Quick Updates

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So when did my beloved Bulldogs become Thug U? Eight players arrested, THIS YEAR!


The Dawgs' fanbase is ranked 4th...Most Obnoxious! haha


Biblical Turbulence is coming along slowly. Patience IS a virtue, you know. Plus, I told you, good Bible study cannot be rushed.



Luke is playing in the Marching Band. That's my boy, out there!

The one in the middle.




With the trumpet.

And saxophone.



Look how "Versatile! " he is.

Look for an update from Fat Pastor soon.



Worked with a few folks writing the By Laws for a newly formed Band Booster Club at North Central High School. Thanks to Ed Stetzer for teaching that component of Urban Evangelization at Southern.





And I begin Doctoral studies at Luther Rice next week.



Other than that....life has been kinda slow.

AP Top 25

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Woo Who! We topped Oregon State and West Virginia! But, Boise State #3? What state are they in again?... Iowa, right?  Uh? Idaho. No, I said what STATE, not what city. Hmmm? Idaho IS a state?!?! Oh.

I see they got one first place vote. The sports writer from the Statesman no doubt. Yeah, they only play one game this year, boys. Go VA Tech!

AP Top 25

1 Alabama (54)

2 Ohio State (3)

3 Boise State (1)

4 Florida

5 Texas (1)

6 TCU

7 Oklahoma (1)

8 Nebraska

9 Iowa

10 Virginia Tech

11 Oregon

12 Wisconsin

13 Miami (FL)

14 USC

15 Pittsburgh

16 Georgia Tech

17 Arkansas

18 North Carolina

19 Penn State

20 Florida State

21 LSU

22 Auburn

23 Georgia

24 Oregon State

25 West Virginia

So A Guys Walks Into A Red Lobster...

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Red Lobster

Biblical Turbulance

New post.

Obstacles Welcome

Having read books like From Good To Great, by Jim Collins, From Good To Great In God's Eyes, by Chip Ingram, and Jack: Straight From The Gut by Jack Welch and numbering them as some of my favorites on leadership, I could hardly wait for my copy of Obstacles Welcome: How to Turn Adversity into Advantage in Business and in Life by Ralph de la Vega to arrive.



I was not disappointed, as de la Vega jumped right into the story of his arrival from Cuba. In 1962, at 10 years old, he arrived in this country with out his parents. Very reminiscent of the Elan Gonzalez story, only de la Vega was not deported, but instead lived with friends of his parents. From there, de la Vega takes us on a journey of his meteoric rise through the ranks of one of the country's largest and most powerful telecommunications companies.



By utilizing the strengths of his faith, de la Vega was able to overcome the obstacles that can be detrimental to an immigrants success. While many stories are told of immigrants children rising to successful heights, this inspiring work is a first hand account of a man who lifted his self up from what could have caused others to wallow in self pity.



I would highly recommend Obstacles Welcome as not only a great book on leadership, but also as an inspiration saga of a great American.

A Modern Look At Existentialism

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So...we live in a post-modern, relativistic world dominated by the philosophy called existentialism. This philosophy basically states that there are no absolutes in the world, especially when it comes to truth. What is true for you, is not necessarily true for me. This view of existentialism is especially held with post-modernity's view of religion. It was Friedrich Nietzsche who said, "There are no facts, only interpretations." Which he took to mean that his own statement was factual, by the way. It is like the man who says "There are no absolute truths." I say, "Are you absolutely sure?" The existentialist says, "There are no facts, only interpretations." But then tells modernists, quite factually I might add, that they are wrong and bigoted because the modernists' interpretation differs from their own.




Now friends, let me assure you that there are absolute truths in this world. For instance, let's say I hit an existentialist...when he gets up...he will know that some things hurt. That is a truth. :)



Or better yet, let's say that there are three men on the roof. One believes that the law of gravity exists. One believes that the law of gravity is relative. The third has never even heard of Newton. All three jump. I promise you this, all three will go splat. Not just the one who believed or had knowledge.



There are some inescapable truths:

2+2 will always equal 4.

What goes up, must come down.

The French will always surrender.

The Word of God is the Absolute Truth.



