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September Journal Archived

Friday, 1 Sep 06:  Happy September!  Today started with my concern for the well being of my family in Raleigh due to Ernesto.  I quickly learned, after getting into work that they lost power for a few hours, but everyone is doing fine and there is no damage.  Thank God for His provision!  Today was another slow day.  Computer issues saw to that.  I would get into it, but boring would be an understatement.  I did get another hit on my resume today.  I haven't researched either of them yet, but I will.  Now, onto what God showed me today in scripture; I Cor 6, verses 8-11, specifically.  The church at Corinth is getting a harsh lesson in not behaving like worldly people.  We all know that we are supposed to in the world, but not of the world.  But there is a list of don't in verses 9 and 10.  We know the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God, but God gives us, yes, at times we are unrighteous, a way to overcome those slip ups.  There are three things that can happen once we turn from unrighteousness.  You are WASHED, you are SANCTIFIED, you are JUSTIFIED in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.  Now, can the eternally unrighteous obtain these things?  Well, only if they repent and accept Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world and of their lives.  Then, and only then, can they be WASHED, SANCTIFIED and JUSTIFIED.  We all know what it means to be washed.  When we sin and act like the world, we becoming dirty, stained, if you will.  But the blood of Jesus washed us, even before we screw up; but only if you accept Him first.  Sanctification (to set apart for a sacred purpose) can only occur after you have been washed.  This is the process by which God calls you specifically to use the tools he has given you to do His will in the world.  So, we get clean, then God sets us apart as His own and then we are justified (to prove or show to be just or right) in the name of Jesus.  It is okay now for us enter into the presence of God Almighty because Jesus has showed that we are washed and sanctified.  But only after Jesus, himself, affirms these things have happened can we truly experience God.  Now, be encouraged today that we are all saved by grace, no matter what we have done, if we truly repent and by the Spirit of our God, we are made new.  Walk in that Spirit now and forever.  Until next time...Todd out.

Saturday, 2 Sep 06:  I have to be honest today and display my utter humanness.  I overslept and did not get to read my scriptures this morning.  Now, I am not discouraged, for throughout the day, I listened to music and thought a little about all that was going on.  God has forgiven me for missing a day and I will surely catch up tomorrow.  On to my day in the war...We are in the process of switching servers.  For those that need interpretation, the server is a huge computer that houses profiles of each user.  Now, the problems come in where there are 2 servers running and your profile is in both.  I tell you what...that is not important, but what is important is that I have been switched over and no longer have access to the work I did on the other one.  Long story, not quite as long, I spent most of my day trying to convince someone that I knew what to do to fix the problem.  However, with all the rules in place, someone had to give them permission to do that.  I hope I didn't lose anybody with all that, but I wanted you all to feel my "pain" today.  Confession...I am extremely frustrated.  Now, here is the Bible lesson.  Frustrated, yes...blaming somebody...no, that would be a sin.  The rules are what they are and they are there for a reason.  And as a Christian, I have rules to follow, too and one is that I can be angry, but sin not.  I am truly thankful for the very fact that we have computers and servers to assist us in doing the best job we can to take care of Sailors and Soldiers.  In due time, things will get fixed and I will be able to continue with my work.  In life, things will get fixed and we will all be able to continue the work God has for us.  Frustration, I think, is healthy.  It shows our dedication to something.  We may even get frustrated in our walk with Christ.  It shows our dedication to Him and wanting to obey Him, thus honoring and glorifying Him.  Wow, proof that God is on control and He can use any situation to teach us a lesson.  I hope this helps someone today.  Just typing it out has help me.  Time to rest, knowing the God is working out the server issues...Until next time...Todd out.

Sunday, 3 Sep 06:  I actually woke up early this morning, but only because I had a slight headache.  I took 2 Excedrin and tried to sleep some more.  No joy, so I got up and read a little and listened to some music on the computer.  I did not read my scriptures today because I know I would going to church and I just had a feeling the message would be something I would want to share.  Well, God didn't let me down...the message...in just a minute.  Tonight was also my debut with the Praise Band.  It felt really comfortable being up there and the band is good.  The congregation was smiling and I just felt good.  We had agreed before the service that I would lead a song.  Well, I muffed the key and had to be rescued by the leader.  Anyway, things went very well otherwise and I look forward to next week, and maybe a chance to redeem myself.  Praise God for letting me share the talents He has given me.  Now...the message.  Read 1 Chronicles 21 and pay special attention to verses 18-23.  There are several lessons in this chapter, but Chaps focused on verse 23.  The last 4 words of that verse is "I give it all".  Have we given God our all?  Before you answer that, look at this.  The man, Ornan, gave David all he had, literally, and in turn gave it all to God.  After giving David his threshing floor, Ornan showed us what it really means to give your all.  He gave his oxen, animals that had been with him for many years to help with his livelihood.  So let's call the oxen...the past.  Then he gave David the threshing implements.  These were used daily to maintain his livelihood.  So let's call the implements...the present.  Finally, Ornan gave David the wheat for a grain offering.  Wheat that would have been sold to feed and clothe his family for the coming season.  Let's call the wheat...the future.  See the lesson yet?  I always heard, give God you all, surrender all, but what exactly does that mean?  Ornan teaches us a valuable lesson about giving it all.  He knew David was a man of God, not to mention the King.   So willing was he to please God, he offered up his past, present, and future.  Folks, that's what it means to give all.  When we were saved, the past went away...stop holding on to it.  Renew you spirit daily, received His grace daily...that's the present.  Rest in the knowledge that Jesus will be with you until the end of time...that's the future.  I ask again...Have you given God your all?  I would have to say my answer is no, but now I know what it means to give it all to Jesus.  Start today, take a look within, start giving it all to Jesus, just make sure you leave it with Him!  God Bless you all!  Until next time...Todd out.

Monday, 4 Sep 06:  Happy Labor Day!  I trust everyone had a relaxing day.  As you know, war doesn't take holidays, so I was in today and attempted to get some work done.  I got a few things accomplished, but spent most of the day trying to fix the server problem.  Evidently, God wants me to wait, because nobody can seem to fix it.  Testing my patience, no doubt.  I am doing my best not to get angry with anyone.  Sometimes machines just don't do what you want them to do and that is how I have to look at this situation.  But, I am still delighting in the Lord!  Everyone knows Saul, the King who wanted to kill David.  Well, in 1 Samuel 28, we see how God handles people that don't obey Him. Saul was up against a massive Philistine army and inquired of God.  God did not answer him...why you ask?  Saul had to be told by Samuel, who by the way was dead.  That's right, Saul summoned a medium to talk to Samuel.  But, he did not hear what he wanted to here.  God was not answering Saul because he had not obeyed the voice of the Lord.  Saul was obviously not on God's good side at this point. Samuel also told him of the impending destruction of his army.  But, I want to focus on Saul's disobedience and God's response (or lack thereof) for just a minute. God requires that we obey Him.  I can say with some certainty that we all, at some point, disobey what God tells us to do.  And with more certainty, that we all call upon the Lord in times of need.  Now, here's the deal...we should not expect to hear from God if we have disobeyed Him.  Think back to a time in your life when you sought God for answers and you felt like He didn't respond.  Now, sometimes the answer is wait or no, but that's for another lesson.  But maybe He didn't respond because of our disobedience.  I do believe we have sinned when we disobey.  But what is the promise of God?  Confess your sins to the Father and He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  The blessed assurance is that we can ask for forgiveness and mean it, we can reestablish communication and communion with God and we can ask what we will.  Think about this next time you are waiting on God....I hope this helps someone, it has me.  Until next time...Todd out.

Tuesday, 5 Sep 06:  Today was a pretty good day.  I was able to get a little work done with a work around for the server issues.  For the evening meal tonight, a few guys and I went to the Turkish Bazaar on base here and had Turkish barbeque.  It tasted a little different than any I have ever tasted, but the employees of the bazaar served us and everything.  They are very supportive of us and just wanted to show their appreciation for us being here. There was a good time had by all.  Back in 1 Corinthians tonight, Ch 10 verse 12-13.  12...Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.  In some of our walks with Christ, we believe that we can stand in the midst of anything, temptations, in particular.  The warning is not to think you can handle it all on your own.  We are all going to be tempted and we need to know how to handle ourselves when they come.  Verse 13 tells us that we will not be tempted beyond what is common to man.  Okay, we know this, right?  But how do we not give in to the temptation?  Verse 13 goes on to say that God is faithful and will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can handle and will also give us a way to escape it, so we can bear it.  Look back at yesterdays entry and remember that communication with God is sometimes affected by our lack of obedience.  He will give us a way of escape, if we are in tune with His voice and that of the Holy Spirit.  Think back now to a situation where you were tempted and an escape was evident.  Did you take the escape route or give in to the temptation?  You don't have to answer out loud...We are going to be tempted by the Enemy for the rest of our lives.  The Enemy wants nothing more than for us to turn away from God.  But, if we turn to God and tell Him all about it (like He doesn't already know, but He likes it when we talk to Him), He will give you an option to avoid falling for the wiles of the Devil.  Take heart, saints, Jesus defeated the Enemy for us.  We don't have to be in bondage to temptation any longer.  Thank you Jesus!!!!!  Until next time...Todd out. 

