Why I attend Church---

There's a wonderful story about Jimmy Durante, one of the truly great entertainers. He was asked to do a show for World War II veterans. He told them he was very busy, but if they wouldn't mind his doing one short monologue and immediately leaving for his next appointment, he'd come. They agreed. But when Jimmy got on stage he went through the short monologue - then stayed, and stayed. Soon he'd been on stage 15, 20, then 30 minutes. Finally he took a last bow and left. Backstage someone stopped him and said "I thought you had to go after a few minutes. What happened?" Jimmy answered, "You can see for yourself if you look on the front row." In the front row were two veterans, each of whom had lost an arm in the war. One had lost his right arm and the other had lost his left. Together, they were able to clap, and that's exactly what they were doing, loudly and cheerfully.

That's a picture of what's supposed to happen in church!

1Co 12:25-27
The way God designed our bodies is a model for understanding our lives together as a church: every part dependent on every other part, the parts we mention and the parts we don't, the parts we see and the parts we don't. If one part hurts, every other part is involved in the hurt, and in the healing. If one part flourishes, every other part enters into the exuberance. You are Christ's body — that's who you are! You must never forget this. Only as you accept your part of that body does your "part" mean anything. THE MESSAGE

We need each other! We can't afford to stay away from church as some do. We can't go it alone and succeed at what God meant to be a shared life with others.

I am concerned for those that started well but don't finish well; or finish at all!

We need each other so that we can accomplish together what God intended for His church. We also need each other to help us become the people God intended us to be.

God help us to understand our importance to one another!

Heard of 'Footprints in the Sand-'

Now there are 'Footprints on the Tummy'

I believe in Life!!! It begins at conception!!!

http://www.snopes.com/photos/arts/footprint.asp

Once there were Republicans--

But no more!

Dick Morris is no fan of Sen. Hillary Clinton, having spent much of the past decade writing and speaking out against her. And he took his always-quotable opinions to the offices of Americans for Tax Reform Wednesday (01/31/07) at a breakfast sponsored by The American Spectator.

He laid out the political future: “Hillary will be the next president, and she’ll be the worst president we’ve ever seen.” No matter what happens, the situation in Iraq will “assure that the GOP gets massacred in 2008 congressional elections.”

In 2010, the Republicans will take back the Congress — “Hillary will give Republicans the same gift she gave them in 1994” — and they’ll win the presidency in 2012, but thanks to demographic shifts favoring Democrats(namely the rising Hispanic and African-American populations), “that will be the last Republican president we’ll ever see.”

No Privacy!

Get that camera out of my face!

Oooops! Great to be a Dad?

A man was packing for a business trip and his three-year-old daughter was having a wonderful time playing on the bed. At one point she said, "Daddy, look at this" and stuck out two of her fingers.

Trying to keep her entertained, he reached out and stuck her tiny fingers in his mouth and said, "Daddy's gonna eat your fingers," pretending to eat them.

He went back to packing, looked up again and his daughter was standing on the bed staring at her fingers with a devastated look on her face.

He said, "What's wrong, honey?"

She replied, "What happened to my booger?"

In training For SuperBowl Sunday! Updated 2/1/07

CUPCAKES, CHEETOS, AND COOKIES, OH MY! By Marsha Jordan

Are you the type of person who eats when you're stressed? I am. I eat when I'm stressed, when I'm sad, when I'm happy, and when I'm tired. I believe there's a food for every mood.
I eat for any reason at any time. I eat when I'm watching television, I eat while riding in the car, and I even eat while sitting at the computer. There are enough crumbs in my keyboard to feed a troupe of boy scouts. Every once in a while, I just shake it over the table and announce to the husband, "Dinner's ready!"

I eat too much, too often. Since I was a kid, I've had a weight problem. I could never weight for the next meal. I began wearing a girdle to school in kindergarten, and I've been on diets for most of my life.

I recently began yet another new eating regimen. Forbidden food groups include appetizers and desserts, anything processed or fried, and anything with meat or dairy products in it. I must also avoid all foods seen on TV commercials or restaurant menus. I cannot eat anything prepared by my grandma, Aunt Hildegard, my third cousin twice removed, or any other member of the family. It's called the Oriental Diet. I can eat all I want from the specified food list (celery, kale, bok choi, and those tiny ears of corn), but I must use only one chopstick.

This week, I've failed miserably at sticking to my eating plan. I've had an insatiable appetite for junk food. In addition to a dumpster load of Hostess Twinkies, I've devoured roughly eleven cases of raspberry Fig Newtons and eight and a half pounds of extra crunchy Cheetos. I can't be sneaky about it either. When the husband asks if I've eaten all the Cheetos, how can I look innocent when my fingers and teeth are orange?

Wouldn't you think that after stuffing myself with junk food all week I'd be satisfied? I'm not. In fact, the more I eat, the more I crave. If I continue this way, I'll need a front end loader to lift my carcass out of the Lazy Boy.

To make matters worse, I don't get enough exercise. But I really can't do much that's physical, because I think I pulled a fat cell. I'm barely able to crawl to the kitchen for six square meals a day.

