A Quick Quiz On Perspective.....

(This is taken from a book written by W.B. Freeman)


Putting Things In Perspective


To help put things in proper perspective, take this quiz:


1.  Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2.  Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3.  Name the last five winners of the Miss America contest.
4.  Name ten people who have won either a Noble or pulitzer peace prize.
5.  Name the last decade's worth of World Series Winners.


Now....


1.  List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2.  Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3.  Name five people who have taught you something.
4.  Name a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
5.  Think of five people who you enjoy spending time with.


Few people remember yesterdays headlines, even ones related to top achievers and those who are considered to be the best in their respective fields.  
Applause dies.
Awards tarnish.
Achievements are forgotten.
Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners. 


What's the lesson?


The people who make the most difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, money, fame, awards, or beauty. 

They are the ones who care.

***

What can I learn from this?


(1.) We need to remember that we don't put all of our value in things that really don't matter.  If there's no eternal value to it - then we probably shouldn't be killing ourselves to achieve it.


(2.) What are my priorities?  We've had the opportunity to travel to many different churches this past year and I always try to remind the congregations of one thing: 

There are only two things that are eternal - God and people. 

Does my life reflect that statement? 

We say we believe that but in all honesty I don't think we always live it - I know that I don't.  My goal is to make sure that I'm investing my time - my money - my resources on God and people.

Now buckle your seat belt because I'm going to just say what I'm thinking:

1.  If I don't take the time to talk to the Lord and read His word on a consistent basis - is He really a priority?

2.  If I choose to spend all of my time and money on me and my family and exclude others - is God's Kingdom really a priority?

•      Sidenote for church people - if I fail to consistently return my tithes to the local church and I fail to give my financial offerings to the Lord then I'm stealing from Him.  Is the Lord and His work really a priority if we consistently commit crimes against Him and His church?  Is our giving done weekly or weakly?
• We fail don't we?  Jesus still loves us but His perfect will is blocked until we get this one right. :)

So, Lord, help me to be a giver of my time and resources to You, my family, and your people.  Please give me mercy when I fail and the grace through You to correct my perspective.

Enough said.

***

facebook :)

iPic.

I don't get it....

There are some things in life that I just don't understand. (Above pic???)
Take a look at some of these warning labels:

• Do not attempt to stop chain with hands.
• Jonsreds Chainsaw
• Keyboard not detected. Press F1 to continue.
• Various computers
• Caution: Never aim spray at your own eyes.
• Unknown Pepper Spray

See what I mean.  Some things simply leave us standing there with a big question mark hanging over our heads.

My daily Bible reading is in Exodus.  Today was chapters 23 and 24.  This particular verse jumped off the page today.  Exodus 24:

⁹ Then Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel climbed up the mountain. ¹⁰ There they saw the God of Israel. Under his feet there seemed to be a surface of brilliant blue lapis lazuli, as clear as the sky itself. ¹¹ And though these nobles of Israel gazed upon God, he did not destroy them. In fact, they ate a covenant meal, eating and drinking in his presence!


These men in the Old Testament - 74 to be exact - were allowed to experience Almighty God in one of the most unimaginable ways ever recorded.  It wasn't just a quick glance up and then look down.  They were able to describe in detail what God looked like.  I love that verse, 'There they saw the God of Israel.'
It says that they gazed upon Him and survived.  And if that wasn't enough - they all sat down and had lunch together. Now that's a day to remember.  Eight chapters later - just a few days down the road - 73 of the 74 forgot about their dinner date with God.  In Chapter 32 they all came in agreement to construct a calf made of gold so that they could worship it.

Lets do a quick comparison - Under his feet there seemed to be a surface of brilliant blue lapis lazuli, as clear as the sky itself. ¹¹ And though these nobles of Israel gazed upon God, he did not destroy them.

VS.

A shiny stupid man made metal cow.

This is one of those things that I just don't understand.  How can you look God in the face and then forget about that experience?

When you think about it I guess it's kind of like being forgiven of our sins that had sentenced us to an eternal hell and then refusing to forgive someone because they offended us by their words or actions.  We experience the mercy of God hanging on a blood drenched cross and then burn with murderous hate and bitterness towards someone who ticked us off because of this - that - or the other. When you consider it, we look at Jesus' face and then hold on to our shiny junk all of the time.  Hello?

How can we look Christ in the face and then forget what He's done.  He did more than just 'dine' with us on a mountain top - he died for us on a lonely hill side.

