i do not believe in luck. i do not believe in coincidence. i do, however, believe in God. and His divine protection.
as you all know, one of my favorite things in the world is my motorcycle. well, as you all know, they can be dangerous in many ways, as well as fun. and, in the years of my riding, i've had several close calls on the road. but none like last night.
around 10:00 o'clock last evening, i was riding home from waynesville. i was coming down s.r.73 and going about 60mph give or take a few. it was pitch black dark and cold. there are NO lights down there for the roads. just as i crested a hill i switched on an accessory and the next thing i knew, i heard a loud POP!!! ALL of my lights went out and my engine died. again, i was doing around 60mph(orso) when suddenly i had NO LIGHTS. i coasted down the hill and tried to make it up the next but didn't make it. there was no shoulder to get off of the road and i was in the valley portion of a double hill. i saw headlights behind me before i crested the hill, so i knew that i had to make a choice. i tried everything that i knew to at least get my lights on, but my whole electric and engine was hopelessly dead.
i was at my end. and thought for sure i'd be squashed by whoever was coming up behind me. so i prayed, "Lord, i need some help." as soon as i got the words out of my mouth, i saw the lights coming and heard the oncoming car. my bike is black and blue. i was wearing my black leathers, and black jean and black helmet. the truck came to a stop right behind me. the driver asked if i needed help. i said yes. he got out and helped push my bike up the hill into the first driveway. IT WAS HIS DRIVEWAY!!
he then told me that he was also a biker, and he saw my lights flickering as i topped the hill so he slowed down. then, he and his wife invited me into there home until almost 1:00 A.M because i couldn't get a tow truck for my bike. he told me that he had a trailer and a ramp so if i couldn't get help, he would take me and the bike home. one of my good friends ended up being able to make it and me and my bike made it to safety.
while i'm supremely bummed about the bike, there are several reasons for my thankfulness.
1) i was headed for i-75!! another 5 minutes and i would have been going alot faster with alot more traffic. and even if i had made it safely off the road, i would have had to sit on the side of the highway for about 3 hours and left my bike on the side of the road.
2) shane and his wife and 18 month old, were more hospitable than most people i've encountered while looking like a questionable biker decked out in leathers. (would you have let me into your house that late at night, looking like that?)
3) he was a rider, so he had ramps and stuff so that when my friend came, we were able to take my bike home.
4) i was able to keep my bike on the road while going over 60 totally blind. i literally could not see anything.
so hey, i may be bummed, but at least i'm bummed safely at home
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
prayer and forgiveness part 2
it's time now for part 2 of our lesson. last time, we covered prayer and the importance of forgiving. this lesson, in my opinion, is more difficult to take to heart and apply to your life. this lesson deals with forgiving yourself.
ok, i know what you're thinking. forgive myself? why should i forgive myself? give me a few minutes and you will see the importance.
let me paint you a picture, but first, if it's been a while since you've read the book of St. John, read chapters 18 and 21.
in chapter 18, we see the time that Jesus was being questioned. of all of the diciples, peter was the only one that followed him close enough to watch. after all, it was peter who, only hours before said "i would die before i denied you". bold words. not surprising since it was also peter who, when Jesus was arrested, cut off the ear of one of the soldiers. but if you remember the story, Jesus said that before the rooster crows, you will deny me 3 times.
the book of Luke says: Luk 22:61 And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.
ok, i know what you're thinking. forgive myself? why should i forgive myself? give me a few minutes and you will see the importance.
let me paint you a picture, but first, if it's been a while since you've read the book of St. John, read chapters 18 and 21.
in chapter 18, we see the time that Jesus was being questioned. of all of the diciples, peter was the only one that followed him close enough to watch. after all, it was peter who, only hours before said "i would die before i denied you". bold words. not surprising since it was also peter who, when Jesus was arrested, cut off the ear of one of the soldiers. but if you remember the story, Jesus said that before the rooster crows, you will deny me 3 times.
the book of Luke says: Luk 22:61 And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.
peter was close enough that Jesus LOOKED at him when the rooster crowed. imagine being peter in that moment. knowing your failure, and seeing the eyes of Christ at that moment. if only he had spoken. maybe he could have saved Him. at least he could have defended Him. spoken for Him. tried!!!!!! but instead, he denied Him. and knew that it was known.
John chapter 21, finds peter back in his old life. how much are we like that? when we fail, what do we do? we go back to our old lives. if we were drinkers, we go back to drink. if we were junkies, we go back to our junk. we try to find comfort in what we use to know. and just like peter, we find it to be fruitless. he fished all night, and caught nothing. fruitless.
then Jesus comes. tells them to cast on the other side of the boat. and what happens? so many fish that they couldn't handle it without help.
when peter comes to the shore, Jesus has dinner cooking and waiting. just imagine that meal. imagine peter's guilt. then Jesus does the unthinkable. He says "Do you love Me?" OUCH. knowing what he had done, that question must have cut through his heart like a dull knife. but he answers "yes". later Jesus asks again "do you love Me". OUCH. isn't it bad enough Lord that i know what i've done. "yes Lord". then finally comes Joh 21:17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jona, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
the third time, peter's heart finally just broke. he said "Lord, you know everything and you know i love you" Jesus said feed my sheep.
