Glorify HIM

New Blog

2008-02-07T19:08:00.000-06:00

For the time being I'm suspending posts on this blog (I know, I've really been "suspended" for a long time already). I will keep it alive in case I decide to come back to it later. I've started a new blog if you're interested at the following address:

http://tim-harris.blogspot.com/

Psalm 23:1-3 From The CHV (Caleb Harris Version)

2007-10-21T20:24:00.000-05:00

For the Young Men's Training Class at church on Sunday evenings we have been teaching Caleb a new verse each week. Most of the kids are older than Caleb so they read a scripture, but he can't read yet (he's learning words in kindergarten now) so we give him a new verse to say. He gets up there with his Bible and rather than reading he just quotes the verse.

Well we've been working on Psalm 23 for the past few weeks. Tonight he added Psalm 23:3. Here's the first three verses in the NKJV:

"The LORD is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake."

He had done pretty well in practicing verse 3 and he knows the first two verses well. But tonight his version of verse 3 was:

"He leads me in the paths of nitrous-ness for His name's sake."

I try very hard not to laugh when any of the kids messes up because I don't want them to become self-conscious and quit trying, but I pretty much lost it on that one. Kids do say the craziest stuff, especially when there's an audience.

Return from the House of Mourning

2007-10-13T11:45:00.000-05:00

Ecclesiastes 7:2 says,

"Better to go to the house of mourning
Than to go to the house of feasting,
For that is the end of all men;
And the living will take it to heart."

Late yesterday evening we returned from the house of mourning. Last Saturday night (10/6) my uncle was shot and killed in front of the shop he owned where he worked as a mechanic. It is a sad, sad story. He was 49 years old. The police have arrested his wife. The police haven't found the gun, but they have found enough circumstantial evidence to make the arrest.

So Holly, the kids and I travelled to be with the family Thursday for the wake and the funeral was yesterday afternoon. The funeral home was packed. I wasn't sure how many people to expect, but apparently my uncle was well respected in the community where he lived. It was good to see family I hadn't seen in a long time. Some possibly five years or more.

But as much as my uncle was apparently loved within the community, he was unprepared to meet the Lord. The vast majority of my this side of my family are either non-Christians or unfaithful. But there are several faithful brothers and sisters in Christ who were there, and for us it was our realization of my uncle's probable eternal dwelling place that we wept most.

At the funeral very little was said of my uncle. Sadly, there was probably very little that could have been said. He was a hard worker. He was an honest man, loyal to his friends. He loved dogs. He loved to fish. I don't know of much more I could have said. But the good news was that the minister did preach the gospel to all who were there.

As I sat on the fourth (and last) row of the family "Reserved" section, I wondered what type of ground the Seed was falling on as the minister spoke. As I watched the reaction of my family, a few cried, one appeared to visibly reject the Word, but most sat expressionless, staring forward.

I pray that my family will think about their condition before GOD and the words that the minister spoke. I ask you to please pray for them as well.

The Altar and the Door (Part 2)

2007-09-14T18:36:00.000-05:00

Perhaps my favorite track on the album is entitled "Slow Fade". I think the song really speaks to where so many in our country are right now, especially fathers who abdicate their responsibilities every day -- and it speaks to me personally because there are close friends of mine who are slowly fading into the world. This is a track you really have to listen to in order to fully appreciate it.

I'm reminded of something John Eldredge had to say in "Wild at Heart" (pp. 50-51) regarding the failure of Adam in the Garden:

"Adam fails; he fails Eve, and the rest of humanity. ... He is standing right there, watching the whole thing unravel. What does he do? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. He says not a word, doesn't lift a finger. He won't risk, he won't fight, and he won't rescue Eve. Our first father -- the first real man -- gave in to paralysis. He denied his very nature and went passive. And every man after him, every son of Adam, carries in his heart now the same failure. Every man repeats the sin of Adam..."

Now, here are the lyrics to "Slow Fade".

Be careful little eyes what you see
It’s the second glance that ties your hands as darkness pulls the strings
Be careful little feet where you go
For it’s the little feet behind you that are sure to follow

It’s a slow fade when you give yourself away
It’s a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
It’s a slow fade, it’s a slow fade

Be careful little ears what you hear
When flattery leads to compromise, the end is always near
Be careful little lips what you say
For empty words and promises lead broken hearts astray

It’s a slow fade when you give yourself away
It’s a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day

The journey from your mind to your hands
Is shorter than you’re thinking
Be careful if you think you stand
You just might be sinking

It’s a slow fade when you give yourself away
It’s a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
Daddies never crumble in a day
Families never crumble in a day

Oh be careful little eyes what see
Oh be careful little eyes what you see
For the Father up above is looking down in love
Oh be careful little eyes what you see

Men, fight for your wife...for your family...for your soul! Every day! Don't stand by and watch them fade.

The Altar and the Door

2007-09-13T19:39:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago Casting Crowns released their latest CD entitled "The Altar and the Door". As you may know by now Holly and I really enjoy listening to Casting Crowns since we became aware of them a couple of years ago.

This album is really good. I don't like it as much as the "Lifesong" album, but I do like it a lot. There is so much I could say from listening to these songs. I am amazed at the talents these folks have and the quality of most of their songs.

(As with anything spiritually-focused and man-made I caution you to be careful of false teaching. I cannot think of anything on this album that I disagree with off the top of my head, but we must always go to the Word for truth.)

