Out with the old, in with the new

Today is Dec 31, 2010, New Year's Eve.

Like many people do, I like to take this day to reflect on the past year and look forward to the next. I haven't posted a lot in the past few days, but that doesn't mean that I haven't thought about posting. Lord willing, I hope to do a series of posts under this same title. So far I have 6 posts in mind. These will focus on reviewing the past year and looking forward to 2011. I will talk about New Year's resolutions in general, my personal resolutions in general, as well as some family resolutions.

This post will focus on 2010, almost like a Wentz Christmas card, if you know what I mean. :)


There was a lot that happened in 2010. Some of these are more like one-time events, some are spread out over weeks and months. Here are some highlights:

1. Stephanie's job was moved to Athens in mid-January. This was a long time coming. UGA bought the Toccoa tv station in Oct 2008 and gradually moved operations to Athens. When her job was moved to the basement of the Grady College of Journalism, it meant she (we) had to commute an hour each way. This became a challenge, especially when dropping off and picking up Katelyn from daycare and getting to Justin's sporting events. Stephanie's parents helped out a lot on picking up Katelyn during those months.

2. Stephanie and I had a teenager in the house on Feb 23, 2010. Justin turned 13 and was finally allowed a facebook account. I'm pretty sure that of all the things he enjoyed about his birthday this was his favorite.


3. Justin made the tennis team for Stephens County in February. Having never really played tennis much, he really enjoyed playing for the school. He perfected a serve that causes the ball to have english (spin) after it lands that he's proud of.

4. We put our house up for sale in April. After much thought, prayers, and a whole lot of Saturday work to get the house ready to sell (going back to the fall of 2009), we put our house on the market.

5. In April, I went to T4G. I went with my good friends Paul and Ross to Louisville, KY for Together for the Gospel (T4G). This actually happened the day that Stephanie and I signed the contract for our house to be put on the market. I've read many of the books of the speakers and they have taught a great deal to me in the Lord. There were more than 7000 of us there to worship. It's not that I love the main speakers so much, it's that they are serving the same God I serve and are faithful to preaching His word, pointing away from themselves and toward Him. The messages and fellowship were great and they gave away a ton of books. Each time we came back to our seats there were more books waiting for us. There were many highlights of the trip included some interesting conversations with gas station attendants. One of my favorite was meeting John Piper. I'll never forget it.



6. Katelyn graduated from the pre-k program at Precious Minutes. We were very proud of her as she wore her cap and gown and walked across the stage. She's growing up very quickly. Her mommy cried, even though she said she wouldn't.


7. Summer vacation camping trips. This year we went camping at different times throughout the year. We really enjoy our camper. The kids enjoy the open space and we even enjoy being cramped in our little camper, playing games and spending "quality" time together. We included our dog Daisy in the trips at the end of the season. We were able to get a used Jet-ski in the fall of 2009 and enjoyed playing on the water with it this year.




8. We bought a home in Jefferson at the end of June. We thought that we were going to move to Athens early on, but we kept being led to the Jefferson area. There was a lot factoring into that decision: good schools, close to churches, within 25 minutes of Athens, good housing market, close to I-85, and still within 50 minutes of both sets of parents. We moved over July 4th weekend, with enough time to get settled in before school started in August. This also allowed Katelyn to get used to the Jefferson Recreation Department's day camp, where she goes after school until we pick her up. Jefferson has been great, while it's growing it still has that small town feel.

9. Justin changed schools from Stephens County to Jefferson City. This was one of the things that was heavy on our mind. Justin has really enjoyed changing schools. He has made some new friends and is doing really great, just as he did in Stephens County. When we walked into the school on orientation night, there were a few cute girls from FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) that flocked to him and got him signed up for their club. That probably helped the transition.

10. Justin made the Jefferson Middle School football team. Having not made the team in Stephens County on a team that went 1-6 the year before, he made the team on the Jefferson Middle School that went 9-0 the year before. He had a great year at wide receiver and they finished 5-2.


11. Katelyn started kindergarten. At Jefferson Elementary, they are required to wear uniforms, which I really like. Their shirts are red, blue, or white polo shirts, and khaki or blue pants/skirts/shorts. While there have been a few notes home, mainly for talking (imagine that), she has done extremely well. She's reading words now and has even read two books to us.


12. Katelyn lost her first tooth in August. While we had been working on it for a while, it eventually came out while she was eating an apple by herself. I was outside talking to a neighbor and she came out with tooth in hand, smiling from ear to ear.


13. Katelyn started dance at Broadway Arts Center. She had been in a daycare dance program, but this one is a professional dance studio. That's her up front and to the left.



14. Our 'little flock' small group. Throughout the year we had a small group that met on Wednesday nights and Sunday evenings while we were visiting churches on Sunday mornings in areas that we might potentially move. Our family along with two other families, totaling 12 in all, went though two books of the bible verse-by-verse together and had numerous other studies and fellowships. This was a sweet time for us. Our beloved Pastor Ross accepted a position with Grace Community Church in Wisconsin. The Layne family remained open to a call to go wherever the Lord would send them. When a call came from Wisconsin, they were a little pessimistic at first. The church continued to pursue Ross and they even flew him up for the weekend to preach and spend time with the church family, having narrowed down their search to 4 potential pastors. The calling became more clear as time went on and they offered him the position. We helped their family move, with tears in our eyes. This picture was from our last fellowship at Pizza Hut during the last part of their move. His daughter Ariail was in Wisconsin in school staying with her Grandma at this time. We miss their whole family.


15. Justin made the basketball team at Jefferson Middle. Having not played basketball in any organized fashion before, Justin tried out for and made the basketball team. He has learned a lot about the game and continues to do well.


16. Our church exploration. This year we've had the opportunity to visit many, many churches as we were seeking the Lord's guidance on a new church home. These visits started in Athens, where we were initially looking to move, but moved toward Jefferson and the surrounding areas later on. Before we visited the churches, I did lots of research on them and met most of the pastors for lunch or coffee. First, let me say that there a ton of churches out there and many them are not good. That being said, there are a good many churches out there that are very good. Each of the churches that we visited were a little different. Some were more traditional with an organ and a choir. Others were more contemporary with drums and a guitar. To some we wore dress pants and button-down shirts, while to others we wore jeans or shorts and a polo shirt. We were given a good look into the landscape of churches and it really helped drive home that musical style and dress really matter very little in looking for a church home.

17. Our new church home. After lots of prayer and visits we decided to join New Branch Community Church, www.newbranchchurch.org. New Branch has around 100 official members and around 150-200 attending. They are very clear on the Gospel, and having the main thing remain the main thing. They are very sound in preaching and their children's and youth program is excellent. Justin was able to go with the youth to Panama City Beach and an inter-Atlanta apartment mission project in the summer and a camping retreat titled "Fixate" in the fall. Stephanie was able to go to a women's retreat in the fall as well. We are most of the way through the membership process, the only thing remaining is an informal interview with the Elders of the church. Which is one of the things I enjoy at New Branch, because membership really matters.


