The Storms Expose`

The imperfect Christian remembers a bright sun filled September morning, leaving home, and going to obtain a background check, from the Sheriffs Department for a new job. On the way back home he stopped to visit a friend. The friend was a very heavy sleeper so the imperfect Christian continued on his way home. When he arrived he was once again totally shocked! His wife in sheer utter shock as well, said a plane had just crashed into one of the Twin Towers in New York! Not long after that we heard people yelling in the background, and a second plane hit the second tower. The imperfect Christians wife said, "They thought that it could be terrorist, and I think that just confirmed it!" The imperfect Christian fell to his knees and cried. One tragedy per year should be more than enough right? The imperfect Christian's best friend and uncle was killed while working on July 4th. July 4th was always a huge family gathering, and on this one the family would mourn. September 11th was much the same.

Storms come in a variety of ways. They can be natural like Irene, that just hit mostly the entire Eastern Seaboard, or they can come in the fashion of a terrorist attack. They can even come in the form of a spiritual attack as well. We do not wrestle flesh, nor blood, but principalities of the dark. Regardless of the storm, the imprefect one tries to remember a few key things:

1. If we allow the storm to expose our dirt, we may go through a cleansing.
If we confess our faults one to another, and pray, then we may be healed, the fervent, effectual prayer of the righteous avails much! James spoke of of Elijah praying for the rain to cease, and then for the rain to once again fall and end the three and a half years of drought, and God honored his request. (James 5:16-18)

2. If we allow the storm to expose our hurt, then we may find strength to heal. Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials-gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames. (I Corinthians 3:12-15) Healing comes at a price sometimes. In order to heal, you have to have something that hurts. So is reaching Salvation, and being in Christ, like a house on fire? We are judged by the kind of "work" we do. Can you imagine as one preacher illustrated so eloquently... can you imagine your house being on fire while you're in it asleep? You wake up coughing, and on fire. Your spouse is engulfed in flames and the smell of smoke and her buring flesh sickens you instantaneously. You do not have time to go for any valuables, no pets, your kids are upstairs and the roof just caved in, and you heart broken and scared for your life go for broke, and jump through the huge bare spot in what used to be your bedroom wall, and the fire fighter standing outside says to you, "Thank GOD, at least you made it!" How devastating would it be to live a life that would only be self preserving? Can you imagine getting to Heaven and getting the news that your wife/husband and children didn't make it? Please Lord God, let the imperfect losses stop today.

3. If we allow it the storm will expose that work.
James 1:22 says not to be just hearers of the Word, but doers also. Let our work be like the precious metals mentioned in Paul's writing to Corinth, that the imperfect one mentioned in the afore paragraph. Let the fire refine, but not consume. Let us suffer no loss.

4. Finally if we allow ourselves the discipline to praise Him in the storm, the storm will expose His worth.
He that has no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls. (Proverbs 25:28)
Even in the toughest of times, we must remember to give Him the praise, and not allow our spirit to fell us. We must have discipline and control. The imperfect one would love to watch the Vuelta A Spain, but baby girl in the first grade y'all (still amazed at this!) has homework. So weakened spirit, tighten up, we have work to do. We have things that need to be taken care of with house and auto maintenance, but we so desperately want to go splurge and buy a new cell phone, or latest trinket! Better yet let's play the lotto until there are not any funds left! Even in the storm be angry and sin not. Keep your mind clear, and praise Him, because just like 9/11, and Irene, that storm doesn't last always! The imperfect one's, uncle may not be present in body, but his spirit is present with the Lord, he is now in his glorified body. The imperfect one prays that along with many other family members and extended family members too see him again in his/their own glorified bodies. The storms expose` could be the greatest manifestation of a miracle that you experience, so hold tight, stay focused, and let the storm bless you, because you have a Savior mighty enough to calm it, and see you through!

Well past the imperfect bed time again! So until next time...
Peace, Blessings, and Joy... that real PB&J!

Who Really Cares!?

I almost had to be excused for the title on this one. A Marine once said in front of me as a youngster "Who shives a get," to another Marine. You know the military has a code for everything. I didn't think that would be appropriate for a family show, so I cleaned it up for the kiddies.

It's 9-11 a day that most of the world will not soon forget, and a day that some will not think twice about until something of a greater magnitude happens to remind them. 9-11 reminds me of 12-7, it reminds me of people falling hundreds of feet to escape something that they felt they could not bear. It reminds me of pain and grief. It reminds me of some that went through crisis conversion, only to fall away from God once the smoke cleared. However, as crucial as it may be, it also reminds me of a nation that is stronger than any fear. A nation resilient enough to bounce back, and a nation that has overcome more than one tragedy, and does not lie down, but gets up dust off and just keeps getting better. We grow, in size, strength, love, and spirit! We have a president that is bi-racial y'all. Honestly how many would have believed it possible in our life time? I saw American Indians laughing with Asian Indians, White, Black, Latino, humans all gathered together in one place. Muslim, Hindu, Atheist, and Christian, even this imperfect one all gathered in one place to help assure that the world would not view us as a self righteous nation with a self righteous leader. Which brings me to this: if we can overcome the racial hate, religious barriers, and status quos then can't we overcome the arrogance? Not confidence, but arrogance. Racial tensions, and hatred have not gone away, they have just succumb to the greater power of love. Which leads me to believe that the cause of the attacks on our nation was due to arrogance, and ignorance.

