I Love You!

I married young. Well, we both did. I was 18 and Lisa was two weeks away from being 18. We loved each other and still do.

As I have watched over the years, especially in my ministry, I have seen so many who have married young and as they matured and gotten older begin to look around and think that they missed out on something. They dated, most beginning in middle school, and the words "I love him/her" slipped through their lips as they had heard others, sometimes their parents, say so freely.

The words "I love you" are not words just to throw around and "waste". When a person utters those three words they need to be words of commitment, when uttered to someone we are connecting with in a personal male/female relationship. They need to be thought out and contemplated with meaning and understanding.

Too many times those three words are the beginning of the end of some relationships because they signify commitment. They are not bad words, but they carry a lot of weight in a relationship.

Saying I love you is something I say with several connotations.

First, I do tell my wife I love her and I do and have ever since the first time I said those three words. That has never changed since that first time.

Second, I tell my children and my grandchildren and extended physical family that I love them on a regular basis. It is a love that is different from the feeling and meaning I have for Lisa, my wife, but no less a true love.

Third, I love my brothers and sisters in my spiritual family that I love them. It is different than the love I share with the previous two. It too is a deep love, but not the same type of love or depth.

Fourth, I love to eat! Enough said.

In all of the first three there is a level of commitment that is understood, or at least should be. Commitment is a word that is what I like to call a forever word. You must decide to do it no matter how difficult it becomes. I do believe that there are times when it does become too difficult to continue, so be careful.

When you tell someone those three words, "I love you", please take a moment and ask yourself if you really do before you express those three words.

By the way, I do love you, just not the same as the love I feel for, nor in the same way I felt when I began dating my wife. I love you, but not the same way I love my family. I love you because you are a part of my extended spiritual family and friends. You are loved but not the same way.

If you are young and dating, stop and think about how freely our culture is throwing around those words "I love you." Make sure that when you say them you understand what they truly mean. If you need to overcome some loneliness in your life, don't let the lie of evil that "if you tell someone you love them that will change the way they feel about you" become the reason you utter those words that truly mean so much more than we sometimes think.

When you say I love you, remember that those words are forever words when said to someone you are becoming not only spiritually involved with but with the possibility of a long term physical relationship that must have a spiritual connection to last.

I love you all. But, I love Lisa Bird Farmer in a way I will never love you.

It doesn't mean it is a partial love, but it is an exclusive love that I have for her. That is the kind of love you need to look for. Look for a love that you are willing to sacrifice to keep for a lifetime.

God bless you all.

Britt

Stop Complaining!

Just because you are tired of something doesn't mean it has to stop. Look at Six Flags...some people haven't been in years because they thought it had run its course. Lines to rides still happen and they are still making money.

We do what we want in our lives. It is our right given to us by our Father in heaven. It is sad when people say, "We are doing this too much."

If it isn't broke, don't try to fix it.

However, doing the same thing the same way over and over again expecting different results is the definition of insanity.

If it works, do it!

If it is broke, fix it!

If it is not of God it will go away.

If it is of God you won't be able to stop it or change it.

Please follow the lead of those who are put in place to lead. It may not be your "thing" in your walk in life but time and thought has gone into what those who are leading believe is a good work.

If it fails, then do something else.

If it succeeds, give God the glory.

If it is different, don't bash it just because you can.

If you can help make it work, don't drag it down.

Don't complain about something you don't want to do, just don't do it. Don't feel guilty when you are encouraged to do what ever it is that is being promoted. If it doesn't work for you, then do what does work.

Do something besides complain about what is being done.

If you don't like what is going on, then find something that you like and that works and share it with those in the lead. That is the way of good business, and good church family relationships.

I love you all!

Culture Changes?

I remember being in Dominica back in the 80's. We had a mission trip to Roseau and Scott's Head. It was wonderful. The thing that was most different to me was that time had little baring on the people there. If something was supposed to happen at 7:00 p.m. it might be 8:30 before everyone gathered so that we could begin.

The first two nights were difficult for me. I was a clock and by the minute guy. If something is supposed to start at that time, be there. My American culture showed loudly. I was filled with nervous anticipation and wanted to be able to get to it!  Now! At the "appointed time"!

I learned that patience is the best when working cross culturally. It taught me a great lesson that I am not the authority as to how things ought to be done. I learned to gently work with the way of life where you are. Punctuality is not demanded unless it is demanded by the culture.