I really need to lose weight. I want to know how it feels to bend over and tie my shoes without cutting off the blood supply above my waist and feeling as if my intestines are being pushed out my ears. It would be great to zip my jeans without fainting from lack of oxygen. So I must get back on track. I'll paste on my refrigerator door that old proverb uttered by some wise sage: "If it tastes good, spit it out."

From now on, I'll plan my meals around a main dish of parsley. Only nutritional foods will pass my lips, like rutabagas, spinach, and celery -- stuff that takes half an hour to chew. By the time I swallow them, my aching jaws will be too tired to munch extra-crunchy Cheetos or anything else. Now if I could only figure out a way to make veggies taste like turtle cheesecake.

To keep my weight down and my arteries clean, I must eat health-restoring foods. Similarly, keeping my spiritual arteries open and flowing freely requires health food for my soul. Whoever coined the phrase "Garbage in, garbage out" knew what he was talking about. When I dump into my spirit things that I'm better off without, they transform my perceptions, attitude, and actions. The result can be just as shocking as that horror-filled moment when I view my cellulite-riddled body in Wal-mart's dressing room mirror.

So, I've made two resolutions. One is to strengthen my body and fuel it with life-sustaining foods. Also, I'll incorporate into my lifestyle more exercise than just aerobic eating and lifting extra large Hershey bars. I'll start slowly with the goal of working up to three sit ups a day. And instead of walking, I'll jog from my bed to the table.

I also plan to exercise my faith and feast spiritually on the word of God. This will be easier and much more palatable than a physical diet; and it will keep my sin-sick, love-starved soul in tip-top health. Bible study is the meat that gives me strength for handling stress and a clear mind to make good decisions. And, unlike Chinese food, it doesn't leave me feeling empty in an hour.

Jeremiah 15:16 says, "When your words came, I ate them; and they were my joy and my heart's delight." Jesus promised that whoever hungers and thirsts for righteousness will be satisfied, and Psalm 63:5 testifies, "My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods."

I feel better already.

---------------------------------
Marsha Jordan is the author of "Hugs, Hope, and Peanut Butter":http://snipurl.com/mJordan (Amazon info)

Visit her official website: http://www.hugsandhope.org/

Copyright 2007 Marsha Jordan. Permission is granted to send this to others, with attribution, but not for commercial purposes.

I'm mad- must read- it'll make you mad!

This could only happen in the age of consumerism and greed! This is a true story and I have it from a man who was involved in an aspect of the happenings. He and his organization will remain anonymous because they are still trying to get a resolution on the building involved.

My friend's organization gave a loan for a church in Ohio to build a 3 million dollar facility. All seemed to be going fine and the church was active in the community and with other churches. The churches were building unity among themselves even having joint meetings together.

What happens next is bizarre. The pastor(1) of the church with the new building decided to sell his congregation to another church. That pastor(1) and the other pastor(2) had worked out a plan to sell pastor(1)'s congregation to pastor(2) for $190,000. So without the knowledge of pastor(1)'s leadership team or his congregation a joint service at pastor(2)'s church was announced.

They met in the joint service and pastor(1) stood up, announced his resignation and the sell of the congregation to the church they are now meeting in. Then he left $190,000 richer.

But that is not the end of the story. Pastor (1) leased the church building to another church and had the lease money sent to a P.O. Box and did not make payments on the loan to my friend's organization. When they went to inquire about nonpayment of the loan, pastor(1) is gone (in hiding) and the new church that is there had no idea about the previous financial agreement. So they too are now in a bind as the organization is going to have to ask them to leave(they can't afford the building payment) and the organization is stuck with a 3 million dollar facility that no one is paying for!

This makes me spitting mad! Mad a both pastors for treating God's people as a commodity to be sold and traded. I know we are sheep in God's Kingdom, but I also know there are unscrupulous pastors who are nothing but hirelings! This proves it!

This is when I thank God there will be a judgment forthcoming!

Which johns?

Not remembering which of John's epistles were the subject of the study the secretary posted the following:

This evening the Pastor will be leading a Bible study in one of the Johns.

Beware of the Affluenza Virus

Are you one of many who think money makes you happy? A recent news article and soon to be published book says that there is a new virus that is affecting many people worldwide. It's name is the Affluenza Virus. It is an epidemic of mindless consumerism that is sweeping the world with the compulsive pursuit of money and possessions making people richer but sadder.

That is the stark warning issued by best-selling British psychologist Oliver James after a "mind tour" of seven countries chronicling how depression envelopes the affluent.

"We have become addicted to having rather than being and confusing our needs with our wants," he told Reuters in an interview to mark publication on Thursday of "Affluenza."

Globe-trotting from New York to Sydney, Singapore and Shanghai via Copenhagen, Moscow and Auckland, he concluded after interviewing 240 people that "selfish capitalism" has run riot. Bigger houses, more cars, larger televisions, younger faces -- these goals are frenetically pursued by middle-class workaholics afflicted by "Affluenza."

"Studies in lots of different nations show that if you place high value on those things, you are more likely to suffer depression, anxiety, addictions and personality disorders," he said. James concluded, "People in English-speaking nations are twice as likely to be mentally ill as people living in mainland western European nations."

Always wanting bigger and better is an emotional cul de sac, argues the 53-year-old psychologist, broadcaster and author.

