Thursday, November 29, 2007

No More Wedgies!!!!!!

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Wedgie-proof underwear earned 8-year-old twin boys some appearances on television shows recently. Using rigged boxers and fabric fasteners to hold together some seams, Jared and Justin Serovich came up with the "Rip Away 1000."
"When the person tries to grab you - like the bully or the person tries to give you a wedgie - they just rip away," Justin explained by phone.

The third graders from Gables Elementary School began brainstorming one day after they were horsing around, giving each other the treatment. Their mother's partner sarcastically said someone ought to invent wedgie-proof underwear, the family said.
The project got the boys to the finals of a central Ohio invention competition earlier this year, followed by television appearances.

photo courtesy images.google.com & story azcentral.com, 11/3/07

1 Timothy 4:12 (Allen's Translation)

Let no one look down on you because you are young,  but be an example to the believers in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity.

Paul was a mentor to Timothy and gave him some great advice that every young believer should apply. (No, this instruction had nothing to do with underwear. We don't know if Paul and Timothy wore boxers or briefs - probably just something that went well with their toga robes!)

Paul's challenge was to encourage Timothy to be a servant leader for God even though he was young. We don't know exactly how old Timothy was, but evidently some people thought he was too young to be a pastor.

It's pretty normal for older Christians to look down on young people because they are...well you know...YOUNG! If older people are used to seeing immaturity in young people, it's easy for them to hold back on their trust of what young people can do.

Are you ready and willing to give the world a new perspective on young people?

Paul is teaching that younger Christians need to earn the respect of their elders by showing maturity. You can do this by being a Christ-like example in your talk, your walk, your love, your faith and through living a life of purity. No matter how old or young you are, God will use you to help build His Kingdom. He is simply waiting for you to live in such a way that the world around you will see Christ in you!

The kids who invented anti-wedgie underwear have been given some brief exposure for their creativity. Their fame may be short-lived, because it may not impact the world for very long. But bullies beware!

You probably won't ever make the news for living for Christ and serving Him at a young age, but God will notice and use you to impact the world forever!

This is just a reminder to all the young people of South Florence Baptist Church why we have the name for ministry that we have.

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Darkness!?

There has been something that has been on my mind for the past few days.  Have you ever thought of the reasons that the Lord will allow you to go through many different storms in your life.  The thing that gets me going is the point that God has got us.  Yes he allows us to go through storms but he still has us.  Many times we paint the picture of Christ and his children as a father and son.  Let me explain.  The other night after dark me and Caleb (my 5 yr old son) had to walk out to the barn for something.  He grabbed me by the hand, and the farther away we got from the house the darker it got.  As we walked up to the barn we could see nothing.  He did not even realize it at first, but when we turned around to got back home, all we could see was the lights from the house in the distance and darkness all around where we were.  We start going back toward the house and Caleb says to me "I'm Scared" so I tell him to hold my hand and he has nothing to worry about.  Even though that is a great picture of Christ and His children I do not think that it is accurate.  The story goes on, and Caleb got even more scared.  Being the good father I try to be I picked him up and told him not to worry.  As we walked into the flood lights of the house I put him down and he look up at me with this big big smile on his face and said "you are the man daddy".  That is a better picture of Christ with his children.  Christ has got us in his arms even though we may not see the things that are around us he has got us, and He is holding us close, and telling us not to worry.  The thing that Caleb did not know is that I had a flash light in my pocket the entire time.  See, fathers think of things that we may not need but fathers have them just in case.  Just the same way with Christ and His children he has us even with the proper tools that He may not even need, it is just there if we need it to make our life that much easier.  We are not just walking through this life holding on to Christ's hand, think of it as we are not walking at all because Christ is carrying us through this dark time.  He is carrying us into His light.