Musings & Ramblings

Tuesday, July 01, 2008

  • Currently Watching
    The Ten Commandments
    By Judith Anderson, Anne Baxter, Yul Brynner, John Carradine, Donald Curtis
    see related

    Bullet Blog

    My good friend Donna does a "bullet blog" every so often.  Today, I'm feeling like a loaded gun... so here goes:

    * My wife is beautiful and amazing.

    * Our son has been at Mammaw & Pappaw's house since Saturday (and will be until Sunday).

    * Things around the house are little too quiet.

    * Arkansas is beautiful.

    * I need to lay in sand and listen to the surf.

    * "Wanted" could have been MUCH better.

    * I have a lot on my mind regarding church/Christianity/religion/spirituality.  Expect blog entries to take a turn down this road over the next few entries.

    * Coffee is my friend.

Monday, June 30, 2008

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

  • Currently Listening
    Legend - The Best Of Bob Marley And The Wailers (New Packaging)
    By Bob Marley & The Wailers
    ~Bad Boys~
    see related

    Cause for alarm

    When you're a pastor, and your phone rings after midnight, it's usually not a good thing... or a telemarketer (which is never a good thing).  While I have been blessed with only a small few after midnight calls in my years of pastoring, there is always the chance that one may come.  A few days ago, it happened.

    Me: (garbled-I-just-fell-asleep-voice) Mmmhello?

    Other Dude: Is this Steve?

    Me: Mmmyeah...

    Dude: Hi.  This is Jeff  with *edit company name* Security Company.  We have an alarm going off at the Oaklawn Church of God, and you are on the call list.

    Me:  An alarm?  Oh... great.

    Dude: Would you like for me to dispatch the police department?

    Me:  (looks at clock) At this time of the night?  Of course!

    Dude:  Will you be able to meet the police there, then reset the alarm?

    Me:  Yeah sure... yeah.

    Dude:  What will you be driving?

    Me: (long pause, as in my suddenly awakened state I can't remember what kind of car I have) Uuuuhh... it's goldish... it's an... ummm... Grand Prix!  Pontiac Grand Prix!  Gold! ...oh yeah - Florida plates (I REALLY got to get those changed over!)

    Dude:  I will inform them that you're on your way.

    This is when I drive to the church facility at dumb o'clock in the morning, listening to bouncy electronic (don't call it "techno") music to wake me up.

    Upon arrival I see two police cars in the parking lot, but no officers.  I wait a few minutes, then proceed to unlock the front door, and turn off the alarm, which is blaring louder than the music in my car mind you, then flip on the main lights.  I then hear a door close in the hallway leading to our Kidz Adventure wing.

    Me:  Hello?

    Voices (two of them):  Who goes there?!

    Me:  Steve... Pastor... Ummm, I mean Pastor Steve.

    Voices:  Hot Springs Police Department!

    Me: (pause) Mmmokay!

    The two officers, one male; one female, made their way toward me with flashlights flashing, and guns... gunning.  What I mean is, they had their handguns drawn.  I was thinking, "Cool.  This is just like the TV show COPS!"  Then I stared humming, "Bad boys, bad boys, what ya gonna do?  What ya gonna do when they come for you?"  And I leaned on a wall and waited... and waited... and waited... While the officers continued to check every nook and cranny (one of my favorite cliche's by the way)of the facility, my humming of "What ya gonna do when they come for you?" turned into me imagining myself as Pastor Hulk Hogan coming face to face with the break-inner/alarm-set-offer, "All you bad guys sneaking into a church at night... WHAT YA GONNA DO... when Pastormania runs wild on YOU?!?!?"

    After a while, it was discovered that one outside door was opened, and nothing appeared to be disturbed nor stolen (whew!).  Apparently the amazingly loud alarm sent Mr. or Ms. Break-inner running.  Lucky that things was set!  I finally crawled into bed about 2:15ish AM.