However, James is optimistic and believes the backlash has begun. "We are at a turning point. My argument dovetails with the ecological argument -- we cannot carry on consuming in this manner and feel confident our great grandchildren have any future. This inevitably leads us to question consumerism."

"People are sick to the back teeth of this stuff. They don't want any more selfish capitalism."

James is just confirming what the Bible has to say about this subject:
1Ti 6:6-10
A devout life does bring wealth, but it's the rich simplicity of being yourself before God.
Since we entered the world penniless and will leave it penniless, if we have bread on the table and shoes on our feet, that's enough.
But if it's only money these leaders are after, they'll self-destruct in no time.
Lust for money brings trouble and nothing but trouble. Going down that path, some lose their footing in the faith completely and live to regret it bitterly ever after. THE MESSAGE

It amazes that we still disregard this scripture. What amazes me more is that the 'Affluenza Virus' is rampant in our churches today just as in society. The church is full of it and consumerism is now the driving force in church competition.

God help us to return to a 'devout life that brings wealth.'

Drink Wilkins Coffee...or Else!

CAUTION- Graphic Violence- view at own risk!

Finished Bathroom Makeover!!

What did I do on 'Blue Monday?' Remember these pics from the post on 'What did I do Over Christmas?'

Click on Pics to enlarge--

Well, Debi and I completed the Master Bathroom Makeover. Over the weekend Debi sanded the walls, textured them (took her 5 hours-what a woman!), painted and then put a faux finish on them. I helped with the last two things. We ended up with a leather look on the walls which is 'manly' as this is primarily my bathroom with all my stuff. So all I have to do is some caulking, hanging a neat cabinet and mirror we bought and this project will be done! We started on Dec. 29th and have patiently worked at it. But now we can enjoy the finished work.

Also, I enjoy working with Debi- she is my heart's delight!

This shows a close up of the texture and faux we put on the walls.

This is a completed view.

Another major home project completed!

Blue Monday?

According to an article in the UK based "Daily Mail", today is Blue Monday -- the unhappiest day of the year. It says, "Unpaid Christmas bills, nasty weather, and failed New Year's resolutions combine to make January 22 the gloomiest in the calendar."

Phillip Hodson, a fellow of the British Association for Counselling, said: "The worst day has got to be a Monday - there is other evidence to show it is the worst day of the week.

"Our bodies work on a 25-hour clock so that - by the time we get to the weekend - we stay up later. That makes it difficult for us to go to sleep on Sunday and we wake up grumpy.

"It's also got to be around this time of year - we are less contented with our body image because we've been bingeing."

Maybe you're feeling it. Every now and then reality has a way of catching up with us, reminding us just how 'not-right' everything is. Bad news hits even harder, goals seem even more unreachable, progress seems even more elusive.

How's your day going? Rough? Good? So so? Remember these scriptures:

Ps 30:5
He gets angry once in a while, but across a lifetime there is only love. The nights of crying your eyes out give way to days of laughter. from THE MESSAGE

2 Co 4:16-17
So we're not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. from THE MESSAGE

God turns blue days into bright days!

Political Correctness For Kids

Your bedroom isn't cluttered; it's "passage-restrictive."


Kids don't get in trouble anymore. They merely hit "social speed bumps."


You're not having a bad hair day; you're suffering from "rebellious follicle syndrome."

No one's tall anymore. They're "vertically enhanced."

You're not shy. You're "conversationally selective."

You don't talk a lot. You're just "abundantly verbal."

It's not called gossip anymore. It's "transmission of near-factual information."

The food at the school cafeteria isn't awful. It's "digestively challenged."

Your homework isn't missing; it's just having an "out-of-notebook experience."

You're not sleeping in class; you're "rationing consciousness."

You don't have smelly gym socks; you have "odor-retentive athletic footwear."

You weren't passing notes in class. You were "participating in the discreet exchange of penned meditations."

You're not being sent to the principal's office. You're "going on a mandatory field trip to the administrative building.

It's still tough to be a kid these days!

Lifted Up -- So Others Could Be Lifted Up

It was a busy day in heaven as folks waited in line at the pearly gates. Peter stood as gatekeeper checking each newcomer’s name in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

But there was some confusion, as the numbers were not adding up. Heaven was a little overcrowded, and a bunch of folks were unaccounted for.

So some of the angels were sent on a mission to investigate things. And it was not long before two of them returned, “We found the problem,” they said.

“Jesus is out back, lifting people up over the gate.”

"As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life."--John 3:14, 15

"And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. (This he said, signifying what death he should die.)"--John 12:32, 33

The good news of the Gospel is that Jesus came to save people and lift them out of their miserable conditions and bring them to the Father. The Father is not willing that any perish. I appreciate the depths that He went to to secure our deliverance from sin and our ability to have a fresh, dynamic, daily relationship with Him.

As Pastors we need to keep a fresh perspective that we too are here to help lift people out of their misery, shame, defeat, despair, disillusionment, depressions, etc., to an exciting new and abundant life in Christ.

I am one of the lifted up ones therefore I can help others!

Pastor David admits, "I Am Addicted..."

That's right, I am hopelessly addicted to....the TV show '24.'