Wednesday, 6 Sep 06:  Not that I am counting, but today completes my first month in Iraq.  My wife will probably not want to see such a low number, but I will be home before long.  I have already made a difference in the office here and plan to in others areas, too.  I finished what turned out to be a fairly slow day.  I did a few things and ran some folks around the base this afternoon.  I am continuing to tweak my resume and had another inquiry today.  I was talking to someone earlier about what the future holds for me and my family.  We spoke of the job availability around the country for prior military folks.  I told him that my life is in God's hands and He will lead me where I need to go.  That conversation reminded me of a daily word sent to me by a very dear friend of mine and I would like to share that with you all.  It came to me from Joel and Victoria Olsteen via Sherry Smith in the last week or so, but God brought it to mind today.  Here it is, word for word.  Any comments by me will be in italics.  Your best days are ahead!  Today's Scripture:  "No man has ever seen, heard or even imagined the wonderful things God has in store for those who love the Lord." (I Corinthians 2:9)  Today's Word from Joel and Victoria:  No matter where you are in life right now, God has much more in store for you.  God wants to increase you--He wants to give you more wisdom so you can make better decisions. He wants you to prosper so that you can be a blessing to others.  He wants to give you more money so you can be a blessing to others.  There have been times in my life where I just wished I had the means to help someone in need.  When the church, or someone in the church, needed money, I wanted to be the one to meet that need. Don't get stuck in that old rut where you just get up and go to work, come home, go to bed, and then do it all again.  I have made a promise to myself that I will not let that happen to me here in Iraq and it won't happen anymore once I get home.  I see people everyday who are in that situation and they look miserable most of the time.  The joy of the Lord is my strength and I am going to do all I can to get closer to Him.  That's not all there is to life.  God has new frontiers for you to explore and higher mountains to climb!  My new frontier will come around before I know it and I have to be prepared for it.  I am looking forward to climbing those mountains and conquering them and lavishing in the glory of God!  Embrace the new frontiers and brace yourself for what God will do for you.  Proverbs says, "The path of the righteous gets brighter and brighter and brighter."  If you're going to start experiencing these new victories, you must do your part and start thinking the way God thinks. Get in to His word as much as you can and get "the mind of Christ".  We can do it.  Think big!  Think expansive!  Think increase!    That about says it all.  We serve a great (wonderful and big) God who desires nothing more than to give us what we desire and so much more.  I went long, but I felt so strongly about this.  God has put on my heart to believe that better days are ahead.  He never breaks a promise!  Until next time...Todd out.  

Thursday, 7 Sep 06:  Today has been a weird day.  I woke up early this morning and took my time getting ready and listening to some music.  I got to work a little early and it was unusually quiet around the office.  I have tried all day to put my finger on it, but have come up with nothing.  I did have a great time at band practice tonight.  I am going to get a chance to redeem myself for last week's blunder.  I got it right 3 times tonight, so I should be okay.  I have to be honest...I had to read my scriptures several times today before something jumped off the pages, but I found it at 0103.  1 Cor 12 talks about spiritual unity and about the body of Christ.  You know the analogy of body parts used.  But verse 26 is the one that jumped out at me.  "And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it."  Now, we are members of the Body of Christ.  All different, but no less needed than the other.  No matter how minor the suffering seems to be, we suffer with them because they are part of the body and because we to obey God in all things.  Death of a family member, loss of a job, unruly children...we have all experienced one or more of those examples, so there is no excuse for us not to suffer with that member.  Conversely, if a member is honored, we are to rejoice with them.  So much easier than suffering, right?  Even if you have the urge to be jealous of their accomplishments (which, I believe is a sin), trust in God's word and rejoice with them.  Just as suffering effects the whole body, so does rejoicing.  I also believe that God suffers and rejoices with us.  We are His children and what parent wouldn't do the same for their child.  I also believe that it is important that the body be aware of suffering and rejoicing.  Don't keep those things to yourself and have the rest of the body miss out on helping you.  We are brothers and sisters in Christ and have the same DADDY!  Share your joys and your sorrows and you will be amazed how much support you will find in the Body of Christ.  Thank you Lord!  Until next time...Todd out.

Friday, 8 Sep 06:  Today was much like other days lately.  Not too much work to do, but I found things that needed some attention.  It is starting to get cool (compared to what it has been) in the morning.  It is pretty refreshing to go outside and actually feel somewhat of a chill.  People tell me that it can get very cold here in the winter.  I'll have to wait and see.  Today God chose 1 Cor 13 for me to share with you today.  Of course, it is the love chapter.  We all know about that, but maybe often missed are the verse prior to that.  Verses 1-3 lists great things that we can do (speak with the tongues and angels, understand all mysteries, have faith to move mountains, give all we have to the poor), but if we do them without love, they are NOTHING and we profit NOTHING.  Love is a word that is widely used today, but do most people that use it really know what it means?  I would never profess to understand love completely, but in the Bible I have with me (which, by the way, was given to me for graduation from my youth pastor, Weldon) there are special pages entitled Keys to Transformation.  There just happens to be one on love and it says, rightly so, that love is the greatest spiritual gift.  "To understand true love, we must experience it; and only the Spirit of God in us can produce the quality of love that endures, is unconditional, and endless.  God is love and by His power we are able to express love back to Him and to those around us.  Love is based on self-sacrifice.  It is deliberate kindness that extends even to enemies.  Love is the highest motive for our decisions.  Life is filled with opportunities for love in action.  Each day in many ways we show expression of our true character, and we can choose to develop our capacity to love.  The more we give, the more we nourish ourselves.  Each action takes on immense value when it is performed from a heart pure with love and committed to giving."  Not much for me to add, except that the love expressed here is called agape love.  We love because God first loved us and we do for other people because God has done many things for us.  If you are going to help someone out of pity or for attention, don't bother.  God will certainly not honor what you do.  Only with a heart and life full of love can we even possibly honor God through our service to His creation.  Accept the greatest spiritual gift of all...LOVE.  Now go, in love, and spread the good news of Christ to the world!  Until next time...Todd out.

Saturday, 9 Sep 06:  Saturday already...you would think this week would have been dragging due to all the issues.  Well, I can say with great satisfaction that 99% of the computer issues have been fixed.  The other 1% will just have to wait.  Some other things have happened that may make communication with Angi a chore, but rest assured that I will do whatever I have to in order to overcome that "little" obstacle.  I was reading in 1 Corinthians again, chapter 14 and it starts out talking about the principles of spiritual gifts.  They have to work in conjunction with each other to be effective.  Otherwise, there will be confusion, right?  Confusion...what a concept.  That could pretty much describe the last week here at work.  I am sure it can be used to describe some part of each of our lives.  With so much going on in our lives today, it's a wonder we are not confused more often.  Unfortunately, it can also be used to describe the atmosphere in, dare I say, many churches today.  You would think that everyone in a church would have a common goal, common beliefs, common interests, and the list goes on.  Paul was addressing the church at Corinth and it's difficulties, but he could very well be speaking to us and our churches today.  It doesn't only have to be about our use of spiritual gifts, though.  I am sure you guys can think of things that have happened or happening now in your life and church that are causing confusion.  Hear me out...some causes of confusion might be wrong motives, desire for power, desire for status.  Each of these is SIN and disobeying God.  But more often than not, who is behind all of these things?  The Enemy has come to seek whom he can devour.  You got it...the enemy cannot control us, but he sure can convince us that what we are doing is right.  Resist the devil, and he will flee!  Examine yourself against the Word of God.  If it doesn't line up, don't do it.  Now, I am not saying absolutely that the enemy is always responsible for confusion.  We, human beings can be pretty hard headed on our own, too.  But the important thing to remember is verse 33, "For God is not the author of confusion but of peace..."  Let's pray that the author of peace be present in everything we do.  I look forward to tomorrow for obvious reasons.  Please pray that things will go well and that God will truly be glorified!  Until next time...Todd out. 

