Honesty does not mean always mean Integrity!

Several years ago, in Long Beach, California, a fellow went into a fried chicken place and bought a couple of chicken dinners for himself and his date late one afternoon. The young woman at the counter inadvertently gave him the proceeds from the day—a whole bag of money (much of it cash) instead of fried chicken. After driving to their picnic site, the two of them sat down to open the meal and enjoy some chicken together. They discovered a whole lot more than chicken—over $800! But he was unusual. He quickly put the money back in the bag. They got back into the car and drove all the way back. Mr. Clean got out, walked in, and became an instant hero. By then the manager was frantic. The guy with the bag of money looked the manager in the eye and said, “I want you to know I came by to get a couple of chicken dinners and wound up with all this money. Here.” Well, the manager was thrilled to death. He said, “Oh, great, let me call the newspaper. I’m gonna have your picture put in the local newspaper. You’re the most honest man I’ve heard of.” To which they guy quickly responded, “Oh no, no, don’t do that!” Then he leaned closer and whispered, “You see, the woman I’m with is not my wife...she’s uh, somebody else’s wife.”

I hope you were able to laugh at the story but there is a ring of truth to it. Honesty does not always mean integrity. Men take care that you do not become like Mr.Clean. Remember that being named Mr. Clean does not make you clean only the Blood of Christ can make you clean.

Living a transparent life.

Recently we have had some controversy going on about a football athlete that has come to play for our local professional football team. There were and still are some rumors flying about that he may or may not have tried to commit suicide. I for one am tired of hearing about every move this particular man makes and wish the news media would allow him to settle in to what he is supposed to be doing here and that is playing football.

This morning I sat watching the news and saw him trying to explain what happened. He tried to explain that it was a mistake and that the police report was wrong, because it said that he admitted that he was trying to hurt himself. He stated that is was all a misunderstanding of what happened and their was no reason to be alarmed. His publicists states that he has twenty-five million reasons to be happy referring to his three year contract of course.

There were rumors that he was depressed because of a break up with his girl friend and was not being allowed to see his daughter, and with the news coverage that he gets it would be hard to have some down time to recover after a personal loss of a relationship like that.

I am not passing judgment on him but I do see a person who his crying out for help. Sometimes we put up fronts so that people can not see the present living conditions of where we are living our lives. I saw this picture and thought how we as people usually live in a house trailer while we try and keep up our appearances and ride around in some flashy vehicle.

When we try showing a different life and not showing who we really are people will always attack you wanting to know what is going on and they will not stop till they find out something that they think you are hiding. It is better to live a transparent life style so that people can see right trough us and know what is going on.

In John 1:46 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false." Nathanael apparently live a very transparent lifestyle so that there was not "misunderstandings" about him. I see that as a wonderful compliment from the Lord about him at that time. I know that you may not see the connection between the two situations but it is there. We as men have to realize that we are human and we have our faults but it is ok to show when we are hurt and need help. We are not called to be Supermen but called to be men that are super.

Remember there is only one that will never let you down and that is Jesus Christ. He is our Hope of Glory, anything less is just hype and that always fails.

T.O. we love you, but more so Jesus Christ loves you. I am praying that you can receive the love and comfort that only he can give you.

How a Hunter tells the weather.

This is for all the hunters that go hunting regardless of the weather. It is the most accurate and up to the minute weather forcaster available, enjoy.

In case you can't read the sign...

1. If the rock is wet, it is raining.
2. If the rock is swaying, it is windy.
3. If the rock is hot, it is sunny.
4. If the rock is cool, it is overcast.
5. If the rock is white, it is snowing.
6. If the rock is blue, it is cold.
7. If the rock is gone, your in a tornado.

Sign of the times.

My mother in law sent this to me and I got a kick out of it hope you enjoy.

YOU KNOW YOU ARE LIVING IN 2006 when...

1. You accidentally enter your password on the microwave.
2. You haven't played solitaire with real cards in years.
3. You have a list of 15 phone numbers to reach your family of 3.
4. You e-mail the person who works at the desk next to you.
5. Your reason for not staying in touch with friends and family is that they don't have e-mail addresses.
6. You pull up in your own driveway and use your cell phone to see if anyone is home to help you carry in the groceries.
7 Every commercial on television has a web site at the bottom of the screen.
8. Leaving the house without your cell phone, which you didn't have the first 20 or 30 (or 60) years of your life, is now a cause for panic and you turn around to go and get it.
9. You get up in the morning and go on line before getting your coffee.
10. You start tilting your head sideways to smile. ;-D

Get up!

