Inspirational
Love Ran Red Tour - Dothan, AL
Rend Collective, Tenth Avenue North and Chris Tomlin. It was a great night!!!
We went to the Civic Center about 2 hours before the show to get in line for the sold out show. Front row seats made it worth the wait for sure! It was an amazing show!!!
Jamboree Baseball
My Tucker is playing 1st base, at the jamboree yesterday. He also played 2nd base and center field. He would prefer center field over the other positions, but when the coach said, "Tucker you are on 1st"... he went there without hesitation. (His daddy is paying attention and learning too. Great attitude, Tucker)
Today Tucker also hit his very first Home Run!!! You get em, baller!!!
Makes 100% Perfect Sense
Russell Brand is about to say something about porn and 50 Shades that every Christian can totally agree with—and it’s kinda amazing. If you’re struggling with a porn addiction share it with a parent, mentor or youth leader–and get help today. Don’t be a slave to this deadly drug. Not only does pornography seriously mess with your brain, it can devastate those around you.
Mark 2:3-5
When you have a problems, are you surrounded by people that will take you to Jesus?
3 Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. 4 Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
Who Needs You
Life can be a little bipolar at times, so surround yourself with people that will be encouraging during the victories and the failures. However, don't forget that those people that aren't encouraging you; they just might be the ones that need yours the most.
Open Eyes
Balaam’s Donkey
21 Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey and went with the Moabite officials. 22 But God was very angry when he went, and the angel of the Lord stood in the road to oppose him. Balaam was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him. 23 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand, it turned off the road into a field. Balaam beat it to get it back on the road.
24 Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path through the vineyards, with walls on both sides. 25 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it pressed close to the wall, crushing Balaam’s foot against it. So he beat the donkey again.
26 Then the angel of the Lord moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn, either to the right or to the left. 27 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it lay down under Balaam, and he was angry and beat it with his staff. 28 Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth, and it said to Balaam, “What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?”
29 Balaam answered the donkey, “You have made a fool of me! If only I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now.”
30 The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?”
“No,” he said.
31 Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell facedown.
W3 2015
Middle and High Schoolers from Wiregrass Church gather together for Walking Wisely Weekend.
During this in-town retreat, students stay in local homes with their small groups, serve in the community, and also gather together on campus for two mind-blowing sessions!
This is some of the crew from Transit 6th!!!
Mirror, Mirror
How often do you see your reflection in a mirror? Some studies say that the average person looks in a mirror 8 to 10 times a day. Other surveys say it could be as many as 60 to 70 times a day, if glancing at our reflection in store windows and smart phone screens is included.
Why do we look so often? Most experts agree that it’s to check our appearance, especially before meetings or social gatherings. If something is amiss, we want to fix it. Why look if we don’t plan to change what’s wrong?
The apostle James said that reading or hearing God’s Word without acting on it is like looking in a mirror and forgetting what we’ve seen (1:22-24). But the better alternative is to look closely and act on what we see. James said, “He who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does” (v.25).
If we hear God’s Word without taking action, we fool only ourselves (v.22). But when we examine ourselves in light of God’s Word and obey His instructions, God liberates us from all that keeps us from looking more and more like Him each day.
Romans 11:33-12:2
Doxology
33 Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and[a] knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments,
and his paths beyond tracing out!
34 “Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?”[b]
35 “Who has ever given to God,
that God should repay them?”[c]
36 For from him and through him and for him are all things.
To him be the glory forever! Amen.
A Living Sacrifice
12 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Footnotes:
Romans 11:33 Or riches and the wisdom and the
Romans 11:34 Isaiah 40:13
Romans 11:35 Job 41:11
Great Formula
Information + (Consistent) Application = Transformation
Tonight we ended Perry Noble’s “Overwhelmed” series at Connections. It was a great night filled with encouragement.
1 Corinthians 13:4-11
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.
A Tree and Its Fruit
Luke 6:43-45
43 “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. 45 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.
A Day Filled With Love
Today was such an amazing day for me and my trio.
It started with an early cheer practice for Tobi, while Teagan and I had some breakfast with Momma & Daddy. Then we were headed out for the plains and a big day in Auburn.
We got to see Auburn vs Binghamton play baseball. It was a great experience although Auburn beat them on Friday, it wasn’t happening today. The final was like 11 to 5 them. Still great to watch and experience.
After the game we went to dinner and got to enjoy the New Auburn Oak Trees! I got a gift from a great friend, and the kiddos got to hang out with other kids for a bit. Overall the experience was really fun!
Finally, we got in a little family time before heading back home after a long day!
It was a great day, and everything worked out just as it should.
< Click to see most of the evidence >
A Great Night
Tobi ready for Valentine’s dance! Absolutely beautiful… and she had a blast!
A burrrrrrrrrr cold evening for Team Crowder to hit the practice field. Tucker was excited to set a new speed record for his team running the bases. Dixie Minor allows stealing bases this year… my boy might get the nod from his coaches if he keeps his blazing speed into the season.
Had some hang out time and special dinner with my Teagan-boom! She is so much fun!
