One man demands, the other commands; who is the greater?

One man yelled and no one heard him, another said little and all hung on his every word.

At a recent governmental meeting one official spent a tremendous amount of time railing against an initiative. He pounded his fist, raised his voice and performed a number of antics that were memorable. Sitting opposite of him was another official who sat quietly but never said a single world or showed a single emotion or inclination; he just listened. For thirty minutes the discussion continued with the loud official dominating the issue. The quiet man finally cleared his throat and prepared to speak. The entire room became silent.

He spoke softly and with reason, demonstrating an understanding of both sides of the issue. He then gave his own view in a short brief statement. The majority of the members agreed with his assessment and adopted his position, much to the amazement of the more vocal member.

I have been both of these men. I have been the table ponder, nerve rattler and agenda buster. I've also been the poker faced observer who kept his opinion to himself and rarely showed his hand. When I pounded the table I drew attention, when I weighed the situation carefully before speaking I had greater success and commanded the room.

Wisdom, knowledge and positive experience commands the room. A man who demonstrates wisdom, knowledge and positive experience in his family life commands the respect of his wife and family. The man who is lacking in this respect, demands. There is a difference.

There is a passage in Proverbs 17:27 that says "He that hath knowledge spareth his words:[ and] a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit."

It took a little time for me to understand that there is greater strength in commanding the situation than demanding.

Her phone rang, she reached into her bosom and pulled it out

She reached In her bosom and pulled out the phone

In a recent meeting of the Monroe City Council a woman rose to address the council. She complained that she was being patronized by city officials who seemed to doubt her intelligence. Suddenly her cell phone rang loudly and a little blue light flashed in her chest. She interrupted her speech and said, "Oh my God, mama gon' kill me." She then reached into her bosom, pulled out her phone and started talking to her mother, finished a brief conversation and returned the phone to her bosom.

Obviously, the council members were amused but tried to drop their heads to hide their expressions. The council chamber was filled with chuckles, the cameras were rolling and reporters jotted it all down.

When mama calls, everyone jumps.

Do we do the same when God speaks to us? Would we interrupt our busy schedules to answer His call, no matter how embarrassing it may be? It's something to think about.

A bible passage asks the same question in Job 9:14, "How much less shall I answer him,[ and] choose out my words[ to reason] with him?"

I think it's best to answer when God calls. Like the lady at the council meeting, we all have telephones in our bosoms. He may call at any time.

Paris Hilton received the mercy others deserve

Paris received mercy that most just dream about.

Paris Hilton was back in court again, recently. This time she was sentenced to two consecutive six month sentences in jail on misdemeanor drug possession charges and one obstruction of justice charge in Las Vegas. Then, because of a plea deal, she was placed on probation for one year and allowed to pay a $2, 000 fine. For good measure she was also sentenced to 200 hours of community service.

Hilton, heiress to the Hilton Hotel fortune, has been in court before for alcohol related driving offenses and drugs. She was sentenced to 45 days in jail once but did only 23 of those days. In Las Vegas she pleaded guilty to the misdemeanors to avoid felony possession charges.

Standing before the Las Vegas Justice of the peace, she admitted her guilt and received her sentence. Because of the probation she walked out of the court to a flurry of photo flashes, and photographers.

Whether deserved or not, Hilton received Justice tempered with mercy. Everyone else in the courtroom that day didn't get the same treatment.

One day we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. The righteous will stand to be rewarded. Fortunately, those who believe in Christ will receive what Miss Hilton received; justice tempered with mercy. We will be found guilty but forgiven because of the blood of Jesus. We will walk into heaven by His grace and mercy although we deserve harsh punishment.

There is a bible passage that refers to our day in God's court; it's in 2 Corinthians 5:10: For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things[ done] in[ his] body, according to that he hath done, whether[ it be] good or bad.

For some, their day in court won't be a happy day and they won't be sentenced to the Hilton.

The ungodly will be given eternal punishment and condemned to hell. No probation. No flashing cameras. No community service. No mercy, and no plea bargain. Their punishment is forever.

Hoes Everywhere, even in the bible!

I told them to bring their hoes and you wouldn't believe their answer. 