Sunday, 10 Sep 06:  Happy Sunday!  It didn't start that way for me, though.  I was up 3 times early this morning with a "stomach malfunction".  I won't go into detail, let's just say I was not looking forward to much today other than church.  But throughout the day, I started to feel better.  I didn't do much real work today, just tied up some loose ends from last week.  Then, it was off for a little band practice before church.  We were sounding pretty good and were getting excited about the service.  So, service started and I got a chance to redeem myself on the first song.  I did fine and the congregation was really into praise and worship tonight.  So, finally, it was time for the message.  I tell you, this Chaplain is just what the Dr (God) ordered.  Tonight's message was from Nehemiah.  Not too many verses highlighted in my Bible from this book.  However, chapters 1 and 2 show us how Nehemiah reacted to a disaster in his life and eventually rebuilt the city of Jerusalem.  From these verses, we get the 4 Ws in rebuilding your life after a disaster.  Disasters come in many different shapes and sizes and there are 3 kinds of people associated...Just come through the storm, in the midst of the storm, or heading towards a storm.  So either way, you need these 4 Ws.  WEEP-WAIT-WITNESS-WORK.  Now, each W has some footnotes.  When disaster comes and goes, you are allowed to weep or grieve.  This is important step (according to Drs and God) in the recovery process.  Nehemiah fasted and prayed while grieving. Fasting helps us focus on God and prayer is nothing more than talking to Him.  Let Him know how you are feeling and ask Him for whatever you need and what to do next.  That's when we enter the second W, wait.  Once we have grieved and prayed, we need to wait on God to guide our steps.  He will let you know when it is time to move on to the next step or level.  Isaiah tells us to wait on the Lord and our strength will be renewed.  God says go and the next W is witness.  Now, witness has many meanings, but for this occasion it means to see something.  We have been through the disaster, so it's not to see that.  It to see what is left that we can use.  Nehemiah went to Jerusalem and found the foundation for the wall was still there.  So, you see, even though much was destroyed, there was something salvageable.  I would venture to say there is always something useful left afterwards.  You may not be able to see it, but your foundation will still be there, too.  Jesus promised to never leave or forsake us!  So now it is time to get to WORK!  You have grieved long enough, you have been continually praying, God has spoken, you have seen what is useful from the rubble and it's time to start rebuilding.  Remember, Jesus is still there to help you all along the way.  That's the good news of this message.  Stuff is going to happen in our lives.  We have the ability, with the help of the Holy Spirit, and support to recover from anything.  Now, pick which 1 of the 3 kinds of people you are, and always remember the 4 Ws.  God is GOOD!  And oh by the way...I have lived the 4 Ws with my beloved Saints.  They have begun to rebuild with their first win today!  GEAUX SAINTS!  Until next time...Todd out. 

Monday, 11 Sep 06:  Well, today was sort of ho-hum, folks just sort of milling about. I don't know if it was the day or what.  I am sure there were plenty of 9/11 shows on today and this evening.  We should never forget what happened.  Chap's message last night, no doubt, came from God and I am sure that plenty of people were using the 4 Ws and didn't even know it.  In light of what today is, I read a little extra than my usual verses today.  I have had a group of verses from Lamentations highlighted for many years.  And I know God led me back to those verses for today and to share with you guys.  I guess this is more than just a mere journal now, but what God wants, God gets, and He wants it that way, so who am I to go against Him?  Anyway, back to Lamentations.  I read Lamentation 3:14-24.  We see Jeremiah's sorrow over the the destruction of Jerusalem, but verses 21-24 hold the key to us surviving anything. "This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope.  Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not.  They are new every morning, great is Your faithfulness.  The Lord is my portion, says my soul, therefore I hope in Him".  There are things that have happened in our lives that would have caused the normal person to just give up and quit.  Yet, we know that God's compassion never fails.  That is the hope that we recall either from past experience or from His word.  Every day is a new beginning-a fresh start to life.  God is already there...waiting to pour out his everlasting love and compassion on his "kids".  Taking a few words from the Keys to Transformation...He restores our hope, renews our strength, refreshes our inner beauty and replenishes our resources.  The old adage is true, what don't kill us, makes us stronger.  In our weakness, He is strong, and he passes that to us through the Holy Spirit.  So, if you were a little down today, for whatever reason, there is hope in the Lord.  No day is common and insignificant when we are experiencing the divine presence of our Creator and King.  Our minutes are precious possessions-with eternal significance.  If you remember nothing else from this, remember that God never fails us!  Until next time...Todd out. 

Tuesday, 12 Sep 06:  I was trying to come up with a catchy new opening statement, but nothing came to mind, so I will just begin.  Today was a little more busy than most days before.  I actually answered a bunch of email, sent some out requesting information and updating spreadsheets.  I even created another one today.  I have lost count of how many I am up to now.  If you have never used Excel to track something, you should fine something that needs tracking and use it.  It is actually kind of fun seeing what you can do with it.  Anyway, I think it's time for today's scripture and lesson.  Not that I am an expert, I just write what God gives me. So, 2 Corinthians 1 has many life lessons that we have heard at one time or another.  But I was drawn to verses 9 and 10 in particular.  We were born into sin as a result of what happened many years ago.  And we know that the wages of sin are death, so we had a death sentence from day one of our lives.  But, we have a Savior that has taken our penalty for us.  All we have to do is accept the gift of salvation and believe that He did what we read He did.  We should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead.  In our own strength, we can do nothing, so what makes us think we can save ourselves from certain death.  We have been delivered from so great a death and are being delivered still.  We will always have sin in our lives, but He is still there to deliver us from the circumstances of those.  We trust many things in life.  We must also trust that even thought we mess up, He will forgive us, deliver us and cleanse us from all our unrighteousness.  When we were saved, we were delivered from the dominion of sin...it should not longer rule our lives.  But we are still weak and are in need of forgiveness every day.  I believe that God raises us from the dead every time we sin and ask for forgiveness, truly ask and repent, or turn away from whatever it is.  Don't try to save yourself, it can't be done.  Only by the grace of God can we truly be saved.  Whatever sin remains in your life today, whether you think it is big or small, turn it over to God and He promises to raise you up out of the mire and deliver you from certain death.  Praise God!  Until next time...Todd out. 

Wednesday, 13 Sep 06:  Good evening or afternoon or morning, depending on when you read this.  Today was quiet, but productive.  Now, I want to get right into the scriptures for today.  I am still in 2 Corinthians, but chapter 2 offers so much for us.  I got stuck on verses 14-17 and read them over and over again.  Obviously, those were the verses of the day.  I wanted to make sure I understood what it was saying so I went to the internet.  I found these verses in The Message and it all came together.  I'm not going to quote them, but try to read them for yourselves.  Because we are in Christ, God leads us around in victory and in doing that we are also carrying the knowledge of Christ and His redemptive power.  Because we are in Christ, we emit a sweet aroma or fragrance that goes straight to God.  But everyone around us recognizes whose we are, and Christ is magnified to the believer and unbeliever alike.  Now, those who are of the same belief we are, they already understand what it is all about and it is "sweet smelling".  However, to those who don't believe yet, it is an aroma of death, the stench of a rotting corpse.  Now, whether you know it or not, that is a tremendous responsibility.  Every move we make, every word we speak is processed by the believer and unbeliever, too.  But, be not afraid, but take heart, we are not alone as we move about through this world.  As a believer, we are always in the presence of Christ, whether we feel it or not.  The question is asked, "And who is sufficient for these things".  We are not in and of ourselves able, but Christ's presence with us that makes us competent to take this on.  Remember, I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.  So Christ is there to give us exactly what it is we need to say in any situation.  Are we always going to act the right way and say the right things?  Unfortunately no, because we do not always hear Him and just go on with what we think we know.  Come on guys, God will never steer you in the wrong direction.  Listen carefully and who knows, the unbeliever that witnesses your behavior or speech may have heard it so much that the aroma becomes sweet and you just got one more for Jesus!  I heard that somewhere before....Until next time...Todd out.

