Federal Mandate Kills Hundreds of Thousands of Red Snapper in Gulf of Mexico

Staccato Preaching

Preacher, stop yelling and talking so fast.  It’s unnerving.  And unnecessary. 

Fast talk, loudness, rapid-fire delivery, and overpowering theatrics take away your listeners’ ability to think about what you’re saying.  All that demonstration is distracting.  And it feels like you're attacking people.

The staccato delivery of some preachers – of some entire denominations – is a wonder to me.

It’s not in the Bible.

They’re clearly learning it from one another.

As though people in the Bible imitated Jacob’s limp or Moses’ lisp.

Come on, guys.  Stop it.

Nowhere in Scripture do we see Jesus shifting into oratorical overdrive and putting on a show or demonstration for people.  Instead, He talked to them, explained things, and taught them.

Scripture even says He “sat down” to teach.

Stop pacing back and forth on the stage like a caged lion, waving your arms wildly in the air, and trying to wax eloquent.  It’s distracting, immature, and doesn’t add one iota of anointing.

Frugal Living

1.  The main goal is to spend less than you earn.  Your income must be greater than your expenditures.  Cut the fat.  Cut unnecessary expenses and purchases.   Be “in the black” with every paycheck you earn.  Every week, every pay period.

2.  Never pay retail.  That’s right.  Never pay retail.  Look for sales.  Learn to barter.  Learn to dicker.  Use coupons.  Ask for discounts.  Buy used.

3.  Buy only what you need – not what you want.  In our society “wants” and “needs” mean the same thing, but when it comes to saving money they are polar opposites.

Your basic needs are food, water, shelter, and transportation.  You need these things to survive.  But take a closer look at these basic needs.  Just because you need food doesn’t mean you need to eat out all the time.  Dine at home instead.  You can make a large meal (and healthier) for pennies on the dollar compared to eating in restaurants.

4.  Save money.  Pay yourself with every paycheck.  If you have budgeted money to make a car payment or other bills, then you can set aside money in your budget to pay yourself.

5.  Plant a garden.  There are few things more satisfying than planting, cultivating, and harvesting a garden.  Besides, raising your own food saves a little money and is healthier than what you can buy.  Guaranteed. 

6. Be healthy and live a healthy lifestyle.  Nothing can send you into a downward financial spiral like medical bills, planned or unplanned.  Maintaining a healthy body through healthy living is essential.  Do everything in your power to be healthy and you can save hundreds (and thousands) of dollars in medical bills each year.

7.  Do it yourself.  DIY has become an acronym for those brave hearts who take on and complete projects themselves.  You Tube is one of the greatest learning tools available today.  If you have the skill set and willingness to learn, you can complete almost any project yourself and save a lot of money doing it.  Gardening, for example, can be counted as a DIY project.

By completing projects yourself, you will save money.  You can paint the house, sew curtains, refinish furniture that you picked up at a garage sale, build a fence, re-work clothing, and repair equipment – the list of DIY projects is endless.

Make Your Kitchen the Best Restaurant in Town

Stuffed Sweet Peppers before going on the grill

Fresh off the grill.
This is how we rock around here.

Six Reasons to NOT Live a Simple Life

I’ve been dreaming about homestead living (and living a simpler life) for a long time now.  I’ve even taken tangible steps in that direction and have gotten my feet wet to get a feel for what it’s like.

One thing I have discovered about simple living is there is nothing simple about it!  There’s a lot of hard work, manual labor, and sweating involved – not to mention the realignment of priorities. 

Here are a few reasons to NOT live a simple lifestyle:

1.  I won’t be “connected” as much.  Less TV.  Less internet.  Little or no Facebook.  Less cell phone.  And God forbid, I won’t know what happened to those celebrities in LA or the Real Housewives of Atlanta.  Good Morning America is out too.

If you will miss “being in the loop” to this kind of information, then sitting on the back porch sipping on a glass of tea watching the sunset will have little appeal.

2.  It’s just too much work.  Baking from scratch?  Cooking fresh vegetables?  Whatever happened to picking up those nice greasy pizzas at the local take out joint?  And what’s up with “real food?”  I’m pretty sure the Hamburger Helper I served last night was real… it came out of a real box!

3.  Raising animals?  Sounds stinky.  Cleaning out pens, buying feed, and collecting my own eggs.  What’s wrong with paying .99 cents for those white colored eggs from Wal-Mart?  Besides, farm-fresh eggs with brown shells look so funny when your crack them open – the yolk is not yellow, it’s orange!  And seriously, why would you want to raise chickens?  Don’t you know they make chicken nuggets in factories and put them in packages for sale?

