We can choose to define ourselves (our smarts, our brand, our character) on who rejects us.
Or we can choose to focus on those that care enough to think we matter.
Carrying around a list of everyone who thinks you’re not good enough is exhausting.
Things We Don’t Know
Posted on Sep 16, 2015
Just for conversation, here’s a list of things that we (mankind) DO NOT know…. Read More
A question for serious Bible students…
Posted on Sep 13, 2015 4 Comments
I’ve got an idea for a Bible study, I’m just not sure that there’s a market for it. What do you think? Read More
Is Every Bad Idea A Sin?
Posted on Sep 11, 2015 1 Comment
Does it seem to you that there’s a huge problem with Christians today labeling every bad idea as a sin? Because it does to me.
The audacity of the Vanderbilt Women’s Center
Posted on Sep 8, 2015
Next week the Vanderbilt Women’s Center will be hosting a lecture series on “Healthy Masculinites”….AKA “A study in absurdity and arrogance”.
Read More
Monday Funday–My Trip To The STD Clinic
Posted on Sep 7, 2015
I unknowingly had to deal with a customer at work who had Tuberculosis, so my boss sent me to the local clinic to get checked out. Unfortunately, the TB testing clinic was also the community STD clinic.
How To Honor The Harris County Deputy
Posted on Sep 4, 2015 2 Comments
Yesterday Harris County Deputy Darren Goforth was buried. If you want to honor him more than just liking a Facebook post, this is how to do it. Read More
Fishermen are just like the Devil.
Posted on Sep 1, 2015
Maybe that should read that the Devil acts just like fishermen…. But it’s funnier the other way. And they’re both true. Read More
Monday Funday….The High Price Of Potty Training
Posted on Aug 30, 2015 2 Comments
When you’re the parent of little kids, the day that they’re potty trained can seem like the best day of your life. No more buying diapers, no more changing diapers, no more smelly diapers…..but as any parent of a big kid knows, all those good things come at a cost. Read More
I didn’t say he stole the car.
Posted on Aug 28, 2015
I had an argument with someone yesterday and neither one of us knew what the other person was even saying.
Read More
It’s only scary because it’s unexpected.
Posted on Aug 25, 2015
There’s nothing inherently scary about ReadsWithBooks whispering to me. But a few months I walked into a dark room and before I could flip the light switch he slowly closed the door he had been hiding behind and whispered, “I’ve been waiting for you…..”
I almost jumped out of my skin. As I turned to punch what I could only guess was a ghost right in the throat I saw my oldest son….about to hyperventilate from excitement because he knew how scared I was. Read More
Monday Funday–Inadvertent Murder
Posted on Aug 23, 2015
There are a few ideas that I’ve tried to ingrain in the boys from a very young age, one of which is that they should always stick together and take care of each other. To that end, I created The Rescue Game. Read More
Dear Mr. President, I know where you can find your god.
Posted on Aug 22, 2015
Dear Mr. President, I heard you make reference again recently to who you referred to as “my god”. And I started wondering just who your god was because he didn’t sound anything like the God that I’ve come to know through my study of the Bible.
I think I know who your god is, and he’s closer than you think.
Read More
Urinal Etiquette
Posted on Aug 18, 2015 6 Comments
Don’t laugh. This is an important subject that receives far, far too little attention in today’s society. Prepare to be educated. Read More
Monday Funday–And that’s when my wife stopped breathing….
Posted on Aug 16, 2015
One Sunday evening when PlaysWithFire was about six we were headed to church services, and he nearly killed his mother. Read More
Christians & Addiction & Our Attitude
Posted on Aug 13, 2015
What should a Christian’s response be to addiction or to an addict? Read More
Christians & Addiction–The Danger
Posted on Aug 12, 2015
When we discuss addiction, it is critical that we understand just how dangerous addiction can be to a Christian’s soul. Read More
Christians & Addiction & Repentance
Posted on Aug 11, 2015
I’ve posted before about the nature of repentance, but I think it would be useful to talk about how a correct understanding of repentance is so important for someone suffering from addiction. Read More
Christians & Addiction–It Can Be Overcome
Posted on Aug 10, 2015
People, especially people who are wanting to spend their life in service to God, need to know that addiction can be overcome. Read More
Christians & Addiction
Posted on Aug 9, 2015 1 Comment
A lot of Christians struggle with addiction, but are afraid to ask for help because of how they’ll be viewed for their problems. And a lot of potential Christians are never converted because of how addiction if viewed in many churches. Read More
Fellowship….With Yourself?
