Satan uses Turbo Tax...so do we
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
“How Privileged Were You”
My mother-in-law posted this, and I thought it looked like it might be interesting to see how privileged I was!
It's important to note that this is copyrighted, so if you put this up on your blog, please note the following: From What Privileges Do You Have?, based on an exercise about class and privilege developed by Will Barratt, Meagan Cahill, Angie Carlen, Minnette Huck, Drew Lurker, Stacy Ploskonka at Illinois Indiana State University (ty Klady for the correction - see comments). If you participate in this blog game, they ask that you PLEASE acknowledge their copyright.
Bold the true statements.
1. Father went to college.
2. Father finished college.
3. Mother went to college.
4. Mother finished college.
5. Have any relative who is was an attorney, physician, or professor.
6. Were the same or higher class than your high school teachers.
7. Had more than 50 books in your childhood home.
8. Had more than 500 books in your childhood home.
9. Were read children’s books by a parent.
10. Had lessons of any kind before you turned 18.
11. Had more than two kinds of lessons before you turned 18.
12. The people in the media who dress and talk like me are portrayed positively. (I don't really understand this one...I guess so.)
13. Had a credit card with your name on it before you turned 18.
14. Your parents (or a trust) paid for the majority of your college costs.
15. Your parents (or a trust) paid for all of your college costs.
16. Went to a private high school (but on scholarship).
17. Went to summer camp.
18. Had a private tutor before you turned 18.
19. Family vacations involved staying at hotels.
20. Your clothing was all bought new before you turned 18.
21. Your parents grandmother bought you a car that was not a hand-me-down from them.
22. There was original art in your house when you were a child.
23. You and your family lived in a single-family house.
24. Your parent(s) owned their own house or apartment before you left home.
25. You had your own room as a child.
26. You had a phone in your room before you turned 18.
27. Participated in a SAT/ACT prep course.
28. Had your own TV in your room in high school.
29. Owned a mutual fund or IRA in high school or college.
30. Flew anywhere on a commercial airline before you turned 16.
31. Went on a cruise with your family.
32. Went on more than one cruise with your family.
33. Your parents took you to museums and art galleries as you grew up.
34. You were unaware of how much heating bills were for your family.
I had 19 of them....I was and still am pretty blessed!
My mother-in-law posted this, and I thought it looked like it might be interesting to see how privileged I was!
It's important to note that this is copyrighted, so if you put this up on your blog, please note the following: From What Privileges Do You Have?, based on an exercise about class and privilege developed by Will Barratt, Meagan Cahill, Angie Carlen, Minnette Huck, Drew Lurker, Stacy Ploskonka at Illinois Indiana State University (ty Klady for the correction - see comments). If you participate in this blog game, they ask that you PLEASE acknowledge their copyright.
Bold the true statements.
1. Father went to college.
2. Father finished college.
3. Mother went to college.
4. Mother finished college.
5. Have any relative who is was an attorney, physician, or professor.
6. Were the same or higher class than your high school teachers.
7. Had more than 50 books in your childhood home.
8. Had more than 500 books in your childhood home.
9. Were read children’s books by a parent.
10. Had lessons of any kind before you turned 18.
11. Had more than two kinds of lessons before you turned 18.
12. The people in the media who dress and talk like me are portrayed positively. (I don't really understand this one...I guess so.)
13. Had a credit card with your name on it before you turned 18.
14. Your parents (or a trust) paid for the majority of your college costs.
15. Your parents (or a trust) paid for all of your college costs.
16. Went to a private high school (but on scholarship).
17. Went to summer camp.
18. Had a private tutor before you turned 18.
19. Family vacations involved staying at hotels.
20. Your clothing was all bought new before you turned 18.
21. Your parents grandmother bought you a car that was not a hand-me-down from them.
22. There was original art in your house when you were a child.
23. You and your family lived in a single-family house.
24. Your parent(s) owned their own house or apartment before you left home.
25. You had your own room as a child.
26. You had a phone in your room before you turned 18.
27. Participated in a SAT/ACT prep course.
28. Had your own TV in your room in high school.
29. Owned a mutual fund or IRA in high school or college.
30. Flew anywhere on a commercial airline before you turned 16.
31. Went on a cruise with your family.
32. Went on more than one cruise with your family.
33. Your parents took you to museums and art galleries as you grew up.
34. You were unaware of how much heating bills were for your family.
I had 19 of them....I was and still am pretty blessed!
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
What's The Plan? - Part 1
This is part 1 of the life plan I talked about. This one is titled mission and values. In the intro I talked about stumbling. Most people go through life stumbling around, without a plan, without preparing, without passion, and without focus from God. I will be the first to admit, that is me.
Where there is no vision, the people will perish... Proverbs 29:18
Where there is no vision for a Godly family, 1 in 2 marriages end in divorce. Don't they?