    This morning, I arrived bright and early (which is about 6 AM on Wednesdays) to find that someone had not set the alarm last night.  *sigh*

Saturday, June 21, 2008

  • Currently Listening
    Greatest Hits (w/ Bonus DVD)
    By Creed
    ~My Sacrifice~
    see related

    The Spiritual Laws of Bread & Wine

    In the beginning, Elohim created the heavens and the earth.  He created all that is in the heavens, and all that is upon the earth... including humans.  Those first humans were created to be in a perfect relationship with the Creator; this is called harmony... and it is all about being connected.  For this relationship to be perfect, it required love... and real love requires that it be a choice.  In this story, the bottom line is, choose: "God's plan" or "make my own up as I go along."  There was total freedom to go anywhere and do anything... except.  The Creator placed a tree in the midst of these humans, and called it "the Tree of Knowledge of God and Evil."  The deal was pretty simple, God wanted real love and real relationship, so He gave his creation the freedom to choose to love Him and go with His plan... or to choose to be selfish... so He said to them, "Don't touch it. When you eat of the fruit of this tree, you will surely die."  Yeah... they touched it.  They ate the forbidden fruit.  Spiritual Law That Rules the Universe #1:  Selfishness leads to brokenness and disconnection (or as ancient religions put it: the wage of sin is death.) 

    Time moved on, and Elohim desired to reconnect the disconnect between Creator and creation.  He introduced into many cultures, the sacrificial system.  In this  system, it  was understood that a blood sacrifice was required to pay the wages of sin.  In many ceremonies, animals such as sheep, would have have human hands laid upon them in a symbolic transferral of sins to the sacrifice.  The animal would then be sacrificed in a ritual of human spiritual cleansing, giving those in whose place the lamb had been sacrificed a cleansed spirit - a new lease on life!  Spiritual Law That Rules the Universe #2: From death comes life (contemplate this the next time you sit down to eat; take a look at your plate - what is there was once alive, but is now dead, so that you may live... plus, thinking about dead cows at meal time is also a good way to loose weight).

    In the scheme of things, it really didn't take long for humanity to turn the sacrificial system into mere ritual.  Elohim wanted a reconnect, not a ritual.  So He chose an ordinary man, known as Abraham, to do something quite out of the ordinary.  Elohim, introduced Himself to Abraham as Yahweh, the Breath of Life, and told him that he would have many descendants, and that all the nations of the world would be blessed through him and these descendants.  Abraham had sons, and his sons had sons... one became known as Israel, and a great nation was to take his name.  The people of Israel found themselves in slavery in Egypt - all of them, the whole nation.  They cried out to the God of Abraham for help.  He heard their prayers, and sent plagues.  Odd answer to prayer you say?  Perhaps.  The famous 10 plagues of the Old Testament of the Bible... the last one being the death of the firstborn of every house in the land (Yikes!  And, as a first-born, I mean that!)  God remembered His promise to Abraham by providing a method of protection for the people of Israel during this plague:  sacrifice a lamb; then cover the frame of the doors to your houses with the blood of the lamb.  The plague of death would then Passover any household covered by the blood.  When all was said and done, Elohim instructed the people to celebrate every year this event which led to a mass exodus from Egypt - they called this Passover (catchy, hunh?).  Spiritual Law That Rules the Universe #3: From obedience comes freedom (try explaining THAT to your teenager!).

    More than 1,200 years later, from the descendants of Abraham, the nation of Israel, the tribe of Judah, and the line of David (all ancient prophecies, by the way) was born a most unique individual named Yeshua.  Yeshua became a teacher (the Jewish word is Rabbi) and had quite the following.  He celebrated all the traditional feasts, including Passover.  The thing is, the feasts had become just that - tradition.  Just as with the sacrificial system, the feasts to remember system had become mere ritual.  Elohim wanted a reconnect, not a ritual.  When Yeshua was in His early-30s, He celebrated the Passover for the last time (you may have heard of the "Last Supper"?  This was it.).  As a part of the Passover meal, the head of the household, in this case Yeshua, would say a specific prayer, then break in a specific way some bread, which had been made a specific way... then he would hide a piece away and pass the rest to be eaten.  Then he would pour a specific cup of the juice from the fruit of the vine, while saying yet another specific prayer... then pass the cup to be drunk.  They did this to remember that time so long ago that God had delivered them.  Then Yeshua does something new - He tells his friends, family, and followers that when they eat this Passover bread and drink this Passover cup, to do it to remember Him and announce what He has done and what He is going to do!  One might imagine awkward looks on their faces as He tells them that the Passover feasts for over a thousand years have not been pointing back to the Exodus from Egypt, but forward to the Crucifixion of the Messiah.  The sacrificial system pointed forward to Yeshua.  The feasts to remember system pointed forward to Yeshua.  Yeshua was executed on a Cross, His body was broken and His blood spilled.  A physical moment with intensely spiritual significance.  Spiritual Law That Rules the Universe #4: We are meant to be connected!