A while back the local anti-poverty program allowed me to use an acre of land to show young men how to till the earth, plant a garden and grow produce. That was something new for a group of city boys accustomed to getting their food in micro-wave packets or from order boards at McDonald's and Burger King. 

On the morning we were to break the ground, my secretary made an early Saturday morning wake up call. The message she gave was, "We are going to till our garden today. Be ready to go at 8 a.m. and bring your hoes with you." To her surprise, after calling about 40 different households, each time she talked to a young man she received responses such as: "She can't come." "She sleep." "She say she can't come with me, but she'll bring me." "I'll tell her, but she ain't coming with me." 

 Not a single boy associated a hoe with a garden tool. Each one associated the word "hoe" with a female. Then it dawned on all of the adults involved that this generation of boys is not agricultural and therefore not familiar with agricultural tools. 

The word "hoe" in their subculture is only associated with women. It doesn't always mean a bad or ungodly woman, but it most definitely refers to a woman in their mind. That's what they hear in their music and see in the music videos. They hear men call women hoes. They even hear some women call themselves hoes. 

 The urban dictionary even has a formal definition for hoe: "1. A skank 2. A woman that is too loose in the booty." Obviously words mean different things in different situations and to different generations. Even the bible uses the word "ho!" 

It's usually a warning about messing with the people of God. Zechariah 2:7-8 says, "Ho, Zion! Escape, you who are living with the daughter of Babylon. For thus says the LORD of hosts, "After glory He has sent me against the nations which plunder you, for he who touches you, touches the apple of His eye." 

 There is another ho in the 6th verse. The gardener has a hoe. The hip hop generation has a hoe, and even God has at least of couple of hoes in the book of Zechariah! 

 My, my, my!

She's having his baby, but he won't be her husband

She's having a baby for him but he won't marry her.

There is a very nice young lady who is living with a man without benefit of marriage. After a few years of shacking, she's now having a baby for him. She wants to marry but he thinks marriage is not necessary for him to be a good father, provider and significant other in her life. She's frustrated that he won't make their arrangement official. She feels that he does not want to make a commitment and is leaving the door open for his exit if times get bad.

Neither of them claim any great faith in God, especially one that would require obedience to His word or public worship. Her faith is greater than his but is not openly practiced because he is so critical of spiritual things, the church and Christians.

She's hopeless unevenly yoked, and now a child is about to be reared in this spiritually challenging situation. She wants a husband but all he wants to be is a Significant Other.

What's the difference between being a Significant Other (SO) and a husband?

• Husbands promise they will protect the woman in their lives, the SO makes no promise at all.
  
• Husbands promise to stand with their wives through sickness and hard times, the SO makes no such claim. If she gets sick or even gains weight he may split.
  
• Husbands promise to love their wives and have no other women on the side, the SO won't even fix his mouth to say that.
  
• Husbands promise to provide for their wives safety, livelihood, and nurture, the SO may do some of that but thinks she can take care of herself.
  
• Husbands promise to love their wives like Christ loved the church, the SO is not willing to go that far; he wants to make whoopee and call it love, but that's about it.

Knowing that the man she loves only sees her as a convenient sperm receptacle, this very intelligent young lady, overwhelmed by passion, chose to have a child for her SO.

The bible makes no provision for the SO. It makes no provision for believers to live as though they are married (shacking) without committing to each other before God.

In fact, the Word teaches that if a couple feels they must "get it on" then they should marry or risk hell's fire. 1 Corinthians 7:9 says, "But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn."

The overriding reason that a man should marry the woman he claims to love is that he honors their relationship before God, cleanses the relationship and does himself a favor at the same time.

Look at what the word says:

Ephesians 5:25-28 Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church—a love marked by giving, not getting. Christ's love makes the church whole. His words evoke her beauty. Everything he does and says is designed to bring the best out of her, dressing her in dazzling white silk, radiant with holiness. And that is how husbands ought to love their wives. They're really doing themselves a favor—since they're already "one" in marriage.

Wouldn't it be great if a woman had a husband rather than just a Significant Other Brother?

Spontaneous creation? Did the world just create itself?

A British physicist and mathematician Stephen Hawking says the world created itself and needed no one or anything to start the process.

Professor Hawking challenges Isaac Newton's theory that God must have been involved in creation because our solar system couldn't have come out of chaos simply through nature. But Hawking, who is renowned for his work on black holes, said physics can explain things without the need for a "benevolent creator who made the Universe for our benefit."

