Along For The Ride

So It's Been A Year!

2009-05-13T11:32:00.000-07:00

It has officially been a year since I last blogged. It is a combination of me being a slacker and just being busy with work, school and family. A lot has changed in the past year, and even though things are not as great as many would like, I know that I have much to be thankful for. I graduated from the University of Florida last week and my wife and I are expecting another member of the family in December. I still have a decent job and now have a little time to spend with my family and friends, so I am truly blessed.

I am also able to spend time with Bryleigh on my day off, which is just a wonderful experience. It is amazing to see how much she learns and grows each day. Yesterday was a particularly good day because she did something she has never done before. I was lying down and she came over and started crawling on me and pretending I was a horse. Then she got right in my face and kissed my on the cheek and said “I Love Daddy”. That is the very first time she has done that to either of us. My wife is quite jealous, but she will get over it.

So even though the near future does not look great in economic terms, I am very excited for what it holds for my family and me. We all have much to be thankful for and we should not let circumstances dictate how we feel. So let’s choose to be content with our circumstances and make this a great year, despite what the media or others may tell us.

Failure Is Not An Option

2008-05-13T09:27:00.000-07:00

So as I expected, vacation week was busy, although relaxing as well. This Sunday was my wife’s first Mother’s Day which was really great, and it was also baby dedication day for Bryleigh at church. It was a special day for us and our family as we affirmed our dedication of Bryleigh to God, but it was also great to have most of our family together in church, which has not happened since our wedding. We feel that some of them may not yet know Christ as their personal savior, so this was a great opportunity to get them in a place where they would hear the word of God. We have no idea if anything was stirred in their hearts, but hopefully at least a seed may have been planted.

The sermon this week was a continuation of the phobia series we are going through, and this week focused on the fear of failure. It usually takes a day or two for me to process what I have heard, and this week was no exception. My takeaway this week was that even though we all have the fear of failure at some point or another, we often sell ourselves short, and even more often sell the power of God short on what he can accomplish through us. As a young kid I grew up in a Pentecostal church where you felt like you had to be perfect and you were constantly re-dedicating your life so you would be sinless if Christ returned. When we moved to Florida we attended a Southern Baptist church, where we learned that grace covered our past and future sins because we could never be perfect. These are two totally different sides of the issue, and as an adult I have tended to agree with the latter because anything less than grace alone diminishes the sacrifice that Christ paid for our sins. But one statement stood out in the sermon this week, and that was that we cannot be perfect, but we can do better than we think. I feel that as Christians we sometimes stop trying because we feel that we cannot be good enough, so we just count on God’s grace alone. It is true that we are saved by grace alone and not by works, but God also desires for us to do great things for him and not just sit back and coast on his grace. I have been guilty of that myself so many times in life, but I really want to be the person who just puts it all out there and goes for it when I know it is the right thing to do. What is the worst that could happen? I could embarras myself or fail miserably? Can you name one great person who does not have failures in their life that they built on to become who or what they eventually became? Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, the Apostle Paul, and many others, all had many failures before they became the great men we read about today.

But on a personal level, whether it is a fear of failure, lack of self confidence, or just laziness, there are times when I take myself out of the game or never get in the game to begin with. My goal is going to be to just give what I can and let God do the rest. I think it is a lot about your own perception of what success or failure is. Many famous people who most would consider successful have taken their lives probably feeling a sense of worthlessness and failure, while others who have been told that they would never amount to anything have gone on to be very successful in life. As long as you have faith in yourself and follow in God’s will for your life, then failure is not an option no matter who says anything to the contrary.

Cinco de Mayo

2008-05-05T19:59:00.000-07:00

So today starts my first vacation in at least two years. Not that I am going away or doing anything special, but it is a week with no work and no school that I can spend just being with my family and getting a few things done around the house. I guess I might even have more time to blog, but I probably will not be any more consistent because I have a full week planned.