Where there is no vision for financial freedom, we are in the richest country and be the most debt-ridden people alive. Aren't we?
Where there is no vision for a healthy body, I can just look in the mirror and realize that there is no six pack...it looks more like a keg.
When there is no vision, people wander through life and stumble. I can just listen to people here at work to know what their goal is. It is their goal to make to the weekend, pay their bills, if I can just get a raise, holding marriages together for the sake of kids, keep their children out of jail, and the list goes on. Where there is no vision, the people perish.
Craig Groeschel uses a word chazown (khaw-zone), which is the hebrew word for vision. It means a dream, a revelation, or vision.
Assignment - rate last week on a scale of 1 to 10. What is your rating based on? Not closing a deal at work, fight with your spouse, kids acting up, maybe your hair just isn't doing what you want? I know it is rough...you should be thankful you have hair. haha! If low, why? If high, why? You did close the deal, you had a date night with your spouse, kid got a good grade, the Sooners just got a huge commitment for next season. How do YOU define success? What does GOD say success is in your life? Everyone wants a great life, but most people don't even know how to recognize a great week...much less, how to create one.
What is your mission in life? I have a 2 part challenge for you, which will lay the foundation for the remaining parts.
1. Prayerfully uncover your values. What core values has God planted in you?
Our responsibillity is never to oppose the truth, but to stand for the truth at all times. 2 Cor 13:8
What is ultimate truth? God's Word...is living inspired truth. God has planted in our hearts a passion for searching His truth. Have you ever wondered why you care about something more than others? God has planted within each of us certain values. What are your core values? What do you stand for? Pray and try to come up with 5 to 10 core values for your foundation.
2. Prayerfully discover your mission. What is it that we are about? Why are we here?
But Abraham's servant said, 'I don't want to eat until I have told you why I have come.' 'All right,' Laban said, 'tell us your mission.' Genesis 24:33
To go through life without even being able to define what we were created for, is a tragedy. If I ask what is your mission...I hope the answer is more than to take life easy.
Paul: I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may...complete the task...of testifying to the gospel of God's grace. Acts 20:24
How do you define what your mission is? Fill in the blanks to that statement. I consider my life worth nothing to me if only I may _____________. What do you say there? If I did this...I would feel like I did what God called me to do.
Jesus: For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost. Luke 19:10
Scripture also says what Jesus was not about. Your mission will tell you what you do and don't do. He said His mission was not to condemn but to bring freedom.
Many people have a vision for your time and resources. Even great people like family, friends, boss, and co-workers. They have a vision for what they want to see you do. Their vision usually doesn't line up with what God wants. Jesus told the disciples that one day He was going to give up His life and die on the cross. Peter had a different vision for Jesus and spoke up...
Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 'Never, Lord!' he said. 'This shall never happen to you!' Matthew 16:22
Start preparing your one sentence mission statement. I know it is tough....it is supposed to be. Why is this so important? Because we are called to do life as God has called us to, with the values He placed in our lives.
People have a different vision for my money...they have trained us to feel okay about being in bondage with debt. People have a different vision for what we eat...every fast food restaurant wants us to super-size.
People have a different vision for my family. We will live a simpler, less materialistic way than most. My wife will stay home and raise our kids...which we don't use birth control, we will let the Lord open and close the womb. We will homeschool them. We will be strict with them. They will help out with chores because we are a family. We will raise our kids up in the Lord and prepare them for the world before we send them out in it. People may say we are weird and aren't normal. Frankly, I see normal and don't like it. I'm in the public schools everyday, and it is scary. We plan to be weird, normal doesn't seem to be working. Bottom line, we don't answer to people on how we raise our kids...we answer to God.
You pursue what God tell you to pursue. Everyone ends up somewhere...but we will seek the heart of God, we will hear from God, and we will end up somewhere on purpose. What is God calling for you to be about?
Friday, January 25, 2008
What's The Plan? - Intro
I tend to be like so many of you just stumbling through my daily life...without a plan. I don't know what is going on one day from the next. My wife is a planner. She absolutely loves lists, if you read her blogs you already knew that. She always wants to know....what's the plan? I say I have no idea, I fly by the seat of my pants....that doesn't sit well with her. If I were telling the truth, I don't like living that way either. Craig Groeschel puts it so well when he says "Everybody ends up somewhere, few people end up somewhere on purpose." We need to have a plan...a vision for all areas of our life.
"Where there is no vision, the people perish" Proverbs 29:18
I kinda think of it like a dart board. All the darts hit the board...some stick, some don't...all over the board. The question is...how many actually hit the bull's eye?
I am going to do a small series on here about a life plan, which I got from LifeChurch. My wife makes fun of me when I copy and paste, so I will use my own words mixed in with some of his. I'm hoping to develop my vision/plan for my family and me...during this series I will evaluate where I currently am and where I/We want to be.