"Because there is a law such as gravity, the Universe can and will create itself from nothing," the professor says. "Spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing, why the Universe exists, why we exist. It is not necessary to invoke God to ... set the Universe going."

Those who don't have as much education as Professor Hawking, in our ignorance a question that defies the professor to answer. If Gravity helped the universe to create itself...who created gravity?

Sometimes we can have so much education we can be just down right stupid.

"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." Genesis 1:1

I read that verse and learned it in elementary school. Dr. Hawking still has a lot to learn.

I gave her $100 and expected change back!

A hundred dollar bill doesn't go very far

I haven't shopped in a grocery store in quite some time. Usually, I get one item or two and then I'm out. My wife laughs at my ignorance of what it really costs to live today. Yesterday, I went with her to the grocery store to get a few items. I produced a $100 bill, gave it to her and walked around the store with her. She was amused and I wondered what was so funny.

At the checkout we had: watermelon, Ice cream, lettuce, chips, cheese and a few other items. I watched her give the cashier the $100 bill and expected to get change back. The handful of items cost $100.45. I had culture shock. She rolled with laughter.

A $100 gets lost in a grocery store. She reminded me that we didn't buy washing powder, any meats, or other expensive staples, just a few knick nacks.

And I was expecting change!

We've been married for 36 years and she has been juggling, stretching and making ends meet with the chump change I've been providing for groceries. Her stock value increased tremendously with one trip to the grocery store.

She's been a good wife to make it all happen for a husband and three sons. Most of the time she had a husband who provided too little to cover it all, then expected change back.

She never complained, she saved coupons, watch prices and compared labels to make it happen for her family. We ate well and had what we needed. I didn't know how she pulled it off, but while I provided more than $100 for the regular groceries, I now see that what I did provide would not have covered it all had she not been an excellent manager and family planner.

Proverbs 31:27-28 says, "She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness. Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her."

She stretched a $100 and made it do miracles.

Silly me, I expected change back from the miracles.

Dr. Laura used the N-Word, but don't some of us use it too?

Is there a double standard when it comes to the N-word? Is it O.K. for blacks to use it to describe themselves in derogatory ways but not O.K. for whites to use it even in academically?

The N-Word issue popped again this week when Dr. Laura Schlessinger announced on August 18, 2010 that she would end her radio show, a week after she broadcast a five-minute-long rant in which she used the N-word 11 times.

A caller was appalled by Schlessinger's use of the N-word, the radio host said, "Oh, then I guess you don't watch HBO or listen to any black comedians. My dear, the point I am trying to make ... [is that] we've got a black man as president and we've got more complaining about racism than ever. I think that's hilarious."

Their exchange heated up after that. When the caller said she couldn't believe Schlessinger was "on the radio spewing out" the N-word, Schlessinger said she "didn't spew out" the N-word and repeated, "n****r, n****r, n****r is what you hear on HBO."

Is Doctor Laura right? Do we routinely use the N-Word to describe ourselves in conversation, laugh at ourselves in jokes and to belittle ourselves when we are angry. Do we even do it in public? Do our comedians use it HBO and in our music and we laugh?

It was extremely bad taste for Dr. Laura to repeat the N-Word on her broadcast 11 times in five minutes.

It is just as bad for us to repeat it even once among ourselves.

It does not refer to the best in us but to the worst that has been done to us and still remains in us. That's why we should not use it at all.

What should we say, then? Philippians 4:8 gives us a clue: "..whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."

Will we ever stop using the word?

N-please!

She wanted Pampers not real diapers. What's the difference?

A young lady asked me for a donation to help buy pampers for her small children. She was poor, a single parent, with no income and getting pampers became a problem. I refused to give a donation to buy Pampers, but I offered to take her to the store and buy her several dozen plain white, pre-folded diapers.

She asked me, "What's that?"

"It's a reusable diaper. You use it, wash it, dry it and you use it repeatedly," I said. "You get a couple of dozen of these and your Pamper problem is solved. When you get back on your feet and can afford it, then you buy Pampers," I said.

She looked at me as if I had cursed her. She turned down the offer for the reusable diapers and continued her search for this week's Pamper donor.