Posted on Aug 8, 2015
I’ve spent some time recently reading through old articles in Christian publications and the idea of fellowship keeps coming up over and over again. Who should we fellowship with? Who should we refuse to fellowship with?
Turning the other cheek…A Christian’s response to violence
Posted on Aug 5, 2015
What should a Christian’s response be to violence? Is a Christian required to literally “turn the other cheek” when assaulted?
This is a long post. But there are some things in God’s word that can’t always be easily summarized in less than 1K words. This study was incredibly useful to me and answered a lot of questions that I’ve wondered for a long time. Hopefully it’ll be useful to you to. Read More
Apparently the blind really can lead the blind
Posted on Aug 3, 2015
This is hands down one of the most interesting stories I’ve heard in a long time. A blind man, Daniel Kish, has learned to echolocate his way around the world, much like bats and dolphins, by making clicking sounds. What he can do, and what he has taught scientists, will amaze you. Read More
Cecil The Lion VS Planned Parenthood
Posted on Jul 31, 2015
The moral outrage we’ve heard about a dead lion in a far away place this week has been heart breaking to me. Not because I care about the lion. I actually don’t care anything at all about a geriatric lion being killed in a country that is built on lawlessness and corruption. Read More
Texting While Driving….And God’s Wisdom
Posted on Jul 29, 2015 1 Comment
A few weeks ago I was driving down the road and got distracted by a scrolling sign banner thing on the front of a city bus. I was paying so much attention to the very long message that I nearly rear-ended the car in front of me that had stopped for a red light. My tires screeched, my seat belt locked up and my drink and lunchbox went flying off of the seat and into the floorboard.
The irony of it all….The scrolling sign (obviously meant to be read by oncoming drivers) was telling me not to text while driving, because that would be so distracting.
Personality is not Character
Posted on Jul 27, 2015 1 Comment
This phrase isn’t original to me, but I’m certainly not above stealing it. And with the election season careening toward us at a breakneck pace, I thought it was worth mentioning. Read More
An Unassuming Hero
Posted on Jul 24, 2015 1 Comment
If I ever make “I’mAGiver” bumper stickers, this guy is getting one of the first. Read More
Don’t be a drive-by ____________ (Fill in the blank)
Posted on Jul 22, 2015
Rush Limbaugh defines the drive-by media as people who arrive on the scene of major breaking news and they stir up emotions to a frenzied fever pitch. They spread lies, and then, after a few hours or a few days when the real facts emerge, they’re gone.
Read More
Munday Funday….Idioms for the boys
Posted on Jul 20, 2015
The boys were at the age when you think they’re old enough to understand every sarcastic or idiomatic thing you say, when they definitely don’t. Read More
Dear Mr. President, THE FAMILY is the answer you’re looking for….
Posted on Jul 18, 2015 2 Comments
Dear Mr. President,
The FAMILY is the answer you’re looking for…. Read More
Dear America, this sign won’t save you….
Posted on Jul 17, 2015 1 Comment
Dear America,
In case it wasn’t already crystal clear to you….This sign won’t save you. Read More
I completely agree with Obama’s foreign policy….
Posted on Jul 16, 2015
I completely agree with Obama’s foreign policy. And as a matter of fact, his domestic policy too.
It’s just that I think he should flip them around.
Repost from Seth Godin: The Rejectionists
Posted on Jul 15, 2015
I’m reposting this from Seth Godin and you can find the original post here. It definitely gave me pause, because I tend to do this very thing…In work, in politics, in religion, I tend to define the value of what I do and believe by who rejects me-rather than who accepts me. And that’s about as backwards as it can be.
The rejectionists
Can Christians bake wedding cakes for gay weddings?
Posted on Jul 14, 2015 2 Comments
Can a Christian bake a cake for a homosexual wedding? Read More
Monday Funday….Kramer’s Cologne Can Be Concocted!
Posted on Jul 13, 2015
It’s finally possible because scientists have unlocked the secret of why the beach…smells like the beach. Read More
Fonix Phriday….Homophones
Posted on Jul 10, 2015
Homophones are my favorite. And this is the simplest visual explanation for them that I’ve ever seen. Read More
Why Do Bad Things Happen To Good People?
Posted on Jul 9, 2015 3 Comments
So after dealing with the questions “Why do good things happen to bad people?” and “Why can’t this bad thing happen to someone else?” we’re going to talk about the final part of the series….”Why do bad things happen to good people?” Read More
Why can’t this bad thing happen to someone else?
