What was I thinking?

Several years ago I decided to look for another campground for our annual camping trip. I was tired of going to the same place every year. Without consulting my family, I went online to find the "perfect" camping experience. I found a "wonderful" place in North Carolina called Happy Family Campground. This should have been a clue. I didn't catch on.
I reserved a camping space for the week of vacation. The website described the campground in this manner. Large swimming pool, gameroom with many types of electronic games to enjoy, large shower area, large camping area, and a river running alongside of the camping area to fish in. This was a "little" exaggerated.
We arrived at Happy Family Campground in the afternoon. Imagine our surprise when we saw a swimming pool about the size of a large broom closet covered in pond scum. The game room consisted of a warped pool table with the cover ripped and a broken pinball machine. My son had to use the bathroom so he went to the "spacious" shower area. He came out with a shocked look on his face. "Dad these are Nazi death camp showers." We drove around to the camping area. It was big enough to pull our van into but not big enough for a tent. The river was a large stream with no fish. We left Happy Family Campground .My family has never let me live this error in judgment down.

Fast forward to 2011. I wanted to go visit my daughter in Illinois. The last time we went I drove. I did not want to drive 15 hours agian. "I know, I'll take a train." I reserved the tickets ahead of time. Comfortable seating, nice dining area, let us do the driving while you relax. Perfect. The day arrived. We board the train that is packed full. "I am sorry, we will have to put you in the bulk area." I have reserved seats but it does not matter. "To many walkups" is how it is explained. The seats that you were supposed to be able to lean back in and relax still leave you sitting up. Well at least the dining car will be nice. I stand in line for 30 minutes to get two frozen pizzas zapped in the microwave. What happened to the nice dining area with delicious food. "That is on the longerr runs." is how it is explained. 18 hours is not a long run?
Our "host is a psycho blonde who spends most of her time yelling at the customers, including kids, while making as much of a nusiance of herself as she can. We arrive at Chicago 45 minutes late. We are not given any instructions where we are to go as we leave the train. Thankfully we find the train station without getting mugged in one of the worst cities that has ever been created. I decide to drive back. Wonder if my family will let me live this one down?

Legacy of honor or shame.

Legacy is defined as something you leave behind or something that is passed down from one generation to another. A leagacy can be a material item or a reputation that influences others. I would like to talk about the latter. I have worked as a School Resource Officer for nearly 11 years.
In that time I have seen some remarkable students come through the school in which I work and I have seen some less than honorable students come through as well. This years graduating class is no different. There are some students who are going to be rememberd as hard working, honest, honorable individuals.
They will be remebered for their acts of kindness, respect, positive influences. Then there are those who be remembered for their acts of vandalism, disorderliness, disrespect and mediocre efforts in all they did. They will be remembered for their complete disregard for rules and authority.
When members of the faculty look back to these students they will only remember the failed potential. Many of these students will become well known by law enforcement and may eventually reside in a jail or a prison somewhere. The sad part about this whole situation is that most of the students would not have turned out the way they did if their parents simply would have stopped enabling them and made them accept consequences for their WRONG choices and actions.
When will today's parents understand that their child is not perfect,that every child has the potential to go down the wrong path if not given the proper guidance and discipline.
One particular parent is upset because her child has been labeled a trouble maker by other students. Her statement spoke volumes about her as a parent. My son may do stupid things but he is not a bad kid. My reply is simple; stupid decisons and actions often are criminally wrong. Take your blinders off, stop looking through rose colored glasses and start being a parent in the right sense of the word.

What path do you want your child to take?

Proverbs 22:6  gives good advice in teaching your child. The scripture gives this sound advice. "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old he will not depart from it." The scripture is revealing to the parents that it is their responsibility to train up their children. It is not the not the day care's responsibility. It is not the school's responsibility. It is THE PARENT'S responsibility. The scripture is encouraging parents to teach their children right from wrong.

