I Am NOT Just a Number

"Human being to the mob. What’s a mob to a king. What’s a king to a god? What’s a god to a non-believer? Who don’t believe in anything?" These lyrics by Kanye West are on his hit single "No Church in the Wild" from his album "Watch the Throne" and is currently "trending" on Twitter in the Tampa Bay area. The remainder of the lyrics are irreligious and clearly demonstrate the hearts of a godless nation who have made money, possessions, and passion their only god. Whoa to this state of the union. It's not easy being a Christian in this day and time. I find myself many times feeling led to speak about God and I do. Then I stumble, say a bad word, or gossip, or criticize... and I wonder if I should have ever spoke at all. What I must remember is that I am a broken and cracked vessel.. with many leaks.. but I can still hold water.. I can still be used.. The amazing thing about God is that even in my brokenness.. even in my doubt.. even during my d...

American football also known as gridiron football is in full swing. Trending today is a game between San Fran and New Orleans. Football like life.. has alot of rules, plays, and penalties... and in a split second.. everything can change... Society idolizes our quarter backs.. and discusses every wrong move made by every member of the team.. As quick as we are to second guess every play, there is absolutely nothing we can do to change it.. Football is life.. Sometimes we get free kicks.. sometimes we make a touch down.. sometimes we fumble.. sometimes we get an interception.. sometimes we catch a penalty.. sometimes we make a tackle.. sometimes we call a timeout.. and sometimes.. we snap... Even the Apostle Paul jumps on the football bandwagon and in Phil 4:13 states "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Paul's goal and San Fran's goal may be a little different. Let's not forget though that when the st...

What does Yo Gotti, Dolly Parton, and Friday the 13th have in common? They are the top trends on Twitter for the Tampa Bay area today. Yo Gotti's new song "Harder" is replete with rhymes about Crips, Bloods, sex, and drugs. The perfect ingredients for a hit song and our community is eating it up. In his rap he says "Expletive, if I die today I went to church I pay my tax, I leave my son a couple million dollars so I did alright" and "26 inch rims, chrome mac 11, doing right so hard, but I pray I get to heaven". See, even Yo Gotti.. with all his cars, guns, drugs, and money is worried about where he's going when he dies... and no amount of money and fame can conquer a fear of death. Interesting... Yo Gotti missed the promise Jesus made in John 14:27 "I am leaving you with a gift — peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid." Jesus's lyrics may not rhyme either.. but th...

It started about 7 years ago.. when it crept in.. seeped through the cracks of my heart... No one could tell at first.. even me.. but as this toxic substance eventually spread through every crevice of my body.. its effect became vividly clear... Fear had replaced every bold piece... Anxiety had silenced the once roaring courage... Fear begins as a hidden habit.. but like a weed.. its grows and tangles and smothers the prettiest flowers.. It saturates the most golden garden... and spoils the ripest fruit.. All that is left is the rotten.. the withered.. and what once was a beautiful sanctuary of peace.. becomes a makeshift graveyard of the soul.. Though I cut down this weed on many occasion.. it only popped back up and surfaced its ugly head.. and grew... seemingly with no end to it.. how many years would this resurface.. how many years would its choke grip my heart... And then last year.. on a 50 foot telephone pole at a ski resort in the middle of the Adirondacks in New York.. i took ...

Its a New Year which means a clean slate... and as Ive always been a huge fan of clean slates... I gear up for yet another amazing challenge.. As I perused my resolutions for 2010, I was surprised to find that I fell quite short.. I chickened out another year from getting my wisdom teeth pulled, I avoided planes like the plague.. I was a few miles short of my running goal.. my "budget" was an EPIC FAIL.. so no "WINNING" for me... But.. as I said this is a New Year.. and this year.. I wrote approximately 10 resolutions (i.e. goals) and called it a day.. but while reading this years Rick Warren devotional, I was challenged to go a step beyond that.. wow?.. Well he suggested I pray for these resolutions.. hmm.. good suggestion.. because I don't think I did that once last year.. So this year, during a Wednesday night prayer service.. I did just that.. "Lord, pray for me to have the courage to go get my wisdom teeth pulled"... then the next day.. I was cha...