Posted on Jul 8, 2015 1 Comment
In our Sunday morning bible class we’re looking for biblical answers to the question “Why do bad things happen to good people?”. But as I studied this question it seemed like the answers I found were actually answering three different questions….
- Why do bad things happen to good people?
- Why don’t bad things happen to everyone else?
- Why do good things happen to bad people?
This post is an attempt to answer the second question of this series….Why can’t this bad thing happen to someone else? To see the first post to answer these questions, click here.
Why can’t this bad thing happen to someone else?
This question seems to be rooted in our desire for fairness. From a young age we have a desire for “fair”….What parent hasn’t refereed the near constant “it’s not fair” arguments from their kids?
But as adults we should really have a better understanding of fairness. Do we really want “fair”? To we really want to stand at judgment and have our fate determined on what is “fair”? Because if you do, I’d say that you’ve got a fatally flawed understanding of grace-and your need for it.
To combat this desire for fairness and to answer the question “Why can’t this bad thing happen to someone else?” I think we should look it from two different perspectives.
When we ask why bad things can’t happen to someone else, we should look to the story of Joseph.
All too often we sometimes fail to see the big picture of what might be happening in our life. Joseph was one of those people who, at the end of his life, was able to see the big picture and how everything fit together to save his family.
Joseph’s life was certainly a roller coaster ride. He was his father’s favorite son and had a coat of many colors. Then his brothers were going to kill him. Then they decided to not kill him. But then he was sold into slavery. Then he rose to power in Potiphar’s house. Then he was thrown into prison. Then he was going to be freed. Then he was forgotten. And on and on and on. At the end of Joseph’s life his brother’s came to him and wanted to know how he would treat them after their father died.
Joseph replied to his brothers in Genesis 50:20-21 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.
Joseph was in the unique position to be able to see how all of the bad things that happened in his life had fit together in God’s plan.
So when we find ourselves asking “Why can’t this bad thing happen to someone else?”, we need to realize that maybe the bad things are happening to us because we’re the only people who are able to play that role in God’s plan. Maybe God is pushing us in a certain direction that will ultimately be better for us and our family.
But I think that too often we aren’t able to see that big picture simply because we won’t open our eyes to it. By the time the plan is complete, we’re too full of bitterness and resentment to see anything good in our lives.
Secondly, when we ask “Why can’t this bad thing happen to someone else?”, it’s because we misunderstand our own self-worth.
Isaiah 64:6 We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.
Romans 3:10 …as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one;”
Phillipians 3:8,9 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith…
When we ask the question “Why can’t these bad things happen to someone else (someone worse than me)?”, we fail to understand that WE ARE the bad people.
It’s easy to see everyone else’s sin as dirty and ugly and shameful….While at the same time viewing our own sin as just simple mistakes, or ignoring our sins altogether.
It’s a pretty petty view to take that after when we were in rebellion against God, He sent His son to die for us and that’s great….But when someone else is in rebellion against God, He can’t bless them with something as minor as what we get upset about (a promotion at work, a new car, an expensive vacation).
The question “Why can’t this bad thing happen to someone else?” is a selfish question to ask, but understanding God and His role in our lives, and our role in His plan, can go a long way toward curing that selfishness.
Why Do Good Things Happen To Bad People?
Posted on Jul 6, 2015
In our Sunday morning bible class we’re looking for biblical answers to the question “Why do bad things happen to good people?”. But as I studied this question it seemed like the answers I found were actually answering three different questions….
- Why do bad things happen to good people?
- Why don’t bad things happen to everyone else?
- Why do good things happen to bad people?
All of these questions usually stem from the same sort of circumstances, but all require different sorts of answers. And the Bible provides unique answers for all of those questions.
So I think when we’re presented with the question “Why do bad things happen to good people?”, it would do us good to examine the circumstances surrounding the question and the person asking it…so we can be sure that we’re giving them / ourselves the answers we really need.
I thought it would be best to address each of these questions independently over the course of several posts. So we’ll start with this….
Why do good things happen to bad people?
When we find ourselves asking this questions, we need to realize that ultimately, this question is rooted in jealousy and discontentment. Because when we ask this question we’re not worried about our problems, we’re worried about someone else’s success.
And when a bad person is successful, it suddenly makes our own situation seem bad.
- I was happy with my job, until I saw a bad person get a promotion and now I’m discontent.
- I was happy with my home, until I saw my worldy friends buy a newer one…and now I’m discontent and what I have seems bad. (Not based on what I have, but on what other people have.)
