A night of worship has proven to be more of a blessing than every anticipated. As a music aficionado I am particular as to the concerts that I choose to attend and usually will try to get VIP, early access seats when possible as I don’t enjoy long lines and they tend to make the event more memorable. So was the case this weekend as I had procured VIP meet and greet early access tickets to see The Rhett Walker Band in concert.  I had tickets for both myself and my wife and we had planned to attend.  Apparently there were some different decisions being made as my bride fell ill and was unable to attend.  Out of the kindness of her heart and against the resistance of mine she convinced me to attend the show on my own. “I won’t be caged to the status quo. I’m not afraid to stand and say what people won’t.” -Rhett Walker Click To Tweet I am one of those married men that do not have many other male friends and I do not usually go anywhere social without my wife in tow, I mean by my side. However this evening I decided to go anyway, and figured I would just give away her ticket to someone and bless them in kind.  After calling everyone I thought might enjoy a  night out I ended up going to the show by myself with two tickets in hand. The evening started out as any normal show, I arrived at the […]

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Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. ~ Isaiah 41:10 NLT With words that powerful how can anyone be afraid, I mean He promises to hold us up and help us so what is there that we should FEAR? I am sure everyone has heard the acronym for F.E.A.R. right?  If not here it is False Evidence Appearing Real.  How often do we allow the seeds of someone else’s opinion to invade our minds? For I hold you by your right hand- I, the Lord your God. And I say to you, ‘Don’t be afraid I am here to help you.’ ~Isaiah 41:13 NLT Wow!  God himself has promised to help us, yet we allow every day failures to impede our path.  We focus on the worst case scenario of any challenge we may face.  We all have awoken from a deep sleep in a cold sweat from a crazy dream where our FEARs come true. It makes a little sense though if we take a look at the weapons that are used against us to weaken us into submission and FEAR: 1.) Self-doubt – we get in our own heads and interfere with the work we are here to do. 2.) Opinions of others – whether in high school or in the workforce jealousy brings out the naysayers. 3.) Our past – we live an relive out past that […]

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A couple of days from now most men will be scrambling around to get to the local florist and Hallmark store to make their wives day special.  As a married man we dread this day more and more each year as we always feel the pressure to outdo last year’s festivities much less anyone else that our wives may know that might embarrass our feeble attempts at ingenuity. This is not to say that Valentine’s Day is not a special day that we should express our undying love for our wives; then again shouldn’t we as Christian men be doing that every day? We are taught throughout scripture (repeatedly) that we should love our wives, neighbors, enemies and well anyone that may ever cross our path right?  Nowhere does it say “men buy your wife a box of chocolate, ridiculously expensive flowers and a card to express your love to her.” Granted that probably sounded a bit blasphemous to those that don’t know any better and think that they are remiss if jewelry, flowers and chocolate are not bought (preferably before the day of gentlemen) for Valentine’s Day to be special. Valentine’s Day originally started out as a liturgical celebration of one of the early Christian saints, Valentinus(Saint Valentine).   It has also been associated with a Roman festival that involved sacrificing goats and dogs and then flogging women with the skins of the sacrifice.  It was not until the time of Geoffery Chaucer that Valentines was associated with love, cupid and the sort. So gentlemen […]

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