Is Divorce really what you want?

If you've been divorced this post may offend you. If it does, I'm so sorry because that certainly isn't my intent. But if you are married and especially married with children, this post is for you. We know what the Bible says about divorce and I think so many have heard it so many times that they may tend to ignore it; mostly because, I think, people know that God will forgive them when they do wrong. Given that, I'm not going to reference God or His will. I just want to focus on marriage.

Book after book has been written on this subject so I'm sure that I may not have any original thoughts. Tonight, Kalli and I went to Olive Garden and a lady with her two young girls was eating beside us and she didn't have a wedding ring on. Does that mean she is divorced? No. But going with the odds, she probably is. They were happy and having a fun time but I thought about how sad it was that these girls daddy wasn't with them.

When you first got married and were in love, did you say things to your newlywed spouse like "if we stay together" or "I hope we make it"? I doubt it. Those newlywed emotions run deep and hot, so hot that they tend to cool off after a while. That's no surprise and certainly not a profound statement. What's left when the newlywed feelings aren't so hot is marriage. Too many couples focus so hard on those newlywed feelings that they lose sight of why they have those feelings. They have them because they are with the one that they love and it's exciting to know that you will have them the rest of your life. That is the phrase that too many couples let go of so quickly; "the rest of your life". If your wedding vows were like mine and Kim's they included a "till death do us part" and "through better and/or worse". That is one heck of a commitment, a life-long commitment.

So when couples with children get divorced, what do they teach their children? First, they teach them that it is OK to quit on what is important. We teach our children to not quit. If they start something they can't quit. The more effort a kid puts into something, like sports, the more we encourage them when things get hard. We tell them something like "you've put so much into this, you've worked so hard, please don't quit now or you will regret it for the rest of your life". A friend of mine had a son who wanted to quit a sport during his senior season. He told him that the decision is his son's but he encouraged him not to quit and explained in great detail the impact it would have on the rest of his life. Even though it was hard and his situation didn't get easier, the boy stuck with it. He was glad he did and had no regrets for it.

A divorce also teaches kids that things worth having aren't worth working for. We teach our kids "if it's worth having then it's worth working for". How is the biggest commitment that you've ever made not worth working for? We teach our kids that if you want to be smart, you have to study. If you want to make better grades, you have to study harder. We all want a better marriage yet so many aren't willing to put any more effort into it.

In my opinion the problem boils down to two simple things; pride and selfishness.  I know this isn't new information but I can't stress how important these two things are and how they have no place in marriage. So if I'm telling you to work to keep your marriage, what work do you do? From my own experience, Kim and I spent a lot of time "working" at keeping those newlywed feelings. We spent years trying to get back that newlywed passion that we had. But if you want that fire back in your marriage or if you just want to keep your marriage the work shouldn't be spent on kindling passion and emotions. When you work at those things, you are trying to do work on your spouse. If it doesn't work then you may blame your spouse instead of yourself. The real work that needs to take place in marriage is the work that you do on you.

Most people, if not all, don't want to admit they are selfish. But you show me a failing marriage and I'll show you a marriage where one or both spouses are selfish. What is being selfish? Being selfish is simply putting your wants and needs ahead of your spouses. I'm not talking about serving yourself before your spouse. I'm not talking about spending your money on your spouse instead of yourself. What I'm talking about is when your feelings, your happiness is more important than your spouses. If you are struggling in your marriage, I encourage you to look inward at yourself first. Are you putting your happiness ahead of your spouse? Are you not giving your spouse what they want because "God didn't make you like that"? It's all about effort. Your spouse needs to see that you are willing to do ANYTHING for them, even if it's out of your comfort zone. And I'm really talking about meeting emotional needs not physical needs. Physical needs are important but emotional needs are so much more important. Your spouse needs, I mean really needs to know that you love them and they really are important enough to you that you committed the rest of your life to them.

