Nothing is Free

My dad had many phrases that have stuck with me. “A half truth is a whole lie”, “That irritates the fire outta me”, “I’ll give you something to cry about”, and to my mom regarding my siblings and me, “you don’t need to give an explanation, they need to obey just because you said to” are a few that readily come to mind. But one that I thought about just this morning is “nothing is free son, somebody had to pay for it.”

Well, in the time of economic distress that we currently find ourselves in,  highlighted by  competing presidential campaigns, and a huge government financial bailout, the “nothing is free, somebody has to pay for it” quote resounds. Government mismanagement, outrageous salaries in financial companies, ever growing amounts of government programs, and socialized health care are all things that someone has to pay for. Everything has a price, and if you didn’t pay it, someone did.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Sin too, has a price. That price is death (separation from life with God forever). Either you will pay that price for sin (rebellion against God), or someone has to take your place. God’s son, Jesus Christ, did that very thing, He paid the price for your sin, so that you wouldn’t have to.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

 

My Dad is Better Than Your Dad!

 

Okay, originally I wasn’t going to share this, but since I was prodded to tell the tale in Sunday school, I will disclose. This past summer, Olivia my five year old daughter, spent the weekend with some friends at the beach. It was her first weekend away with a friend. Previously, she had only stayed overnight with grandparents, so we hoped she would behave and make us proud.

 

Olivia and her friend Kelsey had a blast. They played on the beach, saw a bunch of sting rays swimming all around, and eventually they played that ages old game of “my dad’s better than yours.” Unaware they were being overheard, the occasion was gleefully  and permanently recorded in the brain of my ole buddy Brad. Kelsey commences with a great opening of “my dad can pick up a house!” Boom! It was on! Olivia retorted with a resounding “my dad takes bubble baths.”  Oh my. Well it’s obvious ‘Livy needs to work on her game a bit. Maybe she was referring to the “shacuzzi.”

 

Top 100 Albums of All Time

A while back as I was listening to talk radio, the host was making a point and stated that some things are great, and some things are deemed great by the experts.  His point was that people will accept some things as great  based solely on the fact that whatever it is, is supposed “to be great.” Many, he went on, simply support what they are told is greatness because others say it is, not based on the actual merit. His example, The Greatest Albums of All Time.

This of course peaked my interest and I decided to check it out for myself. I found the list (top 100 from Rolling Stone) loaded with The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Rolling Stones, and Led Zepplin. The number of albums in the top 100 respectively are eight, five, four, and four. That’s four bands making up 1/5 of the list! Jimi Hendrix had three, The Who two, Miles Davis two, Prince, Van Morrison, and U2 all with two. Other bands had more than one as well, and some artist had a couple of albums on the list (one in a band and one solo). Elvis Presley, Nirvana, Fleetwood Mac, Eagles, Bob Marley, Stevie Wonder, AC/DC, Springsteen, Sly and the Family Stone, Simon and Garfunkel, Pink Floyd, and Curtis Mayfield’s Superfly among many others are represented at least once.

Okay. I never really liked the Beatles, but after giving them an unbiased chance… Wow! The White Album and Sgt. Pepper. They are not only very good, but revolutionary in music and much imitated. I tried some Dylan too. Blonde On Blonde and Blood On The Tracks. For me, Dylan is just aight. (imagine American Idol’s Randy Jackson saying that) I get that his lyrics are pretty awesome, but way to much harmonica! Not to mention that Jimi took one of his songs and blew away Dylan’s version. I also, without purchase, listened to many snippets of songs off many albums and find the talk show host’s comments to be true. Some is greatness, some has to be just jumping on the bandwagon!

Here’s the homework assignment. Peruse the list and let me know your thoughts, shocks, surprises, and “I knew its”. Do this via comments please. I will have several blogs spin off of this one, so stay tuned!!!

