The Suprise in the Corner

In our home we have a rather large, beautiful print of a painting hanging on our living room wall.
It's a Mediterranean scene, from a house high on a cliff you look down to the bright blue sea below.
Just thinking about it now makes me happy.
My wife and I love it.
Despite what happened some time ago.
We decided to stop at a McDonald's for some health food.
Uh... I mean comfort food.
As the family sat down, we said our prayer of thanks and began eating.
That's when I noticed the artwork on the walls.
And then I almost choked on my salad.
Uh.. I mean Big Mac.
There on the wall was... OUR PAINTING!
OUR PRECIOUS ARTWORK!
Not as nicely framed.
Not even in a prime spot.
Over there.
In the corner.
By the restrooms.
My wife couldn't believe it either.
I put down my juice.
Uh.. I mean Coke.
How do you react when a prized piece of artwork that hangs in your home.. as well as your heart... ends up in a place so unexpected?
You smile.
And you thank God that sometimes beauty can be found in the most average of places.
God is the artist.
He's painting a masterpiece with your life, Christian.
Are you content with wherever he chooses to "hang" you?

Are You Willing To Be Unpopular?

Happy Monday!
I realize that "Happy" and "Monday" aren't used in the same sentence very often.
But every now and then you have to "mix it up" a bit, don't you think?
For my family, this weekend was filled with church and tasks and time with friends.
And also I had a chance to read some more from the book I mentioned on Friday's blog entry.

It's called "Stand"(Crossway).

John Piper and Justin Taylor are the editors.

A few folks we've had on Total Impact over the years have written some powerful chapters.

Former guests like John MacArthur, Jerry Bridges & Randy Alcorn.

It's a small book that packs quite a punch.

It's a call to "keep on keeping on" when it comes to our Christian faith.

It's real, and super Biblical.

One quote from Randy Alcorn knocked my socks off:

"If you insist on being respected and praised, in society or in the church, you will walk away not only from the cause but from your Lord.

Jesus said in John 15:20:

"No servant is greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also."

"Who are we to expect the world to treat us better than it treated Jesus?
One of the greatest enemies of staying strong in our faith is the desire to be popular, whether with the world or with the church.
If your eyes are on anyone but Jesus you're not going to have the stamina to put up with criticism.
Live for the approval of others and you will not live for Christ's approval, and therefore you will not endure"

Let's live for Jesus.

The Audence of One.

I hope this encourages you if you're in a season of being misunderstood as you do you best to remain faithful to Christ.

Following Christ Day By Day

One step forward.

Two steps back.

Isn't that how it is for those of us who follow Christ?

At least that's the way it seems to be for me.

But even on my best days, I know I fall short.

But God knows I long to follow Him because of my great love for Him.

And knowing I need the blood of Jesus to forgive my sins every single day makes His sacrifice on the cross all the more meaningful.

Every day I thank Him for taking my punishment.

And for giving me His righteousness.

But wait... there's more!

Author Jerry Bridges talks about dealing with anxiety in his life.

In Matthew chapter 8 He was reading about Jesus and the disciples caught in a bad storm on the Sea of Galilee.

The disciples were terrified.

Jesus was asleep in the back of the boat.

And Jerry thought... Jesus was asleep for me.

This is what Jerry writes in the book "Stand"(Crossway):

"All that Jesus did in both His sinless life and sin-bearing death was all on my behalf.

In contrast to my anxiety, Jesus was never anxious.

In far more desperate circumstances than I faced Jesus fully trusted His Heavenly Father.

And I get the credit for it.

I knew my sin was forgiven and instead I had been credited with perfect obedience (in this case, the perfect trust) of Jesus. So I went out into my day not only encouraged but determined that by His grace I would fight against my anxiety".

Our trust in the Lord is something we have to renew daily.

We can't live live today on yesterday's commitment.