4.  What’s wrong with mainstream goodies?  If over-consumerism is your path to pleasure, don't get out into nature and don't let your kids play outdoors.  You’ll be miserable listening to birds and watching them build nests.

5.  And seriously, who needs to be organized?  If you are a hoarder you might get yourself on TV.  To be organized, however, means you would have to downsize and clean out all the time.  It would mean getting rid of that closet full of clothes and shoes that you haven’t worn in the last 2-3 years, the stack of papers in the corner, and all the junk in your attic.  If you would rather look for the TV remote under that pile of debris, instead of living in an uncluttered house, then a simple life is not for you.

And for a bonus….

6.  Why would anyone want to be debt free?  If you believe life is not worth living unless you can indulge in every want and whim – the nicest automobiles, clothes, restaurants, movies, entertainment, clothes, and the biggest house on the block – then simple living will be a bummer for you.  A simple lifestyle means to be free from those fleeting pleasures (and the anxiety the accompanying debt brings). 

Plus, being debt free will mean having to come up with  a budget and doing super-boring things like balancing your checkbook, putting some money in savings for the future, and paying your bills on time instead of picking up Chinese takeout on your credit card.  Where’s the fun in that?

On the other hand, if things like independence, self-sufficiency, breaking free from consumerism, being the head and not the tail, saving money, having freedom, being outdoors, being with family and pursuing the simple pleasures of life are appealing to you, then it’s worth the effort.

What (we) the Redeemed Know that Unbelievers Cannot Understand

“But the natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, neither can he know them, for the are spiritually discerned” (I Corinthians 2:14).

I was sitting in church recently during the song service thinking about what unbelievers say concerning our worship of God and how we practice our Christian faith.  Most simply do not get it.

1.  Some say we are taking the easy way out, that we use Jesus as an escape or crutch.  My main response to this is laughter.  It’s anything but easy, but only a true believer would know that.  We’re swimming upstream in a downstream world.  What’s easy about that?  Nothing.

I know a lot people who suffer greatly for the cause of Christ.  If it were easy, they would have bailed a long time ago.

And let’s not forget about the 300 girls in Nigeria who were recently kidnapped by a slave trader.  Many of these girls were Christians in their faith.  No, it’s not easy being a follower of Christ.

2.  Some say we give money (tithes and/or offerings) to buy God’s approval.  Another joke.  As I dropped my tithe into the offering bag last Sunday, I thought about this too.  The amount of the check represents a significant sacrifice for me.  And yet, I make the check payable to PCC and send it on its merry way, knowing what it will accomplish for our church and for Christ’s work.

And you think I’m trying to earn favors with the Heavenly Father?  Not even close.

Those of us who are truly redeemed give out of gratitude and faith, out of obedience and love.  Period.

3.  Some seem to think we follow Jesus because we are afraid of dying lost.  Again, they missed it by a country mile.  Sure, I don’t want to die lost.  And I don't want to spend eternity in a place of torment.  But honestly, I rarely think about going to hell anymore.  Jesus Christ has taken that burden from me.  “There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).

But I must confess that fear of dying lost was an initial motivator for me to surrender my life to Christ.  But that was half a lifetime ago, and I am so glad the burden of it has been lifted.

There is so much more that unbelievers simply do not understand:

• The nature of Scripture and why we love it
• The reason for our obedience and why we delight in obeying His commandments
• The love we have for one another
• Our humble courage and our courageous humility
• Our imperfections and the unlimited grace of the Lord Jesus Christ
• And why we work for the Lord – not in order to get to heaven – but because we are grateful for His goodness towards us.

This is why our Lord put one massive, earth-shattering requirement on anyone who would enter His kingdom:  You have to become as a little child (Mark 10:15; Luke 18:16; I Corinthians 14:20; I Peter 2:2).

And let’s be honest.  That is a deal-breaker for many people who pride themselves on their intellect or self-determination.

How does a brilliant man or woman – one with a superior mind – go about humbling himself or herself and “becoming as a child?”

Most can’t. 

They are spiritually blind.

And only a sovereign act of God can change their blindness.

Turn to God and He will not turn you away.

You’re invited to the inside.  It's time to come in from the cold.

Dinner Tonight

BBQ Chicken and grilled vegetables (potatoes, onion, carrots, sweet peppers, garlic scapes, and freshly sliced pineapple).

Early Onion and Garlic

Today I thinned my onion and garlic. This is what I brought home for immediate use. The rest should be ready for harvest in 3 weeks, and will be very large at that time.

Garden, May 2014

This is a large garden

Cucumber Vine

Cucumbers are starting to put on

Bell Pepper

Squash Plant

Squash are beginning to put on

Onions are beginning to bulb

Potato blooms

Sunday Mind Dump - May 4, 2014

I was very challenged by today’s message – not only on a personal level and the way I live my own life (regarding idols of the heart) – but also as a preacher and having to say those things.  I believe I was as accurate (and faithful) to the text as I could be, but it is always difficult for me to say challenging things.  And, I always recognize that a sermon like that has the potential for a lot of push back.