The second verse of the first song, "What This World Needs", has the following lyrics:

What this world needs is for us to care more about the inside than the outside
Have we become so blind that we can’t see
God’s gotta change her heart before He changes her shirt
What this world needs is for us to stop hiding behind our relevance
Blending in so well that people can’t see the difference
And it’s the difference that sets the world free

How true! Jesus said, "For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." (Matthew 12:34) What we say, what we do, and what we wear are all a reflection of what is in our heart.

Jesus spoke a lot about the heart, for that is what GOD is most interested in. If He has our heart, our obedience will follow. The Pharisees couldn't see this. Jesus made it perfectly clear to them:

"Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness." (Matthew 23:26-28)

The message is clear: guard your heart.

I'll say more about the album later.

After two weeks...still on green

2007-08-24T20:44:00.000-05:00

In what is absolutely an answer to our prayers, after two weeks of school Caleb has stayed "on green" (see the last post). He is really enjoying school -- which is also a blessing -- but it's all "fun and games" in kindergarten anyway, at least so far. :-) He still enjoys getting up early, but I'm sure all that will change in a few years.

But I'm thankful it has been a smooth transition so far. It has been a welcome relief.

Caleb's first day of school

2007-08-13T20:17:00.000-05:00

Today was Caleb's first day of kindergarten. I'm not typically that sentimental but I have to say that I did have a lot of emotions about this day. The primary question I've had in the weeks and days leading up to today was, "Is he ready? Have we prepared him well enough?" Although I'm certainly biased, I feel that Caleb is a wonderful kid. He's smart and friendly to people (most of the time, at least). But Holly and I have really had to work hard over the past five and a half years getting him to obey. He has just had a strong will -- stubborn, at times -- which has been a challenge.

We have not "spared the rod", by any means. In fact, I think we've gone through about ten rods along the way. He's made tremendous progress, but he still has a tendency to "get caught up in the moment" where he forgets to focus on the teacher/adult and follows along with other kids. My fear was that he might have that problem at school.

I have prayed a lot over the past few weeks that GOD would help us prepare him for this day where we wouldn't be there to watch him and make sure he obeys. I am thankful to say that, at least for this day, our prayers were answered with a "Yes!"

Caleb's teacher uses a "traffic light" system for helping enforce behavior with the kids. I imagine this is fairly common because I've heard others talk about it. She told us last week when we went of orientation and "open house" that if she had to get onto a child twice in one day they would move to yellow. Fighting, pushing and other "serious violations" would get them moved to red.

Sunday night Caleb prayed that GOD would help him stay on green. It was a great thing to pray for. When he came home this afternoon the first thing he said was, "Hey Daddy! Guess what! I stayed on GREEN!!!" I'm certain the LORD was watching over Caleb today.

But today was a big step toward letting go -- and toward Caleb growing up, and that is a bit hard to accept for me. I imagine it would be for just about any parent. I have certainly learned to appreciate more how GOD cares for and "fathers" us, and for the amazing risk He takes by letting us choose the path we will walk.

Well, I'm tired (not feeling too well today anyhow), so it's time for a little rest and a little NCAA 2008. I'll have more to say about all of this in the near future though.

Are You One of His Sheep?

2007-08-12T13:02:00.000-05:00

John 10:22-30 (NKJV) reads as follows:

22 Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter. 23 And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon’s porch. 24 Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, “How long do You keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me. 26 But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you. 27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. 30 I and My Father are one.”

Praise GOD for our Shepherd whose voice we can follow!

Praise GOD that He keeps us in His hand!

Praise GOD because He is able -- and willing -- to prevent anyone from snatching us from His hand!

[visual aid]

Are you a sheep that belongs to Jesus, the Good Shepherd? Jesus said in John 10:11, "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep." If we hear His voice then we will follow Him.

History of the Star Spangled Banner

2007-07-12T18:37:00.000-05:00

Below is a link to a Windows Media Audio (WMA) file that a friend of mine sent me before Independence Day. Unfortunately I didn't get around to listening to it until this week. The recording tells a fantastic story regarding the background to our National Anthem. Amazingly, I'd never heard much of this before. In fact, I don't know where this clip originated nor if it is factually correct. Regardless it is definitely worth listening to.

http://www.savefile.com/files/883511
(Click the link and look for the Download button mid-way down the page.)

I tried (though not extensively) looking up the history behind the song, and didn't learn a whole lot. Here is a link to the Smithsonian Institute's explanation of the history surrounding our flag and National Anthem.

Awww, do I have to go???

2007-07-08T19:54:00.000-05:00

I have really enjoyed the past few days. I've been off from work since Wednesday. It was certainly time for a break, and I am very thankful for the time off. On Thursday we got HD cable installed. We got a plasma TV when we moved into our new house last year, but we weren't in a position to get HD cable so I've been waiting since then to get it, and the day has finally come.

As a quick aside, on Tuesday -- after talking to the cable company representative -- I bought an HDMI cable and (thanks to my dad's help) routed the cable through the wall over the fireplace where the TV is mounted to the cabinet where the new cable box would be. I knew this was a risk because the cable company uses component cables for their HD boxes, but according to the rep they also offer some HDMI-capable boxes and the technician who came to do the install should be able to give me one with an HDMI port. Well, that didn't work out. The tech called their office and they have no HDMI-capable HD boxes. I am most disappointed, because now I have to pull that HDMI cable out from the wall, take it back to the store, and run the five-part component cable through the wall. In the end, though, I know it will be worth it. (But I am dreading the process -- I had worked for two hours trying to get the HDMI cable through before Dad showed me a much better way.)

