Some of the things that have happened have left me disappointed, angry…and feeling a bit betrayed and misled. But I’ve come to the conclusion that the affect it’s had on me is really my fault…not theirs. After all, they were just men, and you’d think in my 40 trips around the sun I’d have learned by now that if their is one thing that people have in common is that they will fail you. Heck, if I had a nickle for every person whose expectations of me I did not live up to I’d have $10,334.85 (roughly).

Psalms 118:8 says “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put your confidence in man“…kinda odd that this verse is a the very center of the bible…literally. 594 Chapters before Psalms 118, 594 Chapters after. Not to mention that 594 and 594 equals…1118. Coincidence? Who knows except the author, all we can do is speculate. Regardless of the numerical fun, I think this one is pretty poignant, at least for me right now.

So many times I think people end up accidentally following man in an attempt to follow God. We see a pastor or prominent religious figure as a link between us and God, and in doing so we fail to apply discernment to their teachings. We put them on a pedestal, we make them the basis of our faith. And then when they fall short, we question our faith, since the foundation we chose has proven to be mortal.

So many times I think people end up following religion in an attempt to follow God. Serving God and following his plan for our lives gets lost in the process of serving our Church. We get it twisted and put the approval of our fellow religious folks as a priority in our decision making (Ironic when we consider the life of Jesus, I think). When feeling led in a particular direction, the first thing to cross our mind is what will folks around me think (I say “we”..because surely I’m not the only one…or am I?). We can begin to see advance and responsibility within our Church as validation that we doing the right thing. And many times, that’s exactly the point when our pride takes over…”Hey, look at ME, look what I’VE accomplished, lets see where I can get to next”…and we stray from God’s plan for our lives to our own.

Don’t get me wrong, I think that Pastors and Churches serve a very important part in our growth. The folks I mentioned in the first paragraph how given me WAY more than they have taken away…which makes my reaction to their “human-ness” even more irrational. I just think it’s time for me to focus more on God and less on those who men who represent him. I think it’s time for me to focus on true religion, as described in James 1:27:Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

So that’s my resolution for the new year…to rely more on following God and less on following man. To focus more on pleasing God and less on pleasing man. In the language of 1 Cor 12:12-27…when God needs me to be foot, don’t be mad when I turn down your urging to be a hand, an eye, or an ear. And I promise I’ll try and understand when I need you to be a foot like me but you insist on being a nose.

So today I stopped for a cheeseburger at McD’s after work and told the cat at the first window “Lemme pay for the guy behind me as well….just tell him Happy Thanksgiving” (Which, as usual, resulted in some odd looks and funny questions). When I pulled to the second window to get my tasty burger, I was watching in the rearview to catch the recipient of this random acts expression (my favorite part). When he heard that I had already paid for it, he looked toward my truck with a smile, then I saw him motion to the car behind him, and hand the McD’s employee his debit card! I think it’s a safe assumption that he did the same for the car behind him. Unexpected result, but made my day!

I suppose many would say that kids should be in childrens church…that they won’t pick up everything that the pastor is laying down in the grown up service (which I suppose is true, because I don’t get 100% of it either), or that they can be disruptive with their figgeting and occasional restlessness. I would have to disagree though. Without a doubt it’s true that some of the things presented and taught in “grown-up” church is over their heads, I know this to be fact because every Sunday on the drive home or at lunch, the kids have questions about what they heard. What great opportunity! Cause you see, ultimately the spiritual growth of these kids is MY job. I’m thankful for the leaders in their Sunday school classes, but I can’t pass that job on to them completely. Worshiping and attending service together gives opportunity for us to discuss and learn as a family. It’s an opportunity for me break it down for them at their level, and teach them things I wish I had learned long ago. It’s also an opportunity for me to lead by example.

Not that we’ve been at Harrah Church for awhile, and the kids have grown more comfortable there, Chloe will occasionally venture off to gym to learn and play with kids her age. But Tori still hangs with me, and Chloe will join us a couple Sundays a month…and that’s cool with me.

Chloe, my youngest, just turned 9 yesterday. That means half of her time under my wing is gone…give or take a few years. And I’m very thankful for the conversations the “grown-up” services have spawned. Thankful for the opportunity to lead them, and thankful for the chance to establish open dialogue with the girls that I hope with set the standard of open communication for those teen years to come and for those years when they step out into the world on their own.