Besides being Cinco de Mayo, today is also the birthday of my niece Taylor. I want to wish her a very happy birthday and to congratulate Stacy’s sister Tara and her husband Eric on making it through the first year. I know they have done a great job and should be very proud. Taylor is six weeks older than Bryleigh, but lives in Louisiana so they do not get to see much of each other. Even being in Louisiana though, I am sure that Taylor is a Gator fan at heart.

We spent our Cinco de Mayo hanging out with friends at Barnies cappy hour, (aka frozen coffee freezers), and then watching Dancing with the Stars on the big screen. Even though we do not celebrate Cinco de Mayo the traditional way, we have much more to celebrate because we have been blessed to have such great friends.

Hope everyone has a great week. I know I will.

A Legitimate Debate

2008-04-18T06:49:00.000-07:00

So I forgot to mention Wednesday night’s Democratic debate. Now I have not watched many debates this political season, especially Democratic debates. They are generally moderated by very biased moderators who have an agenda and never get to the deeper issues of character and integrity. But as I flipped by the debate this Wednesday night, I noticed that Charles Gibson and George Stephanopoulos were asking some tough but fair questions about the character of each candidate. I have heard that ABC is getting a lot of complaints about the debate from people who frankly do not want to hear the truth. Some people just want to believe that their candidate of choice will make everything better, and that what the candidates do in their personal lives or the kind of person they really are is not important. There were complaints from the candidates and others that it took 45 minutes to get to the important issues, but I beg to differ. The candidates were uncomfortable because they were being asked questions about the important issues that they could not answer with their talking points, and they were confronted with personal issues that they could not blame on the current president or someone else. We all know about the economy, gas prices, healthcare, etc. We have also heard the candidates plans over and over this political season on all of these issues and we know where they stand. What we do not know is what kind of people they truly are and where their loyalties lie. We know they will say anything to get elected, but we need to know about the character and moral fiber of the person who would be president. Some people will say that it does not matter, but I say that it matters a lot, and in fact is the paramount issue of the campaign. Every truly great leader is known not only for what they have done, but for their character, perseverance, and integrity. So when you think of great presidents such as George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Ronal Reagan, you think not only of their great accomplishments, but of their character as well. The fact is that they could not have accomplished what they did without having such character and integrity as the foundation of who they were. So before you go out and cast you vote for someone who is promising you change, consider what that change may be because it may not be the change that you hope for. If we really want change then we should get involved and work at doing what we can to make a difference instead of waiting for the white knight to come in and save us. The reality is that many, if not most politicians are out for themselves and not necessarily the best interest of their constituents. The main thing is that we should vote on our convictions and not on our pocketbooks, and know that God will take care of us.

Speaking of the Democrats and pocketbooks, I will leave you with this quote to ponder.

“A liberal's compassion is limited only by the size of someone else's wallet”.

Have a great weekend.

On A Roll.

2008-04-17T19:53:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it? Two blogs in a month. I thought I would work my way back in to it with at least one blog a week.

I really loved this last bit of cool weather this week, even though I did not really get out to enjoy it. Two more weeks of school and then I get a short break.

I did have some short-lived excitement when I heard that the Broncos were playing all three Florida teams this year. However, I saw the official schedule today, and they are playing every one of them in Denver. So unless I want to go to Atlanta, or I come across some free tickets to Denver, I probably will not be seeing a game live this year. Not much else happening this week so I will make this one short and sweet.

Have a great week

Still Here!

2008-04-10T05:50:00.000-07:00

I thought I would drop a few lines so I don’t have to hear about how inconsistent I am about blogging. It really stems from being way too busy, and consequently having nothing going on in my life because I am too busy. It is a vicious cycle. The spring semester ends this month and I get a whole week off before it stars all over again.