This is and has been a foreign concept to many parents. They would look at Proverbs 22:6 and say that it is outdated, it doesn't fit in the society that exists today. They would take this verse and rephrase it to say something to this effect. Turn your child loose and let them choose their own path. The path that many children are taking is a path that leads to a self centered, self destructive life, a materalistic life and life that lacks respect for themselves, others, and any authority.

What is the solution? Parents need to become parents again and not their children's friends. Once a child is born into a family, the parents are to nuture them, discipline them, and TEACH them about the real life and not the make believe life they see on the television and in the movies. They need to teach their children that every choice they make affects their life in some way. The wrong choice can lead to serious consequences.

The sad part is that there even some churches that are letting their youth  choose the path they want to take. One youth teacher even told the youth that God gives teenagers breaks so they did not have to worry about the choices they made in their lives.

We are doing our children a great injustice when we turn them over to their own devices. I implore parents, to take a vested interest in their children's lives. Quit defending them  when they do wrong and let them experience the consequences for their actions. If you do not then we will continue to turn out genrations of angry, bitter, disrespctful children who will grow into angry, bitter, disrespectful adults.

The world may change but God does'nt

I heard someone say today "The world changes so we must change with it." This was in reference to the constant changing attitudes about life, morality and ethics. Many believe that they have to change in order to survive. Even those who claim kinship to Christ believe that they must change with the world or be left on the outside looking in. We must understand that we are to be on the outside looking in. We are told by God that we are to be a peculiar people., a royal priesthood, set apart for God's work and kingdom.

Hebrews 13:8 tells us that "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yea and forever." Christ is the changeless one because He is God. In trials we want to hold to God's unchanging hand for comfort, strength and guidance. Problems arise when we decide that God's changless laws are outdated and do not fit in our "new world." We tell God thanks but no thanks. We raise our children as we see fit, often leaving God and His Holy laws out of the picture. This has led to generations of unchurched and unsaved people. Remember going to church DOES NOT make you a Christian.

We must be reminded that the changlessness of Christ means the system that He delivered is also changeless. The gospel is the same, the plan of redemption is the same and Christ's rules for the church, its government, doctrine and purpose is still the same.

It is unfortunate then when those who claim to be children of God determine in their hearts to ignore God and trust in the worldly wisdom to govern their lives. Many times those lives are filled with unecessary suffering, guilt, and trials. "Trust in God and lean not on your own understanding" In doing so you will find more often than not that you will be richly blessed and find a certain peace.

Keeping the Ressurection vital

Easter Sunday is finished. The special services are finished. Monday is here. Easter Sunday is a special day. The sunrise reminded us that the Son rose from the grave. The hymns were touching and the message was uplifitng. Now what?

Too many view Easter Sunday as they would a weekend retreat. They experience the "feel good" moments and then return to their routine lives. The ressurection story and the experience that comes with it are put away with the easter tree, the easter eggs, the easter movies and everything related to Easter.

This should not happen.The ressurection story and experience should not be a once a year "feel good" experience. The ressurection should be a life changing experience. The ressurection story should cause us to see and live life in a drastically different.  after the death of Christ, the disciples were hiding behind closed doors. They were in fear for their very lifes. All hope was gone. They believed that the best thing to do was go back to their routine lives and forget about what had taken place th elast three years. Fear and apathy will do that. 

Jesus appears to the disciples after His ressurection. His appearance causes a wonderful change. The disciples are renewed in strength and courage. thomas is not with the disciples the first time Jesus appears. he has is doubts regarding the story that his felloow disciples. Then he sees Jesus with His wounds and rejoices. "My Lord and My God.' Thomas is ready to live and breathe Christ for the rest of his days. Paul, in spite of everything he endured, stated that he counted everything loss except for the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. This should be our view of the ressurection. We should rejoice everyday that Christ arose from the grave no matter the circumstances in our lives. My prayer is that you may see the ressurection in the same manner.