The HD service is awesome, though, well worth the extra $10 or so it is costing me. The only downer is that I don't watch that much non-sports TV and there is NOTHING on during the summer. I am very much looking forward to football though! ;-)

Wednesday was a restful day for me. The kids had spent the night at Mom and Dad's Tuesday night so it was quite quiet at the house. After Holly and I played a game of two of Age of Empires II, she went birthday shopping with her parents, so I worked on imaging and installing Windows Vista and Office 2007 on one of my team's laptops for work. (Sounds boring, perhaps, but if I didn't do it then I don't know when I'd get to it.)

Wednesday evening I began teaching a series on Heaven and Hell for the high school class at church. I taught this material in an adult class during the first quarter of this year, and I really enjoyed it. I'm working with one of our elders who is teaching the book of Acts on Sundays. Both has been a good study so far.

Saturday we went to Wetumpka and played volleyball with friends from church...in the rain...and it was awesome! If you've never played volleyball in the rain (I hadn't) it really adds a different "spin" on things -- pun definitely intended. We had a great time.

Today Holly's parents and Amy were over for lunch. We had a good time and we hung some picture frames and a mirror Holly's parents had bought her for her birthday. Thankfully Holly's dad is good at that because it just really isn't my "gift".

Reflecting on all of this as I write it has helped me be even more thankful for the restful week this past week and for how good my Father has been to me. He continues to bless us so richly and so far beyond anything I deserve.

I'm reminded of two verses from the book of James:

"Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. ... Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up." (James 4:8a, 10)

May GOD help us all as we strive to do just that.

Look at This photograph!

2007-06-29T08:54:00.000-05:00

We had a little rainstorm come through yesterday afternoon -- which we are MOST thankful for, by the way. But check out what the wind did to our trampoline. If I didn't see it first-hand I would be certain this picture was digitally altered, but it's true -- our trampoline was resting on the top of our fence and the neighbor's tree. It was quite *fun* getting this down when I got home yesterday.

Holly took this picture yesterday and before I deleted it from my work email I thought I'd post it here real quick. Definitely something you don't see everyday.

Look at this Photograph...

2007-06-16T13:18:00.000-05:00

So I've been scanning some old photo albums of when I was a kid. I had forgotten we had some of these, but I sure have enjoyed looking at them.

It seems like each picture reminds me of a hundred thoughts -- many of which I had forgotten! Some of them are little details, some of them are funny stories.

We didn't have much growing up, but that isn't what I remember when I think about my childhood. I remember how blessed I was to have a family that loved me, a home where I felt safe, where I knew that my parents loved each other, and that they loved me and my sisters too.

I am also reminded of the brevity of this life. Some of these pictures feel like yesterday, but they were twenty years ago. I suppose the great challenge for us in this is to remember to frequently find moments to cherish in life, because those are the things that, when remembered, make us smile. (And it doesn't hurt to capture those on film, either...for the memory is only able to store so much at one time.)

Greatest Arcade Game of the '80s

2007-06-11T14:44:00.000-05:00

Up for a good debate? Here's a goodie:

What is the greatest arcade game of the 1980's?

Asteroids
Centipede
Donkey Kong
Dragon's Lair
Frogger
Mario Bros.
Pac-Man
Pole Position
Space Invaders
Tron

Unfortunately I wasn't creative enough to think this one up myself, so here's the article if you want to read more or actually vote: http://news.com.com/The+greatest+arcade+games+of+the+%2780s/2009-1043_3-6189803.html?tag=fd_nbs_ent&tag=nl.e703.

Personally, my favorite didn't make the list -- Spy Hunter!!! (Hear the theme music playing???)

Since May 20

2007-06-09T08:53:00.000-05:00

My last post was on May 20. A LOT has happened since then. I don't have time right now to detail everything, so here's the synopsis.

We finished our field visits. For the first time ever we had the same model vehicle (GMC Yukon) for the entire round of trips. The last place I wrote about was Florence. We finished up by going to Jackson, MS; Hattiesburg, MS; Opelika; Macon, GA; and Mobile. I went on the Jackson-Hattiesburg trip, but not the last two.

In Hattiesburg we ate at a restaurant called The Purple Parrot Cafe. It is a gourmet-style New Orleans kind of restaurant. I got a filet and it was wonderful! This is an excellent restaurant to go for a special event like an anniversary or something, but not some place I'd go every month. It's a great atmosphere and excellent food, but it is expensive. I'd highly recommend it if you're in the area though.

