Here or There

I have recently been reading a book by Francis Chan called “Forgotten God.”  Its a great book and its challenged me in many ways already but there was a question Chan raises in his book that really made me stop and think.  Chan is talking to a man who has ask their deacons to lay hands on him and pray for his healing because he is suffering through a terminal illness.  Chan then asks him a question that wrecked my world tonight.  “Why do you want to be healed? Why do you want to stay on this earth?”  If someone were to ask you that question what would you say?  So many times I’ve heard people asked to be prayed for and countless times people have asked me to pray for them or their loved ones during tough times.  And each time we pray for healing and we plead with God to keep them here on earth with us and tonight for the first time it really hit me that maybe we’re going about it all wrong.  Why would I want to stay here?  Now there are obvious reasons why selfishly I would want to stay here on earth.  My wife is awesome and we’re fixing to have our first child.  I can’t wait to meet my boy for the first time.  I want to be here for them.  I remember what it was like when my father passed away and I remember how hard it was for me and my mother.  I want to be here for them.  So I guess the better question is, do I really believe that heaven is better than here on earth?  Can my lives desire be summed up by saying that I live my life for the glory of God?  Is my focus on the glory of the God whatever the results?  I’m not sure thats where I always line up.  God mold me into someone who seeks your glory in everything.

Peace & Love

 

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Notes to my son

Man its been a while since I sat down and wrote on this thing. I think I need to do a better job of this but finding the time, or making the time has been kinda tough. This Sunday Jaime and I will be welcoming our son to the world and I can’t begin to explain how excited and scared to death I am. I’m the guy who’s scared of little kids. They seem to like me for some reason but I’m really scared of them…haha I’ve honestly never really been around little kids and especially babies. But all those worries seem to really not matter right now because this ones mine. Man that sounds weird to say. My son, or my child thats just wild on so many levels. There are so many thoughts that run through my mind right now. Like, who will he look like? Will he be more like me or more like Jaime? Will he love the Heels like I do and if for some reason he doesn’t will his grandmother take him in…hahaha Just kidding. Will he be right handed or left handed? Is he going to be loud or quiet, hyper or calm? So many things that go through my head right now that I have no answer to but am really excited to find out about. Guess I’m going to find out soon enough. Maybe his birth will inspire me to write on this more. Who knows.

Peace & Love

Action Jackson

Recently in my own personal journey there’s been one topic that really amazes, confuses and humbles me all at the same time.  I’ve been reading through a couple books that have to deal with it and throughout both books, I’ve gone back numerous times just to re-read something that makes my head spin.  The idea of God’s unconditional love is one that just keeps on astounding me.  Like I’ve said before on here, I’m sure, the idea that God loves me in an unconditional way no matter what is amazing and undeserved.  But the more I read, the more I study, the more I realize that so many times we take advantage of this love.  It’s not that Gods love comes with conditions but at the same time shouldn’t His love cause us into some sort of reaction.

For example, when I was kid I was a baseball fanatic.  (I guess I still am, by the way the Cubs won again last night)  As early as I can remeber my dad and I would sit down as much as possible and watch our Chicago Cubs on TV.  Honestly those moments are some of my earliest memories.  But when I was 5 years old my dad brought home a baseball glove that I had been begging for.  It wasnt one of those kiddy gloves that I had tons of, it was the real deal.  It was this huge black glove that was bigger than my 5 year old arm.  As soon as I saw what it was I took a victory lap around the house and preceded to make both parents come outside and play catch with me and my new glove.  That night I had a tee ball and as soon as someone came within ear shoot of me, I would call out and show and tell the new glove.  At that moment it was my pride and joy.  It was a gift that came with no strings, no conditons but because I was so excited and proud to have it, I knew nothing else than to share my excitement with the world.

The more and more I study this, the more and more I am completly convicted of the fact that I dont think I get that excited about God’s love.  I mean doesnt it all come back to that anyway.  John 3:16 makes it clear that because God loved us so much He gave His son for us.  Shouldnt that kind of unconditional and undeserving love cause us to act in some way.  I get more excited about stuff than I do the realization that as followers of Christ we get to spend eternity with Him.  Someones wrong there.  In James it says “faith without works is dead.”  Jesus said that the greatest comandment was to love God with everthing and love our neighbor.  If my faith in Christ and most importantly my love of Him doesnt in some way cause me to act and share this incredible gift with others, I’m missing the mark.  I’ve got some work to do.

Peace & Love

Here’s to the Beginning??????

So the other day I was asked why I named the ole blog, “Here’s to the Beginning.”  And so because I am incredible slack and have not written on here in forever I thought I would try and explain myself.