Thursday, 14 Sep - Friday, 15 Sep 06:  Hey folks.  Please forgive me for combining days.  I will explain further in just a minute.  It is starting to cool down here at night and first thing in the morning.  It is rather pleasant and before long, it will be Fall, then Winter and the rainy season.  That...I am not looking forward to.  For several reasons, but I won't expound and bore you with the details.  Well, let me share as much as I can about the last 40 something hours, as briefly as I can.  There is a very old tradition in the Navy that continues still today.  It is the grooming of the new Chief Petty Officers.  The "festivities" started around 1000 last night.  The next 8 hrs is the part I cannot share with you for fear of compromising the age old process.  Somewhere during that process, I realized that this will be my last time I will participate in this tradition as I am retiring next year.  It's hard to explain all the feelings I was having.  The most important one is the feeling of brotherhood and sisterhood that is formed over the course of the evening.  It's kind of like in the body of Christ.  Once you are accepted into the family of God, you are always a member, as long as you want to be and you uphold the standards.  So, although I will no longer participate, due to the fact that I was involved in the process makes every Chief in the Navy my brother and sister, similar to the brothers and sisters in Christ.  There are many scriptures about being part of the family, too many to mention here.  Anyway, after being up for nearly 29 hours, I got a chance to get some much needed sleep.  I returned to the office and checked email and did a few things.  Basically, though, today was a loss of a work day for me.  What it worth it?  Absolutely!  I did get my scripture reading in, though, and will briefly share what God showed me.  2 Corinthians 3:12 - 4:5.  I know a lot of verses, but chapter 3 retells the story of Moses and the veil and how people could not see him because of it, even they knew who it was.  The veil, in itself is a whole lesson, but I would like to focus on Chapter 4:1-5.  You remember the veil that ripped when Jesus was crucified and exposed God to the world without have to go through "a man".  There are people in the world, though, that to this day, have a veil over their faces and cannot see.  Now, this should not stop us from sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  We go about daily being led by the Spirit shining the light of the gospel.  Now, to those people whose mind has been blinded by the god of this age (Satan), they need the shining light of the glory of Christ to lift those veils.  We have to know that we may be the very messenger to deliver the good news to them.  Now, verse 5 says that we should not preach ourselves.  What does that mean?  Simple, it's not about us.  It's all about Him and what He did to save us all from eternal death and damnation.  We have to be careful, though, because, although we have been saved, we are still weak vessels being constantly molded by the Master.  However, preaching Jesus Christ and what He did does not change.  It is the same yesterday, today and forever!  There is a whole world out there full of people that have veils over their faces and need to be set free.  Keep preaching and sharing Christ with whoever you come into contact with and God will start to lift those veils as we draw closer to the return of the King of Kings.  We are not only commanded to share the gospel, but we should want to just to make sure that no one "misses the boat", so to speak.  Christ is the only way to eternal life and everyone needs to know that.  Be the one to hasten Christ's return...win some more for Jesus!!!!  Until next time...Todd out. 

Saturday, 16 Sep:  Thanks be to God...I am well rested and recovered from my all nighter last night.  Today was pretty quiet, although I did get 4 things marked off my to do list.  I still have a few things to do, but they can wait.  It is 2330 and I am waiting for the LSU/Auburn game to come on.  So, in the meantime, I have been reading my scriptures.  I read 2 Corinthians 5 over 2 or 3 times waiting for God.  Verses 1-5 is what I focused on.  Those of you that know me well will understand why as I go through it.  I went to the internet again and found these verses in The Message and it was even clearer to me.  Paul had just finished telling the church about preaching the Gospel and why he does it.  Now he gets into a little of the hereafter.  We have always heard that our bodies are but a vessel for the Spirit.  We know that one day these tents will be destroyed, but we also know that our new home has already been built by God in heaven.  Now that we know this, we sometimes long for the day we will lose this covering and be clothed in our heavenly garments.  Because of this, Paul says we groan and cry out in frustration because of the "living conditions" down here.  But we don't groan because we want to be naked or unclothed, but even more clothed in the righteousness of God.  This is not our true home, this body is not our real body, just a stop-over on our way to eternal life.  We have all heard the sermons and read what will happen when our earthly end finally comes.  That's why we are not satisfied "down here" and we often cry out, "Come quickly Lord Jesus".  The Holy Spirit, living inside us, has given us a glimpse of the real thing, a new body, without spot or blemish, that awaits us on the other side.  We all have a little heaven in our hearts and we can't wait to get all that is waiting for us.  I think sometimes, we need to recall what that little bit of heaven looks and feels like.  Life can and will be a struggle, but oh the promise of eternal life with God in heaven seems to make it go a little easier.  Now, can you guys guess why maybe God pointed these verses out for me to share with you?  I believe that we are really living in the last days and very soon we will all lose these "tents" and they will be replaced with our glorified bodies.  The signs are everywhere, everyday and we need to be ready.  "Come quickly, Lord Jesus"!  Until next time...Todd out.

Sunday, 17 Sep:  Happy Sunday!  And what a great day it was.  It started with me sleeping in after my late night.  I did a little work today, but mostly just piddled around and touched up a few things.  Before I knew it, time to go to church for practice and service.  It went really well tonight.  We were rockin for Jesus and congregation was responsive.  The Holy Spirit was definitely in the house tonight.  But even better than that, Chaps preached a message using one of my scriptures for today and was it right on the money.  Give me a minute and I will explain.  2 Samuel, chapter 13 was the text of his message.  Now, if you read the chapter, you can come up several life lessons.  It a chapter full of...well, let's say, it would probably be a best seller today.  There was deceit, love, a rape, hate, and eventually death.  But all we focused on tonight was verse 3, and just the first few words..."But Amnon had a friend" or so he thought.  What happens in the rest of the chapter lends itself to the gist of the message...Choose your friends wisely.  We have a picture here of things to avoid when choosing friends.  First, a bad choice would be one that persuaded you to sin.  If someone suggests you do something that is wrong and you know it is wrong, they would not be a good friend.  Amnon's so called friend suggested he be deceitful to get a girl in bed with him.  Second, a bad choice would be one that urges you to do things they wouldn't do.  We think that Amnon's so called friend also had feelings for this girl, but an intimate relationship before marriage was forbidden.  So, why not suggest Amnon do it, in his place, knowing that the situation was all wrong.  Third, a bad choice would be one that shows you something pleasurable, without thinking of the consequences.  Not only would Amnon's so called friend not do the act himself, he persuaded Amnon to do it.  Obviously, he was not thinking of what could possibly happen if they were caught, or if for some reason, it didn't work.  After all, they were half siblings...which brings us to another point, but we won't go there tonight.  I'm sure everyone reading this can think back to a time when you called someone a friend that exhibited this type of behavior.  Hopefully, you did not fall for the whole thing and "escaped" that person.  Maybe you are in a relationship right now with someone like this and you just didn't realize it.  Well, it's time to break the chains, cut 'em loose...they will do nothing but bring you down with them or just sit back and watch you go down.  Now, for characteristics of good choices in friends, basically the opposite of the other.  First, a good choice would be one that encouraged you NOT to sin.  Someone that would never suggest you do something that is wrong or could potentially be hurtful to some else.  A true friend will never lead you astray.  Second, a good choice would be one that creates an atmosphere of mutual accountability.  That's plenty of big words, but what is boils down to is a friend would keep you on your toes.  He/she would notice when you are going down the wrong path and pull you aside and say, "I love you, dude, don't go there."  Please make sure this person is on the same sex...to much temptation otherwise.  You will share with this friend and they will let you know if you are on the right track.  Third, a good choice would be one that points out the dangers of sinful living.  It is of vital importance that your friends be believers in Christ.  A nonbeliever may not be able to recognize sinful behavior.  Will you have to get rid of some friends?  Maybe so, but you will be guided by the Spirit of God that is within you.  But, Todd, I may end with with no friends.  If you are saved and have accepted Christ as your Savior, you will never be completely friendless.  We claim the promise of Jesus, our friend, that He will never leave us or forsake us.  Take stock of you life today...Is Jesus your friend?  If not, ask Him right now to come into your heart and be your Savior and Friend.  Then call somebody you know that has accepted Christ and tell them what happened.  Sometimes in life, the only friend we have may be Jesus...Until next time...Todd out.  BTW....Saints 34 Packers 27.  2-0  GEAUX SAINTS!!!!!!