If I'm not mistaken, a Pamper is a simulated diaper, in much the same way that a paper napkin is a simulated napkin. The simulated items save time, but neither is reusable, creating a recurring expense.

Most everyone in my generation wore plain diapers. When money was tight a couple of my boys wore Pampers. We saved a lot of money using real diapers. If the young lady's response is typical of her generation, there are many who would prefer no diaper at all, rather than use a reusable diaper.

As I recall, there was a container with a lid in which soiled diapers were kept. Those that had solids were rinsed in the toilet before putting them in the container, which was soaked with bleach and water. Every two days or so the diapers were washed, dried, folded and used again...no Pampers, no cost.

Luke 16:19 says, "Luke 16:9 (MSG) "I want you to be smart in the same way—but for what is right—using every adversity to stimulate you to creative survival, to concentrate your attention on the bare essentials, so you'll live, really live, and not complacently just get by on good behavior."

It appears that often we can get our hands on what it takes for us to live, but too often we lack the will or the creativity to use what we have until we can do better.

So the young lady begs for Pampers when what she really needed was to learn how to use a diaper...along with a little abstinence.

Do you remember your worse whipping?

Do you remember your worse whipping? I'll never forget mine.

As a youth I was spanked, paddled, and whipped on many occasions. I was a very mischievous kid, a criminally deviant child, and a rebellious youth. Obviously, I was a chastised many times. I was spanked with a switch, extension cord, shoe and a razor strap. At seven years old when I became involved with a Oakland street gang, I was incarcerated in the Alameda County reform school for boys. In the reform school I was spanked with a paddle.

Back in Monroe I was whipped once with a barber's razor strap for coming in the house after sunset, I was 14. Teachers spanked me often for failing to turn in home work, talking in class and being a real fool. They used radiator fan belts, paddles and gin belts. They never really hurt any of us, but they got our attention.

I was trying my best to go wrong and the good Lord kept putting people in my life who were determined to make me go straight. They lectured me, prayed for me, helped me, and loved me but they also tore out a sizeable portion of my posterior.

In reflection, the chastisement helped me. Today, all of them would be jailed for child abuse.

The Lord does us that way. He loves us, but he has a way of "tightening us up" when we get off the path. He doesn't use an extension cord or a strap but we can tell when he's messing with us and whipping us. He loves us and is trying to get us back in line.

There is a bible verse that says, Hebrews 12:6 "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth.."
There is another that says the whippings we get will be good for us in the long run.

Hebrews 12:11 "Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby."

I didn't like any of my whippings but the bible is true; they yielded a better fruit.

Posession of crack won't get you five years anymore

A new law removes the mandatory five year sentence for possession of crack.

Yesterday, President Obama signed a law that changes the way the courts hand out sentences for crack cocaine; simple possession won't automatically require five years in prison. For 25 years the law slammed crack users of five grams (about two sugar packs) of crack in jail for five years. Judges had no choice. In the resulting time statistics showed 83 percent of those charged with crack were African-American. What was disparate is that it took it took 500 grams of powder cocaine to get the same sentence. Powder cocaine was the drug of choice of whites.

Groups have been trying to change the law for 25 years and in the meantime jails have been filling all over the country, running up costs and using up law enforcement time that could be better spent on major crime syndicates instead of low-level street corner hustlers. The government estimates that it spends $42 million a year locking up crack cocaine offenders.

When there is a 100:1 disparity that parses out along racial lines, there is a problem. The new law addresses the problem but doesn't make it even.
There will still be an 18:1 disparity in the sentences but it's a tremendous improvement. It is a plus for the Obama administration because it was no easy task; no repeal of mandatory drug sentencing laws have passed Congress since the 1970's.

The changes don't endorse crack use or powder cocaine use. It makes the sentencing more in line with reality and fairness.

It's justice coming late, but never-the-less appreciated. "The wheels of justice grind slow, but exceedingly fine."

Thinking of justice, I'm reminded of Amos 5:24 that says, "But let justice run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream."

Now, wouldn't it be great if the law applied retroactively to free those still serve disproportionate sentences?

That would be real justice.

