The Winner!

My poem Life won first place in the contest we had on Thanksgiving! The prize of my choice was a gift card. I used it this morning. I got a nozzle for a hose. !?!? you may ask. I had a wide selection to choose from, but the nozzle suited my purpose better than anything else. It is a special nozzle. It turns a normal garden hose into a pressure washer. I've wanted one for a while. Now I've got one. I'm excited.

Thanksgiving

I know this post is late, but who cares? When any special occasion or religious holiday like Thanksgiving is here, you don't have time to be on the computer. You need to be with family and friends. This Thanksgiving has a lot of special meaning for me especially, because I had dwell time with several people that I don't usually take time to spend with. (Interesting side note: Time is spent like currency. Be careful how much you spend in any one place, because you can't earn more time. However, time well spent is like a big return on a good investment.) If you're into ATVs, better known as four-wheelers, shooting, and eating, then you've come to a good spot. When you see loved ones and best friends there too, then you know you've hit the jackpot. That's what I've been doing since Tuesday the 23rd. I got back home after midnight yesterday (Friday the 26th). During that course of time I have spent spent 15-18 hours of that, sleeping. Not much sleeping. I love it.

Let me summarize what I was thankful and grateful for this Thanksgiving:

My God (He's my Saviour, King, Master, Creator, Friend, Eternal Majesty, my Shield and Fortress. He's the bestest)
My Life (God's grace and mercy has certainly been bestowed upon me)
My Family (They are alive, healthy, they love me, and the main reason for my joy)
My Friends (They are the other reason I have joy)
My Country (I am proud to an American)
My Freedoms (The Constitutional and the Bill of Rights)
My Health (I have been quite healthy throughout the year, with only a cold or two)

I hope you had just as special a Thanksgiving as I had, maybe even more so. Thank you to all who follow my blog, or just read it, and may your next step be blessed. God Bless.

-To the Beloved in Christ-
Perry

Almost Thanksgiving

The last two days have been really great. My brothers and I have been helping set up everything for Thanksgiving. This means cutting firewood, removing stumps, driving four-wheelers, and hanging with our best friends. What could be better? The list of things I'm grateful for is longer than a Christmas list.

Alertness vs. Carelessness Part 1

Alertness: quick to perceive and act

1 Peter 5:8 says "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour."

We must be serious or solemn (sober), and circumspect or watchful (vigilant) in our lives. The 1828 Webster Dictionary defines sober-mindedness as "Calmness; freedom from inordinate passions; habitual sobriety." Vigilance is defined as "Guard, watch."

I have heard it said that the mind is the playing field and the imagination is the trophy. That is Satans' goal. To capture your imagination, and take you captive in your own mind. If allowed to have such power, he can influence your life to his way of thinking, which is against God. He is yours and my adversary. He is like a roaring lion, ready to tear you in pieces and devour you.

Beware, for Satan does not always appear to be such a frightful being. In 2 Corinthians 11:12-15 it says, "But what I do, that I (Apostle Paul) will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we. For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works." Sometimes he will appear as a seemingly friendly person or object. What do I mean when I say object? Simply this. If that object becomes a life dominating, influencing force, and it is not within Scriptural bounds, and it leads you down the wrong path, then Satan has won.

What influences you?

What do you read?

What and who do you listen to and hang around?

Who do you counsel with?

I'm not saying that everything or everyone you know is a bad influence. However, you must place those people and things against the Scriptures, and see if they match. If they do, then great. But if they don't, I would highly suggest that you watch how much time is spent with those people or things. Pray for those people that aren't living according to the commandments of God. Limit yourself to the time you spend with your hobbies, toys, and other worldly pleasures.

Carelessness: means to be negligent, taking insufficient care of.

Do not be careless (care-less). Remember, your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says, "What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."

To Be Continued...

Tidbits Of My Life

Man, I can't believe it's this warm for November. You see, I was born in Anchorage Alaska, and it should be freezing cold outside right now, and about four or five feet of snow. But NO! Living in Texas is so much different. There is no such thing as a cold drink here. (Or ice cubes for that matter.) If you live outside of Texas, I'll pray for you. Secondly, becoming acclimated to the climate was quite interesting. The first year my family and I were here, the humidity felt so thick, we thought about buttering our toast with it.