Although things are crazy, Stacy and I have felt that God is challenging us to move out of our comfort zone and focus more on his will for our lives. Often when you get comfortable in life, your spiritual life can become stagnant. Fortunately God does not judge us by our performance, and he has blessed us over and over this past year even though we have done nothing worthy of his blessing. He continually shows us what unconditional love and grace are all about. We just want to follow his will for our lives and be willing to do whatever he asks of us.

Having a child also is a great motivator to try to be the best person and parent that you can be. Being the person that models the behavior that can shape a child’s character is an enormous responsibility. Not something I want to attempt without God’s direction and guidance. I will devote another post to my daughter and what an awesome blessing she has been in our lives. Hopefully it won’t be another month, but I have to make sure I have the time to share all the great things about my wonderful daughter Bryleigh.

Thanks for reading and have a Great day!

It has been too long!

2008-03-15T19:48:00.000-07:00

I know it has been ages since I have blogged. Not that I do not have anything to say, it is just that I have so much going on that I never even think about it. Whenever I sit in front of the computer, my mind is flooded with all of the homework and lectures that I am behind on. However, I wanted to drop a quick line and let anyone who is interested in what I have to say catch up.

My dad is still recovering from the accident last year. They say he may be out of his neck brace in about six weeks. He also has not regained full vision in one of his eyes and they do not have a prognosis for that as of yet, and he has not regained full equilibrium either, so he is still in need of prayer.

My daughter Bryleigh was in the hospital this Tuesday for a virus that was causing her to throw up everything she ate or drank. They were worried about her getting dehydrated so they put her on an IV until she could hold something down. She was released on Wednesday morning and started feeling better by Thursday night. She is now back to her cheerful self and even has energy to spare. Unfortunately, her mother and I do not.

We appreciate all the prayers for Bryleigh, my dad, and our family. It is great to have friends who truly care about us. In that area, we are truly blessed.

Well it is back to the grind for me. I am never really caught up, I just measure my success by how far behind I am. Only nine months left at UF if all goes as planned and I maintain my sanity.

Life Is Not Fair!

2007-11-10T20:31:00.000-08:00

Normally I would talk about the Broncos game tomorrow and how they were due for a win against their rival the Chiefs, but after the crazy events of today I am not in a sports talk mood.

Today my father was taking part in the Veterans Day parade in Orlando and was injured in somewhat of a freak accident. He fell out of the back of the truck he was in and landed on his head. Anyone who knows my dad knows that he is not in the best shape anyway with the damage to his back, his bad heart, and the many other ailments the doctors cannot seem to diagnose. I sometimes feel that if is wasn’t for bad luck, he would have no luck at all. From what we know now, he broke his neck, right knee, and some bones in his face. He can still move all of his extremities which is great, so things could have been worse. However, he definitely needs the prayers of as many people as possible. Because of his heart condition, he is not able to undergo any major surgery that would require him to be put under anesthesia. So we are praying for a quick recovery that requires no surgery.

My dad’s first injury to his back was in 1977, and he has suffered with that and his many other issues for the last thirty years. My dad is a great man and loving father who brought us up to love God and love others. I have more than once in my life wondered why he has had to continually suffer while so many people live happy and healthy lives. Even financially, my parents have always struggled to get by. Sure, it taught me to appreciate what I have, but more importantly, it taught me that life is not always fair. Of course, it is always about perspective and I know there are many people in the world in worse shape and with exceedingly worse circumstances. I have never blamed God, although I have asked many times for a miracle. I know his ways are perfect and he has a plan in all of our circumstances and trials. It may not seem fair from our perspective, but it was not fair that Jesus had to die for the sins of the world, even though he never committed even one of them. I still feel bad for my dad and I am sure I always will. Nevertheless, I know he will be rewarded one day for his perseverance and faith, as well as his positive attitude throughout his many difficulties.

I sit here writing this blog to solicit prayers for my dad’s well being. However, I also write it to honor him and let everyone know how much I truly love and respect my dad. There is much to write on those two things, but that is another issue for another blog that hopefully I will write soon.