The past week has been a MAJOR challenge. Holly detailed it on her blog but the short was that her dad suffered a major heart attack and Caleb had to be hospitalized for dehydration. We leaned on our Father to help get us through the tough time. We are blessed with wonderful family to help too. My parents kept the kids for us last weekend -- which was already planned, but extremely helpful nonetheless -- and Uncle Kenneth and Aunt Dede stayed at our house and that was good. Company in the ICU waiting room helps the time pass a lot more quickly. Thankfully her dad and Caleb are doing much better now. We are getting back to (ab)normal. ;-)

Last Week's Field Visits

2007-05-20T16:22:00.000-05:00

Last week's field visits began with a day-trip to Dothan. Not much to say about this trip other than we ate at Larry's BBQ. Last week was our second week on "phase 1" of the South Beach Diet, and you're supposed to eat salads for lunch during this first phase. I had Larry's Special with pork -- a chef's salad with pork meat. I had never tried a pork salad before, but I dumped some BBQ sauce (which technically you aren't supposed to eat on the diet) and light Ranch dressing and then mixed the two. It was really good!

Those who know me well know I'm a huge fan of BBQ! It was really hard to pass up the usual pork platter with two sides, but the salad was good.

Thursday our first stop was in Columbus, MS. Columbus is a town with some very beautiful areas and they are doing some nice work to renovate their downtown. (What Smalltown USA city doesn't need a little "downtown renovation" anyway???) There are a lot of old homes that have been restored in the city.

One of the "tragedies" of these trips is that we often don't have time to stop along the way and take pictures. I would've liked to have some from Columbus.

From there we traveled to Elvis' birth-city, Tupelo. We headed west through downtown Tupelo, and one of the first things I noticed in Tupelo is the BancorpSouth Center -- which is a fairly large arena, especially for Tupelo. Tupelo is not exactly a "huge" town or anything.

Among a wide array of concerts and other events, the BancorpSouth Center is home to the Mississippi Mudcats, an American Indoor Football Association (AIFA) arena football team. (The Mudcats compete with our own Montgomery Bears -- hey, at least it isn't named "Biscuits".)

After a few hours of not-worth-mentioning-here "work stuff" in Tupelo, we headed back to the great state of Alabama (queue up "Sweet Home") -- but not headed home. No...we're too interesting for that. ;- No, we were headed for Florence.

When you take the trip from Tupelo to Florence, you travel the Natchez Trace Parkway. (<-- Check out the link...it's really cool.) According to the National Park Service: "The 444-mile Natchez Trace Parkway commemorates an ancient trail that connected southern portions of the Mississippi River, through Alabama, to salt licks in today's central Tennessee."

"There are many preserved sections of the Old Natchez Trace that can been visited along the Parkway. [The one pictured above] is found at Milepost 222 in north Mississippi." (Looks like a scene from Sleepy Hollow, huh?)

There are some interesting stories about the history of the Trace at http://www.nps.gov/natr/stories.htm. Unfortunately we didn't have time to stop and take pictures. As we traveled the route I was reminded of the awesome power and creativity of The Creator.

Once we made it to the hotel in Florence, we went directly to our favorite restaurant in town: Ricatoni's Italian Grill. This is a locally-owned restaurant and the food is fantastic! I highly recommend it, and apparently so do a lot of other people.

That's about all the interesting stuff on this trip. We ate at a BBQ place the following day for lunch and took the long trek back to Montgomery. It was a tiring, but profitable trip.

2007 GMC Yukon

2007-05-19T19:02:00.000-05:00

Every year as part of my job my team conducts field visits -- trips to my company's remote offices. We take these trips for several reasons, but one of the primary reasons is to learn what these people do, observe things first-hand, and find out way that technology can be applied to help them do their jobs more effectively.

We began this year's visits this week. When we go we get rental cars from Enterprise. This week we had a 2007 GMC Yukon, and it was SWEET!!!

Now I'm very content with our vehicle situation, but I have to admit that I kind of got "the fever" for a little while when I rode in that Yukon for a few days. It did subside a bit when I had to fill the thing up -- $58 for a little more than half a tank of gas -- ouch!!!!

You can easily fit 6 or 7 people in one of these things. It is like driving a tank -- except it's a smooth ride! I really enjoyed it. Like most newer vehicles, it offered an auxillary input so I was able to connect my MP3 player, which made for a more pleasent trip.

Holly has been saying for a while that she would eventually like to get an SUV, and if we did, I'd definitely consider the Yukon (a used one of course). But, Lord-willing, our Camry will keep on pluggin' along and the SUV idea will just have to wait...

(Oh, just in case you were wondering, GMC will offer a hybrid model for 2008.)

American Consumption

2007-05-18T08:09:00.001-05:00

Can you guess what this is?

It is an image of the 426,000 cell phones discarded by Americans each day. Here's a close-up that's more recognizable.

This came from an interesting article from Cnet.com. Here's the link if you want to check it out: http://news.com.com/2300-1025_3-6184386-1.html?tag=ne.gall.pg. There are several more pictures along with statistics about American consumption. Pretty interesting stuff, if you ask me.

Time Flies

2007-05-05T14:50:00.000-05:00

So yesterday evening I thought it was about time to post something new on the blog. To refresh my memory on what I'd last posted I checked the page. I can't believe that today is May 4 and that my last post was on Tuesday, April 17! I knew it has been a while but I didn't think it was more than two weeks.

All of this just reminded me of how quickly life passes us by. It seemed like when I was a kid that unless I was doing something really fun, the days just crawled by -- especially during school. I always hated it (and it is still a bit annoying) when someone older than me would say, "Just you wait, son. Time flies when you get older. Your life will be over with before you know it." They're right, of course.

