Summer Blockbusters Vs. The Greatest Stories Ever Told

Hello Everyone,

I don't know about all of you but I am way excited about all of the movies coming out this summer. For those of you who may have just begun reading my blog you might not know that I am a HUGE movie fan. I could literally spend all day watching movies and not get bored. I love summer for a lot of reasons but right in the top three reasons on my list are movies in the summer time. Here is a sampling of the movies I hope to take in this summer.








1. Iron Man-I have never read an Iron Man comic book but the movie looks great and i am excited to go see it.













2. Indiana Jones-I grew up watching the original movies and I think that Harrison Ford has one more good one in him.











3.Batman:The Dark Knight-You would be hard pressed to find a man my age that didn't tie a towel around his neck and pretend he was the caped crusader at least once in his life. The first movie in this series left me wanting more and I think this next installment will deliver.



As much as I enjoy the big summer blockbusters I think sometimes we forget that some of the greatest stories ever told have never made it to the big screen. From where I sit you will never find a man physically stronger than Sampson. There will never be a better "wild man prophet" type than John the Baptist. No prison break scene can compare to the night Paul and Silas were set free. I could go on and on but you get the idea. I hope that there are people reading this that love to get caught up in a great blockbuster movie but more than that I hope everyone that reads this is constantly caught up in the word of God. We read in Deuteronomy 6:4-9

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.


So as I come to a close I want to encourage you to enjoy getting caught up in a good story. Those of you with families I would suggest finding appropriate movies to view with your family. I also encourage you to set aside time to get lost in the Bible as a family. My hope is that we would never let Summer Blockbusters win out over the Greatest Stories Ever Told. These are my thoughts for today thank you for allowing me to share them with you I hope they were a blessing to you.


Be Strong and Courageous,
Paul

Don't Leave Behind The Important Stuff

Hello Everyone,

Well here I sit in the last week of April and my mind is spinning with ideas about all the things I have to do in the coming weeks. At the top of my list is packing up our apartment. It is hard to believe that next month that this apartment will have been my home for a year. As we begin the packing process we are prioritizing what to keep and what to throw away. When I got married I was a HUGE pack rat. Marriage has been good for me for several reasons but close to the top of the list is that I have stopped being such a pack rat. I am of the opinion if we have not used something for a year that it is time to get rid of it. Along with all this prioritizing I have to remember that some times you have to keep things you don't use very often because they are important.

I think there are important things that we sometimes take for granted. The other day I was coming home from going to the store and I noticed my Bible was in the back seat of our car. In that moment I had the thought that I should bring my Bible in but my hands were full of groceries so I said I would go get it later. I didn't go back to the car until the next day and I noticed my Bible still sitting in the back seat. The really bad thing is that I knew where my Bible was I just chose to be lazy and leave my Bible in the car. What is worse than that is that I fooled myself into thinking I would go right back out and get it.

All of this got me to thinking about not leaving behind important stuff. The Psalmist said "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path" Psalm 119:105. What I did by leaving my Bible in my car is the equivalent of going outside at night without a flash light. So after I realized what I had been doing I began making a conscious effort to not leave my Bible in the car.

What happened next was AMAZING!!!! I started reading my Bible more. Our theme for Camp Bandina this year centers around the Minor Prophets. I am not sure when the last time you read the minor prophets was but if it has been awhile then I would suggest giving them a look. I want to end my thoughts tonight with a question that occurred to me after leaving my Bible in the car. What if God had decided to just leave us someplace? What if instead of sending his Son to die for us he simply forgot about us? It's a pretty scary thought when you get right down to it.

I challenge you to stop leaving your Bible in your car, on a pew or in a classroom. Bring it into your home open it up and allow God to have the proper place in your life he deserves. I hope you are blessed for reading this.

Be Strong and Courageous,
Paul

A Prayer Request

Good Evening,

I just wanted to write a short note and request prayers on behalf of some good friends of mine the Larry Family. I have know Crichelle Larry since I was in 7th grade and we have always been great friends. Recently Crichelle delivered twin boys prematurely. There is a lot to this story and I think it would be good if you could get to know Crichelle, her husband and sons for yourself. If you would like to you can go to their family website http://family.jclarry.com/ and get to know them. I know they would covet your prayers even if you can't make it to their site.

Be Strong and Courageous,
Paul

Taking The Next Step

Hello Everyone,

Well I know it has been a long time since I have posted but I am back. I wanted to share the latest piece of good news in my life. Beginning next month I will be assuming the Youth and Family Minister role at the Pearland Church of Christ in Pearland Texas.

I know a lot of you who read this remember saying I was through with ministry, and for a time I thought I was. In the past few months I have learned one big lesson. That lesson is to never tell God what you are or are not going to do. After spending some time in the belly of a big fish I am now ready to do what God wants me to. I would like to thank all of you who checked on me and prayed for me over the past several months. Check back soon I am going to try posting more and more.

Be Strong and Courageous,
Paul