1st and Kitten

I was looking for a funny picture for my blog that had to do with kittens when I came across the above picture. This is a Cyclopes kitten. This is a real picture and here is the story about the creepiest kitten I have laid eye's on....or should I say laid "eye" upon! Muahahahahahaha!

Story Link

Now to get to what caused me to search for a picture of a kitten. Yesterday the family and I celebrated my birthday. We decided to eat at Five Guys and then afterward head over to Game stop to check out video games. While searching through the Xbox titles one in particular caught my "eye" and that title was Madden 2010! I have been "eying" that game since it came out and "eye" really want it! While standing there drooling over the awesome prospect of finally owning such a wonderful game. My wife decided to throw a curve ball in my direction. While standing by a few guys who were also shopping for video games. She asked me this....

"Would you rather have Madden 2010 or a kitty?"

I thought about it for one second (I love cats especially kitties)and replied without one bit of hesitation! "I want a kitty!" As those words left my lips I realized what I had just said around complete male strangers. This is not something a guy who buys manly video games such as Madden would ever say! It is something he would never admit to saying! I could feel humility setting in and my face must have turned at least 10 shades of red. So I choose a kitty over Madden 2010 and now I am blogging about it! I have no shame! My manliness has now hit an all time low in the history on manliness! Well I have revealed enough for now. I must go look for a cute fury friend.

A Note From My Daughter.

Today Ashley wrote me a note during creative writing and it tickled me so much I have to share it.

Dear Dad,

I love you so much. How was work today? Thank you for teaching Trevor and I science yesterday. Do you know when we are going to do art class again? Because I want to do it next Monday. But home schooling is really fun. I can't wait to go to heaven! Can you wait to go to heaven? I Heart U again!

I heart U,

Ashley

Don't Hang Your Church Bulletin Here # 2

I am going to go with my first instincts on this one. I left the conversation with my boss to give in to his request in order to show him respect. The bible states that we are to respect those in the position of authority, and being that the bulletin board is property of my employer. I must do as he asks out of respect to him. I know that the bulletin board is for public use and anyone can put anything on it. My employer reserves the right to take anything off of it as he See's fit. As he has done in the past with the Fresh Life bulletins. Since I am employed by this person he is in a position of authority. Whether he is using it correctly is between him and God. How I respond to this situation is between me and God.

Let me make it clear that I am not running away from a fight because I am scared of loosing a job. I am stepping back because God has a plan, and me hanging bulletins or not will not affect the out come. I am 1 of 1700 people in my Church. They put those bulletins up wherever there is a public bulletin board. It will not matter if I hang one or not. There will be one in place of the one I have stopped hanging from someone else.

So I have decided to see what God will make of it. I have heard people tell me to do it anyway, and you know I am half tempted to. I have to respect the wishes of my boss being he owns the bulletin board. I know it is discrimination but he has a right to do so being the owner of it. There are other ways of spreading the word and I fully intend on doing that in a respectful manner.

Jesus Christ is not who he said he was but he had some good teachings.

So many times I have heard various people state that they love the truths in the bible. That Jesus was a good teacher of Love. That the bible has a lot of good in it, but it is not the word of God. Or I've heard people say that there are many ways to heaven and not just one even though I choose to follow Jesus Christ's teachings. often when the facts are presented to them they don't want to hear the facts or come up with excuses why not to believe them.

For those who say they choose Christ as their way to heaven but they don't believe he is the only way. Your going to have to ignore the fact that Christ teaches this....

John 14:6 Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.

You can't pick and choose when it comes to Jesus Christ teachings just because it doesn't fit your life style. You see he taught what he taught so that you would know how to live your life so you could be with him in heaven. We all have a choice on whether we want to believe his teachings or not. We can't pick the the lessons we like over the ones that challenge us or go against what makes us feel comfortable.

Usually when this point is brought up the conversation is diverted on the topic of man manipulated bible over God inspired. Let us take a look at why the bible is not that of man but that of God. We can all agree that the U.S. Constitution was written over 200 years ago not only by documented history but dating of the original manuscript. We can also agree that Shakespeare wrote plays between the years 1589 - 1639. These are facts that are not disputed.

However when it comes to the 66 books of the bible there seems to be great debate over them even if these 66 books are dated and proven historically accurate. Not only by science but also by divine means such as prophecy. Most people that have problems with the bible shrug and roll their eyes at the word prophecy. Let us take one prophecy written in 681 B.C. That is 681 years before Christ was born. To understand this prophecy we must understand what Jesus Christ did for us on the Cross.