I suppose before I blast those 73 men and accuse them of being complete morons - we better take a look at our own forgetful selves and remember what we've been allowed to experience.  Salvation instead of a death sentence.  I'll take that over barbecue any day!

When we allow ourselves to remember the experience of receiving grace and mercy - we WILL NOT:

...talk bad about our church family and pastor - whether if it's on the phone, in an email, or church foyer. 

...look across the aisle of the church building and glare at someone in hate as we chew on bitter morsels of past offenses. 

...shake our heads with a judgmental attitude towards people in the church and outside of the church just because they don't measure up.

Instead, I believe that we'll be quick to pray when we find ourselves tempted to be unforgiving.  How in the world could we not do this?  Look at His face on the cross again - how could we forget about that?  

But we do.

There are some things in life that I just don't understand.

***

iPic.










funnyhaha.

click the link below to watch - it's hilarious! (I HAVE NO WAY OF CONTROLLING THE POP UP AD'S AND COMMENTS OF OTHERS ON YOUTUBE) 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jb2tztSqCHY&feature=related

Whitenoise

White Noise - meaningless or distracting commotion, hubbub, or chatter: a constant background noise: one that drowns out other sounds.
All of us experience white noise on a daily basis. Especially in the area of information exchanged on:

Twitter

Facebook

forwarded emails

pop up ads

etc....

One of my friends in DC was sitting at his computer one day and began deleting people off of his Twitter follow list - his explanation?  

'They're posts are white noise - I don't have time for white noise.'

I agree.

We must protect ourselves from constant chatter thats in an all out war for our attention.  We don't have time for it - our listening must be selective.

So, this leads me to my blog.  I'm just now getting started back with this and I'm going to make it a part of my routine.  

I don't want my writing routine to be awash with white noise.

Therefore - I'm going to be experimenting with the entire process.

Right now, I'm going to reduce this to once a week.  

Topics will vary.  Probably focusing most on the Lord and media.

It will be short.  My blogs have been way too long.

Will I add to the white noise blob out there?  Yeah - probably - but maybe I can learn something in the process.  If you're reading this - first of all I don't know why :) secondly, I'll do my best to add to your day in a positive way.

Wow, see there - you already have a little poem you can stuff in your pocket.

Bible verse: Gen. 50:19 'Am I God, that I can punish you?'  

We live in a society that thrives on revenge when mistreated.  We could learn something from Joseph if we wanted to.

Movie/TV quote:  'It's not dying I'm talking about, it's living.' 
Gus McRae
Lonesome Dove

Hey - except for the Bible verse - I think I've produced some more white noise.

Hmmmm. I guess white noise is up for personal interpretation.

Listen.  WRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

That's even more white noise.  

:)

ipic.

Love this place - Sasquatch burger - downtown Memphis - go now.  That's not me in the pic.
Big Foot Lodge - Sasquatch Burger:
Address: 97 South Second Street, Memphis, TN

funnyhaha.


Click on the link below to watch this classic hidden video episode of edbassmaster.  (Disclaimer - I'm not responsible for those random YouTube pop-ups - yikes!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLi1yWasNrU

God sent me here....

January 29, 2010
10:10 AM
The Winter Storm is approaching..... 
School closed long before it hit (wisdom).




Day 3.....this may turn into a habit. :)


So......here I sit while the sleet is pelting the side of my home office window.  
Thank you Jesus for providing a place for me and my family - thankful for those that have been His hands extended to support us while we're here in the U.S. for a few more months.


After two trips to Wal-Mart I'm ready for the day.  Here goes.


My daily Bible reading has me in Genesis, the Psalms, and Luke.
I love all of it - but I really love Genesis.  Creation, Noah, Abraham....and especially Joseph.  


I think I blogged about him last year...


Real quick.  This is what I got from today's reading.


Joseph.  

His brothers hated him and betrayed him.

Because of them his life was turned upside down.

They throw him in a pit - sell him into slavery.

Joseph ends up in Potiphar's house and immediately has to fend off Potiphar's flusie of a wife.  She's so lousy even her name isn't recorded.

She propositions Joseph - he refuses - she cries - Joseph flies - she lies - he winds up in prison.

In prison, he helps out 2 prisoners by interpreting their dreams.

The one that's Pharaohs cupbearer is reinstated - he then forgets about Joseph and leaves him down in the prison....locked up....for 2 years.

