Whirling blades of steel
Pushing air
Here and there.
Always turning round
Fun to watch
Not to touch.
Taken for granted
Easy to find
In any size.
Hung from the ceiling
It looks very grand
For a lowly fan.
Mounted on a stand
You can have it
Where you want it.
The ordinary fan
What a story
It's very boring.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Monday, December 12, 2011
Call Me Christian
I am told by everyone I see today,
To carefully pick the words I say,
Don't say that Jesus is the only way,
You may not like the price you'll have to pay.
Our government, from the President down,
And wise men, wherever they may be found,
Want to find me guilty, without making a sound,
And if they had their way, I'd wear a thorny crown.
Tolerance and equality, are the songs the leaders sing,
I must agree with everyone, and believe in anything,
The words of love I speak to them, are like a scorpion's sting,
But they need to know the reason, for this hope to which I cling.
The time is quickly coming, and soon shall surely be,
When the One that I have longed for, will come to rescue me,
For by faith I have believed on Him who, as yet, I have not seen,
And expect to see my home in Heaven, He has built there just for me.
Oh come now unbelievers, to the cross of Calvary,
Where Christ will wash away your sins, His blood will set you free,
He'll give to you a robe of white, His face at last you'll see,
These treasures will be yours, my friends, if you will only now believe.
To carefully pick the words I say,
Don't say that Jesus is the only way,
You may not like the price you'll have to pay.
Our government, from the President down,
And wise men, wherever they may be found,
Want to find me guilty, without making a sound,
And if they had their way, I'd wear a thorny crown.
Tolerance and equality, are the songs the leaders sing,
I must agree with everyone, and believe in anything,
The words of love I speak to them, are like a scorpion's sting,
But they need to know the reason, for this hope to which I cling.
The time is quickly coming, and soon shall surely be,
When the One that I have longed for, will come to rescue me,
For by faith I have believed on Him who, as yet, I have not seen,
And expect to see my home in Heaven, He has built there just for me.
Oh come now unbelievers, to the cross of Calvary,
Where Christ will wash away your sins, His blood will set you free,
He'll give to you a robe of white, His face at last you'll see,
These treasures will be yours, my friends, if you will only now believe.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Our Modern Gospel (a sarcastic rant)
Jesus died to save me from financial ruin.
He wants me to have a nice car and a nice suit.
He gave up His life so my hair could be perfectly coiffed,
And my church could have 40,000 paying members.
Jesus hung on the cross so my kids would be pretty.
His desire is that they go to the best private schools.
He suffered in agony so I would never go hungry,
And that I would have everything I need to be comfortable.
Jesus shed His blood so I could sing cool songs on Sunday.
He loves for me to be well known in the right places.
He sits at the Father's right hand to hear what I have to say,
And make sure I get all that I asked for.
In Jesus Name, Amen.
He wants me to have a nice car and a nice suit.
He gave up His life so my hair could be perfectly coiffed,
And my church could have 40,000 paying members.
Jesus hung on the cross so my kids would be pretty.
His desire is that they go to the best private schools.
He suffered in agony so I would never go hungry,
And that I would have everything I need to be comfortable.
Jesus shed His blood so I could sing cool songs on Sunday.
He loves for me to be well known in the right places.
He sits at the Father's right hand to hear what I have to say,
And make sure I get all that I asked for.
In Jesus Name, Amen.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Sarcasm and Truth
Perfect world, flawless world
Look at me, point out my imperfections
Day after day, without fail
I long to be pure and spotless
Somewhere, someday.
Wise, intelligent men
Help me, cure me of my misperceptions
Remind me how I lost my tail
I hope to be so sure and doubtless
Somewhere, someday.
Reverent society, tolerant all
Guide me, change my wrong direction
Tell me again "there is no hell"
I want to be found blameless
Somewhere, someday.
Cold, loveless hearts
Follow me, I'll show you my affection
I'll tell you all there is to tell
I want you to find true forgiveness
Right here, right now.
Look at me, point out my imperfections
Day after day, without fail
I long to be pure and spotless
Somewhere, someday.
