Good Advice to Live By

*Your fences need to be horse-high, pig-tight and bull-strong.
* Keep skunks and bankers and lawyers at a distance.
* Life is simpler when you plow around the stump.
* A bumble bee is considerably faster than a John Deere tractor.
* Words that soak into your ears are whispered...not yelled.
* Meanness don't jes' happen overnight.
* Forgive your enemies. It messes up their heads.
* Do not corner something that you know is meaner than you.
* It don't take a very big person to carry a grudge.
* You cannot unsay a cruel word.
* Every path has a few puddles.
* When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty.
* The best sermons are lived, not preached.
* Most of the stuff people worry about ain't never gonna happen anyway.
* Don't judge folks by their relatives.
* Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
* Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll enjoy it a second time.
* Don't interfere with somethin' that ain't botherin' you none.
* Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance.
* If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin'.
* Sometimes you get, and sometimes you get got.
* The biggest troublemaker you'll probably ever have to deal with, watches you from the mirror every mornin'.
* Always drink upstream from the herd.
* Good judgment comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgment.
* Lettin' the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier than puttin' it back in.
* If you get to thinkin' you're a person of some influence, try orderin' somebody else's dog around.
* Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.

Things God Hates

Most people like to think of God as a God of love. And He is. But God isn't just a gooey, hippie kind of "dude" who loves all things regardless of their nature. For example, it would be ridiculous to believe that God loves ungodly behavior towards others. And it would be ridiculous to believe that God loves things that entrap and hurt us such as drugs and other addictions. While God loves us we know better than to believe He loves it when we abuse our integrity by gambling on the computer while at work. And surely God grieves rather than smiles when we guys get caught up in internet porn which is idolatry (see Ephesians 6).

There are seven specific things that the Bible teaches that God "hates"

16There are six things the Lord hates,
seven that are detestable to Him:
17 haughty eyes,
a lying tongue,
hands that shed innocent blood
18 a heart that devises wicked schemes
feet that are quick to rush into evil
19 a false witness who pours out lies
and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers

Proverbs 6:16-19

I think sometimes that we believers do not consider the seriousness of this teaching from scripture. I grew up in church. I used to think that churches just split up sometimes and that was how it was. And maybe that is true. But as I've grown older I see all too often that churches tend to be plagued by people within who are in clear violation of these principles - especially the last one - someone who stirs up dissension among brothers.

I've decided in my life to not violate these principles if at all possible. Will I always succeed? No, I'm human. I fail all too often and I'm very aware of that. But I will not do something intentionally to make God hate what I've done (Note: I didn't say hate me, but rather hate the action...).

I wonder why we don't care too much what God thinks about how we live? If we did, this teaching and others from scripture would be much more relevant and observable in the Christian community.

Think about it.

Bob

Easter Sunday

Went to church today.

It was really good.

Happy Easter!

Bob

11 Commandments for an Effective Team

Found this in a Real Estate website I visit quite often and thought it was good.

Enjoy!

•1. Help each other be right-rather than wrong.
•2. Look for ways to make new ideas work-rather than for reasons they won't.
•3. If in doubt, check it out-rather than making negative assumptions.
•4. Help each other win and take pride in each other's victories.
•5. Speak positively about each other and about your organization at every opportunity.
•6. Maintain a positive emotional attitude-no matter what the circumstances.
•7. Act with initiative and courage as if it all depends on you.
•8. Do everything with enthusiasm-it's contagious.
•9. Believe in what you are doing-always persist.
10. Whatever you want-give it away!
11. Have FUN!

What Happens in Vegas...

You've heard the saying about what happens in Vegas, right?

Well the fact of the matter is that it just isn't true. Memories and experiences stay with us. You cannot walk away from them.

This postcard (found this week on PostSecret) is a reminder that we are designed with a conscience. While it is popular these days to say, "Live as you wish," and "Don't tell me how to live," the fact remains that each and everyone of us has morals that are written on our hearts. When we do wrong, we feel bad. God made us that way.

I don't know what this person did, but it is obviously eating them up.

How, here's the good news about God. He can relieve burdens such as this through confession and repentance. We can never clear our conscience by ourselves, but through being open with those we love and by trusting in God we can clean the slate.

Churches are sometimes good about preaching and practicing this and sometimes not so good. They forget that there are some real hurting people in the world who are afraid or scared to darken the doors of a church. And even if hurting people do visit church, they typically aren't going to march down to the front in view of everybody to confess their sins. That's often asking way too much out of someone who is struggling already. This is where a small group of people can be a lifesaver. In small community you can often talk openly about the hurts of life. Sometimes it boils down to a single trusted friend or married couple.

For a good example of this go to www.lifechurch.tv and watch the first of their series on SexEd. There's a good example there.

In the meantime the thing to remember is that you don't have to carry burdens alone in life. God cares. And further, He isn't going to laugh at you or turn you away. There isn't anything you or I have done that He hasn't heard before. He's pretty cool that way.

For believers I think we must be reminded to care about others. Sometimes we simply forget that life is tough and people need to see that faith makes a difference. How we live our lives determines if we really are people who live what we say we believe or not. When are people who live our faith it impacts people in an amazing way.

Bob