There are 3 things I think a Christian should consider when asking the questions “Why do good things happen to bad people?”….
1-What is the foundation of our salvation?
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Our faith is not the assurance of things that we already have, or the conviction of things that we can touch and hold.
If God provided unending blessings on his disciples and ravaged the lives on the ungodly….Would more people convert? Of course they would.
- But would they have faith in God or in the things that they could see and touch?
- Would the have assurance of things hoped for or things possessed?
- Would they have a conviction of things seen or not seen?
John 20:27-29 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
If good things didn’t happen to bad people, there would be no faith in God. We’d have a world full of people who had converted to Christianity because their faith was in the stuff of this life, rather than the life to come.
2-When good things happen to bad people, God is glorified.
1Kings 8:41-43 “Likewise, when a foreigner, who is not of your people Israel, comes from a far country for your name’s sake (for they shall hear of your great name and your mighty hand, and of your outstretched arm), when he comes and prays toward this house, hear in heaven your dwelling place and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to you, in order that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your people Israel, and that they may know that this house that I have built is called by your name.” Solomon acknowledged that when God blessed those outside of his chosen children, God’s name would still be glorified.
The simple fact is that we often don’t know what’s going on in other people’s lives. The people in 1Kings 8 were people who weren’t God’s children and didn’t know exactly how to serve Him, but who realized that God was in control of their lives and wanted His blessings. And the same thing can happen today. When we see “bad” worldly people who are being blessed by God, it might be because in their hearts they’re wanting a relationship with God–but they’re not aware yet of what that relationship is supposed to look like. And in that circumstance, God’s blessings in their life would do nothing but push them closer to Him.
And seeing God’s grace (unmerited favor) to those who rebel against him leads us to #3.
3) When we ask this question, it’s because we’ve forgotten the cross.
Romans 5:6-10 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person — though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die — but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.
After Christ died for our sins and gave us the gift of eternal life, WHILE WE WERE REBELLING AGAINST HIM, how dare we ask why God would bless the physical life of someone who is rebelling against him.
When we realize just how ugly our sins are to God and how unrighteous we really are…..But how much God has blessed us with eternal life…..Then we’ll never again question why God would bless all of those “bad” people around us.
Over the few days I’ll post the other two parts of this study….Why can’t this bad thing happen to someone else? & Why do bad things happen to good people? If you’d like to be notified of new posts by email you can subscribe in the box at the top right of this page.
This post is part of a series Challenges To Our Faith. You can see the rest of the posts by clicking HERE.
Because, ‘Muricah
Posted on Jul 4, 2015 2 Comments
Today I will turn off my complaining switch. I’m not going to gripe about taxes or elections or foreign or domestic policy.
I’m going to smile and speak kindly with everyone I meet and be thankful that I was lucky enough to be born in the greatest country on Earth.
This country was founded so that we could pursue happiness. So pursue it.
Be happy. Because ‘Muricah.
The Sweetcakes Gay Wedding Cake Lawsuit
Posted on Jul 3, 2015 2 Comments
Yesterday an Oregon judge awarded a lesbian couple $135,000 in damages (for what is essentially mental anguish) after a bakery refused to bake them a wedding cake. And for the second time in a week, the news was all abuzz with news stories predicting the impending collapse of American Christianity.
If you want to run around waiting on the sky to fall, don’t bother reading this. If you want an honest and thorough evaluation of what happened in the lawsuit (complete with helpful little things like facts and links), then keep reading.
Read More
More lies about gun control
Posted on Jul 1, 2015
Out of respect for the dead I wasn’t going to say anything about the South Carolina church shooting and gun control. But since Obama went there, I do feel compelled to correct what he said. (I was going to post this earlier, but the Supreme Court went crazy and I got sidetracked.)