Betrayed on three separate occasions.

What goes through a mans mind when he's abused in such a manner?

I read about Joseph and every offense that I've ever experienced loses it's teeth.

I may have been wrongfully treated somewhere in my life but it doesn't compare to this.

Not even close.

Very few of us have.

You know what happens - Joseph interprets Pharaoh's dreams - God uses this to propel Joseph to be the second most powerful individual in Egypt - God uses Joseph to rescue Egypt from a 7 year deadly famine that affects the entire region.

Enter Joseph's brothers. The deadbeats that started this whole mess.

Listen to what he eventually tells them:

'It was God who sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives.'

(45.5 NLT)

What would I have said to these misfits?  What would you have said?

How would we have treated them?  Would we be so bitter that we would attack them with a verbal assault and then banish them from the land?

'No Soup For You!'

                    -Soup Nazi

I may have done this to them - I know people who would - I even know people who have already done this to someone else in one way or another.  

If I look deep enough - I admit that I'm doing this right now.

Joseph says - God sent me here - not you.

Wow.

We scream, 'But Joseph they......'

God sent me here.

One of my favorite professors at CBC was Dr. David Watson.  He said something that I'll never forget.

'As Christians - we need to have 50:20 vision - Genesis 50:20 vision.'

'You intended to harm me, but God intended it ALL for good.  He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.' (emphasis mine)

In a society that houses people who can get so hurt over something so trivial - hurt to the point that we banish another person - this is a slapping reminder that we lack eternal perspective in so many areas.


God uses it ALL.  The good and the bad.  The beautiful side of life and the ugly. He's the only one I know that can do this.  No one else can even come close.
Praise God.

Pray this with me: Lord, you've promised to be with me just like you were with Joseph.  I need the Holy Spirit to give me perspective - to enlighten my dull mind and enable me to see past the nose on my face.  Help me to see your big picture.  Not just my little crayon colored world that I get so caught up in.

You're the only one that can help me in this.  Thank you for working it ALL for good.  In Jesus' name I pray.  Amen - so be it.

Joseph.

Now there's a guy who had a story to tell.  
Thanks for writing this one down Moses.

Good thing you were a blogger too.

Consumed.

Wow.
Day two.
Here we go.


I came across something in my Bible reading for today.  Something I've never really noticed.


Get your Bible if you want....don't just take my word for it...take His Word for it.


Luke 17:26-30.  The disciples asked when the Kingdom of God would be established.  Jesus answered them by describing the SIGNS that would alert all of those on the planet that judgment was upon them.


Now....we've all heard about these signs all of our lives - the ones that are outlined in Matthew 24.  I'm not talking about those signs - wars, famines, and earthquakes - not referring to these today.


The ones I'm talking about are going on right now.  9:34 AM CST - January 28th. 
Here they are:


Jesus said in vs 26:
'When the Son of Man returns people will be....

enjoying banquets

parties

weddings

going about their daily business

eating

drinking

buying 

selling

farming

building

Jesus said in vs 30 (NLT) 'Yes it will be 'business as usual' right up to the day when the son of man is revealed.'

You can call this the 'Sign of Noah' - and the 'Sign of Lot.' 

Jesus said that people were doing this right up to the day the flood came and destroyed them all.

People were also doing this the day that fire and burning sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed everyone.

Hello....

I call this, 'The Sign Of People Being Consumed With Cares.'  

Jesus made it plain that He's coming back when all of this is going on.

Yeah...I know....all of us are involved in this....so what do we do.

Don't allow yourself to be CONSUMED with the CARES of this life.  Hmmph...easier said than done Brad.  True.  But we better do our best to avoid it.

I know people in Huntsville that are consumed.

I know people in Washington DC that are consumed.

I know people in West Memphis and they're consumed.

Am I judging them?  Nope - because I've been right there along with them - portions of my life are still there.  So what do I need to do?

Ask the Lord to open up my eyes and to see the reality of this lifestyle.

Money is not everything.  Material goods - gadgets - and the good life should not control my entire being.  It's even dangerous if we're striving to have the greatest ministry in the world and allowing it to consume us instead of being consumed with Jesus.


Pretty much sums it up for the White House, Church House, and My House.  How about you?  In fact....don't expect the first two to get it right if the last one is living it wrong.  

So, Lord, help me to stay connected to you.  Your Word. Live a life that puts

You First

Others Second

I'm Third

I believe this will keep me out of the trap - the trap of the consumed.