I thank you in advance for your prayers,

Blaine

Another Disappointment

2007-10-30T14:26:00.000-07:00

So the buffalo wings were good on Monday night, but unfortunately the Broncos team effort was not. Just when I think they are on the brink of turning things around, they go out and play the way they did Monday night. They really beat themselves in a game they could have, and should have, won. The Rockies were another huge disappointment for the Mile High city. They brought back memories of the 1995 Orlando Magic. And what can we say about the Gators? I guess there is always next week. A true fan never gives up on his team.

Have a great week.

Never Enough Time

2007-10-25T20:29:00.000-07:00

School has been kicking my butt so I have not had much free time to blog these days. Who wants to hear about linear regression and exponential smoothing anyway? I know I sure don’t, but I have no choice. The goal of my blog is to be upbeat and share what is going on in Blaine’s world. So while some may get sick of hearing about my beautiful daughter Bryleigh or the Denver Broncos, I am still going to consistently make that a theme of my blog because that is who I am. My goal is to never let my blog be a forum to promote or advance bickering and gossip. There is nothing wrong with the free exchange of ideas and opinions or even venting a little sometimes. However, it is sometimes better to let things go and move on with life because time is fleeting. We often forget that we have all been called to a higher purpose than just what we see in front of us. When we focus our energy on fulfilling that purpose, we start to understand what the abundant life really is.

On a lighter note, the Broncos and the Gators won last weekend. With the bye week, that makes two in a row! I hope the Rockies get it together and give Colorado something to be proud of. This Monday night is the first Monday night game for the Broncos as they face the Packers. I really hope they win, but I will enjoy hanging out with friends and eating wings either way.

So until next time, which hopefully is not too long, just remember that wherever you go, there you are.

Have a great weekend

The Weekend Of Our Discontent

2007-10-07T19:22:00.000-07:00

Well I am at a loss for words so this will probably be short. The Gators fell to LSU Saturday night in a good game that came down to who made the fewest mistakes. The Broncos on the other hand were crushed by San Diego, not because Chargers are such a great team, but because the Broncos made mistake after mistake. Turnovers, bad tackling, and their inability to stop the run made the Broncos look pathetic. It is not too late to turn things around, and I think Denver has the personnel to do it, but they need to focus on the fundamentals and finishing off their drives by putting points on the board. Maybe this defeat will motivate the Broncos to come back after their by-week next week and be the team I know they can be. So next week I will have to cheer for another team, which I believe will be the Cowboys as they try to humble the Patriots. Did I just say the Cowboys? I must really be distraught.

For all my fellow Broncos fans out there, keep your chins up and your sunglasses on.

Have a great week.

First Night Out

2007-10-06T09:51:00.000-07:00

So my wife and I were able to go out for dinner and a movie last night. This was our first official date night since early June before Bryleigh was born. Definitely no regrets over the last four months, but it was nice to get out with just the two of us for a few hours. Of course, we found ourselves talking about Bryleigh most of the time and how weird it is to think of ourselves as parents now. It can be a struggle and our lives have definitely changed, but I would not change having Bryleigh in my life for anything in the world. Having a child really helps you put things in perspective and helps you see what is truly important in life.

At this very moment as I am writing this blog, I am also changing my fantasy football lineup for tomorrow’s games. I am going head to head with my good friend Barry Leathers, and unfortunately for him, he will be going down hard tomorrow. Today is also the big game between Florida and LSU. Losing last week really hurt, but I am sure Florida will come back today and show the nation who should be ranked number 1. Then tomorrow the Broncos can show the nation who the best team in the West is as they mangle the Chargers, which by the way is the team everyone said would win the West and be a lock to make it to the playoffs. Don’t you just love football season?

How can I be so confident in my teams? Well I saw an Orange sunset last night!

The Week In Review

2007-09-30T22:08:00.000-07:00

I thought I might start a weekly post during football season to share my thoughts on the week’s highlights and of course the Broncos journey back to the playoffs. This is probably not the best week to start since the Broncos just lost to the Colts today and the Gators got a wake up call from Auburn last night, but you have to start somewhere.