Look, we don't have to teach our children to lie. Do we? We also don't have to teach them to know it's bad either. An Aboriginal living away from society and western culture still knows that there is something greater than we are. He may not know which god is God, but he knows there is something that is innate in his being that desires to worship something or someone. That is an absolute, also. Even the atheist's have their gods. They may not acknowledge them as such, but they are gods in their lives. Science, technology, and even philosophy itself can be worshipped.



The Apostle Paul said this in Romans 1:

18 But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. 19 They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. 20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.


21 Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. 22 Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. 23 And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.


24 So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. 25 They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! 26 That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. 27 And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved.


28 Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. 29 Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. 30 They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. 31 They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. 32 They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.

See, they try to suppress the truth, but they can't. Now tell me that this passage doesn't sound like modern America? In this new land of the free, the only thing that is not tolerated, is intolerance itself! We are told by the existentialist crowd that we MUST be tolerant of other's religious views. Yet they themselves are intolerant of our intolerance! This intolerance is Christianity's most valued doctrine. There is but one God, and His name is Jehovah. He is represented in three personalities, The Father, Son, and Spirit. And THE ONLY WAY to have a right relationship with Him, is through His Son, Jesus. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through Me." That is as absolute as truth gets. And quite frankly folks, as intolerant, also.

Dear Mr. President...

Dear Mr. President. Let's catch up on the Ground Zero debacle, shall we. Hamas announced today that it is in favor of building this mosque less than three blocks from the site of the worst massacre in U.S. History. This is the same group that led celebrations in the streets of Palestine on September 11, 2001. So, OK, no surprise there. Feisal Abdul Rauf, the imam who will be the leader of this mosque has refused to call Hamas a terror organization, and previously said that America was to blame for the 9/11 attacks.

Ummm... Oh, yeah, Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid opposes it. Reid said that it was cool to build the mosque, just please build it somewhere else. Finally some sense from Harry. And on the brighter side, at least BHO is uniting the parties! Florida Democratic gubernatorial candidate Alex Sink said families and friends of 9/11 victims are opposed to the project "and I share their view." One of his GOP opponents, Rick Scott, started running a TV ad that said: "Mr. President, ground zero is the wrong place for a mosque." Yet Mr Obama continues to strike a defiant stance.

Uhh, Mr. President. A little piece of advice...You are known by the company you keep! Perhaps it is time to start keeping company with Americans instead of celebrating Ramadan with your Muslim buddies. Then you would understand why both Republican and Democratic Americans are not in favor of the mosque being built on this site!

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Biblical Turbulence

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I Hate Beating A Dead Horse...But

I hate to beat the proverbial dead horse, but when Charles Krauthammer writes an article that so closely resembles mine, why not?

His post, and link to the article for citation's sake.
 
 
A place is made sacred by a widespread belief that it was visited by the miraculous or the transcendent (Lourdes, the Temple Mount), by the presence there once of great nobility and sacrifice (Gettysburg), or by the blood of martyrs and the indescribable suffering of the innocent (Auschwitz).
 
When we speak of Ground Zero as hallowed ground, what we mean is that it belongs to those who suffered and died there - and that such ownership obliges us, the living, to preserve the dignity and memory of the place, never allowing it to be forgotten, trivialized or misappropriated.

That's why Disney's early '90s proposal to build an American history theme park near Manassas Battlefield was defeated by a broad coalition fearing vulgarization of the Civil War (and wiser than me; at the time I obtusely saw little harm in the venture). It's why the commercial viewing tower built right on the border of Gettysburg was taken down by the Park Service. It's why while no one objects to Japanese cultural centers, the idea of putting one up at Pearl Harbor would be offensive.

And why Pope John Paul II ordered the Carmelite nuns to leave the convent they had established at Auschwitz. He was in no way devaluing their heartfelt mission to pray for the souls of the dead. He was teaching them a lesson in respect: This is not your place, it belongs to others. However pure your voice, better to let silence reign.

Even New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who denounced opponents of the proposed 15-story mosque and Islamic center near Ground Zero as tramplers on religious freedom, asked the mosque organizers "to show some special sensitivity to the situation." Yet, as columnist Rich Lowry pointedly noted, the government has no business telling churches how to conduct their business, shape their message, or show "special sensitivity" to anyone about anything. Bloomberg was thereby inadvertently conceding the claim of those he excoriates for opposing the mosque, namely, that Ground Zero is indeed unlike any other place and therefore unique criteria govern what can be done there.

