Fighting the Fence!

 My dearest sister, Babbie Ervin, sent me a message last night about a topic for a sermon! "Somewhere between 'How Great Thou Art" and "When I Drink Tequila.'" 

When she sent this I didn't really think about it because I was at the Cowboy Football game with my oldest son Jeffrey. Then, the people behind us, a group of young professional aged men, came in right at the beginning of the 2nd Quarter of the game. They had already been communing with spirits that were not quite religious, and some of what they had left spilled down my back on my shirt. One of the young men apologized and I shook it off, but then their language became incessantly rough and difficult to listen to. There was a family sitting to my left with two small children trying to enjoy the game (which is entirely another story for another time.) I noticed the dad and mom kept their children occupied during the 30 minutes the young men were acting improper, in my opinion.

There, after receiving the text from my sister Babbie with the sermon topic, I thought, here I sit between "How Great Thou Art and When I Drink Tequila." I spent a lot of time the rest of the night realizing that God moves in mysterious ways. I couldn't believe she sent me that text with those statements and here I was, in some ways, right where she was pointing to. It may not have been in the way she meant it, but realizing that what she was getting at was the idea of being luke warm in our faith. 

Dealing with our own sin is difficult, and pointing out other's mistakes can make us feel better, however we should give ample thought to the passage Luke 6:42 "How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye."

I know that there may be some of us who need to really do some soul searching. If we see blaten sin in the lives of others and it makes us feel like avoiding them and staying clear of them as they walk their walk in this life, we would do well to do a little self evaluation about our own lives. 

The people we see in open rebellion either don't know better, or don't care how their actions affect those around them. They are the way they are and they couldn't care less about how others think of them. 

When Christians sin, it may not be seen by the world as anything they wouldn't do, and they may not call us out on the way we are living, but there is one thing Christians may and often forget. "How Great Thou Art."

God sees it all. We carry the Holy Spirit into every sin we commit. When we sin willfully we are in open rebellion to our Father, His Son, and the Holy Spirit, our comforter. Our secret sins are openly seen by Him and if He isn't being glorified by our actions, it is us who have the plank in our eyes. 

Our sins may not be seen by the world, and we may be known as good people, Christian people, but as we sin, and we all do, we are just as guilty of "Drinking the Tequila" instead of singing "How Great Thou Art."

When we get to the fences in our spiritual lives, sometimes our physical desires cross the fence and it leaves us in open rebellion to what we know we should be doing. It will eat at us and tear us away from our walk with God if we don't confess our sin and call upon God to heal us from the temptation that so easily entangles us.

It isn't enough to just say no to sin, cleaning out our cluttered spiritual life, we must fill the void the sin has left with the good we find in God's word and through walking with Him.

Somewhere between "How Great Thou Art and When I Drink Tequila" is where we sometimes find ourselves. However, God wants us to know that we are here to help each other and ourselves concerned with How Great God Is! We need to be living for God and God's family, the church, so that others who may see us will not confuse us with the world we live in.

How are you doing?

I'll see you later!

My Mirror Spoke to Me Today

 

My mirror spoke to me today! “Good morning!” it said with a slight snarl in it’s voice. “Ready for another day in this place?”

I thought about the question and wondered why I even cared, but then I thought of all those who count on my being steady and reliable , if nothing else. “Steady and reliable, huh!” said the mirror. You can’t even count on yourself, much less be any good to anyone in a real meaningful way.”

Wow! That hurt. But I hung my head in shame.

Then it hit me. I don’t have to please the mirror; I have to please the God of my faith. He understands and forgives when I mess up and feel as if I am not dependable nor steady enough for those who need me. Even if I don’t feel like I am really needed at times.

God is enough. And with that knowledge, I know that He will be enough forever.

2 Corinthians 12:9 “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

Philippians 4:19 “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

I'll see you later!

Why Churches Don't Grow

 Why Churches Don’t Grow!

I hope you will take time to read this article. I am going to be sharing some of my personal thoughts about church growth. There will not be statistical numbers, nor will there be revelations of grandeur broadly studied calculations; no in-depth study notes, perfunctory realizations brought on by great studies from major heads of thinking, just my observations from my 40 years of full-time ministry.

For a church to grow, the church must first want to grow.

There is a lot of talk about churches wanting to grow, but I have noticed little being done. Elders hire a preacher to come in and encourage and motivate the members to better themselves and to live right in the sight of God and man, but when it comes to actual “growth through the gospel” the church seems satisfied with an influx of people who are already members of God’s family who place membership with their local church family.

