...for the last few days, my thoughts have been running toward my parents, i cant really say why but ive really been thinking, about what awesome influences theyve been over my life...it could be the reason theyve been on my mind is that i heard a story the other day about this guy who landed on the beach at normandy...this man had such a moving story, but the one thing that stood out to me is that the detail which he remembered best was that there were young men dying all over that beach, and everyone of them was asking for their mother, not a girlfriend or sister, but without fail, these boys needed mom.......such an interesting account to me....and so for the last few days, my parents have commandeered most of my thinking...you see, my parents are probably the best folks on earth....i mean naturally, theyve always taken care of me and done their very best to see that i had what i needed as a child, and even as an adult......but more than that, mom and dad have always been able to understand what im going thru....theyve always cared enough to listen to whatever problem i have and give genuine help that comes from genuine love....and yet theyve done all this without ever relenting and just saying what i wanna hear, or just trying to be a friend and say what makes me happy......i guess what im saying is they always relate to me, but never so much that they give in to my immaturity and let said immaturity have influence over them.......i think that the church could learn a lesson from my sweet folks.......there is a world full of dying people out there that are crying for the mother that is the church, our love is the only thing that can comfort them..... i constantly hear people talking about being relevant, and i can agree with them..... but we dont need to be relevant to what these people are dying from, it is our duty to be relevant enough to understand the problems of a dying world, and to help them....but never should the church ever become relevant to sin or the product of a sinful nature.....the true church offers change from the pain of a life of sin and the hope of a new tomorrow.......that being said i will always be relevant to win a soul

I corinthians 9:22.. I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.

so im still in the desert...been here for thirty days now and to be honest, im not sure how this place passes the desert test, thats right!!!, the desert test...i mean to be a desert u gotta get less than like 10 inches of precipitation a year....its rained 3 times since i arrived and snowed twice....and when i was here in july.... rained every day.....now all that considered, i still believe that im in the desert, because no matter how much these fine citizens say they need rain, when it falls they dont know how to deal, i mean, take the streets for instance, .3 inches of water from the sky and there are tidal waves rolling over the hood of my vehicle....theres no drainage in the city....in the mind of a simple person such as myself, that seems like water wasted....but when you think about it, its kinda the same in our lives, JESUS came to earth and made the ultimate sacrifice for us, and essentially gave us oceans of grace, but many christians just let it lay in waste....see, grace is a beautiful, amazing, nurturing, life giving, substance..... but without daily repentance, that same grace becomes a gift that lays ignored, dormant, and unopened.....as the apostle paul said, we must "die daily"...this means prayer, or talking to God every day....try it and tell me you dont feel better, its amazing what how much difference grace put to proper use will make.....

romans 8:1...There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit........

music....a five letter word.....but my oh my what a controversial little five letter word it is.....as of late, ive witnessed more confrontation over music than any other thing in the church world...phrases like "all that guitar reminds me of the jimi hendrix era and thats a problem for me", make me wanna say "well sir, youve been pastoring for forty years if hendrix still makes u wanna do drugs, the guitar MIGHT not be the problem"......but anyway, the latest trend seems to be people saying "lets sing a Jesus is my boyfriend song" (thick sarcasm inflected in the voice).......these sweet people are referring to a style of song writing that has become more and more popular in praise and worship music, that is basically a love song to Jesus.....now if you feel that Jesus isnt your boyfriend, im ok with that, but by all means let others sing their love song to Jesus til the cows come home (or he comes back)....i mean he did liken himself to a bridegroom, it seems that dating is a prerequisite to marriage....if hes the father, the friend that sticks closer than a brother, the alpha, the omega, the rose of sharon, the lilly of the valley, the author and the finisher, the lamb, the lion, the king, the shepherd, the almighty, the way, the truth, the life, the creator, the light, the savior, the rock.....and wait for it........LOVE(God is love)....then why is boyfriend such a stretch......agree or disagree, it really doesnt matter, because in reality its not the song, but the praise of his people which God chooses to inhabit...so just keep praising

p.s. i wonder how much lower the rate of teenage pregnancy would be of Jesus were more peoples boyfriend???

"i dont wanna go back to the good ole days, i was there, and they werent that good"

this is a direct quote from a beautiful elder that ive been getting to hang out with a good bit lately....this sweet man has literally shared volumes of knowledge with me over the last few days, but for some reason, this particular statement made its way to the very front of my very odd thought process today.....ever wonder why at times we make things better in our memories than they actually were?.......i mean we always remember the turkey being better than it actually was on christmas of '79 or was it '83??, maybe that trophy bass grows a lil every time grandpa tells the story......why is this??? i believe that somewhere in the back of our minds we're all trying to create the perfect past.....news flash!!!, no one has a perfect past!!! if we did, what would be the point of glorious concepts like grace and mercy?.....its so easy for us to forget that grace is not an event or a one time thing, but rather a daily process from which we never escape, and wouldnt want to if we could.........i guess the point im trying to make is that TODAY is the good ole days.....never have there been greater opportunities for those who desire to be in Gods presence than in this generation......there are over six thousand promises in the word of God but tomorrow isnt one of them......so take advantage of grace today and live the best days of your life........let EVERYTHING that has breath praise the lord..that means everybody not just us perfect people ; )

Ephesians 4:7-but unto every one of us is given grace.....

winding down from a sunday night service is something that always takes me a while....there's just something about being in the presence of God that makes my mind race...so while sitting in the apartment above the gym at an awesome church in the west, i began to think about the things that truly influence my life...... now i'd really love to tell you that i've met a lot of famous people or maybe had some near death experience, but to be honest its the little things that affect me most......for instance, tonight i've been thinking of my friends...... man have i been blessed with some great friends......these friends probably influence me more than anything else on planet earth, ive got this one friend in particular whose walk with God is so amazing..... its one the most inspiring things i've ever pondered......his spiritual life is so great because no matter what comes he just keeps on...through the years, as i've attempted monumental acts of stupidity, this guy has never even considered not being Godly, and hes always there to remind me what a christian is..... now this may seem boring, but without people like this some of us would never succeed.....i think that sometimes we get so caught up in watching the bright stars, that we forget that they burn out the fastest....should we shun those among us who are a little louder?? no, but we should realize that those quiet creative, beautiful, solid, amazing, indescribable people, who simply LIVE FOR GOD EVERYDAY are the ones who we can count on when inspiration is running low.....tonight as i talk to my good friend about where life is taking him and try to encourage him that great things are coming, what he doesnt realize is that all the while, it is HE who is inspiring me.........

psalm 37:7-rest in the lord and wait patiently for him.......

after months of having a blog ive finally decided to post something. not that anyone is reading it, i think there have been like 5 views.....so im in carlsbad nm and playing in snow for the first time, simply amazing......its funny how the snow can be such a beautiful thing that first morning, gradually melt the whole day, then the next day be really slick ice.....the reason for this is that there is not a constant temperature...duh!!!....our walk with GOD is kinda the same way, unless we develop a constant relationship with him one day we'll be beautiful and fun then the next day a dangerous icy mess........so pray, fast, read, love, work, be creative...do whatever, but do for him........