I told you that a lot happened in 2010.

The birth of a child

I remember when both Justin and Katelyn were born. I remember thinking though the miracle of life. That a person was formed in another person and brought into this world. How amazing!

It was both exciting and scary at the same time in the delivery room. Most people usually see the cleaned up pictures of the new baby wrapped in a blanket, sleeping quietly. What they tend to forget is that it was really messy in the delivery room. Those who have been there know what I'm talking about. There's a reason why it takes a while before family and friends can see the new addition to the family. There's lots of cleaning to be done. At this point you're probably thinking, boy Kris really has gone off topic now. With tomorrow being Christmas I want us to think back through the real mess when Jesus was born.

Most know that He was born in Bethlehem in a stable/barn/manger type setting. Not exactly your sterile equipment that you see in delivery rooms. There were animals around and well....you know what animals tend to do. The delivery room for Jesus was quite messy. But think deeper with me. This was only part of the mess. Jesus left His Father in heaven where there is no sin or evil present and perfect love is shown and came to earth where sin runs rampant, evil is seen around every corner and love is corrupted and abused. God who can not tolerate a hint of sin entered into our world. Now that's messy. Maybe you think that you don't need a God who does this, but for those whose lives are messy, Jesus has came into this mess called life. The Christmas story is not just about Him being born, it must be seen with the Cross in view. After being born, he lived a perfect life, died a perfect death, and was raised to life for those who would believe in Him, whose lives are indeed messy. We can clean the mess up after the delivery room, but there's a bigger mess that we can't clean up, our sin.

I love to think about when Justin and Katelyn were born. I continually thank God for them. If I do this for my own kids, how much more should I thank Him for His Son.

Merry Christmas!

If Jesus was born in 2010

This shows what would happen if Jesus was born in 2010 with all of the technological advancements we have now. Although I say advancements, I remember when things were a lot simpler before cell phones. :)

Enjoy!



This one is a little more meaningful and displays some human element.

The fun week we've had

I thought it would be good to give you an update on how much fun our family has had this pask week or so. There's a lot going around, and our family caught some of it.

On Friday, Dec 10th, Katelyn's throat was hurting. Stephanie took her to the doctor and they said she had strep...this is the second time this year. Thankfully, we were able to get the antibiotic and she was doing great in about a day. As long as there's not a fever and she's been on the antibiotic she could return to school on Monday. Well, Monday afternoon she had to be picked up from school because her stomach was hurting and she had a small fever. We decided that even though she was fine Monday night, we would keep her home on Tuesday. She was fine on Wednesday, back at school as normal. Justin didn't practice basketball on Tuesday because he felt bad and had a small fever. On Wednesday, he didn't have a fever, but had a headache. Well, he woke up Thursday morning with a fever of 102 degrees. Stephanie took him to the doctor...flu. He had some of his finals on Wednesday, but was unable to take his Math and Science that was scheduled on Thursday. He'll have to take them either before or after school hours after Jan 4th. Bummer. He's doing fine now, no fever, but he does have a bad sounding cough. We're keeping him away from everyone just to be sure. As far as Stephanie and myself, we are good, no illness yet. We have lots of disinfecting wipes and hand sanitizer bottles around the house.

Thinking about the sickness we've had this week really caused an article I read lately to hit home. It's from Russell Moore who always writes stuff that makes you think and challenges you. He asks the question "Did Jesus ever get a stomach virus?". I remember thinking about this question a few years ago. I've posted the article below for you to read and reflect on.

I hope you enjoy the article!


Did Jesus Ever Get a Stomach Virus?
— Sunday, December 12th, 2010 —
Last week a friend called my office to leave a question she wanted some help thinking through. Could Jesus have gotten a stomach virus? Or the flu? Or a head cold? This question was rooted in something a little deeper. Since sickness is part of the curse of the Fall, would Jesus’ sinless nature have exempted him from viruses and bugs and fevers?

That night one of my sons woke us, crying as the stomach virus hit with all the unpleasantness that brings. As I watched his little frame tremble as he vomited, I thought about this woman’s question. Would Mary have ever watched her little firstborn in the throes of such sickness?

Why is it so hard for us to imagine Jesus vomiting?

First of all, it’s hard for us to imagine the radical nature of the Incarnation. No matter how orthodox our doctrine, we all tend to want to think of Jesus as a two-dimensional figure with a shaft of light squarely fixed on his forehead. But the gospel tells us that Jesus took on every aspect of our “flesh and blood” in order to redeem us from the power of the devil (Heb. 2:14-15).

The Scripture repeatedly makes a point of telling us about Jesus’ exhaustion, about his digestion of food, in order to make the point that our Christ really identified with us in every aspect of our common humanity, except for our sin (Heb. 4:15).

The very beginning of the Christ story itself tells us that part of the sign of the Messiah is that he is wrapped in cloths (Lk. 2:12). Why do you wrap cloths around a baby? For the same reason you might diaper your baby, or wrap her up in a blanket. The point is to keep the baby warm, and to keep him dry from waste. This signifies from the very beginning just how much Jesus is our brother, sharing with us a human nervous system and a human digestive system.

It’s also hard for us to imagine the radical nature of substitution. Of course, we understand Jesus’ suffering for us on the Cross. But the Cross was culmination, not the beginning of Jesus’ identification with us. Jesus walked into a world fallen with sin, a world cursed by thorns, death, and, yes, sickness. Though Jesus clearly had power of sickness in his healing ministry, and over death itself, he voluntarily joined us in a world of suffering and pain, for the purpose of offering up a sacrifice and restoring human peace with God and nature.

“For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering,” writes the Book of Hebrews (Heb. 2:9). “Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect, he became a source of eternal salvation to all who obey him” (Heb. 5:9).

This is why Jesus weathered the suffering of temptation. This is why he hungered and thirsted. This is why he experienced the death and desertion of friends. This is why he shuddered in blood-soaked anguish at Gethsemane at the prospect of his execution. And this is why he was beaten, humiliated, and spiked through with nails. Jesus was exempt from no aspect of our human condition, except for our rebellion. He was not exempt from something as common as sickness.

It just doesn’t seem right to us to imagine Jesus feverish or vomiting. But that’s precisely the scandal. It didn’t seem right to many to imagine Jesus as really flesh and bone, filled with blood and intestines and urine. Somehow that seemed to detract from his deity. It surely didn’t seem right to many to imagine the only begotten of the Father twisting in pain on a crucifixion stake, screaming as he drowned in his own blood. This was humiliating, undignified. That’s just the point. Jesus joined us in our humiliation, in our indignity.

I hope you don’t get a stomach virus this year, or the flu or the fever or a cold. But, if you do, I hope you remember, just for a minute, in your discomfort that Jesus has passed through everything you’ll ever face. He might have been racked with nausea or chills or aches, just as you are. And then he faced far, far worse.

But, as you lie there, remember the gospel of incarnation and substitution, a gospel that comes, as the old song says, to make his blessings known “far as the curse is found.”