The older we get, the more responsibilities we have, which takes more time. That keeps us busy. If we're busy then our mind doesn't entertain the thought, "I wonder what time it is." very often. Then we look and, wow!, the day is gone. String several of those days together and a week has passed...then a month...then a year...then a lifetime.

Now that familiar verse from James rings in my ears:

"For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away." (James 4:14b)

The key in all of this is, "What am I busy doing? Are these things really making a difference? Am I completing the somewhat-important and leaving the most-important undone?"

Now if you'll excuse me, I have some stuff to do...like rest.

"Maaaarvin Zindler, Eeeeeeeye Witness News"

2007-04-17T17:38:00.000-05:00

Holly recently told me about a newscaster she remembered from when she lived in Houston. His name was Marvin Zindler. She told me how he always had this same "sign off", if you will. Her impersonation of it was quite funny. I suggested she check around on the Web to see if any videos of him were available online. Lo and behold, good ole' YouTube came in again.

These are hilarious, definitely worth a look, and I have to say that Holly's impersonation of Marvin is strikingly accurate.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJObxxYaHpI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUqlbjxznZA

From Heaven or From Men?

2007-04-08T13:05:00.000-05:00

Today is Easter. Throughout the world many people gathered to remember the single most important event in all of human history -- the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. As I rode to and from the church building today several thoughts occurred to me.

First, I think that one positive thing about Easter and Christmas is that more people think about GOD and Jesus on these two days than on any other day. More people "attend church" during Easter and Christmas services than any other time of year. I was struck by how many cars were at church buildings -- not for their sheer volume as much as in comparison to how many cars are present on "normal" Sundays.

Then my thoughts turned to how GOD might view many of these people. What does He think about all of this? Is He pleased? I find it sad that many of these people who have gathered to celebrate Easter will quite likely hear the words, "Depart from Me...I never knew you." in the Judgment Day. It is sad how many people have the attitude toward spiritual things that they can do whatever they want 363 days a year, but as long as they are at worship for Christmas and Easter service then GOD will be well pleased with them and everything is ok.

Third, I remembered passing one church building close to our house yesterday that had an Easter party going on. The parking lot was packed! There was a little train in the front yard giving rides to kids, one of those air-pump-up bouncing things, an Easter bunny, and all kinds of arts and crafts going on. I remembered seeing their sign as I drove home from work each day advertising this social event. I thought about the words of Jesus in John 6:26 (see my previous post from 4/1/07):

"Most assuredly...you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled."

I was saddened when I thought about the good intentions these people have, but what must the Lord think about all of this? I would venture to guess that well over 50% of those who were at that Easter festival were there for the "social" loaves. After all...you have to do something to get people in the doors, right? *The gospel alone certainly couldn't do it.* I mean, most people are really looking for their bellies to be filled anyway.

Have you ever asked yourself why we don't see any of these social "loaves" gimmicks recorded with the first century church? I am convinced it is because those people realized that the Word of GOD was the power of salvation. Nothing else needed. Paul said,

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes..." (Rom. 1:16)

I am reminded of the time when Jesus was asked by what authority He did His works. His response was brilliant:

"I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things: The baptism of John—where was it from? From heaven or from men?" (Matt. 21:24-25).

The same question could be asked about Easter. Is it from heaven or men?
Did you know that the word Easter is not found anywhere in the Bible? The KJV does incorrectly translate the word "Passover" as "Easter" in Acts 12:4. But the word Easter is not in the original text, nor in any of the other major translations (NKJV; NIV; NASB; AMP). You see, Easter originated not with GOD, but with men.

Now, don't misunderstand me: Remembering the Lord's death, burial and resurrection is important. If the concept of Easter is not in the Bible, then how does GOD want us to remember Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection? That answer (as with any answer that comes from GOD) is revealed in His word. On the night Jesus was betrayed He instituted the Lord's Supper (Luke 22:14-20). The first century church observed the Lord's Supper regularly -- many believe they did so every Sunday (Acts 2:42,46; 20:7; 1 Corinthians 11:17-34).

(Incidentally, a topic for another day is how GOD is the GOD of the simple. Think about how the Father and Jesus have always consistently used the simple, the humble, the lowly, to accomplish their purpose. It really is amazing. Why would GOD choose this approach??? Read 1 Cor. 1:18-25 for the answer.)

What's the point of all of this?

Let's remember the Lord's sacrifice and His resurrection not just once or twice a year, but every day!
How can we be pleasing to the Lord unless we do things His way? Where is the instruction or example in the Scriptures for us to use means other than the gospel to reach the lost? When the "loaves" go away, the masses stop coming...because they aren't searching for spiritual food but physical food (e.g. entertainment or Easter bunnies). If this was true with the GOD-man, wouldn't it hold true for us today?

What do you think? Have I missed the mark here? Let me know what you think at tiharr@gmail.com.

Two Kinds of People

2007-04-01T20:54:00.000-05:00

This morning we studied from John 6, which is one of my favorite chapters in the Bible, because we can see one of the most basic, yet difficult-to-accept truths of life:

There are two kinds of people: the spiritually-minded and the physically-minded. In other words, those who have a heart for GOD and those who don't.

In John 6:1-14, Jesus feeds the five thousand. Boy they loved this -- what a man this was, they thought, who could provide them bread on the spot! Now this is the kind of man we need around, they thought. A prophet indeed! In fact, Jesus perceived in John 6:15 that the Jews were going to make Him their king by force. But of course that was not Jesus' mission, so He disappeared.