let me ask you something. how many times did peter deny christ? 3 times, right? now, how many times did Jesus ask him, do you love me? 3 times, right? peter must have seen this as an accusation, but i think that this was Jesus giving peter a chance to say "I love you" for every time that he said "i don't know the man".
how many times have you failed, then ran away to your old life because you felt conviction. my friend, just like peter, you are being asked, "do you love me?" this is not an accusation. this is Jesus asking "you do still love me, don't you?"
instead of coming home, what do we do? we hide because we feel ashamed, we hurt ourselves because we feel that we deserve to be in pain, we look to porn because we feel dirty anyway, we hurt others to make ourselves feel better, we drink or do drugs to drown our pain, we run from Jesus' question, "do you love Me?" when all He wants is to call us home!
it is easier to forgive others, or to believe in forgiveness to others, because we only see in part. but us? we know all of our own dirty secrets. we know the darkness that lives inside of us. we know just how bad that we are. but to say "i know that Jesus has forgiven me, but i just can't forgive myself." in a way, is a form of idolatry. ??????? let me paint a picture.
you walk up calvary and find the Lord, Jesus Christ. beaten. broken. bloody. crucified. and at the point of death. now, imagine looking up into those eyes and saying "Lord, i appreciate everything that you're doing here. and i thank you for it, but this is not enough for me. i know you mean well and all, and thanks for trying, but it's going to take more than this to cover my sins."
i offer you this suggestion. Jesus Christ. God in the flesh. was innocent. He also was condemned. beaten. spat on. mocked. and nailed to a tree. to forgive you. YOU. if this is not enough to forgive you, what more could He do?
at the end of John 21:17 Jesus says "feed my sheep". not only did He forgive peter, he let peter know, "i still trust you with my people". just think if peter had refused that forgiveness. what all would have been lost. it was peter who stood, full of the holy spirit on the day of pentecost, and spoke boldly of Christ and won about 3000 souls.
my friends, it's time to let yourself finally feel the freedom of forgiveness. His blood is enough for anything that you could ever done. there is no longer need for sacrifices. no longer need for self-condemnation. you can be free. the bible says "who the son sets free, is free indeed". so, if you're struggling, let me ask you something. you do still love Him, don't you?
peace be to you,
in Christ,
1oldman
Sunday, September 9, 2007
prayer and forgiveness part 1
the diciples asked Jesus to "teach us how to pray" and Jesus gave them the Lord's prayer. it says
Mat 6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Mat 6:10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Mat 6:11 Give us this day our daily bread.
Mat 6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
Mat 6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever., Amen.
Mat 6:14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
Mat 6:15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Jesus did 2 things here. first he gave a great outline for prayer. this was not, as the catholic church teaches, something to repeat mindlessly. this was an outline for effective prayer.
Mat 6:9 ---- open your prayer by giving God the praise that he is due.
Mat 6:10--- next, pray for God's will to be done in your life.
Mat 6:11--- pray for your needs and concerns for the day. in other words, God would like to hear from you EVERYDAY.
Mat 6:12 --- ask for forgiveness, and for God's help to forgive others
Mat 6:13--- ask for God to lead you away from temptation. and when you are foolish enough to not follow His lead, that he will give you strength to withstand temptation. then, end in praise.
after Jesus gave them this outline, if you read on, you'll see that He only came back to ONE point. in Mat 6:14-15 He spoke of forgiveness.
to me, that speaks pretty loud. He thought that of all the things He'd just spoken of, forgiveness was most important.
who are we to withhold forgiveness, knowing what we have been forgiven for, and at what cost. my friends, bitterness is a bitter pill indeed. harboring unforgiveness will eat a hole through the center of your soul. i heard it said once that holding a grudge is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. HOW TRUE IS THAT?
when you keep these things in, all you do is put a lid on a pot of boiling water. it may look safe from the outside but what happens to you on the inside? you can't think about them without getting upset. you can be out with your family, having a great time, then run into them and your entire time with your family is ruined.
you see, mercy and grace were created for those who don't deserve mercy or grace. they mean that you give up your right to revenge. that you chose to forgive when you are not in the wrong.
i'm not naive. i know that some things are more difficult to forgive than others. but trust me, i know from experience. and i also realize that i am not God. and neither are you. there is no such thing as forgive and forget. we can't forget. all we can do is learn. but, if you can't forgive, you're giving up a piece of your heart and soul for something that you don't want anyway. so go ahead. scream. cry. give someone a hug. whatever it takes to let it go. then live.
stay tuned for part 2.
Mat 6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Mat 6:10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Mat 6:11 Give us this day our daily bread.
Mat 6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
Mat 6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever., Amen.
Mat 6:14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
Mat 6:15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Jesus did 2 things here. first he gave a great outline for prayer. this was not, as the catholic church teaches, something to repeat mindlessly. this was an outline for effective prayer.
Mat 6:9 ---- open your prayer by giving God the praise that he is due.