That message went through endless revisions.

I always have to remind myself that even Jesus Himself did not please everyone who listened to Him.  And I also have to remind myself that God’s people – those who truly have a sincere heart to please Him – will be receptive to His Word.  If I succeed in edifying none but these, I have accomplished God’s work.  

One man, a father, and a Pensacola Police Officer sent me a private message online asking me to send him the list of values (I mentioned in the sermon) that I would like to pass along to my two sons if I had only five minutes left to live.

Did you know that within PCC's congregation we have people who are not American citizens, or this is not their country of origin. We have people from Argentina, Cuba, Brazil, the Philippines, Germany, England, Australia, and Canada? Plus, we have many people of color who worship at PCC, and even a few inter-racial marriages. This is the flock I am the under-shepherd of and I am very mindful of this diversity, being sensitive to their concerns and perspectives. After service, a lady from the Philippines thanked me profusely for the general tone of the message. If you were there, you know the part. The sacred cows of American religion were skewered.

Facebook is loaded with good comments.

Our Safety Team really stepped it up today.  They had “eyes on” in a potential situation.  The service they provide for me, Renae, and our entire congregation is amazing.  Most people don’t realize the protection they offer us, but Renae and I (among many others) fully understand.  We feel vulnerable (sometimes) in a public setting with so many hundreds of people (in today’s climate of violence). Churches are soft targets for lunatics.  So it feels good knowing that a team of capable men have “got our six.”

BTW, I really like attending PCC.  We really do have a good church family.

This Wednesday evening we are having a Picnic On the Grounds in the PCC Park.  It is a Boston Butt cook-off.  Bring your lawn chairs, some side dishes, something to drink, a good appetite, and a few guests.

We have the best butts in town.

Sorry, I couldn’t resist.

GARDEN STUFF

I’ve had to repair my garden three times this spring; one due to freezing temperatures, and two times as a result of too much rain.

This last rain storm was the worst.  I spent three days (Thursday after work, Friday after work, and all day Saturday) repairing the damage.  But all is good now.

My garden is about to TAKE OFF.

The potatoes are in bloom and thriving.  I should be able to harvest them in 3 or 4 weeks.  I will have hundreds of pounds.

My onion and garlic are doing good too.  The onions are beginning to bulb on the surface.  I always get so excited to see this.  Onions and garlic are grow underground – they take about six months to mature – so I don’t always know what is happening.  So when they being to “show” themselves, I am very pleased.

I have cucumbers and squash putting on right now too.    Very, very pleased.

I think this year’s garden will be my best ever.

PERSONAL

We should get our house plans this week for a first review.  After a couple of revisions and engineering, they will be submitted to the county offices for permitting.

Renae and I can’t wait to build our new home.  We’re a little stressed about it, but we are up to the challenge.

We have faced so many mountains together in our lives thus far, that building a home will be doable. 

The more I think about our house plans, the more I like them and the lifestyle they will offer us.

The total square footage is a little larger than I thought we would decide on. But it’s not so big that it’s impractical for us.  Our last home was 1900 sq ft.  The plans we are working on now are about 2300 sq ft.  The extra space is the size of one large room.

In addition, we’ve planned a lot of porch space and a covered carport.  This adds to the total square footage of concrete we have to pay for – so this is where critical decisions have to be made.

The most important thing for us is that we will be living on a five acre parcel and plan to use it for a homestead lifestyle:  gardening, canning, fruit trees, raising chickens, etc.  It will be fun to have the grandchildren over for things like that.  We also look forward to family gatherings and large cookouts with friends.

Even now I take my grandson, Nolan, on tractor rides around the property.  He loves it. 

So do I.

It seems “grandfatherly.”

FISHING

I’ve gotten my fair share of fishing this spring.  Mostly in the sound, near the pass.  It’s been a lot of fun, but the weather has been challenging.  Too much cold.

With the recent rains, the water is now muddy and full of silt.  It will take weeks to clear up.

Good for me, I have a fishing trip planned for Lake Talquin in three weeks.  We will be fishing for Crappie.  Looking forward to it.

Mostly looking forward to a week out of town.

The cabin we stay in is on a bluff overlooking the lake.  It has a Million Dollar View.  The pure scenery is worth the cost of the trip itself, not to mention the 10,000 acre lake and 20,000 acre wildlife sanctuary surrounding the place.  Both are full of wildlife.  Especially beautiful.

Blessings.

"Dear children, keep yourselves from idols." (I John 5:21).