You can't keep silent, unless you speak up

The Supreme court has ruled: You can't keep silent unless you speak up

It's been an understood rule for about 25 years, if you are arrested by the police that you have a right to remain silent and the right to an attorney. All of that has changed just a little bit by the Supreme Court which has now ruled in two cases that you have to ask to be silent to trigger your constitutional right. The court in another case then added that after 14 days the cops can start questioning you again. without reading you your rights or providing you a lawyer. The court also ruled that while suspects have the right to a lawyer, they don't have to be told specifically that they have a right to a lawyer actually in the room when they are questioned.

Critics of the courts rulings will make it easier for police to squeeze confessions out of suspects; many won't know they have to speak up to be silent and the cops will get the information they want, legally.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor said the majority's decision "turns Miranda upside down."

"Criminal suspects must now unambiguously invoke their right to remain silent - which counter intuitively requires them to speak," she said. "At the same time, suspects will be legally presumed to have waived their rights even if they have given no clear expression of their intent to do so."

Those who profess a faith in Christ are also asked to speak up. We can't just assume that God knows that we love him, we have speak up to let the world know.

We must invoke His name, speak it and let the world know if we are not ashamed.

Psalm 107:2 "Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy."

The Supreme Court's ruling says to get Miranda rights you have to "say so." Those who are redeemed must "say so" as well.

He had life assurance but no insurance

He had no burial insurance but plenty of life assurance.

A prominent churchman will be buried this week, thanks to help from friends who have collected the money necessary to bury him. He spent a lifetime working in the church, helping the poor, and lifting the spirits of others. In fact, he used most of his personal resources in the service of others.

One of the areas of his personal life he left undone was to secure insurance on his life to bury himself and care for his wife in the event of his death. He left her with the bill for his funeral and no means of sustaining herself; she depended solely on him.

He was a dutiful husband in life. He made the ends meet. His heart was big, so big that he gave and gave and gave until there was nothing more.

Like him, there are many today without life insurance, not to mention medical coverage. With all of the other problems they have in life some have decided to roll the dice and risk each day's outcome, hoping they will never need healthcare or death coverage.

There is a bright side, though. My friend may not have had a burial insurance, but his faith bought him a "life assurance" that requires no premiums because it was paid in full on Calvary.

1 Timothy 3:13 "Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus."

I know I have the assurance of life everlasting, but I think I'll check my policies to make sure I have enough insurance to care for those I may leave behind.

I plan to pay premiums for a few more decades.

I saw the movie Invictus, then remembered the last four lines of the poem

I watched Invictus; it was extremely powerful

I'm considerably late, but I watched the movie "Invictus" last night. It was a very powerful, engaging and inspiring account of Nelson Mandela's struggle as the first black president of South Africa, especially after spending 27 years in prison for speaking against Apartheid.

Morgan Freeman as Mandela gave an Academy award level performance as he depicted Mandela trying to tear down the walls of racial hatred including black hatred. It also addressed several other important themes including:

--Forgiveness is a powerful weapon that creates better human relationships.
--True leadership is not a popularity contest
--We must exceed our own expectations

I was clearly awed by the poem "Invictus" which I was required to read in high school. An old English Teacher made us read the poem and memorize the last four lines. Each one of us had to stand in class and recite the last four lines. So today poem's last lines linger:

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

Mandela showed the powerless masses of South Africa that they could either accept conditions or change them. He derived his strength and inspiration from the poem "Invictus" by William Henley, but there are thousands of Christians who do the same thing, deriving their strength not from a poem but from the Lord.

Isaiah 40:29 "He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak."

In High School I was a young idealist who internalized the words of "Invictus." Today, I'm an old idealist who has changed the last lines of Invictus to read:

I am the master of my fate:
Christ is the captain of my soul.

They knew her, but fired her just like that

They knew her, but fired her just like that

It's a bad feeling when the people who know you best, believe the first thing they hear without a thought that what they they heard may have heard may not be true.

That's the case of the black woman who was a former Agriculture Department official who resigned under pressure after a video clip surfaced of her discussing how she considered giving a white farmer less than her best effort because of racial feelings she had 24 years ago.

In a video, Shirley Sherrod seems to tell an audience at an NAACP function in March that she did not do her utmost to help a white farmer avoid foreclosure.

Her bosses didn't ask her anything. They didn't check to see if the video was real or taken out of contact, she was just fired. They didn't even wait for her get back to her office she was required to pull her car over to the side of the road and text in her resignation.

