A Different Christmas Poem

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.
Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.
The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.
My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.


The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know,
Then thesure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.
My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.
Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.


A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.
"What are you doing?" I asked without fear,
"Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"


For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts.
To the window that danced with a warm fire's light
Then he sighed and he said "Its really all right,
I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night."
"It's my duty to stand at the front of the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times.
No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
My Gramps died at ' Pearl on a day in December,
"Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram a lways remembers.
"My dad stood his watch in the jungles of ' Nam ',
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.
I've not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.


Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red, white, and blue... an American flag.
I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home.
I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.
I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother.
Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall."
"So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright,
Your family is waiting and I'll be all right."
"But isn't there something I can do, at the least,
"Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you' ve done,
For being away from your wife and your son."
Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
"Just tell us you love us, and never forget.
To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.
For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled.
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us."

All in All

You are my strength when I am weak
You are the treasure that I seek
You are my all in all

Seeking You as a precious jewel
Lord to give up I’d be a fool
You are my all in all

Jesus Lamb of God
Worthy is Your name
Jesus Lamb of God
Worthy is Your name

Taking my sin, my cross, my shame
Rising again I bless Your name
You are my all in all

When I fall down You pick me up
When I am dry You fill my cup
You are my all in all

This is my favorite song, it is my prayer every time that I worship and live another day. Life has not been very easy for me, but it has been even harder the last few years and even the last few weeks. I am so glad for grace and forgiveness. For without it I would be really dead and no where near getting into heaven to be with the Lord.

Walk the straight raod and fight the good fight. God bless.

Giving It All To Jesus

I'm trading my sorrow
I'm trading my shame
I'm laying them down for the joy of the Lord
I'm trading my sickness
I'm trading my pain
I'm laying them down for the joy of the Lord

And we say yes Lord yes Lord yes yes Lord
Yes Lord yes Lord yes yes Lord
Yes Lord yes Lord yes yes Lord Amen

I'm pressed but not crushed persecuted not abandoned Struck down but not destroyed
I'm blessed beyond the curse for his promise will endure
And his joy's gonna be my strength

Though the sorrow may last for the night
His joy comes with the morning...

This is something that the Lord has been teaching me latly. When I mess up, instead of trying to make it better on my own, I am to geive it to Jesus. Now in all reality, we are not to continue to sin or say "I will do what I want now and later give it to him". Never... We are to be continously fighting the good fight with the help of Jesus. It is amazing that we have found a friend that wants us to throw all of our worries and cares on Him. This is something that most friends would not be willing to take on let alone be able to handle. I am a guy which means that I naturally like to do things on my own and not bother anyone one with my pains or weaknesses. But He calls us to humble ourselves and give to all to Him.

If you are like me today and find it easy to give it all to Him but extreamly hard to acually do, then you are in my boat. Romans 7:15 says "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do." This is so true in my life, so often I know what is wrong and yet I do it. This blog is for incourgement and to let you know that there are others out there that struggle with Pride issue of not giving it all the Jesus.

My challenge to you and Myself today is to let God make the desions in your life today. I don't mean just stop what you are doing and not do anything at all. But the Lord will guide your speech and the way that you act around others. So lets let Him do that today and the days to follow. Anything that is to big for us to do on our own, give it to Jesus. And everyting that we do on our own let us think about what Jesus would do.

How fun

I will say that last night was a blast. It was so much fun playing against my own church. HE HE...yea we lost but heck it was fun. And something funnier than that is that we are playing again next week. I will say that it was the most unpredictable game we have had all season. Team 2 has some girls on their team that make me scared. I mean Abigail just about majorly bruised my foot and the other girls could hit the ball like there was no tomorrow and the guys could all hit the tar out of it. I am not bragging but I can hit ball really hard and mine seemed like nothing last night. wow. I hope that everyone had as good a time as I had. I have had to pull myself back this year and not be so competitive. This is extremely hard for me to do but by the grace of God I am learning, and last night was the best game that we have had in a while. I think that it is just have fun when we start playing well. Good job guys...this is the way that we need to play from here on out. Lets play for the Lord and give Him our all. Thanks guys for playing so hard and showing me that not everything needs to be competitive. This is going to be the best Summer of my life.

OL' SPOT

A group of country neighbors wanted to get together on a regular basis and socialize. As a result, about 10 couples formed a dinner club and agreed to meet for dinner at a different neighbors' house each month.

