So here it is. The truth about what happens when you drink too much. Finally someone with the guts to tell it like it really is.
Thought this was pretty funny, especially coming from a liquor store. Hope you got a kick out of this commercial. Peace and Love y'all.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Our Vows: Prayer
So last week we started a new series in our youth group. We are going over the United Methodist vows of membership. These are the things that you proclaim when you go forward to join the church. The vows are these: Will you support this church with your prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness. These are the areas where you say you will support the congregation you have chosen to become a part of. For the next few Wednesdays, I will share with you hear as we discuss these at 2Forty2.
As I have looked at these I felt that they encompass far more than just the Methodist denomination. These should be the vows we make as a follower of Christ, not just as a member of a denomination. When we choose to proclaim Jesus as our Savior and Lord, these are the things where we say we will show support to the Church universal.
So the first one that we talked about was our prayers. When it comes to supporting the body of Christ with our prayers, we are saying that we are going to be praying for the Church as a whole. As we do this we are praying for God's kingdom to flow down into this world and to begin changing things in the world around us.
Prayer can be a difficult thing for us to do though at times. Let me clarify that statement: it is easy for us to talk to (or at) God. That in and of itself is not fully prayer. No what is missing in this aspect is that we need to be taking time to listen to God as well. That is where it gets rough for many of us. It is so much easier for us to just throw out our laundry list of things that we want God to take care of for us. We don't want to take the time to sit and be still and quiet and open ourselves to what it is that God has to say to us in response.
Jeremiah 33:3 is a promise from God for us. He tells us through his prophet that if we will call to him he will answer us and tell us things that we don't know. Man to me that is awesome. I want to develop the patience to sit and listen to God as he begins to tell me things that I don't know. This is all part of our vow to uphold the Church in prayer. It takes time and work, but it is well worth the time that we take to learn to do this. Imagine what will begin to happen when we as the Church begin to really listen to God's plan for us, his Bride and the world as a whole.
Peace and Love y'all.
As I have looked at these I felt that they encompass far more than just the Methodist denomination. These should be the vows we make as a follower of Christ, not just as a member of a denomination. When we choose to proclaim Jesus as our Savior and Lord, these are the things where we say we will show support to the Church universal.
So the first one that we talked about was our prayers. When it comes to supporting the body of Christ with our prayers, we are saying that we are going to be praying for the Church as a whole. As we do this we are praying for God's kingdom to flow down into this world and to begin changing things in the world around us.
Prayer can be a difficult thing for us to do though at times. Let me clarify that statement: it is easy for us to talk to (or at) God. That in and of itself is not fully prayer. No what is missing in this aspect is that we need to be taking time to listen to God as well. That is where it gets rough for many of us. It is so much easier for us to just throw out our laundry list of things that we want God to take care of for us. We don't want to take the time to sit and be still and quiet and open ourselves to what it is that God has to say to us in response.
Jeremiah 33:3 is a promise from God for us. He tells us through his prophet that if we will call to him he will answer us and tell us things that we don't know. Man to me that is awesome. I want to develop the patience to sit and listen to God as he begins to tell me things that I don't know. This is all part of our vow to uphold the Church in prayer. It takes time and work, but it is well worth the time that we take to learn to do this. Imagine what will begin to happen when we as the Church begin to really listen to God's plan for us, his Bride and the world as a whole.
Peace and Love y'all.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
14528
We live in a fast paced and changing world. There are many things that help to speed up our regular lives. In this day and age we are able to have have our food hot almost instantly, have our food prepared and delivered with minimal wait time and without even having to leave the comfort of our cars. We can access information in just a few clicks with the internet and send letters, updates, jokes, junk and chain letters to people instantly with email. Instant messenger allows us to communicate with people in real time even when they are on the other side of the world. Add to this the fact that we also be reached just about anywhere and you realize that this is a different world.
Now one the thing that has taken over for instant communication is the text message. I'm sure that if you are reading this blog then you know what text messaging is and have most likely partaken in it. It is something that is becoming increasingly more popular and used in our culture. It has it's own language even. There is a texting world championship as well. Thankfully, many cell phone carriers offer plans with unlimited texts for a small monthly fee. That was a good thing for this dad and his daughter. That story amazes me and just shows you what kind of phenomenon texting is in today's culture, especially among young people.
I text. In fact sometimes I text a lot. But that is astounding. 14528 text messages in one month. What does it say about the mindset that we have? In some ways texting is like social networking on the internet. It keeps you connected, but in truth there is something that is missing in it. Rather than taking the time to have a conversation with someone we text them. I admit that at times it is easier to do...it doesn't require as much signal strength and doesnt' drain your battery life quite as fast. Yet there is something to be said for taking the time to actually call someone and hear their voice, or to meet face to face. It is my hope that we are able to rediscover these things. Because without a real connection to other people, this world is a very lonely and sad place to be...no matter how many LOLs and OMGs you can text in under a minute. Peace and Love y'all.