Bloomberg's implication is clear: If the proposed mosque were controlled by "insensitive" Islamist radicals either excusing or celebrating 9/11, he would not support its construction.

But then, why not? By the mayor's own expansive view of religious freedom, by what right do we dictate the message of any mosque? Moreover, as a practical matter, there's no guarantee this couldn't happen in the future. Religious institutions in this country are autonomous. Who is to say that the mosque won't one day hire an Anwar al-Aulaqi - spiritual mentor to the Fort Hood shooter and the Christmas Day bomber, and one-time imam at the Virginia mosque attended by two of the 9/11 terrorists?

An Aulaqi preaching in Virginia is a security problem. An Aulaqi preaching at Ground Zero is a sacrilege.

Location matters. Especially this location. Ground Zero is the site of the greatest mass murder in American history - perpetrated by Muslims of a particular Islamist orthodoxy in whose cause they died and in whose name they killed.

Of course that strain represents only a minority of Muslims. Islam is no more intrinsically Islamist than present-day Germany is Nazi - yet despite contemporary Germany's innocence, no German of good will would even think of proposing a German cultural center at, say, Treblinka.

Which makes you wonder about the good will behind Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf's proposal. This is a man who has called U.S. policy "an accessory to the crime" of 9/11 and, when recently asked whether Hamas is a terrorist organization, replied, "I'm not a politician. ... The issue of terrorism is a very complex question.

America is a free country where you can build whatever you want - but not anywhere. That's why we have zoning laws. No liquor store near a school, no strip malls where they offend local sensibilities, and, if your house doesn't meet community architectural codes, you cannot build at all.

These restrictions are for reasons of aesthetics. Others are for more profound reasons of common decency and respect for the sacred. No commercial tower over Gettysburg, no convent at Auschwitz - and no mosque at Ground Zero.

Build it anywhere but there.

The governor of New York offered to help find land to build the mosque elsewhere. A mosque really seeking to build bridges, Rauf's ostensible hope for the structure, would accept the offer.

http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_15771060?source=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+dp-opinion+%28Denver+Post%3A+Opinion%29


Thank you, Mr Krauthammer, for articulating so well (as you always do) my point.

Mosque To Be Built At Ground Zero

If you haven't heard, there are plans approved by New York City to allow an Islamic Center, including a Mosque, swimming pool, culinary school, and an "interfaith" gathering place to be built at Ground Zero. Whether you agree or not, the Muslims in New York have a right to build their mosque wherever the law allows. If there is no violation of building permits, codes, or other such stipulations of the law, they should be allowed to build their center. If the Muslims are denied, the law has presented a case for Jewish, Buddhist, Hindi, Satanist, Mormons, JW's, and/or Baptists from building a place of worship as well.



Of course, legalities and rights aside, there is another issue here, the issue of responsibility. I dare say that building a Mosque on or near Ground Zero is an act of considerable irresponsibility. It would amount to a Shinto Temple being built within a mile of Pearl Harbor, or a Baptist Church being raised next door to the Dome of the Rock. Although my eschatology permits me to loosely consider a rebuilt temple as something of a Baptist Church, I cannot imagine a Crusade Baptist Church being built in a Muslim country as going over too well.



Understand, this is more than a matter of poor taste. It represents a serious misunderstanding of the sentiments of most Americans toward the Muslim faith and a huge gaff in their ability to win some PR points by, having now been legally cleared, backing off. Nevertheless, this is systemic of the Islamic fundamental principle of winning at all cost.



However, whether the mosque is built or not, the most distressing part of this sad saga unfolded today (August 13 , 2010) when President Obama weighed in on the discussion. Once more, as he did by saying the Cambridge Police force acted "stupidly", and then insulting disabled Americans by claiming he should bowl for Special Olympics, he has acted utterly un-presidential. By weighing in on a subject that is best left to the local law and to local officials, he has set the agenda and embolden Muslims to forget decorum and civility, and build their mosque away from an area ripe with racial tension.



