This smells like...

Its been a little while since I've updated... before I left for Honduras. Life has really taken me by storm lately and I've been really struggling to find my rest in Christ some days.... Pray that I will...

Today, as we were bringing in a phone that we got at my grandparents house, my middle daughter tells me that "this phone smells like Mema and Grandpa's house". I already knew this, because everything that comes from their house smells good. It got me thinking about what some of my favorite smells are.....

1)My grandparents house
2)Michael's (the craft store)

What about you guys? No deep spiritual meaning here... just curious

We are here!

Here are just a few pics of our first few hours in Honduras...

It is a sad day when.....

A Mother and her 4 year old have to wander the streets of Atlanta at 12:3o am looking for food and shelter. When a women who has no place to go has to sleep in a child's stroller. When a man who has been on the streets for so long has his mental capacity reduced to that of a child. Jesus would have been right there with these same people, loving them, and pouring his life into them. Yet, we turn our heads away when we see them, take a step away when they walk towards us, refuse them when they ask us for money for something to eat. Two songs come to mind when I think of the plight of the homeless in our country. "Give It Up" by High Flight Society and "Disappear" by Anberlin. Both of them are songs written from the standpoint of someone who is hurting and in need of the love that Christ bestowed on us. Somehow, we think that someone else is going to take care of it. We walk by and ignore them.

After seeing that 4 year old child, and having children myself, I realize that I am not doing my part to show Christ's love to these people that need to be loved just like anyone else. So, here is what I propose. I want a group of us to get together, make sandwiches, snacks, get blankets, anything that might help the "disappearing people" and go to them. Not to the shelters, the soup kitchens, but directly to them where they are, on the streets of Atlanta. I suggest a group of people because you never know what to expect, but I also know that God will have us in his hand. Please, if you are interested, let me know. I'm going to try and organize something once I get back from Honduras, so be in prayer until then.

No Matter How You Look At It......

Flie "sharing" is stealing. As most of you know, I run a christian music news and reviews site, so I take a pretty hard stance on downloading when you haven't paid for it. But even before I started RockTheCross.net, I was against downloading.

Now, don't get me wrong, I downloaded my fair share of music in the heyday of Napster, and Audiogalaxy Satellite. In fact, I had several GB of downloaded music. But, one day, after a lot of thinking, it stopped. I decided it was morally and ethically wrong. Not only could I not do it as a person, but as a christian, I couldn't steal from the pockets of the artists that I loved and that were helping spread the gospel.

I'm sure you are wondering what brought all of this on..... well, I was having a conversation today with someone and he was asking what kind of music that I listen to. I told him a lot of Rock, etc. but that I really dislike country. He said "Well, thats all I've got. I get my music off Limewire.". I explained my reasons for not downloading any more and he said "Yeah, I only get on for like 20 minutes or so, and I only get a couple of songs.". His response led me to formulate this question as I was thinking about the exchange later in the day.

Would you rather that your house be robbed just once or twice, or would you rather have it happen 300 times? Either way, you are getting robbed.

Please think before you download again... You could be taking food out of someone's child's mouth.....

A Change May Be Coming....

Ashley and I maybe be making some fairly big changes coming soon. I don't want to say much, except for that if it happens, it will be a change for the entire family.

Please......

Pray for myself and my family right now. For several reasons....

1)That I am able to raise the support that I need for my trip to Honduras. And that my passport will come through in time.

2)That I will be able to find a job expeditiously that I can begin earning income at.

3)That God will continue to bless Ashley's photography business, now that she can walk again.

That's really all I have time to say right now.......

Late Night Tonight

Its been an extremely long day for me. And I dont think its quite over yet. I've just finished up an email campaign I was working on for a friend, that will hopefully lead to some more income for me. Now I've got to get just a few more things done before I finally lay my head down for the night/morning.

I'll be honest, its really hard being a dad, husband, writer/editor/etc of my own website, graphic and web designer, chauffeur, cook, etc. But then I remember that God equips me for the things that he has called me to.

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We will always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. (2 Corinthians 4:7-10)

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a Spirit of power. (2 Timothy 1:7)

I think that sometimes though, I take for granted what God has given to me through his Son. And I know that I am not the only one. Look at the staggering number of stagnant christians, those of us who proclaim Him with our lips, but that's all we do. There isn't fruit in our lives and we don't impact those who are around us. That isn't going to be me anymore. From now on, I am going to live my life out loud for Him who has saved me from certain doom. My question is, who will come with me on this journey.........