06:52:00.001-06:00

THE MORGAN FAMILY

2010-01-07T08:49:00.003-06:00

As much as I'd love to blog today ... I don't have time. But I'd like to thank my sweet friend Ericka Moore for taking pictures of the Morgan family. If you live in the Childress area, and in the market for some new family pictures, I suggest Ericka. Here's the rest of the pictures she did of our family.

Connor (14), Parker (18), Cooper (8) and Taylor (20)

A FEW PICTURES

2010-01-06T08:48:00.008-06:00

We had a great Christmas this year. We enjoyed Taylor being home and an unexpected snow storm. The blizzard kept us from traveling on Christmas Eve, so we spent the day watching movies, playing games and playing in the snow. It was a great Christmas.

My friend Erika Moore took some family pictures for us this Christmas. I think she's going to post a bunch of them on her blog later today. She does a GREAT job as a photographer.

Christmas morning.

Connor & I took on Parker & Taylor in some "snow football." It soon turned into an all out snowball fight and wrestling match.

Parker knows that you only "pretend" you're going to throw a snowball at mom. :)

Making a snowman & snow-woman.

4 QUESTIONS I'D LIKE YOU TO ANSWER ABOUT MARRIAGE

2010-01-05T08:36:00.006-06:00

I (we) learn a lot from the feedback and comments on this blog. Could you help me today on these 4 questions about marriage?

Are marriage problems & divorce more rampant today than they were 20 years ago?
What are some of the biggest factors in marriage problems today?
What is something that can be done to strengthen marriages?
Can you think of any new things that have come along in the past 10 years that are causing marriage struggles today?

Thanks for your help...