"I Want To Play A Glockenspiel"

Not long ago I asked my third grader Nicolas if he would like to learn how to play a musical instrument. "Sure" he said.

And so I threw out the obvious possibilities.

Guitar?

"Nope."

Piano?

"Not really".

Drums? (secretly I cringe)

"No."

Well... what do you have in mind?

"A glockenspiel."

A what????

"A glockenspiel."

Don't you love those moments when kids take you by surprise?

Not even knowing what a glockenspiel is.. of course I go to Wikipedia:

The glockenspiel (German, "set of bells" or "play-bells", also known as orchestra bells and, in its portable form, bell lira or bell lyre) is a musical instrument in the percussion family. It is similar to the xylophone, in that it has tuned bars laid out in a fashion resembling a piano keyboard. The xylophone's bars are wooden, while the glockenspiel's are metal, thus making it a metallophone.

Where did he hear about this contraption?

Turns out they have one in his music class.

I wanted to check it out during his open house but the music room was locked up by the time we made it to the back of the school building.

Rats!

I was so there.

With bells on.

My wife and I haven't decided how to handle this unexpected turn of events.

Maybe it's just a passing phase.

Maybe the glockenspiel is the next big thing.

"Guitar Hero" watch out.

"Glockenspiel Hero" could be the hottest selling interactive game ever.

Remember: you heard the whole spiel from me first.

A Well Within

Have you ever been super thirsty, but no matter how much you drank your thirst wasn't quenched?

If not spend a summer here in the desert.

Play a little tennis at about 3pm in late July.

You'll know!

My problem is that instead of water I want to drink a Coke.

Or maybe fruit juice.

Anything but water.

Bottom line: I'm not drinking the right thing.

And the result is that I'm thirsty again within minutes.

Maybe even seconds!

What a parallel this is to life.

I want to quench my spiritual thirst with:

*Relationships

*Money

*Busyness

*Pleasure

*Material things

*Popularity

*Worldly Success

But the principal is the same: I'm still thirsty.

I don't think it was a coincidence that Jesus talked about this spiritual thirst.

First, take a look at what He said in a casual encounter with a woman at the town well:

John 4:13-14 (ESV) 13 Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty forever. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

And later in John's Gospel....

John 7:37-38(ESV): 37 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.' "

These verses are for those who have accepted Christ as Savior.

The spiritual thirst is quenched by a never ending supply of the forgiveness and love of God.

It's the power of the Holy Spirit in us.

So as we go through life we may face the toughest challenges imaginable:

*The loss of a loved one

*Illnesses

*Financial Problems

*Relationship problems

*Work related problems

The non-believer who has been pursuing the things that can't quench his thirst has no power to cope.

The believer has the power but may have his "well" plugged by trying to quench his thirst in the wrong ways too.

Unplug the pipeline.

Jesus alone is enough.

Believe it and begin to live it.

Then... no matter what is going on around you... you'll always have a never ending supply of pure living water that can't be contaminated by the stuff of life.

Joy, satisfaction, and power flow from the well within.

The Truth Project

Stunning Statistic: Only 9 percent of professing Christians have a Biblical worldview.

That's from a study out of the Barna Research Group.

In fact, when I interviewed George Barna some time ago he told me this was an obvious trend.

Bottom line: Today's believers are living like non-believers.

We have stopped being salt and light.

Standing up for God's truth has always been important.

In America today, it's crucial.

That's why I'm so excited about The Truth Project from Focus On The Family.

This Saturday more than 300 churches across the nation will be simulcasting a Truth Project Training Conference. Here in Las Vegas it's from 8:30am to 3pm at The Champion Center of Las Vegas, 3900 E. Bonanza Road.

The event will focus on all aspects of life: theology, science, work, relationships, community impact, etc. All from a Biblical perspective.

If you attend you'll also receive the entire Truth Project curriculum on DVD.

That way you can share it with your family and friends.

It would also be great for kids who are home schooled as well as small groups.