We have had great minds put together great methods of sharing the bible with others and we get excited and think we will change the world with our teaching and methods. The problem is we live in a world that wants to see Jesus in the lives of those who are talking to them about Him. Too many of us have allowed excitement over methods and outreach programs busy ourselves, and for a while, even truly dedicated to sharing through those methods with the world.

I am not trying to throw water on any fires that may bring people to Christ that others are doing, but I want you and me to stop and think about the reason people are looking for God and not finding the truth where they look.

God did not tell us to create opportunities for people to hear the message of Christ's life, death, burial, and resurrection. God told us to share the story. Live the story. Be the story.

The only way we can do that is to tell our redemptive story! However, it is not about us but it is all about good Jesus. We must come to a point as Christians where there is no doubt we feel about God in our lives. We must live the “new life” we were given with a deep understanding of what God has really done in our lives.

God, for the Christian, has changed their outcome!

We have been given opportunities to be changed from an unknowing, uninvolved, thoughtless, spiritless, unmoved “religious acting person.” We as God’s children need to have no other gods before Jehovah, our Father, our Holy God, and the only way that others will be moved to be a part of that family of believers is for those who are “in Christ” to act like it. We are to help people like Andrew did with his brother Simon Peter.

Even then, going and telling others was a desire to help someone come to know God, not a method to get them into the church.

The spiritual family of God will not grow spiritually (or in number) until we are convinced in our own minds that we are truly God’s people, and live that way. We are given abilities that we have not used, or desired. It doesn’t take a monumental story of great feats of the Spirit working in our lives for people to be interested in what God can do for us and our relationship with Him. It takes a true love of what God has done in our lives and the desire to share it with others. If becoming a Christian, or sharing Christ with others, is lacking in prominence in your life, you need to rethink your priorities concerning your relationship with Him.

Just telling your story, along with a study of God’s word with people doesn’t take a P.H.D., it takes a P.C.H., personal caring heart. A true joy for the word of God and its ability to change men into Christians in a spiritual family.

As I said, these statements are what I see now and in the last 40 years of preaching. I hope and pray that my preaching has been an encouragement to those listening. But more than the approval of the members of the spiritual families I have been a part of, I hope that I have shared the story of Jesus with others by sharing my story of how God worked in my life. How the Father forgave me by applying His grace to my life. It is not about me; it is about what God can do for anyone who wants to learn who God, the Father, and the Holy Spirit are.

We don’t need methods to share the gospel, not that they aren’t good, but what we truly need is true believers who know that God works in our lives! He told us through the Bible to spread the good news about Jesus and to share Him with those we meet. It’s not a weekly time of going out, it is about living it! Truly living it. Honestly believing that we are saved by the grace and love of God.

Learning a method is good, but it will never be as productive as living the Christian life and loving people enough to let them see the love you have for God, your fellow Christians, and them. Churches must love! Love each other, love those who walk through the doors, love talking about Jesus (not the church, which comes later), and live for Him daily. And, when we stumble and fall, get up, ask God for a boost up, and allow Him to move in your life.

Some of you may be asking about where in the Bible does this come from. Well, let me give you the scripture reference. Genesis 1:1 – Revelation 22:21.

I love you all.

Britt

 

What I Have Learned

 The passing of time is something that we understand is going to happen. We get older and we find ourselves wondering how long we have left. Forty years ago I never wondered that, but now at 64 (Sunday), I do.

Yesterday some of my family got together for the celebration of our country's Independence Day. I was supposed to be there but just didn't know what it was that was making me feel so ill. Allergies and a possible cold, that I didn't want to pass on if it was, kept me from seeing two sons, two daughters-in-law, and one of my great grandsons and two grandchildren. I sat around feeling sorry for myself knowing I was doing the right thing if I was really ill and could possibly pass something on. But it got me thinking about things.

I may have ten to twenty years left in this life on this earth if God doesn't get so fed up with this world again that He pulls the plug and calls us all home (that wouldn't bother me!) But at my age, those years fly by even if I have that many left. I have come to realize that we put too much emphasis on things and what we call living. Yes, we must provide for our families and I understand that. God gave us that command to take care of our families. But, believe me, living is not based on how much you have been given in this life financially, nor is it worth being concerned about how you might feel you have been cheated out of being able to live comfortably while on this earth. Living is about dying with faith in God. Faith that He will not leave you destitute upon this earth or in the ground, but you will be walking with the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords as a true Child of God.

To do that, we must become His child. It is our choice to "live for here, or to live for there."

I did miss seeing my family yesterday, but one day, I will see God. And yes, living without on this earth will have been worth it! How are you doing?

Last Night I Cried!

 Last night I cried. 

