Please pray!!!

************************UPDATE************************

#2. My mom just called and told us that my grandmother is in the hospital again for a second bout with pancreatitis. She undergoes a second procedure tomorrow (Thursday). I will keep you updated.

#1. I just got off the phone with Tonya as I am sitting here at the airport in Kansas City. My grandmother is in surgery and has been for about an hour and a half.

I will update again later tonight.

As I type this, there is a beautiful youg woman laying in the ER in Sherman, Texas. She has no one around her other than ER staff and other patients. She is awaiting transport to ICU as they try to get her into good enough shape to handle surgery. They have to thicken her blood and get the infection down so they can go in to deal with her pancreatitis.

This young woman I am referring to is my 78 year old grandmother. She is alone because they have no room for her in ICU. They are keeping her in the ER so she has constant supervision. There is no family there with her because the ER is so full that there is nowhere for my grandfather, aunt and uncle to stay. So the staff asked them to go home. They said they will call as soon as they know something.

There are so many things that are going on here, I don't know what to specifically ask prayer for. But as it says in Romans 8:26-27: "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what to we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will."

Verse 28 offers us this promise.

"And we know that all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

Thanks in advance for your prayers.

In His awesome name,

Red River Rivalry

As most of you know, I had an opportunity to join my brothers at the Texas/Oklahoma game at the Cotton Bowl. #1 vs. #5.


I was like a kid in a candy store, taking in the sights, sounds, atmposphere and environment. Obviously, it didn't hurt that the Longhorns won. But regardless of who won...it was such an amazing game. It was back and forth, it was high-scoring...it was endless excitement.


But in all of that...God was evident all around. There was the wind. It was a very cool breeze that helped bring comfort on a hot and humid Texas day. There was the beauty of the sun shining from behind gray clouds. There were the 22 people on the field on every play that did things that were possible only by God-given ability.


Everywhere you looked, there was evidence of God at work.


It isn't very often that you would hear something like this: but I thank God for giving me the opportunity to be a part of this.


And again...it doesn't hurt that the Longhorns beat the 'hated' rivals from up north.

Tagged...

I have been tagged by Tonya...thanks sweetheart. So apparently I am going to share some interesting things about myself...7 to be exact. Then I am supposed to tag 7 people who also blog...but all the people I know already blog...so here is what there is to know about me.

1. My favorite junk food is chocolate chip cookies. But as much as I like ccc's...I prefer ccc dough even more. I could eat an entire bowl all by myself...all I need is a spoon and a glass of milk.

2. It took me 35 1/2 years to do it...but I finally got to see a Longhorns game in person. I cannot imagine a better first game to go to.

3. My favorite movie of all time is 'Facing The Giants.'

4. My dream car is a Ford Mustang. But not just any Mustang. It has to be a '64 1/2 - 66 Convertible, a '93 GT Convertible or the elusive mint condition '67 Shelby.

5. When I was a kid, all I wanted to be when I grew up was a Major League baseball player. There is still a part of me that thinks I can bring the 'heat!'

6. With all respect due to Lou Gherig...I consider myself to be the luckiest man on the face of the planet. I happen to be married to my best friend. I know I don't always show it, but I can't think of any other person that I would rather share life's joys with. I am grateful that Tonya is by my side.

7. My dream is to one day give Tonya the honeymoon of her dreams. Venice, Rome, Paris, Switzerland and Australia.

Stained Glass Masquerade

Stained Glass Masquerade

Is there anyone that fails
Is there anyone that falls
Am I the only one in church today feelin' so small
Cause when I take a look around
Everybody seems so strong
I know they'll soon discover
That I don't belong
So I tuck it all away, like everything's okay
If I make them all believe it, maybe I'll believe it too
So with a painted grin, I play the part again
So everyone will see me the way that I see them

Are we happy plastic people
Under shiny plastic steeples
With walls around our weakness
And smiles to hide our pain
But if the invitation's open
To every heart that has been broken
Maybe then we close the curtain
On our stained glass masquerade

Is there anyone who's been there
Are there any hands to raise
Am I the only one who's traded
In the altar for a stage
The performance is convincing
And we know every line by heart
Only when no one is watching
Can we really fall apart
But would it set me free
If I dared to let you see
The truth behind the person
That you imagine me to be
Would your arms be open
Or would you walk away
Would the love of Jesus
Be enough to make you stay

The lyrics above are from Casting Crowns' Stained Glass Masquerade!