To find a church near you that will be simulcasting the event click on this link:

http://www.thetruthproject.org/

Again tonight on Total Impact we'll have the Las Vegas Coordinators for the event describing what you can expect.

That's 6:10pm Pacific time.

Unrelated thoughts:Happy Birthday Aleq/Boost Your Paycheck

I hope you had a fantastic weekend.

On Saturday we celebrated my older son's birthday!

Aleq is now 17.

I had to use bold type because I can't believe he's 17.

Where has time gone?

I told him I was going to post some classic moments from his life on the blog.

Like some of those old videos.

For instance.. the one when he was about 4......!

Just kidding Aleq!

Maybe another day.

Translation: Be nice to your Dad or else.

What an intimidating guy I am.

I ran across something today I though might be helpful for you in these challenging economic times. It has to do with keeping more money in your pocket.

Specifically, it has to do with the W-4 form we all have to fill out.

For people who regard this form as mysterious I'm with you.

Make a mistake on this one and you'll be in for a shock about April 15.

Been there. Done that.

Won't do it again!

Check out this info.

It's from Kiplinger's.

I hope it helps:

Boost Your Paycheck

If you typically get a tax refund each spring, adjust your withholding to put more money in your pocket.
Use the easy withholding calculator at to find out how many exemptions you are entitled to claim. That will determine how much tax is withheld from your paycheck.

File a new Form W-4 with your employer to increase the number of exemptions.
Revise your W-4 anytime you experience a major life change that can affect the amount of taxes you pay -- marriage, divorce, birth or adoption of a child, or a home purchase.

Smile on payday.

Wild Goose Chase

Happy Friday!
I hope you had a chance to listen in to Total Impact last night (6:10pm Pacific).
We aired the first part of my conversation with pastor and author Mark Batterson.
Mark is the lead pastor of National Community Church in Washington D.C.
Part 2 airs tonight.
I've mentioned both on the air and here on the blog that his new book is awesome!
Celtic Christians had a name for the Holy Spirit: The Wild Goose.
Think about it.
A wild goose is unpredictable.
You can't figure it out.
It's... well... wild!
The Holy Spirit is like that.
Mysterious.
Inviting us as followers of Christ into a life that's not safe.
Taking risks as He leads us.
A life that has it's challenges, but is anything but boring.
And WOW. What a feeling to be used by God.
A God we can't figure out but who invites us into the mystery of trusting Him.
Seeing Him in our daily life.
Sounds fantastic doesn't it?
If you have some time, check out both of my segments with Mark.
Mark Batterson Total Impact 1:
http://www.box.net/shared/i5mifd27qn
Mark Batterson Total Impact 2:
http://www.box.net/shared/9eh1qkjq09

I think you'll be blessed and challenged by what he has to say.

Pursuing Holiness In Real Life

Are you ever discouraged by the sin in your life as a follower of Christ?
Yep.
Me too.
Author Jerry Bridges once told me we need to preach the gospel to ourselves every single day.
We need to know that even at our best moments we're sinners in need of forgiveness.
That keeps us humble.

The illustration I often think of is that we're standing on one side of the Grand Canyon and God is way across on the other side.

We want to get to Him.

And we can try on our own.

One guys runs and jumps and goes 20 feet out.

The next guy gives it a try and jumps 50 feet.

The third guy hops in a car and gets it up to 120 miles per hour and goes 200 feet.

Each one fell short.

It's the same for us.

And it's the Cross that bridges the gap.

We get to God because of the blood of Jesus.

It's powerful enough to cover our deepest sins.

Past, present, and future.

That doesn't mean we give up being obedient to Christ.

We do that to thank Him for taking our punishment.

For paying our debt.

When God looks at us, sees the righteousness of Christ credited to our account.

Psalm 103:11-12 (ESV) For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.