Mat 6:10--- next, pray for God's will to be done in your life.
Mat 6:11--- pray for your needs and concerns for the day. in other words, God would like to hear from you EVERYDAY.
Mat 6:12 --- ask for forgiveness, and for God's help to forgive others
Mat 6:13--- ask for God to lead you away from temptation. and when you are foolish enough to not follow His lead, that he will give you strength to withstand temptation. then, end in praise.
after Jesus gave them this outline, if you read on, you'll see that He only came back to ONE point. in Mat 6:14-15 He spoke of forgiveness.
to me, that speaks pretty loud. He thought that of all the things He'd just spoken of, forgiveness was most important.
who are we to withhold forgiveness, knowing what we have been forgiven for, and at what cost. my friends, bitterness is a bitter pill indeed. harboring unforgiveness will eat a hole through the center of your soul. i heard it said once that holding a grudge is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. HOW TRUE IS THAT?
when you keep these things in, all you do is put a lid on a pot of boiling water. it may look safe from the outside but what happens to you on the inside? you can't think about them without getting upset. you can be out with your family, having a great time, then run into them and your entire time with your family is ruined.
you see, mercy and grace were created for those who don't deserve mercy or grace. they mean that you give up your right to revenge. that you chose to forgive when you are not in the wrong.
i'm not naive. i know that some things are more difficult to forgive than others. but trust me, i know from experience. and i also realize that i am not God. and neither are you. there is no such thing as forgive and forget. we can't forget. all we can do is learn. but, if you can't forgive, you're giving up a piece of your heart and soul for something that you don't want anyway. so go ahead. scream. cry. give someone a hug. whatever it takes to let it go. then live.
stay tuned for part 2.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
the definition of being a man
okay. i know that it's been a while since i've posted. the thing is this. i've had something brewing in my head this whole time and i wanted to wait until i had it all together before i put it out here for all to see, so bear with me, it may take a minute to read. so, here goes....
what is the definition of being a man? what are the qualifications? what exactly makes one manly? i've been thinking about this for some time now, and i can't, for the life of me understand a few things about todays thinking.
in my opinion, these are the qualities that make a guy a man. to me, this is the definition of manly.
1) honor
2) integrity
3) loyalty
4) honesty
5) passionate
6) humble
7) fierce protector
8) leader
i want to know a few things from anyone who disagrees with me. why does it make you less of a man because you choose not to drink alcohol? why does it make you less of a man if you act like you love your wife, even when others are around? why does it make you less of a man if you value her opinions, or actually respect her feelings? why would it make you less of a man because instead of going out to a strip club with the guys, you would rather spend friday night with your wife and children?
i've been watching people a little closer over the last two weeks just to see reactions about certain things. the people that most would call "manly men" are often those who frequent nude establishments (even though they're married). talk about their wives with little or no respect. or the un-married guys that sleep around.
what ever happened to chivalry? what ever happened to honor?
i joke around with many of my friends about my "lack" of manliness. because no, i don't drink. no, i don't go looking after porn. no, i don't call my wife, "the old lady". and because of this. "manly" men deem me "whipped". how did we get here?
why should i want porn? how must that make a wife feel? i believe that she would feel as though she was not "enough" for you. in my opinion, if you are checking out porn or going to strip clubs, you are cheating on your wife.
and, if you have children, do you think that these things don't affect them?
while i may not be the perfect example of "manliness". i must say, i think i'd rather be less than a man than to betray the 8 qualifications that i listed above. and if that gets me labeled as hen-pecked, or whipped, so be it.
what is the definition of being a man? what are the qualifications? what exactly makes one manly? i've been thinking about this for some time now, and i can't, for the life of me understand a few things about todays thinking.
in my opinion, these are the qualities that make a guy a man. to me, this is the definition of manly.
1) honor
2) integrity
3) loyalty
4) honesty
5) passionate
6) humble
7) fierce protector
8) leader
i want to know a few things from anyone who disagrees with me. why does it make you less of a man because you choose not to drink alcohol? why does it make you less of a man if you act like you love your wife, even when others are around? why does it make you less of a man if you value her opinions, or actually respect her feelings? why would it make you less of a man because instead of going out to a strip club with the guys, you would rather spend friday night with your wife and children?
i've been watching people a little closer over the last two weeks just to see reactions about certain things. the people that most would call "manly men" are often those who frequent nude establishments (even though they're married). talk about their wives with little or no respect. or the un-married guys that sleep around.
what ever happened to chivalry? what ever happened to honor?
i joke around with many of my friends about my "lack" of manliness. because no, i don't drink. no, i don't go looking after porn. no, i don't call my wife, "the old lady". and because of this. "manly" men deem me "whipped". how did we get here?
why should i want porn? how must that make a wife feel? i believe that she would feel as though she was not "enough" for you. in my opinion, if you are checking out porn or going to strip clubs, you are cheating on your wife.
and, if you have children, do you think that these things don't affect them?
while i may not be the perfect example of "manliness". i must say, i think i'd rather be less than a man than to betray the 8 qualifications that i listed above. and if that gets me labeled as hen-pecked, or whipped, so be it.
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