Last night, during a singing we had with our spiritual family, for the first time in a long time, more inside than actual tears, I cried.

Why?

Truly because I was blessed to be in the presence of God the Father and in the midst of His family, singing and glorifying our Father in heaven. Thanking Him for being our shield about me. He is my glory, He is the lifter of my head.

I am but a simple man here on the face of this world created for us, mankind, by a loving and caring God who has limited us to a certain time here. However, it is His word that lifts my head. Hallelujah. Halleluja!

The tears were for reasons I can only attribute to my personal existence.

I am in awe of how shallow I am at times in the presence of such a magnificent God and creator, yet a loving and caring Father of us all. I am His child. For that, I am so thankful and shed a tear even now, knowing I'll be home soon! 

Hallelujah.

Where did all the joy go?

 Where did all the joy go?

 

A good friend of mine shared with me a tragic story of a church family that lost their joy. A divisive spirit in the church caused a lot of hurt feelings and left many with a feeling of betrayal. He shared that the church had declined by two-thirds of its attendance. It was difficult for him to understand how the family of God could ever get into that position.

 

I asked him if there was anything specific he could point to that would clarify the divisive attitude that brought about the unrest in the family of that congregation. He stated that the problem was, the church had stopped being a family and started working on becoming an organization with self-motivational interests being at the forefront of the leadership. “The leaders were making major decisions and had no real connection with most of the members in the church, just a select few were considered.”

 

This is an issue I have seen many times in my spiritual walk of life. It isn’t that people are looking for things to do to help the congregation grow, they were just looking for things to be done the way they felt comfortable doing them. They wanted them to be done the way they had always been done. They had their agenda and no matter what or who had to be sacrificed, it was going to happen one way or another.

 

Manipulation is sometimes the culprit when it comes to situations like this. Some opportunities can take on the form of “good works to do”, depending on who benefits and who it “motivates.” Moving others out of the way so the “uncomfortable” can feel “more comfortable” with themselves and not be challenged to study or grow anymore. They want things to go back to the way they were in the past. Hoping to find happiness in trying to recreate what once was, looking for happiness in overseeing where, or in what direction the church is moving. Hearing things said in the old comfortable way of being said and shutting the door on anything different or new because they were not “comfortable” with new things.

 

It is like the ship that sank with 100 people on board who all wanted to be the captain. No one was willing to work to help the ship operate the way it should. They all wanted others to do what they were ordering them to do.

 

It is inevitable that we find ourselves at a loss when it comes to divisiveness and our dislike of change. However, striving to go back to what once was is change, but seen as worthy because of whose idea it was to go back to the past. I believe that Paul addressed the Jewish Christians who wanted to go back under the law! They didn’t really want to go back to the law, it didn’t change but was fulfilled. They wanted to go back to the traditions they were used to and comfortable with.

 

I asked my friend, “Was truth ever overlooked or abandoned?” His answer was “No! Not that I am aware of! If there was, I would have approached the problem as a scriptural problem! The way I see it was that those who left just didn’t feel needed or a part of the family any longer. It was like God was left out of any decision that was made.”

 

I want to encourage those of God’s people to be sure to understand that without true compassion, without true concern for the word, without vision, we will parish.

 

Where did all the joy go? Satan took advantage of hiding behind someone’s truth instead of someone standing in God’s truth. Don’t hide behind the past glories of the church. Look to glorify God daily as you walk. Accept the joy of the Spirit of God and your salvation. Allow God to give the increase. You can’t do it. That is God’s job. We need to be seed spreaders.

 

I love you all,

Britt

That Guy

Here is a thought for you.

There is a guy who has everything he needs. He has a good job, wife, and family, He doesn't get wrapped up in societal issues, nor does he watch the news to keep up with the current issues that befall our country. He enjoys going to work, coming home, eating for nourishment, laughing when he thinks something is funny, crying when he thinks something is sad and caring for people who are hurting. He doesn't feel empowered, nor does he think he is or has been discriminated against. 

For the most part, there aren't a lot of people who know much about him. He is not an "A Typical" egotistical person, nor is he a "Wall Flower." He is just a regular Joe.

How many of us would want to be his friend? How many of us are envious of his calmness and his lack of excitement about what is going on in our world? How does a "Regular Joe" make it in the world we live in? That, my friends, is a great question.

The answer is that he is trying to follow the path that leads him to heaven. He is concerned about a lot of things. He is concerned about his family and them being in worship and with God's people as often as possible. He wants his family to be around others who need to know Christ, but he strives to make sure that his family knows not to follow "other" paths that might lead them away from Christ. He doesn't worry about the future of our world, but the future of those who need to know Jesus. He isn't concerned about the political drama of our world, he is concerned about people not knowing the story of Jesus and why they need to know Him. 