But if you're discouraged today, check out this line from one of my favorite books of all time: "Holiness" by J.C. Ryle:

"A holy man is not perfect. But it is the excellence of a holy man that he is not at peace with indwelling sin as others are. He hates it, mourns over it, and longs to be free of its company....

It is his heart's desire to be obedient to the Lord, though he may fall short at times. It is what he strives and works to be, even if it is not what he is."

Project Bitterroot: Thanks!!

What fun today as we invited you to join with SOS to increase our power in the Bitterroot Valley of Montana!

Thank you so much for following God's prompting to give to help us pay for the equipment we'll need to up the power from 750 to 5,000 watts.

That means more people will be touched with the greatest news of all: Salvation in Jesus!

Also, more people will be encouraged in that area than ever before.

People dealing with the challenges of real life.

They just need to know God is there.

And that He cares.

If you wanted to give but you just couldn't right now, that's okay.

More than anything else, we ask for your prayers for all of the exciting things God has in store for us in the future.

I just want to let you know that we sure appreciate you being a part of the SOS Family!

In Fashion

Hey ladies... did you have a chance to catch our Total Impact segment last night?
Former image consultant Shari Braendel was with us.
In fact, she'll be with us tonight too at 6:10pm Pacific time.

Being a guy, and being fairly clueless when it comes to fashion for women, I "went to school" as they say. Shari filled me in on important info like this:
Buy what you love but make sure it loves you back!
Good point.
It's interesting how God guided her into exclusively reaching out to women in the church.
She travels around the country with Proverbs 31 Ministries hosting events at churches that are fun and meaningful.
This Saturday she'll be hosting a What Not To Wear Workshop in the Las Vegas Valley for women from 13 to 103! It's happening at Green Valley Baptist Church in Henderson from 9am to 2:30pm.
Listen to Total Impact tonight for more details or click on this link:
http://www.greenvalleybc.org/templates/System/details.asp?id=39625&PID=493711&Style=

Also Shari has some fun fashion tips and other stuff at her website:
http://www.fashionmeetsfaith.com/

To listen to Shari's segments click on these links:
Shari Braendel Part 1:
http://www.box.net/shared/oy8t2yepyr
Shari Braendel Part 2:
http://www.box.net/shared/n2esctfysn

Blessings your way today.

Do We Hope Or Do We Know?

Check out these verses from James Chapter 1:

James 1:2-4 (ESV) 2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

The testing of my faith.
And what is the definition of faith?

Hebrews 11:1 (ESV) 1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

So the passage in James might read something like this: the testing of your assurance and conviction will produce steadfastness.

It's interesting to me that what is being tested isn't hope.

Hope is half-hearted so much of the time isn't it?

In my own life, I've been praying about God showing up in a specific way in my life.

But it struck me that when I pray my heart is hoping more than believing.

Believing that God will live up to His promises in his Word.

Believing that my God will always do what's best for me, in His time.

Hope is wishy-washy.

Faith is a sturdy oak tree standing strong in the storms of life.

Hope fades.

Faith doesn't.

And the only way for faith to grow is to be tested.

We may falter, but Jesus, our Saviour, is praying that we will succeed in the end.

Just like He prayed for Peter, fully knowing Peter would deny Him:

Luke 22:31-32 (ESV) 31 "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, 32 but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers."

Hope only takes us so far.

Faith takes us the distance.

May we lean on Christ every step of the way.

What's In A Name Anyway?

There are more significant issues in the world today than the subject of this blog entry.

But hey.. it's Friday. Reason enough to tackle the soda or pop debate.

When I was growing up amid the vast cornfields of Indiana, a soft drink was known as "pop".

Or maybe just a Coke.

Yep. Even if it wasn't a Coke.

There were a few renegades who called it soda.

But they were the outsiders.

As I grew up and moved around a bit, I discovered calling it pop would make YOU the outsider.

They called it soda.

So I was converted.

And to this day I'm a soda guy.

Who knew a study of the phenomena would be done by professional researchers.