So I will start tonight with a short post to lament the Broncos loss to the Colts today. It was not totally unexpected since the Colts have had the Broncos number the last few years, and the Broncos have not been playing up to their potential so far this season. The Broncos were in the game the first half, but limiting the Colts offense for all four quarters is almost an impossible task for any team. The best any team can do is to outscore them offensively, which the Broncos did not do in the second half. Of course, the Broncos turnover on their own 20-yard line and allowing the Colts to run on them for 229 yards on the ground did not help.

I still see the Broncos winning the West and hopefully improving enough to beat the Colts and Patriots in the playoffs. Am I dreaming a little, well maybe, but it is a long season and as any NFL fan knows, on any given Sunday any team can win. So watch out Patriots, Colts, and anyone else who gets in the way, because this January there just might be a re-match in the big game between the Broncos and the over-rated Cowboys!

Just a few kudos for today’s standouts:

Brett Favre for breaking Dan Marino’s record. It may not always be pretty but he gets it done and he is one tough redneck.

Daunte Culpepper for showing the Dolphins they might have let go of the wrong QB.

Arizona Cardinals for humbling the Steelers. Maybe the Steelers should have picked up Kurt Warner.

Peyton Manning for playing well against two of the best corners in the league. He is a force to be reckoned with.

And finally our own Brandon Marshall from UCF who has been a stud all season and the highlight of the Broncos offense. Can anyone take this guy down after the catch? He has already earned the nickname little T.O. around the league. However, at 6’4” and 230 pounds, I would not call him little. Hopefully he does not inherit the same bad attitude and chip on the shoulder that Terrell Owens has. Check out last week's performance: http://www.nfl.com/goto?id=09000d5d802a62b9

I'm sure that there will be better news next week for the Gators and Broncos as they take down LSU and the Chargers.

For anyone reading this that is new to football or just does not have a favorite team, my advice is to always view the world through Orange and Blue sunglasses. I am pretty sure God is a Broncos fan. Why else would he make sunrises Orange and the oceans Blue?

Have a great week!

Blessed

2007-09-28T21:57:00.000-07:00

I know it has been a while since my last post, and that is mainly for two reasons. The first is that I have been very busy with work, beginning another semester of college, and spending time with my wife and baby Bryleigh. The second is that outside of those tasks, not much has been going on, nothing that would interest the readers of this blog anyway. However, there is an advantage to not having a lot going on in your life. It helps you to stop and appreciate all that you have. It is so much easier to focus on what you do not have or what you really want and think you need. Yet we rarely consider how blessed we are each moment of our lives. Just living in the United States is a blessing that most of the world never gets to experience. Not just the higher socio economic status that we have, but also the many freedoms that we so often take for granted. Sure, it is easy to find someone who seems to be blessed more than you are, but how often do we focus on the much higher percentage of those who have so much less than we have and would love to be in our shoes?

Last night as I sat in the recliner feeding Bryleigh, I was moved to consider all of the blessings in my life. I first thought of Bryleigh and what a blessing she has been to me, as well as the rest of my family. Not just because she is such a great baby, but also because she helps me to focus on someone other than myself. She reminds me of the joy of serving others and of how God loves us unconditionally even though we do nothing to earn or deserve his amazing love. I also noticed my dog Shylah lying by my feet and thought of how blessed I was to have such a great dog. Who else other than God could look past all of our weaknesses and failures and love us unconditionally without holding any record of wrongs? On the other hand, it would be great if we could show God the same kind of unconditional love that we get from our dogs. Just a thought.

I still have many goals in life and many things I would like to do. I do not always want to have to live paycheck to paycheck and wonder how we will meet each month’s bills. However, if I let that be my focus then I know I will miss so much along the way and may miss what God is trying to teach me. I just hope that in my daily life, I can live out Philippians 4:12 (I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation). The blessings I have in my life are far superior to anything money can buy and have a far greater return.
I hope that when you think about your life, the word that comes to your mind, as it does mine, is blessed.

