To my special friend

Mark 8:35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. 

I have this special friend.  We'll call him Englebert.  He used to sit down at the break room table, and ask if there was more to life than this.  The secret to finding life seems to be losing yours.  Becoming so wrapped up in the gospel that you're purpose is to hide behind the cross and make Christ known.  In Phil 3 Paul recounts all that he had going for him.  He was a winner and doggone it people liked him.  Except, perhaps Christians.  Everything, he had going for him he counted as rubbish, once he found Christ.  Nothing compared to the gift of righteousness God had given him through Jesus.  Once he found Jesus, life as he knew it was ruined.  Sometimes, to find life we got to let Christ ruin ours.  When he becomes  your treasure he spoils a lot of other things for you.  Are you willing to let him ruin everything for you besides bringing glory to his name?

I Timothy2:1 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.

I though about talking politics right after the mid-term election.  I then realized that would make me an idiot.  I already talk religion, am I just a glutton for punishment.  Maybe, I could say a little now.  First, there are Christians in all parties.  Second, if the guy or girl you voted for didn't make it, still pray for them.  Not only pray for them, be thankful for them.  If you think he/she is a major screw up, be assured that God is still on His throne.  If the guy/girl you voted for did make it.  Yippee!  They're still a politician.  I guess what bothers me the most is the fact that people think politics will make everything better.  The gospel is what this nation needs more than anything.  Vote and vote informed, but trust in an Almighty God.  Pray for your leaders.  Pray that God gives them wisdom and that they find salvation in Jesus Christ.  It's a sin to not pray for them.

Ten Commandments of Parenting

Ten Commandments of Parenting

Proverbs 18:2 A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.

How, true is that.  People are created equal, but ideas are not.  Some ideas simply stink.  Be discerning enough to know that there is truth out there.  Be disciplined enough to seek understanding     Thessalonians teaches us to aspire to live a quiet life.  You're not as smart as you think you are, so shut your mouth once in a while.

Trophy Kids

Trophy Kids Check out this parenting stuff.

Fat Pastors

I read a pretty good blog last week about fat pastors.  The author felt that a pastor's appearance undermined the gospel.  It shows a lack of self control for a pastor to look like the stay puff marshmallow man.  Being, somewhat skinny this could be something I could really jump on, but I'm not going to.  People like to point to the fact that our bodies are temples for the Holy Spirit. If we're going to use this verse to combat smoking, chewing and drinking we better use it to combat McChickens as well.(I just use that because a pair of McChickens assaulted my intestines today.)  I agree with this logic, but like anything we can take it to far.  If it's a matter of self control then we can't use weight as an objective means of measurement.  I know skinny people that can out eat a small army.  The real danger is the fact that I know a lot of skinny people that are vain.  I also sense in my own life the very real possibility of exercise becoming an idol.  The abstaining of food can be a source of self-righteousness, or we can become our own idols. 

Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths.  Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.   I Timothy 4:7-8

I think taking care of your body is important, but not as important as training for Godliness.  In this image obsessed society, we should work on developing the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

It's been a week since I last blogged.  Mainly, because I tend to get fed up with a lot of talk.  God desires our obedience.  Some spend way too much time reading, blogging, and listening to sermons.  More should just get out and obey.  I'm not the only one that feels this way.  You hear this sentiment all of the time.  Stop going to church and start being the church.  Let's take the church outside.  The last thing we need is another sermon or bible study.  While, I certainly understand these sentiments they can be incorrect. 

All scripture is breathed out by god and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

The word is the very thing that prepares us for good works.  It puts us in the right frame of mind where our good works will be done for God's glory.  We forget sometimes that the word being preached and sung on Sundays is of supreme importance because it exalts Christ, better than we can.  Our creativity, ingenuity, and imagination in praising God doesn't compare to what His word already says about Him.  So get off your butts, but keep the word central.  I get tired of hear people whine, "Why doesn't God speak to me."  Open the bible you sorry sack, HE already did and HE still is.  I don't intend to undermine service and ministering to your community, but I do want the word to come back to the front.