But it raises a question for all of us as Christians, especially the men.

Are we simply hiding behind something? Are there things in our lives that we are masking and hiding from even those closest to us?

Or are we truly broken, vulnerable and transparent? Only you and God can answer that question...but I challenge you to answer it for your self, then decide where you need to be if you aren't already there.

So...

I am currently sitting in a hotel room in Houston watching Madden Nation. This is a reality game show in which 10 guys travel on a luxury bus and play Madden 2009.

This is where it gets crazy.

Each one of these guys has a nickname. They all have attitudes. They all speak in ebonics. They are playing each other for the title of best Madden 2009 player. That's it...just the title. They are saying things like "this could change my life" and "this is the break I was waiting for."
They all act as though the action on the screen is real life.

All I can think is how sad this is. I love playing video games as much as anyone. But there is so much more to life. Some of these guys are in their 30's and 40's.

It made me think of other things in life that are similiar.

So many people are just looking to fill the void in their lives with work, exercise, partying and many other things that could take up a lot of space to mention...

But in reality, they are just looking for something to allow them to have a sense of fulfillment.
The only place to find fulfillment and purpose is in Christ alone. In Him we find our sense of purpose.

We all have a hole in our hearts. But unlike that toddler toy where there were many holes of various shapes, and pieces that would fit each one, our hearts only have one hole and it is Jesus-shaped.

Madden 2009 is cool and entertaining, but life with Jesus is complete.

Matthew 19:6

I was actually looking for one thing online when I happened across something completely different.

Anyone who knows Tonya and I very well, you know that the verse at the core of our marriage is Matthew 19:6. "For they are no longer two, but one flesh. What God has joined together, let no man tear apart." I was Googling this verse when I came across a book. I read the title and the review and it shook me to the very core.

"What God Has Joined Together: The Christian Case for Gay Marriage" is a disturbing piece of work (keep in mind, I have not read this book) that pretends to know the mind of Christ. It uses the main argument that even though the Bible 'mentions' homosexual sex, it says nothing about 'a loving committed homosexual relationship.'

I am fairly certain that the Bible does more than just mention this, in both the Old and New Testament. I am absolutely amazed that someone could write an entire book based on the false belief that God and the Bible actually can be used to support same-sex marriage. Any Christian that actually endorses this issue needs to seriously examine their heart and their personal relationship with Jesus Christ (just my opinion).

I know that this may sound somewhat judgemental. It may sound somewhat narrow-minded and intolerant. But guess what? One of the reasons that this is an issue is because for too long now, Christians have been tolerant. So I think it's time for a little intolerance.

We all know what Matthew 19:6 says. Let's take a look at the verse just ahead of it. Matthew 19:5 states: "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall be one flesh." Yet the authors of this vile excuse for a work of literature (again, I have not read this book) claim that if God brought the gay people into this 'marrital' relationship, who are we as people to try and say that it is wrong. Talk about taking a passage of scripture out of context to justify your argument. (And just so we are clear, I know that the context of this passage in Matthew is in reference to divorce.)

In doing some research on the author David Myers, here is what I was able to discover. He is a professor of Psychology at Hope College in Holland, Michigan. I found the core values for this institute of higher learning. #3 is 'to nurture vibrant Christian faith.'

Perhaps I am wrong, but I guess that this would be acceptable at a Christian college that has 'nurturing Christian faith' at #3 on their list of priorities. As we know, when God is not first in our lives, the flesh takes control.

I apologize for any offense I have caused, but I felt led to say something. It is bad enough that society is forcing this as a norm in this nation. But it really got me going when I realized that there are those within the body of Christ that are trying to use the Bible to justify sin.

By the way, there is a link on Dr. Myers website that will allow you to contact this gentlemen if you happen to have any questions. I am contemplating sending him an inquisitive email.