The trip was fine, until we hit Atlanta on day two. Interstate was a parking lot, and I recon we picked the wrong quick stop to get a cold drink at, as the cops and bad guys decided to have a standoff in the parking lot just after we pulled in. But we arrived safely Wednesday and made it in time so watch Christians graduation ceremony.

Headed down to Harnett Co tomorrow for some R&R, gunna hit the lake with Dave, visit some folks and go to my old church on Sunday.

Unfortunately, sentiment in the above link is not uncommon. Since the success of Prop 8, Christians have become the villains, accused of spreading a message of hate and bigotry. It’s seems many outlets would have us believe that Christians were the only ones who voted in support of Prop 8, that it was a coordinated effort by Churches across the nation to rob people of there rights. It’s been a year now, and this message is still being spread daily. Why?

Now I’m not so naive, and I do realize that there are many folks out there who call themselves Christians who are helping to solidify this public opinion….of course Westboro Baptist come to mind. But I don’t blame them completely, as I believe anyone with a shred of intelligence would listen to their message and realize that they are no more a Christian organization than any of the white supremest groups that claim they are “doing God’s will”, or the TV evangelist who lets you know that God can cure your physical illness, for $100 dollars in a certified check or money order.

So where does it come from? How did standing up for the sanctity of marriage turn into “homophobia” and “hate mongering”? Why are Christians bearing the brunt of misrepresentation a year after the fact?

I think it’s quite possible that many opportunist…individuals, opportunist and media outlets are using the success off Prop 8 to rally support for their own mission of ending the Church. Sounds crazy, doesn’t it? But is it? Visit any Atheist website and I’ll bet you find several articles on the subject…I’m talking about the hardcore Atheist group that lobby and propagandize to remove any evidence of Christianity from public view. Take a passionate issue, paint a picture of a villain through lies, half-truths and twisted scripture and you have created an army of unwitting pawns doing your dirty work for you. I will attempt to dispel some of the above:

Myth #1 – God Hates Homosexuals

To answer a question of God character, the only place we can turn is his written word…the Bible. Hmmm, lemme see. Is homosexuality a sin? Romans 1:26-27 and Corinthians 6:9 spell it out pretty clear. Homosexuality is a sin. But does got hate Homosexuals? Proverbs 6:16-19 says “There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.” Hmmm, don’t see homosexuality in that list. In fact, 2 Peter 3:9 says “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” EVERYONE, homosexuals included. That my friends, sounds like love…a perfect love that we cannot even comprehend. So through what I understand from his word, God loves homosexuals, just like he loves the rest of us sinners…you and me included.

Myth #2 – All Christians hate homosexuals.

A “perfect Christian” (although no such thing exists) could not hate homosexuals. 1 Peter 3:15 tells a Christian what to do “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect“. When Jesus himself was asked what was the most important commandment, he replied “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. Love you neighbor…not just the straight ones, the pretty ones, the socially graceful ones, or the ones that go to your Church. I pretty sure he meant all of ‘em.

But their has only been on perfect man on this planet. Because we are not perfect, we all fall way short of God’s glory. So while there are some Christians that do hate homosexuals, that’s not the “Christ” part of “CHRISTian” but the “ian” part. Saying ALL Christians hate homosexuals is stereotyping. Kinda funny how stereotyping a homosexual in the workplace will get you fired, but stereotyping a Christian as in the above example with get you a “high five”.

Myth #3 – Christians supported Prop 8 to push their morals on everyone else.

Now, obviously I can only speak for myself on this one. I didn’t vote in California, since that would be illegal as a Oklahoma resident. But I did support Prop 8 and prayed it would pass because I support the institution of marriage. I believe a marriage should be between a man and a woman. If you ask my opinion on the matter, I’ll give it to you. If you ask me to vote on the matter, I’ll vote in support of marriage being defined as a man and woman. Everyone has a line on whats “allowable” for marriage. My line is clear above. Some believe that line extends to a man and a man being joined, and will state that as long as two consenting adults love each other they should be allowed to wed. But I’m guessing that if a father and his adult daughter were in love, most would not condone a union between them. Or polygamy…another line. If either of these went to a vote, I’m guessing that some of those who support gay marriage would vote against it. So you see, everyone has a line, and standing up for what you believe in is not “pushing” your values on someone else.

