The necessity of being broken

"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise." - Psalms 51:17

We cannot truly be at peace in our relationship with God unless we have experienced the brokenness of God. This is why so many of our churches are dead and lifeless, operating as a shell of what God desires for them to be. We are proud churches, well-dressed on the outside, but maintaining broken programs and lifeless vestiges of worship that bring tears to the eyes of God. We crucify Christ yet again, week after week, refusing to soften our hearts before His call. Refusing to move beyond pharisaical repitition and into new life. We fear the pain that is necessary to induce a broken and contrite heart. It is true that the process is painful. It is true that the process is sometimes devoid of laughter and happy moments. But it is equally true that the end result is a heart that is capable of joy in any circumstance; a heart that is capable of loving the unlovely, caring for the ones who hurt us. God, bring me into that place with You. Give me a heart that You will not despise.

Back to School

What with the beginning of classes again, things are about to get very busy. We have to remember to pray for the kids as they go back to face many trials and temptations. Our prayers are their greatest defense. Rather than us ask that they will not face obstacles, let us pray that God gives them the strength to overcome and react to the obstacles in such a way as to help them grow in Him.

Have you ever felt like this? It seems like I have weeks at a time that feel just like this. I need to lay these burdens down at the feet of the Lord.

Sweet Justice?

Oh, please, let it be so....

If this comes to pass, I may laugh until it hurts. Not because it's right. Because it would be ironic justice for this crime against America.

Cities Now Have The Right To Seize Homes

America has just taken a huge step backwards, and we should all be afraid. In what has got to be one of the most frightening court decisions in our time, the Supreme Court has ruled that cities may seize our homes and deliver them into the hands of those who will pay higher taxes. In other words, if taking the home that we have bought will earn them a buck, well, Joe Taxpayer means absolutely Zero. Because you don't pay as many tax dollars as the businesses do, your rights have been trampled for the "public good".

Do not be deluded into thinking that you will receive a fair market value for your home, or that they care about any hardship they will cause you. Because government is no longer for the people. It is for big business. They no longer represent the average person. They represent those with the most money, never mind that you served your country faithfully and have worked hard for what you own. We no longer have a right to "own" property. How can it belong to us when the local beaurocrats can snatch it from us so that they can fatten their own wallets? It's time for us to take a stand on this issue. If companies come in to snatch up our land, let's speak with our wallets. They will only do so as long as it is profitable for them. Take your business elsewhere. When your local government starts coming in to take away what you have worked for, go to the voting booths and vote their tails out of office.

What is to stop them from seizing churches? Our businesses?

Let's see if the people of America still have a voice. Let's cry out against this injustice.

The power of a loving wife.

I just wanted to take a few minutes to publicly declare how awesome my wife is. It is finals week in seminary, and I couldn't get through it without her. She spent several nights helping me make note cards to study by, staying up late even though she didn't have to. She has understood me being up and out at all hours of the night studying and writing papers. I had exams on our anniversary yesterday, and she made sure that I was well prayed for and not left with feelings of guilt over being gone on our anniversary. She even gave me a very sweet and thoughtful anniversary gift. So let it be voiced among the nations that I have an incredible wife who is worth far more than anything this world has to offer. She puts others before herself and is always looking to make sure that we have all that we need. She is a woman of prayer and integrity, and I praise God that He allowed me the blessing of marrying her. She truly is all that I need, and I will love and cherish her all of my days.

Weeping and gnashing of Sharptooth

'Tis finals time. I know I have been slack about posting, but I must get through the 26th of May. Then finals will be over and I will dedicate more time to posting random things that no one in their right mind would read anyway. Please pray for me! Four finals, several papers...I'm stressing lots and not sleeping much.

I think I'm a mutt

I got mistaken for someone else yesterday.....AGAIN! No kidding, this happens to me at least twice a month. Everywhere I go, someone tells me I look exactly like someone they know. Complete strangers walk up to me and attempt to engage me in conversation, calling me by someone else's name (given, I don't wear a nametag, so they can't know my real name, but still...). This is really starting to freak me out. I think I am a mutt. A mixture of a lot of different people, with just enough of each person to strongly favor them.

Now, if this had happened once, or even twice, I would not think much about it. But this is a regular occurence with me. It even happened when I was in Africa. What's really scary is that I have met a person in our area who shares my first name and who really does favor me. Or do I favor him? I don't know, but I'm now convinced about that old saying, "Everyone has a twin somewhere." I think I have octuplets out there. I wonder if anyone I know has ever walked up to one of them and called them by my name?