See, I believe that guy is the guy we all need to be. We all need to be so into following Jesus that the things of this world aren't as appealing to us as some would make us feel they are. It isn't wrong to have things, but sometimes we overload on things and leave the spiritual aspect of being good stewards of our time and money out of our lives.

I think that guy is probably happier because of his covenant relationship with God instead of his constant worry about a covenant with the world. The world view will not get us a heavenly outcome. We need to be in the world, being good stewards, and caring about our covenant with God and with His family, but also concerned about bringing others into that covenant relationship with God.

That guy is who I want to be.

How about you?

I'll see you later!

You Can't Change the Past

     I'm over it! I can't do it any longer. I cannot dwell in the past. I have done it for all of my life in my mind and I am just not going to do it any longer. I have said my peace and I am satisfied I have faced the giant weight that I have been carrying around for nearly 50 years. Yes, I said it right, nearly 50 years.
     Satan has a way of getting to me through my past and has not let me forget what it was that brought me to this terrible wasteland called bad memories. These unproductive, at least for me, opportunities to sulk in the past and wonder what and why I am dwelling in the past in the first place.
      If you haven't been there, good! If you have, read on and I will tell you what I did to get passed my past.
     Take time to sit down with someone, maybe someone who was from that past, and talk it out. Let your guard down and allow yourself to remember the hurt and pain from that past you have been reminded of throughout your life if you are like me. Do it maturely, not as the child you possibly were at the time of your past pain. Let yourself know that God is in control and pray for guidance and mature patience. Share without the anger, without the pain, without the desire to "get back at" whoever. Speak the truth, don't let the past dictate your desire to move on into the future.
    After you do that, and it may take several opportunities, pray some more. Let the healing that God offers to bring you peace do its work. Pray some more. Cry if you need to or desire to, either in private or public, but let yourself know you are going to be alright. Let the Spirit of God begin the healing process in your mental life so that your emotional life may be brought into alignment as God would have us do.
     I did this.
     It is working now and I hope it will work for me as I continue to walk my walk in this wonderful life I have. God has blessed me with a great and wonderful family. My wife and children, my dad and siblings, my church family, my camp family, my friends throughout the last 50 years. They all have helped me get to where I am today.
     If you need to, don't hesitate to contact me and I will share with you more of what you can do to overcome whatever it is that beats you down on a regular basis.
     God is good all the time and all the time, God is good!
I love you all and I'll see you later!

Britt

What I Learned September 11, 2001

I remember exactly where I was when I received word that there was an "accident" in New York City! The Blanco Bowling Club Cafe. I was playing dominoes with the morning crew for the last two hours when Lisa called and said, "A plane had crashed into the World Trade Center."

I drove home and watched the events unfurl in front of all Americans. It was devastating. I sat in my office with the doors open to the church building, ready to visit with whoever may drop in to pray or talk about the events of the day.

I remember thinking, "This is horrible."

The results are still being felt today as another victim, a fireman, was honored in a memorial service in New York City just last Tuesday as his remains were identified. His family was 18 years without knowing, but knowing, the final outcome of where his body was. My prayers are with all those affected personally with that tragic event. I pray that comfort and peace will rule in their hearts.

I wonder how many of those folks knew God the way I do? Not because I'm a minister of God's word, but because I am a Christian and I am truly concerned about those who do not know God and have not obeyed the gospel.

Will God's grace fall upon those who do not know Him? Will they be found in heaven? Will they be saved from their sins? Could God just leave them outside of His family forever?

Questions we all could and some have asked through the years. So let me ask a question that shakes me to my core: "Who is the judge of such matters?" Well, the answer is obvious, God is! It is ultimately His decision. We, however, should hold ourselves responsible for following His word as closely as we can.

I believe that those who do will find God's answer in His word that will fall upon our hearts. It is my, and every Christian's, responsibility to share God's truth concerning His Son. The death, burial, and resurrection are to be at the forefront of our spiritual walk.

Over 3,000 lives were taken at once. No warning. They just died as the result of someone's failure to know the truth. God's truth will always be to "love your neighbor as yourself."

I want to go to heaven, and I want my neighbors to go to heaven. In fact, if I decided to make...wait, why would I want to make that decision. That decision is left up to each individual who walks, and talks lives and breathes on this earth. The situation we find ourselves in is that none of us knows when our time is going to end. in 2001 on September 11, 3,000 plus people went to work just like they did every day of their adult working lives. None of them knew what was about to happen just 45 minutes into their workday. A day the world changed as fast as at any other time in the history of our nation.

