"Tostitos Blessing"

When I awoke at 4:00 a.m. I wasn't aware that I was waking up to a blessing. I only realized that the Tostitos I had eaten last night while playing Clue with my sons, weren't going to let me just go right back to sleep. I headed downstairs for some distraction, picked up my laptop, and went online to myspace. I found messages from friends, and read some really encouraging blog posts. Then I checked out a really positive Christian profile, and may have found a new friend. Wow, in a very short while I had forgotten why I was up. I certainly wouldn't have guessed at first that I had awakened to a "Tostitos Blessing."

God is so good! He takes those things that the enemy of our soul intends for harm and turns them around for our good. Remember Paul's words in Romans 8:28,

And we know that all things work together for good to ..them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

So, next time Tostitos, or Pizza, or BBQ, or whatever wakes you up in the middle of the night. Look a little deeper and see. God has a plan. All things are working together for good! You may be the next recipient of a "Tostitos Blessing."

Wishing you all God's Best,
Pastor Dan

I received the following poem in an email, and wanted to pass it along to all who read my blog. The autor is unknown to me. I added the pictures from various internet sources.

Freedom Isn't Free

I watched the flag pass by one day,
It fluttered in the breeze.

A young Marine saluted it,
And then he stood at ease..

I looked at him in uniform
So young, so tall, so proud,
With hair cut square and eyes alert
He'd stand out in any crowd.

I thought how many men like him
Had fallen through the years.
How many died on foreign soil
How many mothers' tears?

How many pilots' planes shot down?
How many died at sea
How many foxholes were soldiers' graves?
No, freedom isn't free.

I heard the sound of Taps one night,
When everything was still,
I listened to the bugler play
And felt a sudden chill.
I wondered just how many times
That Taps had meant "Amen,"
When a flag had draped a coffin.
Of a brother or a friend.



I thought of all the children,
Of the mothers and the wives,
Of fathers, sons and husbands
With interrupted lives.
I thought about a graveyard
At the bottom of the sea
Of unmarked graves in Arlington.
No, freedom isn't free.

I want to encourage you to continue praying for our troops. These young people who place their live on the line every day for the sake of freedom. As we enjoy the blessing of freedom let us never take it's price for granted.

Yours for freedom,
Pastor Dan

Ban on Gay Marriage Ruled InvalidSuperior Court Judge Constance C. Russell

Last night on Fox there was some disturbing news. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Constance Russell effectively overturned Georgia's Constitutional ammendment that banned same sex marriage. It had taken her 15 months to come to a decision in favor of gay rights activists. It was certainly clear what the people of Georgia wanted. Voters approved the ammendment by a 76% majority in November of 2004. It's amazing that one Superior Court Judge can have the clout to make null something passed by such an overwhelming majority.

We celebrated a great victory in Georgia in 2004, but the war for is not over here on the homefront for the soul of America. This is just another evidence the battle rages on. Let me encourage you today to keep the faith. We know that neither this judge nor those who won her decision speak for the majoriy Georgians. The may have caused a temporary set back, but their victory will be short-lived.

Yours for godly government,
Pastor Dan

Getting Involved

Yes, I have been criticized for being so involved in the "political" process, but let me share again a quote from Edmund Burke: All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.

I believe that we must be involved to make a difference. In the 33rd chapter of the book of Ezekiel the prophet writes that God has made him a watchman for the people of Israel. Further, God says that if the watchman is not faithful then the blood of the people is on his hands. God has placed his servants here in the Dalton area to be watchmen as well. It is most unfortunate when pastors and/or religious leaders cave in to the pressure to leave politics alone. I've heard the lines so many times before. Among them is, "You can't legislate morality." It is certainly true that legislation won't change men's hearts and souls, but it is also true that someone's morality or lack of it is behind legislation. In Deuteronomy 12:8 Moses writes that the people are not to do what is right in their own eyes but as he continues in Deuteronomy 13:18 that God will show mercy and compassion to them,

because you obey the LORD your God, keeping all his commands that I am giving you today and doing what is right in his eyes.

There is such an awesome need for godliness in government, and I see two ways that we can make a difference. One is to do all that we can to elect godly people to leadership, and the second is to hold those who are elected accountable to God's standards. Let's do all we can while we can to make a godly difference.