Read More
Flags, Wedding Cakes & Power
Posted on Jun 30, 2015
Honestly, I think there’s about 5% of the population that really cares about the confederate flag being flown today. And I think there’s only about 5% of the population that cares about wedding cakes being baked for homosexual “marriages”. So why do so many people pitch such a fit about them? I’ll tell you why. Read More
Monday Funday…..The Placenta Heist of 2015
Posted on Jun 29, 2015
Can you even imagine the complexity involved in stealing a placenta from a hospital? Well done, Texas Mom….well done. This story gives me hope that one day I’ll be able to live out my dreams of being a secret agent as well. Read More
Gay Marriage…..(It’s not real)
Posted on Jun 27, 2015 2 Comments
Whoa Nelly!!!! You’d think that all of Christendom was falling apart around us yesterday. Just to clear the air, I thought it’d be good to remind everyone what marriage really is…. Read More
Casting Stones….Jesus & The Adulterous Woman
Posted on Jun 24, 2015
The story of Jesus dealing with the adulterous woman in John 8 is one of the more misunderstood and misapplied passages in the New Testament, especially in our society today. Read More
The REAL Protected Class
Posted on Jun 22, 2015
There’s definitely a protected class of people in this world. And membership in it has nothing to do with gender, race or creed. To be a member of the protected class you have to be brazenly, flagrantly…..hypocritical. Read More
To Get I’mAGiver Updates
Posted on Jun 22, 2015
Just a heads up…
So here’s how Facebook pages work…. If you “Like” the I’mAGiver page you don’t necessarily get notified when a new post is made to Facebook. The post will only show up in your FB feed if FB determines that it’s popular enough to bother you with.
There’s two ways to get around that.
- The more “likes”, shares and comments a FB post gets, the more likely everyone else is to see it. So click and comment often.
- OR…. On the I’mAGiver Facebook page hover over the button to “Like” the page and click the option to “Get Notifications”, then you’ll get notified every time a new post is made.
Or you can sign up for email notifications here, on the box at the top right of this page.
I’ve had a few people comment that they hadn’t seen any new posts for a while or had missed some, and they’ve been people who were waiting on FB to send them a notification about new posts (that they never got).
Monday Funday….The Hero Cat-Dog
Posted on Jun 22, 2015
First, it was a dude who thought he was a chick. Then it was a white girl that pretended to be black. So none of us should be surprised about a cat getting an award for being a heroic dog. Read More
Tomorrowland
Posted on Jun 20, 2015
We took the kids to see Tomorrowland a few days ago and I’ve gotta say, I really enjoyed it. I’d heard that it was all about how evil humans were destroying the earth and honestly I just didn’t see that. Read More
Dear Mr. President, About the $10 bill….
Posted on Jun 19, 2015
Dear Mr. President,
About this business of changing the $10 bill….. Read More
Where’s The Outrage? Dolezal vs. Jenner
Posted on Jun 16, 2015 2 Comments
Rachel Dolezal is a white woman. But she’s spent the last several years claiming she was black, pretending to be black, trying to appear as a black person. She even claimed that a black man was her father (he wasn’t).
And people are freaking out. Read More
The Deafening Defecator
Posted on Jun 14, 2015
You know that awkward stage when your kids are potty trained, but don’t exactly have the dexterity needed to…umm…you know…keep everything as tidy as it should be, “down there”? Read More
Dear Parents of SundaySchoolers
Posted on Jun 13, 2015 2 Comments
Dear Parents of SundaySchoolers,
What would your SundaySchool look like tomorrow if…… Read More
Being a cop…After McKinney
Posted on Jun 11, 2015 3 Comments
The fallout from McKinney (and Ferguson….and Baltimore) will be felt for years in many different ways, and this is just one of them.
Would you encourage your kid to become a cop today? Read More
The Importance Of Genesis
Posted on Jun 10, 2015
I’ve been really surprised in recent years by the number of Christians who don’t believe in the creation account found in Genesis. So here’s ImAGiver’s 10minute version of the importance in believing the Biblical account of creation. Read More
The Point Of Beginning
Posted on Jun 8, 2015
In 1785 Thomas Hutchins, the first ever (and only) Geographer of the United States began a survey of over 1.3 MILLION acres of the American wilderness. With a sixty-six foot long piece of chain. Read More
What sin did Bruce Jenner commit?
Posted on Jun 6, 2015 7 Comments
Seriously, before you freak out on me think about that question. For a people who are determined to live by book, chapter & verse….we ought to be able to rationally voice what our problem is with Bruce Jenner. Read More
If you see poop…You’ll lie, cheat and steal!
Posted on Jun 2, 2015
Garbage In / Garbage Out isn’t anything new, but these researchers actually put it to the test and what they found was fascinating. Read More
A Better Understanding Of Repentance
Posted on Jun 1, 2015 2 Comments
Several months ago I began a study on the subject of repentance and I’ve come to the conclusion that I’ve been understanding it, and teaching it, all wrong.