CHRIST CAME DOWN

Sunday April the 24th is Easter Sunday. Church goers will dress in their Sunday best. They will go to a sunrise service or a special service. Easter Sunday is one of the "special holidays" that people attend church. Many churches will have their highest attendance of the year. The offering plate will be filled to the brim. People will attend the service, sing the hymns, take communion and then go back to their regular lives. Some will get together with families, some will take their children to a special easter egg hunt, but how many will leave knowing what Easter Sunday really means to mankind?

I would like to share with you from the book of Romans chapter 5:8. The Apostle Paul writes: "But God demonstrates His own love toward us in that while we were yet still sinners, Christ died for us." I encourage you to meditate upon this verse of scripture. While we were still stumbling around in spiritual darkness, headed toward a certain death spiritually, God, the creator of the universe, the author of all things, thr ruler of all people, animals and everything sent His only begotten son to die for a fallen mankind that all who believed and confessed Christ as Lord and Savior might have eternal life.

Christ's death was not an ordinary death. His was a death filled with much suffering. Christ was slapped, punched kicked, beaten with a bamboo reed, had a thorn of crowns forced down onto his forehead and whipped with a whip that had glasss and sharp metal imbedded into it. The whip would wrap completely around his body and when pulled away, would literally tear his flesh from his body.
He then was forced to carry the cross beam that he would be nailed to through the streets of Jerusalem to the place known as Golgotha or the place of the Skull. Once there, Christ was nailed to the cross with six inch spikes that were driven through his wrist and feet to hold him to the cross. There he hung until he died.

Upon his death, we are told that the veil of the temple was torn from top to bottom. The significance of this event is very important. Before Christ came to earth the people had to go before the priest and offer a sacrificial lamb for their sins. The priest would then go into the Holy of Holies which was seaprated by the veil, and offer up prayers for the forgivenss of the people's sins. When Christ died, he became the one true sacrificial lamb. There was no more need of yearly sacrifices. Christ died for the sins of all mankind past, present and future.

I encourage you as you go to church, dressed in your finest, that you will reflect on what Christ's crucifixion, death and ressurection truly means.

My prayer is that you will be richly blessed in the knowledge of God's abundant mercy and grace.

Accountability is not just a word

A construction worker is killed by two drunk drivers when they drive recklessly and at speeds to great for a construction zone. They are charged and go on trial for the construction worker's death. Their excuse. The construction site was not clearly marked. Forget the fact that the blood alcohol content of the drivers was nearly double the legal limit. Another drunk driver is on trial for the death of someone due to their reckless and irresponsible behavior. Their defense. The third blood test  has not returned. It may prove my innocence. This in spite of the fact that the first two blood tests clearly showed he was extremely over the legal limit.
A little closer to home. Six middle school students consume alcohol on school property. A petition for charges is submitted. The parent of one of the students works at the school. She proceeds to go around the school and villify the officer who petitioned for the charges. Several of the staff members side with the mother, stating that the officer was wrong in filing for charges. The most startling individual who opposes the officer is the school guidance counselor. This in spite of the fact the counselor has seen the statistics that show the average age a young person starts to drink is eleven years old. The officer is given the silent treatment by some of the irresponsible staff members.
Why are things just described happening? I believe the reason is simple. No one believes in accountability anymore. No one wants to accept responsibllity for their wrong actions.
I have been a School Resource Officer for nearly eleven years. In that time I have seen an increase in the number of students and staff alike who have no regard for rules, authority or right living. If they disagree with the rules or laws set forth, they simply disregard them. Sadly many parents of these students strongly support their children's disrespectful attitudes toward people in authority, rules and laws.  Many of these parents are self proclaimed Christians.
When are we as a nation going to acknowledge the need for accountability in our individual lives and seek to change our behavior? God requires it of us. Until we do we will continue to see an erosion of morals, family values and ethical behavior.