Time is not on our side. Our day is coming. It may end in tragedy or it may end in peaceful slumber. The ultimate goal is to know that physically we may be surprised at the moment but that we are never spiritually surprised at all with the outcome.

I pray for those who have lost loved ones in such tragedy but we can know for sure, without a doubt, that we are going home to be with God in heaven. 1 John 5:13 13 "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life." Christians, we have nothing to fear spiritually, yet the physical pain of suffering looms to some extent in our lives. I pray you never have to live through the tragedy but that you march triumphantly into the future with spiritual victory overcoming this world and its sin.

I love you all,

Britt

How Much Does It Mean To You?

Do you, like many others, find yourself taking your Christianity for granted?

I have found myself asking, "Why would you want to go to heaven to be with God and His children if you can't, or won't be with them here on earth?" I ask you, is that a legitimate question? What is the legitimate answer to that question then?

There are so many who put themselves up as Christian, yet when you really get down to "where the rubber meets the road" and ask the question and answering it honestly, you find out that what you think doesn't really matter.  We should never want to "give up" striving for honesty and commitment to God because it doesn't fit our personal nature and walk in life.

Too many times people have told me that their relationship with God is personal and none of my business. Really? Our Father in heaven refers to those who follow Him as His children, a part of His family. If you and I are a part of the Family of God, am I not also responsible as His child to care enough to be concerned about you? Are we just to not be involved in each other's lives? Are we not to be a part of the church, the body of Christ? And if we are, then when the "ekklesia" meets shouldn't that include all of God's children? (Ecclesia (or Ekklesia) in Christian theology means both: a particular body of faithful people, and the whole body of the faithful.) 

When you choose not to be a part with the family of God or choose to put others above your Father and His family, you are rejecting the very nature of God. Can that ever be a good move?

Know this, if you aren't with God's people in your life you aren't with God. 

So, when God's people come together it should be the Christian person, the children of God, the ecclesia, who are there. 

I hope to see you Sunday, or at least I hope to hear that you have changed your thinking and have decided to come back to the family of God, where He is while we await the final coming of His Son, Jesus Christ to take us to be a part of the forever family.

God bless you as you contemplate your life and your future. Christianity demands a response. You will respond, but in what way? 

How much does it mean to you?

Sitting in the Pew!

I love sitting and listening to other preachers speak the word of God. It is a blessing for me. I'll be honest, I watch four to five lessons each week from some of my friends as they proclaim the word of God. I do that by watching online. Neat idea. Getting to be a part of the service when I'm not anywhere near where they are. 

However great that it is to listen to these great men deliver great lessons, let me tell you about sitting in the pew and listening to "your preacher."

First, he has spent or should have spent, a lot of time getting a lesson that he believes, or should believe, is pertinent to the needs of you and the other members of your forever family at your local church.

Second, he has prayed about the purpose of the lesson.

Third, he has taken care to be precise and thoughtful in his use of God's word as he uses it in his lesson.

Fourth, he has prayed for you to be attentive to and touched by the lesson he has prepared.

Fifth, he is unsure how you will react but puts his faith in God's Spirit to move and motivate you in your spiritual walk with God.

Sixth, he is sure that God will bless his words no matter how unsure he is as long as he stands for truth.

What about you as you sit in the pew? What is it that you should be doing as you come to your church family reunion each and every week? What is it that is important?

First, preaching is not the purpose of being together with your spiritual family.

Second, your heart should have considered preparing for Sunday's time together on Monday before the next Sunday.

Third, you should be praying for your attitude concerning worship beforehand as well as preparing your mind to share in the Supper (communion) before arriving at the appointed time. 

Fourth, you should be ready to sing praises to God. I know that some of us don't have "great singing voices," but isn't it nice to know that God said to sing and make melody in your heart without saying that the singing should be or must be done "well." He just wants honesty to permeate from our hearts and mean what we sing.

Fifth, you should listen and contemplate the meaning of the message that the preacher shares each week. Bible classes are a source of great information as well. Those who teach are spending time preparing as well.

Sixth, ask God to bless your heart and your mind as you worship Him. 

Remember, these are not a complete list of things we can do. Many of you will and are already thinking about other attitudes when it comes to being together to worship on Sundays. Don't let the world tell you what you should think, how you should act, how you should worship, or how you should live during the week. Spend this week, and every week, preparing to worship God each Sunday that is coming up. 

Remember, sitting in the pew is just as important as the preaching, the singing, the learning, the contribution or any other part of our time together. It is imperative that we sit (wherever that is) ready to worship our God who loves us so much. Attendance is a necessary part of our time on this earth as Christians.

