A Halftime to Remember

Halftime is a term we use to describe people who have raised their children and entered the "second half" of their lives where they move from success to significance by carving out time in their schedule to make a kingdom impact. This is a wonderful way to do this!

I saw this video recently from ABC News "Person of the Week" that features Burt Brady who goes to the Dallas/Fort Worth airport to welcome home up to 100 veterans who are returning for some R & R. He went to the airport 300 times last year. If you are ever in the Dallas area you might consider heading on over to welcome home our heroes. Click on Welcome Home a Hero for more information. Enjoy the video! Tye out.

Remembering Pearl Harbor

Today I am remembering those who gave their lives that tragic day 67 years ago in Pearl Harbor.

According to Wikipedia (I know - keep your comments to yourself):

The casualty list includes 2,335 servicemen and 68 civilians killed, with 1,178 wounded. Included are 1,104 men aboard the Battleship USS Arizona killed after a 1,760-pound air bomb penetrated into the forward magazine causing catastrophic explosions.

This attack brought the USA into a war with Italy, Japan and Germany, a war that would eventually cost the lives of some 600,000 soldiers. Yet, the Allies won.

I hope our new president has the wisdom to know what to do Iraq. I hope he supports our troops and pushes for a "win" in that country. While you are remembering our fallen war heros, perhaps you could say a prayer for those serving today, those who have served in the past, and those who made it home but were injured. Tye out.

9/11

Yesterday was a sad day for me. I very clearly remember sitting in my office when one of the admin's came in to tell me that an airplane had hit the World Trade Center. I didn't think too much of it because it is a tall building and the potential of a small airplane hitting it would be rather high if the pilot was having trouble. That was not the case.

I was then standing in my pastor's office watching CNN when the 2nd plane drove into the other tower. In that moment I knew our world had changed and would never, ever be the same.

Then at 10 AM I stood before 44 ninth and tenth grade students in Bible class (I was an adjunct teacher) and told them what had happened and I said these words:

The world, as we know it, will never be the same.

It's true. Air travel is WAY different. Men and women have lost their lives in an attempt to stop those evil people who wreaked havoc on thousands and thousands of innocent people. And the threat of another act of terror is always looming.

Then there were the brave firefighters, rescue people, and normal people who arose to the occasion to help others who never returned to their families.

Alan Jackson performed a song he wrote just for the occasion. Click here to watch it.

We know that there will never be peace until the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ returns to the planet and sets everything right.

21:1 Then¹ I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had ceased to exist,² and the sea existed no more. 21:2 And I saw the holy city – the new Jerusalem – descending out of heaven from God, made ready like a bride adorned for her husband. 21:3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying: “Look! The residence³ of God is among human beings.⁴ He⁵ will live among them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them.⁶ 21:4 He⁷ will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death will not exist any more – or mourning, or crying, or pain, for the former things have ceased to exist." Revelation 21 NET Bible

I'm proud to be an American!

I met with a man this morning who is being deployed to Afghanistan and he was telling me about the mission he served in Iraq back in 2005. He was sharing about how inaccurate the media reporting is regarding what is happening in Iraq because the mainstream media (as we well know) picks and chooses what it wants to report. Now that that is off my chest...

I am so proud of our men and women serving our country! They and their families are sacrificing greatly to ensure that we will never again have to face a 911 tragedy. All this talk got me thinking this morning, so here are some of my thoughts.

Why is our country so great? Check out this sentence in the Bible:

Righteousness exalts a nation,
but sin is a disgrace to any people. Proverbs 14:34 NET Bible

When any country acts righteously they are typically exalted. They gain the favor of our Creator God and often are recipients of his blessing. Our country was founded on principles found in the Bible.

Sin is a disgrace.... Question: what is sin? This is where things get a little complicated.

Here's the rub - when the Bible is no longer the rule and authority "sin" becomes fuzzy. Who says homosexuality is wrong? Fundamentalists right-wingers? NO! The Bible says that homosexuality is wrong, not the people who read it and attempt to obey. (sorry to pick on homosexuality - stealing is sin too)

The Bible is my standard for what is right. It is like a level that you use to keep a wall flat and straight. It is like a plumb line that tells me what is straight up and down. It is an objective standard by which we measure everything.

I have a question for you: what is your standard of truth? Mine is the Bible. And after reading it through many, many times I find it to be absolutely accurate it make so much sense.

I'm proud to be an American! God bless America.

National Day of Prayer ~ Cedar Rapids

Today was the National Day of Prayer. The Executive Board of the Linn County Associations of Evangelicals sponsors the event and they needed someone to play the Star Spangled Banner so I volunteered to play it on my sax. Click here for a pic of yours truly tooting his own horn. : )

It was a chilly day due to the windy conditions down by the river.

The event started at noon and finished at 1 PM. There were prayers offered for the businesses of Cedar Rapids and the economy, our churches, para church organizations such as FCA and Youth for Christ, our national, state, and local leaders, schools, and the media. I think the most moving prayer was for our men and women serving our country in the fight against terror. James Leatherman led that prayer and halfway through he was overcome by emotion. Thank you to everyone who is serving our country!

I would say there was around 200-250 people in attendance. In spite of the chilly conditions, it was a good day and it is good to be reminded that our country was founded on the premise that all men are created equal and are endowed by their Creator... Here is the first few lines of the Declaration of Independence.

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights....

This nation was founded on principles that are based in the Holy Scriptures and I for one am glad. I am thankful for this. Our country has been one of the most prosperous nation on the planet for many reasons: free enterprise, democratic government, and freedom to worship God without fear.

You might be saying to yourself, wow, what a narrow-minded bigot. hmmm. I will never be for cramming my beliefs down your throat. You are certainly free to choose how you worship or don't. But you have to admit that a society that follows the basic teaching of the Bible is going to better off for it, no matter what you believe about God.

(oh boy - I'm heading for the soapbox) It wasn't the evangelical Christian community that drove planes into the World Trade Center. And who showed up first in Louisiana after hurricane Katrina and what country sent aid to the Tsunami victims? Barring religious wackos, when did you hear of people in this great nation we live in using car bombs to retaliate against innocent people (please don't tell me about Waco, Oklahoma City, and the Jim Jones thing)?

I'm thankful to be an American. I love this country with all its faults and failures. And today was my opportunity to spend time praying for it.

BTW - I'll never believe that we can change this country through legislation. Revival will NOT start with the White House, it's going to start in your house! Tye out.

...if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14NIV

I voted

I voted this morning. In fact, I was the first person at my polling place. As I stood there and waited I could only think of the awesome privilege we have in this country to be part of the political process. This is a great country we live in. There were no military troops at my polling place to protect workers. I didn't have any fear of reprisal for showing up to vote. And, my vote counts.

I'm proud to be an American and I thank God for the men and women who fought to achieve and maintain this great freedom that we enjoy today.

God bless America. Tye out.