However, Sherrod later said the clip only shows part of her comments, and that she tells the story of her experience -- from nearly a quarter century ago when she was not a federal employee -- to illustrate the importance of moving beyond race.

When the public saw the full video and protested and the White House responded:

"We're not sure what the ultimate result will be, but it's clear that with new information through the full speech, a longer look needed to be taken," a White House official announced the next day after her forced resignation. "The White House contacted the department last night about the case and agreed, based on her evidence, that it should be reviewed."

Sherrod said, "When you spend your life helping others and see people try to turn that around to try to make it look like you're a racist when that's not been what your life has been about -- that doesn't feel good," she said.

Those who worked with her judged her on hearsay and never bother to consider that what they heard may not have been true.

Jesus felt the same way about hid disciples. John 14:9 records this statement he made to his disciples, "Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?"

Harold Melvin and Bluenotes put it this way, "If you don't know me by now, you never, never, know me."

He lived in the pulpit, he died in the pulpit

He lived in the pulpit, he died the way he lived!

Friday night, The Reverend David Brown, Jr. died.

The Reverend Brown was the pastor pastor of nine congregations in Louisiana and Mississippi, died Friday night during a religious service at the Calvary Baptist Church in West Monroe.

He was singing a song preparing for a sermon to be preached by another minister when he suddenly collapsed.

Last year Brown was featured nationally on the Public Broadcasting System (PBS) as one of the nations last surviving "circuit pastors." The broadcast, shown around the nation, featured Brown's role as a man who pastored multiple small congregations across Northeast Louisiana and in parts of Mississippi.

Brown was a self described country preacher who had a powerful pulpit delivery, some said that could have expanded his ministry beyond rural Louisiana if he wanted. However, Brown always explained that his mission was to bring the word of God to the area he was assigned by God to cover.

He remained faithful to that calling for over three decades.

He has officiated so many funerals and marriages that he couldn't count them, worn out two dozen cars, and preached thousands of sermons to "God's people in the rural."

"If everybody goes to the big city, who pastors the country folks?" Brown once said about his ministry. He died as he lived... in the pulpit.

This passage from Revelation says it all, Revelation 2:10 "... be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life."

So we live on earth, so we continue to live with Him.

Everybody is praying for everything; does God get spam?

Too much Spam in my inbox; does God get Spam?

I get plenty of email everyday either from business, church or personal connections. I also get nearly 500 spam emails everyday; those are the ones that get through my primary spam filter and end up in my delete box. They are time consuming, nonsensical and frivolous. Some are even insulting. It gets to the point that certain names or addresses are automatically blocked because they are always spam.

Since God hears and answers all prayers, is it possible that we flood our heavenly inbox with spam prayers?

A spam prayer is one in which we ask God to do what we can do ourselves. When we ask God to visit the sick but we don't; help the poor but we won't or to create more love in the world but our hate list hasn't diminished; those are spams prayers.

Then sometimes we can be a nuisance; with frivolous prayers. We pray that the water for our coffee will be hot or that the train won't stay on the track too long. We pray for grades when we have not studied; or that that we are not pregnant when we have not abstained.

Some pray that that their favorite singer wins American Idol.

There are people who sell trick prayers guaranteed to get instant results. There are groups that offer mass prayers for jobs, money, luck, sex, and victory. It all goes up to heaven.

Mixed in there somewhere are our real prayers and concerns.

Wouldn't it be a shame to pray so many frivolous nuisance prayers that heavenly spam checkers tag our prayers as those coming from that person in Louisiana or California or New York that sends up prayers for money, cat food and winning lottery tickets. -Spam box!

I'm sure God gets spam, but He has no spam box. He hears them all and answers.

Spam prayers, though, seem to be a waste of His time.

Here's an interesting thought from Jesus himself in Matthew 6:7-8.(Msg) It says, "The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They're full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don't fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need."

I think it best for me to be selective with my prayer requests. I'll prayer about the big things, I won't bother God with the little things, He knows them all anyway.

When a prayer appears before the throne with my name on it, I would hope it is moved to the top of the pile and not shuffled to bottom with all of the spam of the day.

That's my prayer anyway! (Lol)

Why do we take pictures of ourselves with our cellphones?