 

A Purpose for Everything

This morning I followed a Twitter by Tony Morgan to a blog he reads authured by Penelope Trunk . In her blog, Penelope states ” Because it’s completely clear to me that people who believe in God are fundamentally more optimistic and more connected to community, and I want my kids to have that.” A commenter challenged her on the statement and she offered a Duke study as a source to add credibility. I completely agree with her comment and I’ll tell you why.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.  – James 1:17

Our Creator, the God of heaven and earth, made it clear through creation itself, the overwhelming intelligence used to create all that we see and hear on a daily basis. Of course, man has taken things God created from nothing, to make things like concrete, machines, computers, etc. But it was God that gave the knowledge to invent such things. Many here will argue for evolution, but scientifically speaking, that’s not intellectually honest. (Way too much science to argue the point in this blog though, read Lee Strobel’s “The Case For A Creator” to ascertain my position)

This intelligence of God is far beyond what we have capacity to reason. The more we learn, the more we see how everything He has given us has purpose. Examples: The study referenced above shows how the aspect of community and living life together within religion make for a healthier lifestyle. Sex too, leads to the promotion of a healthier life! (In addition to the link provided, a google search of “sex and health” will provide a plethora of support for the last statement) The amazing benefits of breast milk. These are just three examples and doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface.

Two key points to close with. All that God has established as good and purposeful can be abused or counterfeited to produce harmful, if not dangerous results. Community can become a dictatorship. Sex outside of marriage or with multiple partners has led to addictions (pornography) and disease (STD’s). And, I realize some have benefited from formulas, but man invented replacements for breast milk can cause colic, allergies, and no telling how many other intestinal problems later in life.  Finally, and most importantly. If the one true God is left out of any aspect of our life, though we may benefit from the principal of His gift, we lose that He wants a personal and eternal relationship with us! Jesus said “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”  – John 10:10  Jesus is not only the way to this abundant life, He is also the only way to God! John 14:6 – Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

 

Don’t Let your Life be Like after Ike!!

I have two cousins who live in Houston, TX. As you may know, Hurricane Ike hit the coast of Texas and the eye went over Houston. One cousin sent out an email recently and they were without power for 15 days. They fared well comparatively, as only minimal damage was done to their house, but that was not the case for most of their neighbors.

I wasn’t living in SC during Hurricane Hugo, but my parents were.  I have heard many stories of the destruction that storm left. Some homes damaged beyond repair and some not so much. I was reading in Luke and Jesus warns that life itself is like a storm. When this life we have is over, will our house stand, or will we have collapsed and the destruction be great? Take time and click the Real Facts of Life on the right.

 

The Two Foundations

 

Luke 6:46 “Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do the things I say? 47 I will show you what someone is like who comes to Me, hears My words, and acts on them: 48 He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. When the flood came, the river crashed against that house and couldn’t shake it, because it was well built. 49 But the one who hears and does not act is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The river crashed against it, and immediately it collapsed. And the destruction of that house was great!”

 

Steven Curtis Chapman Interview

I just saw the Good Morning America interview with Steven Curtis Chapman on how his family is recovering from his son running over and killing his daughter in an accident. Wow! The interview is faith in God on display. All the songs he sang in praise and glory to God were backed by a life and family reflecting the very Christian values that made him popular and an award winner in the music industry. What hit me hardest was someone witnessing the event reminding Steven that as they were driving off to the hospital in the process of losing a child, Steven rolled down the window and in a voice as loud as he could muster, yelled “Will Franklin, your father loves you!” Again… Wow! As tears flow down my cheek, let me point out the obvious strength and compasssion that led a father in the throws of grief to encourage a son who was inconsolable and devastated. The strength the Chapman family display is supernatural and comes from a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

This is certianly a stark contrast to Ray Boltz. Ray is also an award winning Christian music artist with a long career. Boltz, however has come out of the closet claiming that he has been gay since childhood. He claims to have become a Christain to deal with his homosexuality, got married (33 years) and had four children. Now though, he is living out a ”normal gay life”, divorced from his wife. He claims, “I had a lot of questions [about faith], but at the bottom of everything was a feeling that I didn’t hate myself anymore, so in that sense I felt closer to God.”

Rather than me trying to explain the difference between these lives, I will simply quote God’s word in Galatians 5.

Galatians 5:16-25 (New King James Version)

 

Walking in the Spirit

   
16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

If you want to know how you can live the life of abundance, even through grief, like you see in the Chapmans, take a moment to click on The Real Facts of Life on this site.  I also have the YouTube video below.

 

Is the NFC East the SEC of the NFL?