Christians Should Be More Like Chipotle
Posted on May 29, 2015
This week Taco Bell and Pizza Hut announced that they are going to start phasing artificial flavors and colors out of their menu. And I think there’s a big lesson in that for Christians. Read More
5 Names That Should Be On That Plaque
Posted on May 27, 2015
Last week a plaque was set in the sidewalk near where Michael Brown was killed. And the sad part about that sentence is that you likely know exactly which Michael Brown I’m talking about. Read More
I feel bad, but I don’t feel RESPONSIBLE
Posted on May 25, 2015
I think one of the biggest problems with politics today, for the elephants and the donkeys (hahahahahaha….the mascot of the democratic party is a donkey….don’t tell me there’s no truth in advertising!) is that they refuse to acknowledge the difference between feeling BAD about something and feeling RESPONSIBLE for something. Read More
5 (Good) Things Everyone Should Know About Josh Duggar
Posted on May 23, 2015 4 Comments
Disclaimer: I’m not a Duggar fan. I think they’re weird. I think JimBob’s hair is bizarre. I think the notion of having 19 kids is outrageous. I don’t like the show, but tolerate it on principle because it’s clean and it’s success must drive liberal America crazy.
BUT….Even though I don’t like them, it’s time for some rational thought about Josh Duggar. Read More
Dear Robert Gates, you make terrible decisions
Posted on May 22, 2015
Dear Robert Gates (Former Director of the CIA / Former Secretary of Defense / Former President of Texas A&M University / Current President of the Boy Scouts of America),
You make terrible decisions. And what’s worse, you’re encouraging other people to follow you off the cliff of bad decisions.
Read More
What Racism Really Looks Like
Posted on May 20, 2015
Racism is ugly. And this is what it looks like. Read More
Bronie-Proof Your Boys
Posted on May 18, 2015
If you’re a good parent, at some point you’re gonna have to tell your kids to stop acting like an idiot. Read More
Once Upon A Time…..
Posted on May 16, 2015
Once upon a time, there was a young man. We’ll call him Eric. And Eric LOVED to catch alligators. Read More
Do you ever wonder about the guys who bought Joseph?
Posted on May 15, 2015 1 Comment
Genesis 37 tells us the story of Joseph being sold to Midianite traders. Do you ever wonder what the traders thought about that? Read More
Dear Mrs. First Lady, you’re not a victim…
Posted on May 13, 2015
Dear Mrs. First Lady, you’re not a victim. So please pump the brakes on your constant rants about how victimized and mistreated you are.
Let’s review (with lots of pesky facts and links and such). Read More
I’m not homophobic….I’m homoscared
Posted on May 11, 2015 1 Comment
It seems like the popular thing these days is to label anyone who doesn’t approve of homosexuality as “homophobic”. Read More
I’m going to give my kids an unfair advantage
Posted on May 9, 2015
I’m going to give my kids an unfair advantage. And you should too. Especially since loving your kids is now considered giving them an unfair advantage. Read More
Perfecting The Critter Catch
Posted on May 8, 2015
I silently stalked my prey. Moving slowly, fluidly, so as to not attract attention to myself or reveal my motives. I could feel the tension building up through my shoulders and I flicked my fingers to keep them flexible for the technical maneuver I was about to execute. Just as I was about to make my move my prey leapt away from me squealing, “Oh no you don’t Eric! You’re not gonna critter catch me!” And thus Megan eluded me yet again. Read More
Don’t let your phone commit cellucide!
Posted on May 7, 2015
Every year millions of cell phones are lost and not returned to their owners. Those cell phones wind up in dank, crowded cell phone orphanages. Unable to connect to Facebook every eleven minutes like they normally do, many of these cell phones just give up hope and let their batteries run dead. Don’t let your phone commit cellucide. Be a responsible cell phone owner. Read More
Good Guys With Guns
Posted on May 5, 2015
On January 7th, 2015 two armed terrorists attacked satirical cartoonists of the false prophet Muhammad in Paris, France.
On May 4th, 2015 two armed terrorists attacked satirical cartoonists of the false prophet Muhammad in Garland, Texas.
In Paris, twelve innocent people were killed in the initial attack. The terrorists escaped and murdered five more people over the next several days. In Garland, no innocent people were killed. At all. The terrorists were shot before they could carry out their plan. Again….no innocent people died. At all.
What’s the difference in the two attacks?
The difference is that in Texas there were good guys with guns present when the bad guys with guns showed up.
I can’t stress this enough…. The way to deal with a bad guy with a gun IS A GOOD GUY WITH A GUN.
And I don’t mean cops. I mean good guys. Good guys come in all sorts of different shapes and sizes. And they need guns. Because guns in the hands of good guys stop guns in the hands of bad guys.