Too much time on their hands?

Here are some of the results:

COKE: this generic term for soft drinks predominates throughout the South, New Mexico, central Indiana and in a few other single counties in Nevada, Utah and Wyoming. ‘Coke’ obviously derives from Coca-Cola, the brand-name of the soft drink originally manufactured in Atlanta (which explains its use as a generic term for all soft drinks in the South).

POP: dominates the Northwest, Great Plains and Midwest. The world ‘pop’ was introduced by Robert Southey, the British Poet Laureate (1774-1843), to whom we also owe the word ‘autobiography’, among others. In 1812, he wrote: A new manufactory of a nectar, between soda-water and ginger-beer, and called pop, because ‘pop goes the cork’ when it is drawn. Even though it was introduced by a Poet Laureate, the term ‘pop’ is considered unsophisticated by some, because it is onomatopoeic.

SODA: prevalent in the Northeast, greater Miami, the area in Missouri and Illinois surrounding St Louis and parts of northern California. ‘Soda’ derives from ‘soda-water’ (also called club soda, carbonated or sparkling water or seltzer). It’s produced by dissolving carbon dioxide gas in plain water, a procedure developed by Joseph Priestly in the latter half of the 18th century. The fizziness of soda-water caused the term ‘soda’ to be associated with later, similarly carbonated soft drinks.

And if you want to see a detailed map of the results of this study click this link:http://strangemaps.wordpress.com/2008/08/18/308-the-pop-vs-soda-map/

But first, grab a SODA, POP it open and enjoy your Coke.

A New Take On A Classic Verse

In my daily Bible reading I came across a classic verse:
Hebrews 12:1 (NIV) 1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

A familiar verse that hit me in a new way.
The race is this Christian life.
When I'm in the race, I don't need anything to hold me back.
To slow me down.
To get me distracted or discouraged.

That not only includes my sin that so easily entangles, but also the sins of others that can impact my life and the way I run this race.
I confess my sins and I am forgiven because Jesus took the punishment for my sins on the Cross. I then begin anew to pursue God. I want to honor Him by being obedient.
But the sinful choices of others ...that's a whole different ball game.
They may care less about living a Godly life.
They may not have accepted Christ as Saviour.
They may just be far away from Him.
They may be a family member, a boss, a co-worker or a friend.
What they do affects me.
So how do I throw off this sin that so easily entangles?

First off, the most loving thing I can do is not to do anything that would keep this person comfortable in their sin. I need to allow room for the Holy Spirit to convict them and bring change. Maybe I need to set up some boundaries. God will show us what to do.
And remember we can't change hearts.
But God can!
And we can pray for Him to do just that.

Second, I can remember that Satan wants to destroy me if I truly want to live a life that honors God. He'll use anything he can to achieve his goal. That's where the distraction and discouragement comes in.
How many runners have lost a race because they turned their heads and were distracted?
They were looking at something or someone else.
Entangled.
Carrying extra weight.
So what's the answer?
It's right there.... just a few of verses down:
Hebrews 12:2 (NIV) "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith..."
Fix our eyes on Jesus.
He's standing at the finish line.
In the end, all we can control is how we run.
Let Him take care of those other runners who want to trip us up.
He will.

Sanctus Real & Extreme Makeover Home Edition

Happy Wednesday!

In the Music News Spotlight.. a band that will be in Las Vegas for a free concert on October 19th: Sanctus Real.

They'll be at Valley Bible Fellowship Church along with Tenth Avenue North & Vota.

Get the details on our concert page: http://www.sosradio.net/concert.html

Here's what they were up to....

Sanctus Real & ABC’s Extreme Makeover Team up

Last week, the ABC show, “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” was in Toledo, OH to build a home for a family in need and as part of the week long event, Sanctus Real was asked to put on a concert.

It was an amazing opportunity for them to be able to serve their own community. You just might see them on the show when it finally airs in a few weeks!And better yet, here’s a really awesome thing that they also did during the taping.