What is the worst sin out there?  If you believe a lot of popular pastors it's homosexuality, abortion or maybe pornography.  While there is no denying the destruction these things bring, they're not the worst.  Is it pride?  Is it greed?  No, but getting closer even our churches tend to struggle with being materialistic and greedy.  Before, I give my answer I want to make one thing clear.  The penalty of sin is the same regardless of the sin.  Our God is a holy God and our sin(big or small) separates us from God.  Our sin is our rebellion against a Holy God.  Christians have been given a covering for their sin.  They exchanged their crappy life for God's perfect life and He got the death we all deserved.  With that being said, I believe the the worst sin we have is the sin that we don't repent of.  Luther said the Christian life is a life of repenting.  How dare we know to do good and don't do it.  How can we see something is clearly wrong in scripture and continue in it?  I wish I hated sin as much as God does.  Someone once said we only believe the parts of the bible we actually follow. 

But God's firm foundation stands, bearing this seal:  "The Lord knows those who are his,"  and ,  "Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity."  2 Timothy 2:19

On Sunday I preached about taking risks.  Today, I ate a chimichanga from a trailer next to a storage place.  Guess who's not a hypocrite now.  Me.  I forget who it was, Schaeffer or Tozer or somebody else, but they said if you took every reference to the Holy Spirit out of the new testament would our churches look any different.  Sometimes I wonder the same about faith after saving faith of course.    In the book of James we realize that people can't see our faith, but they can see our works.  Our works confirm that we have a real faith.  How does your faith express itself?  How does your faith make your life look different?  I just want to encourage everyone who reads this.  Jesus has come that you may have life and have it abundantly.  I'm not talking about some dude in a cheap suit claiming cadillacs in Jesus' name.  I'm not talking about health, wealth, and prosperity.  It's much more than that.  It's an opportunity to know, serve, and fellowship with the one who spoke the world into existence.  Jesus loves you.

Run Together

So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.  2 Timothy 2:2

You know something I had pointed out to me about this verse.  Notice the word along.  As Christians we are to fight sin and pursue righteousness.  The thing is we aren't to do it alone.  So often I read the bible like it's God's message to me.  The truth is though, it's God's message to us.  How are you helping your brothers and sisters fight sin?  Do you have someone to help you?  I've found that people are so darn insecure about themselves and that makes pursuing intimate friendships really hard.  It's like we're in junior high again wondering if so and so likes me as much as I like them.  It'd be easier if we could write notes and our friends circled yes or no on whether or not they liked us.  Faith requires risk.  That includes in relationships.  We need friends that have our backs.  I"m so thankful for the friends God has given me, but I have so much to learn about loving them right. 

How to Provoke Your Children

How to Provoke Your Children

One thing that scares me the most about parenting is correcting them to the point where they give up. So badly, I want my children to be good people. I thought this was a good article. I see some parents that are inconsistent in their discipline, but I think I'm way too consistent. We shouldn't nitpick our children to death. As adults we just become better at hiding our character flaws.

Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance  Romans 2:4

I love to preach certain angles from the bible.  Such as, if you call yourself a Christian then act like it.  Stop sinning morons.  Usually, a little more gentle than that.  The more and more I read the bible it becomes apparent to me that Christians are going to obey.  I heard a pastor once say that if you're unwilling to repent then he's unwilling to call you a Christian.  Martin Luther said the whole Christian life is a life of repentance.  I love that stuff and often try to beat my church over the head with that.  Yesterday, I decided to give them a positive, upbeat message.  Psalms 32.  I talked about what wonderful freedom, forgiveness, protection, and direction there is in God.  In Jesus, there is no condemnation.  I told them to rejoice and shout about how much they've been forgiven.  Funny thing, there were people that were really touched by it.  Of course, God has spoke through a donkey before, so he can use me.  What was strange is that I heard people confessing their sins.  People that were broken about sins.  I  was surprised, but then I realized that God's blessings are supposed to lead us to repentance.  How much we're loved is supposed to humble us.  How amazingly kind God is, draws us to worship and repentance.  We tend to wait for consequences or discipline to turn our lives around.  Instead of that, why not just ponder how much you're loved.  Repent because God is patient, kind and loving. 