North Point's iBand

This is for all you techies out there! :)

How good of a Theologian are you?

Do you realize that you are a theologian? Yes, you are. Do you have thoughts about God? Then you are a theologian? You think that God doesn't exist, you're still a theologian, whether you want to admit it or not, your thoughts about God is that he doesn't exist. So if you're a believer in Christ, an agnostic, an atheist or whatever, you're still a theologian.

Although this video is also a book promo, it really hits home what I'm trying to say. I do commend the book, but more than that I commend thinking through how good of a theologian you are and the implications that means for your life:

"Your Hands" by J.J. Heller

Beautiful song. Beautiful voice.



I am so thankful that I am in His hands. If you are going through a rough time right now, I hope this song will help.

Middle School Basketball

I remember playing basketball growing up. We had a backboard nailed to a tree where we lived. I think my dad put it up at 11 feet when it was supposed to be 10 ft. Either way, I was happy to have one. We eventually got another hoop opposite of the one on the tree. It was an adjustable one, which meant that I could lower the basket and dunk on it. I didn't listen to my dad (one of the many times I didn't) when he said to let the concrete dry before playing. I had given it some time to dry, but not enough. I had to dunk the ball, which meant the goal was leaning forward a little when the concrete finally set. But I didn't care it was still awesome. I got a NCAA mini-basketball from Pizza Hut and I was the next Michael Jordan. Even better, having both hoops meant that I had a full court. All that on an uneven gravel road. I remember playing there till there was no light left. Then my dad installed a light where I could play longer. I don't know how many hours I played there, but it was a lot. Aw, the good ole days. That brings me to what I really want to talk about: Middle School Basketball.

Justin is playing for Jefferson Middle School this year. They had their first game on Wednesday night and they won. It was not a pretty win, but it was a win.

Before his game started, I had the privilege of watching the girls middle school team finish up their game before the boys took the floor. I say privilege because it was a unique experience. I have heard that watching middle school girls basketball was torture, so I was ready for the experience. It actually wasn't that bad. Sure there were a lot of air balls and the dribbling wasn't the best, but those girls were passionate. There was a lot of going after the ball, driving to the hoop and wrestling on the floor over loose balls. I later noticed a Jefferson girl entering the gym with an eye patch and her teammates running over to greet her. Apparently, she had been injured in the game, went to get medical attention and then returned. Hard Core stuff!

The boys game was good. The Jefferson boys played hard. Some of their play was sloppy, but then again, it was 13-14 year old boys, so what do you expect. Justin did well in the time that he was in the game.

Katelyn did well too. There were no drink and no snacks and she made it through the event without having to be taken elsewhere for a 'talkin to'. She did have to make a trip to the restroom, but we all did, so that's ok. What occupied most of her time was taking pictures with Stephanie's cell phone. I'm not sure how many it can hold, but I think we may have found out on Wednesday. Next time we'll be prepared with snacks and a coloring book.

The interesting part was the emotions going on in the building. You had the coach of the other team screaming at the ref, so much so that we could him crystal clear sometimes. That almost resulted in him being ejected, he was warned sternly by the female official. You had the players who were up and down depending on how they were doing. You also had the angry parents who let everyone know what was on their mind. We heard "how could you call that, you weren't even looking that way", "why didn't you call the hug on the other player", and other taunts from behind and beside us. I wonder how many calls the same parents overlooked that their boys did. It's easy to see a fault in someone else, but difficult to see your own. Overall, I think the ref's did a pretty good job. Of course, we won the game, if we lost I might not say the same thing. ;)

I'm looking forward to the rest of the season.

Racism, part 2

After the last post on racism, I thought I needed to go a little deeper with our tendencies on how we handle the issue of racism. I greatly appreciate the feedback that you gave both publicly on the blog and privately through e-mail. It you have not read the post, you can here: http://kris-harrison.blogspot.com/2010/11/racism.html

One of my goals for this blog is to help us think through how we think. To allow the Lord to penetrate our hearts and reveal who we really are, and to see a glimpse of who He is. If you're not a Christian I hope that you will still read my posts. You can feel free to disagree and to exchange your views with me. Maybe you can help me see where you're coming from. If you are a Christian you can feel free to disagree with me as well.

With that being said, I want to probe racism a bit deeper and try to see how the Gospel relates to how we look at racism specifically in some who engage in relationships of a different ethnic background and our reaction to those who exhibit signs of racism.

1) Seeking approval in relationships for the wrong reason and the gospel's response

The first thing I want to throw out is that many who engage in relationships with people from a different ethnic background or color do so for the wrong reason. Please don't assume that if you have in the past or are currently in a relationship that fits this description that I am talking to you. I have no one in particular in mind, I'm only thinking through what some have done. It would be dangerous to assume that this is the case when it's not.

This person might not be getting the attention they think they deserve or they need. This same type of attitude will follow for a girl (sorry to pick on the girls) who dresses provocatively simply to attract guys. If you have to undress in order to get attention then you are seeking the wrong attention. In the same way if you have to 'shock' your family, friends, or other people by a relationship with someone of a different ethnic background then you have a heart problem. This comes down to seeking the approval of others. When you don't get that approval you either look for it elsewhere and often you seek to hurt those whose approval you don't get. Notice that this is actually less about race and more about the person themselves, race gets inserted and makes it more obvious because of our sin. Don't think that there needs to be a race difference for this scenario to hold true, it's just easier to see when brought to light.

How does the gospel solve this problem?
The gospel says that you will never receive the approval you need in someone else. You will always be let down. Your friends and family have issues just like you do, whether they admit it or not. The person who seeks this approval is searching for someone who will love them, often this love is at the expense of the ones who hurt them: their boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, wife, mom, or dad, the love and acceptance that they were seeking to gain. The gospel says that you are approved by God when you repent of your sin and trust in the work of His Son on the cross. If someone is seeking approval through any other means they are trying to earn love. You can not earn God's approval, it is freely given to those who trust in His Son. The problem is that our sin stands in the way. God will not approve of you because your sin separates you from Him. That's why Jesus came to earth and died. The person who is seeking acceptance from another relationship by clinging to or running from someone will only find it in Christ. Sure, you may find someone who loves you and accepts you, but they will fall short. Jesus is the only one who will never let you down.


2) If you're not racist do you think you are better than the person who is?

As I said in my first point, it holds true here too, I'm not thinking of anyone in particular. If I am thinking of someone who this applies to, it's me. It's easy for those who attempt to view others equally to look down on those who show signs of racism. True, it is sad that some people are that way both in their thoughts and actions, but this should cause us to weep, not to look down on them as if we are more superior. If we feel superior then we are actually doing the same thing we are accusing them of, only instead of color we are using different means to justify us. We're not 'better' than someone simply because God has allowed us to see things a little more clearly. We each have serious flaws (sin) that makes us undeserving of God's Grace. If racism is not one of those flaws, and I would think that in one degree or another it is, then what other flaws do you have?

3) Who needs Jesus more?