Now one the thing that has taken over for instant communication is the text message. I'm sure that if you are reading this blog then you know what text messaging is and have most likely partaken in it. It is something that is becoming increasingly more popular and used in our culture. It has it's own language even. There is a texting world championship as well. Thankfully, many cell phone carriers offer plans with unlimited texts for a small monthly fee. That was a good thing for this dad and his daughter. That story amazes me and just shows you what kind of phenomenon texting is in today's culture, especially among young people.
I text. In fact sometimes I text a lot. But that is astounding. 14528 text messages in one month. What does it say about the mindset that we have? In some ways texting is like social networking on the internet. It keeps you connected, but in truth there is something that is missing in it. Rather than taking the time to have a conversation with someone we text them. I admit that at times it is easier to do...it doesn't require as much signal strength and doesnt' drain your battery life quite as fast. Yet there is something to be said for taking the time to actually call someone and hear their voice, or to meet face to face. It is my hope that we are able to rediscover these things. Because without a real connection to other people, this world is a very lonely and sad place to be...no matter how many LOLs and OMGs you can text in under a minute. Peace and Love y'all.
Monday, January 12, 2009
The Tradition
One of my favorite things is sports. I like to play sports, watch sports, do fantasy sports (does that make me a fantasy athlete?), write about sports, read about sports and talk about sports. One of the things about sports that I like is the tradition that can be found there.
As a high school athlete, these traditions were important. In the middle of the varsity locker room floor in the field house in Greenwood, there is a circle of smooth painted concrete. It is Columbia blue and has a picture of a Ranger painted in it. Around the Ranger there are the names of all the senior football players from each year. My name is in that circle, and I'm proud of that; proud to have been a part of that tradition. The thing about tradition is that it carries over from one group, one year to the next.
When you look at sports at all levels, you find traditions. Whether it is things that teams do or things that players bring there is that sense of tradition. There are some that even transcend the level of participation and type of sport and find their way into the game. There is one that stands out to me in particular even. It is something that I have seen done at all levels of sport-from early morning pick-up basketball games and Rec League flag football, to professional athletes paid millions of dollars to run and catch and throw and shoot-and in all different sports from football to baseball and everything else. It is long standing.
I will say this about this particular tradition: even though I have taken part in it, I don't really understand where it started, how it started or even why it started. The tradition is that of the Butt-slap after a good effort or play.
What is it that causes these men-big, tough, muscular men (and why is it that it is typically only men)-to slap each other on the rump at the conclusion of an athletic sequence? How did it become that the sign that someone appreciated your effort was to slap them on their rear? And why is it that it is really only in the world of sports that this is acceptable? Every where else in our world it would be thought of as awkward and could even have the makings of legal trouble. Imagine if on Sunday morning as the congregation was filing past the pastor, rather than shaking his hand, they all slapped him on the butt and said something like "Good message, way to bring the Word" or to the ushers after the offering and were like "Way to hustle with the plates man." It just wouldn't really be the same.
I guess that is the joy of tradition in sport though. They don't have to carry over or even make sense in the "real" world. They are things that can be done and people look at them and rarely question it. Still, there are some traditions that should stay in sports. Peace and Love y'all.
As a high school athlete, these traditions were important. In the middle of the varsity locker room floor in the field house in Greenwood, there is a circle of smooth painted concrete. It is Columbia blue and has a picture of a Ranger painted in it. Around the Ranger there are the names of all the senior football players from each year. My name is in that circle, and I'm proud of that; proud to have been a part of that tradition. The thing about tradition is that it carries over from one group, one year to the next.
When you look at sports at all levels, you find traditions. Whether it is things that teams do or things that players bring there is that sense of tradition. There are some that even transcend the level of participation and type of sport and find their way into the game. There is one that stands out to me in particular even. It is something that I have seen done at all levels of sport-from early morning pick-up basketball games and Rec League flag football, to professional athletes paid millions of dollars to run and catch and throw and shoot-and in all different sports from football to baseball and everything else. It is long standing.
I will say this about this particular tradition: even though I have taken part in it, I don't really understand where it started, how it started or even why it started. The tradition is that of the Butt-slap after a good effort or play.
What is it that causes these men-big, tough, muscular men (and why is it that it is typically only men)-to slap each other on the rump at the conclusion of an athletic sequence? How did it become that the sign that someone appreciated your effort was to slap them on their rear? And why is it that it is really only in the world of sports that this is acceptable? Every where else in our world it would be thought of as awkward and could even have the makings of legal trouble. Imagine if on Sunday morning as the congregation was filing past the pastor, rather than shaking his hand, they all slapped him on the butt and said something like "Good message, way to bring the Word" or to the ushers after the offering and were like "Way to hustle with the plates man." It just wouldn't really be the same.
I guess that is the joy of tradition in sport though. They don't have to carry over or even make sense in the "real" world. They are things that can be done and people look at them and rarely question it. Still, there are some traditions that should stay in sports. Peace and Love y'all.
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