New trend: Taking a picture of yourself with your cellphone.

Have you paid any attention to the grown number of self portraits appearing on social networking sites such as Myspace and Facebook? Increasingly there are photos of individuals taking pictures of themselves with their cell phones. Some even stand in front of mirrors to capture themselves taking a picture of themselves. It could be a very high self esteem that prompts such actions; it could also be just a touch of vanity.

Most of us are happy with ourselves. Occasionally, someone comes along and wants more hair than they inherited or eyes foreign to their DNA. However, generally we are pleased with our appearance.

Some have gone a step further; they are not simply pleased with themselves they have fallen in love with their own appearance. That's when we have an inordinate number of photos of ourselves. We jump on every photo that someone else is taking; and when that is not enough, we take our cellphones and take dozens of pictures of ourselves.

No matter how well I appear to others, I'm often very disappointed with my own self portrait. I see too many flaws in my personality; too many weaknesses, too many insecurities in areas that should be secure.

A true self portrait forces us to look deep into the mirror and observe closely what we see.

When the mirror is God's word. our reflection usually reveals distortions of which we are not proud. We won't post that picture for anyone to see. The one we want to post is the glamor shot that hides our flaws.

Rather than taking a picture of myself with my cell, I'd probably do better taking a long hard look at what I see, then try to correct as many of my obvious imperfections.

James 1:23-25 "Those who hear and don't act are like those who glance in the mirror,
walk away, and two minutes later have no idea who they are, what they look like.
But whoever catches a glimpse of the revealed counsel of God—the free life!—even out of the corner of his eye, and sticks with it, is no distracted scatterbrain but a man or woman of action. That person will find delight and affirmation in the action."

I'm rather pleased with my 61 year old appearance, but I'm not pleased with the man in the mirror; that guy has too many flaws.

She was the bad driver, but he got the ticket

She did wrong, he got the ticket; a case of injustice.

Have you ever been the victim of an unjust decision? Most of us have. It's not a great feeling.

Yesterday our bus driver began negotiating at right turn in a busy Atlanta intersection. As he swung out a woman decided to squeeze pass the bus as it turned. Her move resulted in a fender bender. She apologized to the driver, saying she thought she could make it through the tiny space between the bus and curb. She was very polite, apologetic and humble. When the police arrived, both accounts were told but the officer gave the bus driver the ticket.

The driver was stunned. The lady was surprised because she fully expected to get the ticket. She drove off smiling, leaving our driver frustrated because he felt himself the victim of an injustice.

Injustices may come on a small scale in the case of fender benders or in larger situations such as racial discrimination, intimidations or unfair practices. All injustices, whether large or small, leave victims.

We are surrounded by injustice but we are encouraged to remain just ourselves, remaining firm in our faith.

Habakkuk 2:4 "Behold, ...the just shall live by his faith."

It was an injustice, but our driver is strong. He is a man of faith.

So, Lebron made up his mind, so what about us?

Lebron made up his mind, we must decide things, too!

The nation waited anxiously last night for basketball star Lebron James to announce whether he would stay with the Cleveland Cavaliers or make a move. For seven years he was loyal to Cleveland bringing major dollars to the team but always falling short of his goal to own a championship ring. Since he is a free agent, decision time loomed. He narrowed his choices to six teams then switched back and forth between choices keeping the nation on edge.

Last night he made his choice, he chose to move to Miami and play with the Miami Heat.

Life is about choices. We choose whom we play with; we choose our own team.

There are many who make choices about whether to choose to live a Christian life or one that is contrary to God's will. We choose the high road or the low road. Some of us switch back and forth between the two without really making a choice.

We have to choose a team because all of heaven waits our decision. LeBron James' basketball choice was made in line with his personal goal. He left $30 million on the table to do it.

We have to make choices in line with our goals as well. Some choices are hard and may cause us to leave a lot on the table but they are necessary to get where we are trying to go.

The world has made us an offer.

God has made us an offer, too, backed up by the blood of Christ and confirmation of the Holy Spirit.

1 Kings 18:21 (MSG)Elijah challenged the people: "How long are you going to sit on the fence? If GOD is the real God, follow him; if it's Baal, follow him. Make up your minds!"

Make your move.