Your forever family needs you to be with them as a part of the body of Christ. Your attendance is more than just sitting in the pew, it is you being an active part of the worship.

I love technology, but it is not the answer to a too-busy schedule or the answer to an "I don't like crowds" mentality, or I can worship at home just as well as I can when I am sitting in the pew.

Sitting in the pew is a blessing from God to help us through the difficult days of each week. Looking forward to the fellowship with the forever family where you worship God is essential to your spiritual growth.

I hope to see you sitting in the pew each Sunday. To my forever family, I miss you when you aren't here. 

I love you all,

Britt

Living on the Street

Yes, you read the title right!
No, it isn't talking about me!
Yes, I do know a little bit about it and I want your feedback about what you are about to read if you continue.

Walking down the street I get the sense of the magnitude from where I came from and where I find myself. I'm on the street, living in my car, using the QT, Walmart, or whatever place I can find to keep myself somewhat clean.

No, I didn't grow up this way. I knew better. I wanted to be an adult. I want to make my own decisions! I wanted to be my own person and I have come to regret the drive that pushed me to be who I am today.

My parents didn't teach me to be my own man/woman. That was my decision. I walked into the world with all of my parent's warnings thinking that the world looked inviting, not scary and as evil as they had described.

I had a car until one day, while high on Meth, I drove it into a ditch and just left it there. I didn't have the money to get it out of the ditch with a tow truck and it was raining. I just called a friend to give me a ride to anywhere but where I was. I didn't really care. After all, my friends would take me where I wanted to go whenever I wanted to go. I don't need a car.

As I was walking home in the cold and rain trying to remember how I got where I was, I thought "So this is life? Nothing special! Nothing noteworthy! I get high with the help of my friends. They really look after me. I don't need God or my family."

I've called home for help for the last time. I believe that they love me but they said that they just can't help anymore.

Wish I could go home.

I wish I could look my dad in the eye and say "I'm sorry! I was wrong! Please forgive me."

He won't listen. He doesn't really care. I'm out of his life and he is better for it.

So this is adulthood?

I'll have to "borrow" some soap when I go to Walmart later this afternoon. I'll go to the soap aisle and "borrow" some of their body soap and slip into the family bathroom so no one will see me wash up. I won't use much. I'll leave it in the bathroom and they can put it back up. It's not really stealing.

I have a friend who has a tent that I can sleep in tonight.

So this is adulthood.

I don't remember this as I was growing up at home.

Did I miss something?

I wish I could go home and start over.

God, I wish I could start over.

Father, please be with those who need to come home both physically and spiritually. Give them wisdom to walk towards you. Give them the ability to be strengthened and keep them safe. In Jesus name.

Why?

Why is it that some people think that they can have their cake and eat it too! Why do they think that they can save the whales and kill babies? Why do they believe that they can get money to live on each month and not believe they have to earn it? Why do some believe that they can exempt themselves from inoculations against disease and it not matter to anyone else? Why do some believe they can send their children to school but do not believe their children have to follow the rules? Why do some people believe it is wrong to drink and drive but texting and driving is no problem? Why is it that some believe that being a child of God is important but living the Christian life isn't? Why is it that some in our government believe that the laws of our land may have been important in 1776 but are not important today? Why do some in our government believe the law doesn't apply to them? Why do some believe God's word is important and yet bend it to fit their desires and their walk in life? Why is it that some believe that morality is a choice and not a necessity? Why is it that some want to defy the natural for the erotic? Why is it that some want to have their moods altered instead of altering their moods? Why is it that a Dallas D.A. wants to give everyone the right to steal and not be punished? Why is it that if you stand for God you are ignorant? Why do people get angry about politics and yet don't vote? Why is it that some believe that they are right without understanding why they are or aren't? Why is it that we have a hard time forgiving each other after God forgives us? Why is it that some people just don't get it, when "it" is a problem that they have got? Why is it that children feel shame about something until someone convinces them that they shouldn't? Why can't we all understand that God gave us a mind to use not abuse? Why are we shocked when evil rocks our world when the world has stopped fighting evil? Why are moral values so undervalued? Why do people we love hurt us more than those we don't? Why are some taken from this life with so much to give while others stand in defiance against all that is good?

Why?

Because evil is in the world and until there is no evil in the world we will be asking why. So many times I have asked why, but lately, I have really started asking myself "Why are you the way you are?" Can there be an answer for all of this? Yes! Jesus is always the answer and in reading His word we find that in this world we are to be like Him. Not just when we are seen but in our private moments. When we are alone. When it is the hardest! God has given us the Spirit to comfort us and help us, but we must accept His guidance. 