One of the tensest, most intriguing television shows airing today, the critically acclaimed 24 has captured my attention and that of millions of viewers. Created by Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran, 24 has become one of FOX's leading TV shows. It centers around its main protagonist, Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland), as well as a plethora of supporting characters. Bauer, a skilled government agent, works in the Counter Terrorist Unit, located in Los Angeles. Over the course of five thrilling seasons, Jack Bauer has evaded terrorists, nuclear weapons, assassins, and many other sinister figures, all with equally sinister goals in mind. 24 is highly unique in the fact that each season takes place over 24 hours in real time, with each episode spanning one hour of the day.

And now 'Jack is back' with the 6th season thrilling 4 hour opener spreading over last night and tonight. However, because of a friend who loaned me the pre-release DVD of the 4 episodes plus first 10 minutes of the 5th installment, we were able to watch it all last night at a friend's home on a big screen TV.

WOW, how do these writers keep coming up with these almost true to life scenarios? They do awesome writing, there is superb acting and great film work!

I am addicted to it... I admit it... I don't want help though until the season is over!

Fatherly Chat

A young woman brings home her fiance to meet her parents. After dinner, her mother tells her father to find out about the young man.

The father invites the fiancee to his study for a chat. "So what are your plans?" the father asks the young man.

"I am a Bible college student." he replies.

"A Bible college student. Hmmm," the father says. "admirable, but what will you do to provide a nice house for my daughter to live in, as she's accustomed to?"

"I will study," the young man replies, "and God will provide for us."

"And how will you buy her a beautiful engagement ring, such as she deserves?" asks the father.

"I will concentrate on my studies," the young man replies, "God will provide for us."

"And children?" asks the father. "How will you support children?"

"Don't worry, sir, God will provide," replies the fiance. The conversation proceeds like this, and each time the father questions, the young idealist insists that God will provide.

Later, the mother asks, "How did it go, Honey?"

The father answers, "He has no job and no plans, but the good news is he thinks I'm God."

Blessed are those who mourn...

Matt 5:4

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. NIV

I am starting a series on Jesus teaching what we call the Beatitudes. The Bible says that we are to have the same attitude as Jesus! I pray that these will be life and mind changing messages.

The pic above of the President crying reminds me of why I like him. He is real and genuine, not like his detractors in Washington. They have to feign mourning, it is not genuine!

But a President who crys for the dead, wounded, sins of a nation, etc., is someone I can follow!

And Pastor friends, if you haven't cried recently, you need to get in touch with your God given emotions. I would rather follow a crying preacher that a 'strutting your stuff' preacher. Where has all the humility gone in the pulpit?

People are crying all around us! Jesus is touched by that and we should be also.

Matt 5:4
"You're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you." from THE MESSAGE

Jesus wept, President Bush wept.... can that be said of you?

Lock Cup

The Lock Cup is an ingenious way to keep pesky cup-stealing coworkers at bay. Removing a small key from the side of the cup leaves a gaping hole and renders it useless until the key is returned.



I say, leave the cup's hole facing your cubicle wall and let the little thief figure it out after he's started pouring his coffee.

Somebody's listening!

My prayer over the tithes and offerings each Sunday is as follows:

Lord, bless our great city of Arlington with industry and businesses. We have people who want to work and live here. As they are faithful to You in their jobs, please give them raises, bonuses and increases. Bless those in our church with an entrepreneur spirit to start businesses and bless our business owners and prosper them. Give us clever and witty inventions that we too might make wealth. Now we are not greedy, nor covetous, and we do not want to consume it upon ourselves, but having our own needs met we are able to give to others and into the Kingdom of God. Amen.

That is how I pray each and every Sunday. I received an email last night from a Dad that attends the church:

I was praying with my children tonight, and Lyric, who's 10, prayed "Lord give daddy more work so we can get more money, not to consume it upon ourselves, but to give it to other people after our expenses. Amen."

lol! At least somebody's listening!

"Dream Team" Staff Retreat

We had our annual Staff Retreat this past weekend. We arrived at the Riverbend Retreat Center in Glen Rose, TX, around 5PM, settled in, ate, and then began our meetings at 6PM. We worshipped, prayed, talked, discussed, did inventories, and discussed some more. Around 10PM we started praying for each other with words of encouragement, prophetic words, and words of affirmation. That lasted until about 12am. Then, we started playing a few games. Late Night!

We were back after it after our breakfast. We discussed 2006; what were our strengths (did right), what were our weaknesses (did wrong), and what we will and won't do again this year. We made plans for 2007, discussed our goals, and then prayed some more. We finished our time with a great meal at noon at Hammonds BBQ in Glen Rose. Great BBQ and desserts, i.e. the cobblers with Blue Bell ice cream and Peanut Butter Cream Pie, all homemade!

I have a great staff and they truly are the 'Dream Team.' I love them and thank them for being here at the Vine!

Some funny cartoons--

Amazing thing is I relate to all of these!!!! Yikes......

What did you do over Christmas?

I always get 1001 questions about what I did over Christmas break. We shut down the office for the week after Christmas. Some of the staff travel to be with family. We stayed here and I did what is now a tradition here at the Vine and that is serve communion to and pray over each family on Christmas eve. Been doing that for 16 years!

Ryan and Charity came here. So we had a great time of visiting, eating, and shopping. I am blessed with a great wife and tremendous kids!