Now specifically for the Christian: If your response to the person who you think exhibits the signs of racism is "that person needs Jesus more than me" then you have just proved that the opposite is true. For the believer to think that someone else needs their sin exposed and to repent more than themselves has a small view of their own sin and a small view of the Holiness of God who cannot tolerate sin. If you think that you "did that" (repenting of your sin, trusting in Christ) years ago and that you are ok now, then you need a fresh awareness of the price that your sin cost God, the death of His Son. I pray that if you are a believer then you will increasingly see how much of a sinner you truly are and how Holy God truly is. When seen in this light you will not only see how helpless and hopeless you are apart from Him, but you will also see how loving, gracious, and merciful He is in saving you.

Both of these posts on Racism point to the fact that to me this world is not my home.

Racism

Well, I honestly don't know how each person will respond to this. This is one of those that you are free to disagree with me on, but please seek to understand me. Because of recent conversations, the details of which I will not share, this topic has been really working hard on me.

The questions I hope to answer are: What is racism? Why does racism exist? How does it evidence itself in a daily manner? Are you a racist? What is the solution to racism?

First things first, my goal is not to talk about one race as opposed to the another, simply to point out how we deal with the issues about race. I would even argue that there is no such thing as a 'different' race. We all are related if you go back far enough. There is only one race, the human race. But there is different cultures and those cultures do have an influence on us.

Also, this post should be applicable to whatever pigment of skin that you have and from whatever background you come from. Racism is not a skin color, it is heart problem.


What is racism?

According to the dictionary, racism is: : a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race.

I would like to take it a bit farther and possibly make it more clear. Racism is simply thinking that you are better or more deserving than someone else of a different color.


Why does racism exist?

Because of sin, mainly the sin of pride. Since sin entered the world it rears its ugly head in different ways. Looking back in history it is easy to see that the sin of racism has caused many evils in the world. We like to put ourselves on the throne and determine what is right and wrong instead of looking to the one who created us.

How has racism evidenced itself in the past?

Thinking about Hitler exterminating the Jews because he felt they were an inferior race is a perfect example of racism when carried to its natural outcome. Our own country has the terrible past of owning slaves as well. It was less than 50 years ago that blacks and whites didn't eat in the same restaurants, drink from the same water fountain or go to the same schools. I am obviously too young to have experienced those events, but there are many living today who have.

How does racism evidence itself now and are you a racist?

The Ku Klux Klan still exists in some areas. It's amazing that they have to hide cowardly behind hoods. Maybe you're not in the KKK, but I'd like to go deeper.
This is where it gets personal. If you were in a room and someone asked you to raise your hand if you are a racist would you raise your hand? Let me ask you some questions and see how you do?

1) Do you think of yourself better than someone of a different race?
2) When you checkout at a counter do you go to the person who has the same color skin as you, even if it's a little out of the way, do you avoid the employee at the counter that is of a different color or ethnic background, even if it's right in front of you?
3) When you walk into a building/classroom/restaurant, do you avoid an area because of the skin color or language spoken by those in a particular area?
4) When you are walking close to someone of a different different skin color or ethnic background do you reach for your pocketbook or wallet?
5) Would it offend you if your sister, brother, son, daughter, mom, dad, grandson, grand daughter or friend married and had children with or adopted someone of a different race?

If you answered yes to any of these questions then it's very possible that you are harboring some racism in your heart. The difference is in the degree that you carry it out. I think that with many people today they feel like they are ok as long as "they" (meaning the 'other' race) stay to themselves. That logic may work for a while, but not for long. It is mostly just an easy way to avoid the problem.

Jesus said that if you hate someone then you have committed murder in your heart. I believe this applies to a group of people as well. Are you guilty of murder?

What is the solution to racism?
If you're not offended/convicted yet, this might do it. The solution to racism is the cross of Christ. When you realize that you are utterly unworthy of acceptance before a Holy God, you will not look down on others, you will look up to God. The ground at the cross is level, there is no 'better' in God's eyes when he views the skin. We are all unworthy of Him and desperately need His Grace.

For those who profess Christ I have two more application questions:
1) If Jesus was a _______ man, would you still worship him, would anything change? (fill in the blank with an ethnic background/race different than you)
2) If you had to spend more time in heaven with someone of a different race than your own, would you still want to go?

It may look like I'm pointing the finger out to everyone else, but please be aware that I am also aware of what goes on in my heart as well. Most of the questions asked above have went through my head sometime in my lifetime. I'm ok with admitting it, repenting of it and seeking forgiveness in the cross.

I will end this with a personal story of a conversation with someone I had about 6 years ago. Again, the specifics of which ethnic group we talked about doesn't matter and they could be interchanged with another very easily. Let's say the guy's name was Barry:

Barry: "Kris, what do you think about these people marrying someone of a different race?"

me: "When you think about it Barry, we are really of the same race, the human race, we just look different, maybe listen to different music and dress a little different"

Barry: "Well I'm not racist or anything, but I just think that people should stick to their own kind, know what I mean?"

me: "I do too Barry, that's why people shouldn't be married to their cat or dog", smiling but understanding what he meant.

Barry: "Well doesn't the bible say it's wrong, something about not being unequally yoked?"

me: "Actually it's referring to a Christian and a non-Christian not being together, not different ethnic Backgrounds Barry. Let me ask you a question, you have a little girl right?"

Barry: "Yes, she's 2 years old"

me: "Ok, I'm going to give you two different options and you tell me which one you would prefer.

1) Your daughter is 19 years old and has a boyfriend who wants to marry her, he's white, drives a truck, listens to country music, and has a blue collar job. In other words, he's a lot like you. The problem is that this same guy verbally, mentally, and physically abuses your daughter.

2) Your daughter is 19 years old and has a boyfriend who wants to marry her, he treats her like a queen, takes her to church every Sunday, and promises to always treat her with respect and dignity. Oh and by the way, he's black.

Which situation would you prefer?"

Barry: "I don't know, I'll have to think about it"


That conversation actually happened. It was very sad. The person continues to think he's not a racist, what do you think?

I am very thankful that my kids are growing up in an age when everyone is free to sit in any seat on the bus, go to any restaurant they want, drink from any water fountain they want, and vote with their vote counting for a full person (not 3/5th of a person). With that being said there is still a lot of racism that goes on in the public arena and in private homes. There's a lot that goes on in the heart of a lot of people. I pray that both of my kids will view each person the same; someone made in the image of God, who has sinned against Him, and who needs God's mercy and grace.

Squanto and the Miracle of Thanksgiving

I'm not sure how knowledgeable you are about Thanksgiving. For some of you it may mean nothing more than turkey and football. For others it may mean getting together with family that you hardly ever see. For some it may mean thanking God for the gifts and blessings He's given you. I enjoy all of the above. I look forward to getting with both my side of the family and Stephanie's side to enjoy food and talk about what's been going on in our lives. We always have great food, and lots of it.