I've been following this story about the Georgia pastor being accused of having sexual relations with four men from his church since it first broke.  I've debated over whether or not I would weigh in on it.  First of all, people are considered innocent until proven guilty and I don't want to join a witch hunt.  Also, it wouldn't be unheard of for a man of God to be falsely accused.(eg Joseph and Potiphar's wife)  I'm not sure of his guilt or his innocence, although I do have an opinion.  What alarms me is some of the things I hear his church members saying.  They seem to be prepared to follow him blindly. 1 Timothy 5:19 warns us that we're not to hear a charge against a preacher unless confirmed by two or three witnesses.  From what I understand three of these young men were members of the church.  I love the idea of a church standing by their pastor, but sin can never be condoned.  All but one of the qualifications of a pastor in the bible are about character.  Showing who the man is, is more important than what he does.  The other one is that he should be able to teach.  Good preaching is not an excuse for bad character and neither is being a good shepherd.  Maybe, he's been there for a lot of his members and  cried with them.  Still, sin must be dealt with.  Sin of this nature is embarrassing to the man, the church, and the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. I pray that he's innocent, but if he's not I pray his church desires to be obedient to God. 

Father, thank you for putting me into the ministry.  May my mouth never run too far ahead of my life.  I'm a sinner, but I pray that by your grace I'm always repenting.  I pray this church and pastor goes to you and your word for guidance.  Thank you that Jesus was innocent and was the perfect sacrifice for me. 

Here's an article about the situation.
Check out this article about pastors hiding from God

Remembering

I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.  I will be glad and exult in you, I will sing praise to your name, O Most High Psalms 9:1-2

David tells us to recount all of God's wonderful deeds.  The whole bible is adamant that we recall all of the marvelous things God has done.  Why is it so hard then?  I've had bad things happen to me before, I can recall almost everything about those situations.  I sometimes replay them in my head.  I guess it's some kind of self torture that I revel in.  Tommy Nelson says something I love, "Don't let what you don't understand about your past, keep you from enjoying your future."  I might have butchered that, but it's close.  Think of three things that God has done for you in the past.  Three wonderful deeds.  See if it puts you in the mood for praising.  Funny thing, even those horrible things I replay in my mind, if I fast forward them a little I see how God worked it out for Good.  Isn't He amazing.

How to have a personal revival

In A.W. Tozer's book The Size of the Soul he gives ten suggestions that will result in a radically improved Christian life. 

1.  Get thoroughly dissatisfied with yourself.  Complacency is the deadly enemy of spiritual progress.
2.  Set your face like a flint toward a sweeping transformation of your life.  Timid experimenter are tagged for failure before they start.
3.  Put yourself in the way of blessing(obedience)
4.  Do a thorough job of repenting.  Do not hurry to get it over with.
5.  Make restitution whenever possible.
6.  Bring your life in accordance with the Sermon on the Mount and other New Testament scriptures.
7.  Be serious minded.
8.  Deliberately narrow your interests.
9.  Begin to witness.
10.  Have faith in God

These are all good suggestions.  I want you to remember that it begins and ends with Jesus.  When I get to heaven, the only thing I'll have to boast in is what Jesus did.  It's not about your performance.  The book Bookends of the Christian Life suggests  when you only look at your life one of two things happen.  1.  You think you are doing a good job, you become self righteous.  2.  You think you're doing a crappy job and can't get over it.  You are riddled with guilt.  I want you to throw your whole heart into being holy, but I also want you to constantly fix your eyes on Jesus.  Don't boast in your good performance or your bad one, remember His.

It's good to be a part of a family

At one time I was separated from God.  I was outside the family without any hope.  God in His infinite mercy brought me to His family by the grace of His son Jesus Christ.  Eph 2: 12-13  So when a family takes in an orphan, they're making the gospel visible.  They're giving somebody a family, a second chance.  God is glorified in this. 