Myth #4 – Gay marriage is a legal issue, not a moral one.

The facts just don’t support it. Especially in the case of California. California Family Code Section 297.5 states:
“Registered domestic partners shall have the same rights, protections, and benefits, and shall be subject to the same responsibilities, obligations, and duties under law, whether they derive from statutes, administrative regulations, court rules, government policies, common law, or any other provisions or sources
of law, as are granted to and imposed upon spouses”

Now I’m no lawyer,but it seems to me gay couples in California already have legal rights equal to those of a traditional married couple. So to pursue a traditional marriage become a moral issue. To say not allowing gay marriage is discriminatory is wrong. There is qualification required for marriage and if you don’t meet them …then you don’t qualify. I failed my drivers license test the first time, so I wasn’t allowed to drive a car. Was that law discriminatory against people too lazy to study for a drivers exam? Maybe I should sue the bar, since their refusal to grant me a law license because I don’t have a legal degree is a socially discriminatory policy designed to keep folks to broke for college out of the legal profession.

The point is (it always takes me awhile get to the point,doesn’t it?) that folks gotta learn tolerance. And folks gotta learn that tolerance doesn’t mean acceptance. And that is it okay not to accept something. Don’t hate me because of my beliefs, and I won’t hate you because of yours. Can’t we just respectfully disagree?

The conveyor walk things – I’m pretty sure they are in place to expedite pedestrian traffic, not to save people from the horror of walking 100 yards. If putting one foot in front of the other is an action you just can’t muster the energy to accomplish, please step to one side (including your bags) because without fail, United Airlines has changed someones itinerary (mine) and given them 37 seconds to get from concourse D to Concourse C at Dulles.

Boarding – It’s not musical chairs…everyone has a seat, they were even so kind as to put which one is your on your ticket. When the kind lady announces “We will now board group 2″ in a tone that make you wonder if she really means “All you schleps that can’t afford first or business class”, there is no need to barrel your way through line like your over sized carry on is a football and the jetway is the endzone. There is only one seat 14A, it’s yours, and no one is going to beat you there.

Upon Landing: Just chill. Here’s a crazy thought. If we all disembark the plane from the front to the back, I’m guessing things will move a lot smoother. Think about it, you can relax in your seat while folks up ahead gather there things, you can sit comfortably instead of standing there making the “hmmph” sound repeatedly when thing are not moving fast enough, and you won’t have to clobber 37 people in the back of the head with that oversized carry one as you rush off the plane like it’s on fire.

Close quarters: Breathmints…yes, that airport lunch of Tex-Mex now smells like someone rolled a skunk in sewer and set it on fire to everyone but you.

And finally to the crew: Thanks for what you do, I’m sure it’s a thankless job…BUT…do you really have to say “Enjoy your flight” or “Hope everyone enjoyed the flight”? Really? Does anyone ever enjoy a flight? Has anyone ever bought a ticket from OKC to OKC just so they could fly around for a few hours and enjoy it? Unless they once passed one of those semi trucks hauling chickens packed into those cages on the interstate and though “Wow, that looks like fun!”…I’m guessing not. Maybe “Thank you for flying United and we hope your tolerate your flight!” would be more appropriate.

On a side note…as I left the plane in RDU I noticed a man with no legs waiting for the plane to clear so the could bring the isle-width wheelchair on board for him and of course felt kinda bad for the fella…..until he passed me in the terminal in his personal high speed low drag wheelchair shortly afterwords. I wonder if he felt bad for me hauling my bags across the airport in my flip flops as it was apparent his mode of travel was MUCH more efficient. At least in that moment ONE of us appeared handicapped, and it wasn’t him.

And don’t think for a second this is just directed at “non-Christians” cause Christians are just as bad. Some act as those even speaking with someone whose faith is different will result in a lightening bolt from above. I believe in standing up for your convictions, I think it’s very important. But if you feel strongly about standing up for what you believe, why would you get so upset when someone else does the same?