    And now, 2,000 years after the days Yeshua walked upon this earth, all nations have been blessed through Him.  All of us have the opportunity to be reconnected.  God's plan is, and always has been, to reconnect the big disconnect in our lives.  Yeshua, Jesus, was a most unique individual because He was born to a virgin (at least that's both of his "parents" said)... He was God in the flesh.  What He did was the most amazing act of love anyone could possibly ever do.  Some wonder, "why do followers of Jesus, every so often, eat itty bitty pieces of bread and drink itty bitty cups of the fruit of the vine?"  It is to remember and celebrate that we are all connected.

    May your Communion with your Creator be a spiritual reality... not a mere ritual.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

  • Currently Reading
    Next Door Savior: Near Enough to Touch, Strong Enough to Trust
    By Max Lucado
    see related

    Gardenia Blossom

    A couple of weeks ago, I was sitting on the back patio with my mom who was visiting for a few days.  In the middle of our early morning coffee conversation she paused and said, "What is that smell?"  At first, I was sure she had gotten a whiff of our next door neighbor's dog pen.  But, upon further sniffage I realized that the scent in the air was most definitely NOT puppy poo; it was something quite fantastic, actually.  In a matter of minutes, we discovered that the gardenia bush in our backyard had two blossoms on it.  Those two blossoms were filling the entire yard with their beauty.  It is now two weeks later, and the bush is in full bloom.  I bet all of Spa City can smell this thing!




    In an effort to bring this beautiful fragrance inside the house, I've been picking a couple of blooms every few days.  I have noticed that gardenia blossoms do not keep their full and glorious look for long once they've been picked.  Before long, they are wilted... then withered.  What once looked fresh and full of life, now looks aged and worn out.  The thing is, they still smell great!  On a number of occasions over the last couple of weeks I have begun to toss the wilted blooms out, only to decide to keep them a bit longer because they still smelled so good.

    As we get older, we may start to wilt and be withered.  Recently, an elderly friend said to me, "You know, as we get older... I think we get meaner."  I don't feel that it has to be that way.  Maybe we resent the withered picture in the mirror.  Perhaps we feel disconnected like a gardenia blossom which has been plucked from its life source.  But we are spiritual beings, created to give off a beautiful spiritual aroma through our attitudes, words, and actions. 

    No matter what you look like or how you feel, may your fragrance be magnificent.

    Because of Christ, we give off a sweet scent rising to God, which is recognized by those on the way of salvation - an aroma redolent with life.

Sunday, June 15, 2008

  • Currently Reading
    Wild at Heart: Discovering the Secret of a Man's Soul
    By John Eldredge
    see related

    Happy Father's Day

    Happy Father's Day to all my fellow dads! 

    My whole life I was taught to see God as a father; "Heavenly Father,"  "Our Father, who art in heaven..." and such.  But I really never got it until I became a father myself.  The instant my son was born I felt more connected than ever before.  In that moment, I knew what it meant to be a dad.  I would love my child, no matter what.  I want the best for my child - from that day on, I have his best interests at heart when I do whatever I do.  I want him to follow the Path that I am on... but I know one day, his path will be his choice.  And I will love him, no matter his path.  If he so choses a path that leads to destruction instead of life, my heart will be broken for sure... but I will never stop loving him nor stop trying to help him find the Path of Life.

    This is why I say I understand God as my Father.  In that moment that I saw my son for the first time, I felt as if I saw myself as God's child for the first time.  He loves us no matter what, but just like a good daddy should, his love for us desires the best for us.  But just as I can't live my son's life for him, God can't live my life for me.  If He did, I couldn't really love Him, could I?  Really, how would you feel if your parent made every choice for you, and called that love? 

    God loves you!  He's a great Daddy!  And now... here's the reason I love being a daddy so much:







Saturday, June 14, 2008

  • Currently Listening
    Stop Heartbeat
    ~That's Getting Personal~
    see related

    It's bloggin' time!

    Hello again, my dear friends, blog readers, and Minty Onions!  It's time to get reacquainted with the blogosphere.  A good friend recently said to me, "We've been keeping up with you for a long time by reading your blog... but you haven't been writing much on there lately."  Good observation.  For the past 6 months, my blogging has been sporadic at best.  Reasons being - moved to new city, new state, new job, new friends, new lakes, new mountains, new coffee shops... plus, we got a Wii.  Actually, Rasslin' Boy got it for his birthday, but it's added quite a bit of fun for the whole family (you should watch Red play golf)!  As for frequency of blog entries - I shall try to do better.