Have you ever had a bad fall and your dad or someone of importance tell you to get up and dust yourself up and get back in the saddle and not let it get you down. Well here are some ways to help you get up. Enjoy

1. Wake Up! Decide to have a good day."This is the day the Lord hath made;Let us rejoice and be glad in it."Psalms 118:24

2. Dress Up! The best way to dress up is to put on a smile.A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks."The Lord does not look at the things man looks at.Man looks at outward appearance,but the Lord looks at the heart."I Samuel 16:7

3. Shut Up!Say nice things and learn to listen.God gave us two ears and one mouth,So He must have meant for us to do twice as much listening as talking."He who guards his lips guards his soul."Proverbs 13:3

4. Stand Up! For what you believe in.Stand for something or you will fall for anything."Let us not be weary in doing good; for at the proper time,we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good..."Galatians 6:9-10

5. Look Up! To the Lord."I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13

6. Reach Up! For something higher." Trust in the Lord with all your heart,And lean not unto your own understanding.In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path."Proverbs 3:5-6

7. Lift Up! Your Prayers."Do not worry about anything; insteadPRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING."Philippians 4:6

How Texans think.

A Texan was stopped by a game warden in East Texas recently with two ice chests of fish, leaving a river well known for its fishing.
The game warden asked the man, "Do you have a license to catch those fish?"
"No, my friend, I don't have a license, they are my pet fish."
Warden: "Pet fish?"
Texan "Yep, every night I take these fish down to the river and let 'em swim around for awhile, then I whistle and they jump right back into this ice chest and I take them home."
Warden "That's a lie because fish can't do that!"
The Texan looked at the game warden for a moment and then said, "It's the truth. I'll show you. It really does works."
Warden "Okay, I've GOT to see this!"
The Texan poured all the fish back into the river and stood and waited. After several minutes, the game warden turned to him and said, "Well?" "Well, what?" said the Texan. "When are you going to call them back?" "Call who back?" "The FISH!" "What fish?"
Moral: Texans may not be as smart as some, but we ain't as dumb as most. You smart ones have a good day.

Motherly wisdom

I OWE MY MOTHER:

1. My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE. "If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning."
2. My mother taught me RELIGION. "You better pray that this will come out of the carpet."
3. My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL. "If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week!"
4. My mother taught me LOGIC. " Because I said so, that's why."
5. My mother taught me MORE LOGIC. "If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not going to the store with me."
6. My mother taught me FORESIGHT. "Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident."
7. My mother taught me IRONY. "Keep crying, and I'll give you something to cry about."
8. My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS. "Shut your mouth and eat your supper."
9. My mother taught me about CONTORTIONISM. "Will you look at that dirt on the back of your neck!"
10. My mother taught me about STAMINA. "You'll sit there until all that spinach is gone."
11. My mother taught me about WEATHER. "This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it."
12. My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY "If I told you once, I've told you a million times. Don't exaggerate!"
13. My mother taught me the CIRCLE OF LIFE. "I brought you into this world, and I can take you out."
14. My mother taught me about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION. "Stop acting like your father!"
15. My mother taught me about ENVY. "There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don't have wonderful parents like you do."
16. My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION. "Just wait until we get home."
17. My mother taught me about RECEIVING. "You are going to get it when you get home!"
18. My mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE. "If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to get stuck that way."
19. My mother taught me ESP. "Put your sweater on; don't you think I know when you are cold?"
20. My mother taught me HUMOR. "When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me."
21. My mother taught me HOW TO BECOME AN ADULT. "If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up."
22. My mother taught me GENETICS. "You're just like your father."
23. My mother taught me about my ROOTS. "Shut that door behind you. Do you think you were born in a barn?"
24. My mother taught me WISDOM. "When you get to be my age, you'll understand."
25. And my favorite: My mother taught me about JUSTICE. "One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you"

The day the whole world changed. Remembering 9/11

There are few things in life that are worth remembering where you were at when something happened, such as when JFK was shot, when Ronald Reagan was shot, the day you got married, the birth of your children, and many more things that are of a major importance in the world in which we live.

I have Sept 11, 2001 eternally burned into my brain because of what happened. I remember the day like it was five minutes ago. I remember being at work and being told of what had happened and going back to a t.v. and seeing the second plane flying into the other tower. I remember that the anger swelled up inside of me and I wanted to see an unleashing of destruction upon the people responsible. I wanted to see them wiped off the face of the earth. Surely that was our right, right?

At that time I was a Bible College student working to recieve a Pastoral Studies degree time, and I remember my faith being questioned about what had happened but I was reminded of 1 Peter 5:8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. I knew at that moment that I had to quit playing around and get to doing what God was calling me for. At times it takes something very dramatic to wake us up and make us realize that there is a real enemy and a real danger. I am thankful that I did not know anyone personally that died as a result of the attacks but I do know that our lives are affected greatly though.

To the families that lost loved ones I am so sorry that you had had to experience a loss like this due to the ignorance of the terrorist that did this. My prayers are for you and my heart goes out to you. I pray that God gives you the comfort to help you through your trials 2 Cor 1:3-5 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.

We will never forget what has happened and we should never forget the people that are sick with all sort of illnesses from working at ground zero. You all are heros aand we owe you the gratitude of the whole U.S.A.. Thank you for your sacrifice. We love you.

"Be still and know that I am God."

