Warning this thought is explosive!

*Warning this message will be viewed by some as being cryptic and vague. It is not the intent of the author to be cryptic or vague. It is the intent is this author to be deep and insightful.

I recently had a lesson in explosives. Here are a few things that I learned and I will relate them to fireworks:

1. A long fuse is not only a necessity it’s just better:

A long fuse allows those involved to get ready for what’s to come. Fireworks and other explosives can be very dangerous if not handled properly and a long fuse just allows more time to make sure that no one gets hurt. If the fuse is too short well you are not prepared and people just get hurt and it gets pretty messy.

2. The anticipation of the bang is just as important as the bang:

I used to think that the bang was the most important thing when it came to fireworks/explosives. Well I have learned that it is just not true. The time spent waiting for the fuse to burn and the anticipation that build helps all involved to appreciate the bang all the more. It also helps to ease any fears about the bang. The bang can still be scary, but if the fuse is long enough those fears will seem insignificant to the beautiful display that is to take place after bang.

3. Fountains are better than the stuff that just explodes:

As I have gotten older and experienced life more I have really come to appreciate the fountain fireworks much more. The ones that explode might look really cool, but I have learned that they have a very short fuse, are really loud, only last for a few seconds and some people just get scared and want to run away. The fountains are the ones that when lit the fuse burns for a while and just when you are ready it bursts forth in a beautiful shower of sparks and colors that last for way longer than any other fireworks.

I have learned many things over the last week and I have now begun to put these lessons into practice. I believe that what I have laid out is a good plan for anybody dealing with “fireworks/explosives”. I have lit the fuse (a long one) and I hope that something beautiful comes out of it. Stay tuned.

Who Are We Worshipping?

I recently took our students to a Christian concert with some of the biggest names in Christian music. I thoroughly enjoyed the concert and I felt that at times there were some very genuine moments of worship taking place. Then there were the other times when I realized something that I think I had been overlooking for years. We as Christians have gotten caught up in "fandemonium". I am pretty sure that I just made that word up so let me explain what I mean. What I observed was people falling all over themselves to try and get near these artists and just get to touch them. It was just like the old videos you see of the women going crazy over Elvis or the middle school girls going insane over Justin Beiber. It was really creepy to me and the only thing that coming to mind was the story of the woman who touched the hem of Jesus' robe so that she would be healed. So tried her hardest just to get close enough to touch him. Seeing the people reach out to these very ordinary men that play and sing really made me think about how we lift people up to a place so high we are bordering on people worship.

I saw my own students go crazy when one of the lead singers from certain band came into the crowd near where we were. They were like "Bubba he is right there, oh my goodness, he is right there, oh wow". My words to them were " he is only a man". Then I asked them if they even knew what his name was and of course they didn't, so they made that huge fuss over seeing someone they did not know. They were excited about this man coming into the crowd simply because everyone else lost their minds over him too. That is "fandemonium".

During those times that I believe genuine worship of the one true God took place it seemed as though all those people pumped about seeing the people were not really excited about meeting with the Lord. I think that we as believers need to be real careful about how we place people up on pedestals and seem to blindly follow these people (yes I am talking about more than just Christian bands). We need to make sure that our full devotion and worship is solely for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. People will always fail you and disappoint you, but God is the unmovable, unshakable, and sturdy foundation that we can depend on. He alone deserves our worship! So let's not get caught up in the fandemonium of lifting up people, but let us worship the Lord and him alone.

I'm Back!

Well after 6 years I am back in the blogging world. Yeah I know that it is not as cool as Facebook and Twitter, but I am not cool so it kinda works for me. I am starting this blog just to be able to express my thoughts that I have from time to time that are really too long for my Facebook status. I hope that you enjoy reading my thoughts and maybe sometimes it will encourage you and maybe sometimes it will make you stop and think. Whatever it does please feel free to comment and tell me what you think. Stay tuned for my first real post!