Whether these Muslims are of the radical flavor or not is completely beside the point. It was Muslim men who flew those planes into the Towers and Pentagon. It was because of Islam, correctly interpreted or not, that over 2,000 individuals died that horrible September morning. And building a center to celebrate that religion on the spot memorializing their brutal murder is an affront to Western sensibilities. Shame on these people for not recognizing this and acting according to the "peaceful" faith that they attest belongs to Islam. The law may be on their side, but according to research 69% of Americans think they shouldn't build on that site. And it's not like there isn't available real estate in Manhattan that is far enough away from Ground Zero for an Islamic Center to go unnoticed. One would think they could afford a good PR firm and some good will!

********Update************
8/14/2010 7:33 pm
The prez has backed-off Mosque comments:

Obama Extends and Revises his Remarks

So, what side is he on?
BY William Kristol

"Today in Florida President Barack Obama "backed off" (as Politico’s Carol Lee put it) his defense of the Ground Zero mosque. Obama now claims that last night he was only defending the legal rights of the organizers: "I was not commenting and I will not comment on the wisdom of making the decision to put a mosque there. I was commenting very specifically on the right people have that dates back to our founding. That's what our country is about. And I think it's very important as difficult as some of these issues are that we stay focused on who we are as a people and what our values are all about."

http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/obama-extends-and-revises-his-remarks


***********Update # 2**************
8/14/2010 11:41 pm
The Prez has backed-off his back-off statement of Mosque

The White House on Saturday struggled to tamp down the controversy over President Barack Obama’s statements about a mosque near Ground Zero — insisting Obama wasn’t backing off remarks Friday night where he offered support for a project that has infuriated some families whose loved ones died in the Sept. 11 attacks.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0810/41069.html

Great Thoughts On Reading

Check out the link below.

Alicia Hope Wagner


I follow her blog, HERE, and she recently had a blog post published by Thomas Nelson. Definitely worth the read.

Thank You Jesus, It's Not South Carolina

I am very happy to report that this picture was snapped in NORTH Carolina!

Darn Yankees!

Shcool

Bo Duke vs Superman's Dad

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So I took my daughter to register for classes today. Afterwards we went to grab some lunch, and the conversation turned to TV. Stevie asked me if I had watched the latest Leverage episode, the one that stared the actor who played "Jonathan Kent." If you don't know, said actor is John Schneider, and he was in Smallville playing teenage Clark Kent's daddy. So. When did John Boy here become Superman's Dad instead of Bo Duke? Did I sleep through the last decade? Was there a SAG strike at some point that forced the populace to keep actors from being stereotyped? Or has the culture turned so relativistic that an iconic character portrayal is abandoned after a mere thirty year hiatus?



***sigh***



Getting old is no fun. I can barely type with two fingers, and now I have to text on that wee little keyboard. Although, for an introvert like me, texting is a far better communicative process than talking on the phone. And blogging is a wonderful help to sermon block. And this week I became "friends" with someone I have been friends with for thirty years, but haven't spoken to in ten. Thank you Facebook. I guess in my "old age" I am learning that some new fangled thingys are not so bad. After singing along with Margaritville for most of my life, I just learned today that it was a "pop top" that Jimmy cut his heel on. Not a "pied pot," which for three decades I took for either a Mexican confectionary device or some sort of sweet, yet pointy/sharp marijuana. I am almost afraid to do a Google search for Cheeseburger In Paradise, Lord only knows what that might turn up!



Of course, this is nothing astoundingly new, brilliant, or even revelatory for the Theologian Steve. The Bible has known for millennia that age is not the only conveyor of wisdom. Job said, " It is not only the old who are wise, not only the aged who understand what is right." (32:9) So maybe we old dogs need to learn a new trick or two.



Hmmm.                  "John Schneider staring as Jonathan Kent. Superman's Father!" (said in that movie guys voice over)


Nah. I still like Bo Duke. He always has been, and bless his heart, he always will be. Right, Job?

The True Riches Of Believing

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I recently read an article about a pastor who was preaching in view of a call. As he got up to approach the pulpit, the chairman of the pulpit committee told him to notice an elderly lady sitting on the front row. She was dressed rather shabbily with several patched holes in her dress, and the leather of her shoes had begun to separate from the soles. The preacher later remarked about his distress for her, and wondered if she was in need of financial assistance.



