Julie and Julia

Last night I watched the movie Julie and Julia. It is a movie based on two true stories. One story is about the early life of Julia Child, and her culinary career. The second story is about Julie Powell, and her experience blogging about cooking all 524 recipes from Child's cookbook titled Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

Both women shared the desire to do something with their lives besides existing. Julia Child pursued a dream of graduating from culinary school, and she eventually became a published author of her famous cookbook. She also hosted a television show teaching viewers to cook French cuisine. Julie Powell had basically hit rock bottom in her career, and the only relief she received from her mundane life was to cook dinner each night. Julie aspired to be a published author and she saw no way this would become a reality. While discussing her dissatisfaction about life with her husband, he inspired her to blog about cooking all 524 recipes from Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking within a year's time. Julie accepted the challenge, and her blog became extremely popular with readers. Eventually, she published a book about her blog, and from that, the movie Julie and Julia was produced.

This movie highlights how the lives of two people who have never met can be intertwined. It demonstrates how the life of one can influence the life of another, and in turn, the lives of so many more are and will be inspired. Truly, all of our lives have impact in this world. A web that connects all people together, and no matter how insignificant we believe our actions are, they are touching the lives of people we may never meet. Even the normal everyday decisions we make can have atomic influence over history.

Julia and Julie both desired to do more than just exist. They wanted their lives to mean something. One was not content to be an ordinary housewife. The other was discontented with working day in and day out confined to a cubicle. Because of this, each woman followed their heart's desires, and both have influenced time and history and the lives of countless others. These two women represent us all.

No one wants to just take up space and waste the air they breathe. Everyone has a deep desire to do more with their lives than just maintain the status quo. All people, no matter who they are, are significant. Placed within us all is the key to unlock destiny. It has been given to us by our creator. There is a champion in us all, waiting to be unleashed upon the created order. We can't truly live until we have unlocked our own genius. As a matter of fact, others cannot truly live out their potential until we begin to embark on our own journey of faith. It is locked away within us. It's waiting to be engaged. Now is the time to discover!!
"For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope." Jeremiah 29:11

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I Can't Get Up!

Just the other morning, I was getting ready to take my children to school. It was an extremely cold morning, well, for south Alabama, and I was making sure I was dressing warm. Over my sweater, I had on my black leather jacket. I had my neck wrapped in a scarf. My head was covered with a toboggan, and my hands were warmed by my leather gloves.

When my two sons and I got into the car, I said, “I am bundled up.” They looked at me and said, “Yes, you are.” I then asked why they had not done the same. They told me that it was too many clothes to be wearing. I said, “Well, at least, you will be warm.” And they said, “Well, at least, we will be able to move around comfortably.” Then one of my sons said, “We would be like Ralphies’ brother Randy on ‘A Christmas Story.’ You know when his mom put all those winter clothes on him, and he fell in the snow and could not get up.” Then we all laughed, and I said, “I guess you’re right.”

As I drove, I began to think about that little scene in the movie. By bundling her son up so heavily, Mrs. Parker really believed she was doing Randy a favor. Obviously, she was protecting him from the snow and cold; however, her actions put Randy at a disadvantage. As Randy was walking with Ralphie to school, he was knocked down, and because of all the clothing Mrs. Parker wrapped him in, he could not get up. So he just rolled back and forth in the snow, shouting, “I can’t get up!”

Then it dawned on me, we pastors often do this to those under our care. We do our best to help them and to encourage them. We give them the dos and don’ts, and we mold them to be exactly like us. Though our intentions may be good, often, we do more harm than we truly desire.

Instead of allowing them to wear the belt of truth, we squeeze their waist with hypocrisy. We teach them to allow self-righteousness to guard their chest instead of allowing them to put on the breastplate of righteousness that is truly found in Christ. Shoes for the gospel of peace are replaced for shoes of backbiting, gossip, and disunity. We lead them to put down the shield of faith and to take up the flaming arrows of the evil one to throw at one another. The helmet of salvation is reduced to an individualistic, self-seeking, self-serving message of protection from hell instead about the Kingdom news that heaven has come near to earth. The sword of the Spirit is proclaimed as the word of God only when it can be used for our advantage to advance our agendas or to keep others under control.