What keeps people from being unselfish? Pride. Plain and simple, pride keeps you from doing the things your spouse needs and wants. When was the last time you said you were sorry when you really weren't? When was the last time that you held your tongue instead of saying what was on your mind? If you tend to say what is on your mind, even if it starts a fight then you have pride issues. If you never apologize just to keep the peace, especially before a fight starts, then you have pride issues. We teach our kids to take pride in what they do and we should. That kind of pride is good. When was the last time you thought about taking pride in your marriage? Or more, when was the last time that you took pride in your spouse? When was the last time that you felt proud to be married to them?

Marriage is hard, I know. Divorce rates are at 50% or higher inside and outside of the church. You can't worry about statistics and you can't use them as an excuse. A long time ago, I learned that if you wanted to succeed at anything you had to avoid "relative comparisons". Relative comparisons are when you compare what you're doing to someone else. It's when you say "I may not be great but I'm better than my neighbor". In marriage, we can't do that. The only thing that is important in marriage (outside of God) is your spouse. IT'S NOT YOU. You married the person that you're living with (or separated from) with the intention to be with them until you die. So you can't settle for a failing marriage and justify it because it hasn't failed yet like your neighbors did.

Love isn't that passion you felt as a newlywed. Love is the commitment you made to your spouse. Love is "till death do us part" and "for better or worse". If you want to teach your kids one of the most valuable lessons they could learn, show them how to love.

I know it is hard to do these things when your spouse isn't. But I can almost guarantee that if you put in the effort to work on yourself, your spouse will notice. If you haven't seen the movie "Firerproof" or haven't seen it in a while, watch it and watch it soon. Like I said, my thoughts aren't original they just can't be said enough.

I know there are times when divorce can't be avoided like spousal abuse. If your spouse is abusing you, I encourage you to get out now. However, there is a difference between being insensitive and being abusive.

I encourage you, I beg you, to strive for a prosperous marriage. I know you think your spouse is the problem and you may be right. However, if you will look to be a better spouse your efforts won't go unnoticed. It may take a while but it will be well worth it in the end. I can't think of a time when I said to myself "I wish I would have started that fight instead of holding my tongue".  If you need prayer about this Kim and I would be happy to pray for you.  You can reach me at johnkn.home@gmail.com.

If you live completely for Jesus today, you won't regret tomorrow what you did yesterday.
I love you and God does too!
John

Does Bad Company Really Corrupt Good Character?

Bad company corrupts good character.  That's what my mom told me.  That's what I've told my children.  That's what I've told converted Christians that wanted to witness in bars.  But does bad company really corrupt good character???

When I think about the life of Jesus I have to answer "not all of the time".  Jesus was our perfect example and, other than the disciples, He hung out with bad company.  Where did Jesus eat many of his meals?  He ate with tax collectors who were considered the worst sinners because they generally stole from the poor.  Tax collectors like Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10) and Matthew (Matt:9-11) hosted Jesus.  But according to Matt 9:10,11 there were plenty of sinners there.  Sinners like tax collectors, prostitutes, and Pharisees.  In Matt 9:12 Jesus went on to say that "It isn't the healthy that need a doctor but the sick", referring to "bad company" as the sick.

So bad company only corrupts good character some of the time.  Really?  I wonder which times that is.  This just doesn't make sense to me.  Jesus is our perfect example, our moral compass if you will (WWJD).  Jesus said that the "bad company" are the ones that need a physician so we need to know which bad company will corrupt good character and which ones won't.

The problem with my thinking is that I'm focusing on the bad company as being the problem.  Really, the problem with bad company corrupting good character isn't the bad company.  Bad company is bad company, we shouldn't be surprised when sinners sin.  Good character on the other hand is a different story.  Good character isn't supposed to go bad.  

When Jesus went to the men with leprosy (Luke 17:11-19) Jesus didn't catch it.  He healed them.  When Jesus hung out with sinners He didn't sin, His good character was incorruptible. In my opinion, the reason for this is because everywhere that He went He looked to serve in as humble and loving way possible.  I'm not saying that He served up booze, porn, or drugs.  What I am saying is that He served with love, providing what the bad company really needed, with love.  He didn't tell the prostitute and tax collectors "YOUR GOING TO HELLLLLL".  That's what He basically told the Pharisees.  