Tomorrow my brothers (Johnny and Adam to be exact) and I, are going to some very good friends' house for four or five days to celebrate Thanksgiving. We do it every year.

Here are the boys' names from oldest to youngest:

Perry (Me) 21
Johnny 19
Adam 17
Jared 15 (will be 16 on Dec. 3rd)
Jordan 15 (me too)
Jansen 12
Jeffrey 8

That's enough tidbits for right now. Look for more in the future. Please. I beg of you. Seriously, I mean it. And if you don't, then I'm going to write them anyway. One day you won't be able to resist.

Saving America

One of my greatest desires is to help the young people in this great country. When I go out into the world to do my business, I see a couple things that grieve my heart.


(1) I see how today's kids are dressed. You can see the obvious lack of respect for themselves, but also the obvious lack of respect for others around them. This shows the lack of respect that is missing in their homes, between children and their parents. Exodus 20:12 says, "Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee." "That thy days may be long upon the land." It is a shame to hear that young people are dying every day because of suicide, drug overdose, car accidents, gang killings, etc...


Ephesians 6:1-3 says, "Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother (which is the first commandment with promise;) that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest live long on the earth." That is a promise! Look at the last part of Exodus 20:12. "That the Lord thy God giveth thee."


I don't know what you believe, but I hope you will take what I am writing to heart. When the patriots of the faith came to America from Holland (and at first England), they came looking for religious freedom, and they found it. They came with the faith and hope that Almighty God would shine His grace brightly upon them and give them a place where they could shine the Light of the glorious Gospel upon a hill, and preach the truth without fear of torture. And God gave them a land with which to do just that. Now we have turned this country into a place of entertainment, "good" feelings, and apathy.


(2) The language that is spoken by these kids makes me want to wash my ears out with soap. That, and they talk lazily and disrespectfully to one another, and to those around, without shame or remorse. Proverbs 18:21 says, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." I have heard conversations where the word "fool" was passed back and forth, as if it were a mere joke. James 3:8 says,"But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison."


Saving America will not happen overnight. I think we all know that. I'd like to start with my generation and the next, seeing how they will be our next leaders. And I want someone who I know I can trust to be in those leadership positions, that will handle themselves according to righteousness, justice, integrity, and accountability. That way, my children and grandchildren, as well as yours, can live in peace and prosperity.

I hope with all my heart that I can do my part in drawing these young people in. And please do not take this post as mere grumblings. One way, in my opinion, to help these kids live better lives, lives with meaning and purpose, is to lead by example, and then to begin teaching them life principles God's way. Let's begin by first making sure that we Christians are well grounded in our faith, and secondly, finding wholesome teams or programs where truth is taught.

If you, my favorite reader, know of any such programs, please leave a comment or send me an e-mail. Let's work together to make a country a better place, by doing our part, playing our role, in our roles, for the glory and majesty of Christ Jesus.

May God bless you all.

Life

What would you do today if you didn't have tomorrow to live?
Life isn't someone else's to take or give.
Who can take life's precious hand,
and count it as nothing, like beach sand?

It is the master design,
at one time long ago, life came first as a sign.
Life is creation's zenith,
how dare it be messed with?

Into man's lungs was breathed the very breath of life.
Who dare snuff it out as one would a candle?
From whence comes such anger and strife?
Who dare take life in their own hands and so roughly handle?

Oh! How precious it is, this thing we call life.

If You Like Movies...

Hey gang, check out http://www.acewondermovie.com/ for a really cool preview. It goes into theatres Father's Day 2011. That's June 19, 2011. I've seen the preview, and it is AWESOME!

I apologize to those who already know about it. I don't mean to preach to the choir. But this goes to all your friends who may not know about it yet. I'd love to have them on my blog. Invitations to everyone! I'd also like to hear any comments or questions you may have.

Almost Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is coming up. It's time to start thinking, what are you really thankful about?

I am truly thankful for God Almighty's ever present hand my life, and the mercy and grace he has bestowed upon me and my family. I am thankful for my family, my freedoms, my friends, my country, and the fellowship I have with those family and friends. I am thankful for the food I get to eat, and eat, and e... (you get the point), the roof over my head, the clothes on my back, and the and that my five senses are working properly.

What are you grateful for, and to whom are you grateful?