Nothing quite like fishing...

     There is nothing quite like catching a fish.

     I’m not sure I’m a good enough writer to put down on paper what it feels like to catch a fish.  But I’d thought I’d try anyway.

     Some people only like to catch certain kinds of fish, I’ve never really been choosy myself. There are so many types of fish I can’t even list them all here. But here are some of the more popular freshwater fish people fish for, bass, crappie, catfish, bream, bluegill, shell-cracker, up north they like  walleye, pike, small mouth bass, musky, perch, sturgeon, salmon, trout the list truly could go on and on.

Then there is saltwater fishing where my knowledge is truly bare minimum. I know people trout fish, fish for redfish, snook, snapper, drum, whiting, and again the list goes on and on. In the deeper offshore fishing there is dolphin, bill fish, shark, barracuda, tuna and most likely one hundred more species to be caught.

     And I would enjoy catching any or all of them. I’m not sure what makes catching a fish so fun. I’m not sure if it is the mental part of trying to outwit the fish. Or if it is the actual physical part of fighting a fish and trying to land it, net it or get it in the boat.

     The mental part of fishing is often comical to me. I mean as silly as it sounds I think you actually have to think you are going to catch fish or you won’t catch fish. I don’t have any scientific data to back that up just 39 years of fishing experience.

     Other aspects of pertaining to the mental aspect of fishing is the ability to always be thinking positive thoughts and pushing yourself to stay focused on where fish might be, what they might be hungry for and what the weather and water conditions are for the day.

Some of the great fishermen of our day think about these things all day long every day. They also can catch fish at just about any time any day.

     But for me I like to keep it simple when fishing. I like to use basic equipment, a.k.a. cheap stuff. I like to fish for bass with plastic worms. I like fishing slow. I also really don’t care if I catch big fish or small fish, I just really like to catch fish. Whether they are the size of my pinky finger or the size of my leg I like catching fish.

     So after you have convinced the fish to bite whatever it is you are fishing with the party begins to get a little bit more interesting. Can you catch the fish? Sometimes all you have to do is lift the cane pole out of the water and “POOF” there’s your fish. Other times you fight the fish for a few seconds and you lose the fish or it breaks your line. Still yet there are times you fight and fight the fish for a long time maybe even hours and you outlast the fish and land it.

     Again I’m not picky about the fight in the fish, or the amount of time I have to fight the fish. For me whether it is a 3 second tussle or an all out war with a red fish that leaves my arms shaking I can’t help but enjoy both experiences.

     So what is it? Why is fishing so fun. Is it doing something different? Is it doing something outdoors? Is it doing something with friends? Is it the competition between me and nature, is it between me and another fisherman? I’m not sure?

     Maybe it is the quite tap, tap a bass makes when he first discovers your bait, maybe it is the zinging sound of line reeling off as a red fish seemingly runs out of sight, maybe it is the feeling of victory you feel setting the hook like your catching a shark on a 3 inch, bait stealing bream after several misses. 

It is a feeling of excitement yet nervousness mixed with expectation all at once.  That is what makes fishing fun, realizing the unknown, conquering the seemingly invisible, inhabitable deeps, these things make catching fish fun.

     Whether you are fishing the Peace River, a stocked pond, a little creek or maybe the flats off Bradenton Bay, miles off the east coast or Mosquito Lagoon may the fish you catch capture a place in your mind, a piece of your heart and a part of your stomach.

     There’s nothing quite like catching a fish.

39th EASTER

   As Easter Sunday quickly approaches it reminds me of all the Easter Sundays that have past.

It will be thirty-nine Easter Sundays for me including this Sunday. 

   I can remember as a child that Easter was all about the chocolate bunny, colored grass and the Easter basket. It was hiding eggs for my younger siblings and waiting for cousins, aunts and uncles to hide eggs for the older kids.

  Easter is always celebrated with great food. I can remember my mom’s hams and casseroles and homemade bread with a glass of sweet tea to wash it all down. Usually we had something amazing for dessert too, like key lime pie or something delicious.

   Now I’m the one, well my wife is the one buying Easter baskets and fixing delicious meals. And even now my children are almost too old for baskets and egg hunting.

  Easter really is a special Sunday. But not because of all our silly little American traditions and commercialism that we all seem to buy into these days.

   Easter isn’t special because we can all dress in Spring colors and look nice, or wear that special Easter bonnet that we will never be worn again. Easter isn’t special because everyone will be together as a family and maybe even go to church together. Easter isn’t special because of the Easter Bunny or because everybody gets a baby chicken or baby rabbit to raise. No, Easter isn’t special because of anything that you do at all.

   Easter is special because God loves us so much. God sent Jesus to be fully man and fully God. Jesus lived a perfect life, but was crucified to be our sacrifice, our propitiation for sin. We deserved death, so instead of us dying God sent Jesus to die in our place. Jesus didn’t just hang on a cross and die though, He did much more than that. He actually died and remained dead for three days. On the third day He rose from the dead, and forty days later He ascended into heaven to be our representative,  even more our intercessor.

   When Jesus ascended He promised us His Holy Spirit to be with us until He returned.