Monday, 18 Sep:  Well, another Monday out of the way.  It was a late night, but I awoke ready to face the day.  Not a typical Monday like the ones back home, but a little busy nonetheless.  Still rejoicing to myself about the Saints victory made the day go by that much better.  A few people that were in church even told me how much they enjoyed the music and that are thinking of going back, if for no other reason but the music.  I also rejoiced over that.  However, someone today was feeling sorrow.  Actually, I would venture to say that a whole lot of people were feeling sorrow today.  In 2 Corinthians 7, Paul is again addressing the church at Corinth and he is discussing a letter that he wrote to them.  It was informing them of all the things they were doing that they needed to repent for.  It brought them great sorrow to them, but Paul was also sorry that he had to write it.  But, God is awesome and there are certain positive things that come out of sorrows or distress, as The Message states it.  The Corinthians used their sorrow, or distress to draw them closer to God.  In contrast, those who let distress drive them away from God are full of regret when they realize what they have done.  Don't be one that lets sorrows or distress separate you from the love of God.  Now, since the church used their distress to draw closer to God, much more happened in their lives.  We can learn plenty from these people of God.  We can be more alive.  Depression, which often accompanies distress, is eliminated.  Thoughts of suicide are crushed and we feel more alive than before for overcoming the situation.  We can be more sensitive.  After we have successfully exited that storm of sorrow or distress, we can better recognize it when it rears it's ugly head again.  We can also help others be overcomers because we have been through it and come out the other side.  We can be more reverent.  We feel free to worship the God that has set us free from this hindrance.  In all that we do, from here on out, we remember what we went through and we worship and thank the only one that could have done it...God Almighty.  We can be more passionate.  Webster's defines passionate as capable of expressing intense feelings.  Whereas we may have been just going through the motions, we now have the ability to truly share our experiences and how God, well, saved us.  People want to hear what you have to say because you express the intense love and grace of the Father.  We can be more responsible.  That's right, once we go through the storm, we have no reason to linger there any longer.  If we do, it is more than likely our own doing.  Be accountable, to God, to others and don't wallow in your sorrows or distress any longer.  Paul's primary concern in writing the letter was to get them to rely on God more.  Mission accomplished.  Once we recognize that our sorrow, if taken to God, can be taken away and we become better people, we can rejoice AT ALL TIMES.  Rejoice with me tonight that God is working things out for us everyday and He is looking to bless us even more.  Thanks be to God.  Until next time...Todd out.

Tuesday, 19 Sep:  Today was a fairly quiet day.  I know, sounds like a broken record, right?  Well, it's hard to explain, so I won't try, but will just say that my work here comes in cycles.  I am waiting for responses to emails I have sent out so I can assemble some reports.  The cycle is coming around again.  Most of the time, I am looking for things to do to improve our procedures and processes.  I believe that no matter how good things appear, there is always room for improvement.  Anyway, I overheard a conversation tonight that was startling to say the least.  A young lady, I'd say no older than 21 or so, made a comment about her religion being private and that she has to get back to where she was and will do it sometime.  Several things caught my attention.  Now, grant you, I am assuming she is talking about Christianity, cause she mentioned wearing dresses to church.  So, I am going on that premise.  Let's look at the second point first.  How long does she, or we, have until Christ returns to take us home?  We don't know.  Not enough believers today are talking about heaven or about when Jesus is returning.  I said a while back that I believe it is soon, even our lifetime, perhaps.  But more than that, if we are away from God, for whatever reason, we are missing out on some awesome things in life.  Numbers 6:24-26 says the Lord will give us peace.  Apart from Him, you will struggle to find peace in your life.  Isaiah 40:31 talks about the Lord renewing our strength, us running and not getting tired and walking land not fainting.  Apart from God, you will get run down from the fast pace of this world.  We need to be abiding with God for Him to strengthen us.  Those are just a few examples of what we miss when we not in communication with God on a daily basis.  If you are missing these things in your life, get back to God.  He is waiting with open arms to receive you back.  Now, briefly, the private comment is troubling for any believer.  If you are to obey the great commandment, your relationship cannot be private.  There may be where the problem lies...maybe it's just religion and not relationship.  Maybe I will get a chance to talk to her and get to the root of the issue.  But for now, let's look at what not sharing the good news of the gospel can do.  In Luke 9:26, Jesus said, "If a person is ashamed of me and my message, I, the Son of Man, will ashamed of that person...".  You may not think you are ashamed, but what other reason would there be for not obeying God.  You don't have to brow beat people, just share with them what God has done in your life.  People are looking for something to believe in...give them something, Jesus.  In Matthew 24:36, Jesus says, "But of the day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, but My Father only".  Folks, we have to ready and part of that process is doing what you can to bring others into the Kingdom with you when Christ does return.  Being private about your relationship with Jesus is not acceptable as God desires that none should perish.  It is our responsibility to tell people the good news that they can escape eternal separation from God.  Jesus Saves!  Finally, in Revelation 22:12, Jesus says, "Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give every one according to his work."  Don't confuse this with working to receive salvation.  We, who are saved have work to do and Jesus said He will reward us for it.  Our work is to, once again, spread the good news of the gospel to the ends of the earth, among other things.  Again, being private about your relationship with Christ will be noted and the rewards will be withheld.  There are so many reasons not to keep Jesus private.  I don't know where all of you are in your life, but I do know one thing...Jesus is coming soon and we need to get busy telling people about him.  Be public about it, but not to the point of being obnoxious.  I can't wait until Jesus looks at me and says, "Well done thou good and faithful servant.  Welcome home!"  I paraphrased that one, but you get the idea.  Pray for boldness in sharing the gospel and that the Holy Spirit will give you utterance as you need it.  Praise God!  This one went a little longer than I expected, but I know all of you will forgive me, right?  Until next time...Todd out.

Wednesday, 20 Sep:  I awoke a little early today and had some time to reflect on what exactly is going on in my life right now.  I am in Iraq...okay, and what am I here for?  Well, I am taking care of things very near and dear to them...their pay.  Okay, I am doing that well.  So what else.  It is evident that God wanted me here or I wouldn't be here.  I am going to church, good.  I am sharing my talent with everyone, good.  I am drawing closer to God, very good. So far, so good.  Thanks for all the prayers and support for me and for all the people here.  I got to work and opened my email...from Angela...God morning 9/20.  I didn't really notice it at first, but she misspelled good, or did she?  It may have been just another reminder that God is in control of the morning, noon and night.  Now on to the scripture for today; 2 Corinthians 9:6-8.  The title of the chapter is the Importance of Giving Cheerfully.  We all know that God loves a cheerful giver, but there is more to giving than just giving.  We are taught in these verses the right and acceptable manner in which we should give.  We should give bountifully.  That means we should give plenty.  When most people hear give, they think of money, but that is only part of it.  The law of sowing and reaping comes into play here. Verse 6 says sow sparingly, reap sparingly, but sow bountifully and reap bountifully.  What we sow, we also reap.  We are compelled to give as much as we can...love, time, support...and it will be given back to us in greater measure.  We should give .   Verse 7 says as he purposes in his heart.  We should give with thought and design to our giving.  Based on our circumstances and those of the person receiving our gift, we should be careful not to give more or less than we intended to and regret it later.  Make sure you will not be left wanting after you give.  We should give freely and cheerfully.  Verse 7 goes on to say not grudgingly or of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver. Some people give merely to satisfy or appease the receiver.  For some, it looks like they are having a tooth extraction when they give something away and all that unwillingness does is spoil all they have attempted to do.  We give because God has given us so much.  We show the true nature of God when we smile and genuinely want to give.  In our giving, the person we are helping must see the love of God behind our actions.  That can only happen if we give with the attitude that we are glad that we have the opportunity and the ability to "be charitable". And finally verse 8 tells us that God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.   So, as we give, and give in the right and acceptable manner, God will make sure we have all we need to continue to do His work.  We have so much to give.  I encourage you to be a giver today and you will make God smile!  Good night.  Until next time...Todd out.