And then, as if we don’t have enough to fight about, we even find reasons to fight with those who follow the same God we do, who read the same Bible, and possess the same values. Even with all that in common, we’ll separate ourselves based on Eternal Salvation vs. Free Will, or baptism by sprinkling vs. immersion, or what any other segment of doctrine we can find to say someone else is wrong. We all believe in what Christ said in Matthew 22:37-39, and just imagine how much more we could accomplish toward that if we put our petty differences aside and worked together.

In my opinion, folks gotta learn that tolerance does not mean acceptance. My job has taken me to the middle east several times. During prayer time in a muslim country, everyone stops whatever they are doing to pray to Allah. During these times, I would stop whatever I was doing as well, stand still and remain quite until their prayer time was over. It wasn’t out of submission to Allah, it was even out of respect for their belief structure, but simply out of respect for other people. I wonder if sometimes those who have no tolerance for others faith, who freak out anytime something outside of their own beliefs structure is discussed or displayed, if maybe that is a symptom of that persons own frailty.

I believe the Bible to be the true written word of God. And I believe in Gods awesome power, not just inside of our man made religious structures, writing, music and ceremony. For me, God’s presence is everywhere. And if his presence is everywhere, not just between the covers of his written word, then wouldn’t that mean that his truth can be found in other places as well? Here is an example, watch the video linked below. Penn Gilette is a somewhat outspoken Atheist…but at least in this clip, I believe what the man is saying is true (and relevant to this discussion, even though it seems I’ve gotten sidetracked again, this’ll bring it right back on track

Now let me ask you this. Have you ever known “that guy” (or girl) who was just mad at the world. I’m talking about a disposition so nasty it would make a Doberman look like a Shih-Tzu. The kind of person that after a few minutes in the same room with them you wanted to throw yourself under a milktruck. I’d bet if you talked to that person enough, you’d find out they hadn’t always been that way, but had gradually gotten to that point because time and time again someone had done them dirty. I know a few people like that, and can even recall a time or two in my life where I’ve been that person. Time when I had stored up so much anger toward people that truly “deserved it” that it had melded itself into one huge wad of resentment. Times where I had taken all of the uglyness shown me and said “Hey, thanks. Let me hold on to that, carry it around with me and make sure that it continues to effect me indefinitely.” Funny thing is, how did that anger or resentment effect the person (or people) that I felt were responsible. Without a doubt…it didn’t. Either they wronged me on purpose to hurt me…in which case I was now carrying around a big sign that said “Mission accomplished”, or they didn’t even realize the consequences of what they had done, and chances are didn’t even realize what the effect had been. Either way, I was the only person it was effecting. Allowing it to effect my happiness and inner peace. The result was my bitterness ruining current relationships with friends and loved ones, or preventing new ones from ever happening. Honestly, can you think of one example in your life where anger or resentment has had a positive outcome? Me either.

So what do we do? How do we deal with it. It an easy answer to say,but a difficult plan to follow through with. We forgive. And I mean TRULY forgive. Not say “Well, I forgive that person, but next time they come to me needing something they be just as well off to jump in a river.” or “He’s forgiven, but that SOB better not so much as look at me cross or I’m gunna feed him his teeth”. THAT can be the hard part.

A few years back, two people wronged me more than anyone ever in my life. Their actions cost me everything I valued at the time. And the anger and resentment that it created within me made our national deficit look like pocket change. I plotted revenge, I wanted to see them suffer just as much as I did..even more. Months after the fact I would sit around thinking about it and drive myself into a rage…sleepless nights, bad moods, depression…even suicidal thoughts. I knew the only way I could get my life back on track was to let it go, to forgive, but I had no idea how to do it…didn’t think it was possible.

