A Modern Confession

Father, we confess that we are satiated and bored;
Creation has bored us.
Work has bored us.
Family has bored us.
Friends have bored us.
Our homes have bored us.
Television has bored us.
Redemption has bored us.
Truth has bored us.
You have bored us.
No generation in history has ever had so much to entertain it.
We are jaded and cynical.
We think the world is our servant, so we are not thankful when things go well for us, and we are not patient when they do not.
We believe every desire should be satisfied, so we are not delighted when they are, and we are not humbled when they are not.
We laugh, but do not know joy.
We are captivated , but we are never really awed.
We celebrate, but we do not worship.
We live, but not for you.
Have mercy on us, and forgive us.
Amaze us with grace - blood stained, incarnate, Messianic grace - the Glory of God in Christ.

Though you may not find the entirety of this confession to be true, at the very least a portion has been true of anyone residing in America.

This is a prayer that was printed in a Covenant Theological Seminary chapel service on February 23, 2007. The prayer was written by Rev. Michael Kelly, Green Lake PCA, Seattle, WA.

To be, rather than to seem

To our eternal blessing, Jesus was rather than seemed.

During this week between Palm Sunday and Easter, Jesus would have been participating in Passover. Now, in the 21st century, Palm Sunday gets plenty of attention. Maundy Thursday and Good Friday are also well known and observed. And of course and rightly so, Easter is the pinnacle of the week and celebrated by the Christian community.

However, in Matthew 11, there is a passage that doesn't get much attention. Over a year ago, Brian Habig taught on Matthew 11:11-25. The title of the sermon is "Becoming What He Prayed For" on March 21, 2010. Click here, find it and listen to it. Whether you love Jesus or are indifferent to him, listen to it.

To summarize the text: On Palm Sunday, Jesus goes to the temple and looks around. Then he leaves the city. The next day, he curses a fig tree and then goes to the temple and drives out the people doing business there. Jesus and his disciples again left the city, the fig tree had withered up, and Jesus teaches his disciples about trust, prayer, and forgiveness.

Sadly, the church is not always what she seems. Praise God, Jesus was content to be rather than to seem.

Homemade Toothpaste!

We have been going through Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University. In an effort to make my "Wal-Mart/Target" envelope money go further, I've been researching what I can make myself for cheaper than I can get at the store. Not only did I find out that toothpaste is much cheaper to make, but it's actually safer! Apparently, fluoride isn't a great ingredient to brush our teeth with!

This morning I made my own toothpaste! This video calls for oil of peppermint. If you're using peppermint extract, you're going to need a whole lot more than a drop...otherwise it tastes terrible!! I'm excited about my newfound Dave-Ramsey-approving, safe-teeth-cleaning, Zach-Galifianakis-endorsed (not really), toothpaste.

Who's Listening?

Public speaking is a beast. If you do it on any kind of regular basis, it can be provide thrilling highs and disappointing lows.

As a member of the Rankin County Chamber of Commerce, I am on the Elder Services Committee. First Fridays for Seniors is a monthly event designed to educate and inform the aging population and their caregivers about services available to them in Rankin County, Mississippi.

Today, I had the opportunity to educate the attendees of First Fridays about Reliv! I used my notes from a talk I did last year. During the talk, I was admittedly nervous, and had thought after I was done that there would be little interest. I could tell there was at least one or two who were tracking with me and giving me feedback via their body language.

After the talk, I was encouraged that those who evidenced curiosity approached me with feedback. But I was pleasantly surprised that some who seemed to be looking right through me also wanted more information. It was very exciting to have caught the attention of those that seemed to only be feigning interest.

Organization and preparation are key to public speaking. The more prepared you are, the more confident you will be. The more organized you are, the clearer you will be. Mix these 2 ingredients together and you never know who might be listening!

Cover Your Assets

Did you know you can spend money to make money? If you didn’t, you’re probably spending money to spend money. The difference in those two ideas is the difference between an asset and a liability.

Rich Dad, Poor Dad, by Robert Kiyosaki, may be over 10 years old now, but his concepts are timeless. What separated Rich Dad from Poor Dad? Financial intelligence. Kiyosaki’s underlying principle is that financial education is paramount to building wealth. Seems simple, right? It is actually. The problem lies in where the financial education originates.

Where are we being taught about money and how it works? Our school systems? At home? By credit card companies and high-interest marketing strategies? Kiyosaki rightly says that “money without financial intelligence is money soon gone.” It doesn’t matter that someone makes $300.000 a year. If he is financially illiterate, then wealth constantly eludes him. Money doesn’t solve problems; intelligence solves problems – and makes money.

Kiyosaki provides six helpful lessons, but understanding one concept can begin to establish that financial intelligence. *Know the difference between an asset and a liability and buy assets.* The definition of an asset is anything that generates income.

Does your car generate income? I don’t mean does your car get you to your job – I mean does the actual existence of your car generate income. No. In fact, the existence of your car generates expenses. You must spend money to put gas in the car and keep it maintained and insure it. Therefore, your car is a liability.

Assets can come in many different forms, but Kiyosaki often uses real estate. Owning a rental property (with tenants, of course), generates income and builds wealth. Those tenants are paying the mortgage on a home that can later be sold or that continue to generate the revenue of the rent paid. However, your own home is not an asset but a liability because again, you must pay money to heat it, cool it, light it, fix it, insure it, etc. And don’t confuse equity with asset.

Kiyosaki’s advice can be summed up in 3 points. Know the difference between an asset and a liability. Then, learn to recognize an asset when it presents itself. And finally, take action. The well-educated will be able to capitalize on opportunity whereas the uneducated will not be able to even recognize the opportunity.

If you spend money to make money, you’ll be well on your way to establishing – and maintaining – wealth.

Anastasia has not only taken to sitting in big people seats, she is also getting pretty good at feeding herself. Of course, I make the oatmeal a little more sticky to help her out some.

Check Your Crust

Oreo Cheesecake is not Oreo Cheesecake unless the crust is crushed Oreo wafers.

I had a slice of “Oreo Cheesecake” at a respected Jackson establishment (that will go unnamed). I took my first bite and it didn’t taste as I had expected – not enough Oreo flavor. It wasn’t until the second bite that I realized that it had a graham cracker crust!

Don’t get me wrong – a graham cracker crust on almost any other type of cheesecake is not only preferable but expected. Not so with Oreo Cheesecake.

So, before you cheesecake-up, check your crust.