Politics Shmolitics

Why, why, why do we have to be involved in politics. My mom will probably be really disappointed in this blog but hey, its how I feel.

I was recently watching "The O'Reilly Factor" and they had the organizer of a large Christian youth gathering on and a woman who had opposed the group in San Francisco. Just last weekend the kids from our church attended the very gathering they were discussing. Those who opposed it had protested, yelling fascist, gay rights, and what not at the over 30,000 students gathered. Apparently a lot of left wingers are starting to protest anything Christian because they say Christians impede upon others right (gays, pro choice, etc.). Anyway, the debate was quite interesting, but I was disappointed.

The organizer of the event kept saying that the culture is throwing all kind of sin in the faces of kids and his gathering is to encourage Christ followers to let their voice be heard. That's great, but I ask you, what should those voices be saying? He believes that they should be saying no to the secular progressive movement, no to gay marriage, no to abortion. Now, don't get me wrong, I don't support any of that, but isn't there something more important they should be saying.

How about sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If he would have said on the show, "we aren't a political organization, we want people to know the grace, power, and love of Jesus Christ," what could the girl have said back. Nothing... My point is, we as Christians continue to give people reasons to hate us and not give them reasons to love Christ. It seems to me that being a Christian is more about politics than it is about following Christ.

"You are the light of the world, a city on a hill cannot be hidden. Shine your light upon man that they might see your works and praise your Father in Heaven."

What that verse doesn't say is "convert them to your politics so they can be saved."

All I'm trying to say is that the Bible tells us (to quote Pastor Scoggins @ FBC Opelika) "its gonna get a lot worse before it gets any better." We are not going to change this country into a Christian Theocracy. However, we can change lives by telling people about Jesus Christ. Besides, Jesus had long hair, wore sandals, and wasn't a homeowner. Sound like any Republican you've ever met?


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Walking A Little Taller

Believe it or not, a couple at my church asked me when I was going to write a blog about having a new daughter. I didn't really think that anyone outside of my immediate family read this silly little thing. Anyway...its long overdue. I have been a father now for a little over two weeks and its probably been the best two weeks of my life. Beth and I have a healthy and adorable little girl named Karoline Belle and we could not be happier.

The only problem is that people keep coming up to me saying, "wow, you look tired." Don't say that to anyone! No matter how tired they look. The words "you look" should be followed only by the words "nice, buff, handsome, hot, and hungry." Never by a negative adverb. Someone told me I looked tired the other day and I had had 10 hours of semi-uninterrupted sleep the night before. What do you want from me?

Look, here's the deal. I haven't brushed my hair in about eight years and I haven't been out in the sun for about three years. I probably always look tired. I'm sorry that I offended you.

No matter what the haters say, I don't care. If I look tired then that's my new look. I probably also look a little bit taller as well, and that's because I am a proud new father.


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Here Goes Nothin'

Its funny really how often we just throw ourselves into something that we really have no idea how to do. The other day I was telling a friend about how I gained a starting spot on my highs school soccer team. Basically what happened was that the coach asked if anyone could throw the ball in from the sideline to the far post (that's the other side of the goal to all of you football loving, hot dog eating, soccer haters out there. Don't get me wrong I love football and hot dogs too, but I also love soccer. Anyway, the coach (who later went insane) noticed that the other team was leaving the man at the far post. If we could throw it in there on a throw in, that would be an easy goal. Well, being the over confident person I am I said, "I can do it." So the coach put me in the game and guess what? I could do it. We scored, I started the rest of the games until the coach went insane and benched me. We were promptly eliminated from the playoffs upon my benching.

Well, let me tell you, this baby thing is starting to feel like that half-time meeting we had on the soccer field. "Hey, I noticed there is a baby coming into the world, we need someone to be its father."

"I can do it."

I'm hoping that it turns out the same, except for the coach going crazy and benching me part. I keep telling myself that God has created me to be little baby Karoline's father and that he would not give me anything that I cannot handle. It might seem like I can't handle it but I can.

So many other things are like this too. We have to be willing to say, "I can do it" even if we don't know what it is. My sister and brother-in-law recently did this when God asked them to get into missions. (I hope they already told everyone important.) They don't know where or how, but they know that they can do it. What about you? What is God asking you to do? Don't just sit there like the rest of my soccer teammates did and stay on the bench the rest of the season. Say yes, say you can do it. Just like the scary cajun guy played by Rob Schneider said in the water boy and later by my friend Preston Bedsole every minute until you wanted to punch him. "You can do it."


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