They learned that 40% of the world’s population does not own a single pair of shoes. How crazy and unnecessary is that? Well they hooked up with Tom’s Shoes because their doing something pretty incredible. For every pair of shoes they sell, they give a pair away.

They do shoe drops all the time and have given tens of thousands of pairs away, and it’s only getting bigger.
This is just another amazing opportunity for them and Tom’s Shoes to show the love of Christ to a hurting world.

A Handlebar Moustache And An 8 year Old Boy

I know what you're thinking.

Kurt is going to grow a handlebar moustache like the guy pictured here.

Not on your life.

But recently my witty 8 year old Nicolas was waxing eloquent about handlebar moustaches as I was shaving.

"What about growing a handlebar moustache Dad?"

My real answer... spoken silently in my head was...

"Not on your life."

But I decided to head in another direction because I love these kinds of conversations with kids.

"I guess I could try.. but I think those things on the end.. the hair that curls up.. that would probably bug me."

He looked at me with that serious gaze that means I know something you don't.

"You mean the shnobs?"

SHNOBS?

This was getting good.

"Uh.. yeah. The shnobs. Where did you find out that's what they're called?"

"Oh I just know."

How hilarious.

And so over the past few days when I needed a smile I would think of that conversation.

But a few minutes ago amusement turned to curiosity.

A quick Google search and there it is: The Handlebar Club.

http://www.handlebarclub.co.uk/

It's based in the U.K. but they have members from other places.

Love the Picture Gallery!

I go to the Frequently Asked Questions page.

They answer important stuff like:

"Will a handlebar moustache suit me?"

"How should I set about growing one?"

And then I saw it.

Question Number 7: "What is a snood and where can I get one?"

Snood translated into the language of an 8 year old sounds a lot like shnob.

Answer: a device to keep the moustache in place when sleeping. Also known as a moustache band.

Smile :)

But just think: if I DID grow a handlebar moustache at a moment like this I could throw my head back, laugh, and twist the shnobs with gusto.

I know what you're thinking.

And the answer is still the same.

Not on your life.

A Great Story of Faith on Total Impact

First off... thanks to all of the awesome ladies who stopped by the SOS Booth this weekend at the Deeper Still event here in Vegas. It was nice to chat with so many of you!
I did stick my head into the arena at the Thomas & Mack to catch some of the teaching on Saturday. Kay Arthur... bravo! Beth Moore...bravo! And Priscilla Shirer.. bravo!
A lot of bravos but they deserve it.
I hope Deeper Still comes back next year.

Tonight on Total Impact we begin a 2 part series on Childhood Cancer. We'll be sharing the story of the Castillio family.
Melanie was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of 6.
This Christian family had their faith stretched in many ways.
But WOW.. how God answered their prayers and guided them is so encouraging.
We'll be talking with Melanie and her dad Raul.

There are so many children like Melanie who have leukemia and need a bone marrow transplant. That's why the Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation is hosting a bone marrow drive here in Las Vegas this Friday and Saturday at various locations.
It's easy to do. They just swab the inside of your mouth and that's it.
You could be a match, and might be able to save a child's life.
A child like Melanie!
For more info including locations for the drive click on this link: http://www.nvccf.org/
Melanie is now going back to the hospital where she was treated to give other children hope.
To listen to her story on Total Impact follow the links!
Melanie's Story Part 1: http://www.box.net/shared/p0zkxs59d2
Melanie's Story Part 2: http://www.box.net/shared/vtr08zfsf7

Melanie is quite the poet.