So with all of that, I have to make the declaration that bad company does NOT corrupt good character!  However, I will say that "bad company corrupts average character" or "bad company corrupts mediocre character".  

The type of ministry that Jesus did is not for the faint of heart.  We like to compare ourselves to the disciples and hope that we can find similarities.  The fact is that Jesus did not let His disciples minister to "bad company" unequipped.  Jesus told them to wait on the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:49, John 14: 16,17) after He was crucified.  The reason was He knew that they must have the power of the Holy Spirit to be able to endure and maintain there good character.

God has called us to witness in the highways and byways (Luke 14:23).  He wants us to server others.  You've heard the saying that "love is a verb", well Christianity should be an action word too.  Am I telling you to go to a bar alone to witness?  Absolutely not!  However, you should listen to the Holy Spirit and go where He draws you.  If you find yourself in a situation where you aren't serving the "bad company" that you are around, you should probably ask yourself why you are there.

Live for Jesus completely today so that tomorrow, you won't regret what you did yesterday.

God loves you and I do too!

It's never too late

A few weeks ago, pastor Brad used Jeremiah 18:1-4 in a message series that he preached.  Since then, that scripture has been echoing in my mind.  The NLT version reads like this:

The Lord gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, 2 “Go down to the potter’s shop, and I will speak to you there.” 3 So I did as he told me and found the potter working at his wheel.4 But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over.

Verse 4 is what resonates with me.  God specifically was telling Jeremiah that Israel had not turned out as he intended, so like a potter does clay, he was going to crush Israel and start over.  This verse makes me think about my personal life and testimony.  I can see myself on the Potter's wheel and things are spinning and He is molding me as planned.  But then a flaw comes out of the clay that messes up the pot.  As long as I am willing to accept being crushed, the Potter takes me back to a form he can work with and starts again.

Sometimes, the Potter has to completely crush me because the flaw is so big that I just have to go back to the beginning.  Sometimes, he just has to use a tool to dig out an imperfection.  This may leave a scar but that will become part of my testimony.

Obviously, I use this verse when I do prison ministry because everyone knows that a felon needs to start over.  But how about us?  How willing are we to let God crush us into a lump of clay so he can start over with us?  Too often, I'm afraid, we tell God "not yet, let me finish here and then you can have me".  Or just as bad, we see other flawed jars and we tell God that our flaw isn't so bad, especially compared to our neighbor.

Probably the saddest situation is the person that thinks that their flaws are too bad for God to want to fix.  Or maybe they think they aren't important enough for God to fix.  I know this sounds crazy but after talking to the people that I have over the years, you should never be surprised how someone may think or feel.  I have met so many people that just didn't feel worthy to be saved or "fixed".  There are so many hurting people that don't realize that what they have done just doesn't matter to God.  All He cares about is whether you are a willing vessel that is willing to let Him mold you.  Are you?

God loves people, period!  He may hate sin but he loves people.  He loves drunks, drug addicts, child molesters, adulterers, homosexuals, murderers, and liars...to name a few.  He will forgive sins and THEN put you on the Potter's wheel for him to mold.  God is ready to forgive sins and accept you as you are, we just have to be willing vessels.

God loves you and I do too!

Daddy's little Girl

Early this week when I took Kassi to school, I dropped her off at Mary Blount Elementary. When we left our house on Bingham Lane, we kissed Kim and my baby Kalli goodbye. As I walked Kassi into Kindergarten, we talked about all the fun things she would do that day. She gave me a big kiss and a big hug when we got to her class room.

When I got home from work, Kim and I sat at the dinner table with my 6 year-old Kassi and my 17 month old Kalli. Kassi told us about her day. I asked if she had any boyfriends and she said "daddy, I'll never have a boyfriend because I'm going to marry you when I grow up". At this moment, if you were in my mind, you could hear the loud sound of screeching tires coming to an abrupt stop in my head. THAT WASN'T LAST WEEK!!! THAT WAS 10 YEARS AGO!!!