A Psychiatrist’s Letter to Young People about Fifty Shades of Grey
fiftyshades Article taken from Miriam Grossman MD
February 11, 2015
There’s nothing gray about Fifty Shades of Grey. It’s all black.
Let me explain.
I help people who are broken inside. Unlike doctors who use x-rays or blood tests to determine why someone’s in pain, the wounds that interest me are hidden. I ask questions, and listen carefully to the answers. That’s how I discover why the person in front of me is “bleeding”.
Years of careful listening have taught me a lot. One thing I’ve learned is that young people are utterly confused about love – finding it and keeping it. They make poor choices, and end up in lots of pain.
I don’t want you to suffer like the people I see in my office, so I’m warning you about a new movie called Fifty Shades of Grey. Even if you don’t see the film, its toxic message is seeping into our culture, and could plant dangerous ideas in your head.
Fifty Shades of Grey is being released for Valentine’s Day, so you’ll think it’s a romance, but don’t fall for it. The movie is actually about a sick, dangerous relationship filled with physical and emotional abuse. It seems glamorous, because the actors are gorgeous, have expensive cars and planes, and Beyonce is singing. You might conclude that Christian and Ana are cool, and that their relationship is acceptable.
Don’t allow yourself to be manipulated! The people behind the movie just want your money; they have no concern whatsoever about you and your dreams.
Abuse is not glamorous or cool. It is never OK, under any circumstances.
This is what you need to know about Fifty Shades of Grey: as a child, Christian Grey was terribly neglected. He is confused about love because he never experienced the real thing. In his mind, love is tangled up with bad feelings like pain and embarrassment. Christian enjoys hurting women in bizarre ways. Anastasia is an immature girl who falls for Christian’s looks and wealth, and foolishly goes along with his desires.
In the real world, this story would end badly, with Christian in jail, and Ana in a shelter – or morgue. Or Christian would continue beating Ana, and she’d stay and suffer. Either way, their lives would most definitely not be a fairy tale. Trust me on this one.
As a doctor, I’m urging you: DON’T see Fifty Shades of Grey. Get informed, learn the facts, and explain to your friends why they shouldn’t see it either.
Here are a few of the dangerous ideas promoted by Fifty Shades of Grey:
1. Girls want guys like Christian who order them around and get rough.
No! A psychologically healthy woman avoids pain. She wants to feel safe, respected and cared for by a man she can trust. She dreams about wedding gowns, not handcuffs.
2. Guys want a girl like Anastasia who is meek and insecure.
Wrong. A psychologically healthy man wants a woman who can stand up for herself. If he is out of line, he wants her to set him straight.
3. Anastasia exercises free choice when she consents to being hurt, so no one can judge her decision.
Flawed logic. Sure, Anastasia had free choice – and she chose poorly. A self-destructive decision is a bad decision.
4. Anastasia makes choices about Christian in a thoughtful and detached manner.
Doubtful. Christian constantly supplies Anastasia with alcohol, impairing her judgment. Also, Anastasia becomes sexually active with Christian – her first experience ever – soon after meeting him. Neuroscience suggests their intimacy could jump start her feelings of attachment and trust, before she’s certain he deserved them. Sex is a powerful experience – particularly the first time.
Finally, Christian manipulates Anastasia into signing an agreement prohibiting her from telling anyone that he is a long time abuser.
Alcohol, sex, manipulation – hardly the ingredients of a thoughtful, detached decision.
5. Christian’s emotional problems are cured by Anastasia’s love.
Only in a movie. In the real world, Christian wouldn’t change to any significant degree. If Anastasia was fulfilled by helping emotionally disturbed people, she should have become a psychiatrist or social worker.
6. It’s good to experiment with sexuality.
Maybe for adults in a healthy, long term, committed, monogomous relationship, AKA “marriage”. Otherwise, you’re at high risk for STDs, pregnancy, and sexual assault. It’s wise to be very careful who you allow to get close to you, physically and emotionally, because just one encounter can throw you off track and change your life forever.
The bottom line: the ideas of Fifty Shades of Grey are dangerous, and can lead to confusion and poor decisions about love. There are vast differences between healthy and unhealthy relationships, but the movie blurs those differences, so you begin to wonder: what’s healthy in a relationship? What’s sick? There are so many shades of grey…I’m not sure.
Listen, it’s your safety and future we’re talking about here. There’s no room for doubt: an intimate relationship that includes violence, consensual or not, is completely unacceptable.
This is black and white. There are no shades of grey here. Not even one.
Miriam Grossman, MD is a medical doctor with training in pediatrics and in the specialty of child, adolescent, and adult psychiatry. She is also the author of Unprotected and You’re Teaching My Child WHAT?
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
Job 2:13
Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was. Job 2:13
Is a loved one walking through a difficult time? We try so hard to say the right thing to comfort. We desperately want to say words that will take all of the pain away. Sometimes, our words aren't enough and, perhaps, our words rub the wrong way. Mostly, the greatest comfort you can give is like that of Job's three friends. No one said a word but they sat with him. Is there a friend in your life who could use your presence today?