Thursday, 21 Sep:  As I come to the end of another day made by God, I have nothing to report as far as what went on at work.  It was a fairly typical day over here.  I have a few reports due tomorrow that are ready for me to hit send and that will be pretty much it for the big projects for the week.  So, not too long ago (a few hours) I ran across an article on cbs.sportsline.com about the Superdome-you know, the huge building in New Orleans, home of my beloved Saints.  How, essentially, one man saved the Dome and maybe, indirectly, the city of New Orleans.  A word that came to mind after reading of his heroics was HOPE.  Now, all the politics and garbage aside, New Orleans has hope, and quite a bit of it.  To aid in that hope becoming reality, the Saints will play their first game in the Dome since Katrina.  So, I went to an old reliable source for some teaching on hope.  With the help of some teaching aids, I went to God's Word for some insight on hope.  Hebrews 11:1 tells us that faith is the assurance of things hoped for.  Therefore, hope is the object upon which we direct our focus and energies.  HOPE, for the Christian, is the knowledge that we are being changed as we trust in God's promises. We also know that God promises that our lives are for good and not disaster, to give us a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11). So, we know that no matter what happens to us, we believe God and we do have hope for a bright future.  Now, things happen in our lives that can cause our hope to go sour.  Since I have focused on New Orleans today...Katrina happened.  But that alone should not have caused people to give up hope.  Those that did, were putting their hope and trust in the wrong things.  People will let us down and this material world really has nothing to offer us.  Trust misplaced can rob you of hope real fast.  Now, there is a deeper meaning to the game that will be played Monday.  It's not just another football game.  I believe it is evidence that God loves New Orleans and if He can rebuild the Dome, three months ahead of schedule, how much more can He rebuild their city.  The Dome is material, true, but it is a symbol that represents better things are coming to that city, as long as they keep their hope firmly in God. Here are some practical steps you can take everyday to maintain HOPE in your life.  Submit yourself to God.  He is the source of all our hope. Read 1 Peter 5:6-7.  Strengthen your faith.  Allow God's previously fulfilled promises to renew your hope. Read 1 Chronicles 16:11-21.  Trust God's timing.  Sometimes God's responds quickly, but, at other times, for His own reasons, He allows us to wait.  Remember the old saying...God's time is always on time.  Thank God today.  It is often hard to rejoice as we endure hardships or as we wait on the Lord.  Because of God's love for us, hope does not disappoint.  Read Romans 5:1-5.  Have you lost hope for some reason?  You can regain it right where you sit...just ask God for it.  He is more than willing, actually, waiting for you to go to Him.  Run to the Father and all HOPE will be restored!  I pray you can see through the New Orleans Saints analogy to get to the meat of this thought.  Praise God for everything!  Until next time...Todd out.

Friday, 22 Sep:  TGIF!  That's what you're supposed to say, right?  Well, I can say it in earnest because I sent off the last two reports that were due this week.  It took all the patience I could muster to wait for information from other sources that I needed.  But, all is good.   I am at peace now and am ready to proceed with the rest of today and the weekend.  So, I'm reading my scriptures for today and I got stuck, so to speak, in Psalm.  This particular Psalm was written by a member of King David's choir, possibly even the "leader of the band".  Psalm 73 is where I am, verses 21-26 specifically.  Asaph was grieving in his heart for his people that were being destroyed due to their disobedience of God, but he shares with us a few things that God does and will do for us as long as we continue in Him.  Verse 23 says, You hold me by my right hand.  God is your "right hand man".  No matter how much we are hurting inside, we can never lose sight of the fact that God is there, just like your father or a dear friend, holding your hand as you get through the pain.  Verse 24a say, You will guide me with Your counsel.  Who better to get counsel from than God?  If you listen for His voice, he will tell you exactly what you should do.  After all, His word is a lamp unto our feet and light unto our path.  I encourage you to get into His word, more than ever before, and he will guide you through the pain.  Verse 24b says, And afterward receive me to glory.  Now that you have emerged victorious with God's help, He shows you that you are still His.  Showers of blessings will come your way because God wants to prosper us and give us a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11).  And because He is our portion forever, we are going to tell the world of His goodness and the grace He has given us through His only Son, Jesus Christ!  Be an encouragement to someone that is hurting.  Remind them that regardless of what they are experiencing, God is there willing and ready to help.  All we have to do is ask.  This one was short and sweet.  I pray God will cause someone to cross your path this week and you can recall Psalm 73:21-26 and lead them right to the Lord.  Have a wonderful weekend.  Until next time...Todd out.

Saturday, 23 Sep:  I woke up this morning humming a song.  It was just in my head and I have been humming it all day.  I tell you, that song and it's message got me through today.  Boredom would be great word to describe today.  There was a little work to be done, but once complete, we all just chilled.  It was just weird, I guess.  Anyway, we were anticipating football starting and were kinda just talking about all the games on this weekend.  Yet, that song was with me, in me.  I read my scriptures and underlined some things, but I believe that God put that song in my heart today and I should share it with you.  What truly motivates you, Child of God, to go on everyday?  Is it money, power, status, competition?  And after the motivation, what sustains you, more than anything else?  Allow me to answer those questions for all of us in a few words...God's amazing love.  Nothing else matters.  If you truly know the love of the Father, you have all you need.  The song, by the way is "Hallelujah! (Your Love Is Amazing)".  If you haven't heard it, I urge you to Google it and listen to it.  His love for us in simply amazing, considering He knows we don't always live the way we are supposed to.  Some words that describe His love, along with amazing, are steady and unchanging.  His love is always the same towards us.  We tend to change with the wind, but God is love, and he is never changes.  His love is a mountain, firm beneath my feet.  When things aren't going right, and we feel like we are on shaky ground, His love is the firm foundation we need to recover.  His love is a mystery...we don't understand it, we can't see it, we can't touch it, but we know it is always there...Hallelujah!  His love lifts us and carries us when we are surrounded.  Remember Footprints in the Sand?  When we are experiencing evil all around us, on every side, all we have to do is lean on Him.  His love will prevail in every situation.  The chorus of the song goes, "Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah Your love makes me sing."  I would say that singing for me is celebrating the freedom that has been given to me by His awesome love.  Without the love for us that He displayed by sending His only Son to die in our place, I don't know that we would have any reason to sing.  We can feel it rising and growing deep inside us and we see His goodness and we can't help but sing.  Another song that comes to mind goes like this, "I sing because I'm happy.  I sing because I'm free.  His eye is on the sparrow and I know He watches me."  In the Hebrew, hallelujah means praise ye the Lord, expressing praise, joy and thanks.  So, the next time you feel the weight of this earthly life bringing you down, think of God's amazing love for you and sing...Hallelujah!!!!!!!!!  Until next time...Todd out.

Sunday, 24 Sep:  Happy Sunday again!  It was a great day in the Lord.  I got to sleep until noon and reported to work around 2.  There were a few emails waiting for me, so I dealt with them.  I sent a few out and checked a few other things.  Nothing major happened today, except for church.  What a service we had.  The band was on fire today.  We did some traditional praise songs, but a few others we jazzed up and the congregation seemed to just roll with it.  There was even some clapping and lifting of hands tonight.  It seems to get better every week.  People are accepting Jesus at a pretty rapid rate each week and we are tentatively setting a Baptism service for the middle of next month.  Praise God with me for what He is doing here, through us.  Now, tonight's message was delivered by the leader of the band.  He is an ordained minister in Hawaii and is on fire for God.  The text he used tonight was Mark 2:1-12.  There are several lessons to be gleaned from the story of the paraplegic, but the focus tonight was FAITH.  Now when Jesus saw the four guys lowering the man into the room, He said, "Son, your sins are forgiven".  Without a word spoken by the men, Jesus saw his faith and healed his spirit first.  Later in the chapter, Jesus goes ahead and heals his body, too.  Side bar...our spirit must be right before we can even consider a physical healing to take place.  Back to the faith issue.  We all know what faith is (Hebrews 11:1).  To exercise that faith, and to let people know about it, sometimes we need a little extra effort.  These men showed, and I believe Jesus knew, just what these guys had to go through to get to this point.  First of all, their faith was believable.  They wouldn't take their friend to just anybody to get healed.  They knew Jesus was coming to town (verse 1) and knew that He was the only one that could heal their friend.  How believable is your faith?  Everyone you come into contact with should know that you have faith in God for everything you do and say.  Their faith was persistent.  When they arrived at the house, there was no room to receive them, not even near the door (verse 2).  But, did they turn around and leave in hopes that Jesus would be around some other time?  No, they stayed there and were not going to leave until they saw Jesus. How persistent are you?  Don't give up when it seems God has not heard you, or the person you have been witnessing to doesn't respond right away.  Keep asking God, trusting He will answer you and keep loving that person until he/she takes the free gift that God is offering.  To exercise their faith, they had to be creative.  And when they couldn't come near Him...they uncovered the roof...they broke through and lowered down the bed... (verse 4).  They had to think outside the box, so to speak.  Can you just see them up there raking away the mud and straw, the pieces dropping down on Jesus, making a mess?  They came up with an innovative way to get their friend to Jesus.  How are you getting people to see Jesus?  Gone are the days when you just invite them to church.  Lots of people are just plain skeptical about the whole church thing.  Don't give up...find new and exciting ways to share the gospel and get them into the family.  Don't get bogged down with the details.  I just love this story and I love being able to expound on what Chaps preaches.  God is so good. We have to put action to our faith.  Let's get busy...Until next time...Todd out.