This is the Good News! This is the Gospel! This is what makes Easter a special Sunday. It is a Sunday to celebrate the fact we serve a risen King. Who is King above all Kings, whose name is Jesus, whose name is above all names. The Great I AM has loved the not so great “us’es” me and you.

I can’t remember which Easter I first understood this. But I know I must have heard it at least 14 or 15 Easter’s before I believed it. Since then Easter dress, food and time with family has paled in comparison to remembering, rejoicing and remaining in the LOVE my heavenly Father has for me.

The even better news is you don’t have to wait for Easter to celebrate this TRUTH. This is something you can rejoice about every minute of every day, no matter you circumstance your heart can truly rejoice in this truth.

   So in a couple of weeks when you find that last Easter egg, or finish off that chocolate bunny or throw away the last carton of pink peeps, remember what really makes Easter special, it’s not the purple grass in the basket that counts, not the time with family over fabulous food, or even going to church, but it is remembering what God has done for you and for me, He has loved us.

What are you LOOKING AT?

Driving with me could be an adventure.

If you have ever read this column before you already know that.

So what’s new? Well one thing I may have never divulged publicly is that I spend way more time looking in the air, fields and surrounding landscape when I’m driving than I do looking at the road.

My nine-year old daughter graciously pointed that out to me the other day saying, “Dad aren’t you supposed to look at the road when you drive?”

I told her, “I know where the road is, it isn’t going anywhere!”

So you might be wondering what in the world am I looking for while I’m driving?

Pretty much anything that most people pass by everyday, you know, cool things that unless you are looking for them you will surely miss.

For example one might see a flock of turkeys walking through a field, an alligator sunning on the side of the road, a 4 pt. buck hiding behind an oak tree, an eagle carrying dinner back home, a hawk being harassed by a mocking bird or various other sights.

Now don’t just think that this only applies to driving a car or truck.

Actually I’m just as distracted, focused as a boat driver.

Last month we celebrated Spring Break over at Lake June in Winter in Lake Placid. For most of us Floridians it was too cold to swim or tube but not for my two. They could not get enough tubing in during the week.

I’ve learned through many years of boat driving that there is quite the show you can watch while carrying on conversations and pulling people on the tube. My ability to spot birds, fish or other animals at great distances is a skill I take great pride in. I love being able to say, “Look at that…” before anyone else sees what I see.

My favorite activity this time of year through late July is to look for Largemouth Bass that have taken on a meal a bit big for their bite. At least 5 times that I have witness I’ve found a fresh floundering feeding fish that is nearly expired from attempting to eat a smaller fish. The smaller fish gets lodged in the mouth of the bigger fish and causes the mouth of the bigger fish to stay open and the larger fish is unable to go under the water. So in essence I’m a fish saver, except for the fact I usually keep them and eat them.

This March was no exception. I was tubing my kids when I spotted a large object up ahead. I slowed the boat much t0 the chagrin of my passengers. I’ve found trash, hats, and large fish. This day it was about a 7 pound bass trying to eat an 11 inch bluegill. I leaned over the side reached in the water and lifted in dinner, all to the cries of impatience, “Dad, not again! Do you always have to pick fish up out of the water?”

As we started to tube again off in the distance I pointed out to my wife, look! An Osprey had just swooped down, an grabbed a huge fish and was flying back to its nest with lunch, simultaneously across the lake I saw another Osprey make a u-turn and immediately follow the Osprey that had caught a fish back to the nest. I could almost hear the second Osprey say, “YES! She caught something, I don’t have to fly around anymore, I’m starving, way to go honey I’ll be right there!.”

These questions and lack of interest in my past time only make me all the more fervent. So the next time you see my truck slow down, or the boat I’m driving come to a stop in the middle of the lake don’t worry, I’m most likely just slowing down long enough to see something that you would have other wise passed right on by.

So next time your out for a drive whether by land or sea take a look around you’ll most likely see a show you’ve never seen .

Back to Blogging? Is this an APRIL the 1st joke?

No! I didn't really write all these posts in one day. These are from a column I write for my Dad's newspaper, The Herald Advocate, a weekly paper in Wauchula, Florida.
My column used to be called Look on the Bright Side, like the name of this blog, but a few years ago we changed it to From the Heart.

I hope you will enjoy reading some of the Blasts from the pasts, I will continue to add some as time permits. And I hope you look forward to reading the new ones too!

SERMON of old: HE IS...you are...

Part 1

I recently preached a sermon on Romans chapter 8 verses 12-17, the title of the Sermon was HE IS…you are. There were three main points…

1) You don’t have to..                                                                                                                                    2) If you are led by the Spirit of God, you are sons of God..                                                                   3)You’ve been more than adopted as sons, you are heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ

 Romans chapter 8:12-17 says, “12So then, brothers,we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry,"Abba! Father!" 16The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ,provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.”

You don’t have to... live according to the flesh anymore, if you are a new creation in Christ we are not debtors to the flesh, but you do have to walk by the Spirit, in doing so you will put to death the deed of the body and you will live. HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN? Let’s look at Romans 8:1-2,

What does verse two say, For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free, in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death? What in the world does that mean, any youth here?