Then the story was told. She and her husband were sheep farmers and lived in a small cabin and owned an old, but reliable truck. One day oil was discovered on their ranch. Contracts were signed and wells put up. However, before the first royalty checks arrived the husband died. Between her grief and timidity, the woman chased off the lawyers and never signed any additional papers. The wells continue to go up, and she continued to refuse the papers, and so the royalty checks kept amassing; never cashed. She was a millionaire on paper, but a pauper in existence.



Likewise, I am convinced that too many of us that call upon the name of Jesus live in want because we have chased away the Holy Spirit. It is not always intentional, but it is a reality. How do we grieve (chase away) the Spirit? Perhaps we are like the farmer's wife and we are too timid. The Bible says that we are not given a spirit of timidity, but of power, of love, and of self-discipline. (2 Timothy 1:7) Many believers don't accept what God has in store for them. Or, even sadder, they won't accept the challenge that God gives them.



The inverse is also true, however. Some seek position and prominence in the church. This also grieves the Spirit. The Lord does not like a haughty spirit, or one who is puffed up. In-other-words, full of themselves. (See Proverbs 6:17) When a Believer seeks prominence, instead of allowing God to call them to some task, they are running ahead of God. This comes through most obviously, to me anyway, in some men who have an "itch to preach." No, you have an itch to be scratched. If you stand before God's people to deliver God's words, you better make sure you have been called. Many good intentioned men have taken churches down roads of irreparable harm because they felt an itch, which could have been scratched by teaching a Sunday School class.


All in all, though, the basic idea is that we are missing out because we grieve the Spirit. I cannot help but think about so many Believers that are this way. Jesus said that we have not because we ask not. (Or that when we ask, it is of the wrong spirit.) We are millionaires in the heavenlies, yet we live like spiritual paupers on earth. That is the whole point of victorious Christian living. Instead of us feeling empty, and tired, and bankrupt, we should be freed to live like the victors that we are. Life will not always be easy; we will not always have our wants fulfilled; but we can be victorious in the life that we lead! If we will seek His will, His face, and suplant our desires with His.

Drama

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Much drama at church today. One of my sweethearts fell out during my sermon. No, no…none of that charismatic stuff. We are a Baptist church. I’m not exactly sure what happened. The doctors told us that she has a bladder infection. She is just back from convalescing from a six week hospital stay and 2 week nursing home rehab, so she is obviously weak to start with. I was preaching on death, and once we knew she was OK it became a bit of a joke that we were in cahoots and staged the whole thing for dramatic effect.



I was right in the middle of the story of Lazarus and the rich man, but I guess I'll move along. So... much drama at church today.  But trust me on this…with Nominating Committee and Deacon elections coming up, this drama was a welcome change. Thank you, Lord, that Ms Vuadearie is at home and resting, and that I don't end every Sunday morning by following an ambulance to the hospital.

Back To School With The Leigh's

Well, I suppose it is official now. I have been accepted into the Doctoral program at Luther Rice Seminary. Classes start September 7th. This is something I have wanted to pursue for some time now, and so I am excited to get started. Patty starts her new job on Monday. She has waited for a long time to have her own library, and the folks at Baron DeKalb Elementary are lucky to have her. Luke starts band camp Monday as well. He has taken to the trumpet like a fish to water, I just hope his sax doesn't suffer from the new attention. I think he will be a sax player in the band, with a minor part with the trumpet. We'll see. Stevie starts back to college on the 23rd. As far as I know, Shea has already started back at ASU.


So we are a schooled up family. Yes, schooled, not screwed! Pray for us as our endeavors take us on more journeys for Jesus.