You probably know that the original Thanksgiving involved the "Pilgrims" and the "Indians", and sharing a feast, but you may not know the events that led up to this event. Ever heard of "Squanto"? Simply put, without Squanto there likely wouldn't have been a Thanksgiving. This CNN clip is an interview with a guy who wrote a children's book on Squanto. The book looks great.

I enjoyed this interview and hope you do as well.



It may seen appropriate to lift up Squanto for who he was and what he did, which is a good thing if done in the right way. I think a better approach is to thank God for what He did through Squanto. Squanto was a great man who accomplished a lot, but I believe it was because there was a great God who was working through him.

I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!

Pop Tarts

Our family goes through more pop tarts than you can imagine. We currently have about 6 different boxes of pop tarts, however we've had many other flavors as well. Justin eats 2 for breakfast every morning and Katelyn likes them as well. They like them so much that they have had fights over them. Justin likes them so much that he's went as far as to hide his favorite flavor so that no one else eats them. Yes, Justin covets poptarts.

Here's a clip of Brian Regan on poptarts.

Silly Bands

I'm sure by now you know what Silly Bands are, but if not let me inform you: They are mainly bracelets, although there are rings now as well. They come in farm animals, dinosaurs, and musical instruments. You name it and there is probably silly bands for them. It's very popular in schools to collect and trade them. Now there's even a Christianized version of them called "faith bands". Leave it to someone to try and make a Christian imitation for a few bucks. Justin has some of them, why they are popular with middle school boys I have no idea, and Katelyn has many as well, I believe she's acquired most of Justin's. Now with that background in place, I can tell you what happened the other night.

Katelyn was told to not have silly bands at the table during dinner. After a few minutes she thought that didn't make any sense so she decided to play with them anyways. Well, this caused Stephanie to confiscate them, or try to... What happened next was complete pandomonium. Katelyn ran upstairs screaming "I want my silly bands, I want my silly bands". I'm sitting there thinking "this is going to be a long evening". We eventually get the silly bands from her and have a long talk about how she won't be getting them back soon. This was after her slamming the bedroom and closet door, which led to a spanking. She was crying so much over losing the silly bands that she almost threw up and her nose was running like crazy.

While talking with her, I told her that we love her very much. We wanted her to have 'things' to enjoy. We wanted her to be happy with her silly bands, but when it came time to be obedient to us, she needed to obey and put the bands away. I asked her if she knew she was getting into trouble by not putting them away, she said yes. She knew all along that she was getting into trouble and did it anyways (sounds a lot like you and me huh). Gradually throughout the evening she ended up eating her dinner, drawing some pictures and having a nice night.

The point of this post is not to talk about how sinful and evil my daughter is. My point is that I don't think that we are much different. Sure, it may not be silly bands, but there's other things that we don't want to give up. And while we may not scream out loud, cry and pout, that's exactly what's going on in our hearts. It's crying out "I want, I want, I want, I want". So the next time you really want something and don't get it or have something you think you can't live without, just think of silly bands. It may not last as long as Katelyn's episode with her silly bands, but it does happen, even for a split second sometimes. We act like kids only bigger and the silly bands change to __________. It may not be bad in and of itself and neither are silly bands, it's our hearts that's the problem.

We can either acknowledge that we really are this way and seek to know our hearts better, ask the Lord to show us our shortcomings, cry out for forgiveness through Christ, ask Him to change our hearts, or we can ignore it, pretending that it's only other people that are like that, or we can admit that we're that way, but think that we do so many other things that are good, that the good outweights the bad.

Which is your response?

by the way: Katelyn now has her silly bands back and she doesn't play with them at the table, at least she didn't last night. :)

Somebody did it

I think eating as a family is something that rarely occurs in most homes these days. Even when it does occur the tv is usually on distracting everyone from conversation.

Recently Stephanie noticed that there something on the floor around the table. Then we noticed that it was on the chair as well. What was it?: Parmasean Cheese. Usually food on the floor isn't a problem, we simply call Daisy, our beloved Jack Russell Terrior and she takes care of it, she left the parasean cheese though. We had this discussion at the dinner table over it, more or less:

Stephanie: "What's on the floor?
me: "It's also on the seat"
Stephanie: "It's parmasean cheese, who did this?"
Katelyn: "somebody did it"
Stephanie: "do you know who this somebody is?"
Katelyn: "no, but somebody did it"
Justin: not saying anything, just laughing!

After several moments passed:

Katelyn: "well, when I shook it, the lid wasn't on good"

Yes, "somebody" did do it, and that same "somebody" helped to clean it up!

When we uploaded this picture we thought "I didn't eat the brownie"

It was from a fudge pop.

Isn't it amazing how we don't want to admit what we've done. Katelyn's not alone here. We all want to shift the blame. She got it from her mom and myself, who got it from our parents, who you guessed it, got it from their parents. Our orginal parents Adam and Eve didn't want to admit it either. Adam blamed Eve, Eve blamed Satan. The fact is "we did it". The question remains: "Will we admit it?"

Slavery and Abortion

Well, like I said in an earlier post, some posts will be funny and some will be serious. This post is a serious post. As many of you know, one of my passions is protecting the life of the unborn, those who cannot protect themselves. I've read about different perspectives before, but none like this. This fictional address is by Pastor Thabiti Anyabwile. He gives, as a black man, what he would say as a white man to a black audience on the issue of Slavery and Abortion. Regardless of how you feel on the subject of abortion, please read this. You may not agree with me, and you may not agree with Thabiti, but at least read and think about what he's saying.


Ladies and Gentlemen,

Thank you for coming out tonight. I’m deeply grateful that you would invest time away from your family, your work, and other commitments to be with us for so important an issue. I want to talk with you about what I believe is the most heinous, life-threatening tragedy in our lifetimes: abortion.

When you mention the word “abortion,” some people quickly tune you out. They think of sign-carrying protesters… or graphic images of unborn children. And whether because they’re squeamish at the sight of some images, or because they’ve become numb to the so-called “culture wars,” or because they honestly value choice in this issue, significant groups of Americans seem blind to the suffering, pain, and death caused by abortion.

The closest example I can think of would be the two hundred years of willful ignorance this society demonstrated as millions of African people were kidnapped, packed in ships, then sold and brutalized in the Transatlantic slave trade. We have no idea how many people were killed at sea during that demonic voyage. We have no idea how many were born into slavery… who lived their entire lives without even the hope of freedom. We have no idea how many were beaten to death… lynched… castrated… or hobbled. We cannot imagine the number of “quiet” deaths on plantations suffered by those whose enslavement lasted longer their hearts. We can’t count the screams of mothers separated from their children at the auction block or even at birth. While black women suckled the children of slave owners… their own children were sold like cattle. We can’t endure imagining the debilitating effects of being repeatedly raped, having children by men who denied your humanity by day but claimed your bed by night, of knowing you had no control over your body. Who can count the number of restless, dreamless nights forcibly separated husbands and wives spent wondering about the other.

In our short time tonight, we cannot begin to detail the horrors and the torments of slavery. We can’t even adequately describe how those horrors still live with us. I don’t want in any way to presume I know what it was like. And I certainly don’t want to minimize the memory of such suffering. The experience wasn’t cheap. It was costly. We’re still paying the costs in so many ways.

