Do you love me...

I feel like it has been too long since I have written on this here blog site thingy. Now, if that doesn't sound Redneck, I don't know what does!!!

Lots goes on in a week of my life...

I last wrote about Young Life club last week when we had Kidnap Club. It was Genius! We loved it. Campaigners went well also on Wednesday. Anytime you can pour into someone's life, teach them the right and wrong ways to live life .... and they LISTEN! ... That is what can be counted as Successful. These kids are Hungry. Hungry for how to have Relationships. Right Relationship! Tommy spoke about the Art of Commitment. In a society with a divorce rate of around 50%, the words 'till death do us part' has become less of a Covenant and more of a joke. How do we stay Committed? Why are few staying Committed? What is the draw away from Commitment? Personally, I think in general, people are getting much less Committal. People don't want to commit to anything! You can see it in PTA's, churches, ministries, schools, sports (actually, sports probably gains the MOST commitment out of anything! More than family, school and church, for sure!). It makes my heart sad. And it affects all areas of our lives. Are you committed? Do you stand by what you say you believe in? Or is it just lip service? Tommy said that the only thing better than performing a Wedding is performing a funeral of a man or woman who had been married for 65 years. 'That man can talk to me about Committment!' Tommy said. These Hollywood men who go from one woman to another can speak nothing to me about Committment. They speak as though they are great lovers, but they are simply sipping from one woman to another! Are you committed to your Spouse? Your Family? Your Work? Our Father? Sports? Who gets your Prioirity?

On Thursday, Taylor and I flew from Austin to South Padre, Texas, for our annual South Texas Young Life Staff & Spouse Retreat on the Beach! It was so much fun... Our speaker, Fil Andersen (http://www.journeyresources.org/fils_book/book_review.htm) did an amazing job by bringing us to the feet of Jesus. Fil's first talk reflected on when Jesus was getting baptized by John. God verbally speaks to Jesus and says, 'This is my Son whom I love; with Him, I am well pleased' (Matt. 3:17). You may be saying, what's the big deal? Well, the Big Deal is ... is that Jesus hadn't done anything yet! No Miracles. No Healings. No Nuthin'! And yet He was / is loved by the Father? So, performance has nothing to do with the Father's Love for you and me? Is this for real? How can this be true? I love you regardless of what you do! God does that? YES, GOD DOES THAT!!! God meant what He said.

In a world driven by Performance, these are refreshing words to hear. Most of us like to Achieve. Most of us like the Recognition. Most of us appreciate a Pat on the Back ... everyday! Is all of this about us? Or do we give Him the Glory? Too often, it seems like it is about us / me. What is up with that? The question posed to us was this, 'What do you believe God believes about YOU?' Honestly? Wrap your mind around that one and you will be set for life. And not only do you believe it, but do you live that way?

I will let you chew on that for a whole minute...

So we are back in town for a few days. Our new flowers are looking incredible. I need to get some pics of the house up on this here blog, right?

I am gonna buy a handheld GPS today. Whatcha think about that? Is that a good idea or a bad one? It sure will come in handy when we travel to foreign cities.

Until tomorrow ...

Hopefully there will be more to the story of Gobble, Gobble, Bang! We are going hunting again tomorrow morning. Turkey season is almost over. So hard to believe. I have found something else that I really enjoy!

'This is my Son. Listen to Him...' - - - God