Yeah...It Made Me Angry. What Will It Do To You?

Last night we attended a homecoming football game at our local high school.  Donna and I were talking the night before about this being homecoming week and I thought it would be a cool thing for us, as a family, to attend the game. 

It was a great night for football.  The air was cool, the moon was bright and there was a light breeze blowing.  Everyone was having a great time socializing and eating hamburgers, nachos and enjoying that cool refreshing RC cola.   I had diet…in case you were wondering.

As we sat there waiting for the game, the announcer came on and started introducing the homecoming court.  It was different than any homecoming court I had ever seen, but I was there for the game and to hang out with the family.  I really wasn’t interested in the homecoming court and who their escorts were.  When the announcer finished with the homecoming festivities, he asked if we would rise for a moment of silence; and that’s when my furry started. 

I thought to myself; did he really just say what I think he said?  That guy just asked us to stand for a moment of silence, really?  Why can’t he say, please stand for a moment of prayer?  We’re in East Texas for crying out loud.  Never mind East Texas, we’re in Texas!  NEVER MIND TEXAS WE’RE IN AMERICA!!!  Bro, if you’re afraid of offending someone over asking them to pray, you’re in the wrong place.

I noticed that some of the people had taken off their hats and placed them over their heart or behind their backs as a sign of respect.  Some were lowering their heads and you could hear the faint chatter of prayers throughout the crowd….which is what you should do during this time.  Pray for the players’ safety, the officials to be fair, the coaches to have good attitudes and that the kid next to you would sit down and be still….I think I’m turning into an old man, but that’s for a later blog.  However, there were some that didn’t do anything.  They didn’t lower their head, they didn’t take their hat off, and they didn’t stop talking.  They just kept doing what they had been doing and this really got under my skin. 

As we finished our “moment”, the announcer said, “Please continue to stand for the National Anthem”.  So we did, and as we did I begin to notice those same groups of people that continued to talk and gab put their hand over their heart.  Those that didn’t take their hat off now had it placed over their heart and  that kid that wouldn’t sit down and be still was still and quiet…God does answer prayers at a football game.  However, I thought, you want to talk and gab and run and be disrespectful during a “moment of silence” and now you want to put your hand over your heart as a pledge to America?  My heart sank as I watched this take place. 

We’ve lost our focus America.  We’ve put our trust in a system and that system has now failed us.  We’ve let a government try to run our lives and look what it’s gotten us…broke, jobless and an economy that’s in the tank.

Why can’t we go back to the way it used to be?  Why can’t we go back to prayer at the beginning of a game where we asked God to protect and guide?  Why can’t we as a Nation go back to “In God we Trust” instead of trying to trust a man.  Why can’t we have politicians who will stand and say, this is America and we as a Government will serve God who has blessed this Nation?  Yes, God uses men to do His work, but where are those men today.  Where are the men who know how to depend on God instead of their own abilities?  I posted on my FB page earlier this week, "it's not a question of "Will I make a difference?" Rather, it's "What difference will I make?” and I think that’s the question we need to be asking ourselves.  What difference will I make? 

This weekend marks the tenth anniversary of the tragic date of 9/11.  As we remember that day and mourn those that lost their lives during this tragic event, let’s take a moment and remember what God has done for us over the last ten years. 

Yes, we have men who have given their life for this Country.  But we also have a God who has given His life for our soul.  Yes, we have men who served this Country with dignity and respect, but we have a God who continues to serve us with love, grace and mercy.  Yes, we have men who have stood through wars and perilous times, but we have a God who has never left us nor forsaken us as we’ve faced our own battles.  We have a God who’s done more for us than any man, Nation or Government can ever do.   Don’t you think it’s time we as a people, stood up and said enough is enough.  I’m proud to be an American, but I’m more proud that I have a God that I can depend on.  America has been good to me, but my God has been better. 

So the next time you hear the words, “Please stand for a moment of silence”, don’t let that moment be a silent one.  Pray out loud and let those around you hear your voice as you speak to your God.  I’m not ashamed.  Let’s get back to trusting God America…It’s not too late.

Just my thoughts on a page.

Talking Isn't Working.

I posted earlier this week that I had it figured out. Well, I thought I did, but I think I’ve figured it out for me; however, I think it will work for anybody. 
This week has been a fairly good week.  There’s been no big issue at work, no big issues at home, just a quiet week with no major hic-ups.  But something happened Wednesday that opened my eyes and allowed me to see that I've got to shut my mouth and get to work.

Re-reading an email I received earlier in the week, I discovered that I’m not using what I’m supposed to be using.  I’m not using the tool that God wants me to use.  I’m leaning on something I’m not supposed to be leaning on…my own understanding.  Proverbs 3: 5 says, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart: and lean not unto thine own understanding".  The tool that I’m not using is my faith…I just need to use my faith.  We all know what faith is; the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. We all have a measure of it to use, we just choose not to use it.

One question I keep asking myself is have I been walking down a road that I’m not supposed to be walking?  Could be!  Is it leading me in a direction that I’m not supposed to be going?  Possibly, but it’s what’s familiar to me.  God has given me a direction, but because of fear, lack of confidence, lack of support, and just plain ole slackness on my part I haven’t enjoyed what I could be enjoying.  I chose not to go down that road; but isn’t that what we do when we don’t use our faith?  We choose not to go in a direction because we think we lack the skills it would take to walk it.  We have the faith, we just don’t use it.

The last few days I’ve seen blogs and FB posts concerning dreams and goals and the things we should do to achieve them.  James chapter two goes into some detail about how we should use faith…its called actions.  We can talk about our dreams and goals all day long, but until we start putting into action the steps that it would take to achieve those goals, we’ll never see them accomplished.  They’ll always be thoughts or ideas in the back of our head or written on a pad somewhere.

Recently, my Pastor taught a lesson on the 23rd Psalms.  During his lesson I saw something in the scriptures I’ve never seen before.  In verse four David says, “…he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake”.  Then in verse four he says, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me…”  David understood that the paths of righteousness would go through some pretty dark valleys and that it wouldn’t be for David’s sake…it would be for His.  Those paths usually take us by people we’re supposed to encounter and encourage. Sometimes those paths take us to places God wants us to be an example or provide direction to someone else or take on some responsibility that someone, who was unwilling to walk that path, didn’t want to take.  But it starts by having FAITH and taking a step in the direction God is leading.

Faith without works is dead…Dreams and goals are dead without taking the steps toward achieving them.  Business ideas, ministries you want to start, ideas that are in your head are all dead unless you start putting some work into them.  Stop speaking it and start doing it.

So, what was it I figured out?  Stop talking and start working.  You'll be seeing a lot more work out of me than you've seen in the past.  I'm going to stop letting my words show my faith and start letting my actions prove it.  I'm taking that first step towards success...and it's going to be a great walk because I know who's with me.  What about you?  What is it that you've been wanting to accomplish, but haven't started yet?  Are you ready to stop talking about what you want to see done and start working towards it?  If so....let's go!

Just my thoughts on a page.