And, I’m well aware that people who look like me were the ones sailing the ships, leading the auctions, and holding the whip. Some people who claimed to be Christians, as I am, either actively participated in and justified this brutality, or many of them quietly looked the other way. They were willfully ignorant. And they remind me of how easy it is for me to be ignorant, and how wrong it would be for me to borrow the suffering and pain of slaves without trying to enter into it. For after all, my Savior took my pain and suffering on Calvary’s cross that I might be free from sin and guilt to enjoy the Father’s love. I don’t want to betray the memory of African slaves, or betray the memory of Calvary’s cross.

But there were also those who looked like me and who looked like you who were liberators and defenders of black life. They were the resistant, the militant, and the strident. They spoke up and they spoke out. They sometimes led protests and wrote abolitionist tracts. They sometimes simply looked into themselves before looking into the eyes of the slave driver and saying, “I am a man.” Or, “I am a woman.” ”I ain’t taking it no more.” There were black Frederick Douglasses and white William Wilberforces, whose actions touched both sides of the Atlantic. There were black David Walkers and white John Browns, who made a call to arms to protect black life. And there were black Harriet Tubmans and nameless white women along the Underground Railroad getting their passengers to freedom by night.

Here’s what I would ask: Would you consider me one of those working in the spirit of black men and women, and white men and women, who gave their lives in the cause of life and liberty?

Because the reality is this: There is among us another form of willful ignorance destroying life by the thousands every day. There is another “looking the other way” by Americans who know better and should be better. There are significant numbers of people professing to be Christians either participating in, supporting, or playing blind bystander to untold human suffering. These are the people living in our day who remain uninvolved in ending abortion the way some remained uninvolved in ending slavery.

Were a black man to remain uninvolved in ending slavery he would be called a “sell out.” Were a white man to be uninvolved in ending slavery he would be worst than the slave owner. And my brothers and sisters, if a black man or woman remains uninvolved in the ending of abortion when abortion destroys more black babies than any other thing since slavery… that black man or woman is a “sell out” to his children before they see the light of life! And if a white man or woman remains uninvolved in ending abortion… that white man or woman takes their place on the side of slave owners and slave merchants who were destroyers of life!

Ignoring suffering wasn’t right in 1830, and it’s not right in 2010. Black life should have been valued and protected in 1830 and 1950, and it should be valued and protected now!

I’m not here to tell you what you must do. I’m not here as some white savior from outside. I’m here as someone who needs your help. I’m here as someone making a plea on behalf of those who can’t speak. I’m here in quest for a future where all life–black, white, Asian, Hispanic–all life–receives the honor, dignity, care, and preservation befitting the image of God. For all people are made in God’s image. All people are made by God to reveal His glory. We dare not hide or tarnish the glory of God. So we dare not murder those made in His image.

There will be an account to give before God on that Great Day of Judgment. I want to be counted among those who fought for His glory and fought for life.

How about you? Will you join with me in making sure life is protected? Will you join with me in making sure the suffering of bygone generations of African Americans isn’t for nothing when it comes to this generation of babies in their mother’s wombs? Will you join with me in removing the scalpel from the doctors’ hands the way the whip should’ve been removed from the slave owners’ hands? Will you join with me in putting an end to abortion in America? Right now, a real baby in a real womb needs us to give our lives so that they may have one.

Thank you for your time.

I hope you were as impacted by what Thabiti said as I was. I am going to give you a few questions that I asked myself and will ask you to reflect on them as well.

1) How do you feel about slavery? If you are a white person, do you think that you understand what the slaves went through (or can understand)? If you are a black person, do you think white people understand what they went through (or try to)? Was slavery right then? Is it right now? Do you think it's possible to remain neutral on slavery? How would you of responded to slavery if you had lived in that time period?

2) How do you feel about abortion? Do you think the comparison to slavery is a valid one? Do you think abortion is a moral issue? Do you think it's possible to remain neutral on abortion? Do you think that abortion demands a response? Are you responding to the issue of abortion today, if so what impact are you making? If you are not responding, why?

These questions are not given so that you will respond to each one by writing comments, although please feel free to do so if you want. They are mainly things I thought about after reading the talk from Thabiti and realizing that we simply don't think about these types of things enough.

Growing up

Remember shy, timid, and bashful Justin. Well, he's not so much anymore. He has come out of his shell some. Actually he has come out of his shirt as well. :)

I have heard that having a teenager is challenging. That life will be a mess, full of stress, constant arguments and the like. Well, I'm not going to say that there aren't challenges and disagreements at times. Yes, we still have to tell him to go to bed, yes, we still have to tell him to put his clothes away, and yes, we still have to tell him to take a shower. But, overall though, it's pretty great having a teenager in the house. We've seen Justin grow up a lot this year, especially since we've changed school systems this past year. He has had to step out more. Not only has he grown up emotionally, he has grown in inches. We went shopping for pants the other day, because he only has 1 pair that fit. If his pants fit around the waist then they are way to short. He really needs a 30-34, but they are very hard to find. He also eats everything in the house so our grocery bill has gone up quite a bit in the past year.

The picture above is from a Jefferson High School Dragons home game. Can you imagine him doing this 5 years ago? No way!

At his school they have a spirit week. This picture is from nerd day.


If the glasses look familiar it's because they are mine from basic training, called by the Army, BCG's (basic combat glasses), but by soldiers they are called birth control glasses, for obvious reasons.

This year he played football for the middle school and has recently made the basketball team as well. His grades are great, even while being in a few honors classes.

I guess you could say he's adjusted to the new school pretty well. As far as us adjusting to having a teenage son; we're doing good as well, it's a work in progress. :)

I love these verses from Psalm 127

Psalm 127:3-5
Sons are a heritage from the LORD,
children a reward from him.

Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
are sons born in one's youth.

Blessed is the man
whose quiver is full of them

I am blessed to have Justin as my son. And speaking of a warrior, the first picture does kinda look like war paint.

Football and love

I love Football. I do. I love watching football. I love throwing football. I even love talking about football. From middle school and high school, through college and pro, I love football. There is a different atmosphere in Athens (UGA)during the fall. It's not because the leaves are changing, it's because it's football season.

At this point, you may be asking....okay, so what's the big deal? Is there anything wrong with football? No. Again, so what's the big deal? Well, sometimes we love things too much. A well-known pastor has said that when we make good things into God things it's a bad thing. I know, deep insight right? But simple as it sounds, it has profound implications. You see, when I allow my life to be consumed by anything, whether it is football, hunting, racing, tv, books, movies, music, internet, another person, or _______, I turn that thing into an idol and I worship it. Am I saying that we should isolate ourselves in the mountains somewhere and not have any contact with the world? Not at all. An old theologian has said that our hearts are idol factories. If you get rid of one idol, our heart will make another, even in isolation in the mountains.

So what am I saying?