Here is a poem she wrote about her expereince with cancer:

"Turtle Dove"

A Pigeon.
“Oh, God, why a pigeon?” I asked with a heart so torn and sad.
“A pigeon you created me and I wish I were not!”
I look upon the whitest doves with a longing so to be.
For they are loved and cherished, but a pigeon is surly not.
The doves so white, are beautiful. They are perfect and are blessed.
A pigeon is despised and hated and cast off.
“Oh, God I feel alone!” I cried
“I feel their looks of scorn. My dark mangled feathers are slowly shedding and my heart keeps on breaking.”
Some ignored me and others pitied me.
Neither which I wanted.
I was ugly in my eyes.
I saw what the world saw.
I was disgusted at my own reflection.
A rat with wings was how a felt.
Most feared me.
I carried disease.
What if they caught it?
That was their question.
What if they caught the pigeons’ disease?
Didn’t’ they see how that hurt me?
Didn’t’ they even care?
“Why me?” I cried to God. “why did you chose me?”
“My baby bird.” He said to me, “Why cannot you see?”
“Never were you a filthy pigeon as you though you were. Come with me, I’ll heal you and your feathers will grow back. But I will share with you now why is it your life was bad.
‘I ran with you when you were joyous, and walked with you when you were tired or sad. And I carried you when the pain was immense and I never put you down.
‘I had a plan from your birth to touch those far and near. To suffer is but a part of it all but soon you will see the rest.
Now see your feathers, take a look and see them for what they are. True they are not white, but they are not of what you though.”
I take a look at what has grown and my eyes begin to tear.
“you see, my baby bird, not all can be doves of white. Others must carry a different burden but one that changes lives.
‘In times of old, before of flesh I was born, a certain bird was sacrificed. He gave his life for all to see that God was on his way.
‘This bird must suffer, yes its’ true, but by Me is highly blessed, for this certain bird must be sacrificed for my glory and will to be.
‘A life of suffering, true, you had, but now its’ in the past, now show our feathers brown and new and tell of what I’ve done. For many times by suffer and sacrifice must My love truly fly. “
“And so I shared my story with those, still pigeons of the world. For through my sadness and my pain I shed old feathers and grew some new. And now those feathers tell me now what my God, my Father, once told me.
“Baby bird, you were never a pigeon, you were born
a turtle dove.”

Deeper Still Begins Today!

Tonight the Deeper Still Women's Conference begins here in Las Vegas at the Thomas & Mack Center.

This afternoon we'll be setting up the SOS Booth there.

It's always so much fun to meet members of "The SOS Family" face to face.

Ladies make sure to drop on by sometime during the conference to check in with us.

A lot of people were calling during my show yesterday wanting to buy tickets.

Depending on when you read this, you can buy tickets at Lemstone Christian Store in Las Vegas. The address is 655 West Craig Road Suite 112.

Their phone number is:699-9673.

Later this afternoon I'll be interviewing Pastor Mark Batterson for his new book "Wild Goose Chase".

As I mentioned in a previous blog entry, this is a book I really enjoyed.

Can't wait for today's conversation with Mark!

This is excellent content and I'll be sharing it with you on Total Impact in a couple of weeks if all goes well.

I've been chewing on one of Mark's comments today.

He talks about following the Holy Spirit.

That's the kind of life that's never boring for the Christian!

And yet how many of us are big time BORED with our Christian lives?

God never intended for it to be that way!

Following Him is uncertain, a bit unnerving, and filled with surprises at every turn. There's a good name for that: adventure!

As Mark points out... why do we live as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death?
I need to be challenged with thoughts like that.
Every single day.

Rubber Chickens Are Still Funny

Just look at him.

A sorry sight gag that still brings a smile to my face.

Maybe that says more about me than the chicken.

Who was the first person to think.... "Hey.. I know... let's add a rubber chicken to the act!"
The origins of the rubber chicken are obscure.

According to Wikipedia:
One account attributes its creation to Joseph Grimaldi, the legendary white-faced clown of the early 1800s. At that time, gluttony was fashionable and considered a sign of affluence, and Grimaldi would perform with his pockets full of fake food in order to make fun of the upper classes.(Sounds hilarious. NOT!)