Wise, intelligent men
Help me, cure me of my misperceptions
Remind me how I lost my tail
I hope to be so sure and doubtless
Somewhere, someday.
Reverent society, tolerant all
Guide me, change my wrong direction
Tell me again "there is no hell"
I want to be found blameless
Somewhere, someday.
Cold, loveless hearts
Follow me, I'll show you my affection
I'll tell you all there is to tell
I want you to find true forgiveness
Right here, right now.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Suddenly Darkness
The darkness thick, no light could cut,
One foot in front of the other, but,
The ground itself seemed swallowed up,
Fear was starting to sink in.
Now, from somewhere, sounds arise,
Shouting, sobbing, pitiful cries,
As I struggle to see, I realize,
No light would ever be coming in.
Then suddenly aware of a horrible heat,
I could feel the flames burning my feet,
Then my thoughts started coming back to me,
I was dead, and in Hell for my sin.
I knew from stories there was a place far above,
That was so full of light, so full of love,
Now I wanted to go into that place I'd heard of,
But I was too late to enter in.
One foot in front of the other, but,
The ground itself seemed swallowed up,
Fear was starting to sink in.
Now, from somewhere, sounds arise,
Shouting, sobbing, pitiful cries,
As I struggle to see, I realize,
No light would ever be coming in.
Then suddenly aware of a horrible heat,
I could feel the flames burning my feet,
Then my thoughts started coming back to me,
I was dead, and in Hell for my sin.
I knew from stories there was a place far above,
That was so full of light, so full of love,
Now I wanted to go into that place I'd heard of,
But I was too late to enter in.
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Identity
There is nothing inherently wrong with long hair on men, tattoos, or piercings. That is quite an opening line, considering I don't necessarily care for any of them. I try not to look down on anyone that has them, but I wouldn't recommend any of them either. I have many friends that I love dearly, that have tattoos and piercings. I had my own ears pierced three times, many years ago. The long hair on men I mentioned because I used to have shoulder length hair, with a small ponytail, before I got saved. It seemed to bother a lot of people, older people anyway.
The reason I bring all this up, is because I was talking to a friend of mine today that has hair almost all the way down his back. Every time I see him, I kid him about getting it cut. The truth is, I don't care how long his hair is. I'm concerned about the fact that he CAN'T get it cut. It's become who he is. He's afraid he won't really be himself if he cuts his hair. To me, that's a little scary. I've talked to men who wouldn't shave their beards off if their life depended on it. It had become such a part of their identity that they couldn't even THINK of parting with it. It's this kind of thinking that might keep us from being able to give up things we don't need, so we can further the ministry God has given us.
I fell into that trap years ago. I said I would NEVER shave my beard. Then, I suddenly felt very vain. Since then, I grow it, shave it off, whatever feels right at the time. It's the same with the hair on my head. I am determined not to let ANY part of me become my only identity. It's the same with tattoos, piercings, whatever. I am more than one part of me. God created me to be an example of Himself. No one part of me, whether in my body, or my life, is more important than God. My identity is in Jesus Christ. Not in me.
The reason I bring all this up, is because I was talking to a friend of mine today that has hair almost all the way down his back. Every time I see him, I kid him about getting it cut. The truth is, I don't care how long his hair is. I'm concerned about the fact that he CAN'T get it cut. It's become who he is. He's afraid he won't really be himself if he cuts his hair. To me, that's a little scary. I've talked to men who wouldn't shave their beards off if their life depended on it. It had become such a part of their identity that they couldn't even THINK of parting with it. It's this kind of thinking that might keep us from being able to give up things we don't need, so we can further the ministry God has given us.
I fell into that trap years ago. I said I would NEVER shave my beard. Then, I suddenly felt very vain. Since then, I grow it, shave it off, whatever feels right at the time. It's the same with the hair on my head. I am determined not to let ANY part of me become my only identity. It's the same with tattoos, piercings, whatever. I am more than one part of me. God created me to be an example of Himself. No one part of me, whether in my body, or my life, is more important than God. My identity is in Jesus Christ. Not in me.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Feelings
The Bible implies that we will have all of our senses when we leave this life. Our spirits will be able to hear, feel, smell, see, and taste. Probably better than we do now. I am so glad to know this.