So how did I do it? I started to really think about my past actions toward people…and realized that in the past, I had been guilty of the same actions they had committed against me. I knew the remorse I felt for what I had done, and knew I was now a different person. But I wondered if the people I had wronged had ever forgiven me. In thinking about it, I realized that I had never even apologized to most of them. Then I read Ephesians 4:32 “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, Just as Christ forgave you”. That’s when it got really heavy. I thought about the forgiveness Christ has given me. Whoa. Believe me (and those of you that truly now me will), if anyone ever didn’t deserve Christ grace, it was me. It really astounding if you think about it…36 years of disobedience, mockery and absolute knuckleheadedness forgiven in an instant. Not because I deserved it, not because of my actions,not because of who I am…but because of who he is. Wow, I wanna be like that guy! So I just decided to let it go…completely. I didn’t care if they were sorry, I didn’t care if they even felt bad for what they had done…I have no control over that…I can only control what I feel. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t an instantaneous thing. There were times when those feeling would creep back in, but I would think about the things listed above until the subsided. After awhile it was gone…and even today sometimes I’m surprised. These two people are still in my life, and when I see them…nothing. No only is the anger gone, but I actually want good things for them. NEVER thought I’d get to that point, and the fact that I have is true testament to God’s power, because there is NO way I could have gotten there myself. But I’m glad I did. Because I’m happy again. And I wouldn’t be honest if I didn’t admit there is a sense of accomplishment that comes with. I’m proud of myself…which makes me even happier. So now instead of a snowball effect leading me toward sleepless nights, bad moods, depression and suicidal thoughts, it’s a snowball effect leading more toward afternoon naps, great moods that include random breakdancing sessions in the middle of my office, elation and thoughts that make me wonder how I could have ever thought about the stuff I was thinking about.

What’s the point? Well, like most of most of my posts I started out with a point, but forget what it is by the time I finish. Oh yea! If you angry at someone, forgive them. Even if you don’t believe me, even if you don’t know Christ and that correlation seems like hogwash to ya, give it a try…what have you got to lose? You will be the one who benefits most…trust me. To those who I have wronged in the past (I’d make a list, but a list that size would crash the internet), I’m sorry, and I hope you can forgive me. To all those who have wronged me in the past…I ain’t even mad at ya!

Saturday I was awaken by the gentle sound of handgun fire.  I had slept till 10am! without so much of a stir.  I recon Grizz and Mark thought the gun fire would do the trick…they were right…although a nice plate of eggs, bacon and some hash browns would have worked too.  After a quick breakfast of biscuit and gravy with patty sausage, we embarked on that days journey.  Mark had planned 100 mile ride to the north, but the intel we recieved on the trails proved a bit faulty, so we doubled back toward Wolf Pen Gap.  Although I was looking forward to planned trip, Wolf Pen Gap rocked!.  These are managed ATV trails, mostly clay and rocks and varying from easy to extreme.  We got a little rain which was a huge blessing, as it knocked down the dust and made the clay slick as ice.  We left WPG and headed back toward the camp, stopping for awhile at BigFoot Pass (aka Sugar Creek Vista).  This is an awesome overlook about 6 miles from where we had set up camp.  The road between bigfoot pass and our camp is a gravel road, about a lane and a half wide, with big elevation changes and tight turns, with a few hairpins thrown in for fun.  I’m not sure who started it (I’m blaming Raymond since he was leading) be we broke out at a breakneck speed.  I was overdriving the heck out of my headlights, but sliding throught the turns sideways was to much fun to slow down.  When we got back, Ray said we were hitting 60mph according to his speedo.  I asked Fuzzy what his said, he said there was no way he was taking his eyes off the trail at that pace…LoL).  Some chilidogs and a few more beers by the fire and it was off to the hammock again.

Sunday started off much like Saturday, and we were back on trails around 11.  We headed off toward Gap Mtn, and found some awesome trails.  Some really tight, techinical stuff that keeps the speed slow, but is a ton of fun.  The Predator was definatly the least equipped for these trails (2wd sport quad) but I had a blast non the less.  Highlight of the day was a cave we found at the end of a trail that was so un-travels you could hardly tell it was there.  We explored the cave a bit, Mark ate a few gnats, and we headed back out.  Back at camp at around 7pm with the intent of heading out for a night ride after some dinner, but after a full belly and relaxing a bit, several of us decided to forgo the ride for nice relaxing evening of sitting around the fire with good friends and good converstation.  Another great nights sleep, and Monday morning we packed up for the 5 hour drive back home.

Depending on whose odometer you follow, we rode somewhere between 207 and 220 miles through the southern part of the Ozarks.  I left this years ride just like last years, physically whipped but mentally refreshed and feeling great.  Something about sleeping under the stars in a hammock, riding quads and pissing outdoors that really makes you feel like a man.  Made some new friends this year and can’t wait to do it again.  I’ll try and have my pics up in the next few days.  Until then you can check out the ones Fuzz took at Fuzzy Pics  and the ones Grizz took at Grizz Pics

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