After Ryan and Charity left I began a project that we needed to do and that was change out our master bathroom shower. These are some work in progress pics and some near completion pics.

So all I need to do is finish out the sheet rock and it will be completed. I will probably do that Monday on my day off.

We used it for the first time today- NO leaks!

Well, have to go get ready for our Staff Retreat this weekend. The staff at the Vine are a "Dream Team." I love them....

"Et tu, Brute?"

Did you stay up until midnight to welcome the New Year? Or did you stay up to make sure the old year leaves! None of us can afford to let our past poison our present or sabotage our future. We have to overcome and let go of things!

“One should rather die than be betrayed. There is no deceit in death. It delivers precisely what it has promised. Betrayal, though ... betrayal is the willful slaughter of hope.” Steven Deitz

Probably one of the most difficult and gut wrenching trial and test that a Pastor (or anyone for that matter) might experience in life is the betrayal by someone close to you. It can be at the hands of family members, husband or wife, church members, friends, business associates, etc. I have had a few relationships that have ended in betrayal. I tend to be very loyal, forgiving, and ‘giving the benefit of the doubt’ in my relationships with people. I don’t live life as a rule with the idea ‘people are going to disappoint you.’ Yet it does happen and nothing is more sinister than betrayal.

Ps 55:12-14
It is not an enemy who taunts me — I could bear that. It is not my foes who so arrogantly insult me — I could have hidden from them. Instead, it is you — my equal, my companion and close friend. What good fellowship we enjoyed as we walked together to the house of God. NLT

This scripture is one of betrayal. The Bible gives us repeated instances of it. The religious community and one of His closest friends betrayed Jesus. Those who were closest to David betrayed him. Joseph's own family betrayed him. Betrayal is a fact of life!

Os Hillman calls loving those that betray you ‘graduate level Christianity.’ A Godly response to betrayal goes against everything in us. We want to protect, retaliate, and retain unforgiveness and bitterness. Therein lies Satan’s tool against us walking free of betrayal. We have to seek and appropriate God’s grace for these difficult situations. Loving our enemies cannot be accomplished by mustering it up. We need to die to ourselves so that God’s nature of true forgiveness and love can flow to us and through us to those that have betrayed us.

If you have experienced betrayal, may God give you the victory over it in 2007!

The Emotional Deficit of a Pastor - pt 4

HAPPY NEW YEAR to all!!! May God bless you and keep you!

Mark 5:30 At the same moment, Jesus felt energy discharging from him. He turned around to the crowd and asked, "Who touched my robe?" from THE MESSAGE

Most Pastors live off the spiritual energy of ministry and preaching the Word Of God. When one stands to preach there is a life flow from God to the Pastor that gives a spiritual energy high. It is the most vital energy that any of us have – what we live off of. It gives confidence and courage to do everything else that may come our way. However, we can quickly deplete that spiritual energy and hit the proverbial wall. Jesus knew when someone touched Him and energy left him. There are people constantly ‘touching’ the pastor and with each touch energy is drained!

When a Pastor’s emotional deficit is extremely low, you just can’t stop and fill it quickly. Just as it took time to diminish and get to where it is, it will take time to replenish it. Usually more time than it took to drain it.

What are some steps to replenishing our emotional deficit?
1. Jesus showed us that in order to meet the demands of ministry- one had to get away and alone with God on a continual basis. Time with God is like attaching jumper cables to a depleted battery and giving it a new boost of energy.

2. One needs to relax and read non Christian Books to refresh the mind and soul. Read not for ‘sermon illustrations’ but for the effect that it will have on your psyche!

3. A Pastor needs to spend time in the company of his cheerleaders. Those are people, your wife and others, who are there to cheer you on and encourage you. They are there to ‘breathe a fresh breath’ on you! Play games with them, eat out with them, go to movies, etc. These are people who can accept you as a real person with legitimate needs and not ‘always as a pastor’ but a friend!

4. Personal downtime- this means take a day off. And as your mother used to say, “Get out of the house and do something, you’re driving me crazy!” We need to do the same or our home will become a ‘nut house.’

5. Take travel vacations. By travel, I mean vacations taken at another location other than your city or even state. I get replenish the best by lying on a beach beside an ocean absorbing those life threatening sun rays! My leaders and church recognize that I am much better after a travel vacation!

6. And as Bill Hybels said: I'm convinced God wants us to live so as to finish the race we've started. That's the challenge of every Christian leader. And monitoring all three gauges—spiritual, physical, and emotional—plays an important part in our longevity.

So dear friends, keep a constant watch on your emotional gauge now that you realize its importance to your overall well being and the work of the ministry.

Best Part of Waking Up!

A sweet little boy surprised his grandmother one morning and brought her a cup of coffee. He made it himself and was so proud. He anxiously waited to hear the verdict on the quality of the coffee.


His grandmother had never in her life had such a bad cup of coffee, and as she forced down the last sip she noticed three of those little green army guys in the bottom of the cup.


She asked, "Honey, why would three little green army guys be in the bottom of my cup?"

Her grandson replied, "You know grandma, it's like on TV, 'The best part of waking up is soldiers in your cup.'"