I'm saying that we should be careful of the things in our lives that compete with our heart. The world is pulling us in different directions whether we believe it or not. We are not neutral. There's a reason why we buy certain products, they have been sold to us before we even buy them. TV, radio, newspaper and even other people can affect us in ways we do not realize. Think of the last few things you bought from a store and the last few things you watched on tv. Why did you buy/watch them?

(As a side note this is something that Justin and I talked about: every time I hear Mexican music on the radio I want chips and salsa...I'm just sayin...)

Now back to football. There are many who spend their time and money on football. They will spend a substantial amount of money on clothing and tickets and spend most of an entire day to watch 18-22 year old kids run around on grass. They will have their heart beating 100 mph waiting on a last second play to win the game. They will cry over a win or a loss of their favorite team. How do I know this? Because I am one of them. There's nothing inherently wrong with spending a day at the stadium or a whole season at the stadium for that matter. But if those actions control and compel your life and if your week is either great or horrible based on how some kids play, your love is misplaced.

So, yes, I love football. I wish the Georgia Bulldogs had a better team. I wish the Miami Dolphins still had Dan Marino at quarterback. I still will watch football on tv and in person, but after all is said and done... it's just football.

Now there's four different ways you can look at this.

1)Yep, that's me, you just described it perfectly.

2)Oh, I know those guys, they are bad guys, shame on them, I'm glad I'm not like that.

3)It's their money and time, let them do what they want, who am I to judge.

4)That's not me, allowing football to affect my life that much, but I wonder if I do the same thing in a different area of my life?

The question is not "do I love something or someone", but "who/what do I love".

Bad Candy

Well, Halloween is just around the corner. For some this holiday will get them excited, others will get nervous. It may mean dressing up in a gruesome, bloody costume, or something like a princess or fireman costume. Of course there will be your superheroes such as Batman, Spiderman, Superman, and new on the scene, Ironman. Some will forgo the trick or treating for church fall festivals or celebrations of Reformation day, the day Martin Luther nailed the 95 theses to the church door in Wittenberg (if you have no clue what that's about and want to know, contact me and I'll be glad to discuss it with you).

While all of those activities mentioned above vary in how they are carried out, what's the one thing they have in common. Candy! Ok, celebrating reformation day with candy may be a stretch, but it could happen. :)

One of my favorite comedians is Tim Hawkins. Stephanie and I went to his live show 2 years ago with another couple and had a blast. Here's his take on bad candy he got as a kid:


There's not many people that don't like candy. If you were like me growing up you went trick or treating, either in your neighborhood, a church, the fire station, police office, or a festival. What did your parents say about the candy? My parents said they had to go through the candy to see if any had been opened or damaged. They told me the horror stories of people poisoning and putting dangerous objects in the candy. While that may be true, for the most part I think my parents wanted to take inventory and pick out the good candy for themselves. Being responsible parents, we do this as well...just to be sure it's safe.

Now, thinking about Halloween and potentially poisoned candy made me think of the more serious effects of eating candy. Being a Christian, I believe in a real devil, Satan, who wants to deceive and destroy us. As scripture says in 1 Peter 5:8 "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour". Sometimes he roars and makes himself known, at other times though he's more cunning and deceptive in his approach. How does he do this? Well, sometimes by offering us candy. I hope by now you know that I'm not talking about snickers or kit-kats. So many times we see something that looks great, sweet as candy, pleasing to the eyes. The problem is that there's poison in it that we can't see. We only realize this when we've taken a bite, or possibly eaten the whole piece. We usually don't think about the consequences of eating the candy, we just choose to, because we want to. To make it worse our friends are eating the candy and it seems ok. On top of that the tv and the internet says it's ok as well. Then after we bite, whether it's at that moment or days, weeks, months, or even years later, we realize there was poison in the candy. We can blame our circumstances, our friends, tv, or the internet, but the truth is that it's our desires that caused us to take a bite. James 1:14 says "but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed". If you notice I'm not saying what the 'candy' is because I think it could be different for each person. I am saying that it's not something outside of us that's the problem, it's us and our desires.

I ask that each of us look out for the poisonous candy out there that may tempt us to take a bite, because after all....it may contain poison.

Bill Cosby and humor

Growing up we used to watch a lot of the Bill Cosby show. There were other shows that we watched as well, but not many stood the test of time. I may do a post later of shows that I watched, as I travel down memory lane. While we choose not to watch a lot of tv in our house, we do find ourselves occasionally watching re-runs of the Cosby show. It's amazing how much fun you can have with clean comedy (meaning no reference to drugs, alcohol, sexual content, offensive language, and violence). Thinking of the shows that are currently on tv, there's not much on like that anymore. I wonder why? Could it be that many people simply do not want to watch these type of shows and therefore they're not produced? Possibly. The desires in us tend to want to live 'on the edge' and we tend to be bored if those desires are not met. We would probably say that we don't want to watch shows with that kind of content, but do our actions speak otherwise? How many times do we turn the tv on just because there seems to be nothing else to do? Unfortunately, this is also the time when we turn our thinking off and allow ourselves to be 'entertained'. The reasons we choose to watch something is no longer if we can learn something or if it would be of benefit, but rather 'Is it fun?'.

I love humor. I love to laugh. I believe God loves humor too. I believe that the reason we love to laugh and love humor is because we are made in the image of God.

What is your view of humor?

Watching this clip with Bill Cosby made me think back to watching the Cosby show as a kid and also watching it with Stephanie, Justin, and Katelyn. I have no idea how old this is, but it has to be at least from the 90's. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. It's ok to have fun with the south as long as you live in the South. :)


Gotta love Bill!

Marriage

The following is a quote from Paul Tripp's book "What did you expect? Redeeming the Realities of Marriage":

“Your marriage may be good. It may even be great. You may have grown together in appreciation, respect, unity, understanding, and love. You may have learned where problems typically exist for you as a couple, and you may have learned how to solve them together. You may have identified places where you and your marriage need to mature. You may have created a lifestyle of honest communication and efficient problem solving. You may have forged a solid and enjoyable friendship between you. You may be able to look back and be thankful because you recognize what you once were compared to what you are now.

“But there is one thing that you need to accept: your marriage may be great, but it is not safe. No marriage this side of eternity is totally problem protected. No marriage is all that it could be. This side of heaven daily temptations are constant threats to you and your marriage. This side of heaven the spiritual war goes on. This side of heaven good marriages are good marriages because the people in those marriages are committed to doing daily the things that keep their marriages good. Things go wrong when couples think they have reached the point when they can retire from their marital work and chill out, lay back, and slide. Perhaps the greatest danger to a good marriage is a good marriage, because when things are good, we are tempted to give way to feelings of arrival and forsake the attitudes and disciplines that have, by God’s grace, made our marriage what it has become.”

We cannot coast through marriage. It's hard work. It's lots of daily attitudes and actions. It's not each person giving 50%. It's each person giving 100%. Is it easy, no. Do we often fail, yes. I can easily say that when we fail it is usually when we are putting our needs and time ahead of the other.