Another account, which is printed on the tag of rubber chickens manufactured by Archie McPhee, claims that the use of the rubber chicken originated during the French Revolution with soldiers hanging a rubber chicken from their muskets for luck.( "Hey... I'm staying away from that guy.... he's got a RUBBER CHICKEN!")

Overeating and superstition.

Either way you look at it it's a ridiculous beginning.

How appropriate.

So in keeping with the theme of this blog entry we ask the age old question:

Why did the chicken cross the road?

Answer by Colonel Sanders: "I missed one?"

Grateful For The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit.

Given to all who truly accept the death and Resurrection of Jesus for their sins.

Given to us as believers.

The past couple of days I've been pondering about how I view the Holy Spirit in my life.

All of the theology aside, how do I think about Him when I do think about Him?

The real daily grind kind of thinking.

The answer: A source of power. An influence.

The problem with that limited perspective: He's a PERSON!

Sure, a mysterious person at times. Jesus said in John 3:8:

"The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."

The Bible says we can grieve Him with sinful choices.

We can quench His influence too.

But how many of us can testify that He's never given up on us?

He's drawn us back to Christ.

He's the Comforter, the Guide, the Helper. Again, Jesus said:

(John 16:12-13)"I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth..."

He loves us. Paul wrote this: (Romans 15:30) I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the LOVE of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God..."

And he's God!

So each day I'm learning to thank God the Father for sending His Son to die for my sins on the cross.

I thank Jesus for coming to this earth to live the perfect life I never could. To go to the cross and endure MY punishment for all of my sins and give me HIS righteousness so that God can be both just and merciful. The great exchange at the cross means I enter Heaven based on the righteousness of Jesus. It's a free gift to us but one that was infinitely costly to God. The Resurrection of Jesus from the grave is proof that God accepted that sacrifice!

And now I thank the Holy Spirit for drawing me to Jesus, for never giving up on me, for being a true friend, for help when I read the Bible He inspired, for guidance and power.

Jesus said it was good that He was going away so that He could send the Holy Spirit to us:

(John 16:7) "Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you."

We seek not a power or a mystical influence.

We seek a closer relationship with a Person.

He's with me right now as I type these words.

And as a believer He's with you as you read them.

Deeper Still Conference Begins Friday In Vegas

I can't believe the Deeper Still Conference is just days away!
It's Friday and Saturday, September 5th & 6th.

What a fantastic opportunity ladies for you to grow deeper in your Christian faith with three of the best women Bible teachers in the country: Beth Moore, Kay Arthur, and Priscilla Shirer.

There's still time to register through our website: http://www.sosradio.net/deeperStill2008.html

Not many cities host one of these events so we're pretty excited!

The SOS Booth will be set up at the the Thomas & Mack Center so be sure to come on by and say "Hi".

I'm sure we'll have ladies in town from the many SOS listening areas.

I had a chance to visit at length with Priscilla Shirer a few weeks ago on our interview segment Total Impact.

We were talking about her awesome book "Discerning The Voice of God".
To give you a taste of the kind of teaching you'll be hearing, just click on the links below to listen to the segments.
This is good stuff for any Christian to hear!

Priscilla Shirer Part 1:
http://www.box.net/shared/c3ev6hmz04
Priscilla Shirer Part 2:
http://www.box.net/shared/92v9era8jm
Enjoy!

Getting Back To Work

It's back to work after Labor Day Weekend for many of us tomorrow!
As I mentioned on the air click on this link for a few good tips to help you get back into the swing of things: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26351868/?GT1=43001

Gustav Hits, Relief Agencies Spring Into Action

On this Labor Day, many folks are watching the news coverage of Hurricane Gustav.

Keep those affected by the storm in your prayers!

There are many Christian relief organizations springing into action.

An organization that I always love to point people to is Samaritan's Purse.

Click on this link for the latest info on relief efforts: http://www.samaritanspurse.org/