Oh my how time flies. It really does seem like yesterday that my kids were so young. Now, Kassi is 16 and Kalli is 11 and we brought Kelsi into the mix a couple of years ago. It still amazes both Kim and me that we a) have three kids b) one of them is 16 and c) one of them is 2. An 11 year-old maybe, surely we are the right age for an 11-year old. But I feel way to young for a 16 year-old and way too old for a two year-old.

It seems like just early this week, I didn't have to worry about Kassi dating because she was going to marry me and live with Kim and me forever. I know that was just early this week, had to be. Last night, reality sunk in as Kassi and I sat watching her boyfriend play football. When did this happen??!! Early this week, it seemed like my worries about Kassi were "I hope the other kids don't make fun of her for being too tall", "Kassi is a loner, I hope she learns to make friends", "I hope the teacher is good to her", and "I hope she talks to other kids about Jesus". My worries have changed significantly. Now my worries are "I hope Kassi stays away from boys", "I hope Kassi stays away from boys", "I hope Kassi stays away from boys"...I think you get the picture.

The fact is that as Kassi grows up, she is not going to stay away from boys. She is a beautiful, smart young woman and the boys have noticed that. So my focus as a father has changed over the years from "Boy bad, ball good" to "I must pick the right Husband for Kassi. I know you're thinking that I'm crazy for saying that I'm gong to pick her husband and in that sense, you're right. However, when I say that I'm going to pick her husband I mean that it is up to me to see to it that that she only date appropriate suitors.

I want my daughters to marry a man of God and I will do everything in my power to see to that. He must be a man, not that he has to be 6'3" and 225 lbs and can bench press 400 lbs. That isn't the definition of a man. A man, first and foremost, is a man of God. This means he is a protector, provider, leader and a teacher. He must be Godly and holy. He must put God ahead of everything.

Any boy that wants to date my daughter must not only live up to my standards but to God's standards. He will come to the door each time to pick my daughter up and he will come inside to speak with me. He will not wait in his car. He will open doors for my daughter. He will speak to her as though I were standing over them during every conversation. He will read his bible and be prepared for conversations with me about what he has been reading. He will only touch her in a way that he would as if I were with them. He will not use foul or vulgar language. He will not use alcohol or drugs. He will not associate with people that do use alcohol or drugs.

Fathers, it is our responsibility for our daughters to know what a man of God looks like. Does your daughters see you do any of the things on my list that I would not allow a boy to do to my daughter? Do they see you do the things that I said the boy should do? You want to know what kind of husband your daughter may end up with? Look at yourself. If you have a good relationship with your wife and daughter, she is going to want to marry someone like you, good bad or indifferent. Because lets face it, every little girl wants to marry her daddy when she grows up.

I love you and God does too!

Foul Ball

The aricle below is taken directly from what I read this morning in my family life devotional (familylife.com) by Dennis Rainey.  This is something I am guilty of more often than I care to admit.  I'm sure I was guilty of it today when I was asking my daughter why she had to go outside to get her backpack.  Wouldn't life be easier if you just pick your "stuff" up when you get out of the car was my comment to her. 

Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise.
Ephesians 5:15

I've often wondered why more people don't get hurt by foul balls that are hit into the stands during a baseball game. You'd think it would happen almost every time, especially those line drives that carom through an entire seating section. But even on those occasions when a stray ball does leave a lump or a bruise, you can hardly blame the batter, can you? I mean, he's not out to intentionally harm anyone. It's just what happens in the flow of the game, right?

That's probably not the way Baltimore Orioles' Jay Gibbons felt not long ago when he fouled a pitch straight back over the screen. That's because this time, his wayward swing didn't threaten a nine-year-old sitting there with his cap and glove or a hot-dog vendor walking the steps or a pair of buddies taking in a game together.

No, Jay's foul ball hit his own wife right in the ribcage.

He didn't mean to. It wasn't intentional.