The crowds were persistent, though, and they caught up with Jesus across the Sea of Galilee in Capernaum.

My, how the story changes now. Jesus tells them something, but it wasn't what they wanted to hear. "Most assuredly...you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled." (6:26) Then Jesus gives them the invitation: "Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you..."

Hey, this sounds good...better bread! "Lord, give us this bread always," they said.

Then Jesus gives them the details:

"I am the bread of life. ... For I have come down from heaven." (6:35,38)
"I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world." (51)
"For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him." (55)

Now what do the people think? "This is a hard saying; who can understand it?" And then one of the saddest statements of Scripture:

From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. (John 6:66)

Why did the people turn away? Because Jesus started talking about spiritual things!

And when I read Jesus' question to the twelve in the following verse, I sense frustration, disappointment, and sadness in Jesus' voice:

Do you also want to go away?

My sense is that Jesus is saddened by the fact that most people are simply not interested in spiritual things, and that He knew the result of their decision to turn away. As long as He was satisfying their physical need for food and healing their diseases they were with Him all the way, but once that stops and He starts talking about the more important matters, they quickly lost interest.

One of the most difficult things to accept is that even people who know the truth get consumed with the pleasures of the world and they turn back and walk with Him no more.

Decide not to be one of those people! They are a disappointment to our Father, to our Savior, and to those striving to follow the Chief Shepherd.

"It's tough being the president, isn't it?"

2007-03-19T19:10:00.000-05:00

The following is an excerpt from an email that I received this weekend. I have added paragraph breaks but have left the grammar unedited.

"This e-mail was written by someone in Enterprise. She is relaying a message told by an ABI officer who attends Hillcrest Baptist Church in Enterprise .. The officer was with President Bush when he visited.

There is a man at Hillcrest who is an ABI officer. He got up last night and told us about having the honor of being paired with one of the secret service men who were with President Bush Saturday in Enterprise . He said when they started walking through the rubble at the school they came upon four students waiting for the President. They were in an area where on the floor there was a emblem that read EHS Class of 65.

When the President approached the students he asked which one of you is the president (I assume president of the student body)? One of of the girls kind of raised her hand and said I am then she hung her head and started to cry. President Bush wrapped his arms around her and the other three joined them. Barry, the ABI officer said President Bush started to cry and said "It's tough being the president isn't it."

Barry said he talked with them a little longer. He said he ws very close to the President but couldn't hear every word that was spoken, but he could tell that the President was quoting scripture.

After a while the President started walking again and said he wanted the emblem preserved whatever it took. The Mayor then spoke up and said they would take care of it and President Bush turned to him and said "I was speaking to the President." I bet that the Mayor closed his mouth then!!! and then President Bush said "by the way where are my children"? The four students who were lagging behind came running up to him and walked the rest of the way over to the church with him.

The media were sent to a different area Barry said. When President Bush got inside the church to meet with the families of those that had been killed the secret serviceman turned to Barry and said this is as far as we go. This is his time with them. Barry then asked him if the President was protected and the secret servicemen said yes, he is protected, but not by us.

Barry could hardly contai himself as he was telling us this last night. He said he told the secret service man that he wished everyone could witness what he just did then they could see that the most powerful man in the United States was just another human being, a father, a comforter, a friend and had true compassion for these people.

However the media does not portrait that, big surprise! Of course I don't tell this story with the humility that Barry did because he was there, but I thought you might like to hear it. You might want to share it."

I do want to share it! I know that there are many in our nation who disapprove of President Bush -- thanks largely to the (worthless) liberal media. But I highly respect President Bush.

In fact, it is my belief that within fifty years (if the Lord wills that this earth continue that long) we will look back on George W. Bush as one of the greatest presidents in our country's history. He has made many difficult and unpopular decisions, and I believe that more often than not, they were the correct decisions. I believe that in the end people will realize that President Bush was right and he will one day be admired for his unwaivering determination in the face of such strong opposition.

Enough of my political views (for now, anyway). The fact is that President Bush showed tremendous genuine compassion upon the people of Enterprise, Alabama. For that he should be thanked.

Real life version of Jay-walking

2007-03-13T20:20:00.000-05:00

You are probably familiar with the segment that Jay Leno does occasionally on the Tonight Show called "Jay-walking". In these segments Jay walks around and finds these people -- supposedly average, "everyday" folk -- and he asks them questions that anyone should know the answers to. Of course, it's a comedy act, so the people who make it on the air are possibly the most ignorant souls on the planet!

Well, this weekend while visiting family, I saw this video that my cousin Bryan created while walking on Dauphin Street in Mobile. It's a real-life edition of Jay-walking, and this poor guy could not be more ignorant! I honestly feel bad for the guy, but this is hilarious!!!

Click here and then click the "D Street Idiots" video on the right side of the page.

"Congratulations, lady! You're a moron!"

2007-03-10T20:59:00.000-06:00

I read this one in an RSS feed tonight, and couldn't help but post it. (Here's the link if you want to read the story first-hand.)

It seems this 45-year-old lady in New Zealand called the police to report the fact that someone had stolen her marijuana plant. The lady told the officer, "I am a good person. I am sick of these low-lifes stealing my things." She added that this was the fourth time someone had stolen her plant. How frustrating! I feel sorry for her, don't you??? (NOT!) ;-)

Congratulations, lady! You just won the Moron-of-the-Day award!