Preseason USA Today Coaches' Poll

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1 Alabama (55) 0-0 1469

2 Ohio State (4) 0-0 1392

3 Florida 0-0 1245

4 Texas 0-0 1240

5 Boise State 0-0 1215

6 Virginia Tech 0-0 1052

7 TCU 0-0 1051

8 Oklahoma 0-0 1035

9 Nebraska 0-0 1001

10 Iowa 0-0 952

11 Oregon 0-0 940

12 Wisconsin 0-0 778

13 Miami (FL) 0-0 728

14 Penn State 0-0 508

15 Pittsburgh 0-0 492

16 LSU 0-0 476

17 Georgia Tech 0-0 455

18 North Carolina 0-0 445

19 Arkansas 0-0 438

20 Florida State 0-0 374

21 Georgia 0-0 312

22 Oregon State 0-0 263

23 Auburn 0-0 260

24 Utah 0-0 169

24 West Virginia 0-0 169

Well, being 21 is better than no ranking at all. Umm, South Carolina? Hello? And honestly, who in their right mind put Boise State # 5. Their first game is v Va Tech. Go Hokies! If they don't win, Boise will most likely play for the National Title having played one game and 11 scrimmages.

One last rant. Ohio State? What 4 morons put the Buckeyes #1? May I remind you that Ohio State has NEVER beaten a SEC team? Pluuzeese! Win a bowl game for Tressle's sake, and then come talk to me about a national ranking.

And of course, I refuse to discuss the team ranked #17. May Athlete's Foot plague their locker room.

Can't hardly wait for September 4 at 12:21 pm. How 'bout them Dawgs!

Twenty Years And Counting

Today is my wedding anniversary. Despite the fact I earn my living with the dispensation of words, I'm not much on prose. But let me tell you about what this day means anyway.




20 years ago Patty Anderson woke up a single woman. Within eight hours, she had become Patty Leigh. Well, they say hind sight is twenty-twenty and all that...but looking back, I can say I wouldn't blame her if she would want to change her mind about that day. It has been rocky at times. Four states, about 20 moves, 7 jobs, the loss of a child, and at least a million tears later, who could blame her?



But here we are twenty years down the road and we are more blessed and happy than at any time in our lives. We have given our youth, dreams, money, and health to be right here. And while at times it has been tough, it has never been a question that we would make it to this day, and beyond.



To say that I love Patty, this woman that God put into my life and made my best friend, would be to do an injustice to the relationship that we have. Love fails to capture the true essence of what we have. And while it may sound kitschy or cliché, the only phrase I can think of is soul-mate. We have become...no, we are... so close that our souls have intertwined, and we have become, as the Bible says, one flesh. What we do, we do for each other as if it were for ourselves. I know, I know, it sounds like circular logic, but it is not. It is something you can only experience, not be told about in writing.

My prayer for every couple is that their love be as true, as sacrificial, and as eternal as ours. Some couples are married for 50 or 60 years. We will be side by side in heaven, my darling, forever. I have no doubt that whatever form August 4th takes in eternity, we will know that day! And anniversary cake in heaven (Angel Food Cake?) will be divine and calorie free! I look forward to spending my life and after-life with you.



Patricia Dawn Anderson LEIGH. You are my BRIDE, you are MY bride, and I love you dearly. And as for me...well, I woke up this morning, twenty years later, more in love with you, and happier with you on my arm today, than I could have ever imagined was possible in 1990.



Happy Anniversary, Baby. I-heart-You.

In God We Trust

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Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will remember the name of the Lord our God. Psalm 20:7 (NKJV)



Before his 1971 fight with Joe Frazier, Muhammad Ali said, "There's not a man alive who can whip me. I am the greatest! I am the king! I should be on a postage stamp - that's the only way I'll get licked!". Ali lost to Frazier.



When confidence in our abilities and resources changes to pride and then becomes arrogance, there's trouble ahead: "Pride goes before destruction and haughtiness before a fall.” (Proverbs 16:18) Or, as Jeremiah said 2500 years ago, "If you brag, brag of this and this only: That you understand and know me." (9:23-24)


 
So how do we find balance? Simply by remembering that every gift, ability, talent, and resource we have has come from God. There's nothing sinful about recognizing and confessing what God has provided, but the difference between self-confidence and Christ-honoring confidence is found in who gets the credit. A good way to keep this at the forefront of our life is to practice the art of thanksgiving. It's hard to be too self-confident when we acknowledge we are nothing without God. The apostle Paul said I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. That translates into living confidently - as long as your confidence is in Christ.