We will be able to hear Jesus say "Enter in, My good and faithful servant". We'll be able to see the nail scars on His hands and feet, and the side that was pierced. We'll feel His gentle hands wipe the tears from our eyes. We'll taste the wedding supper prepared just for us, and served to us by Jesus Himself. We'll smell the incense of His presence in Heaven. Our senses will be subjected to so much more. These are but a wonderful few.
Unfortunately, those that die lost, without ever having known Jesus as their Lord and Savior, will have their senses also. They'll feel the flames burning their spiritual bodies. They'll hear the screams of the countless others being tortured for all eternity. They'll smell the sulfur and the burning flesh. They'll see, but they'll see nothing but darkness. They will taste nothing but their own tongues as they chew on them, hoping for a small bit of relief from the heat and pain. They will also have the memories of all the opportunities they passed up. Opportunities for salvation. Thinking they had more time. Now, time is all they will have.
We will be able to hear Jesus say "Enter in, My good and faithful servant". We'll be able to see the nail scars on His hands and feet, and the side that was pierced. We'll feel His gentle hands wipe the tears from our eyes. We'll taste the wedding supper prepared just for us, and served to us by Jesus Himself. We'll smell the incense of His presence in Heaven. Our senses will be subjected to so much more. These are but a wonderful few.
Unfortunately, those that die lost, without ever having known Jesus as their Lord and Savior, will have their senses also. They'll feel the flames burning their spiritual bodies. They'll hear the screams of the countless others being tortured for all eternity. They'll smell the sulfur and the burning flesh. They'll see, but they'll see nothing but darkness. They will taste nothing but their own tongues as they chew on them, hoping for a small bit of relief from the heat and pain. They will also have the memories of all the opportunities they passed up. Opportunities for salvation. Thinking they had more time. Now, time is all they will have.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Sickness
Sickness causes your world to change
Your attitude goes from cheery to blah
A friend's sense of humor has no effect
You try so hard but you just can't relate
The light seems to fade when you don't really care
The sun keeps its distance, apparently, just in case
It's brightness would falter if your grayness was catching
So now your eyes grow dim, and your body grows cold
You don't care if life gets accomplished or not
Let someone that feels better take care of those things
You just want to focus on sleep, and more sleep
And finding more blankets, and a place to lie down
Sickness is one of those things that you dread
You know that it's coming, you just don't know when
Like death, it creeps up when you least expect it
Its' twinge, an unwanted feeling on the edge of your soul
Once on you, lest it defeat you, you fight it
The natural reaction of a weakened defense
No matter the cost, you give all you've got
Win or lose, you've done all you can do
Your attitude goes from cheery to blah
A friend's sense of humor has no effect
You try so hard but you just can't relate
The light seems to fade when you don't really care
The sun keeps its distance, apparently, just in case
It's brightness would falter if your grayness was catching
So now your eyes grow dim, and your body grows cold
You don't care if life gets accomplished or not
Let someone that feels better take care of those things
You just want to focus on sleep, and more sleep
And finding more blankets, and a place to lie down
Sickness is one of those things that you dread
You know that it's coming, you just don't know when
Like death, it creeps up when you least expect it
Its' twinge, an unwanted feeling on the edge of your soul
Once on you, lest it defeat you, you fight it
The natural reaction of a weakened defense
No matter the cost, you give all you've got
Win or lose, you've done all you can do
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Memories
I was thinking about memories today. Memories are funny things. It's one thing when you stop and think about events in your past, but when they pop up unexpectedly, it can be a little unsettling. I think of those kind as screen savers for the mind. When I'm not really thinking of anything in particular, suddenly, I'm back in my childhood, or on an old family vacation, or whatever. I'm guessing God put them there to keep us from completely shutting down, or slipping into a coma. I could be wrong though.