Of course, the lady of the house was to prepare the meal. When it cametime for Chris and Susie Brown to have the dinner at their house, like most women, Susie wanted to outdo all the others and prepare a meal that was the best that any of them had ever lapped a lip over.

A few days before the big event, Susie got out her cookbook and decided to have mushroom smothered steak. When she went to the store to buy some mushrooms, she found the price for a small can was more than she wanted to pay. She then told her husband, "We aren't going to have mushrooms because they are too expensive." He said, "Why don't you go down in the pasture and pick some of those mushrooms? There are plenty of them right in the creek bed." She said, "No, I don't want to do that, because I have heard that wild mushrooms are poison." He then said, "I don't think so. I see the varmints eating them all the time and it never has affected them."

After thinking about this, Susie decided to give this a try and got in the pickup and went down in the pasture and picked some. She brought the wild mushrooms back home and washed them, sliced and diced them to get them ready to go over her smothered steak. Then she went out on the back porch and got Ol' Spot's (the yard dog) bowl and gave him a double handful. She even put some bacon grease on them to make them tasty. Ol' Spot didn't slow down until he had eaten every bite.

All morning long, Susie watched him and the wild mushrooms didn't seemto affect him, so she decided to use them.

The meal was a great success, and Susie even hired a lady from town tocome out and help her serve. She had on a white apron and a little cap on her head. It was first class.

After everyone had finished, they all began to kick back and relax andsocialize. The men were visiting and the women started to gossip a bit.

About this time, the lady from town came in from the kitchen and whispered in Susie's ear. She said, "Mrs. Brown, Spot just died."

With this news, Susie went into hysterics. After she finally calmeddown, she called the doctor and told him what had happened.

The doctor said, "It's bad, but I think we can take care of it. I willcall for an ambulance and I will be there as quick as I can get there. We'll give everyone enemas and we will pump out everyone's stomach. Everything will be fine. Just keep them all there and keep them calm."

It wasn't long until they could hear the wail of the siren as theambulance was coming down the road. When they got there, the EMTs got out with their suitcases, syringes, and a stomach pump. The doctor arrived shortly thereafter. One by one, they took each person into the master bathroom, gave them an enema and pumped out their stomach.

After the last one was finished, the doctor came out and said, "I thinkeverything will be fine now, and he left."

They were all looking pretty peaked sitting around the living room,and about this time, the town lady came in and said, "You know, that fellow that ran over Ol' Spot never even stopped!!

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Just thought that this would be fun for you to read. let me know what you think. It is not something that I wrote, but something that I got off an e-mail. enjoy

We are the Body

Not a body or a somebody but "THE BODY". The body of Christ Jesus.

I find myself sinning and then I will find myself in the church body [as if nothing happened]. Yea Jesus took away our sins, but like James put it, can fresh water come out of a salt water spring? No, in the same way we should not be sinning and still associate ourselves as "the body". We need to firmly ground ourselves in the word and give Him our all.

I speak only from experience. I find myself readily sinning and giving into the lies of the devil and then I go to church. This should not be, we need to give ourselves to God all the time, not just when it is easiest for us. [I am not pointing any fingers (because if I were I would have four more fingers coming back at me), but I am saying that if it is true for one person than it will or is more than likely true for others as well].

God calls us to be Holy just as He is Holy. This is impossible for humans to accomplish. But the cool thing that I have been learning is that when God looks at us [speaking of Christians] He sees Jesus not our ugly sinful beings. Isn't that so cool!!!! Now if that is what the God all Mighty sees in us why are we sinning and letting the world have it's way with us? This is something that I would like to know, because I love Him with all of my heart and yet I still sin.

So the next time you decide to sin and rebel against the Lord of Hosts think about this: He sees Jesus, and it breaks His heart when He sees His children sinning in the body of Jesus.

Summer

awwww...summer is quickly approaching. What will you do with your free time this Summer? Summer has to be my favorite time of the year. But then again by the time that summer ends i say that fall is the season that I am looking forward to. Then winter, then spring. It is a viscous circle and it will continue to happen till I die. So how is it for you? Are you like myself changing with the seasons? Or are you dead set on one season?

The seasons seem to be just the right length you know. If we were to have only one or two seasons in a year we would all go crazy [or at least I would]. Enjoy the summer while it is here and make it worth while.