Monday, 25 Sep:  Hey folks.  Today is the day that many thought would never come.  I will be honest with you and tell you that I didn't do a lot of work today.  I woke up thinking about what was going to happen tonight.  Everyone knew why I was in such a great mood today.  One reason is I know that God loves me and one day I will be with Him forever.  The other was in anticipation of the first game the New Orleans Saints have played in the Superdome since Hurricane Katrina.  What a night it is going to be!  But, that led me to start thinking about how we are anticipating the return of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  I know, two totally different things, but similar, nonetheless.  I went to the internet and did a search for scriptures that had something to do with how we are to be living while anticipating Christ's return and here's what I found.  Patience is the key...how do we do it?  As with the game tonight, no one could rush it.  Things had to be just right.  James 5:7 says "Be patient, therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord."  Sometimes we wish the Lord would come back yesterday, but there is much preparation and work to do before that happens.  The world tells us we are waiting in vain, but we have the promise of God on our side.    Besides, we just have more time for people to respond to the gospel (2 Peter 3:8-9).  Don't lose heart or get discouraged(2 Timothy 4:7-8).  Similarly, Saints fans all over the world just knew the Superdome was going to be repaired and the Saints were going to stay in New Orleans.  We didn't lose heart and it's going to happen tonight.  The next thing is stay courageous.  James encourages us to be rock solid in our faith and never lose sight of the hope we have in Christ.  We can be there for each other by reminding ourselves what it is we are waiting for...eternal life with Christ!  Next, we need to establish our hearts.  We must believe that His coming is near and could happen at any moment.  Be alert, stay awake, stay sober, lift people up (1 Thessalonians 5:6-11).  Lastly, we have to recognize the signs of the times.  Be aware of what's happening in the world around you and don't ignore it.  Jesus answered the question asked about the signs (Luke 21:7-28).  I just love verse 28 in The Message; "When all this starts to happen, up on your feet.  Stand tall with your heads high.  Help is on the way!" You all remember anticipating that Ketchup coming out of the bottle, right?  Was it worth the wait?  You all remember anticipating the morning after Santa came, right?  Was it worth the wait?  I remember, for over a year, anticipating tonight's game.  Was it worth the wait?  I will answer this one with a resounding YES!  Now, let's all go out and live like we are truly anticipating the return of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  I can guarantee you...IT'S WORTH THE WAIT!!!!!   Yeah God & GEAUX SAINTS!  Until next time...Todd out. 

Tuesday, 26 Sep:  WOW, what a morning!  I stayed up all night to watch my beloved Saints on Monday Night Football.  The one problem was Monday night there is real early Tuesday morning here.  It was definitely worth the wait.  A convincing victory was just the icing on the cake for the Superdome grand re-opening.  I came back to work for a little while this morning to check email and do a few things, then I went to sleep for a few hours.  Well, about 6 actually--6 of the best hours of sleep I have had in about a week.  Wonder why that was?  :-)  Alright, enough about the Saints already...well, at least until next week.  Okay, really, I did read my Bible today and landed in Galatians, chapter 2.  Paul is teaching, if you will, the church at Galatia.  He is discussing not returning to the law after receiving Christ.  Let's look at verses 20 and 21 today.  I have again referred to The Message for a better understanding of these two verses. Because Paul had accepted Christ, he knew he no longer needed the law to justify his future in the Kingdom of God.  He tells them he tried keeping rules and working his way to God, but it didn't work.  Going back to verse 19, he says, "For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God."  What happens when we die to the law and live in God?  Paul give us a few things that should change once this happens.  Our ego should die also.  Throughout our lives good things happen to us and plenty of times we have attributed it to our own talents and abilities.  But once we turn our lives over to Christ, it is Him that lives, moves and breaths through us and we should give Him the glory when good things happen.  Our self-righteousness should die as well.  God told us our righteousness is filthy rags.  Webster defines self-righteous as convinced of one's own abilities can free you from guilt or sin.  We must realize that nothing we do can earn us salvation.  If we sin, nothing we do short of asking for forgiveness, will wash that stain away.  The opinion of others should no longer be important.  Be careful with this one.  As long as we are living through Christ, this statement is true.  In other words, we shouldn't be living in a way to satisfy others, especially if it is contrary to the teaching of Christ.  If you at a point where you have not received Christ, the opinions of others, especially Christians should be very important to you. They will lead you to Christ and not away from him.  What Paul is essentially saying is that old rule-keeping, peer-pleasing religion is not the way to live.  If it were, Christ would have died unnecessarily.  But with Christ, we have a personal and free relationship with God.  Glory in the fact that God loved us so much He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to die in our place.  If you don't have a personal relationship with God, through Christ, stop right now and ask Jesus to come into your heart, be your Savior and wash your sins away.  Then thank Him for doing just that.  Until next time...Todd out.

Wednesday, 27 Sep:  Good day mates!  It was indeed a good day for me.  Not too much work, but just enough to keep me busy for most of the day.  I also got the privilege today of finding the place that works on vehicles because one of ours ran over a nail this morning.  I looked at a primitive map of the camp and had a good idea of where I was going.  Long story, short, I got there, got the tire fixed and now everyone is happy again.  I guess that ended up being my greatest achievement today.  Well, now let's get into the Word of God.  I was in the Psalms again today and chapter 78, starting at verse 56 talks about all the things the Israelites did that displeased God.  Sounds like some of the things that are happening in our own country this very day.  But I am not going to focus on that, per say, but focus on verse 72.  The Message says His (David's) heart made him a good shepherd and he guided the people wisely and well.  Can God say that about you?  Does your heart please God?    Well, in case you are not sure, here are ways your heart can please God.  Be saved.  This is by far the most important one.  All the others can't happen without it.  Your heart is where Jesus resides once you accept Him as your Lord and Savior.  Romans 10:9-10 says that if you believe in your heart (not just your head) that God raised him from the dead, you shall be saved and it is with our heart that we believe unto righteousness. Be searched.  David prayed Search me, O God, and know my heart.  God tells Jeremiah that He will search the heart.  If we truly believe that God is who says He is and we have nothing to hide, we should be open to inspection.  This is not always easy because we are human and we have things hidden on our heart that we know we need to get out, but are either afraid to or ashamed to.  God already knows, he just wants your willingness to let Him in.  Be surrendered.  Basically, yield your heart to God.  Give up control of your life to Him.  We know, because we have been taught, we can't do it all on our own.  In your life, you are going to have to surrender to something or someone and therefore give them or it control.  Who better to control your life than God?  Be seeking.  We should always be seeking God and His counsel.  There is so much more of God that we don't know.  We can't sit on our duffs and expect to nurture our relationship with Him.  We have to read His word; we have to talk to Him; we have to listen for and to Him.  If you knew for sure there was a treasure out there that you could obtain, would you not seek it with all your heart until you found it?  This is the attitude we should have toward God.  Be steadfast.  As defined by Webster, being steadfast means to be firmly fixed in place, in belief, determination or adherence.  Our hearts must be immovable from the truths we know.  1 Corinthians 15:58 says be ye steadfast, always abiding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as you know that your labor is not in vain.  Your heart determines how and why you labor; make sure it is firmly fixed on God.  Be singing.  God enjoys hearing our voices raised to Him.  When we sing with grace in our hearts to the Lord, it's like a sweet aroma in his nostrils.  You can usually tell the state of a person's heart by their singing. God said David was a man after His own heart and what did David do?  He danced and sang!  Our hearts should be singing continually to the One who have snatched out of the jaws of death and eternal separation from Him.  So, it's time for a heart examine.  Not one for the physical organ and not by a doctor.  We should desire for God to examine our hearts and let us know how it is doing.  Praise God!  I should be able to start adding pictures to the site...so start looking for them real soon.  Until next time...Todd out.