Thankful

2007-08-19T20:47:00.000-07:00

I know it has been a while since my last post, and that is mainly for two reasons, both involving my new baby girl. The first is that I have been very busy with work, finishing this semester of college, and spending time with my wife and baby Bryleigh. The second is that outside of those tasks, not much has been going on, nothing that would interest the readers of this blog anyway.
However, there is an advantage to not having a lot going on in your life. It helps you to stop and appreciate all that you have. Last night as I sat in the recliner feeding Bryleigh as she looked at me with her loving, innocent eyes, I was moved to consider all of the blessings in my life. I first thought of Bryleigh and what a blessing she has been to me, as well as the rest of my family. Then I glanced over at the dog who was just looking back at us with her puppy dog eyes and thought, wow, God has even blessed me with our awesome dog Shylah, who loves Bryleigh, Stacy and I unconditionally and lives just to try to please us. Just goes to show that God is great not only in meeting our needs, but is also involved in the little details of life that make it so enjoyable. Of course, my wife has been awesome in taking care of our baby and going the extra mile to not only meet Bryleigh’s needs, but also spending quality time with her stimulating her little mind which is like a sponge soaking up all that it can.
So while I am as busy as I have ever been, and finances are beyond tight, God is still blessing us and I know he has a plan for us now and in the future. I know that life can bring stress and worry and it can get you down if you let it. However, just like most everything else in life, we can choose how we deal with the circumstances of life and whether we choose to view the glass of our lives as half-full or half-empty. As for me, I choose to view my glass as filled to the top. Sure there are many things I would like to have, many places I would like to go, and many things I would like to do, but when I look at my life in proper perspective, I realize how truly blessed I really am. Even in material wealth, most of us have more than 75% of the world’s population. However, the things I treasure most cannot be measured by mere socio economic standards, because they are the priceless gifts of family and friends. In that area of my life, I am a very wealthy man indeed.
Each new day we are given is truly a gift, and the word that best describes my outlook for each day and hopefully the attitude of my heart is, “thankful”!

Summer Fun

2007-07-04T20:45:00.000-07:00

So it is summer again, which down here in Florida means lots of heat, rain, and bugs. However, it also means time with family while the kids are out of school, vacations, theme parks, swimming, etc. For me, one of the things I look forward to each summer are the big summer blockbuster movie releases. Of course, there are disappointments every year, but there are always a few really good movies that make it worth your time and money. This summer was looking to be one of the most highly anticipated summers in a while, and is being referred to as the summer of the sequel. I believe there are fourteen sequels scheduled for release this summer. A good friend of mine has said that he is disappointed that Hollywood cannot come up with anything original. On the other hand, I am a big fan of sequels if they are are done right. Some of my favorite movies of all time are sequels. Movies such as the Star Wars films, the Indiana Jones trilogy, the Vacation films with Chevy Chase, the Star Trek movies, and most of the Marvel Comics films, just to name a few. Can you really get too much of a good thing?

I have been lucky enough to see most of the big movies thus far this summer, although with the arrival of my new baby girl, that will probably change. Some of them have been somewhat of a letdown from the hype that they have received, but today I saw a film that not only met, but exceeded my expectations. That film was Transformers, with one of my new favorite actors, Shia Labeouf (Pronounced "Shy-uh La-Buff"), who is also slated to star in Indiana Jones 4 next summer. The movie is non-stop action and comedy from beginning to end. I know you have probably seen some other films that were based on a cartoon or toys that ended up not being very good or even completely lame. Forget your past experiences however because Transformers will not disappoint. If you are not completely satisfied after seeing the film, see a theater manager and mention my name for a complete refund. Sure, he will just laugh in your face, but I would love to hear all about it sometime. But as the famous preview voice announcer guy always says, “If you see only one movie this summer, you need to get out more.” Oh, wait a minute that was my line. He would say, “If you see only one movie this summer, see Transformers.”

