A Call to Commitment?

A few days ago, my Pastor read a blog written by a Minister of a church in California http://www.saddlebackfamily.com/home/today.asp. No it isn't one of those type churches we read about that somehow either come from California or Idaho or Oregon where people believe that when the next comet flies by we all need to drink poison Kool-Aid so that we may ascend to it and hitch a ride to our next life. No, this is what could only be described as a normal church that you would find just about anywhere especially here in Charleston.
In this blog the Minister of the church, Rick Warren challenged his congregation and every Christian to make a commitment to God. I could copy it and put it in my blog but since I put the link to the website above you can go there and read it or better yet visit my pastors blog and read it there http://www.coastalcommunitychurch.org/Blog/.
Now let's get to the point of this posting in this contract and I say contract cause you are promising to do something and you are signing and dating it. This contract asks you to make a Radical Commitment. Since I gave you 2 websites to visit so that you may read it I won't go into a great deal of detail, but here is my question since I have accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior and that I have be baptised, haven't already made that commitment. Haven't I gave my word to the most powerful being in the Universe? What signed paper can take the place of that. If you are the type of person that needs to have a signed paper shown to you each time a decision has to be made then I don't think you are the type of person that fully gave your life over to the Lord in the 1st place.
I suppose that this contract could be like a Marriage License except that you don't sign and give the Marriage License to your spouse you give it the State so that they can file it away. I know it could the "outward symbol" of the inner agreement that you have already made to the Lord, but I don't think I need that to show my commitment and I don't need to show it to a single person on this planet if I live my life to the Glory God, that will be my proof. If I haven't lived my life as I should then what good would the paper be. The only judgement that I should be concerned with will come when I stand at the Thrown of God and he opens that "Book of Life"
Sorry Pastor Chris this contract does not jack me up, it even may concern me. knowwhere in it does it ask for the help or guidence from God, It says in it "I won't be captivated by culture, manipulated by critics, motivated by praise, frustrated by problems, debilitated by temptation, or intimidated by the devil" sounds great that is one heck of a promise when as I know so very well as a humble sinner that isn't something that I can do. Even with the help of the Holy Spirit, temptation will come across my path and I will slip. I will once again get down on my knees and ask for forgiveness. If I in one of my moments of weakness fall short of the promise this Pastor wants me to sign does it null and void the contract? Read the end it doesn't even want you to Swear to God, it only asks you to Affirm, talk about waffling? I sure hope I didn't "step in it" as the saying goes but that is how I read it. Maybe am reading too much into it, maybe it isn't speaking to me. I don't know maybe it isn't even for Christians, maybe it for those that have not come to know Christ, someone that has been sitting on the sidelines. I don't know maybe it is one those way to connect with the people that has been away from God. But according to the challenge it is for his church and Christians everywhere.

First Assignment

I have turned in my first assignment of one of the classes I started taking. Computer Information Systems. In my blog entry of January 2nd 2008 I listed several things I wanted to get done in 2008. #5 on the list was to improve my brain. In the endeavor to accomplish this I signed up for acouple of college course at Strayer University. My very good friend and fellow Coastal Community Church member who also is the Admissions Manager at the local campus Cyndi Brown worked with me and help me select the classes that I could take online. Since I work rotating shifts during this time of year online courses seemed like the best plan. I feel pretty good about myself. Now I have to wait and see what kind of grade I will get, that will bring me back to reality. I will blog more on my adventure as a college student. Could make for some humorous reading, am sure after some time I will be able to come back to these post and get a good laugh.

Day Watch

Hotdog! Am back on the day watch. Sun light it is a awesome thing. Some of you may not understand (you could go back and read some of my previous posts) but I hate the night watch. Now the only problem is getting up at 445am, that is a bit early, no I won't complain all I will say is that I need to win the PowerBall Lottery so that I can sleep in till ohh I don' t know say 8am... I think that would be reasonable. Don't worry when I win the lotto, and won't remember any of my small friends oops I mean I won't forget any of my best friends... yea that is what I meant to say.