Blessings,
Pastor Dan

Meeting at City Hall

from their website at www.cityofdalton-ga.gov

We had a great turnout at the City Council Meeting last night. I'm sure I'll leave some out, but to give you an idea, there were five of us from CFA: Bob and Gay Rodriguez, Sharon Ferney, Janet Cochran, and myself. Besides our local church, other pastors and the folks from their churches included, Pastor Roger Whorton, Pastor Wayne Cofield, Pastor Ted Miller. A group of us had prayer in front of City Hall before we went in. Pastor Bill Walker, formerly of Grove Level and now at Dug Gap Baptist, was there along with Grove Level's current pastor, and a number of their people including our friends David and Sherri Blevins. Over 60 percent of the crowd was there to oppose Sunday Sales. Rev. Cannon, who is an associate pastor at 1st Baptist had an opportunity to speak at the work session, and he did a superb job representing our views, although we never spoke about it prior to this meeting.

The Council did not make a decision tonight. Instead Mayor Ray Elrod made an announcement that there would be no decision until July, because of certain time constraints. If they decided tonight then it would demand a special election to vote on the refernedum. By waiting until July they could have the referendum on the November ballot in the General election. It seems obvious to me that if Mayor Elrod did not expect the measure to pass there would be no need for him to wait. The local paper should be very interestin in the morning, but somehow I doubt that the paper's perspective and mine are very much alike.

Other evidence that Mayor Elrod seems very pro Sunday Sales included his announcement after the Hospitality Association made their speeches. The Mayor said that non-city residents should allow residents opportunity to speak first. It's interesting to me that he did not make this announcement before the the others spoke. Then at the close when Pastor Wayne Cofield asked if the Mayor would have those to stand to show their support or opposition to the measure, again the mayor raised the city resicency issue, only allowing those who were city residents to stand and show where they stood. Since no one other than the Mayor raised this issue, it made his own position most transparent.

Well, our work is certainly cut out for us, if we are to make a difference in the city of Dalton. We must identify and motivate those in our churches who are Dalton residents. Meanwhile I encourage all of you to write the Mayor and City Council. I think they should find their email accounts flooded with requests to keep this off the ballot. Remember, that Jesus said even the unjust judge relented when the widow unceasingly continued to make her petition. The email addresses are as follows:

Mayor Ray Elrod - relrod@cityofdalton-ga.gov
Charlie Bethel - cbethel@cityofdalton-ga.gov
Terry Christie - tchristie@cityofdalton-ga.gov
Bobby Grant - bgrant@cityofdalton-ga.gov
Dick Lowery - dlowery@cityofdalton-ga.gov
.

Of course, you may use conventional mail writing the Mayor and City Council at:

City of Dalton
City Hall
Dalton, GA 30720

Together we can make a difference!

Mother's DayMom with her Bible beginning her day in the Word

This is my third Mother's Day since Mom passed away. This year I sent a spray of Spring Flowers for the church in honor of her memory. Mother's Day has been difficult since Mom's death, but this year I really wanted to celebrate her life! I told Dad that I wasn't going to wear a white rose. My mother is very much alive, just in a different place. Like any time when your loved one is away for lengthy stay, I miss her. Somedays I miss here terribly, but we go on living, in God's promise that one day we will be reunited. Today I am thankful for a godly mother, and I echo the words of our first president, "all that I am I owe to my mother."

Have a blessed day,
Pastor Dan

A Christian Response to Rebellion

Our Wednesday Evening Bible Teacher -- Hubert Cochran

In our Bible Study tonight Hubert dealt directly with the question, "How do we respond to a Christian friend in rebellion? The goal tonight was to give some practical direction for responding to those who are rebelling against God.

First, he said that we must confront rebellion directly with God's Word, and that if at all possible we should confront that one who is in rebellion privately, one on one. In Galatians 2:11-13 notice how Paus deals with Peter.

When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong. Before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray.

Secondly We should avoid embarrassment. In Galatians 6:1 Paul writes: Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted..

Thirdly, we should allow time for response, time for prayer. Let the Holy Spirit lead you in prayer for them. Ephesians 6:18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
A key word here is the word, "alert" here in the NIV. Another translation uses the word "watching." It can even mean to be sleepless. We need to watch and pray.

Fourthly, you might not win your brother or sister immediately, therefore use wisdom, and love. In James 5:19-20 we read:
My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins. Patiently encouraging your brother in Christ is worth the effort. With wisdom and love you can hope to eventually restore them.

Hey if you've been living your own way instead of God's, Yes, I mean if you've been in rebellion, don't run from God. Run to him. He wants you to be restored.

Blessings
Pastor Dan

Live ReadyOur newest colt Tybee, a paint like our mare, Georgia

It has been a few days again, since I've posted, and a lot has happened. You can check out my blog on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/yourpastor because with two blogs going now, I forget where I've posted what.

I missed prayer meeting Friday night. I took two Advil migraine gel caps and went home. I'm sure there were some folks praying becasue by 8:30 p.m. the headhache was gone. I have taken headache medicine before and barely taken the edge off. I was grateful and I'm sure my family was grateful too.