The things that I enjoy doing most in the summer is working, playing and hanging out with my friends. I like to work at my job and then after that I will go and do buck some bails for a few hours at night. [This is fun for those of you who have never done it before]. I do all sorts of playing. I play ball, I play in the lake, I Play football. anything that we like to play we play. When I hang out with my friends, we do a wide range of things. Anything from going to town and seeing a movie to hanging out at the lake. There is a lot of things to do in the summer. So I would encourage you this summer to go out and try some thing new that you have never done before, but remember have fun and make sure that it is glorying to the Lord.

School

I am getting so bored of school right now it is ridiculous. I can "see the light" at the end of the tunnel per say, but it just wants to keep going. I just want school to be over and get on with summer. I am looking forward to working, bucking bails, and playing soft-ball. This summer is going to be a blast. But I have to keep reminding myself to hold fast and not look too far ahead.

School is so over rated these days. Why people, like me, are stupid enough to kill themselves over it is beyond me. I stress my self out over the homework and then to top that off, I get stressed out over the test too. It is going to drive me to my grave. I once heard from a good Friend of mine that "school if an endurance thing, they just want to see how much you can take". Isn't that said, they don't care about what you really learn, they just want to shove info down our throats. I guess that if I want to get my degree I had probably stay in there and get'er done.

Only God knows where I will end up. I plan to stay in college for as long as it takes, but if He has other plans for me, so be it. I just pray that He will show it to me very soon, so as not to loose more money into school. But I guess it really doesn't matter how much I spend on school and then drop out, it is His money He can do what ever He pleases with it right!? Please pray that I will have the endurance to finish.

sun? What's that?

Does anyone in Washington know about the sun? I mean we only see it sometimes in the summer. But wow it has actually been out almost all week. I don't want to jinks it, but I hope it stays out till next Monday.

I was just thinking [as in right now], we people in Washington hardly ever see the sun right? But we know that it is still there. I think that the same thing applies with Jesus the Sun. We have never seen him personally, so how do we know he is there? We really have no way of really knowing. I guess that is what makes our religion so great, is that we survive by faith. But there are times where I find myself thinking to myself "its okay if I sin this one time, I mean it's not like He's coming back anytime soon". Isn't He? We have no way of knowing. But here is the point, I have to constantly remind myself that I am living for a living God and at any moment He could be knocking at my door. At that point there will be no time to say " oh wait, I have to go and say I am sorry about something", it will be too late. We need to be ready at any given time for His coming. We need to be like the people in Jerusalem and throw our coats on the ground for His triumphant entry. We need to be ready.

In the same way, I hope that you are enjoying the sun and getting enough of it. And remember the next time it is in hiding, that it is just a symbol of Jesus' second coming and that we need to be ready for it because we know that the sun is going to always come out and shine and so will He.

yEs We DiD iT

OK I know that Monday has come and gone and it is almost time to play again, but i just had to let it out. Our team played great last Monday and we came back to steal the game in the last inning. All the teams did well again this week and we're only getting better.

The Lord is teaching me something knew everyday. You know the saying "you can't teach old dogs new tricks", well I am not saying that am old but I am learning a new way of playing baseball this year and God instilling patience and kindness into me and working on the heart of the matter. The more I live the more I learning and by the grace of God He is counseling me in the right direction.

I know that I'll get through it just fine, but answer me this: Dose it seem sometimes that God is always teaching you something and you wish that He would have told you about that before hand? That is the way I feel sometimes. I know that it is not God's fault for my actions, but it makes upset and frustrated when I do sin. I don't know I really shouldn't get all up tight about it and push it all on me. I need to just except His forgiveness and take the grace that is thrust upon me. God is so good, too good.

Thank you.

opinions

I find it Hilarius that people are very opinionated. It saddens me to think that we cannot even talk any more with out being corrected, not by the right perspective but just by some else's opinion. It is okay to correct but it must not be replaced by your own ideas. Just the other day I was being razed about baseball. Their idea was that a certain team was going to do this and that. Who really cares what the professional sports teams do? Don't get me wrong, I am a die hard fan but please let people's opinions be their opinions. If they are way off the charts you can kindly tell them that, but keep it factual. Because you know what according to C.J. Mahaney "God is not impressed with pro sports". True- Baseball, Basketball, Soccer, Volleyball are not life's essentials, they are not food, water or the Bible. We need to keep our prospective right and learn when to correct others, because i guarantee that if you correct people too much about useless items then they will more than likely not listen to you when something life threatening crosses their path.