When we replace the armor of God with something of our own creation, we are actually preparing the people of our communities for failure. Just as Randy could not get up under the weight of his own clothing, often, those we have been entrusted to disciple feel the same after we have bundled them up and turned them lose to walk on their own. When they find themselves fallen due to life’s pressures or sin, they wallow in fear, self-pity, and condemnation, yelling, “I can’t get up!” We assume we are preparing the participants of our faith communities for the cold world they face day in and day out, but in actuality, we have burdened them even more. The people of our faith communities are often ill prepared to face life in a Christian way. We turn them loose to the wolves; they fall, and can’t get up. Then we fail to help them get out of the hole we put them in.

As we seek to disciple those who are part of our faith communities, we should remember well the words of Jesus, “The scribes and Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat; therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others; but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them” (Matthew 23:2-4, NRSV).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HW4IZ0Flh3M

Jaclyn: Blessed to be a Blessing

Well, tonight I saw the vision of God for his people in action. Jaclyn Elliott, my beautiful fiancée, preached a great message on God's calling for us as individuals. She was living out her calling as she gave the message God had given her to a group of a little over 50 people at Love In Action's Celebrate Recovery (www.loveinactionministries.com). She used her blessing, her gift and calling God has given her, to bless others, and she done a wonderful job as the Holy Spirit worked through her.

As the Spirit of Christ spoke through her, others were being encouraged to live out their calling from God to become a blessing to others by living out their own blessing from God, which in this case would be their call from God. I was so proud of her and thankful that many others came and encouraged her after her message. God truly blesses us through others.

She is a wonderful preacher of God's word, and I am so looking forward to working as a team with her in God's Kingdom. It is such a blessing to be blessed with a person who shares the same hopes, dreams, and visions with you. I know in my spirit that God has great things in store for us as we seek his will together. Together, we will be blessed to be a blessing to others. I can see with the eyes of faith a tremendous ministry in store for us. God has been so good to me.

Practical Atheist: Are You Who You Say You Are?

Beginning this Wednesday Night, 1/6/10, I will begin teaching a four week series titled "Practical Atheist: Are You Who You Say You Are?" I will be teaching at the Love In Action Ministry Center located on Montgomery highway next to the Piggly Wiggly in Dothan, AL. Each session will begin promptly at 7:00 PM.

Here is a break down of each weekly session's title:

Week One: I Believe in God but I don't Fear Him

Week Two: I Believe in God but don't want to go Overboard

Week Three: I Believe in God but I trust in Money

Week Four: I Believe in God but I don't Know Him

You say you believe in God. Do you Really? Do you live your life as if God was in the room, or do you assume he's not paying attention? You call yourself a Christian. Are you who you say you are?

Practical Atheist: Someone who believes in God but lives as though he doesn't!

I expect to see you there!

For more information call Brian Turner at 334-655-6435

(I thank Craig Groeschel and LifeChurch.tv for this free resource.)

What About Evil and Suffering?

It doesn’t take long to look around and know there is evil and suffering in the world. Turn on the TV or radio, buy a paper or magazine, log on to the internet or even your cell phone, and “BAM!” there it is in your face. From war to terrorism, from genocide to slave trade, from starvation to aids, from murder to theft, from domestic violence to divorce, suffering and evil is all around us!

The nagging question that has gripped people for centuries is, “Why does God allow evil and suffering?” If God is all benevolent, all powerful, and all knowing, why doesn’t he put an end to the pain and misery that millions experience everyday? This is probably the greatest hurdle for atheists to get over, and it has become their greatest arsenal against Christianity.

This is a difficult question to answer, and no matter what answer is given, it seems too simple and inadequate to really do justice to the question itself. Very often, the answers given to the question of suffering and evil do not give respect to those who are suffering. Sometimes, the answers given make the victims into perpetrators who are guilty of causing their own pain and misery. While it may be true that suffering and evil can be the result of poor choices, it is also true that suffering and evil plague the innocent. Injustice such as this has caused one person to say, “If God is God, he is not good. If God is good, he is not God.”