A few years ago Stephanie and I went to a "Weekend to Remember" conference by Family Life Today www.familylife.com. Did we go because our marriage needed help? Yes. Does our marriage need help now? Yes. The truth is that there is never a time when our marriage doesn't need help. When you think that your marriage doesn't need help, it means that it really needs help!

Personal prayer: Lord, thank you for Stephanie. She is a gift from you. Help us to allow you to transform our marriage. Protect and guard our marriage for your sake.

What do you think of rap?

This past Friday night, I went with my son and a friend to a rap concert in underground Atlanta. At this point you might say: Wait, I thought you were a Christian or why would you listen to rap, or why go to Atlanta? Well this was not your ordinary rap concert. It was a collection of artists under Reach Records. Some of the artist are Lecrae, Trip Lee, Tedashi, and Sho Baraka. This group is know as the 116 Clique taken from Romans 1:16.



The ride there was...interesting. I left work a little early telling my co-workers that I was going to rap concert in downtown Atlanta. The response was a few surprised and confused looks. In essense they were saying "Why would YOU go to a rap concert, and to top it off, why in downtown Atlanta?" I smiled back and said that it's a Christian rap concert, but not the cheesy stuff that you're probably thinking of. On the way there we stopped for food, according to our handy GPS we were supposed to do a few u-turns and turn 10 times in .5 miles, don't you love Atlanta? Somehow in God's Grace we saw a Wendy's, got our food and was back on the road. Then our handy GPS directed us toward 65 MLK Jr Dr, notice I said toward, not to. At this point I started to think of why I even brought the GPS. We stopped at a local BP to ask the guy behind the bullet-proof glass (not the counter) where the "Freight Depot" might be. He said in a friendly Indian voice "I don't know, I'm not from here". I just smiled, said thanks and spoke to some locals playing video poker on machines (although I thought that was illegal). They directed us more toward the capitol. We decided to park at the parking deck at the capitol and walk MLK. Thankfully, we noticed where many others were walking and found the "Freight Depot".

The concert lasted about 3 hours with each artist performing. The crowd had around 2k in attendance, mostly young (although there were a few older folks there), and was comprised of different ethnic backgrounds. There was jumping (lots of jumping), hands raised (again, lots of them) and little room to move. The whole night involved the artists using the stage and the platform they had been given to point people away from themselves and toward the God of the universe who had rescued them and gave them life. At this point you might be saying, but Kris, I don't believe that. I'm not saying that you do, I'm just saying that at the concert there were many people from different backgrounds gathered together to celebrate that belief. One speaker said "The world thinks we're crazy. There's drugs, sex, violence, and many other idols in this world that we create, but we're her on a Friday night worshipping the King". He's right, in the eyes of many, it would be seen as a wasted trip. What I appreciated most was what Trip Lee said. He quoted Romans 5:8 "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us".

Then he said "if you think that you're a righteous person, a pretty good peson, or even a good person then this isn't talking about you. This is for those who know they are sinners". He went on to talk about how our goodness, even after we trust in Christ does not earn us anything.

So yes, I went to a rap concert in Underground Atlanta, and enjoyed it!

Here's a sample of two of the artists that performed:








You might not be a Christian, or you might not like rap, but one thing is for sure, these guys are in love with their God and devoted to serving Him. They do not think of this world as their home!

A daughter needs a dad

Recently I read something about daughters being a gift from God and thought I'd share a portion of it that lists some of the things a daughter needs from her dad:

A daughter needs a dad...
to show her that true love is unconditional
to teach her that her value as a person is more than the way she looks
to teach her that family is more important than work
to show her that a man can be trustworthy
to be the safe spot she can always turn to
to teach her that a man’s strength is not the force of his hands or his voice, but the kindness of his heart
to be the standard against which she will judge all men
to help her take risks that will build her confidence
to hold her when she cries
to teach her she is important by stopping what he is doing to watch her

There are many gifts that we are given that we take for granted. Kids are one of them.

As I read this list of what a daughter needs I thought back to the night before when Katelyn, who just turned 5 in September and started kindergarten this year, was sitting on my lap, leaning back and snuggling while watching tv.

I wonder...how long will she do that.

As I am typing this she came into the office with a pair of blue earmuffs on her head singing a song. With the last one on the list in mind, I'm off to play with her and give her a bath.

My prayer: Thank you Lord for the gift of a daughter. Please help me to be the dad that she needs me to be.

blog?

In this post, I will be answering a few questions that I raised in the first post.

The first question you might ask is "What is a Blog"?

Well, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary a blog is:

a Web site that contains an online personal journal with reflections, comments, and often hyperlinks provided by the writer

In other words, it's a place online where I can share what's going on in the life of myself and my family, it can include a video, picture, or song, or it can simply be words on the screen.

So, why read a blog?

Well, that could have different answers. I read different blogs for different reasons.

1)sometimes it's in order to keep up on current events (it's often more up to date than other sources)

2)sometimes it's to educate myself on a particular subject (you'd be surprised to find out what some people blog on)

3)sometimes it's to keep up with friends (they will update what's going on in their lives),

4)sometimes it's in order to see how some people come to a particular conclusion, even though I may disagree with them. I'll want to learn about how they have landed where they land on a subject.

So, why am I asking you to read my blog?

Good question. It's not because I think I know everything that's going on. It's not because I feel like I'm the expert. It's mainly because I want to share what's going on in my life. This could be family related, work related, church related, sports related, or something completely different. In this fast-paced technological environment we tend to not take the time to share what's going on and I'm hoping that this can be an avenue where we can stay connected. So whether it's something that's funny, sad, joyous, or painful I hope to share with you. A lot of what I will post will likely just be sharing what's on my mind. Now that does not mean that everything that happens will be shared. That does not mean that there will be a consistency to the posts. There may be a few posts that are within a relatively short time frame and then some that are a long time apart. Simply put, this blog is going to be something that I will put some time into, but will not take away much family time or become an idol. In many ways I hope that this will enhance family time and eliminate idols.

That brings me to the last question. Why did I name this blog "This world is not my home"?

Well, simply because I do not believe this world is my home. I believe that everything in this world will pass away. Sounds sad in a way doesn't it? Actually, I think it's optimistic. When you look at the pain and suffering in this world, the murder, rape, cancer, hate, and everything else that is evidence of a fallen world, the fact that I believe that all of that will be made right in my mind is hopeful. That does not mean that there are not things to be enjoyed in this world. But they are to be enjoyed in their proper context. Hope that makes sense.

Welcome to my blog

I want to welcome you to my blog.

After reading blogs for some time now, I have decided to start one. You may ask the following questions: What is a blog? Why read them? Why do I have one? Why would I want you to read mine? Why did I name my blog "This world is not my home"? These questions are good questions that deserve an answer. I look to answer these and others in my interaction with this site. I do not expect everyone who reads what I write to agree with me. The only person I agree with 100% of the time is myself, and even sometimes that's not the case. :)

I invite you to read, reflect, and interact as I write and share.