I Plead with you; not as a wise guy or someone who knows everything but as someone who wants to grown in faith and Christ likeness, to pick your battles wisely. It is better to be a friend to someone and be able to help them in a salvation crises and guiding them to God then to be an enemy to them and when that salvation crises comes not be able to help them and watch them go to hell. Yes watch them go to hell, imagine yourself up in heaven watching that guy on his death bed and the only thing that you wanted to do was go and help him. And as soon as he died God , who had been watching with you, gets up and says "poor fellow, I wish someone would have told him about Me". That is a little far fetched but it is true. You may not know it now but you will have regrets about it later.

BE KIND TO OTHERS.

"Do to others as you would have them do to you". --Luke 6:31--

ouch

I played in 3 games this past Monday and now my feet and legs hurt. It was a lot of fun, but painful just the same. I had a lot of fun playing for the men's team and helping them get their first win of the season. It was also fun to be able to play for another team that needed some extra guys to fill in their lineup. Three out of the four teams won on Monday. YEA BABY, GREAT JOB guys, lets keep it up and play for the Lord. My team did very well but we came up a little short with a 15-5 (i think) loss. It was fun though. I have a blast coming out on Monday nights and play with or against my friends. How every or what ever happens, it's just soft-ball. Pastor Steve once said "you can't get any lower than Church league soft-ball". I believe that that is true, there is not much lower than soft-ball, but it is fun. I am looking forward to playing again next week and seeing all of my Friends. See you there.

Bulls Eliminate Defending Champion Heat

MIAMI (AP) -- The Chicago Bulls have won a postseason series for the first time since the Michael Jordan era. They swept the defending NBA champion Miami Heat out of the playoffs in the first round, 92-79. Ben Gordon scored 24 points and Luol Deng contributed 22 points and eleven rebounds. Chicago gets the Detroit Pistons in round two.

The Golden State Warriors are one victory away from becoming the first eighth-seed to beat a No. 1 seed in a seven-game NBA playoff series.

The Warriors stunned the Dallas Mavericks 102-99 to take a 3-1 lead in their opening round Western Conference series. The Mavericks won 25 more games in the regular season than the Warriors, who finished with a 42-40 regular-season mark.

Baron Davis led the Warriors with 33 points and eight rebounds. Jason Richardson added 22 for the Warriors, who are trying to become the third team in NBA history to knock off a No. 1 seed in the opening round. Only Denver in 1994 and the New York Knicks in 1999 did it, but that was in the old best-of-five format.

The Warriors used a 16-2 run late in the fourth quarter to rally from a seven-point deficit. Jerry Stackhouse had 24 off the bench for Dallas.

The Mavericks, who made it to the NBA Finals last year, are now on the brink of elimination. They face a must-win game in Dallas Tuesday.

Two-time league MVP Steve Nash led Phoenix to a 113-100 win over the Lakers in Los Angeles, giving the Suns a commanding 3-1 lead in their best-of-seven NBA playoff series.
Nash scored 17 points and had 23 assists, one shy of the NBA playoff record shared by Magic Johnson and John Stockton. Teammate Amare Stoudemire contributed 27 points and a career playoff-high 21 rebounds.

The New Jersey Nets have taken a 3-games-to-1 lead over Toronto after routing the Raptors 102-81. Vince Carter scored 27 points, Richard Jefferson added 23 and the Nets posted their second most-lopsided win in a playoff game.

From: The Bellingham Herald

Phoenix Suns

I am a Suns fan and them loosing last year and not making the NBA finals disturbed me. This year look out, it looks as if no one can stop them from their vision this year. Dallas is the only hope to stop them and they look to be out in the next few games. This is what I was wanting to happen all year and now it's coming to pass. Some say that the Chicago Bulls are going to pull it out this year and win it all. They do look hot right now but I don't think that it will last much longer. That would be something to see again; the Bulls in the finals. It would be the first time since the MJ, Pippen team. {I wish I could watch that team again. You really don't know what your missing until it is gone.} But anyway my money is on the Suns to win it all. yea you hear it right "to win it all". If I am wrong I will stat that later, but until that time watch out. Who do you think will win the Finals this year????? Let me know.