Thursday, 28 Sep:  Got another wonderful night of sleep last night.  I was trying to figure out if I did something different before going to bed, but couldn't figure anything.  Maybe I was positioned just right or something or maybe God just ordered a great night's sleep for me.  Anyway, today was pretty quiet until after band practice.  A rough draft of a report came around and I had to get some information to update it.  It only took me a couple of hours to complete it.  But now I am on Todd time and I am ready to share with you a little from God's word.  We will look at 2 words in Galatians 4:4-6. Go ahead and read both verses to get a complete picture.  The 2 words are Abba, Father.  We have all heard these 2 words before, but what do they really mean?  In Aramaic, Abba literally means Daddy.  But He is so much better than an earthly Daddy.  Some of you may not have grown up with a man in the house to call Daddy.  But, when you came into the Family of God, or when you come into the Family of God, you are or will be called Sons and Daughters and your relationship is or will be close enough to call God your Daddy.  Here are some attributes of God, as your Daddy, that you may or may not have seen in your earthly Daddy.  God knows.  He is all-knowing, all-powerful.  There is nothing that we do that God doesn't know about, both the good and bad.  He says He knew us even before He put us in our mother's womb.  In Matthew 6:8, Jesus says that your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask and in Philippians 4:19 says that God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory.  No one knows you better that your Heavenly Father...trust Him.  God cares.  We know God grieves when we disobey Him or when we grieve, but He also rejoices when we rejoice.  He cared enough to send His only Son to die on our behalf.  You can bring every aspect of you life to Him.  1 Peter 5:7 says Cast all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you.  It doesn't say cast the little cares or just some of your care or just the cares you think he would be interested in.  No, it says ALL!  No one cares more about you than God...Run to Him.  God corrects.  Oh my...none of us like this one, but Proverbs 3:12 says for whom the Lord loves, He corrects.  Correction is for our own good, we know that.  The same way we correct our children, God corrects His children.  His correction is there to make us better people and to mold us to be more like Christ.  Without His correction, we would surely get lost in the wilderness that is the present world.  No one loves you more than God...Listen to Him.  God guides. Psalm 23:3 says He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.  When you are lost in the forest, you would certainly wish for a guide.  Folks, we are in the midst of the forest everyday, but we do have a guide.  Sometimes the direction He tells us to go is not what we want.  Look back in the Old Testament and see what happened to people who didn't heed His direction.  No one wants to get lost...ask God for direction.  God protects.  There are so many ways in which God does this.  The best example of this is in Psalm 91:1-7.  He has given us His word to enable us to recognize dangers in our lives.  Again, it comes down to trusting Him.  There is nothing that is going to happen to you that will hurt you, as long as you know that God has made a way of escape and you believe that He can do what He says He can do.  No one watches over you more than God...stand under His umbrella.  God is proud of our right decisions more than great accomplishments.  God delights when we choose life instead of death.  He is elated when we choose good over evil.  Notice that you can't work your way to salvation, you have to make a decision, the right decision and God will be so proud of you.  Proverbs 21:3 in The Message says, "Clean living before God and justice with our neighbors mean far more to God than religious performance".  To have faith in God is the right decision...make it today.  Finally, God forgives.  Romans 3:23 says we have all sinned and fall short of the Glory of God. Romans 6:23 says the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.  When we accept that gift, we are washed clean and our sins are forgiven and we are no longer controlled by our sin.  Are we going to continue to sin?  Absolutely, and God knows that, but He is ready, willing and able to forgive us.  All we have to do is ask like the Apostle John said, "if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteous.  God is the only one that can forgive you...talk to Him.  If you are in need of an Abba (Daddy), ask Jesus to come into your heart and your life and you will become a Son or Daughter of God and He will becomes your Daddy.  He's waiting...do it today!    I have reinstated the picture page.  IF you haven't checked it out, please do.  Until next time...Todd out.

Friday, 29 Sep:  Well, another work week behind me.  Well, a work week for you guys anyway.  It's 7 days a week here.  The best thing I did at work today was research about a special pay that we are getting.  Everyone had their own idea of what it was, so I went to the hand dandy internet and found out exactly what is was and why we were getting it.  Bottom line is the confusion has ended and I like it that way.  Alright, so my day has ended and it's time to share a little with you.  I'm in Galatians 5:13.  In the context of Paul's message to the church about the works of the spirit and of the flesh, verse 13 caught my attention.  The Message reads this way, It is absolutely clear the God has called you to a free life.  Just make sure that you don't use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom.  Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love, that's how freedom grows.  Pretty straight forwarded, right?  But Paul's caution is a very valid one.  Christian liberty (freedom) is not a license to sin, but an opportunity to serve.  So, what are some things that folks tend to do with their new found freedom that it doesn't allow?  Freedom doesn't allow you to run away from God's laws.  Psalm 119:32 says "I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free.  We should not be so quick to run right into trouble chasing after the desires of our flesh.  We should instead be like Isaiah 52:7, How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of them who brings good news, who proclaims peace, who brings glad tidings of good things, who proclaims salvation.  Just because Jesus came to fulfill the law doesn't mean God's laws have gone away.  Don't run away from God, run to Him and enjoy the freedom in Him.  Freedom does not make it so you can lie easily.  A quick way to put your freedom in serious jeopardy is to have a lying tongue.  Look at Proverbs 12:19, A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who pours out lies will not go free. Then 12:22, Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but they that deal truly are His delight.  Besides, when you are caught in one lie, you just lowered the amount of trust people can have in you.  The truth should always be in us, in our hearts, proclaiming the good news of Christ.  God does not lie, neither should we.  Freedom does not cause you to love money rather than be content.  Hebrews 13:5 tells us to keep our lives from the love of money and be content with what we have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."  If we truly love God, we cannot love money, and we shouldn't grumble about what we don't have that someone else might have.  My God will supply our every need according to His riches in Glory.  To covet is to desire for more, whether you need it or not.  But being content has nothing whatsoever to do with money or material things.  Only God can bring true contentment and that's the freedom we should be after.  Be content...on the way to where you are going.  Now that we know what not to do with our freedom, we go back to Hebrews and see what we are supposed to do with it.  We are to serve one another in love and grow that freedom.  Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength as love your neighbor as yourself.  We have freedom in Christ, but that comes with responsibility--we must make sure we are living like Him.  Celebrate your freedom today by showing someone the love of God by serving them.  Love to you all!!!!  Until next time...Todd out.  

Saturday, 30 Sep:  Well, it’s Saturday again, already.  Believe it or not, this was one of my busiest days here.  That’s right.  I felt like I was on CSI or something like that.  Long story short…One of my guys was given, what I thought, was bad information.  So I set out to find the real answers.  After about 3 ½ hours of looking, I discovered that he was given half-truths, but I now had the answers, not only to his dilemma, but hopefully to help out others in the future.  I know, pretty vague, huh?  If I went into to much detail, you guy’s heads would be swirling.  Don’t want to start today’s entry with less than your full attention.  So, all in all, it was a great day.  Side bar…The Tigers and the Cajuns won today!  Alright, now onto business.  If God were to ask, “What would you like me to give you?  What would many of our responses be?  Being totally honest with each other—enough money to pay everything off, respect from everyone, revenge on those that have mistreated us—just to name a few.  But in 1 Kings 3 starting in verse 6, we see King Solomon’s answer to that very question when asked by God.  Basically, God was giving King Solomon a blank check.  Now, we know that Solomon’s wisdom is unprecedented, so he knows exactly what to ask for.  But what he asked for is not as important as how he prefaced his response.  The King took a long hard look before he wrote “the amount” in and his response has come to be called, “Solomon’s Prayer”.  In verse 6, He looked BACKWARD.  He recognized that his father David’s life paved the way for him to be king.    Remember back to those Christians in your life that have influenced you and those you have attempted to pattern you life after.  Thank God for those people.  In verse 7, He looked WITHIN.  He acknowledged to God that he was a child, immature and that he didn’t know quite how to act.  I think too many times we think we are more grown up than we really are.  Solomon was really a child.  But I think this also falls into the spiritual maturity category.  We will never be mature enough, so just admit that fact that we, too, don’t quite know how to come out or go in.  In verse 8, He looked ABOUT HIM.  Solomon saw around him a great number of people he was in charge of, so many, he couldn’t even count them.  We too need to be aware of our surroundings and what it is God has called us to do.  We have a tremendous task ahead of us, too.  Share the good news of Jesus Christ with the world.  We must admit we can’t do it alone and need God’s help.  In verse 9, He looked UPWARD.  He asked God for an understanding heart to judge, that he may discern between good and evil.  He knew that, above all else, he needed wisdom.  Only God can grant wisdom.  How many times have we seen other people attempt to do something they couldn’t quite do and refuse to ask for help?  I believe Solomon already had wisdom just because he asked for it.  We should never be so comfortable in our own abilities that we choose to omit God from the equation.  We then see in verses 10-14 that God is pleased with Solomon’s response and gives him not only what he asks for, but so much more.  God loves to give good things to his children.  He wants to give us the desires of our hearts.  Living a Christian in today’s world is very difficult, at best, but not impossible.  Let’s follow King Solomon’s example and see how successful we can become.  I leave you now and look forward to tomorrow.  Until next time…Todd out.