Oh, THERE's my soapbox! Good... now, let's talk family

2007-03-10T20:36:00.000-06:00

Earlier this week I saw an article from MSNBC that was reporting some "new" statistics regarding marriage in the U.S. I've had my browser opened to that page all week and just now had a chance to read it. According to the article, the "traditional" family of a husband, wife and kids is becoming less and less common. (I know... you aren't surprised either.) Since Holly and I have had kids, the subject of family has become so much more meaningful and important to me. In fact, it's a soapbox issue now. Get ready, 'cause here goes...

It is no wonder why our country is in such dismal shape today! Look at the facts:

Our prisons are overcrowded
Our schools are a mess, with violence and disciplinary problems rampant
We have record numbers of children being cared for by the government

And people ask, "How could this be?" The answer is simple: the erosion of the family. The lack of a good home environment where children are raised with a loving mother and father breeds all of these problems. For at least two generations now the children have grown up but they are "unfinished" men and women -- refusing to become responsible and self-less. (Aside: I wonder if this is one of the most tragic effects of WWII.)

So how do we fix this problem? First, "if it is to be it's up to me": you and I have to make sure we do our part. This starts with fathers/husbands/men. As men, we were created to lead -- to lead our households. If we follow the Chief Shepherd we can shepherd our families and create morally responsible, productive citizens who once again know, love, and care for our neighbor.

Second, we've got to be vocal about the need for others to do the same. We've got to lead by example, and then we have to help others realize this same need -- the need to be what GOD would have them be in their families. Become passionate about improving the state of our country, one family situation at a time. We can make a difference together. Do what you can.

Bad Weather Today

2007-03-01T20:26:00.000-06:00

Today Alabama got blasted with severe weather for pretty-much the entire afternoon and evening. There was some serious damage in the Enterprise area where several people died at a school that was hit by a tornado. The following picture of that Enterprise tornado is from WSFA's Web site. Someone from Enterprise sent it in to the station.

Here is a link to an article regarding the damage in Enterprise, along with more pictures: http://www.wsfa.com/Global/story.asp?S=6163453.

Thank GOD that we didn't have any damage. This day will be remembered for quite some time in our area.

The mid-week mountain

2007-02-22T16:40:00.000-06:00

I woke up extremely tired this morning. I was thinking about how that feeling seems to be consistent from week to week. Mondays start off and I'm refreshed (usually). By Wednesday I'm getting kind of tired. By Thursday morning I'm exhausted; and by Friday you can forget about it...I'm coasting in to the weekend. ;-) I don't know why it is that I feel this way but I suppose there are several contributing factors:

My job tires me mentally. It isn't physically demanding, but being mentally tired can sometimes be just as difficult, if not more so. By Thursday my brain hurts.
Perhaps getting older has something to do with it. I'm still "young" but not as young as I used to be (duh...).
Could the children have anything to do with this??? Naaah...
I think a lack of "play time" has something to do with it. Work. Work. Work. I often say that the greatest trajedy of being an adult is that we never get to play. I mean, the only thing I miss about high school is have a predesignated time to play basketball every day.

Here's where I'm going with this: We all know the saying that refers to Wednesday as being "hump day" -- because once it's over everything is down hill. It just seems to me that in the past few years that "hump" is growing into a mountain. Sometimes it feels like I'm looking down on Mt. Everest by mid-week... I wonder if others relate or if this is just me. Hmmm..........

Life is so fragile

2007-02-19T20:12:00.000-06:00

Today I went by to visit a friend in the hospital who was involved in a recent accident and suffered substantial damage to his back among other injuries. It was really sad to see him in pain and unable to move as he'd like to. While I was there I was reminded of several things:

It is so easy to get absorbed with what is happening in our daily lives, but in just a blink of an eye life can be forever changed, or even taken from us.
This should motivate us to live our lives such that we are ready when the time comes for us to leave this life.
It is such a tremendous blessing to have friends, family, and most importantly brothers and sisters in Christ by our sides as we endure the difficult days in life. I feel that I've grown to appreciate my fellow Christians more in recent times.

I've had three friends or family members pass away since November, two older and one younger. I'm reminded of Solomon's admonition in Ecclesiastes 7:2-3:

"Better to go to the house of mourning
Than to go to the house of feasting,
For that is the end of all men;
And the living will take it to heart.
Sorrow is better than laughter,
For by a sad countenance the heart is made better."

I am convinced that the reasons it is better to go to the house of mourning are:

It reminds us of our own mortality -- that we too are staring death in the face.
It should focus our minds on our Creator and Judge, the One to whom we will give account.

Finally, in thinking about enduring the storms of life, I'm reminded of the lyrics to my favorite song from the group Casting Crowns (who are really awesome, by the way -- check 'em out), "Praise You in This Storm" (click here to listen to the song):

"I was sure by now
God You would have reached down
And wiped our tears away
And stepped in and saved the day
Once again, I say Amen, and it is still raining
As the thunder rolls
I barely hear you whisper through the rain
I'm with you
As your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away

I'll Praise you in this storm
And I will lift my hands
You are who you are
No matter where I am
And every tear I've cried
You hold in your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will Praise You in this storm"

Shall We Paint? (Not unless you have to...)