Acts chapter two talks about the coming of the Holy Spirit, but we also see in Genesis 1 v2 that even while the earth was void and darkness was over the face of the deep the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And in v. 26 that God said let us, note the plural, make man in our, note the plural, image, after our,,note the plural, own likeness.

Now there are two terms flesh and Spirit.The Greek words sarx and pneuma are central to Paul’s teaching in Romans, but they are not easy to understand.

Scholars debate what Paul means by sarx in particular passages, but all agree that he does not think of it as the pagan Greeks did. Since Greek phiosophy focused on man, the Greeks thought of “flesh” versus “soul” as distinct parts of a man. The flesh was considered the corrupt, mortal prison of the pure, immortal soul. the soul was good, the body evil.

BY CONTRAST Paul adopts the OT idea of flesh. The OT focuses on God, so it contrasts “flesh” and “spirit” (Isaiah 31:3). “Flesh” is the substance of human and animal life; hence, it is mortal, transient and weak compared to “spirit”, which is the power and vitality of God. This is the contrast we see in Paul’s writings: (human) flesh versus (divine)Spirit or (God-centered human) spirit,  NOT (human)flesh versus (human) soul

In Romans 8:4-7 and 12-14 Paul is using sarx as (the old nature that persists in the believer. Although the believer’s flesh has been crucified, it continues to have a sinful influence 7:18, Therefore, the believer must strive “by the Spirit” not to live according to the habits and outlook of unregenerate human nature (In Romans 8:4-7 and 12-14) The Christian has the Spirit’s power to choose not to act according to the flesh, but rather to act in accord with God’s aims.

The greek words for spirit is pneuma, the difficulty is that pneuma is never capitalized so we must rely on context and grammar to tell us when to translate it SPIRIT or spirit, Normally pneuma in Romans means one of two things 1) The Holy Spirit of God, the third person of the trinity (used this way in Romans 5:5, Romans 8:1-27, Romans 9:1, 15:19.

The spiritual part of man, the part that enables him to relate to God who is Spirit like in Romans 1:9, 8:16, 12:11)  Man’s spirit is dead or asleep until it is enlivened by the Holy Spirit also 1 Corinthians 2:14-3:1  and15:44-46   NAVPRESS commentary/bible study on Romans p120-22.

However, We should not just live by the SPIRIT so that we will not die,   

 but we should live by the SPIRIT so that we are able to-ENJOY LIFE in the SPIRIT.  (How do you do that?)

Realize the Spirit dwells in you! The Spirit dwells in you, DO YOU BELIEVE THAT! Really, daily, moment by moment does that thought, belief, resonate throughout your being! IT SHOULD!

 If the Holy Spirit isn’t dwelling in you, you might think I’m crazy, in fact, you’d be crazy not to think that I was crazy. Isn’t it hard to believe, I mean if you don’t know Jesus and someone is talking about having a Spirit lead them and guide them, WHAT? Is this guy serious? Is this right? I thought I just had to believe in Jesus, Well that’s right, but believe today isn’t just believe with your head knowledge, believe isn’t just I understand a God exists, or even the God exists. It is having a personal relationship with God, by His Grace and by faith living out the Gospel of Jesus Christ with help, with the power of the Holy Spirit.

REALIZE the SPIRIT dwells in YOU(is that it really, is it that easy?)

Furthermore the SPIRIT isn’t just dwelling but is RELATING with you.

YOU ARE SONS of GOD, and not just sons of God Co HEIRS with CHRIST, brothers with Christ, brothers with God. Is the Spirit of God leading you? If He is, you are sons of God. So how do you know if you are being led by the Spirit of God? I think God will change your heart and you will know He is there, you will He is and you are, and others will know too.

Have you thought about your life lately? Have you thought about it in context of this statement, If you are led by the Spirit of God then you are sons of God?

How is your life? Have you taken inventory recently? How about today? This is Thanksgiving week. What is your mind set on?

How about as a church? Get your list out. Everybody’s got one, even me. How are we doing? Before you answer remember we are all in this together. Remember who the church is? The church is us, not me, not Richard, not the elders, not the deacons, the church has one foundation, Jesus Christ, He is the Cornerstone, He is the builder, He puts together the congregation, the leaders, the staff, Jesus is head of the church. The church are those that believe in Jesus. Those who confess Christ as Lord and Savior, those whom the Spirit indwells within, We are all working together, or are we? Where are our minds set? Are our minds set on, things of the flesh? Or are our minds set on the Spirit and life and peace? Now ask all those questions knowing that the Spirit of God is leading you and that you are sons of God and that God is and you are... How much more enjoyable is it knowing that!!!!!! PRAISE THE LORD.

“This leading of the Holy Spirit is active, it is what we call sanctification, it is constant effective and is a beneficial influence that is worked out in the hearts and lives of God’s children, enabling them more and more to crush the power of indwelling sin and to walk in the way of God’s commandments freely and cheerfully.” p 257 William Hendricksen Romans NT commentary.

Being led by the Holy Spirit means we are sons of God, There are definite benefits and blessings from this that I think we often forget about.