Blind Guys and Football

Tonight's men's group was phenominal as usual. And what made this night even better was that USC got beat in football. Somehow this led to a conversation about having a lack of respect for a certain college football coach due to his perceived lack of class and character. There were several examples of things he had done and said that justified my feelings towards the man. I could list reason after reason why I found this man's character and integrity offensive.

But something that came up was an analogy that was shared by a dear friend and brother in Christ (thanks BL). If a blind guy walks past me and steps on my foot, would I be offended? The obvious answer is no. Who would take offense to that. He couldn't see me there. He had no idea that he was about to walk across my toes. The man is blind, he cannot see the reality in front of him. Now had I told the gentleman that I was standing there, he could have easily steered clear of the impending danger. After warning him, I could then direct him into the safest path that would lead him where he wanted to be.

Likewise, if this coach is a non-believer, he too is blind. Not physically, but spiritually. If no one has informed the coach that there is an impending danger (eternity seperated from God), how could he possibly know to steer clear of it?

Why should I be offended by the man's actions, speeches and attitude? Perhaps he has never been warned of the upcoming peril. It is possible that he has never been pointed in the direction of the safe path.

Gentlemen, we must first realize that we are lost before we can be found. We need to know that we are in need of being saved to accept salvation. If I am walking in the woods and I get lost, I am not worried until I realize I am lost. If I think I know where I am and you offer to lead me out, I will probably reject it. Why? Because I have no clue that I need your assistance.
It isn't until that becomes a reality that I would seek a plan of escape.

Keep that in mind as we share Jesus with those around us. I believe that many reject Jesus because they aren't aware they need Him. We need to lovingly alert them to that, without judgement, condemnation or apathy.

God bless. I will be back tomorrow...as once again, I am up at 3:20 in the morning following a Bible Study. It is well worth the trip if you can make it.

Greetings

Tonya and I have several friends that blog. I have often thought of blogging myself, but never really knew what to try and convey. I love politics, football and humor, but I do not have a lot of friends who share my interests, so I went back to deliberating. I finally realized that I was searching in the wrong place. So I started praying. God put something on my heart very heavily. Tonya and I recently were asked to teach a young married couples Sunday school class. After praying and talking about it, we decided to do it, and we have met some wonderful young couples with their whole lives ahead of them. Tonya mentioned that she still thought of us as a young married couple until our first Sunday. We have been married 2 years for every week that some of them have been married.

Anyway, back to God moving in my life. For the past three weeks, I have been attending a men's group on Thursday nights. It starts at 9 pm, but I haven't gotten home before 2:30 in the morning yet.

This group of men has been used by God to do a mighty work in my life. (KL, BL and JM...you guys are rocks.) God was laying on my heart to talk about the things that are going on in my life as a Christian man and husband. One of the things that we have been discussing in our group is being a man completely broken before God. This is not something that comes easy for me, but I completely opened up before my Lord, and He revealed some things in my life that I was not happy to see exposed. And one of those things was that I needed to be broken before my wife as well. He told me to address issues in my own marriage before I started trying to encourage and mentor others in theirs.


I actually sat down to do this last Friday...but something was holding me back. I was not being sensitive to the Spirit leading or to my wife's feelings. Monday proved to be a very difficult day for Tonya and I. But we reached a point where we were broken before God and each other. I cannot explain the almost instantaneous moving of the Holy Spirit in our lives. I made a commitment to love my wife with all three loves, phileo, eros and agape (friendship, romantic and unconditional). I also committed to praying not only with her, but over her (I just prayed out loud over her as she was sleeping). I put her back in her rightful place on my list of priorities...#2.

Just a little bit ago, God started speaking to me. He said "now that I have you where you need to be...I can use you." And I sat down at the computer and started constructing this blog.

It is my intent to use this as a place where Christian men, married and single, can come together to encourage one another, grow in brotherly love and hopefully leave challenged by the words they read here, not only my words, but also the words of all who pass through.

As for the title; Nineteen-Six...feel free to read Matthew 19:6. Satan has tried to put things in our way and destroy our marriage. We have been able to clear all these obstacles through the power, love, grace and mercy of a mighty God. And as the verse states: "So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate."

Ton...I know you know...but I need to say it again and again. I love you...as Christ loves the church and I am willing to give myself up for you.

I look forward to sharing with you all as the days go by.

God bless!