Define Yourself

Self Righteous Religious People

or

Humbe Sinner

My pastor said something in his blog http://www.coastalcommunitychurch.org/Blog/ that got me to thinking and yes I did send up a short prayer. He said "It's about sharing the good news of God's grace through Jesus and letting Him change lives! Self-righteous religious people squirm and get their toes crunched. Humble sinners get their lives changed!" The reference for this short quote from his blog was that he was struggling with his message for the congregation this week. What I was hoping and preying about was I hope I never get described as a self-righteous person.
When it comes time for me to define myself that I use actions as described by the Disciples of Christ and share the Good NEWS and let my life be a witness to his Grace to the people that need it the most. I know that am a sinner and without the Grace of God, I have no chance of everlasting life.
Pastor Chris my toes out there and am NOT going to tuck them in. Bring on that message! Let's see how many lives can be changed.

Humble Sinner

Mid-Night Shifts

Well I just finished with the last mid watch. I have been working these midz for what seems like forever but has only been just over a month. The work schedule we have, puts us on a rotation of 28 days or something like that. So you work 28 shifts of Midz and then you switch over to 28 shifts of Day Watches. The swifts are either from 6am till 6pm or 6pm to 6am. Am now on the Day watch starting Monday the 7th and I just can't tell you how much am looking forward to sleeping when your suppose to sleep and being awake when a normal human being is awake.

LIST OF THINGS I WANT TO GET DONE IN 2008

Happy New Year everyone, or should I say the 2 or 3 people that read this blog. Am not sure but I don't think my wife even reads it. Well it is the 2nd of January and all the holidays and hoop-la seems to be over. Did you survive or did you do more than survive did you enjoy yourself? Did you get some time off from your normal life and get involved in the holiday events? As for myself, things have been fairly normal. Since my work schedule is all screwed up anyway it isn't hard to stay normal if there is such a thing.
My last blog entry was the Bill Brown's TOP STORIES for 2007. I figured I would start this year out with my entry of Top Things I want to get done it 2008. As I have been thinking over this list for the last few days especially since I put together Top Stories of 2007. The one thing I have figured out is that this could be a ever changing list. So what I have decided to do is make sure that the things I put down on the list are truly things that are important to me and achievable. Though there are somethings on this list that are more important to me the the others there is no particular order for what I have put down. First few are very easy and I believe no brainers.

1. Be a better Christian. Follow up my words, with actions. I ask God to give me the strength to be whatever he envisions me to be, and to help point me in the right direction.

2. Be a better Husband. Susan deserves the very best that I can provide in both material as well as emotional support. She has always supported me in everything I have done, I can certainly do the same for her.

3. Be a better Father. Though my kids are grown, like any other parent I worry about them. There are so many things out there that can distract them from the right path (not the path that I want them on) just the right path to being a good person. I want to respect their decisions and choices more. ( I hope that they can choose to come visit a little more often)

4. Be a better Son. Though I live more than a few miles from my parents, I find that I think of them more often than ever, maybe it is cause they are growing older and I know there are less years in front of us then are behind us.

5. Improve My Brain. Am have already signed up for some college classes with intentions of opening up other opportunities for myself.

6. Improve My Body. Now that the holidays are over, I have full intentions to loose and to keep off several pounds. My short term goal is to loose 10 pounds by Valentine's day and the long term goal is to loose 50lbs by my 48th Birthday.

7. Be a better employee. Now this is a hard one. Am not sure why. I guess it involves improving my attitude, and at 47 that isn't an easy thing to do. ( See #1 )

8. Travel. I want to travel somewhere new this year, of course I want to do this every year. See something I have never seen before.

9. Do a Better job of Saving Money. Though I believe Susan and I do a better job the then average couple we can do even better. I will do better. (fewer lunches out of the office and more brownbags with carrots and more healthy food. (See #6)

10. Get alot more Organized. This is one thing that I know I have been getting better at. Certainly I have had been lax at times but I can do better and will.

11. Do a better job leaving the problems at work. Leaving the office at the office and not bring the issues home with me.

12. Improve my Driving Habits. I will improve my attitude. I will strive to be a more considerate and observant driver.

Well that is my list. What do you think? Can I make it? I have my work cut out for me. Pray for me I need all the help I can get.