Love ya.

Hello....again.

Hello.....again.  


Yeah....it's been a long time since I tried to do this blogging thing.
So, I'm going to give it another shot.


Why does Brad want to blog (and try to be somewhat consistent)?


I want all of my family, friends, and future friends to stay connected with me.
Glenda and I have had the honor and privilege to be a part of peoples lives in:


Springfield, Missouri 
Huntsville, Arkansas 
Washington DC
Kingstowne, Virginia
West Memphis, Arkansas and the Delta region. :)


And the latest AWESOME group of people that we've met are from across the ocean....


Madrid, Spain.


More about that later on.
I love all of these people - there's not a one that I don't love - seriously.
And if that's the case - why not use the available technology that can keep us in each others thoughts and prayers?


It's a no brainer. 


What can you expect from this blog?


A little bit of everything:


My flawed but honest perspective on life.
My thoughts about Jesus and excerpts from our conversations.
Video stuff.  
Current events - everything from world events, sports, politics, etc.
Excerpts from the books that I'm reading.
Thoughts from the movies I've seen.
You get the picture.....


Will you always agree with me - no, probably not - and that's ok - we can live with it and still love each other.....at least that's what Jesus tells us to do.


Sometimes I'll probably be wrong and I'll admit that I'm wrong.
Sometimes I'll be right but I won't tell you that I am.


The main reason I'm going to blog is because I need to.  
I've spent a decade of my life in full time pastoral ministry. What an honor.  
I'm still a minister but the Lord has shifted His call on my life - and my latest assignment has not been as vocal as the previous one.


Quiet is good.  But I've not been created to be this quiet.... :)


So, anyways....I'm back.
If I miss a day or two.....or three....I'll catch up.


Love you guys.  See you in the days to come. 

Grow Up

'Grow up!'

Have you ever heard that command before?  

I have.

I feel like the Holy Spirit is telling me that a lot here lately.

I ran across a book that I've had for some time and I started reading it again.

The title of it is, 'Break The Power of Negative Words.'  The author is John Bevere.  It's a small book - 86 pages to be exact.  Please purchase this book and read it.  After you read the book, take it and give it to someone else. 

Yeah, it's that important.

Below is a small excerpt of the book.

The subject?

Maturity, obedience, and.........offense.

***

"When we obey the Word of God, which is spoken by the Holy Spirit, we will grow and mature in the times of conflict and suffering.  Our knowledge of Scripture is not the key.

Obedience is.

Now we understand one reason why we have people in the church who have been Christians for twenty years, can quote verses and chapters of the Bible, have heard a thousand sermons and read many books, but still wear spiritual diapers.  Every time they meet with difficult situations, rather than responding by the Spirit of God, they seek to protect themselves in their own way.  They are "always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth" (2 Timothy 3:7).  

They never come to the knowledge of the truth because they do not apply it.

Truth must be allowed to have it's way in our lives if we are going to grow and mature.  It is not enough to give mental assent to it without obeying it.  Even though we continue to learn, we never mature because of disobedience."

........"There is a false sense of self protection in harboring an offense.  It keeps you from seeing your own character flaws because the blame is deferred to another.  You never have to face your role, your immaturity or your sin because you only see the faults of the offender.  Therefore, God's attempt to develop character in you by this opposition is now abandoned.  The offended person will avoid the source of the offense and eventually flee, becoming a spiritual vagabond."

'A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire; he rages against all wise judgment. Proverbs 18:1'

***

Like I said - this is a great book and, in my opinion, a must read for people who 'claim' to know Jesus Christ.

Why?

Because all of us who claim to be 'following Christ' don't always act like we're following Christ.

We often act out the harsh reality of our lives as we follow our emotions, our feelings, and our heavily skewed points of view.

Behaving in that manner spells out three prophetic words for our lives:

Disaster.

Disaster.

Disaster. 

So, by the grace of Jesus Christ, I choose - I willfully make a choice - to forgive all offense and offender past, present, and future.  I've made up my mind to release everything into the hands of God and make a request to 'overflow in love' instead of flowing over in poisonous rage.

Bless instead of curse.

Forgive and ask to be forgiven.

Ever mindful that the Judge is listening to my words and recording them for future reference when I stand before Him.

Learning to live in peace and joy as I travel this journey unhindered and as light as possible. 

'Whew', that's a tall order!

Man, I need to grow up.