Parable of the Good Samaritan
Luke 10:30-37 (NLT)
30 Jesus replied with a story: “A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road.
31 “By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. 32 A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side.
33 “Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. 34 Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. 35 The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, ‘Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.’
36 “Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked.
37 The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.”
Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.”
2 Timothy 4:3-4
For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.
A Good Day
Started off with Dixie Minor Baseball tryouts for my Tucker! He will be playing for Crowder this year!!! Yay… so excited for him.
Then my sweet Tobi had some one on one cheer coaching. She did a great job. So proud of her.
Such a beautiful afternoon… so I raced to Florida for some fresh OJ and a few donations to Florida’s education fund! I was nice to ride my bike for a bit. I really need to do it more often.
Love, Hope And Purpose
He doesn't need you or me. We are dust that the Creator whipped into life. And yet for some amazing and crazy reason, He chooses us. He gives us love, hope and purpose; in hope that we will choose Him in return.
I know He is God and all powerful in every way. However, there is something in my heart that believes He has given us free will to make those choices about Him, and in those deciding moments when we choose Him or we choose us, I believe He waits with anticipation and surprise to truly see our hearts.
I pray that today we please God with our choices and what we do with them.
Romans 12:17-21
Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
How To Get Rid of Popping-Hip Syndrome
*Absolutely beautiful day! I am out for a snack and walk during my lunch. As I stroll along I am reminded of my age and lack of exercise by all of the popping and creaking of my body! Ugh... I am out of shape! Gotta make some changes starting now. This is what I Googled when I got back from my lunchtime walk in the park...
Strengthen your hip flexors to get rid of this noisy problem.
We always tell our clients to listen to what their bodies are saying. Sometimes, we mean that literally–as with the case of a popping hip. Runners may feel the sensation or hear the sound of snapping or clicking when their hip is flexed and extended. This occurs when a muscle or a tendon moves abnormally over a bone. In the hip, this can happen at the iliotibial band (outside of the hip) or the iliopsoas tendon (pelvic area). Runners should take it as a sign that their medial hip rotators (part of the hip-flexor group) are weak and inflexible. Strengthening them and increasing their range of motion will stop the pop and prevent hip bursitis (inflammation of the sacs that let muscles move smoothly over bone), a painful condition that can disrupt your running.
REHAB
Work on building range of motion and strength in your medial hip rotators. The "Get Flexible" exercise can be done before and after a run, as well as throughout the day. The "Get Strong" move should be done at least twice a week after you run. If the popping becomes more frequent and is increasingly uncomfortable, see a doctor. Torn cartilage in the hip joint may be responsible, which sometimes requires surgery.
Get Flexible
–Sit straight in a chair with both feet on the floor directly under your knees.
–Place your right foot on the thigh of your left leg, resting the ankle just behind the knee.
–Contract the muscles in the hip and outer thigh of the right leg as you gently lower the right knee toward the ground.
–Use your right hand to gently press the right knee down while stabilizing and holding the foot in place.
–Hold for a second or two, release, and repeat 10 times. Repeat with the other leg.
Get Strong
–Loop a stretching rope around the arch of your right foot, keeping the ends to the outside of your leg.
–Lift the rope up to remove any slack.
–Place your left hand on your right thigh to stabilize the leg and keep your upper leg from lifting.
–Rotate the lower part of your right leg away from the center of your body. Gently pull on the rope to extend the range of motion.
–Hold for a second or two, release, and repeat 10 times. Repeat with the other leg.
By
Jim and Phil Wharton
Published
March 7, 2008
Needs
And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. (NIV) ( Philippians 4:19 )
Do you look towards luck or superstition to have an impact on your circumstances? Don't you want more than a random chance of good fortune? God has a purpose in our lives and everything happens for a reason. It's always to draw your heart closer to Him. Work on uncrossing your fingers and instead say a prayer. There's more power in purpose than random chance!
Download this app to get your daily devotions: http://jctrois.com
Overwhelmed
Isaiah 43:1-2
43 But now, this is what the Lord says—
he who created you, Jacob,
he who formed you, Israel:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
Life After Death (heaven, hell, and resurrection)
Popular Christianity teaches that when we die, we will either go straight to heaven or straight to hell, but is that really what the Bible says? There is a lot of confusion and misunderstanding about life after death, and in this teaching I plan to address many of questions concerning heaven, hell, eternal life, and the resurrection of the dead.
I want to make sure we understand what the Bible says about these things so that we are not deceived by false doctrines. We must be Bereans and study the Scriptures to find out which things are true and which are not. As with any topic we study, be ready to UNLEARN the lies we have inherited.
The Bible tells us that we will all die because of sin, but God has provided a way for us to have everlasting life. So, what is "everlasting life”?
* Todd’s disclaimer… You may be challenged by this, or believe that is completely accurate or not at all… but my hopes is that is sparks something inside of you to pick up your bible and read it. To hit your knees and pray. To put yourself in a position to get closer to a God that loves you. That is my hopes for you!
For more information visit http://www.unlearnthelies.com/
XLIX
Goodbye January…
Hello Super Bowl…
Updated… Patriots win in final moments 28 to 24. Great game to watch. Both teams played very well.