Why?

Because He, our Father, loves us.

I love you all!

Entitlement?

I worked hard back in the late '70s and '80s to make a paycheck to pay my bills and feed my family. The minimum wage was $3.35 per hour. I worked hard enough to get raises and move up in my field (local lumber company). I didn't wait for someone to help me and I was surely not going to sit around and feel sorry for myself. I got out and hustled and worked hard because that is what I was taught.

My dad was a hard worker and he taught me to earn a living, not to expect it. I love him for that. I also learned from my father-in-law that if you work hard there comes a time when it pays off. It may take 40 years, but it will be worth it.

The same is true in my spiritual life. If I live it correctly I may not reap all the benefits now, but the payout is out of this world. Literally.

What are you living and working for?

I'm not entitled to anything. I work and maintain a job so I can not only feed my family but also those I come in contact with through the spiritual body of Christ. It is the right, correct, and most positive thing a person can do as an example to others.

2 Thessalonians 3:9-11 says that if a man is unwilling to work he should not eat!

How are you doing?

I know that there are exceptions to every rule, but this is for those who believe that because they were born into a certain situation that they are entitled to money that others have literally earned.

I love you all.

Britt

Vegan? Nope!

I have a lot of my family that are vegan and that is great! No problem with that at all, but don't tell me that eating meat or meat byproducts are wrong. (and my family doesn't do this).

I have nothing against Vegan lifestyle! However, when the earth was created God gave man food. Genesis 1:29 "Then God said, 'I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.' And it was so."

Nothing about that has changed except for our inability to bear with each other's choices. If you choose not to eat meat or meat products, no problem. Just don't tell me I'm wrong when I kill animals for food, or eat, or support the meat industry with my purchases. That is my God given right. And yours is as well if you abstain.

I still will love you, just know that I am going to continue to eat what God has given me to eat!

I love you all!

Britt

What Is Your Purpose?

What is your purpose?
What a concept! I appreciate Jack Cummings and the work he is doing with us here at West Freeway. He is a great teacher and motivator and our adult classes have become one of the areas of growth that we are seeing. It is a good growth with Godly knowledge and understanding are being brought to the forefront of the spiritual walk for our Church family.
This past weekend the leadership (elders, deacons, and ministers) all came together for a time of reflection, encouragement and learning. Jack and I brought some thoughts to the group and wow, what great men we have who not only thought about the things that we brought forth, but also all those who are becoming great leaders in God's church. It was wonderful to be encouraged the way we were as we spent just under 24 hours together, yet with such an impact.
Our purpose, as Christians, is the same as it was the day Christ left this earth at His ascension! To go and make disciples (Matthew 28:19-20) That is the purpose of every Christian and church. Go and make disciples.
I know that my Christian brothers and sisters know this, but I don't know if they understand the magnitude of that command. That is our responsibility. Leading others to know Him.
It doesn't mean we have to knock on doors, stand on the corner with a bull horn to pronounce the gospel and the ramifications of not obeying it. It isn't that we must just walk away from our old friends. Just live a life that says to everyone who sees you, "There is a person with a purpose", and let them see you living for Jesus, making disciples, even if it only by the way you live. They are watching.
I loved our time together for our leadership retreat. But I am looking forward to the results of it even more.
What is your purpose? Are people watching you? Yes, they are. The other question is, what purpose do they see in your life?

I love you all,
Britt

Direction

Well, we leave for vacation tomorrow afternoon. I am excited about the trip. When we come back we will be packing to move into our RV that we will purchase the day or two after closing on the sale of our house.

Lisa and I are excited for this new era of our lives. Having the opportunity to take our home with us as we travel is quite thought provoking. Sleeping in our own bed each night seems to present a blessing for us.

Sold my 2008 Jeep last night and they are picking it up today. Last inspection on the property we are selling is being done today and then the count down begins. We are to close on January 22. Wow.

Seven years we have lived in this house and that is by over a year longer than I have personally lived in any one spot in my 59 years of life. This is going to be different. I don't think I'll miss the house. I'll miss the memories created there and the neighbors that were so warm and kind to us, except the first ones that lived directly behind us. (I'm glad they moved within 6 months).

Yes there are changes coming.

How about you? What changes are you going through? Are they changes for the good or just to be changing? Are you excited about the changes you face or are you apprehensive about them?

Material things on this earth are nice and to many extents essential. However, if our focus isn't on the spiritual first, then God doesn't have the place in our lives He should.

Yes, Lisa and I are doing some changing in our lives to look towards our future on this earth based on financial outlooks and needs. However, it is not our main focus. We know that were ever we are together is our home here on earth, but our eternal home is with our God. That is our main focus.