The memories that baffle me though, are the little snippets of the past that don't make any sense. I have several that are recurring. I'm still no closer to figuring them out. There's one with a baby in a diaper, looking out a storm door, crying loudly. I have no idea what this means. It could be something that was very traumatic at the time, and burned itself into my mind. I wish the rest of it would've hung around. I have several more that are a little disturbing, from my childhood, but I won't go there right now. I'm pretty sure I had an undiagnosed mental disorder as a child.
I love to think back on all the good things that have happened in my life. I also try to forget the bad stuff, but memories aren't always so easily forgotten. Some bad memories can actually be helpful. We can learn from our past mistakes.
As good as memories are, we can't live in our past. We have to stay focused on our present, and prepare for our future.
As the Bible says in Romans 8:28, "And we know that ALL things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."
Past, present, and future.
The memories that baffle me though, are the little snippets of the past that don't make any sense. I have several that are recurring. I'm still no closer to figuring them out. There's one with a baby in a diaper, looking out a storm door, crying loudly. I have no idea what this means. It could be something that was very traumatic at the time, and burned itself into my mind. I wish the rest of it would've hung around. I have several more that are a little disturbing, from my childhood, but I won't go there right now. I'm pretty sure I had an undiagnosed mental disorder as a child.
I love to think back on all the good things that have happened in my life. I also try to forget the bad stuff, but memories aren't always so easily forgotten. Some bad memories can actually be helpful. We can learn from our past mistakes.
As good as memories are, we can't live in our past. We have to stay focused on our present, and prepare for our future.
As the Bible says in Romans 8:28, "And we know that ALL things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."
Past, present, and future.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
A Simple Man
I am a simple man. Some people would say I'm simple in more ways than one, and they would probably be right. But, I live a simple life, with few distractions.
Goodwill is my favorite store. 99% of my clothes come from there. Almost all of those were bought on a Sunday for 99 cents apiece. As a matter of fact, I don't remember the last time I bought NEW clothes. The Bible says to be content with what you have. I TRY to do that. Like I said, I'm a simple man.
I don't keep up with all of the newest technology, so I don't worry about getting the next BIG THING. The only thing we have right now that's not SO simple, is an iPhone 4. Used iPhone 4's. The only reason we got them was to get rid of our home Internet. Now we're not tied down to a desk. We carry the Internet around with us. The cool thing is, the $60 a month for the data plan, for both phones, is the same amount we were paying for our Internet at home. Simple.
Next on our agenda is getting rid of our satellite TV. We don't watch much TV as it is, but we've kept it this long for local weather, but the funny thing is, whenever the weather gets bad, we lose our channels. We will still have a DVD player, and with a $20 cable running from our phone to our TV, we can watch Netflix. That's only $8 a month. Simple.
This lifestyle is not for everyone, so I'm not saying we're better than anyone else. It just WORKS for us. If you read John 6:26-29 it says, "Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs. But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of his approval.” They replied, “We want to perform God’s works, too. What should we do?” Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.” (New Living Translation).
That is a good philosophy. Enjoy life. Live SIMPLY for God.
Goodwill is my favorite store. 99% of my clothes come from there. Almost all of those were bought on a Sunday for 99 cents apiece. As a matter of fact, I don't remember the last time I bought NEW clothes. The Bible says to be content with what you have. I TRY to do that. Like I said, I'm a simple man.
I don't keep up with all of the newest technology, so I don't worry about getting the next BIG THING. The only thing we have right now that's not SO simple, is an iPhone 4. Used iPhone 4's. The only reason we got them was to get rid of our home Internet. Now we're not tied down to a desk. We carry the Internet around with us. The cool thing is, the $60 a month for the data plan, for both phones, is the same amount we were paying for our Internet at home. Simple.
Next on our agenda is getting rid of our satellite TV. We don't watch much TV as it is, but we've kept it this long for local weather, but the funny thing is, whenever the weather gets bad, we lose our channels. We will still have a DVD player, and with a $20 cable running from our phone to our TV, we can watch Netflix. That's only $8 a month. Simple.
This lifestyle is not for everyone, so I'm not saying we're better than anyone else. It just WORKS for us. If you read John 6:26-29 it says, "Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs. But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of his approval.” They replied, “We want to perform God’s works, too. What should we do?” Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.” (New Living Translation).