This story reminded me of those sarcastic remarks we sometimes let slip.

Or those little unkind things we foul off. Or those grunts we utter when we think the magazine article we're reading is much more interesting and important than what the wife is saying.

A foul ball can hurt as much as a direct hit. A fairly insignificant slight or accusation--especially when it's allowed to fester and accumulate and build on the last one--can bruise your relationship. That's why you must guard against minor, offhand offenses. Stop occasionally and go see if your words are hurting anyone--your spouse, a child or a friend.

Careless words. A lapse in judgment. Foul balls. And foul words. But whether intended or not, they can still carom with enough speed to wound and injure the ones you love the most.

Be careful with your words and choose your battles wisely.  Those we love are more important than being right all the time.

I love you and God does too!

I HATE....

The old man, ugh!  I hate him.  I try to never think about him….EVER!!!  Why?  The old man was so displeasing to God.  The old man would act like he tried to please God so that others could see but in reality, he was a fake and a liar.  Sin was OK to him.  The old man was not me, I hate the old man. 

Yes, the old man dies every day (1 Cor15:31) but that doesn’t mean that I truly have to face him.  He dies everyday because Christ Jesus lives in me.  Not only does Jesus live in me, His spirit flows through me.  This makes sin the farthest thing from my mind.  When faced with sin, I’m not faced with the old man.  No, rather I’m presented an opportunity to “…resist the devil and he’ll flee from me” (James 4:7).  Any temptation of sin does not make me think about the old man nor my old life.  It simply reminds me how I’ve been redeemed, forgiven, and Jesus is my strength. 

But every now and then, I mean once in a blue moon, something or someone reminds me of that old man and his sinful ways.  It makes me sick to think about how I didn’t care to displease God.  I hate sin!  I hate EVERY part of that old man and old life before I was reconciled to God.  I thank God for his forgiveness and for his divine protection.  We learn from our mistakes so that we NEVER repeat them so I guess it is good to sometimes remember who we used to be so that we can always HATE that person and hate the sin. 

I know what I’ve said sounds harsh but we must remember that God hates sin too.  If we commit just one sin we have earned hell’s fire.  That is why it was necessary for Jesus to die for our sins…His death is our eternal sacrifice for sin.  Each and every time that we sin, we are killing Jesus all over again so that we can accept his forgiveness.

If your old-man hasn’t died to Christ, today can be your day of salvation.

I love you and god does too!

YOU can do something great!

There is something that our pastor (Brad) has been mentioning a lot at church lately and that is many of our biblical heroes were just regular people.  This is a tough concept to grasp for me.  All of my life, I have looked at men like David, Gideon, Nehemiah, Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednigo as extraordinary men of God.  In reality, these men were just as normal as I am before they did something extraordinary. 

David killed Goliath but before that he was tending sheep.  Then he was just taking his brothers lunch when he heard how Goliath was slandering God and Israel.  We know what happened next.  Then he became a great king but he fell into an adulterous affair and committed murder.  God restored him.

Gideon was a normal guy sitting under a tree when the angel of God called him a warrior.  Gideon basically told the angel "you've got the wrong guy, I'm no warrior".  He obeyed God and led Israel to great victories...with 300 men.

Nehemiah was the cup bearer to the king.  The cup bearer is the guy who tastes the kings wine to see if it is poisoned.  If it isn't, great.  If it is, well the king will have to find another cup bearer.  Nehemiah was expendable.  He heard that Jerusalem was in disarray and the walls were tore down and he simply stepped up.  He wasn't a leader or a builder but with God's help, he led a great building project.

Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego were just young men.  They had never done anything.  All they did was the right thing.  They didn't bow to an idle.  Most importantly, they trusted God.  They told Nebuchadnezzar "Our God will deliver us, but if he doesn't, we still will not bow".  We know how that ended.