Jesus says in John 14, I am the way, the truth and the life. If our minds are set on the Spirit, the Spirit  will show us Jesus, Jesus will give us life and peace. We all know the song count your blessings count them one by one,

 When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath doneSo, amid the conflict whether great or small,
Do not be disheartened, God is over all;
Count your many blessings, angels will attend,
Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.    GOD WHO IS OVER ALL HAS GIVEN US HIMSELF! THE NUMBER ONE BLESSING OF ALL!!!

Jesus has given us the way, the truth and life with him everlasting! Do you believe in Jesus? Do you submit and surrender everything you are and everything you have in loving Jesus? really everything?

Tune in next week for pt 2

Pt. 2

Isn’t that the example Jesus showed us? He gave everything, all the time, still is, always   will. His grace is sufficient, for us, His love compels us to respond by loving him, by loving life, by reveling in the blessings he provides, like peace, like the fruits that we produce,  gentleness, kindness, love, peace, joy and goodness, self control and patience and faithfulness.

  If we are sons of God that means we are a family. that means despite OUR feelings for one another we still must learn to walk by the Spirit.

When we walk by the Spirit we don’t envy one another, we don’t live by the flesh we don’t have to provoke one another, envy one another or lust after one another.

OUCH! How many of us envy one another here? Let’s be honest. Oh if I just had there income, or if I had there job, or there family, or there spouse, if only my car, my clothes, my figure, my life....OUCH! How about provoking. If only you helped out here, or if I could just get someone to volunteer there, or how come they make all the decisions, or why doesn’t my opinion count, TRIPLE OUCH!

Is this walking by the Spirit, nope! Am I guilty YEP! Are you guilty YEP! are we all guilty, YEP! But remember who you are, you don’t have to live by the flesh, you can live by the Spirit and put to death the deeds of the body, YOU WILL LIVE, not only will you live but you will live while being led by the Spirit of God, who adopts us as sons, but it doesn’t just stop there he also makes us co-heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.  What’s the difference, we need to truly be repentant. Being repentant means hating our sin, being grieved over our flesh, yet realizing the CHRIST IS LORD, we have to be repentant like Peter.

STORY OF PETER!! this is PETER’s CHURCH, Do you remember this story, from Matthew 16:13-18, “Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ

 13⁽A⁾ Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" 14And they said, "Some say^(B) John the Baptist, others say⁽C⁾ Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." 15He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" 16Simon Peter replied,^(D) "You are⁽E⁾ the Christ,⁽F⁾ the Son of⁽G⁾ the living God." 17And Jesus answered him, ⁽H⁾ "Blessed are you,^(I) Simon Bar-Jonah! For^(J) flesh and blood has not revealed this to you,⁽K⁾ but my Father who is in heaven. 18And I tell you,^(L) you are Peter, and⁽M⁾ on this rock^[a^] I will build my church, and⁽N⁾ the gates of⁽O⁾ hell^[b^] shall not prevail against it.

Diedrich Bonhoffer preached his last sermon in Berlin just before Hitler took over on this text. , The search for the church of Peter,

Jesus went out to the desert with his disciples to announce the start of his eternal church, not among the Pharisees, not among great multitudes which he could have done, but secluded with a few. Jesus poses the question to them, and to us, Who do the people say that the Son of Man is? As they said then, we could say now, one of the prophets, a good person, a great teacher etc. Yet Peter said You are the CHRIST, the Son of the living God, Jesus said Peter had received that from his Father in heaven and that Jesus was going to build his church on this rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it! Who is this Peter that Christ would build his church on him? Bonhoeffer says Peter is nothing, absolutely nothing more than a man who believes; a man whom Christ has met on the way and recognized, and who now confesses his faith, and Christ calls this confessing Peter the rock on which he will build his church.

Peter’s church is the church of those confessing Christ not the church which becomes what one says or what the people say, it is concerned with singing, praying, preaching, doing and reaching out with the confession always and only, 

But this church was also the one who said he never knew Christ, said he was ashamed of Christ as he stood before the High Priest, He is the follower of little faith that sank in the water on the lake, Jesus said to him “Out of my sight Satan!”

Peter was weak, denying, failing, a weakling of little courage easily swayed by those he was with. that is Peter’s church the one that betrays, fails unfaithful the one that is ashamed of its Lord but should be standing up for him,

BUT Peter’s church is now also that of who it is said, “He went out and wept bitterly.”

Judas who also betrayed the Lord, went out and hanged himself.

That is the difference. Peter went out a wept bitterly, Peter’s church had divine sadness which leads to rejoicing,

For this Peter, this broken reed, is called by God, imprisoned by God, formed by God

YOU ARE PETER WE ARE ALL PETER, not this person or that person but all of us, we who live simply confessing Christ we who are fearful, faithless, and yet formed by God

We shall confess and He shall build, We shall preach he shall build. We shall pray to him he shall build We do not know his plan. We do not see whether he builds or tears down. It may be that the times, which by human standards are times of collapse, are for him the times of great building. It may be that the times, which by human standards are times of great success, are for him times to tear down. It is a great comfort that Christ gives to his church: confess, preach, and bear witness to me. I alone will build as it pleases me. Don’t give me orders. Do your job- then you have done enough. You are all right. Don’t seek out reasons and opinions. Don’t keep judging Don’t keep checking again and again to see if you are secure. Church, remain a Church!, But you church, confess, confess, confess! You have only one Lord--CHRIST ALONE. By his grace alone you live. Christ builds.