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this; to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.  James 1:29

The church has a job to do and I think is getting better at it.  We are to adorn the gospel with good works.  This isn't a guilt trip for you guys to do foster care.  It isn't everybody's calling, but I do ask you to pray for those kids in care.  I do ask you to look at your life and ponder how you're fleshing out the gospel.  People need to hear it, but they need to see it as well.  A lot of us are good at talking about the gospel or talking about the bible.  Do you remember what John 13:35 says?  By this they'll know that you're my disciples, if you blog.  No! If you talk about your church or quote bible verses.  No, they'll know by you're love for one another.

Check out this site.  I get a lot of my ideas from these guys.  In fact I stole the first part of this posting from a guy name Dan and article called Adoption is Gospel Re-enactment. 

Daddy’s Rules for Dating His Daughters

Parents of girls need to check this out.

Daddy’s Rules for Dating His Daughters

Extra: 4 yr old marries child that he bore himself

I was just searching through our denominational magazine looking for something edgy to write about.  Some doctrinal thing that I could straighten out.  Some poorly written letter to the editor that I could tear to shreds.  Some current situation that I could shed some biblical light on.  Then I went to my 3 sons room to clean up pee off the floor.  My son who turned 4 yesterday told me that when he had a baby from his tummy he was going to marry it.  Seems like I may have bigger fish to fry. 

As Christians we like to set up straw men to shoot down.  We pick pet sins and assault them ruthlessly.  Drinking, gambling, and abortion are common topics in pulpits across America.  Some pastors speak so passionately against abortion, as they should.  Since it's a sin they don't do, they really can let people have it.  Do you ever wonder what it would be like if a woman who had an abortion was in the room?  It's one thing to point out sin, it's another to attempt to shame people to death.  Especially, when the same well meaning pastor doesn't tell them what amazing grace and forgiveness there is in Jesus. 

My church like most Southern Baptist churches has a covenant we kind of follow.  We love that it says things about certain sins.  The thing is it also tells us that we're supposed to have devotions with our family.  Somehow, people don't worry about that.  I want to be a man that's the same in and out of church.  I want to be a man that teaches my son that men don't have babies and it's wrong to marry your child. 

Deuteronomy 6: 7 tells us that we're supposed to teach our children the statutes of God when we sit in our house, when we walk by the way, when we lie down, and when we wake up.  In other words parents are constantly teaching their children God's word in the everyday context of life.  In vs 20. it says that your son will ask you someday what is all of this stuff about?  You then get a chance to tell them how God is our deliverer and has our good in mind.  Loving and leading your family is far more important than finding something interesting to write about. 

Instead of picking on other people's sins how about you pick on your own for a while.

Faith No Matter What

I'm enjoying writing  this blog immensely.  As I've studied different blogs recently I've come to a few conclusions.  One, I'm definitely interested in sustainability.  I want to be here for the long haul, so you'll get some days with just quotes and I"ll take some weekends off. Two, I think Christians should engage the culture, but I'm not terribly interested in being hip and trendy.  Wherever you are at in your walk with Jesus, my aim is to encourage you. 

Take a look in your bibles at Hebrews 11.  The great hall of faith.  Beginning in vs 32, the author talks about great heroes gone by.  Those that went out on top.  They conquered kingdoms, enforced Justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, and put foreign armies to flight.  This is the kind of faith that we all envy.  Faith that makes us winners.  Then all of a sudden the author changes gears.  Others possessed great faith that didn't work out so well.  Some were tortured, mocked, flogged, stoned, sawn in two and killed with swords.  Your faith isn't about circumstances, your faith is about God.  Who knows what the temporal results will be.  The eternal results will be residing with your Christ forever.  We don't get to pick the path our life takes, but we don't have to go at it alone. 

Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.  God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer's; he makes me tread on high places.  Habakkuk 3: 17-19

Stupid Apologies

I just read an article on how in 2009 Southern Baptists apologized to black people about their stance on slavery.  Episcopalians got into the act as well and apologized for slavery.  I'm a proud Southern Baptist,(see how I capitalize it, that proves I'm proud), but I think this is stupid.  While we're at it, as Christians we might apologize for other things that we've did wrong.  For instance, how about the crusaded or even worse the monster that is Christian television.  Horrible!  C.S.Lewis wrote an article for The Guardian called "Dangers of National Repentance"  The gist is it's dangerous to apologize for something we hate in someone else.  We become proud of our confession, receiving the therapeutic pleasure from that, but don't have to repent of anything.  Proverbs tells us that sin is meant to be confessed and forsaken.  The freedom center website says there are between 12 and 27 million people still in some form of slavery today.  How about we try to fix that.  Instead of confessing past wrongs let's hate sin and fight for righteousness now.  I want to tell you that it is biblical to confess our nation's sins.  That's good, but let's make sure we do something about it as well.

www.freedomcenter.org/slavery-today

Professor Pain

God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pain: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.  C.S. Lewis The Problem of Pain

God's surest way of getting our attention is to hurt us or allow us to be hurt.  Our heartache when handled well teaches us so much about God and our savior Jesus Christ.  Joseph spent a good deal of his time in a pit, in slavery, and in prison, but even he told his brothers that they meant it for bad, but God meant it for good.    God hurt Paul so he wouldn't get prideful.  Scripture tells us Jesus learned obedience through suffering.  Pain is no respecter of persons.  I think it's one of God's greatest means to molding us.  God is interested in far more than your personal happiness.  He wants to make you like Jesus.  Pain will do that for you if received well.  If you're grieving or in pain, don't waste it.  When we don't trust God, when we run away from God in pain, we're wasting His purposes in pain.  Don't waste your grief.  Seek God with all your heart.  I'm not asking you to get God, we're in a lot of trouble if we're able to understand God.  I'm asking you to trust Him anyways.  Constantly, the bible teaches us to glory in our tribulations.  That isn't because we're supposed to like pain, it's because pain will produce character in our lives. 

If you're not in pain, does this mean you should anxiously await your next bout with pain?  I think that's crazy.  It'll come.  Just make sure that right now you're trusting, loving, and worshipping God.  Understand that with Him as your strength His grace will be sufficient for thee.  In the meantime, be thankful.  Love God and love others.

Musings of a Hypocrite

In the book of Acts there is the story of Ananias and Saphira.  They sold some land, kept some of the money and gave the rest to the Lord.  When asked they said they gave it all to the Lord.  God killed them both for lying to the Holy Spirit.  What was their sin?  It wasn't keeping some of the money, they were entitled to do that.  It was lying to the Holy Spirit.  Why lie?  They wanted to appear holier than they actually were.  I do that all the time.  It's not so much of a real desire to be holy, as much as a desire for others to think I'm holy.  There's a story in the 1 Samuel 15  in which Saul only does part of what God commanded him to.  The Lord rejected Saul that day.  Saul said he was sorry and Samuel told him that that wasn't enough.  In vs 30 Saul said, I have sinned yet honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel.  I had the privilege of attending Sandy Wilson's church Sunday and he said this isn't an example of repentance, it's an example of image maintenance.  Saul cared about how he looked more than who he was or who he sinned against.  How often am I more concerned about reputation than I am real character?  I love to look good, but don't like to be good very often.  I repent like a hypocrite when I'm more sorry that I got caught.  I obey like a hypocrite when I don't obey from the heart, but rather for show.  It's time to fear God more than we fear people.  It's time to be different and not just appear different.

