I took these pictures the other day. Enjoy.

color quiz

I just took this really interesting personality test. I don't knowhow it works but its good. here are my results

swordsman took the free ColorQuiz.com personality test! "Wants to make a favorable impression and be recogn..." Click here to read the rest of the results.

Happy New Year

It has been a while, but I am back. My computer has been down for a while. I must admit I have gotten out of the habit of blogging, and part of me thought that it was not worth it. I mean who reads this any way, but here I am, typing away.

Sunday night pastor asked us to consider making a one word resolution this year. I had already written about 15 things I wanted to do, change, or be better at. When I looked at the list one word came to mind. Discipline. I need more discipline in my spiritual walk, family, work, my finances, everything. So if you are going to pray for me in 2006, pray that I become more disciplined.

Gabe pics

My sister took these pictures of my youngest son Gabe asleep with her dog.

What am I afraid of.....?

This past weekend, my wife and I decided that we would like to have a glass of wine. We are not drinkers per se, we have a glass at my folks house (they are catholic) during the holidays and that's about it. But for some reason we thought why not. I got in the car drove to the liquor store and didn't stop. I drove by five times and didn't stop. What am I afraid of? I am 30 years old and am worried what people are going to say if I have a drink. It's not even about my witness, I am worried about the saved people who will see me and judge and condemn and say that I am inferior because I had a drink.

I have come across some interesting blogs this weekend that deal about the same thing. The first was at Reformissionary entitled Alcohol, Abstention and Redemption, I found Steve McCoy's argument very persuasive and I it began to resonate in my spirit.

And if we are working out our salvation through
being redeemed and redeeming, then our response
to cultural abuses is not to abstain but to redeem.
That not only pushes us to maturity by teaching us
how to eat, drink, and have sex to the glory of God
(though it won't come easy), but it is also a witness
to the world that God redeems. The pervert throws
away the pornography (abuse) and learns to love sex
with his wife (redemption). The glutton refuses to
order a 5 piece fried chicken and fries meal (abuse) and
learns to order a salad with light dressing instead
(redemption).The alcohol abuser stops drinking until
drunk (abuse) and learns to stop after a beer or two (redemption).

As long as we make the issue "abstaining," we will miss expressing
and embodying redemption. And I'm afraid the message we will
send is that good things can be perverted beyond redemption.

I began to think about something, I don't drink because my father was a alcoholic, I was never shown how to drink responsibly. My children will never be taught that lesson either if I don't teach them. I don't want them to be scared, I want them to be informed. Then today I came across this post One Big, Happy, Lie: Southern Baptists, Alcohol and Me. It is a well written post on the truth of drinking in the SBC.

I began to think again why all this talk at a time when I considered drinking a glass of wine. Was God trying to tell me something? Was something else happening that I didn't know about? Well yes there was. As I was rereading Steve McCoy's post again I noticed some links I had not explored and came across this FIRST-PERSON: Total abstinence on the BP news website.

What are my conclusions after all this thinking and reading. I still believe as I have always that drinking is not a sin, getting drunk is. Now, that being said is it alright for a growing Christian to have a drink every now and again. Sure. Will I be drinking, I don't know, but after all of this a glass of wine sure sounds good right now.

I Am Married To Snape

My wife scored as Prof. Snape. I knew she was a little dark but I had no idea.

You scored as Severus Snape. Severus Snape 80% Draco Malfoy 75% Hermione Granger 65% Sirius Black 65% Albus Dumbledore 60% Ron Weasley 50% Harry Potter 45% Lord Voldemort 40% Fred or George Weasley 40% Which Witch/Wizard are you? created with QuizFarm.com

I Know It Ha Been Awhile..... A Fun Quiz

I Know it has been a while since I have blogged. Between my computer going down and soccer practices and generally being tired from work and being a dad of three very active boys, I have been lax. Not that it really matters, I don't know of anyone, besides my wife who reads this anyways. There is some freedom in that, I guess.


Now for the fun quiz.