And then there is us.  We're just normal people.  We are sitting back waiting on someone else to do something great.  I generally try to put things in the context of sports when I'm trying to explain something.  Think basketball.  Every team has got their leading scorer and then there is the supporting cast.  What happens when the leading scorer is hurt or just isn't performing?  Someone has to step up.  If everyone else just goes through the motions waiting for someone to score, that team will get beat.  They need someone to step up as the go-to player.  Someone has to come out of their shell and shoot the ball even if they are more comfortable passing. 

Are you ready to step up and be God's go-to player?  God is ready to use you for something great, you just have to step up.  When God's angel calls you a warrior, you can't ignore it even though you've never fought a battle.  We must be like Shadrack, Meshack, and Abednigo and just believe God.  God gave them an open door but it was up to them to walk through.  Will you?  God will open a door for you if he hasn't already.  Some of you may be looking through that door right now but you're scared to death to walk through.  Maybe you want to walk through but you are waiting for someone else to walk through first.  Be like Nehemiah.  He didn't wait on someone else to build the walls, he did it.  Remember, he wasn't a builder or a leader.  He stepped WAY out of his comfort zone.  Are you ready?

Tell God you are ready to be his go-to player and see what happens.

God loves you and I do too!

Kicked out, Part II

As if getting kicked out of a HS Gym on Tuesday night wasn't bad enough, the TSSAA decided that "the fan must be disciplined". So the Loudon County director of schools, in his infinite wisdom decided that I should be suspended for a game. Nevermind the fact that I had already been ejected and apparently an additional warning wouldn't have been good enough so now I must miss one of Kassidi's games. As you can imagine, I wasn't happy.

I have NEVER had the victim mentality but in the past few weeks, it seems that I was getting pushed around by people that are in authority. I have had to just "roll-over" in order to keep from rocking the boat. I guess I have had enough of this so I really felt the need to defend myself, to appeal this decision. The only phone number that I had access to was the Athletic Director at my daughter's school so I called her. Now any of you that know me know that I don't mix words, I don't beat around the bush, and I am terribly blunt. Add these combinations to someone who feels like they have been wronged and you have a volitile situation.

The conversation was direct from the outset so because of this I put the AD on the defensive so she wasn't about to admit any wrong doing and I wasn't either. Long story short, I really handled the AD poorly and unfairly. Although I was never abusive or unprofessional, I came across as very offensive to the AD because of my tone and direct approach. She was offended, I was offended, and there was no resolution so when we got off the phone, neither of us felt good about it. She went to the game and told my wife how upset she was and I stayed home and fumed over the situation.

During all of this, I would occasionally question myself as to whether I was doing the right thing or not and I never could resolve to the fact that I was, especially after the confrontation with the AD. Nevertheless, I fumed and plotted anyway. By the time I went to bed last night, I was formulating a plan to "get them back" for what they did to me. What I didn't realize was that I was giving Satan a stronghold to try to hold me back with.

My attitude was so bad this morning that I completely missed my quiet time with God and I was still thinking about what I was going to do next. At that moment, I realized how displeasing to God I had been and was being. You see, to seek revenge or even to just argue my case to the point of offending someone was caused by pride. Something had been done to "me" and "I" had to do something about it. I looked at myself in the mirror and just said "nahhh, I'm not going to be like this". Within a minute, I felt the self-inflicted burden lift off my shoulders. I knew what I had to do next, I had to apologize the AD. I called her on her cell phone and left an apology on her VM but asked that she call me back so I could apologize directly. She called me and I apologized. I know that the hurt I had inflicted on her was deeper than I knew by her reaction to me but I think, I hope, that she accepted my apology.

I should have done this last night because the bible says to not let the sun go down on your wrath (Eph 4:26) but taking care of it first thing this morning was definitely better than letting it fester. Whats done is done and I'm not going to chase this any more.

I use my blog as an encouragement to others and today, you see how NOT to live your life. Don't be consumed by anger when you are offended. Don't take your frustrations out on anyone. Don't let the sun go down on your wrath. And I guess most of all, don't get kicked out of a basketball game.

God loves you and I do too!