DO HARD THINGS

Theodore Roosovelt said, "I wish to preach, not the doctrine of ignoble ease, but the doctrine of the strenuos life, the life of effort, of labor and strife; to preach that highest form of success which comes, not to the man who desires easy peace, but to the man who does not shrink back from danger, from hardship, or from bitter toil, and who out of these wins the splendid ultimate triumph."  I found this quote in a book called Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris.  It's written to teenagers, telling them to grow up, to rebel against the low expectations that culture has set on them.  Of course, I'm not a teenager, but I wish this book was around when I was.  In fact, it's pretty convicting for me right now.  Rightfully, we brag on God's grace, but we make it seem like His grace is a way of making things easier.  Paul tells us in I Cor 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain,  On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.   You see grace isn't a way out of hard work, it's a way to work hard. We don't like words like discipline, effort, toil and labor, but these are words for the Christian.  What hard things are you doing for God right now?  Whether or not we love God is proved by our deeds. 

Father, thank you for that amazing grace.  Help it to flesh itself out in old-fashioned hard work, doing things I don't necessarily want to do, but will glorify you.  Teach me to be disciplined and wholly devoted to you.  Use my life for your purposes.

Walking in Memphis

As I walked down Beale Street last night in Memphis, I got to thinking.  So often Christians are known by what they don't do.  They might not drink, smoke, or swear.  I don't drink or smoke, but let a few words slip every now and then.  However, is that what the bible means by being set apart, saying no to a bunch of things.  Is that all it takes to be a light in the world?  James tells us for the man that knows to do good and doesn't do it, it is sin.  Avoiding evil isn't enough, we must do good.  We must flee unrighteousness and pursue Godliness.  Eph 5:18 tells us Be not drunk with wine, in which is excess, but be filled with the spirit.  There's something to avoid in that verse, but there's also something to do.  Billy Graham argues that not being filled with the spirit is a far greater sin than being drunk.  How come we think that not being drunk is enough?  As Christians, we must at least consider what being filled with the spirit looks like.  Even more than that, we are commanded to be filled with the spirit continually.  I pray that we're not identified by simply avoiding darkness, but by shining as lights in this world.

Happy Anniversary to Me

Tomorrow my beautiful bride and I head to Memphis for an anniversary trip.  We're going to hang with some good friends.  I'm praying that I don't worry about money, that my children don't murder their grandparents, and that I don't do something to screw the trip up.  I'm thankful for my wife of seven years and love her more now than ever.  Read Ephesians 5:22-32 in your bibles.  Some of you think that God's a chauvinist, some of you are remembering horrible marriage sermons that you've heard.  Read it again, but instead of focusing on husbands and wives think about Christ and the church.  He's the savior of the church vs 22, He gave himself up for her vs 25, sanctifies her and cleanses her vs 26, presents her holy(by His blood) vs 27,nourishes and cherishes her vs 29. and made her members of His body vs 20.  When faced with that, it becomes more apparent how undeserving we are of Christ's love and how much He loves us anyway.  When you gaze into the gospel you become a better lover of people.  Especially, in a marriage.  When others don't deserve your love, love them anyways.  When they've hurt you and you don't want to forgive them, forgive them anyways.  Imagine ways you can be a blessing to them.  Oh how He loves you and me.

9/17 To be more like Bill Pullman

What do I have to offer to the blogging world?  Absolutely nothing.  Yet, I try anyways.  I'm prepared to brave the blogosphere like a young Bill Pullman in spaceballs.  To invade cyberspace like an older Bill Pullman in Independence Day.  I've titled my blog Vessel of Mercy based on Romans 9:23 which follows vs 22 that says there is such a thing as a vessel of wrath prepared for destruction.  Why are there vessels prepared for destruction?  Biblically I must be a Calvinist, but emotionally I tend to be an Arminian or perhaps a 12 yr old girl.  There are times I have severe gripes with God over all of this, but in the same chapter he basically tells me to shut up.  I am the potter, you are the clay.  I have to cling to the fact that God gets the glory in saving a vessel of mercy and gets the glory in destroying a vessel of wrath. What's the  response to being a vessel of mercy?  Thankfulness, glorifying God in all that I do, praying for the lost(ch 10 vs 1), and sharing the good news(10:15).  It seems that if you're a vessel of mercy you must be passionate about sharing the glorious gospel that saved you. I'm not good at a whole lot, but this blog will be my attempt to bring glory to God.