"When you were sleeping"

The song "When You Were Sleeping" by Casting Crowns is the best song that I have heard in quite a while now. The first time I ever heard it, it sent shivers down my spine. To think that we are numbing ourselves to Jesus and falling asleeping scares me. I know that I don't want to be the one missing His second coming. Woe to those who live in the days of tribulation, for they will incounter much pain and suffering. Where do you stand with the Lord of the Universe. Is he knocking on your heart today? Will you let him in or will you reject him? Make the chose now; time is running out. He will soon become back for His children, the ones that answered the knock and let Him in. I am praying that He will come very soon, so please be ready.

In The End

Have you ever really thought about what that means? To some it is a joyous statement, but to others it is the most horrific thing that they could ever think about. And rightly so, it should be.

What is the end? Is it death? Is it life? What is on the other side of the grave? What do you think?

I believe that there will be eternal life on the other side. You will either be in a place of eternal fire and gnashing of teeth with horrifying wailing and screaming. You will never again see light or anything that is familiar to you. You will be in eternal damnation with the devil. You will continue to burn and rot in Hell. The flip side of eternal life is life. If you accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior of your sins, which He paid for on the cross two thousand years ago because He cared for YOU, you will spend eternity with the Lord. You will never have any pains or illnesses. You will be in perfect harmony with people, meaning you will never have any enemies.

If you having trouble imagining eternity, try thinking about never not existing. Take a life (you will probably live to be around eighty to ninety) now multiply that by 100,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 years. Then Multiply that number by another 100,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 years, get the picture. You will NEVER NOT EXIST!!!!!!! You will NEVER HAVE PAINS AGAIN!!!!!!!!! Wow... now which one do you prefer, eternal damnation with screaming and gnashing of teeth or eternal life with peace, harmony, no pains, and life with the perfect sovereign savior the Lord Jesus Christ?????? I know which one I chose, I chose life. Whats you chose, make it count because time is running out and once you die with out asking for forgiveness you can't come back. You will already be in Hell living your eternal life in damnation. Your chose will already be made because you denied God.


Please don't make the biggest mistake you can ever make. There is no sin to big to be forgiven. Jesus is waiting to take away ALL of your sins right now. He will never leave you nor forsake you. He will always be there for you, even when others like your friends aren't. Please make the chose today. You may not have another hour to spare. The Bible says that no one knows the time of his arrival. And no one can tell when they will die, that too is in His hands. He has full power over EVERYTHING in the universe.


Make the decision today, don't wait. You will regret it!!!!!
I guarantee that!

He has Risen...

...He has risen indeed. This has to be the coolest thing about the faith of a Christian, that we are not following a dead God or person. He IS alive and still rains in this world and universe. God is so good. If it were on my deeds and actions that i get into heaven, i would be so in trouble and might as well go to hell now. But thats the cool thing, it isn't. we are forgiven and he loves us more than anything in this world. We are His children and He will be there for you and me for forever. His death on the cross paid for all of our sins and His resurrection gave us victory over the grave. As the music artist Carmon put it "he's a great God, oh rightous King, ruler over everything". Nothing could be more true, He is so good and He deserves all of our praise. So instead of a new years resolution, why don't we make a resurrection resolution? Hum...I challenge everyone this coming year to give God all the glory and to serve Him with all of your heart. This is just a small thing that we can do for the God who gave up everything for a world that was lost and with out hope. Think earnestly about it and give Him everything. I will be praying for you.

Your brother in Christ.

-- Kyle Moore --

Play Ball

Today at the ball park i had a blast. It was such a good feeling to be able to go out and play ball again. The teams are looking great right now and will only continue to improve. This is really weird for our church this year. Let me explain (only because my sister is sitting right next to me and she doesn't know why and maybe you don't as well). Because our church only about ten years ago we only had a mens team to play for and watch (that was fun to watch by the way), then we started a co-ed team and then it grew to two mens teams and a co-ed. As the years pressed on this is the way that it has been; men dominating the field. Now this year we struggled to put together a mens team and easily put together THREE co-ed teams . That is why it's weird!!!!! So for the most part i am really enjoying the season and the teams members. Keep up the good work everyone (you know who is playing and who i am talking to) and lets have a fun and God filled season together.