Christ has built it, The victory lies with the church, because Christ the Lord is with it and has conquered death, Do not ask if the victory is yours, but believe in the victory and it is already yours.   THE victory is yours because you aren’t a debtor to the flesh, you are led by the spirit and you are adopted into God’s family as sons,no more than sons as heirs to HIS KINGDOM. REJOICE CHRISTIANS!

How can we enjoy life in the Spirit?Lord Help me, to walk with you, but not just walk help me to live by the Spirit. Take control and produce in me a heart that is loving, that is gentle and kind and one that loves peace and experiences joy, a heart that understands your goodness and is self controlled not envious and provoking, but patient and faithful.

Living by the Spirit, )PAUSE(      

Sounds hard, sounds impossible, sounds depressing, defeating BUT ITS NOT! IT IS POSSIBLE, IT IS Glorious

THE SPIRIT OF HIM WHO RAISED CHRIST JESUS from the dead dwells in YOU!

THE SPIRIT IS POWERFUL, don’t doubt that, don’t forget that, don’t rely on anything but that.

Dreaming of Turkeys for Christmas or anytime really.

Many of you, who read my columns, should know that I often write about hunting, more specifically, turkey hunting. Well as March 21^st may seem just around the corner to most of you, for me it is like a kid waiting for Christmas and it isn’t even Thanksgiving yet.

I didn’t write that much about hunting last year because there wasn’t a lot of success in the killing area. No deer and only a couple of does by friends in archery season. As for Spring Turkey season last year I was able to call in two birds for two different friends. But this fall was more about sitting and learning.

I’m relatively new to deer hunting, even though I’ve been doing it for 20 years or so. So, I’m still learning each time I go out. I guess that’s why I love hunting so much is there is plenty to learn about it.

This year I learned that sitting in the rain could be profitable. During archery season I hunted three or four times in the driving rain. However I also learned that shooting in the rain is a little different than practicing shooting at the back of the church in the shade with no wind or any other distractions.

Then of course I planned something for each of the 5 days of muzzleloader, the best time to hunt as far as I’m concerned. So at least this year I didn’t scare any deer off with a huge cloud of smoke emerging from the palmetto bush.

And for some reason every day I went out during general gun it was cold, or very windy. And every time I took my family to go squirrel hunting all the squirrels were not out.

Then came the news of two big deer that were killed by our neighbors, which I must admit made me wince and say half-heartedly, “Well, good for them.” So with the wind out of my sails I kept hunting and praying that another big deer might emerge.

So know I’m stuck filling the freezer from the store, which I hate and really wishing I would have shot more hogs. But if there is one good thing about hunting is that you can always talk about it, or think about it, or dream about it, even when you can’t go. You can tell stories about the days of old, when you did see or kill that big one. Or you can make up stories about how you are going to get a big one next year and you know right where to go.

Well, it won’t be long and I’ll be back in the woods, chasing long beards. If the good Lord allows me, and if I don’t drive every one around me crazy talking about how there is only 6 weeks left till, “YOU KNOW WHAT!” I guess until then I’ll just have to read my magazine on Turkey hunting and watch a few television shows to keep me from missing it too bad.

I wonder who the Santa Claus for turkey hunters would be? Yeah I better go sit on my wife’s lap and tell her what I want for Christmas, “Santa, I want a nice long weekend in the woods, calling up big turkeys.”

I hope you have something that you love to do, and take time to do it, and if you can teach it to someone else.

Is Jesus really your everything?

Here is my New Year’s resolution for 2008. To do everything Christ wants me to do and when I fail to do so to get up and keep walking toward where He has called me.

            So many times God just wants us to trust that Jesus is enough for all of our problems. So many times we try to rationalize (that’s hilarious in and of itself) that we know in our own certainly unique situation that no person has ever been through before that Jesus although there to comfort and aid us can’t possibly be the answer in and of himself.

            Well, I’d surmise that you and I when we think that way are, quite frankly DEAD WRONG!

            Jesus is enough.

            I recently read a book by Anne Graham Lotz, “Jesus is my…Everything.”

            How different the world could be if we would just live that way. In most places throughout the United States and I’d venture to say the world we put everything else in front of Jesus.

            Friday night football is my…everything. The “cool pasture party” this weekend is my…everything. The next big concert is my…everything. The next paycheck is my…everything. My kids are my…everything. My family is my…everything. That next step up the ladder at work is my…everything. My church is my…everything. That preacher is my…everything. My friends are my…everything. My blackberry is my…everything. My land is my …everything. My house is my…everything. We could go on and on with just about any hobby, obsession, activity, or even thoughts that you want to put in front of Jesus.

            Is Jesus your…everything?

            I hope and pray He is your all in all.