This will be a 6 part series involving Mission/Values, Relationship with God, Relationship with People, Finances, Physical Life, and Work Life.
I tend to be like so many of you just stumbling through my daily life...without a plan. I don't know what is going on one day from the next. My wife is a planner. She absolutely loves lists, if you read her blogs you already knew that. She always wants to know....what's the plan? I say I have no idea, I fly by the seat of my pants....that doesn't sit well with her. If I were telling the truth, I don't like living that way either. Craig Groeschel puts it so well when he says "Everybody ends up somewhere, few people end up somewhere on purpose." We need to have a plan...a vision for all areas of our life.
"Where there is no vision, the people perish" Proverbs 29:18
I kinda think of it like a dart board. All the darts hit the board...some stick, some don't...all over the board. The question is...how many actually hit the bull's eye?
I am going to do a small series on here about a life plan, which I got from LifeChurch. My wife makes fun of me when I copy and paste, so I will use my own words mixed in with some of his. I'm hoping to develop my vision/plan for my family and me...during this series I will evaluate where I currently am and where I/We want to be.
This will be a 6 part series involving Mission/Values, Relationship with God, Relationship with People, Finances, Physical Life, and Work Life.
Monday, January 21, 2008
No Place Like Home...
Since the new year, I have been out of town at least for one night every week. Matter of fact, it has been in Wagoner each week. I think this one is coming to an end, then it might actually be a few weeks before I am out of town overnight again. I'm ready for the break. I realize how much I love being with my family, when they aren't here. There is nothing like evening coversations and cuddles with my wife. I'm just tired of living out of the suitcase. There's no place like home!
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Mind Your Own Business!
I've been listening to a sermon series from LifeChurch.tv about finances. There are some amazing facts out there. Like...
95% of married couples fight about finances
Leading cause of divorce is financially related
Average American spends $1.22 for every $1.00 earned.
If you own a car, you are in the top 3% of richest people in the world.
66% of the parables Jesus spoke deal directly with finances and possession.
In the gospels, 1 in every 10 verses dealt directly with money.
In the entire Bible, over 2300 verses talk about money...5 more times than prayer and faith.
The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender. Proverbs 22:7
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:21
Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another. Romans 13:8
Craig also has this saying, "We will say NO for a little while, so we can say YES the rest of our lives.
With the statistic of $1.22 for every $1.00 earned...obviously, our treasure is in this world. If our treasure is in this world, so is our heart.
Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of a hunter. Proverbs 6:5
You can go watch the sermons here. They are AMAZING! I'm ready to make changes! Problem is we don't get mad...it is normal to us. Normal is car payments, house payments, student loans...normal is credit card payments at 19%. Normal is panic, worrying, stress, and fighting. Normal makes me mad...I want to be weird.
I've been listening to a sermon series from LifeChurch.tv about finances. There are some amazing facts out there. Like...
95% of married couples fight about finances
Leading cause of divorce is financially related
Average American spends $1.22 for every $1.00 earned.
If you own a car, you are in the top 3% of richest people in the world.
66% of the parables Jesus spoke deal directly with finances and possession.
In the gospels, 1 in every 10 verses dealt directly with money.
In the entire Bible, over 2300 verses talk about money...5 more times than prayer and faith.
The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender. Proverbs 22:7
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:21
Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another. Romans 13:8
Craig also has this saying, "We will say NO for a little while, so we can say YES the rest of our lives.
With the statistic of $1.22 for every $1.00 earned...obviously, our treasure is in this world. If our treasure is in this world, so is our heart.
Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of a hunter. Proverbs 6:5
You can go watch the sermons here. They are AMAZING! I'm ready to make changes! Problem is we don't get mad...it is normal to us. Normal is car payments, house payments, student loans...normal is credit card payments at 19%. Normal is panic, worrying, stress, and fighting. Normal makes me mad...I want to be weird.
Monday, January 07, 2008
Perfect Church!!!
Why do I have such lofty expectations of a church here in this world? I want to combine the preaching and music worship of LifeChurch.tv with the church atmosphere of a smaller, more intimate church. I want my kids to experience the close knit youth group that I went through...where you have the core group of kids from children's church through high school graduation as friends. A church where you know your children have awesome lessons for their age group every week from 1 year old to 18....and even into college.
Just curious...what are 5 things you want in a church? Obviously, same beliefs....what next? I'll start with mine...though it might change after hearing some others.
1. Awesome preaching...basically, Craig Groschel. I've had a few good ones...and a couple not so much. There is a huge difference in my walk with Jesus when I have the good ones...which is more of my fault for not doing more on my own.
2. Full band, or willing to if it had the people to play (you can even mix hymns in there with contemporary music). I absolutely love music worship at LifeChurch.tv South OKC!
