Feeling thankful

Have you ever had a period of time in your life where you wake up and feel like, "this is it". "This is the best it will ever get!" I've tried all sorts of things, lived through experiences I shouldn't have, including asking my wife what's for dinner and then looking disgusted with the answer. After regaining consciousness, I gladly ate what was placed in front of me.
That feeling of wanting to make a mark, no pun intended, on the world and being noted as an expert in a certain area only intensified as I've gotten older. Instead I have become a jack of all trades, master of none. I wrote a 60 page thesis on family dynamics but have still never written a best seller, starred in a movie, or wrote and performed a best seller. I don't drive a Beemer, or a hummer, wear the latest trends or have a golden tan "6 pack" all though my cooler is very shapely. According to the worlds standards I have come so far short of the goal, it appears I wasn't even on the field. Absent on game day is the feeling I have had and just couldn't shake.
It hit me this week the impact a corrupt society has had on my view of my life, my ministry, my entire outlook. We have been blessed to have been spending the week with around 50-60 friends from Arkansas and South Dakota that come together for one purpose. M.I.S.S.I.O.N.S. They leave the familiar and travel hours to join us. They bring vans and trailers and its kind of like the feeling in Smokey and the Bandit when the semi driver asks Burt Reynolds how many semis he sees. Burt Reynolds responds that he sees one as he himself is being chased by dozens of cops. Suddenly the semis begin to separate from the line they were in and what follows is nothing less than the call of the cavalry. Everyone is cheering and whooping it up, they forget about their personal issues because it is now larger than ever before. These people represented that for me. They did last year and again this year. Real people, with a real passion for ministry. A feeling of invincibility is at hand and a boldness to reach the community is renewed. Don't miss the point here, it isn't the people themselves, but the reminder I am a small piece in a very large and complex system. The reinforcements have arrived and together we rejoice in our Christ connection. I am thankful for them and their ministry, not to mention the lives they have touched this week.  Who is your Calvary? Drop me a line and let me know, or if you don't have one let me encourage you. Drop me a line and we'll talk.
Till the time comes;
P.M.
By the way, isn't it refreshing that I didn't mention any current events?

Building or tearing down?

So I was listening to a podcast today and heard a fascinating statement. "You are either a stepping stone or a stumbling block." The more I think about it the more I believe it. We live in a culture that is so involved in the blame game that it would be next to impossible to conceive little ole me would ever have to claim my shame.
You see it in politics, marriages, schools, but nothing displays it more blatantly than watching preschoolers. You know the scene, little Johnny has the blue building block and now little Sammy sets his little eyes on it and within seconds something within Sammy tells him to go get it. He should have it and deserves it. Don't let anyone stand in your way. So Sammy is obedient to that little voice and walks over to Johnny and takes it. Johnny cries and draws the attention of the blonde headed, bubble gum chewing supervisor. She is like super nanny and chuck Norris combined. She goes to little Johnny gets the low down on what's going on and offers him a green block. All is good again.
......oh bologna, you don't believe that anymore than I do. What kung Fu nanny just taught the kids is profound. Johnny, if you lose something someone will come along and replace it for you. The louder you cry the harder they will work for you until they are enslaved to you. What's yours is only yours while you have it and you dare not hit anyone if they take it. Sammy learned that he can take what he wants and have no consequences other than the inconvenience of going over to get a green block now. The unintended message of the preschool helper was that these behaviors are OK. In reality it would be prudent to take the block from Sammy give it back to Johnny, helping him to say the correct way to handle things, and show Sammy their are consequences to your actions.
Imagine if those in powerful places would have had their hands slapped and things taken away when they behaved so rashly and wrong.
Correctly handled, I would fully expect little Johnny to walk up to Sammy and play together or offer him the toy.
And theirs another toddler tidbit you can take to the bank.
Till next time, no temper tantrums.
P.M.

Hello again, Mr. Common Sense.

I entitled this edition, "hello again" for a couple of reasons. First, I have been gone speaking all week and arrived back realizing its way past due for our update. Secondly, I would like to welcome common sense back into the studio. most of us know him but few acknowledge him. He is one of those elusive individuals that does a fairly good job of hiding out. At one point he has been quoted as spending some time with Osama Bin Laden. That was the day Osama realized he was the infidel and must die. You can only hide in holes so long before your figured out. As for me I would have appreciated a rousing game of whack a terrorist mole.

Anyway, how many of us read the recent headlines, watch a video clip or hear the latest in the break room at work and walk away shaking our heads thinking, "I didn't realize that some people simply have lost touch with Mr. common sense. Sure as kids we did stupid things, and some as adults as well, but we knew what we were doing was rebellion or going to get a laugh, but these are the people you see in horror movies. They aren't as easily spotted because they don't walk with their arms out such as you see in the movies but they usually are mumbling and drooling. Back in the good old days before we had a law for everything including throwing a snowball in July, no kidding there really is a law preventing this in the town I grew up in, the population was self leveling. I know that's not politically correct but the survival of the fittest did seem to be working. Now we make laws to protect them or make a movie out of it such as "jack ---" or "nitro circus", not to mention a ton of websites that make morons famous, you may have heard of it, "YouTube"

Those were the good old days when those without common sense paid the price. They reaped the consequences of their decisions and that was that. Not anymore, no sir e. Now we find someone to blame because they should have stopped us or had warnings that my coffee might be hot. Thankfully those lacking common sense don't have to be accountable, once they have selected someone to blame they then must watch daytime TV and select an attorney that will sue them for you no strings attached.

Thankfully I know many who have had enough, finally, and are taking a stance of no more. I am one of them. It is time to say no more stupidity and no more passing the buck and it starts by removing the corruption from the top down. Good bye Mr. Barak Hussein Obama, Good bye Joe Biden, Good bye Nancy Pelosi and on and on we go. Remember back when public servants represented you in the government and you trusted them? Yeah me neither but I'm pretty sure there was a day like that. A day when we used common sense so when the media and those feeding the stories to the media didn't make sense we would visit with Mr. common sense and come to the conclusion that someone must be trying to pull a fast one and we called them to the plate for it. That was when Mr. Integrity was in town but that's another story.
All that to say, common sense is back and is moving through the country, lets help him out. save a country, get involved, and reclaim our land. Time for the freeloaders to get lost!!
Till the next time, use sense, common sense.
P.M