I will follow up on the ignorance and arrogance in the next blog, as for tonight, I must meditate, and leave everyone w/ this thought when is it cool to call someone out in public, and when should we pull someone aside as not to offend or unnerve? When should we make a bold stand and when should we just be still? Think on it, pray on it, and make a difference. Love, peace and hair grease, or is it love, grease, and hair piece? At any rate grab your thinking caps and meet me at the forum. Peace, Blessings, and Joy... that real PB&J

911 To Be A Better Dad

Imagine you are a man desiring to be the best father that you can be. You're picking up your cell, dialing a number that you wished you'd never seen. You know on the other end of the line is a woman that hates you to the core. A woman that would stop at nothing to make you miserable! The phone is ringing and you hand it to your 13 year old son. That woman on the other end is his mother. She answers the phone, and begins to talk with her son. Her son that is with his father for the summer that has 3 states separating their states. Five states involved in the travel. Fives states away that she chose, leaving without warning, and not giving the slightest hint to her son's father, and to this day still continues to try and put division between father and son.

The little fella is 13 as I had mentioned before, and as an imperfect Christian I look back to my days at thirteen to try and understand what he's thinking and going through. I grew out of being a mama's boy round about this age. I didn't want my mother knowing what I was into everyday. The little guy is not quite there yet. I was into sports and hanging out with my friends at his age, he is into computer games and confined to an apartment all day. I hit the streets and learned them well. I was getting more interested in the opposite sex and he is now, yikes! I would have my first relationship way too early not long after this stage, and I do not want that for him. I learned about a lot of things at 13 and 15 that were tremendous eye openers! Of course my situation was much different. I was in a single parent home, and in Los Angeles. He is split between being in the rural set, and the burbs.


Meanwhile back at the imperfect Christian Ranch...the little fella saw the police at his dads house, and he has understood the consequences involved when a little boy cries wolf! (see previous blog) Well this young fella knows that he has an imperfect father and a perfect Heavenly Father. His earthly imperfect Christian dad is trying to emphasize the importance of being real, and eliminating the drama. The imperfect Christian broke it down in an imperfect Christian way, but gave him the perfect Word, Gods' Word!


His mother and imperfect Christian dad have the privilege to call three times a week. The imperfect one gets his 3 each week when he is with his mother and vice versa. His mother called on Monday July 6, 2009, and the imperfect one had him call back within the 24 hour time period on Tuesday July 7th round 7:38pm. This takes us back to the phone ringing... Hello says his mother, he replies with a hardy "Hi Mom." Sunny D is in the new rental van out in the drive readying to take the kids (which is Mac Daddied) to Sister Ne`'s house to show the van to Ne`'s family. Sunny calls into the house, "Hey is he coming or what?!" I said yeah just give him a few he's talking with his mother. When I get back into the living room the volume is very loud on the phone. Therefore, the imperfect Christian dad asked if the perfect imperfect Christian son had put it on speaker phone, and imperfect Christian son said no. Just a few seconds after asking him that question, his mother said, did you take your medicine today? Ace our son replies, not yet. She said why not, did your dad remind you to take it? Dad only knows of an inhaler, and nothing else, but will after this call. She asked how his breathing was, and then made a statement that had me shaking my head. "If your father is not taking care of his responsibilities and getting you your medicine then you need to call 911!" I just shook my head and sat down. I got on my laptop, and checked my email preparing for my conference call to better my ministry. Class would for me would follow 5 minutes after Ace's phone call. She let him talk to his sister, and her husband, and then she returned to the phone. He grew a little defensive when she asked him again how he felt. He said I am fine, and was a little stern. She was a little uneasy with that, you could tell she grew angry by the sound of her voice. Before she got off of the phone she said, I love you son, and then stressed again to "call 911" if your father doesn't fullfil his obligations and get you to the emergency room. She asked him if he still had his phone and he lied and said yes ma'am. I can only wonder what will be said, or come about when he tells her that I took his phone upon the night of his texting them and not telling me that he was sick when he seemed to be in fine shape! He had played all day, and was ready to play with Boogman until the Boog said he was showering and getting ready to watch a movie. At that point he began to text how miserable he was and that he day was horrible! Didn't tell me or any of the rest of my family at all, at any point in the day!

So good parents no one thing, he saw the police, he has been told about the importance of urgent care, and when to use 911 (for emergencies!) and he knows that he is loved. He also sees that he does not live with an imperfect Christian that is trying to kill him, and if he would not call 911 without his mothers permission when with her, why would he have to be responsible for doing it when staying with his imperfect Christian dad. If the house is burning down, if he feels like he is going to die (truly die) and not just feel bad, then he needs to call 911.

Love your children, teach them in the way of the Lord, and be there for them. Communicate!

Peace, Blessings, and Joy... that real PB&J!!!