    Also, it was brought to my attention that there has been a recent lack of "those inspirational spiritual insights" on my blog.  I have been uploading my weekly talks (sermons) in the audioblog, so I guess I figured that I had this covered.  Apparently, I was mistaken.  I shall try to do better.

    And now, for a quick recap of the past 2 weeks:  The first week of June, we held Vacation Bible School (VBS), which was a lot of fun (and a lot of work)!  The theme was SonWorld Adventure Park, which was the kick-start for our Kidz Adventure children's ministry.  There were stories, songs, arts & crafts, games, cowboys, and pirates... and of course, the usual round of "blindfold the pastor."  You haven't had VBS until the pastor is blindfolded, my friends!

    Then, last week, a bunch of Red's family drove down from Ohio to spend the week.  There was much sight-seeing, lake-swimming (and fishing), backyard-grilling, rollercoaster-riding, waterpark-playing, and such... and I was still working, all the while, mind you.  Rasslin' Boy's two cousins are girls.  He wanted to have wrestling matches on the trampoline; they wanted to go shopping... and neither could figure why the other didn't want to do what they wanted to.  So, we all just went to the lake.

    In the midst of all this, though, I have discovered the shinyness that is grilled bacon-wrapped, cream cheese-stuffed, jalapeño peppers!

     

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Wednesday, June 04, 2008

  • Currently Listening
    Stop Heartbeat
    ~The Life Highrise~
    see related

    Photoblog: Around the Christmas Tree Farm(Louisiana)

    Last week, my parents moved back to their home place after nearly a year in northern Kentucky.  To celebrate the fact that Red, Wrestling Boy, and I now live closer to them (3.5 hour drive) than we ever have, we drove down for a few days to help them unload & unpack junk.  Now, my dad can really focus on his retirement investment - the Christmas Tree Farm!  Here's a few photos from the great outdoors of Louisiana:


    As you can see, there are more than just one kind of Christmas tree.  My dad says that one of these particular tree varieties is very resistant to fire.  I'm wondering why don't we all just use that kind?!?


    What Christmas tree farm would be complete without a little lovable tree just like the one on Merry Christmas Charlie Brown?


    This is probably the biggest stump in the South.  My parents should charge admission.


    The Daylillies were in full bloom, so I couldn't resist taking about my millionth photo of them.


    Wrestling Boy was willing to help out on the Christmas Tree Farm, and with the unloading/unpacking... just don't ask him to mow the grass!


    This is one of my favorite photos ever!


    Trust me when I tell you that my parents' swimming pool was NOT ready for us to partake in an afternoon of cool, refreshing bliss!  As you can see here, it was a shiny green color, and has become home to a whole family of little frogs.  (Yes, this photo REALLY was taken in a swimming pool!)

Monday, June 02, 2008

  • Currently Watching
    Eight Legged Freaks (Widescreen Edition)
    By Rebecca Hobbs, Jeremy Callaghan, Patrick Wilson (VI), Hamish McFarlane, David Arquette
    see related

    Eight Legged FREAKS!

    Dad:  "Stop tickling me."

    Son: "I'm not tickling you!"

    *pause*

    Dad:  "I mean it... stop it."

    Son:  "Dad!  I'm not doing anything!"

    *pause*

    Dad: "If you don't stop tickling the back of my neck you're gonna get it!  I mean it!"

    Son:  "Dad!  I'm not touching you!  I promise!"

    *pause*

    *Dad jumps off the couch and darts across the living room, dancing a "get-this-spider-off-me" dance... followed closely by squealing, prancing son*

    Quite the scene, eh?  One might expect this out of a mom and her daughter, but alas, such was the manly scene recently as my son and I were partaking in the ubermacho entertainment known as Friday Night Smackdown.  This led to my walking around the house with a bottle of HotShot to take out these 8 legged freaks.  Actually, it wasn't so bad... until I went outside!  I promise you, I felt like I was in one of those b-grade horror movies, as I sprayed and sprayed, and around 100 arachnids flipped and flopped their way to their eventual death.  Among the culprits residing in the recesses around our abode was one Black Widow and three Brown Recluse.  I'm not gonna lie - I miss geckos and lizards!

mourning2dancing

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    • Name: Steve... Stephen...
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    • Birthday: 3/8/1969
    • Gender: Male
    • Member Since: 1/6/2004
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About Me

  • The recipe for instant Steve: 1 part Jerry Seinfeld. 1 part Billy Idol. 1 part Chris Jericho. Mix well. Saturate in espresso. Cover with chocolate. Add Bible.

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