Some do make God the blame for evil and suffering. Since, the existence of pain and misery cannot be adequately dealt with by logic and reason, well, someone has to pay the price for evil’s existence. So, God becomes the one to bear the brunt of the punishment. Yet, this is nothing more than making God the scapegoat because we as finite human intellectuals have reached the full extent of our own logic and reason. (By the way, since the enlightenment we have made our ability to reason an idol. Logic has become the God of modernity, and we have suffered, to some degree, because of it. Uuummmm, very interesting, to say the least.) If we take God out of the picture, as an atheist would, then who would be the cause of evil and suffering? Well, the answer would be humanity since there would be no God to point the finger at. Now, if we place God back into the picture, could we not still say that in some capacity humanity is still responsible for pain and misery, evil and suffering. Yes, of course, we could make that very conclusion.

I, for one, do not pretend to understand pain and misery, evil and suffering. I have no pretense I have figured it all out. My answer will probably raise more questions, and we will be back at square one; however, in my opinion, I believe we should stop asking the question of why evil exist in the world. We should stop putting the blame on God, and we should begin working with God to stop evil and suffering in the world.

And here we are, back to the call God has given us. We are blessed to be a blessing. We as believers can put a sizeable dent in the existence of evil and suffering if we would truly live out God’s vision for us, to be a blessing to others because he has blessed us. Isn’t that just wonderful? We need to quit asking God why he allows evil and suffering because, in my opinion, he does not allow it, but he is actively involved in eradicating it from his creation, and at the close of history, he will complete this very act. We, as believers and humanity as a whole, need to point the finger at ourselves and ask, “Why do I allow evil and suffering?” That is the question God is asking us; however, he is also saying, “Turn from practicing evil, turn from causing others to suffer, place your trust in me, and join me in being a blessing to others as I bless you.”

I ask you to answer the call of God to bring about the end of evil and suffering. Pray with me for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in Heaven, and begin to work with me in ways to do the same.

A New Year: Moving Toward a New Heaven and a New Earth

I was just musing that we have put the year 2009 to rest, we have begun a new year in 2010, and that means we are one year closer to the New Heaven and the New Earth being established by our King Jesus. Isn’t that totally exciting? Well, it is to me. So, I am going to live this next year with the vision of being a blessing to others because I am blessed. Hopefully, as I live this out, a little more of Heaven will be brought to earth.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ”See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.” And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new.” Revelation 21:1-5 NRSV

This vision is my guiding hope. It is this vision I put my hope in as I wait patiently in faith for it to arrive. It is this vision that inspires me to be a blessing to others because if this is what my King is doing, if he is making all things new, then I am motivated to join him in the process.

My vision for 2010 is to follow Jesus in making all things new. I am not one hundred percent sure what all this entails, but I am looking forward to the journey. Whatever it does consist of, I am sure it will have something to do with hanging out with those others may consider to be a menace to society. I am sure Jesus will lead me to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, and clothe the naked. I pray I will have the tenacity and fortitude to follow him in doing these things.

I ask you to join me as we both join Christ in the restoration of His creation.

10 Blessings I Received During 2009

This morning I have been reflecting just a little on 2009, and so I thought, I will make a list of the blessings I have experienced throughout the year. Here goes…….

1. I am totally blessed to have my fiancée, Jaclyn Elliott, in my life. She is an absolutely wonderful person and woman of God. I cannot wait to marry her in April. She has blessed my life this past year in ways I could never put in words. She has stood by me through difficult times. She has showered me with prayers. I must brag about her, and say that she never turned and ran away through the struggle we experienced this past year. She hung in there and showed great character even when others where not being so nice. Jaclyn is real and authentic. She does not try to be something she is not. I have seen her bad side, and I have seen her wonderful side. Actually, I love her even more that I have seen her weaknesses because that let's me know she is not afraid to be genuine. I know she has a heart for Christ, and I am so blessed that she has chosen to be with me.

