Things I am most thankful for...

1. God
2. God's love.
3. God's love shown through His Son.
4. God's love shown through His Son's sacrificial death.
5. God's love shown through His Son's sacrificial death applied to my life.
6. Grace
7. Grace that is sufficient.
8. Grace that is sufficient for me.
9. Grace that is sufficient for me to forget the past.
10.Grace that is sufficient for me to forget the past and not fear destroying my future.
11.My family.
12.My family being home.
13.My family being home and enjoying each other.
14.My family being home and enjoying each other with laughter and joy.
15.My family being home and enjoying each other with laughter and joy big enough to make them hate to go to bed.
16.My friends.
17.My friends that love me back.
18.My friends that love me back and let me be real.
19.My friends that love me back and let me be real even when I am obnoxious.
20.My friends that love me back and let me be real even when I am obnoxious with little chance of getting better.
21.Other stuff...a cozy fire in the fireplace/Debbie's corn casserole/quiet conversations about things that matter/funny conversations about things that don't matter/milky bones that makes Bear forget about my cookies/music that brings me into the presence of God/fresh hot cinnamon rolls/gadgets/medicine/plungers/sleep/a fall day warm enough for motorcycles/leaf blowers/kids that get excited when you show them how to serve others/digital camera's/vanilla/coke/vanilla coke/ice/candle's/friends that understand/the laughter of my children/the smile of my wife/standing ovations deserved/back rubs/carpet.

Everybody needs a good dog. I have the best. his name is Bear. And here are the BEAR Facts...

1. I want to be as good a person as Bear thinks I am.
2. If being good would get you into heaven, Bear would be the first one there.
3. Bear, unlike most people, understands the meaning of "shame." When he makes a "mistake" on the floor he hides. When my kids make a "mistake" on the floor they just lay on the couch and watch tv.
4. I want to love God as much as Bear loves me.
5. Bear is satisfied with a pat on the head and an occasional milky bone. I want to be satisfied with the knowledge that I'm doing right and an occasional vanilla coke.
6. Bears hips are giving out. I have not been hip in years.
7. Bear chews his butt. This is where my parallels breakdown!

Stay tuned, world. A star is about to be born. The Tanner Brown Express is preparing to leave the station! I have an official autographed copy of Tanner's latest composition, the aforementioned song written for his sister, Ashley. I have procured the services of one Joseph McGill to produce Mr. Browns first "single" to be ready for airplay before the end of the holiday weekend! All that is left is to get the 9 year old to name me as his agent. Then we'll hit the road with our first North American tour!

I thought you might enjoy reading Tanner's song entitled... "Jesus." Here you go...

There's only one way to heaven
The way is through Him
But let me tell you something
He's the number one man
It's real easy to get through
All He asks is this
To believe the Christ and Lord
To believe in Jesus
To read the bible, that's for sure
And to pray for forgiveness when you sin
Because there's only one way to Heaven
The way is through HIm
But let me tell you something
He's the number one man
It's real easy to get through
All He asks is this
To believe the Christ and Lord
To believe in Jesus
To read the Bible, that's for sure
And to pray for forgiveness when you sin

So how does it happen that a 9 year old kid manages to pull off something like this? You get to see lots of things as a youth pastor. Today was what I will call an "onry day." I got to deal with some onry situations... onry people. That's being kind, really. Onry makes it sound like just some good old boy (or girl) that is in a mood but usually can be counted on. Ain't necessarily so. Sometimes kids manage to develop a mindset that says you OWE them your attention. ALL of it. And if you do not give them what they are owed they will manipulate and conive until they get what they feel they deserve. I do not respond very well to that attitude. Today I actually surprised myself. I had to deal with one of those attention-grabbing kids. And this 8th grader did not like what I did. She did not feel I was giving her the attention she deserved and so she implied, through an email, that she was considering suicide. My response was to contact her schools social worker, a social service agency, resulting in the young person being pulled out of class and interviewed until the social worker was convinced she was not going to harm herself. After school I got a phone call from the little darling. She planned on taking me to task for my actions. The poor girl lost for the second time today. After hearing her arguments and long moments of silence following my questions, I informed her that I do not take kindly to manipulation and that anytime she makes a threat in my presence it will be reported. She "accidently" mentioned that she didn't know why it was wrong to cut herself. This is a troubled child. She mentioned it a second time just in case I had not caught it the first time. I informed her that God made skin for a reason and that it is suppose to hold her insides together. Furthermore, anybody that intentually poked holes in skin for the singlular purpose of watching blood flow out was unstable and needed serious help. She was silent. I asked her if she understood what I was saying. 10 more seconds of silence. I concluded our conversation by stating that I cared for her and that was why I will consistently hold her feet to the fire and that if she was going to be a part of my youth ministry she would be expected to deal in truth and integrity. Silence. I asked her if she had any further questions. She responded with, "No." I said, "Then have a nice day, young lady" and I hung up the phone. Rumor has it she called my house tonight to apologize but I did not take the call. I was busy reflecting on the meaning of dust.

And then there is Tanner. He writes songs about Jesus to his 13 year old sister with a life-threatening case of Leukemia. Tanner doesn't expect all of my attention all of the time. If he had it he probably would not want it. Geez, even I get tired of me. But I owe the kid a debt of gratitude. Today I needed somebody to remind me that not everybody in the world has gone of the deep end. I needed somebody to inject me with a ray of hope that the human race might still be worth saving. Thanks, Tanner. I owe you one.