You can’t regulate evil. You can’t negotiate or reason with evil. But you can shoot evil before it can do evil things. And my hat’s off to the good guy in Texas who did just that.
The Challenge Of Our Freedom
Posted on May 4, 2015 1 Comment
Don’t get me wrong, you won’t find someone who loves Bald Eagles, The Star Spangled Banner or capitalism more than me. I love freedom. Freedom is great. But there’s no denying that the culture of freedom that we live in can be a serious challenge to our faith. Read More
Women’s “Rights”
Posted on May 2, 2015 1 Comment
Just in case anyone was keeping score, the Women’s “Rights” movement has done more to devalue women than anything else in modern history. Read More
As patient as I am deadly.
Posted on Apr 30, 2015
Now I’d guess that not all of these people actually NEED to be medicated, but the point is that one out of every five adults you meet FEEL like they need to be medicated. And that’s scary. Read More
Dear Mr. President, I know where you can find a terrorist
Posted on Apr 28, 2015
Dear Mr. President,
I know where you can find a terrorist, several actually. So PLEASE sic the Department of Justice on him (them). Read More
This do in remembrance of…..who?
Posted on Apr 27, 2015 2 Comments
Man has an interesting ability to make anything and everything something about themselves. As was recently pointed out to me, even when we put away pride in our lives it’s not long before our mind is saying, “You know, I’m doing a great job at not being so prideful. I bet I’m doing a better job than anyone else at not being prideful.” Read More
Werewolf Eyes
Posted on Apr 22, 2015
Remember Michael J. Fox as Teen Wolf? Remember how he started “wolfing out” and couldn’t control it? (That show terrified me, by the way. I was gonna put up a pic of old MJFox as the Teen Wolf but when I googled the pictures it still gave me the eejeebeejies.) Read More
The Challenge Of A Seared Conscience-Part 2
Posted on Apr 21, 2015 2 Comments
This post is part of a series on Challenges To Our Faith that you can find here. You can find the first post in the “Seared Conscience” class here.
The Challenge Of A Seared Conscience-Part 2
What are some ways that we can have our consciences seared today? Read More
The Challenge Of A Seared Conscience-Part 1
Posted on Apr 20, 2015 3 Comments
This post is part of a series on Challenges To Our Faith. It’s not really necessary to follow the series in order, but if you’re interested in the rest of them you can find the landing page for the series here. Read More
Now we’re throwing teachers in jail?
Posted on Apr 18, 2015
If you haven’t heard, this week school teachers and administrators in Atlanta were found guilty of changing students’ answers on tests so that they would receive a passing grade. And then they were sent to prison.
Oh my goodness gracious. Are Georgia’s prisons really so empty that they need to fill it up with some school teachers who cheated on a test? Read More
Family Complaint Form–Engaged
Posted on Apr 17, 2015 2 Comments
If your house is anything like ours, there’s a fair amount of time spent putting out fires. Not literally, well-we actually DO spend some time putting out real fires, but that’s not what I mean. I’m talking about those little arguments that manage to crop up when you’ve got kids that can consume all. of. your. time. Read More
I’mAGiver’s Guide To Hotel Survival
Posted on Apr 15, 2015 5 Comments
I enjoy traveling with my family. I like seeing the boys get excited about staying in a hotel and watching cartoons on cable (which we don’t have at home) and I love having a shower that never runs out of hot water.
But it’s no secret that I’m also unreasonably paranoid about staying in a hotel, likely due to all the spy – secret agent – secret double spy agent movies that I’ve watched in my life. An enjoyable day of driving and playing the alphabet game with the boys instantly turns to deranged thoughts of Russian assassins as soon as I walk through the sliding glass doors of a Hampton Inn. Read More
The Challenge Of Defending Our Faith–Pigs & Pearls
Posted on Apr 13, 2015 1 Comment
This post is the second in a series on Challenges To Our Faith and this link can be used to see the entire series.
The New Testament is full of admonishments for Christ’s followers to share the good news of the gospel with the world and to be ready to defend their faith to unbelievers. But there’s another warning in Matthew 7:6 for Christ’s followers to not cast their pearls before swine who would trample underfoot the word of God.
And it’s that warning that I think it would be good for us to talk about. Read More
Dear Illegitimate Debt Collectors…
Posted on Apr 11, 2015
Last year I had to go to physical therapy for an ankle injury. Long story short, they’re trying to bill me for an appointment that I never went to. I dealt with the office, who said it was resolved. I dealt with the office’s parent hospital, who said it was resolved. Now I’m dealing with the hospital’s debt collectors, who have told me that it’s resolved (but keep sending me bills).