PS--a special thanks goes to the love of my life Kim Knight. That woman supported me even when she thought I was wrong, without challenging me. She took some of my frustration with patience, love, and kindness without getting frustrated with me and without judging me. Kim is the best wife in the world and I this is just another reason why I love her so much.

Would you?

This week I had the opportunity to witness to someone and I used my blog. I told Kim about it and that was that. This morning, I was reflecting on the week and thought about that and I have to admit that I got a little prideful. I love how God keeps my pride in check. He quickly reminded me of a story that I had read to remind me that there is so much more that others have done, so I thought I would share with you this morning.

A few years ago, my former pastor, Buddy Sweet, gave me a book called "Jesus Freak". Now, I'm not a reader but this book was perfect for me. Each chapter was a story about a Christian martyr and was no more than three pages so someone like me can read a story without losing focus.

There was one particular story that stood out about an 8-year old girl in a communist country in Asia. This story didn't take place 100 years ago, this took place in the last 30 years. In this country the only churches that were allowed were state-run churches. But in secret, Christian in-home churches existed. That was the only way people could get together and learn about God because there were so few bibles. Generally, people were too scared to own a bible for fear of retribution from the government.

The government learned about a home-church in a small village so the police raided it one night when they knew there was a meeting. On this night, the police came bursting through the doors to find 10 or so Christian villagers listening to the preacher. When they bursted in the preacher was holding the bible. The police took the bible from the preachers' hand and began to beat him. Then they threw the bible into the middle of the street. They then told the parishioners that if they would just spit on the bible, they could go free.

The people had saw what the police did to the preacher and they knew they would lose their life if they didn't comply with this demand to spit on the bible. So, one by one, including the preacher, the adults and kids filed out of the house in a single file line and spat on the bible.....all but one!

There was an 8-year old girl that was the last in line. When it came her turn to spit on the bible, she got down on her knees in front of the bible. She gently picked the bible up and began to clean the spit and mud off of it. While she was cleaning it she was crying and praying. Her prayer went something like "God, please forgive these people, they're just afraid. Please don't punish them for not knowing how precious your word is".

While she was on her knees cleaning the spit and mud off the bible and while she was praying, the police executed her right in front of her parents. As I read this I cried (right there in Taco Bell on Alcoa Hwy) and asked God "why"? An 8-year old is innocent. Jesus, the bible doesn't mention you starting your ministry until you were 12, why an 8-year old? I don't remember getting an answer, I only remember being extremely convicted about not reading me bible.

My question is would you be like the little girl? Would I? I have more I want to write about the precious word of God but I will do it at another time. Until then, I hope that you take the opportunity to read God's word.

On a side note, please pray for Sam Wallace and his family. Please pray compassionately that God will give them what they need during this time of hurt.

God loves you and I do too!

Are you brave enough to be accountable?

I was talking to my dad tonight about my blog because he doesn't have a computer. I told him the main reason I do it is for personal accountability.  I know that if I keep posting I must hold myself to a high standard (which is the smallest reason to hold myself to a higher standard).  It really got me to thinking about how important it is to be strong enough to be able to admit our faults to a friend.   Much to your surprise, your accountability partner probably should not be your spouse.  The things that you need to be held accountable for may come across as hurtful to your spouse even though sin hasn't yet been produced.  The bible says to confess our faults one to another (James 5:16). The purpose for this isn't for punishment, it's so we can be accountable.  


Accountability helps keep temptation from growing into sin (James 1:14,15).  Are you strong enough to admit your temptations to another?  It's hard, I know, but the bible gives us specific instructions for a reason.  Proverbs says "as iron sharpens iron, one man (woman) sharpens another (Prov 27:17).  Being able to be open with a fellow Christian is important, in my opinion, to spiritual growth.  We forget about the spiritual side of our faith and focus more on our deeds (John 4:24, James 2:14-26) but to get closer to our God, our Creator, we must have spiritual growth.


I challenge you this week to ask someone to be an your accountability partner and volunteer to be theirs.  Being an accountability partner means listening without judging....good luck!


God loves you and I do too.