With the price of movies these days, you really have to choose wisely. I would highly recommend Transformers for a fun summer afternoon, or a nice evening out. It truly is more than meets the eye!

Friends

2007-07-01T10:41:00.000-07:00

In keeping with the theme of things I am thankful for, I thought I would write something about all my friends who have been there for me throughout the years, as well as those whom I have known for just a short time. Of all the things we have in life, friends are one of the great gifts that make life enjoyable and help us to live it to the fullest. To have no money or earthly possessions would be sad, but to have no friends would be a far sadder thing indeed.

I have been blessed throughout the years with some great friends. Friends who I could always count on to be there for me and support me no matter what I may be going through. Much of what I have learned in life about self-sacrifice and unconditional love has come from my friends. Just as our parents model behavior for us in our early years, our friends do the same throughout our lives. I have been blessed over the last seventeen to eighteen years to have friends who modeled what it means to be a follower of Christ. I just pray my daughter finds the same type of friends who encourage her to be all that God desires for her to be.

I was reminded of how great it is to have friends over the past two weeks as some of our friends have come by to see our new baby and have brought us dinner and gifts. I hope they all know how much it is appreciated and how much we love them. Even friends we have not seen lately have made a point to come and share with us and we are very grateful. Some of our friends are separated by great distance, but they are close in our hearts. Thank you all for all you do and for who you are.

To all of my awesome friends, you know who you are, I am eternally grateful to have you in my life. I am truly a blessed man.

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy. Philippians 1:3-4

The Miracle Of Life

2007-06-30T18:32:00.000-07:00

So I am still pretty new to the whole blogging thing, in fact I usually keep my feelings to myself most of the time. But two weeks ago, I experienced the most pivotal moment in my life to date, and I felt I needed to tell the world about it. I am the proud father of a new baby girl named Bryleigh, who was born on Saturday June 16, 2007. I always thought I would get married and have kids someday because that is just what people do. As I had gone through the last nine months of pregnancy with my wife, I felt many emotions, from excitement and anticipation, to fear and apprehension. I wondered how after all these years of being concerned about myself and what is best for me, I would be able to change that focus from myself to someone else. Someone who really had nothing to offer me and would instead actually require more of me than anyone or anything else ever has. It is like that moment when you are walking through the department store or sitting in a movie theater and you hear a child wailing at the top of his lungs, and you think to yourself, do I really need that in my life? Of course, I had already made my choice, so I just needed to prepare myself for whatever was to come.

Well the day finally arrived on Saturday morning, and by Saturday afternoon, our baby had arrived. I really do not have words for what transpired that afternoon, but when I held my daughter in my arms for the first time, something changed in me. I was instantly in love with her in a way I have never been before. People talk about love at first sight, but that is usually a physical attraction they feel that is based on more selfish desires of what they will get from the relationship. But loving a child with no expectations from them, except maybe some future heartache and stress, is just a supernatural experience. It truly helped me to see how God loves us, even though we are sinners who do not deserve his love and who often break his heart. When I think of God being my heavenly father, it takes on a completely new meaning for me. The crying that I feared would be so irritating and annoying, actually touches me on a deeper level than I could have imagined, and makes me want to be there to comfort my child and do anything I can to make it better. One week ago, I never thought I would feel this way, or even believe that I could feel this way. But when they tell you that having a baby is a life changing experience, they are absolutely correct. It is one of the most amazing and awesome experiences you will ever have, or at least it has been for me. Even the poopy diapers are enjoyable, most of the time, because I get to bond with my daughter and do something for her that she cannot do for herself. Much like my heavenly father continually does for me.

I know this is a long blog, and if you made it this far, thanks for listening. I could have gone on much longer but I think you get my point. I just hope everyone who has children or someday will, can have the same experience that I have had. I just thank God for showing himself to me through the eyes of my child.