We are here for any of you who need spiritual guidance. If we can't help you personally we will do everything we can to find someone who can. We love our ministry and we love our family. But most of all, we love our God.

May He be forever praised.

I'll see you later!

Growing Old

I knew it would happen. I just didn't know when.

I believe that it sneaked up on me in he middle of the night while I was tossing and turning.

"What did?" you might ask.

Getting old.

How can I be old? How can I now be someone without children at home (for the last 10 years)?

It happens. You wake up one day and there it is right in front of you. An older version of the one you remember looking at 30 years ago.

I can't imagine my life passing so quickly without me even realizing how quickly it has. There are plenty of things that I remember and cherish in my heart. My daughter's wedding, my sons sporting events, and two great daughters in law, and one son in law (he's my favorite and they are co-favorites), grandchildren (7 of the best) and one great grandson, have all become a part of my past.

I will never forget growing up and wanting to hurry up and get out of school, get a job, find a wife, and just be an adult. I've done that for a long time. 40+ years and I wouldn't trade it for all the money in the world. I love my family. We have made some great memories and that is what it is that growing old is all about.

Too bad that growing old also means that the hard drive memory chip God gave us fills up to a point some of us start loosing data and memory losses make us question even who we are and who our loved ones are.

Growing old is something that once you are there you wish you could go back and tell that younger self to spend more time with your friends and family when you were home growing up; going back and telling that teenage you to not rush through life because you'll forget most of what you did; going back to the day you got married, had your children, saw them begin to walk, heard them cry, watched them fall, learn to ride a bike, make and lose friends, meet that one they love, get married, have children, and begin their journey of growing old. Growing old is not fun, it is memorable. It is a way of making us realize that our memories are really important.

I have been told that I remember things that no one else does. Yes, but they are my memories. There are some I wish I didn't have to remember, but those too have shaped me into the person I am today. I'm not satisfied with where I am, but I believe that is a God thing. He wants me to strive to continue to grow and I believe He wants me to make more memories.

So, growing old is not all its cracked up to be with Teens and younger adults. I wish I could remember why I always thought that growing up and making my own way would be better than what I had. It still may be. However, I wish I had not had to do that.

I hope you can make sense of this...after all, I'm the one getting older, right?

Following the Crowd

Have you ever known someone who, after realizing that they had made a terrible mistake, keep heading in the same direction without changing anything? They are too proud to admit that they made a mistake and don't want to lose face with those that they may be hanging around with at the time. Their sphere of influence is based on those who are in agreement with them or are backing them with support in their mistake.

This type of attitude scares me, but it also helps me realize that there is something that needs to be done to help them. Letting them know that we love them and want nothing but for them to be right with God and themselves.

If you find yourself in that position, let me tell you now, I love you and will support you on your journey if you are wanting to get right with God. Actually, even in my family there are those that this applies to. It makes my heart ache as I watch them drift further and further from God. However, if you sincerely want to return, know that I am already praying for you whether or not I know of your situation. For those that I do know I hope you realize that I pray for you by name and want you to return, not for my sake, but for your soul to be in the hands of your Father as your time ends or He ends our time. I want you to hear "well done" not "depart from Me, I never knew you."

Please stop, turn around, begin walking toward God. He is right behind you with open arms, and we His children are praying for you to return.

I want you to come home!

The Return?

"I'll be back there when _______________________ happens."

Ever heard anyone make this statement? I have, and I have noticed that those who say such things are just saying something to pacify themselves from having to do what ever it is that they have said they would do. Believe me, something else will come up or something else will cause them to continue to walk away from the very thing that they said they would do.

I have also heard this: "I'll never go to church at __________________!" When asked why the answer is, "_______________ is a member there and I could never attend where they attend."

Funny, I wonder if they have considered the alternative?

I have told the story many times of the man who said, "If those ______________ people go to heaven I don't want to go." I told him not to worry!

Please, realize that the world we live in is divisive enough without Christians putting stipulations on who attends and doesn't attend a particular church. If you are allowing a human being to keep you out of or away from participating in a church, then you are allowing them to be your god and not our Father in heaven. If they are the reason you die outside of faith, whose fault is that and who will pay the consequence.

Now, if you read this and get upset with me, I'm sorry. I really am. But I love you enough to try to get you to stop and think about your spiritual life for a minute. If you still don't want to worship with God's family somewhere, then fine, you let God know what it was that kept you away from the family of God. As for me and my house, we are going to go and serve God and not worry about who might be there we don't like. God comes first, then others, and then my desires and wishes (maybe)!

I love you all.
Britt