I recently got an article published in a magazine called the "Christian Sportmen" so I thought I would share with you.
Blessings,
stan

It is the middle of August in North Texas and the only thing that a true sportsman here can think about is the opening of dove season on September 1st. The hunting fever as I call it is starting to run through the area like a disease unchecked. It is a time for Fathers to buy their sons their first Remington 870 pump shotgun or their first hunting rifle so they can share in a time honored heritage of hunting that we treasure so highly, that we long to pass it down to the next generation. Every father dreams of watching his son take his first dove, turkey, or deer as long as the son does not outdo the father. Even though there is a pride in watching them, there is also a competition between them. It can be an awkward thing for a father to watch his children become of age and knowing that they are not too far away from becoming adults themselves who will go out and start their own families. It is a right of passage to manhood and a circle that we pray will never be unbroken. It is also a symbol of our own desire to go out on a walk with our heavenly Father and do well so that he might look down on us with that same fatherly pride.

Due to waiting for the right person God had for us, my wife and I are just now starting in that direction to having children. Although we do not have children yet we do have two dogs that seem to be like our children though, and recently I learned the greatest thing that sometimes we need to relearn over and over from my dog Sam, which is a Welch Springer Spaniel that I found at the animal shelter. I remember the day I found him there as I walked into the shelter and all of those dogs there were going crazy barking and running around trying to catch your attention when low and behold there was this beautiful bird dog just sitting there looking all noble and proud, he was just dead calm while he was in the middle of pure chaos as only a bird dog can. Well he won my heart with that peaceful demeanor and after going back home and making a fool of myself with this crazy story about this dog to my wife, after taking her to go see the dog she agreed that he could come home with us, thus started a relationship that I treasure to this day.

He has a simple life here at our house. He keeps us company and gives companionship to our other dog Mitzy, (which is an entirely different story). For his and our entertainment he likes to play fetch with his squeaky toys and he takes a great interest in the birds in the yard by watching through the front door or off the front porch. I know that he will never win any awards for being a championship bird dog, but Sam is secure in our relationship because he knows that his master loves him, feeds him, fellowships with him, provides all of his medical needs, and will give him all the little squeaky toys that he can handle. The only thing that I as his master ask of him is to be happy to see me when I come home and sit there in devoted fellowship and let me pet him, (which is beneficial to both him and me).

When Sam wants attention he will come up to me and lay his head on my lap and he will stay there for hours or until I recognize him and give him the attention that he longs for. You may ask what does all this have to do with the price of shotgun shells at the store, well it don't have anything to do with that at all, but it is about a great relationship with God.

Two weeks ago we were having one of those worship times at church where the presence of God was so evident and strong I took note at one song we were singing that said "I just want to lay back on you and breath and hear you speak". Well I was reminded about Jesus' brother John when he rested back on Jesus and he just rested in him and was close enough to hear God breath, if you get close enough to hear him breath you will be able hear him speak. That day I was moved in worship but later that day I was still saying Jesus where you are so I can lean back on you. Well Sam walks up to me and lays his head on my lap and starts wagging his tail and low and behold the scriptures comes to me out of Psalms 46:10-11 Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Well the more I thought about it the more I saw my relationship with God was just like my relationship with Sam but reversed. There are times when I come home and if he does not meet me at the door I know something is wrong. He has probably had an "accident" or he has royally messed up something in the house. When that has happens the peace in our relationship suffers because he is hiding under the bed because of the shame that is upon him just like Adam and Eve in Genesis 3:8-10 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man, "Where are you? He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid."

I feel that God was hurt that day to see the ones he so dearly loved trembling in fear before him because of the shame of disobedience had entered into them. I know that it did not take him by surprise, but it still hurt him because the relationship with his children was stained the same way the hurt and pain comes across me because of the breaking of the trust I put in him to take care of my house and to protect it. I know Sam will eventually let me down from time to time because he is not perfect because he is just a dog. I also have learned that like Adam and Eve he will hide under that bed not wanting to face me because he knows that he hurt me and brought shame into the relationship with his master and he don't want to see me hurt or upset. If left up to him he would hang his head and leave and never look up again and become a refugee from my fellowship knowing that he can never make it up to me.

God had to sacrifice his own son at Calvary to atone for the sins of man so the relationship could be restored John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Just as God made the first move to reconcile the relationship with man, I find it is up to me to make the first move to reconcile the relationship between Sam and I and because I love him I would give anything for that dog within my power to protect him and to keep him beside me, I am the one who comes down to where he is at and talks to him. I have to punish him for some of the things he does but there are times when he has accidents that are not his fault because maybe he is sick, or was left in the house too long. I have to remember that he will always feel guilty and will be in constant need of reassurance of our relationship. I try to be a forgiving master and that is when I see the greatness of God even in my weakness he is my Master and will lean down to find me and reconcile the relationship we have which I can not do. God wanted to walk in the garden and talk to Adam and Eve, even as I want to get in the truck and go for a ride with Sam. The next time your dog puts his head on your lap and wags his tail, honestly ask yourself if you have spent time in the lap of your master our Lord God.

May your hunting year be joyful and safe and make sure God shares your tree stand with you, and you with him. Stanley T. King Psalms 128:2