            Most people think being good will get them into Heaven, I believe the Scriptures say different, I believe all they need is Jesus.

            Most people think their way of believing, their denomination is the best, and their ideas are superior to their peers, I believe Jesus says it’s not about what you believe it’s about who I am.

            In the Bible, Jesus says in the book of Matthew 11:28-30 (English Standard Version), “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest in your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

            God’s desire is to love you and for you to love Him. If your soul is heavy and you are growing tired and weary of this life, there is more. You can live forever when you accept Jesus work on the cross as payment for your sins. Ephesians 2:8 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not of your own doing; it is the gift of God,”

            Page32 of the book says, “God’s appeal to come is striking in it’s simplicity, stunning in its clarity, supreme in its authority, solemn in its inescapability, strong in its necessity, satisfying in its complexity, sufficient in its centrality, successful in its sufficiency.”

            One quote that has stuck with me from the book is this, “If all you attempt is that which you know you can do, or have the resources for, how will you ever discover what God can do?” (p57)

            Do we really trust Jesus with everything? Our checkbook, our savings, our decisions, our thoughts, our… everything, do we really trust Him?

            Who is your Jesus? You see in today’s world we love to marginalize truth and separate fact from fiction, we love to live in the grey area so that we aren’t really wrong but we aren’t really right either. We don’t want to suffer, because that might actually hurt us. We don’t want to fail because we might look stupid or inferior or feel embarrassed.

So what do we do, we make Jesus our Mr. fix it, we try to mold Him to be who we want Him to be, but only when we need Him. Friends I’m sorry to say, there is only one Jesus.

            The Mormons will try to tell you different, the talk shows will try to convince you other wise but I will stand on the promises of God that Jesus is, who God says He is and He did and is doing what God said He would do and is doing and will do.

            Page 74-75 I believe quotes and old sermon I once heard by an African American Pastor S M Lockridge. You can go to YouTube and watch the video “That’s My King!” on the web at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LT7mQda14s

 “My Jesus…his office is manifold, and His promise is sure. His life is matchless, and His goodness is limitless. His mercy is enough, and His grace is sufficient. His reign is righteous, His yoke is easy and His burden is light. He is indestructible. He is indescribable. He is incomprehensible. He is inescapable. He is invincible. He is irresistible. He is irrefutable. I can’t get Him out of my mind…And I can’t get Him out of my heart. I can’t outlive Him…And I can’t live without Him. The Pharisees couldn’t stand Him, but found they couldn’t stop Him. Satan tried to tempt Him but found he couldn’t trip Him. Pilot examined Him on trial but found he couldn’t fault Him. The Romans crucified Him but found that couldn’t take His life. Death couldn’t handle Him, and the grave couldn’t hold Him.  My Jesus is ….Everything!”

Take time today to love Jesus. Because if you think about it, He is either your…everything, or He is your…

Consistently Inconsistent!

Wow, I must be the most inconsistent, consistent writer this paper has ever had.            I’ve been writing this column (formerly known as Look On the Bright Side, but recently column sizes changed and they had to change the name of my column which I still don’t understand why they couldn’t just make Look On the Bright Side three lines long, I mean, for crying out loud my Dad does own the stinking paper,) anyway, as I was completing this run on sentence, I have been writing this column now for over 20 years. Sometimes I have good years, and sometimes I have nearly non-existent years and everywhere in between.

I’ve tried to force myself to write 52 columns before but it just never seems to work out.

For whatever reason, I just find myself involved in too much other stuff to write.

At first it was sports in high school and hunting and fishing. Then as I went to college it was more sports and distance, but then came the days of everyone has internet and email, (yes even The Herald Advocate has email.) and that made it a little easier to send in articles for a while.

Then I met the best, most wonderful, lovely, person I’ve ever or will ever meet, my wife. To steal a line from Joe Biden, the Democratic nominee for Vice President, she is the only person who takes my breath away and leaves me speechless. So many missed columns are her fault, because she is so beautiful and smart I just love to sit and listen to her all day.

After 5 years of marriage we had our first child Katherine and 11 months later our second J.T. The last 6 or 7 years of inconsistency can land on their little shoulders. I love these two people more than they will ever know. And so whenever I get a call that Daddy is needed here or there or could Daddy do this or that, writing this article gets the backseat pass pretty fast.

So now we are at a new stage in our lives. My little boy is in Kindergarten. It took all my strength not to just cry all over my keyboard. And my little princess is in 1^st grade going into college, majoring in animal husbandry, and ready to open here veterinarian office, large animal of course, with horses and cows.

That means no going home for lunch and seeing my babies. Of course I can go eat lunch with them at school everyday if I want. If I want to face the eye roll and the deep sigh of DAD! Just like I got on the first day of school when Katherine said, “Dad isn’t that enough pictures, ughhhh?!”  And when J.T. without even looking up from playing at one of his stations announced to the whole room, “Okay Dad, see ya later!”

And the kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Richards, (she was Katherine’s teacher last year) said, “Well, Dad, guess you got asked to leave.”

I forgot to mention that my wife is happily back to what she calls her second job, teaching Math at one of the area high schools. So Daddy is left to go to work and wonder how is everyone going to make it through the day without me.