Jesus was scourged,beaten,and mocked before he was placed on the cross to die. As he hung there on the cross. He took upon him the worlds sin as the mockers sneered at him. He took on our sin so we could be forgiven so we could live out eternity in Heaven. You see Jesus Christ's death was predicted in 681 B.C. by a man named Isaiah. He wrote about it in Isaiah 53:4-6

4Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God for his own sins!5 But he was wounded and crushed for our sins. He was beaten that we might have peace. He was whipped, and we were healed!6 All of us have strayed away like sheep. We have left God's paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on him the guilt and sins of us all.

You see his death was written about in this instance 681 years before it happened. Not only that but the purpose for his death as well. Don't forget to take into account that it was written before crucifixion was even invented. There are so many more prophecies that are proven and fulfilled in the bible to prove that it is truly the inherent word of God. Here is a list of just a few that you can read.

Prophecies about Jesus

Keep in mind some of these are 1000 years or more before Jesus was born and that these are specific to Jesus. There are multitudes of prophecies concerning other things as well that are just as profound! To deny it you literally have to choose not to see it or accept it.

Psalms 22 written 1050 B.C. predicting Jesus Christ's Crucifixion in detail down to some of his last words.

For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be sung to the tune "Doe of the Dawn." My God, my God! Why have you forsaken me? Why do you remain so distant? Why do you ignore my cries for help?


Psa 22:2 Every day I call to you, my God, but you do not answer. Every night you hear my voice, but I find no relief.


Psa 22:3 Yet you are holy. The praises of Israel surround your throne.


Psa 22:4 Our ancestors trusted in you, and you rescued them.


Psa 22:5 You heard their cries for help and saved them. They put their trust in you and were never disappointed.


Psa 22:6 But I am a worm and not a man. I am scorned and despised by all!


Psa 22:7 Everyone who sees me mocks me. They sneer and shake their heads, saying,


Psa 22:8 "Is this the one who relies on the LORD? Then let the LORD save him! If the LORD loves him so much, let the LORD rescue him!"


Psa 22:9 Yet you brought me safely from my mother's womb and led me to trust you when I was a nursing infant.


Psa 22:10 I was thrust upon you at my birth. You have been my God from the moment I was born.


Psa 22:11 Do not stay so far from me, for trouble is near, and no one else can help me.


Psa 22:12 My enemies surround me like a herd of bulls; fierce bulls of Bashan have hemmed me in!


Psa 22:13 Like roaring lions attacking their prey, they come at me with open mouths.


Psa 22:14 My life is poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax, melting within me.


Psa 22:15 My strength has dried up like sunbaked clay. My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You have laid me in the dust and left me for dead.


Psa 22:16 My enemies surround me like a pack of dogs; an evil gang closes in on me. They have pierced my hands and feet.


Psa 22:17 I can count every bone in my body. My enemies stare at me and gloat.


Psa 22:18 They divide my clothes among themselves and throw dice [fn] for my garments.


Psa 22:19 O LORD, do not stay away! You are my strength; come quickly to my aid!


Psa 22:20 Rescue me from a violent death; spare my precious life from these dogs.


Psa 22:21 Snatch me from the lions' jaws, and from the horns of these wild oxen.


Psa 22:22 Then I will declare the wonder of your name to my brothers and sisters. I will praise you among all your people.


Psa 22:23 Praise the LORD, all you who fear him! Honor him, all you descendants of Jacob! Show him reverence, all you descendants of Israel!


Psa 22:24 For he has not ignored the suffering of the needy. He has not turned and walked away. He has listened to their cries for help.


Psa 22:25 I will praise you among all the people; I will fulfill my vows in the presence of those who worship you.


Psa 22:26 The poor will eat and be satisfied. All who seek the LORD will praise him. Their hearts will rejoice with everlasting joy.


Psa 22:27 The whole earth will acknowledge the LORD and return to him. People from every nation will bow down before him.


Psa 22:28 For the LORD is king! He rules all the nations.


Psa 22:29 Let the rich of the earth feast and worship. Let all mortals--those born to die--bow down in his presence.


Psa 22:30 Future generations will also serve him. Our children will hear about the wonders of the Lord.


Psa 22:31 His righteous acts will be told to those yet unborn. They will hear about everything he has done.

This whole thing was written long before the events it promises will happen. Lets put a little perspective on this. Look at the last verse of Psalms 22.

Psa 22:31 His righteous acts will be told to those yet unborn. They will hear about everything he has done.

Over 3000 years ago David wrote that we (those yet unborn) will know and hear about all of Jesus Christs righteous acts and what he has done for us! You cannot deny that this is the case and it was written long before the debate over the bible was even a thought of in the mind of man.