2007-02-17T11:15:00.000-06:00

One of the things I've noticed is that guys and girls think a little differently... (No... Really?!?)

So last night Holly and I had our Valentine's dinner with two couples from church who we are friends with. Holly thought it would fun if we all went to the place "Shall We Paint?" after dinner so she had made reservations.

(For kicks you should check out Holly's blog to see what she has to say about the experience -- which, by the way, she had done before with some of her girl friends. At the moment she has yet to post about it, but I'm sure she will. http://puddinandprincess.blogspot.com/)

Well we got started at about 7:30 last night -- after spending 15 minutes trying to figure out what we were going to paint. You're supposed to paint three coats over everything you paint on your pottery. Since I wanted to make this a memoral Valentine's Day painting (awwww....), I chose... none other than...

...
...
...
...a football helmet, of course!!! YES! They had only 1 left, and it was MINE!

So I start applying all the Auburn detail to this helmet (to the exact specifications, I might add), and I'm finished by, oh, about 9 o'clock -- with all three coats. So I'm sitting there waiting for an hour while the others finish up. Now I'm going to be honest -- I did very much enjoy the company. These two couples are good friends of ours and we really enjoy spending time together. And the painting itself wasn't bad; I kinda enjoyed it...until 9 o'clock when I was finished. Then I was about ready to do something else. You can understand, right? I mean it had been almost 2 hours since we started this deal. ;-)

So as a joke, one of the other guys, Curt, who was with us, painted a napkin with the words "SAVE ME" and tucked it inside his shirt collar. His back was to the door and I was sitting across from him looking out the glass storefront. It was hillarious watching people walk past the store. Some would stop and look and read the sign. Then their response varied greatly. Some laughed. Some looked at us like we were crazy. Others didn't even change their expression. But the funniest ones were the guys who turned to the women that were with them and said something to the effect of, "See, I told you so..."

My final assessment of the experience was: Guys, if you need an idea for something "romantic" to do with your wife, this might be a good idea. Don't start it after 5PM though because this thing takes a LONG time. Otherwise, only paint if you have to. And if you go with multiple people...don't be the only guy.

Wonderful Worship

2007-02-12T17:54:00.000-06:00

Truly every time we come together to worship GOD it is special, but yesterday's worship was wonderful! Jason's lesson was awesome! We're studying Jesus on Sunday mornings this year, and this week we looked at the fact that Jesus existed in eternity as "the Word", and that as Jesus He had a beginning. Check it:

5 Then he rebukes them in his anger
and terrifies them in his wrath, saying,
6 "I have installed my King
on Zion, my holy hill."
7 I will proclaim the decree of the LORD:
He said to me, "You are my Son ;
today I have become your Father.

(Psalm 2:5-7)

It's really awesome to think about Jesus having a beginning, because, as Jason pointed out, it means that GOD (the Word) submitted to GOD (the Father). We've known this truth, but when you stop and consider it in light of John 1 it really makes a profound point that "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us."

Praise GOD that He did! The GOD-Man! How awesome is Jesus?!?

At the Park

2007-02-10T17:06:00.000-06:00

Today I took Caleb and Ashlyn up to the park. We had a good time. It was quite chilly but the sun made it bearable. The kids had fun going down the slides and I was able to shoot ball for an hour.

2007 Auburn Recruiting Class

2007-02-09T19:50:00.000-06:00

Wedensday Auburn signed a whopping 30 recruits for the 2007 class. I'm really excited about this group of kids based on everything I've read. This year's class was ranked as the 6th and 7th best class nationally by Rivals.com and Scout.com. Coach Tuberville has brought stability to the recruiting process and from everything I can tell he runs a tight ship. Here are some links to more information about this year's signees.

http://auburn.rivals.com/commitlist.asp?school=7

http://auburntigers.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/020707aaa.html

Finally, A New Computer!!!

2007-02-09T19:38:00.000-06:00

This past week we ordered a new desktop from Dell. We've had our old Dell for 6 1/2 years and it is now officially a dinosaur. A lot has changed since we bought the old computer. I ordered the new machine last Friday...it was delivered this past Tuesday! I was so excited! I couldn't be happier with the new computer, and the process went so smoothly.

In case you're wondering, we bought a Dell Dimension E520. Here's a run-down of the specs:

Intel Core Duo 2 -- 2.13 Ghz
2GB DDR2 RAM
250GB hard drive

(Soap box issue here: I hate how they advertize it as 250GB when that really means 250,000,000,000 bytes!!! If I remember right, it's really something like 222GB, and as drive sizes continue to grow, that difference between advertized and actual size is also growing.)
256MB video card
20-inch widescreen monitor

Probably the coolest thing in all of this is that now -- finally -- we can play Age of Empires III, which I got for Christmas and have been dying to play since it came out in 2005. Well we played it for the first time tonight. It's cool, but I've got to play it more to determine exactly how I feel about it. I'll give a better review after a month or so of playing.

And let me also just say that I love Windows Vista so far. It is so much "prettier" than XP and I can't wait to learn more about the ins and outs of it.

Cranking This Back Up

2007-02-09T19:34:00.000-06:00

This past week Holly got me to set up a blog for her, so I did, and I decided to start updating mine again. Holly's blog link is http://puddinandprincess.blogspot.com. Hopefully I'll be more consistent posting this go-round.