That is a good philosophy. Enjoy life. Live SIMPLY for God.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Your Purpose
You've got to love fall weather in Indiana. It's cold, rainy, windy, and the leaves just seem to fall off the trees all at once. Maybe you're struggling to find something that you actually LOVE about it, but here's what I love. It makes me THINK. There's something about how the shadows hit everything at different angles, the overcast days, just the overall BLAHness of the season. I can't really explain it, but I just love it.
Today, I'm standing here at work, wondering about my purpose in life. Why am I here? Am I doing the right things? Am I making a difference? During the summer, when life is so busy, I don't really have time to think about things like that a lot. Now that the weather keeps me inside, without much to do, it forces me to stop and contemplate my existence. I don't like to stop, and I don't like to be forced to do anything, but I do like to think. It drives my wife crazy. I'm ALWAYS thinking up new ideas; most of which never see the light of day. Oh well.
Anyway, like I was saying. My purpose. Anybody that knows me well, knows that I enjoy taking pictures. Anywhere, anytime, of almost anything. But, is that my purpose, to be the best photographer around? I like to write, but is that my purpose? I also like to play guitar, sing, laugh, and make other people laugh, and lots of other things. But are any of these things the reason that I was put here? In this place? At this time? In this life? The answer, I think, is a big YES. Yes to all of them.
To make a long story short, I believe our purpose, is to use all that we are, wherever we have been placed, to help those that need help, and most of all, to bring glory to God, The One that gave us all that we have;
Including our purpose.
Today, I'm standing here at work, wondering about my purpose in life. Why am I here? Am I doing the right things? Am I making a difference? During the summer, when life is so busy, I don't really have time to think about things like that a lot. Now that the weather keeps me inside, without much to do, it forces me to stop and contemplate my existence. I don't like to stop, and I don't like to be forced to do anything, but I do like to think. It drives my wife crazy. I'm ALWAYS thinking up new ideas; most of which never see the light of day. Oh well.
Anyway, like I was saying. My purpose. Anybody that knows me well, knows that I enjoy taking pictures. Anywhere, anytime, of almost anything. But, is that my purpose, to be the best photographer around? I like to write, but is that my purpose? I also like to play guitar, sing, laugh, and make other people laugh, and lots of other things. But are any of these things the reason that I was put here? In this place? At this time? In this life? The answer, I think, is a big YES. Yes to all of them.
To make a long story short, I believe our purpose, is to use all that we are, wherever we have been placed, to help those that need help, and most of all, to bring glory to God, The One that gave us all that we have;
Including our purpose.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Not So Funny Picture Of Life
I found some funny pictures on Facebook yesterday. They made me laugh, so I went to their website to see some more. From what I could see, about half of the pictures had some form of profanity, or women showing WAY too much skin. Unfortunately, no matter where you go on the Internet these days, you'll find that.
I got out of that website and decided to look for other websites advertised as 'funny pictures'. I found more of the same. Now, just to let you know, I don't make it a habit to look for 'those' kind of pictures. Just the opposite is true. As a Christian man, I do my best to stay away from them. The sad truth is, there are hardly any 'safe' places left on the Internet today. How many relationships have been ruined by someone going to the wrong place , out of curiosity. So sad, but true.
After thinking about what all I'd seen, I was even sadder. The way that women are portrayed everywhere today is disturbing. Their true value is diminished, and they are seen only as a collection of parts, to be ogled at, and drooled over. I personally think outward beauty CAN be appreciated, but the beauty inside of a woman should be much more treasured, and appreciated. Without that, she really has no beauty.
There is much more about this subject that I could discuss, such as: body issues in general; the 'Barbie effect', where society and the media are convincing younger and younger girls that they need to have the 'perfect' body; etc., but I want to end with this.
If a woman respects herself, she won't show her body off to anybody and everybody. And if a man respects her, and himself, he won't look.