This is truly a different phase of life. Everyone talks about being empty nesters and how different that feels, something my Pastor is experiencing with his youngest daughter already off to Covenant College.

I see the definite need for more communication, because there is less time to do it. More encouragement because everyone is working hard at school all day. 

So does that mean I’ll have more time to write? I doubt it. If history is any indication of the future, I seriously doubt it. I’d love to say I’ll try or whatever but I’m really don’t like liars.

So for all those faithful readers my Dad tells me I have, thanks. Thanks, for always reading even if it is months in between columns, thanks for helping me remain consistent, even when I’m really inconsistent. Here is to another 20 years, maybe by then I can come up with a new column name, because this one will be too small, because the paper will have changed back to wider columns again.

Till then, David

Book idea from 1st Driving lesson

So I came up with this brilliant idea to write a book.

Maybe you’ve read about it? But here’s the big catch, I need your help.

Here is my plan. I’d love to incorporate stories from all over Hardee County ranging from the beginning of Hardee County until now.

I’d like to organize these stories and use the most interesting ones to publish in my book.

January would be chapter one. Chapter twelve would be December and the last page of the book would be New Year’s Eve.

I know a lot of people in Hardee County. But there are a lot of Hardee County people I’ve never met and I’m sure they have great stories too. This is where I need your help.

If you have a great story or know someone who does, try and condense it to a few short paragraphs but make it as interesting and worthwhile as it needs to be to make the story “great.” If you have a date range of when the story took place that would help, if not we will make an appendix and call a chapter “Not sure when or where?”

All you have to do is email me at kdkelly32@embarqmail.com, or send your letter to care of David Kelly, The Herald Advocate, P.O. Box 338, Wauchula, Fl. 33873.

I’ve had conversations with several of you who thought this would be a great idea. I’m going to run the “great stories” I get in the paper starting 9-2-10, if you send them in. If you don’t send any stories I guess I’ll just have to give a limited history of Hardee County from my perspective and not make the New York Times best seller list.

I’ll also need months of counseling to recover from my failed dream of becoming rich and famous as a world-wide celebrity that wrote a fascinating book about one of the greatest counties in Florida.

So don’t delay, interview that favorite aunt, uncle, grandmother, grandpa or crazy cousin or friend or brother or sister that tells that story that everyone laughs at every holiday and type it up and send it in to me.

Here’s a sample of what I’m talking about.

One of the great stories I remember falls in the category of I’m not sure when or where. Even though I’m kinda sure about where this event took place I could not put a time frame on when it took place only that it was when I was around 8 years old and must have been sometime in 1979. My first driving lesson with Mr. Eddie.

My best friend’s dad Eddie was teaching letting his oldest son Mark drive. Mark was doing a great job driving the old jeep around in a fairly open pasture with me and my sister in the back, his sister Nicole and his two brothers Matt and Willie in the back with us bouncing around all over the place.

Eddie decided Mark had the driving thing under control and I guess wanted us younger kids to take a shot. Nicole first drove the jeep nice and slow and kept it somewhat on the path. Next was Matt and he did pretty good despite not being able to see very good he just kinda drove without looking. Then came my turn to drive.

I was petrified, really, really nervous. I was only 8. This was back in the day when they didn’t have the little learn to drive electric vehicles that our kids have. I had ZERO driving experience unless you count a bike which I had only been doing for a few years. The thought of driving Mr. Eddie’s jeep had me scared to death. But he was persistent and Nicole had already done it so I couldn’t chicken out.

There I was driving at 8, all of sudden I noticed there were a lot more pine trees than when everyone else was driving. We were no longer in a open pasture, we were now in some woods. My fear level jumped to 10 and I began to panic. Eddie and Mark began to panic too. They started yelling at me, “hit the brakes, hit the brakes.” I yelled  back, “I am! My foot is all the way down on the brakes.”

Someone hollered out, “ He’s going 50 mph!”  Then Eddie screamed at me, “Step on the other brake with both feet!” It was then in my young driving career of 3 minutes that I learned the brake from the gas, I took my foot of the gas and slammed my feet down on the brakes slowing the car to 10 mph before I veered into a pine tree which assisted me in coming to a complete stop. Only the headlights and fender were hurt in the incident. I’ll never forget my first driving lesson.

W.I.N. "What's Important NOW!?"

Many of you know that I am a Youth Director at my church. That is my full time job, as well as being a Dad and Husband to my children and wife.

            Some of you may be saying, “You get paid for doing that?” YEP!

            I love my job. I get to tell people about my best friend, while doing a lot of things they and I love to do. I often get to travel. I get to meet lots of people from all over and learn about how they live.

            But one of the toughest aspects of my “job”, is I also get to see a lot of people that are hurting, or a lot of people that because they are hurting want to or are actually hurting others.

            You hear people on the news or in all kinds of social settings say, “This generation has lost all touch with reality, morality and responsibility.” We often talk down about the youth in our country. As one of my parents said it is easier to complain about things, than it is to listen to the problem and try to correct it.