The SEC is arguably the toughest conference in College Football. Currently, three of the top five in the AP rankings are SEC teams and five of the top 15. One third of the teams in the top 15… SEC! The last two National Champions were from the SEC. Four times in the last ten years SEC teams topped the National rankings at season’s end. Powerful!

This year, teams from the NFC East have only lost 2 games (both to NFC East teams). That’s a 10-2 record! Last year three of the four NFC East teams made the playoffs and ultimately claimed the title Superbowl Champs, by defeating the previously undefeated New England Patriots. From 1987-1996, a ten year span, NFC East teams won the Superbowl seven out of ten times. In the 41 year history of the Superbowl, NFC East teams have claimed the top prize 11 times, that’s one quarter of all winners coming from the big bad NFC East! 

The NFC East and the SEC, the powerhouses of professional and collegiate football. It just so happens that my two teams belong there. Dallas Cowboys and LSU have been a part of the respective championship counts mentioned above! 

 

“daddy is hot” by Natalie (7 yrs old)

This is the cover to a “book” written by my seven year old daughter, Natalie. Imagine how proud I was when she gave me this book. She thought enough of me, dad, to write and illustrate a book! Coolio!! And just look at the title… She thinks her dad is goooood looking! I was so honored.

On the first page, there is excitement. We are going to the beach, hoorah! A very good place to set a story about one handsome dude! The next two pages are devoted to the ride there, then a full page written in big purple letters “daddy is hot“. That’s my girl! Then the meat of the story, truth revealed…. an illustration of me in the sun……. Sweating!!

Well, my baby girl is pretty literal (I sweat alot), and much more concerned with cooling dad off, (which is how the book ends) than whether or not my looks are appealing. That’s even better. Maybe wifeypoo will write a hubby is hot book.

 

(This was given to me not quite a year ago. Natalie was in first grade)

 

Check it Out!!

Last night was Monday Night Football (MNF). The second MNF this year and the last MNF to take place in Texas Stadium, as they will be in a new stadium next year. The Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles played for the 98th time. Wow, what a game!! The two teams combined for 54 points in the first half (2nd most all time for MNF), and 78 total points (the most in Eagles/Cowboys history). Last night’s game featured seven lead changes, long quick scores, methodical drives, miscues, and a kick off return for a touchdown!

The Dallas Cowboys are not new however, at record setting or excitement on MNF. Emmitt Smith is tied with six others with the most TD’s in a single game at four. All four were rushing TD’s which ties him with two others for the most rushing TD’s in one game on MNF. Chris Boniol kicked seven Field Goals in one MNF game against Green Bay in 1996 which is the record. And Tony Dorsett, against Minnesota, has the longest run from scrimmage at 99 yards for a TD. This too, is a record. If you don’t watch MNF, NFL, or America’s team the Dallas Cowboys, you better Check it Out!!

 

Lipstick on a Pig

In a speech made by Barack Obama, the phrase “lipstick on a pig” was used as a punchline to a point asserting that no matter how you dress something up, it is what it is. Whether or not the punchline was meant to be a pun in reference to Sarah Palin, or whether or not the content of the assertion is valid, the phrase itself holds true. You can put lipstick on a pig, but you will still have a pig.

A couple of years ago we took a family picture. I have three daughters and the decision was made by the females in the house to color coordinate in pink. I ended up with two pink shirts and a pink tie. At church soon after,I took some ribbing for wearing my new pink shirt. I propose that “Real men wear pink”, but in reality masculinity is not tied to choice of color in clothing. What you wear or don’t wear does not change what is true about who you are.

In the Presidential Election, we as a country will have to decide who is telling the truth about himself and who is misrepresenting. We sometimes misrepresent ourselves as well. Matthew 15:8-11 No matter who you are, your consistent actions reveal your true character. Those who call themselves Christians or believe they will go to heaven should have actions that consistently bear the fruit of lifestyle in Jesus. John 15:4-6  Consistent actions of fulfilling selfish desires as opposed to following the Spirit of God could belie the belief that you will spend eternity in heaven with God. Galatians 5:16-25 Examine the truth about where you stand with God, don’t try to put lipstick on a pig!

If you desire to learn how you can know for sure that you will spend eternity with God in heaven, click here.