I got out of that website and decided to look for other websites advertised as 'funny pictures'. I found more of the same. Now, just to let you know, I don't make it a habit to look for 'those' kind of pictures. Just the opposite is true. As a Christian man, I do my best to stay away from them. The sad truth is, there are hardly any 'safe' places left on the Internet today. How many relationships have been ruined by someone going to the wrong place , out of curiosity. So sad, but true.
After thinking about what all I'd seen, I was even sadder. The way that women are portrayed everywhere today is disturbing. Their true value is diminished, and they are seen only as a collection of parts, to be ogled at, and drooled over. I personally think outward beauty CAN be appreciated, but the beauty inside of a woman should be much more treasured, and appreciated. Without that, she really has no beauty.
There is much more about this subject that I could discuss, such as: body issues in general; the 'Barbie effect', where society and the media are convincing younger and younger girls that they need to have the 'perfect' body; etc., but I want to end with this.
If a woman respects herself, she won't show her body off to anybody and everybody. And if a man respects her, and himself, he won't look.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Walking By Faith - 6 haikus
You're walking by faith
Baby step, by baby step
Trying not to fall.
A lifelong journey
One turn after another
It can seem so long.
The cares of this life
Can start to get on your nerves
But don't give up yet.
There is a new life
It begins when this one ends
If you have been saved.
That's where faith comes in
Faith in One who died for you
And paid for your sins.
All because of Him
You can walk confidently
Praise His Holy Name.
Baby step, by baby step
Trying not to fall.
A lifelong journey
One turn after another
It can seem so long.
The cares of this life
Can start to get on your nerves
But don't give up yet.
There is a new life
It begins when this one ends
If you have been saved.
That's where faith comes in
Faith in One who died for you
And paid for your sins.
All because of Him
You can walk confidently
Praise His Holy Name.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Who I Am
you say you want me
to be a part of you?
you say i'll fit in just fine?
you hardly ever see me,
but you think you know all about me.
don't look at me
through gray-colored glasses,
my colors run deep,
you'll miss the real me.
look at me as my Creator does.
He sees me for who i am.
don't see me
in someone else's clothes,
they won't fit.
don't see me
with a different attitude,
it's who i am.
my words may not always come out
just the way you like,
but my thoughts
and my ideas
are all mine.
they're who i am.
you say you want me?
be careful what you ask for.
because what you see
is what you will get.
to be a part of you?
you say i'll fit in just fine?
you hardly ever see me,
but you think you know all about me.
don't look at me
through gray-colored glasses,
my colors run deep,
you'll miss the real me.
look at me as my Creator does.
He sees me for who i am.
don't see me
in someone else's clothes,
they won't fit.
don't see me
with a different attitude,
it's who i am.
my words may not always come out
just the way you like,
but my thoughts
and my ideas
are all mine.
they're who i am.
you say you want me?
be careful what you ask for.
because what you see
is what you will get.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
The Circle
The leaves are starting to fall,
The season of change has begun;
Just like their Creator,
They have tasted death on a tree;
Except, their bodies will decay
And go back to the earth,
To be scattered by the wind;
Their places taken, next spring,
By new life, full of hope,
And awaiting their inevitable outcome.
But, until then,
They serve their purpose,
Faithful to the tree.
The season of change has begun;
Just like their Creator,
They have tasted death on a tree;
Except, their bodies will decay
And go back to the earth,
To be scattered by the wind;
Their places taken, next spring,
By new life, full of hope,
And awaiting their inevitable outcome.
But, until then,
They serve their purpose,
Faithful to the tree.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Hope Concert
We had a great time of praise and worship Sunday night at Bundy Auditorium. The Buchannon Unity provided the most powerful singing and playing that I've been a part of in a LONG time. The Lord was in our midst the whole night. There was a young girl saved, which is what it's all about.
I took this picture from behind the band while we were singing in the choir. What a great night. I'm glad I was there.
I took this picture from behind the band while we were singing in the choir. What a great night. I'm glad I was there.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
New Blog
I have started a new blog to use with my new iPhone 4. My wife and I have just gotten used phones, and we are going to cancel our home internet, and satellite TV. We are unplugging our home from any outside media. We are now mobile.
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