You scored as Harry Potter. Harry Potter 75% Fred or George Weasley 75% Hermione Granger 70% Severus Snape 70% Ron Weasley 60% Lord Voldemort 60% Albus Dumbledore 60% Draco Malfoy 60% Sirius Black 45% Which Witch/Wizard are you? created with QuizFarm.com

A Superhero For Choice

As I was surfing the net yesterday I came across a disturbing story about planned parenthood. Planned Parenthood Golden Gate, in San Fran, produced a cartoon called, A Superhero For Choice. You have to see this thing to believe it. It shows the true colors of the planned parenthood organization. They have since disabled the link on their website, but above link works.

Christianity Today has an article on the website about this,the link is here.
Here is the blog the Dawn Patrol where I was able to find the link to the cartoon. You can find a portion of the script at the Dawn Patrol.

I am convinced after reading the information found at the above links and watching the cartoon, you too will see that our children are in danger. This should stir us to live intentional, purposeful, missional lives that live out the gospel to a world that desperately needs it. This world is being bombarded buy messages like this everyday, let us contradict it with the gospel lived out in our lives. As Parents we need to raise our children in such a way that they can withstand the onslaught of ungodly propaganda being peddled as truth.

Things that make you think

Found this post today from one of the blogs I have been checking out. I thought the topic was thought provoking at least.

The Lingering Lemon of Death: on being biblical
Was asked if I agreed with a statement of faith which included this statement:We believe that the Bible is the inspired, infallible and wholly authoritative, word of God and that it is our standard guide for faith and practice (2 Tim. 3:16-17).
Inspired ... check.
wholly authoritative ... check
word of God ... check
standard guide for faith and practice ... check
infallible ... The bible is not a living being.
It cannot be trusted, it cannot make mistakes. It is neither fallible nor infallible. I believe treating the bible as if it were the fourth aspect of God, a plurality of four rather than the trinity, is a peculiar idolatry of the present day church. Father (capital F), Son (capital S), Spirit (capital S), Bible (capital B)

Hmm...Things that make you think.

One of the reasons I found this idea and post interesting is that this has been a sticking point in talking to people about Christ. In this postmodern world where few believe in absolute truth, we try to convert them to the idea of truth before we convert them to Christ. Now i know that Christ is truth, I don't refute that. I just don't think it needs to be the thing that prevents someone from coming to Christ. Let's let the holy spirit do that job, our job is to live the scriptures out in our lives.

I thought the following was thought provoking:

The bible is trustworthy not because of its scientific accuracy, but because it is an accurate account of the living God. Under the guidance of the Spirit, connected to a community of faith and to the traditions of the church, it provides us vision into the dreams of God and our place in them.

While I fully support the idea that we should trust the bible, and submit ourselves to scrutiny of our lives in light of scripture,

Stuff to think about at least.

Oh yeah check out Alan Hartung's blog- A Different Perspective for more thought provoking stuff.

A Little Boys Dream

A five year olds dream is about to die this week and it is very sad. Way back in 1980 a little boy was sitting in his front room, the only light was from the large 35 inch console TV. His family had just got cable and they were going to watch there first movie on HBO. The movie was Star Wars, and that little boy sat there in total amazement at what he was seeing. He had never experienced anything like in his life. He so desperately wanted to be Luke Skywalker or Han Salo. He wanted to fly the x-wing or duel the Evil Darth Vader. That was a five year old boys dream that spurned a passion for sci-fi as well as an interest in astronomy and the space program. I am That five year old little boy.

I was so excited Wednesday to see Discovery take off after over two years of waiting. The first thing i did when i got home from work was to get on the computer to watch the launch. I was saddened to learn that there again was a problem with the foam insulation and that the shuttle program will be grounded. From what i am reading it may be 2014 before we are back in space. i applaud NASA for being safe, it is just sad for me.

I hope we continue our adventures in space, and i hope the private sector gets involved because i think that is the only way people like me will ever get into space in the next 50 years. Before i die that is what i would want to do. It would be the culmination of a five year olds dream that right now looks a little bleak.

May the force be with you.