So this is an excerpt from the letter I wrote this morning to dispute the balance….. Read More
12 hours, 300 miles and 1 Picture Worth Taking
Posted on Apr 10, 2015 3 Comments
We loaded the kids up last week to take a road trip through the Hill Country. Actually, that’s not entirely true. We loaded the kids up to drive 300 miles to take one picture, the road trip was just the lagniappe. Read More
Dear Mr. President, Black Lives DO Matter
Posted on Apr 9, 2015 1 Comment
Dear Mr. President,
I don’t normally watch the news but today I overheard several people talking about the latest police shooting of a black man by a white police officer. A quick google search turned up news reports and dizzyingly unsteady cellphone videos of the shooting…and the obligatory “Black Lives Matter” protestors. Read More
Treating the symptom, or the disease?
Posted on Apr 8, 2015 1 Comment
I don’t know about you, but I don’t really have a big problem with just treating the symptoms of an illness sometimes. If I’m sick with something simple like allergies or a cold I don’t actually care what is going on inside my body, I just want to feel better.
But that’s stupid. Read More
Challenges To Our Faith–Intro
Posted on Apr 6, 2015 6 Comments
So here’s the plan… Every Sunday for the next twelve weeks I’ll be teaching a class on Challenges To Our Faith. I plan on posting the previous Sunday’s lesson every Monday throughout the series. It’s a little challenging to convert a conversation completely into print, but I’ll do my best to cover all the material here.
New Schedule
Posted on Apr 6, 2015
Just a heads up, my plan is to start a Monday – Wednesday – Friday schedule for posts here, rather than every day.
Every Monday will be a new post in a series we’re doing at our congregation titled Challenges To Our Faith. Look for the first post tomorrow morning. I think this will be a really good series so be sure to subscribe in the box on the right.
And Like the FB page too. I’ll add useful things there throughout the week, like the difference between a homonym and a homophone or interesting cat pictures. It violated everything I thought I stood for to create a FB page and even though I signed up under a fake name I’m pretty sure Obama is tracking me, so the least you can do is like it. I’m not sure what that even means, but I’m pretty sure you’re supposed to do it.
The Malthusian Trap
Posted on Apr 4, 2015
Just imagine the situation…
You’re living in a village raising some corn and along comes a new fertilizer that doubles your production. All of a sudden you can afford to have a few more kids. And then the people down the way find out your land is producing bumper crops of corn and so they move in next door. And then they have a few more kids. Eventually the population will outgrow the food source, either through a natural disaster or other weather related effects on the crop, or from the sheer numbers of the population. That’s the Malthusian Trap. Read More
The hardest stupid decisions we make.
Posted on Apr 3, 2015 2 Comments
I really think the hardest decisions to make are not the important decisions in life. The hard decisions are usually the stupidest ones. Read More
Maybe everybody SHOULD get a trophy…
Posted on Apr 2, 2015
Let’s get real about this trophy business. And I’m not talking about how EVERY kid gets a trophy these days in little league. I’m talking about how EVERY grown up gripes incessantly about it. Read More
Read Your Kids’ Books
Posted on Apr 1, 2015
Not read books to your kids, but read your kids’ books. Read More
Four words I’m eliminating from my vocabulary
Posted on Mar 31, 2015
I. Told. You. So.
I’m going to eliminate those four words (in that order anyway) from my vocabulary.
On Sunday I talked about how much I love being right. And if you love being right as much as me, you also know how much fun it is to tell everyone else how right you are. But I’ve come to realize recently just how hurtful those words can be. In fact, I think they may be some of the more selfish words that we can utter. Read More
Why aren’t our kids being baptized?
Posted on Mar 30, 2015
I’m not going to put a date on when someone should be baptized, but rather I’d like to talk about those kids who, in their own minds, believe what the Bible says about their eternal salvation and feel that they’re in need of Christ’s blood but for whatever reason have chosen to not be baptized.
Being Right, Gracefully
Posted on Mar 29, 2015
I’ve gotta admit, I love being right. It’s like a drug to me. And I’m most definitely strung out on it.
Now that doesn’t mean that I always feel like I have to have all the answers. I’m pretty quick to say “I have no idea”, even about stuff that I should know the answer to but don’t. I don’t mind pulling over and asking for directions; in fact, I’m pretty quick to do it. But don’t mistake any of that for humility, because it’s not. It’s just me avoiding being wrong. Read More