I love you Bryleigh.

Dad

What Is Your Focus?

2007-06-30T01:34:00.000-07:00

I attended a focus group tonight for a market research company. Of course, the topic was confidential so you are not going to receive any insider tips in this blog. However, the most interesting part of the night happened after the focus group ended. A few of us were standing outside talking when the subject of church came up. Needless to say that after a few minutes of discussion, the group was down to three, myself, a lady who said she attended a local Fundamental Baptist church, and a younger guy who attends a local non denominational church. The church names are not important, but their focus is of extreme importance. The lady seemed to be a very nice, God-fearing person who desired to be the best that she possibly could in every area of her life. She was the initiator of the conversation, and the one who kept it going for the next hour and a half. She was very concerned with, as she put it, “the way churches were dumbing down the gospel to reach people”. She felt the Bible was very specific about what Christians should wear, what instruments should be used in worship, and that Christians should generally be set apart and not try to adapt to the culture surrounding them. She used many Old Testament scriptures to support these ideas, along with some New Testament. She even enlightened us to the fact that the NIV version of the Bible was put together by two atheists, and that the King James Version was the closest thing to God’s words. She spoke of how Christians who are in sin should be removed from the church, as well as letting lost people know that, as she put it, “God hates us when we sin”.

Now I know she sounds a little extreme from my short description, but is she so much different than so many other Christians in churches around the world are today. The issues may be different, but the attitude is pervasive throughout Christianity. Have we all not judged lost sinners out there as less than ourselves at one point or another? Or even closer to home for many of us, have we questioned our church or other churches for being too seeker friendly or for getting too involved in the culture around us? That issue in particular seems to be a real hot button in Christianity today. So what is the answer, I submit to you that you can find the answer on the wrist of someone you probably walked by today or stood in line with at the store. Maybe even on your own wrist or the wrist of someone in your family. Of course, I am referring to those cute little W.W.J.D. bracelets that were, and maybe still are, so popular with kids and adults alike. What would Jesus say about the pious attitudes of so many who claim to be his followers?

This is the way the other gentleman and myself approached this ladies commentary. Did Jesus dumb down God’s law when he spoke to the masses of unsaved people? I believe he did through parables and simple explanations that met people where they were at in life. He never specified a dress code or said that you need to get it together before you enter my house, but instead said come as you are. As far as instruments go, I believe every instrument that existed at that time was used for worship in one form or another, and if it helped reach the lost in any way, I am sure Christ would be supportive. So did Jesus adapt to his culture, you bet he did, as well as the rest of his disciples. As Paul wrote, “I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some” (1 Corinthians 9:22). But was Jesus set apart, absolutely he was. He showed us a perfect example of how to love sinners without compromising his values or the truth. He changed not only their lives, but the whole world as well, not by enforcing the law, but by demonstrating grace. Of course, the religious people of his time did not see it that way. To them he was just a friend of sinners who was compromising the true word of God, at least their version of it. They were so upset that he was messing up their system and the way it had always been done that they felt they needed to eliminate him, even if they had to be a little dishonest to do it. I am sure they felt his death was for the greater good of their religion.

Unfortunately, things have not changed that much in two centuries. People who claim to be Godly are still trying to tear down churches and ministries that they feel are too much like the culture or are too different from the way they have always done it. It is true that God does not change. However, he works in multitudes of ways to achieve his purposes and cannot be confined by our finite understanding of him. Every creature in Gods creation has a way to adapt to their environment as it changes, and we should be no different.

So what did I get from my focus group tonight? Well I believe that our idea of how church should be is a matter of our focus. Are we more focused on our comfort and the way we like church to be to meet our needs, or are we focused on the great commission and reaching others at any cost. I wish I could say that is a rhetorical question, but unfortunately so many Christians today do not feel that reaching the lost is their top priority. So the question I pose to you, as well as to myself, what is your focus?