2. I am blessed to have two wonderful sons. Christian is a blessing to me. He is my oldest. His guitar playing brings joy to me because he shares a gift and talent that I have as well. I am also proud that he is doing well in school. He is an awesome football player on his middle school team. You know, I am even thankful for his strong personality. He will be a great leader someday. No, let me restate that. He is a great leader now, and I know he will exceed his potential in the future. Austin, my youngest son, is also a blessing to me. Austin is daddy's boy. He is really great with children who are younger than he is. It seems that, wherever he goes, little children are naturally drawn to him. Maybe, he has a gift and talent to minister to or serve children. Austin is real. I don't think I have ever seen him fake being who he is. He can be quiet when around strangers, but I think he is just sizing up the situation so he can lay down the boom later. He does not judge people due to their skin color, and I am proud of him for this attitude. And let me tell you, he is a master at video games. I think his expertise will be in technology as he grows older. Anyway, both of my sons are wonderful, and they are certainly at the top of my list of blessings.

3. I must mention Love In Action International Ministries (http://loveinactionministries.com). LIA has been such a blessing to me. Being able to help with ministering to the poor, marginalized, and homeless, has caused me to grow spiritually in ways I could never imagine. I am so thankful for Ken Tuck, Martha Tuck, Mike Shroades, Justin Swasey, and Mama (Susie) Tuck, oh, and let me not forget Franklin Moore. These people are not just people who have allowed me to minister with them, but they are people who have become such great friends to me. My life has been completely altered (for better or for worse, no just kidding, they have truly blessed me) because they have allowed me to enter their's. And I must say, they have stuck with me (just like Jaclyn) through difficult times in my life this past year. To all those that Love In Action has ministered to and served, I say, I love you because all of you have blessed me tremendously.

4. Also, I need to mention all the great friendships I have developed over the past year. All these people truly blessed my life in 2009, even if they do not realize it. Here they are: Bill Price, Jack Kale, Roy Rogers, Mike Hoppe, Mike Pearson, Steve Stock, Bob Pitcher, Mark Fleming, Marty Hamilton, Adam Mashburn, Andy Eckart, Max Morris, Ted Hils, Stu McMahan, Amy McMahan, Jeff Burnett, Cheryl Hidle, Christine Avant, Jaromy Henry, Myrna Henry, Doug Bell, Steve Horn, and this list could go on. I say thanks to you all for your friendship, love, comfort, patience, and prayers. I truly love you all, and you are all dear to my heart.

5. Of course, I say thanks to all the staff at Harvest Church. It has been a great pleasure to minister with you all. 2009 was a great year for Harvest. Grace and Peace to you guys and gals.

6. I want to say a special thank you to my mother and father, my brother and sister. I love all of you. You have been my family my entire life, and you have always stood beside me and gave me encouragement. Thanks for all the love you have shown me throughout my 37 years. You are the reason for who I am!

7. Asbury Theological Seminary has blessed me over the past year. I have grown so much in Christ because of the wonderful teaching of so many Spirit filled professors. You all have really stretched my thinking, and my faith has grown stronger because of it. May God continue to use Asbury Seminary in powerful ways.

8. I want to thank the Haven in Dothan, AL for allowing me to speak to their people from time to time as needs have shown themselves. I have been extremely blessed due to your trust in me. God bless the Haven, and what it is doing in the lives of so many who struggle with addiction.

9. Thanks to the United Methodist Church for allowing me to pursue candidacy for ordination. I am so thankful for your open hearts, open minds, and open doors. I am so blessed by you.

10. Lastly, I am thankful and blessed for, well, myself. I am blessed that I have persevered with myself. I am thankful that I have not let myself fall apart this year. Trust me, I have had reason to, but I must pat myself on the back and say that I continued to looked toward Jesus and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and I have sought comfort in my faith and great Christian friends and counsel. I am blessed that I have not given up on myself, my dreams, my calling, and my life. I pray that I will continue to do all I can to ignite a movement of faith, hope, and love with creative passion.

Well, there they are. The ten blessings of my life in the year of 2009.