3. Children's program...I want to know my children (and we will have plenty, Lord willing) are being taken care of. Obviously, being homeschooled, our kids will receive plenty of lessons at home...but I want them to receive it at church, and not babysat (even as a 1 year old).
4. A church with a heart for people...a selfless church will do AMAZING things. Also a "self centered" church ends up turning their back on the ones who need to hear the gospel, which is so important as christians...we are to spread the good news!
5. A church that is willing to try new things to reach the lost/community, as opposed to grasping onto traditions. How many have heard "we've never done that before"? I don't want to hear that at church...I want the church to do whatever it takes, short of sin, to reach the lost.
I am currently attending a church that is AMAZING at 4 of my top 5 things...but I feel lacks in one area. I do have a few doubts/concerns in a couple other areas...but is it all enough to leave seeking something I won't find?
Why do I have such lofty expectations of a church here in this world? I want to combine the preaching and music worship of LifeChurch.tv with the church atmosphere of a smaller, more intimate church. I want my kids to experience the close knit youth group that I went through...where you have the core group of kids from children's church through high school graduation as friends. A church where you know your children have awesome lessons for their age group every week from 1 year old to 18....and even into college.
Just curious...what are 5 things you want in a church? Obviously, same beliefs....what next? I'll start with mine...though it might change after hearing some others.
1. Awesome preaching...basically, Craig Groschel. I've had a few good ones...and a couple not so much. There is a huge difference in my walk with Jesus when I have the good ones...which is more of my fault for not doing more on my own.
2. Full band, or willing to if it had the people to play (you can even mix hymns in there with contemporary music). I absolutely love music worship at LifeChurch.tv South OKC!
3. Children's program...I want to know my children (and we will have plenty, Lord willing) are being taken care of. Obviously, being homeschooled, our kids will receive plenty of lessons at home...but I want them to receive it at church, and not babysat (even as a 1 year old).
4. A church with a heart for people...a selfless church will do AMAZING things. Also a "self centered" church ends up turning their back on the ones who need to hear the gospel, which is so important as christians...we are to spread the good news!
5. A church that is willing to try new things to reach the lost/community, as opposed to grasping onto traditions. How many have heard "we've never done that before"? I don't want to hear that at church...I want the church to do whatever it takes, short of sin, to reach the lost.
I am currently attending a church that is AMAZING at 4 of my top 5 things...but I feel lacks in one area. I do have a few doubts/concerns in a couple other areas...but is it all enough to leave seeking something I won't find?
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Christmas Vacation...
No...my vacation didn't rival the Lampoon's. I know that would make for a more interesting story, but it was still a good one.
First, I will let you know just how spoiled I am. Here is what I got:
1. pair of Dr. Martens
2. leather jacket
3. cologne
4. belt
5. RockBand...yes, I actually got the game.
6. Garmin Navigation system....can't believe I got it either.
7. Refrigerator...my parents are buying a new one and giving us their's that is only 2 years old (our's is 20 years old).
The day after Christmas we (Liz, Addy, and myself) joined my parents in traveling to Arizona to visit my niece, sister, and her husband. Unfortunately, we had to drive...long trip. We had a good time, but it is so hard to leave my niece...there were some tears. Here are a few pics at their house...the first one of Addy singing the nativity song, and the second one of Addy and Kayla opening presents.
No...my vacation didn't rival the Lampoon's. I know that would make for a more interesting story, but it was still a good one.
First, I will let you know just how spoiled I am. Here is what I got:
1. pair of Dr. Martens
2. leather jacket
3. cologne
4. belt
5. RockBand...yes, I actually got the game.
6. Garmin Navigation system....can't believe I got it either.
7. Refrigerator...my parents are buying a new one and giving us their's that is only 2 years old (our's is 20 years old).
The day after Christmas we (Liz, Addy, and myself) joined my parents in traveling to Arizona to visit my niece, sister, and her husband. Unfortunately, we had to drive...long trip. We had a good time, but it is so hard to leave my niece...there were some tears. Here are a few pics at their house...the first one of Addy singing the nativity song, and the second one of Addy and Kayla opening presents.
While we were out there, of course we did some activities. We went to the Arizona Mills outlet mall, and I sure wish we had a mall like that here. We went to the IMAX theater to watch the Polar Express in 3D inside the mall, and while there we sat with the OU and West Virginia coaches' kids during their kid's day out. Here are a couple pics from the mall.
We also went to a place called Goldfield, Arizona...aka Superstition Mountain. That place was so cool. It is an old gold mining town...matter of fact there are still people there all dressed up that live in tents just outside town. Addy and Kayla panned for gold...Liz, Addy, and myself also went down into an old mine underground. It was very neat and interesting...getting to see what it was like. I strongly recommend going there if you are in the Phoenix area. Here are a few pics of that...
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