Saturday we received a call at work that one of our mares, a paint named Georgia was in trouble. She was in labor with a littl filly. The filly didn't make it, and the mare was down. After working with her for more than six hours Saturday afternoon and evening, we decided to let her rest through the night hoping she might be a little stronger on Sunday. Sunday after church we lifted her up and put her on her feet again, but she was weaker instead of stronger, and after I retreated to the barn, Odell put her down, and we buried Georgia in the pasture, immediately afterwards.

These events bring me to focus again on the brevity of life. How fragile it is! In Job 14:1-2 the Bible records:

Man born of woman is of few days and full of trouble.
He springs up like a flower and withers away;
like a fleeting shadow, he does not endure.

Life is fleeting. When we are young we feel so indestructible, but then life smacks us in the face with tragedy and we realize how fragile life is. In the last couple of years I've been to funerals that cover the age spectrum from an eighty year old grandmother to to a teenage young man. We certrainly have no promise of tomorrow.

So, today let me encourage in your relationship with God. Don't just get ready, but live ready. Live in such a constant relationship with God that death itself can not hold you hostage through fear. Have a blessed day.

National Day of Prayer

When you get a day off, you usually try to get a little extra sleep, relax with a favorite activity or hobby, or catch up on some projects around the house, right? Well, not this Thursday. The day began just a little earlier than usual, because there was a breakfast meeting at 7:30 a.m. with Sonny Perdue who came to Dalton this morning. He told some great stories that I hope to share with you later. Anyway, I was home by 9:00 a.m. to begin the day with my family.

Just as I began working on my blog, Odell comes in. It is time to go to the National Day of Prayer event at the City Hall. It was 11:30 a.m. The event was good, as we prayed for our nation, our soldiers, their families, our president, congress, our state leaders, the governor, senators, representatitves, law enforcement, firemen, emergency medical technicians, our schools, and our churches. We concluded with the old song, "God Bless America." Now we can go home, right? Certainly, not! Not while there was another wonderful meeting to attend. At 2:00 p.m. there was a meeting in front of the new county courthouse, a dedication ceremony. Add to these events, an alarm going off at the business that I went to check out, and well, the day disappeared pretty fast.

It reminds of these words in James 4:14:

Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

When the aged Evangelist Billy Graham was asked with his years of experience what impressed him most, he responded, "the brevity of life." It is so vital that in the midst of all the rush of living that we remeber to live. Jesus said he came to give us abundant life. One way we can make the most of life is to remember to invest our life wisely, and one of the wisest uses of our time is to give some each day to prayer. Let me encourage you today, to live your life to the fullest... pray! Have a blessed day.

I Never Promised You a Rose Garden

The old song goes something like this.

I beg your pardon.
I never promised you a rose garden.
Along with the sunshine,
there's gonna be a little rain sometime.

The singer reminds the hearer that life isn't always easy, and difficulties come. As he continues he goes on to make his point that he never promised it would be easy either.

While I'm remembering old songs, another one comes to mind that sounds like a prayer of thanksgiving.

Life can't be all sunshine or the flowers would die.
Life can't be all blessings or there would be no need to pray.
So I thank you for the valley I walk through today.

Thank you for every hill I climb;
for every time the sun didn't shine.
Thank you for every lonely night;
I prayed 'til I knew everything was alright.
Thank you for the valley I walk through today.

I'm sure that's not all of the words, but the message of the song is there. The point is that life is fraught with difficulties.

There once was a little boy who found a cacoon attached to a small branch. He took the cacoon and placed it in a jar. He poked some wholes in the lid so air could get in, and then he waited. Every day he would check the cacoon to see if there was any change. Then one day the cacoon began to move. Something was happening. He sat down to watch and thrilled to see the a butterfly begin to emerge. Eventually the butterfly was halfway out of the cacoon, but it seemed tired. While the butterfly rested, the boy grabbed his pen knife and began to help the butterfly escape from the cacoon. Carefully he cut the sides of the cacoon to release the butterfly completely, but there was a problem. The top half of the butterfly's wings were open and beautiful, but the bottom half never opened. What the boy did not know was that the struggle of emerging from the cacoon caused the capillaries in the wings to fill with blood which opened the wings. Without that struggle the wings would never open.

In life so many beautiful thing come out of the struggle. Today if you're struggling, let me encourage you to take heart. The struggle will pass. God has a beautiful plan for your life. I certainly am not here to promise you "a rose garden," but in spite of life's struggle you do have His promise to be with you through it all. He will see you through! Have a blessed day.