The beginning of things has always made me think.  For example who had the first idea for toe socks.  Did they wake up one day and say….gee my toes are cold in my normal socks, I think I’ll give an individual sock for each of my toes that way I’ll stay warm.  Or who was the first person to say…geee I think I’ll wear spandex today, never mind I should hit the treadmill for a couple years first.  Or most importantly, the person who decided that spaghetti and meatballs should be cooked and go into a can, so all you have to do is warm it back up, forming the great dish of Spaghetti O’s.  God bless that person.  He or she got me through college.  But beginning are just interesting to me.  Anything you look at has a beginning.  People are born, ideas are hatched, things created and thus begins someone or something.  But when I look at God, He’s always been.  As a kid this was always hard to get my head around and for that matter it still is.  There was no beginning or  never will there be an end.  My God is eternal and to me thats just amazing.  Really when we look at God there are so many amazing qualities that just seem to get pushed aside or forgotten.  We know stories throughout the Bible but if we really just sit and think about the qualities of God for a while it will blow you away.  So when I was beginning the whole blogging process, however long ago I was reading a book that really was making me thinking about this.  I John 1:1 really summed it all up for me.  “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched–this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.”  The God who chooses to use me and the God who has and always will, love me unconditionally has and always will be.  And because that blows me away and because He is so awesome, I proclaim His name.  So there it is.

Peace and Love,

The White-man

Day 2

Wow what a long but awesome day.  Can I just say one thing about Ruston, LA.  They should put a seminary here because it would be easy to teach people how to preach against hell when their living in the same heat.  Just a personal thought.  Now onto camp.  Neil McClendon is my kind of preacher.  Sometimes I think he comes off a little strong but I think he gets his point across well to the students.  Tonight his focus was on asking the kids if they had ever really died to Christ.  Was there a time in their lives where they died to old self and their new life in Christ began.  He had a quote I loved.  “They’ll be alot of people who said a prayer with a preacher in hell”  You know it sounds kinda rough but I believe its something our kids needed to hear.  As I sat their and watch our students faces I could tell his speaking was making them think.  Many I could tell where starting to look at their lives and see where exactly their relationship with Christ was.  My prayer this week is still that God will wreck their lives.  That when they leave this camp that their lives will never be the same.  Well I’m tired and my feet hurt and well….everything hurts at the moment.  Man when did I get old and become an adult.  Oh yeah a college girl here at LA Tech called me sir today.  That hurt a little….haha  My wife thought it was great..haha

Peace and Love,

The White-man

The Camp Post Night 1

So Ive decided that I’m going to try and post something every night on here about our week and Student Life Camp in Ruston, LA.  Besides the fact that I wouldnt ask my dog to live in these dorms, things are great.  We’re not here for the dorms so I’ll live.

As for the first night I dont have much to report.  The band is great.  Kristian Stanfil does a great job leading worship and Neil McClendon is the speaker.  He’s alot like me in a sense that he’s real straight forward and if you dont like, well deal..haha  Our kids really like him so far which is a plus.

I guess my prayer for the week is that our kids lives will be wrecked.  I realize that sounds kind of strange but its really my prayer.  I really think our kids think that God is really cool, and they know the ABC’s of Christianity so they think their good.  But if they really look at their lives, their Savior has very low priority.  Youth group and camp and any church function is a social function or because the parents make them.  My prayer for this week is that God will wreck all that in a crazy and great way.  I would love to see their lives so turned around when they get home mom and dad are convicted.  In a town where it seems there is little spiritual maturity among the adults, I just think it would be awesome to see our youth rise up and lead the revival.  Most revivals or spiritual awakenings were started by young people after all.  So my prayer is our youth will get rocked to their foundations this week.  And God will flip their lives for the betterment of eternity.  Well its time for this white-boy to hit the hay.

Peace and Love,

The White-man

Buck Tooth Donkeys that Smell Bad

So last night we took the youth to an Arkansas Travelers baseball game.  Can I first say that I have had a great time picking on people from Arkansas about all the stereotypes that come with Arkansas.  But last night helped me figure out why.  The Travelers mascot whose name is Shelly had one big buck tooth that stuck out…haha  Now look Arkansas people if you dont want to get made fun of you shouldn’t let stuff like this happen.  It only helps to fuel the fire of people like me who love giving you a hard time.  Although to be completely fair, the movie Deliverance was filmed in the area where I’m from in North Carolina.  Probably not much better.  Another pondering from last night is this.  When meeting Shelly, the buck tooth mascott, who is supposed to look like a Donkey we all came to the conclusion that a mascot should not actually smell like the animal that it is protraying.  Shelly the buck tooth donkey actually smelled like a Donkey.  Maybe the person inside, a possible wanna-be actor was trying to get into character or something and thought.  Donkeys smell like crap, therefore I should smell like crap.  Newsflash wanna-be actor destined for the not so big time.  Bad move, you just stunk.  When small babies, who are supposed to love you, hold their nose because of your smell, you just stink.  No more getting into character.  Just get into a clean costum, or make friends with your other acting buddy who hasn’t made it as big as you yet and holds down a job at the local dry cleaners and send that puppy to him.  Other than that it was a night.  But when speaking of baseball a true Cubs fan must end such an article in the only appropriate way.   GO CUBS!!!!!!!!

Peace and Love

The White-man