With every bit of evidence there is that makes the case for the bible as the word of God. It amazes me that when that evidence is presented people choose to disregard it. So before you decide to disregard it again. Really think about that decision you are making. Don't let pride or the fear of not being in control of your life blind you. God has left the bible as evidence of his existence. A record of his relationship with us. It is there so that you may know that there is a God who cares for our eternal well being.

So do you choose to ignore the evidence? Or accept it and really look at it for what it really is? I submit to you with out hesitation or a shadow of doubt. The bible truly is the inherent word of God. So in referring back to Isaiah 53 do you choose to follow the path of your own? Or the path God has laid out before you? I hope you choose the later.

Don't Hang You Church Bulletin Here.

So it finally happened. After about a year and a half of hanging my Church bulletin on a bulletin board for public advertisement, I have been asked not to hang it there by my boss. Today while leaving work I was hanging one of my bulletins so that general passers by could see it and come to my church if they wanted. My boss stopped me and ask me what the bulletins were all about. He stated that he keeps tearing them down only to find them there again. I told them they were bulletins with my church info on them.

He said that they seemed a bit tacky to him. I didn't say much to that and he continued to ask what this Skull Church thing was all about. I told him that the Skull symbolized Golgotha the place where Jesus Christ was crucified in Israel, and that that place in English is called The place of the skull. He stated that it didn't seem too religious to him and that he was tired of all the stickers all over his pop machines.

Explanation: Recently our store has been hit by some website called The Jamhole. They stick the stickers all over our products and pop machines. He was trying to say that those stickers were skull church stickers.

I pointed out to him that I would never vandalize store property with any sticker and that he had the Jamhole stickers confused with Fresh Life bulletins. I explained what Skull Church was about and that it was an outreach event targeting the younger generation. However he asked me not to hang the Skull Church stuff on his bulletin board. Being that all the bulletins from my church mention Skull Church times, that means no Fresh Life bulletins allowed at all.

So my dilemma is.....do I continue to hang the bulletins being that the bulletin board is for the general public to hang announcements? Doing so will definitely put the heat on me and possibly cost me my job. Or do I obey even though I know it is discriminatory? I realize Skull Church is very controversial but so is some of the other stuff I see on that bulletin board. What would you do? I have mind to continue putting the bulletin on the board just to stand for what I believe in. However the bulletin board is owned by Rosauers and I am employed by them. If I am off the clock then I would assume that they would have no grounds for punishment.

My car has a Skull Church sticker on it. Does this mean I can't park in the store parking lot? I want to be respectful to my employers, yet I don't want to be discriminated against. I guess I should check the laws when it comes down to these things. So I am not breaking any if I decide to continue to hang the church bulletins on the public bulletin board.

Update: While posting this post I received a book in the mail from out of the blue called.....

Tortured for Christ: One Man Who Dared to Stand Up.

Ya think there may be something to that?

Bible School

Being that I am a man of little means and I have a family to tend to. I just can't pick up and head out of state to the nearest bible school, nor can I afford one. So I have found the next best thing. I was directed to www.bible.org to check out a free way of going to bible school! That's right the key word is free! On bible.org there is a two year bible school available streaming the Internet. You can watch the class via video or mp3. They are all prerecorded so you can watch them whenever your heart desires. There are 10 classes per course and I am just starting Intro To Theology. You can view the class work book via PDF file as you watch or listen to the class. This is such a blessing because I have wanted to go to bible school for a long time now.

I am waiting for books in the mail that I have ordered so I can do the reading assignments for future classes. This has been my passion for a long time and I feel like a kid waiting for Christmas. I have never felt so fulfilled ever! There has always been this feeling of I should be doing something more with my life. I am happy to say that there is no feeling like that now. I know that this is exactly what I am supposed to do. Often people go through life not knowing why they feel like they feel like something isn't quite right. That they should have taken a different path. I can say that my whole life has led up to this moment for a reason. There is no question that every event in my life has led me to where I am supposed to be and that is here now.

Every trial I have ever faced has always led me to rely on God even more then I had previously. I must say that he has been a sturdy foundation on which my life has been built upon. I have an unyielding urge to let others know about God and the amazing lives we can have by putting our faith in him. Especially those who doubt in him. So taking these classes will help me communicate this through a better understanding of the bible and God. I am really stoked!!!!

Don McClure

This last Sunday our Pastor was in St. Louis with Franklin Graham doing an outreach. So we had a guest speaker give the message and it was AWESOME! You have to give it a listen. It is not only powerful and full of truth, but it is full of good humor and very inspiring. I encourage you to watch it even if you feel it would be a waste of your time. You might just be surprised!

None of These Things Move Me :: Don McClure from fresh life church on Vimeo.