We need to be careful not to push our agenda on those who are not culturally aligned with our culture. They will learn but not necessarily on our time table.

I pray that we will stop pushing people to fit our mold. God wants all men to become His family. He doesn't care what culture they come from or how "on time" they are. We need to be concerned about the spiritual welfare and not the cultural attitudes of those we come in contact with. Teach the word and people who accept the truth will mold their lives to God's way, not our way!

I love you all!

My Special Friends

I love you. You are special. You are my friend and many times I felt as close to you as anyone else. When my times were tough and my heart broke you let me know you cared. You gave me a hug, a smile, a squeeze of the hand to let me know you really cared.

Other times you were the one in need of me and I hope that I have been there for you when you needed me. If not, I'm sorry.

If I overstepped the boundaries of friendship and may have taken you for granted or you may have felt that I manipulated you for my gain, I'm sorry.

You are not my mother or my father, you are not my wife or child.  What you are is my friend. And for that I am thankful. I need my friends and especially my spiritual family.

You are loved and appreciated. Thanks for being there for me.

Worshiping with God's Family

As each and every Sunday comes around I look forward to being with my spiritual family. As a minister I have given my life to my ministry which is to serve my God and His Son with guidance from the Holy Spirit. I cannot imagine wanting to be anywhere else on the Lord's Day.

If I don't worship with my spiritual family I feel empty. It means that much to me. To be where God's family is meeting. For those who know me best know that I want to be with God's people.

When I visit other churches, they are of a like mind, but it isn't the same. I do not feel it wise to worship with those who do not hold to the form of teaching that I believe God has exemplified in His word.

There is a reason and I believe it a valid reason. I know that on Sunday morning during worship and praise I want to worship and praise God in the way that He desires, not from what I desire or for any other reason than to take the opportunity with those of my spiritual family to thank our Father for all the things He has done for me. I can't do that when distracted because of spiritual error that is so often practiced by those who want something different than what the Bible teaches.

If you are a member of God's family you should worship with God's family. If not, you are opening yourself up to accepting things that are not of God.

The Hebrew writer speaks of this in Hebrews 10.

23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (NIV)

I'll see you later.

Complaining!

When we complain about things in our church family, is it because things aren't the way they should be, or is it because we don't want to have to do things that inconvenience us? Being inconvenienced is a part of our lives in our world and we complain, but the things of the church have been thought out and planned for the good of the church and those who are thinking of becoming a part of our spiritual family. It isn't about the individual, but the whole. Are you a part of the whole or an individual who puts their desires first.

From all I can find, when we seek our desires over the needs of our church family we make our family dysfunctional. I don't think God wants any church family to be dysfunctional.

I'll see you later!

Amazed

As a minister I have had ample opportunities to be amazed at some of the thing that have happened to friends and family in the churches where I have ministered.

Amazement doesn't even get close to depicting the feeling that I have when I look around at how hard the liberal anti Christ movement is moving against Christianity. So I have decided to publish these ideas and or questions that I have concerning those who want to destroy Christianity and those who claim Christ as their God and Savior.

1. My faith may not be as deep as those who are claiming God doesn't exist. (After all, neither of us can produce physical proof that what we are claiming is right or wrong. Therefore, I chose to believe in God and they do not. They have faith in what they believe the same as I do. In fact their faith may be stronger than mine or many of my Christian family.)

2. The sharing of my faith is not dependent on someone else's faith. (Everyone has the right, God given by the way, to believe what they want without having to align with anyone else.)

3. If you believe that you have to defend yourself and your belief with argumentative attitudes then I do not believe you are comfortable in what you believe. (I don't have to get angry when someone disagrees with me or can not handle the fact that I am not going to get into a argumentative debate with you over it.)

4. Time will tell! (I think that when we die then we will know the truth of the matter. To bad we can't come back and tell anyone else about it. Wait, Jesus did that I believe. But you know what I mean.)

5. Coexisting doesn't mean I must accept your beliefs. (All of us as adults can sit down and discuss our views. Whether or not we do that is up to us. However, just because I am not arguing with you doesn't mean I agree with you or accept what you do in your life that goes against my beliefs.)

6. Not all "Christians" share the same ideas concerning the Bible. (Just like there are those who interpret the constitution and laws that rule the world differently there will always be those who agree toward God's word who differ, and majorly sometimes, in the interpretation of that word.)

Thanks for reading.
I'll see you later!