The Emotional Deficit of a Pastor - pt 3

Trust all had a very Merry Christmas- we did at the Kerr household- had Jason, Ryan and Charity, Harry and Arleen, Jeremy and Jennifer Huff and 2 children, Brianna and Bradley, over for Christmas dinner. We ate, watched the kids, gave up on Dallas football game, and played games. Great Day!

Continuing on with my post on Emotional Deficit...

A number of years ago I read an article by Bill Hybels that revealed his struggles with emotional deficit.

The spiritual and physical aspects of life were important, but I had failed to consider another area essential to healthy ministry—emotional strength (deficit). I needed a third gauge on the dashboard of my life. —Bill Hybels

He essentially said that he was keeping himself built up in the spiritual and physical areas of his life but one day found himself depleted emotionally. He had failed to gauge himself in that area.

He found as myself and others have that signs of emotional deficit are:
(1) One begins to feel vulnerable morally,
(2) One becomes short and testy with people (esp. your family and staff),
(3) One feels an overwhelming tiredness even though you are sleeping,
(4) One questions whether they are really a Christian at all,
(5) One feels a desire to get out of God's work.

The results of dysfunctional pastors is surfacing with newspapers reporting about spiritual icons that are failing plus the numerous things that we hear about others that yet have been made public. It is not so much the lack of any value system by those individuals but the fact that the emotional deficit trap has not been addressed to Pastors nor them being taught to be aware of it and how to overcome it.

We all in ministry have to be aware of this emotional deficit. We need to have a gauge that we can read to see how we are doing in this aspect. Just like a fuel gauge on a car we can not afford this one to run on empty either.

Running on empty or running out will have the same debilitating effect of running out of gas- you will be stopped eventually. I guarantee this is a tool the enemy uses to destroy many servants of the Lord.

Next time, steps to replenishing the emotional tank…

Merry Christmas-

click to enlarge pic

It is all about God come in the flesh for our salvation!

Merry Christmas to my readers. You are greatly appreciated!

The Emotional Deficit of a Pastor - pt 2

I preached a 6 part series on Desperate Households this year (2006). These are desperate times in our churches and homes. We've heard a lot about dysfunctional families with family members blaming each other for their ills and poor choices in life. It is true that many are living with an emotional deficit in their lives. They are being overwhelmed.

But I probably should also go one step further and teach on Desperate Pastors. I think that we are witnessing a generation of dysfunctional pastors. They too are living in an emotional deficit. What I mean by that is that what is surrounding them is more demanding and commanding on them than what is being put into them. They are having trouble handling the emotional volume in their lives. Ministry is demanding and draining regardless of the size of the church- big or small.

Size of the church in no way equates to faithfulness before God. Jesus had only 12 disciples and did quite well. In fact, He only had one leave him- I have had a lot more. Church size does not equate with being more effective but really is more about what you do with what God has given you. The width of a church does not speak to the spirituality of the church.

But having said that, we find the difference in a big and small church is the emotional weight of the church on the pastor. Every day of every year with every person that is added the emotional weight of the congregation becomes greater. Consider Paul:

2 Cor 11:23-28
23 Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again.
24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one.
25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea,
26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers.
27 I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.
28 Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. (NIV)

He was talking about the emotional content for/of the people he loved, prayed for, cared for, cried with, rejoiced with, etc. It was as tough if not tougher on him than all the other things he had experienced in the flesh. It was emotional, caused him to lose sleep, and weighed heavily on him.

The pastor needs to learn how to handle the emotional content or he will become a casualty of the very ministry he loves.

more to follow...

The Emotional Deficit of a Pastor

Col 3:12-15
12 Since God chose you to be the holy people whom he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
13 You must make allowance for each other's faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.
14 And the most important piece of clothing you must wear is love. Love is what binds us all together in perfect harmony.
15 And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are all called to live in peace. And always be thankful. NLT

This verse reminds me that God does not ignore the emotional content of life. The emotional needs of our lives are more a part of us than we often acknowledge, they are real, and need to be met.

Pastor’s have feelings and emotions too. I am reminded of the time when a couple was in my office and she especially was chewing on me. (Why is it choleric women do this while their passive husbands sit by? ‘Yes, dear,’) Anyway, I had had enough of the debilitating attack and told her she was hurting my feelings. She responded that I could not have hurt feelings because I was a Pastor. (Memo to self, Pastors must relinquish their feelings upon entering the ministry.) When I told her I did, she went off on me again. (Talk about a Roman candle igniting and right there in my office!)

Here is a principle I want to discuss in a few blogs:
Pastors are in danger in living on an emotional deficit. That means what is surrounding them is more demanding than what is being put in them.

The result- a generation of dysfunctional pastors!

A dysfunctional pastor is one who has not learned to handle the emotional volume of his life.

They are pastoring dysfunctional people and when you get dysfunctional leadership ministering to dysfunctional people in the same way leadership is always a multiplying equation, instead of multiplying strengths, they end up multiplying weaknesses!

Is it no wonder that Pastors isolate themselves, ignore the emotional deficit or better yet turn to something (meth) or someone (sexual relationship) to mask the hurts?

More to come on this...

Christmas at The Vine

December is a busy month of activities at Vine Fellowship. Below are pics from some of those activities. Click pics to view larger image.