            So whose fault is it that the youth of America has gone so astray? The parents, the youth, the teachers, the preachers, who do you want to blame? The fact is nobody wants to be responsible for that big of a problem. But the other fact is very few people want to take time to be part of that solution either.

            As a Christian American man, I’m against teaching only evolution in our schools. I’m against not allowing people to pray before football games or class. I’m against $4 gasoline too. But have I done anything at all to correct any of those problems? Nope!

            America has moved beyond the Nation of democracy, to beyond the nation of special interests group, to a nation that lets the squeakiest wheel get the oil. We don’t seem to govern by common sense or by any standard other than have we appeased the afflicted. Whatever happen to reconciliation? When I was growing up I was always taught to make things right, to say I’m sorry if I had done wrong, or to go to someone directly if I had been offended and gently seek reconciliation. Now don’t think I always did as I was told but at least I knew that was what was expected. I knew there was a right and a wrong. And I knew at some point I’d be accountable, to my parents or to God.

            What is important now? Lou Holtz,  former Notre Dame and University of South Carolina football coach and now ESPN analyst, used that question often in coaching his teams, and speaking to other teams and organizations around the country. What is important now? I guess that depends on who you are?

            For me there really are only two view points to look at this question from? I know that from the world’s point of view that is very elitist, arrogant, narrow minded, small town of me, however that is how I see it. Those two view points are, a Christian world and life view, and a non-Christian world and life view.

            Ultimately, if you are a Christian the things that are important to you should be the same things that are important to all Christians. For everyone that is not a Christian, there should be a vast array of things that are important. But did you notice the word should in those last two sentences? For some reason Christians have a hard time coming together and agreeing on the truths of the Bible.  And for some reason non-Christians are able to unite almost over night on issues that supposedly quiet the use of the name Jesus in this world.

            What is important now?  Don’t get me wrong there are many Christians who are following Joshua 1:8, “Do not let this Book of Law depart from your mouth meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” There are many Christians standing up for the, “Truth”, Jesus Christ. There are many people who are loving God with all there heart and all their mind and all their soul, and loving their neighbor like themselves, there are many sinners that are able to do this because they realize that they are saved by grace. They realize that what is important now is to see if they can live by faith, hope and love. Faith in Jesus to be our Savior and Lord, hope that Jesus is the only hope we have of entering Heaven and being saved from our sins, and living in this fallen world, and love that our response for the later two would be one of love for God and fellow man. 1^st Corinthians 10:31, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

            What’s important now? Is the war in Iraq? Taxes? Education? Gas prices? Social Security? Abortion? Horse riding lessons? Golf? TV? Computer chat room?  I think God has gifted us all to specifically impact our families, our friends, our communities, our world by giving Him the glory in everything he has gifted us to do.

            Whatever God has gifted you with, whatever God has laid on your heart, whatever God has given you a passion for, “DO IT!” for His glory. Then others who don’t know Him will see Him through your faith, your hope and your love.

            Live for Christ! That is what is important NOW!

Sharing and Serving--SAME THING?

Learning to love something you hate isn’t always fun.

                        I’m having a harder time remembering but I’ve been told when I was two sharing wasn’t something easy for me. In my line of work I see that this is true for just about every two year old. Saying, “MINE!”, is a lot more fun than, “SURE I’ll share! Here is my most favorite toy you can play with it, break it and drool all over it then just bring it back whenever you want to and I’ll be glad to play with it at that time.”

                        I think if we are all honest even at whatever age we are sharing is something that at first we hate. We have to learn to love sharing. And true sharing comes from learning how to love. So sharing something with someone you hate is doubly hard.

                        I think serving kinda falls under sharing. To serve someone else you have to be willing to share all of yourself with that person. You have to be vulnerable enough to give of yourself. You have to be selfless. Selfishness is what I do best. I like things done my way, don’t you?

                        I think serving and sharing are things I’ve learned to love though.

                        For all those who pay attention to paragraph introductions I’m done thinking, just thought I’d share that with you. Back to my first thoughts, “How have I learned to love the very things I used to honestly hate?”

                        How have I learned to share with others? How have I learned to serve others? Think about Romans 8:5-6, “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.”

                        Now I hate taking just a couple verses so go on and read all of Romans Chapter 8. This is an amazing chapter in the Bible. I think it illustrates how God changes us by His Word. How Jesus gives us life in the Spirit. How we are one with Christ. It illustrates how we are loved by God.

                        The Spirit of God has enable me to share with others and to serve others. It hasn’t just enable me it has propelled me to do so. God’s love is so amazing that nothing can separate me from it. Not even selfishness.

                        God says that I am a co-heir with Christ. Can you even fathom that? I can’t even get my pea-sized brain around that fact. What riches, what wonders, what majesty, what amazing grace that God would share so much, that God would share everything, that God would show exactly what a servant leader looks like in Christ.

            This type of love lives inside of me. It can’t help but be infectious. As much as I try to I can’t help but share it. I can’t help but want to serve others. Amazing love how can it be, that thou my God would die for me?

            Take time to share your story with someone today. Then take time to serve someone. Find time to share and serve others today, you’ll be glad you did.