This was our annual Church Christmas party- A Night Under the Stars. Plenty of great food, karaoke, dancing, and fun fellowship.

Debi and I hosted our church Leadership Team, 30 guests, at our home for our annual party. Again some great food, fun games, and great fellowship. 'His banner over us is love' continues to be the motto our our leadership at the Vine.

We also had a dynamic Children's Christmas Program last night. They did skits, sang, danced, and had a great time entertaining the guests.

A big thank you to all that made these events possible. You are the greatest!

Pastor David's blooper for the day- I was waxing eloquent about the nativity scene and all those congregated around it- I said, "There were Joseph, Mary, baby Jesus, the shepherds, and the three white men."

The three white men???- that is not something you say in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, and multi-racial church setting! Where did that come from? Help me Lord!

Top 10 Signs You are Broke This Christmas

Oooops...............
A kindly 90-year-old grandmother found buying presents for family and friends a bit much one Christmas, so she wrote out checks for all of them to put in their Christmas cards.

In each card she wrote, "Buy your own present" and then sent them off.

After the Christmas festivities were over, she found the checks in her desk!

Everyone had gotten a Christmas card from her with "Buy your own present" written inside, but without the checks!



With just 10 days til Christmas here are top 10 signs you are broke---
10. American Express calls and says: "Leave home without it."
09. You’re formulating a plan to rob the local food bank.
08. Long distance companies don’t call you to switch.
07. You rob Peter… and then rob Paul.
06. You finally clean your house, hoping to find change.
05. You think of a lottery ticket as an investment
04. Salvation Army sets a kettle outside your door complete with bell ringer.
03. Compassion International sends you food and asks to sponsor you.
02. McDonald's supplies you with all your condiments.
01. At communion you go back for seconds.

The Nativity- I was brought to tears!

We had a staff outing today that included an early movie, The Nativity, and then a late lunch. I had an enjoyable time as my staff is a delight to be with. They truly are the Dream Team!

But the movie! It brought me to tears a number of times. I was able to control an all out burst of crying, the kind with snorting and snot, etc. But it wasn't easy. Points where I was obviously touched:
1. When Elizabeth heard Mary's voice and the child in her womb, John the Baptist, leaped.
2. Mary and Elizabeth in a field gleaning and Mary feels the baby Jesus move and runs to Elizabeth with excitement.
3. When Joseph goes to Mary after having the dream of the angel and knows that he is to take her as his wife.
4. Seeing Mary and Joseph ostracized by the village people.
5. Seeing Joseph sacrificing food, etc., for Mary.
6. Mary and Joseph talking about what the child was going to be like, Joseph says, "Will I be able to teach him anything?"
7. The tension and joy of the birth of Jesus.
8. The wise men laying their gifts before the couple and Jesus.

Well, you are right! That was almost the entire movie! I highly recommend that families see this movie this Christmas season.

You can also check out my sermons on the Nativity at the Vine Fellowship website.

The Church's All-time Biggest Blunders

I wonder if the boater saw this coming? Did he read the signs? Did he learn anything from this blunder? I hope so.

Jesus said, "I will build My church." (Matthew 16:18) However The Church has made some pretty big blunders and it isn't the Lord's fault. Here is a list of 8 from my perspective (you can add more in the comments).

(1) We've made unbelief a doctrine. While third-world nations believe God for New Testament results, we teach our seminary students that God doesn't do miracles anymore.

(2) We've tolerated division. Who needs the devil when we're so adept at hating one another in the name of denominational loyalty?

(3) We've cultivated a religious spirit. We've taught that Christianity is about avoiding things like smoking and drinking. As a result we've lost our joy, because intimacy with God cannot be achieved through performance.

(4) We've encouraged "super stars." Consequently, some of our preachers have stopped modeling servant hood, and forgotten that Jesus washed feet and rode on a donkey.

(5) We've equated money with success. We've found a way to 'theologize' greed, instead of using our God-given prosperity to feed the poor and reach the world with the Gospel.

(6) We've stayed in the pews and become irrelevant. We freak out when somebody uses rap or rock music to reach the younger generation. Instead of engaging the culture we're hiding from it.

(7) We've taught people to be escape-artists. Instead of "occupying till He comes," we'd rather be astronauts and fly away. We read rapture novels when we should be praying for those living on the verge of martyrdom. Why can't we have their kind of faith? We can - if we're willing to pay the price and commit ourselves fully to God!

(8) We've made 'size matters!' We employ Madison Avenue marketing techniques to attract attention. The guy with the most money wins.

It's never too late to learn from our blunders.

attitude pt4- a matter of training

Since attitude reflects what is already in us, we've got to clean up the junk that fills our hearts and minds.

If your general attitude towards life is poor I can almost guarantee it's because you're doing of one two things. You're either dining at the emotional trash heap of life, filling yourself up with self-destructive lies and bitterness, and reliving past hurts; or, you're spending your time filling your brain with negative and destructive thoughts.

... let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. 2 Corinthians 7:1 NIV

Are you taking anything into your mind that is contaminating your attitude? What kind of music do you listen to? What kind of TV, books and movies go into your brain? If your attitude is in the dumpster (true dumpster diving), you've got to stop eating at the dumpster.

For some, maybe the emotional garbage heaps and moral cesspools we've experienced are still polluting our hearts and mind. Cleaning that stuff out means bringing those wounds to God. "Father, I've been hurt in this way and I need to let go of it and be healed." Or, "I did these things, I was wrong and I am sorry. Thank you, Jesus for paying for these sins."

Don't try to have a good attitude. Train for one.
I hear people say, "I'm trying my best to have a good attitude, but I can't do it."
But think about it. If you hoped to run a marathon this spring, you wouldn't wait until the day of the race and say, "Ok, now I'm going to try my best." You'd start working out now, building up your strength and stamina. You'd train for it.

The Apostle Paul's training regimen:
Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. Philippians 4:8 NIV

1. Fill your mind with the right thoughts.
Sit down and add it up some time. How much time do you spend filling your mind with things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy? How much time reading the Bible and letting God speak to you? How often do you go to the Christian bookstore and buy books that build your vision, your faith and your character? Do you ever just sit in quiet and reflect on the awesomeness of God and His love for you? Do you ever sing to Him and worship Him?

Compare that to the amount of time you spend ingesting the mindless fluff that saturates the media. For you to build and maintain a good attitude, the scale has got to tilt away from that stuff and in the direction of the good stuff. And that requires an intentional and disciplined effort on your part. There's no other way. You've got to train your mind.

Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice. Philippians 4:9aNIV

Paul knew that we learn from the example of people around us ...
2. Fill your life with the right people.
Ask yourself ... who is around me all the time and what am I learning from them?

Now some of those folks you can't do anything about. But some of the people in your life are there because you invited them. You may need to un-invite them - with a good attitude of course - and invite some new ones who will model good things for you. Then intentionally schedule yourself to be in the same place at the same time as those people.

As a pastor, you have to decide whether to hang with your critics or hang with your encouragers. It is really not a tough decision!

Attitude is a matter of training - not trying.

attitude pt3- how you got that attitude

Ever consider how you got that attitude? How are our attitudes formed? Consider this:

1. What is in me determines what comes out of me.

"... Out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts of lust, theft, murder, adultery, wanting what belongs to others, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, pride, and all other folly. All these vile things come from within; they are what pollute you and make you unfit for God." Mark 7:20-23 TLB

Jesus is saying that our behavior, in this case very negative behavior, comes out of what is already in our heart. It works the same way with attitude. The outward attitude we display is only a reflection of what's already on the inside.

2. For the most part, I choose what goes in me.

I'm sure you've heard the one about the two guys who sat down to eat lunch. The first guy opened his lunch box, took out his sandwich and said, "I can't believe it! Baloney again. I hate baloney sandwiches. This is the fourth time this week I've had baloney. I can't stand baloney!"

The second guy said, "Well, why don't you say something to your wife?" The first man said, "What good will that do? I make my own lunch."

The truth is, that when it comes to attitude, we all make our own lunch. Most of the baloney in our lives we have put there ourselves. I choose the majority of what enters into and resides in my mind. And so do you.

To be fair, some "input" you can do nothing about - some of the people you work with or live with have so much junk on the inside of them that it eventually spews over onto everyone around them. And it takes a lot of work to keep it from dragging you down.

But what about the stuff we voluntarily invite into our minds? According to Jesus, they affect our entire life, including our attitude.

[Jesus said,] "The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness." Matthew 6:22-23 NIV

What did he mean by that? He meant that whatever we focus on and allow in will eventually fill us up.

3. I choose my attitude and am solely responsible for it.

If my attitude is positive, it is a direct reflection of the positive stuff in me that I chose to put in there. If it's negative, it's a direct reflection of negative stuff that I have allowed to enter into and take up residence in me.

That's why none of us can make excuses for our attitude. We chose it. I chose mine. You chose yours. No one else is responsible for the attitudes!

Today, you are responsible for your attitude. How is it?

attitude pt2 - attitude adjustment gauges

Vick's attitude
Attitude ... it's often the key difference between seeing life as terrible or wonderful. It's often the key factor in obtaining personal success. It's a little word that makes a big difference.

How would you describe your attitude these days? Good? Bad? Middle of the road?

How do you know which it is? I think there are many ways to gauge our attitude but probably the simplest is to say that our attitude can be measured by our response to challenging circumstances and/or people.

When life is going smoothly, almost everyone has a good attitude. Our disposition is pleasant. We smile, we're courteous, and we’re willing to go out of our way for others. But let the road get a little bumpy - let things go crazy on the job, let us be treated unfairly, let us be around others who have rotten attitudes - what are we like then? That's when our true attitude is revealed.

It's helpful to identify some gauges that warn you when your attitude is in need of adjustment. You need to have some sirens that go off in your head that say, "do something now, because if you don't your attitude is going in the tank.” If you ignore these warning, serious trouble is up ahead.

1. One warning sign that my attitude is in trouble is that little outbursts of temper increase.
2. Another trouble gauge is that interruptions produce irritation.
3. Gauge number three is that my emotions become overly sensitive.
4. A fourth gauge that my attitude is in danger is that defeatist thinking begins to dominate.
5. Finally, I know my attitude is headed south when my view of people begins to lower.

Well, those are five gauges of an attitude that is in need of adjustment.

I'm curious ... how many of the things on my list describe where you are today?