Shut up and Ride!

Keep Mouth Closed While Riding
Today I went on the longest ride I have ever done on my bike. There was a storm passing through so the wind was strong. I don't know if it was a bug or just some debris flying around, but I have a new rule for while I am riding: Keep your mouth shut!

I am excited as of today I have raise $325 toward my riding in the BPMS150. My goal is to raise $1000 to help fund research for Multiple Sclerosis. Today I also rode my bike for 3hrs and 40 min. and yes I am tired. Check out my route I went today. http://routebuilder.org/16j
You get to do a bit of thinking and praying riding alone for nearly 4 hours. The last hour with the wind and the hills my prayers end up sounding more like: "Jesus help get me home!"

Here is a map showing how far I will be riding April 21-22.

If you want to help the easiest and most secure way is to donate straight to the National MS Society in my name. Just click here!

Done! - 24 the sermon Series

This Sunday will be the last Sunday of the sermon series 24. This has been a great challenge to produce, but also a great deal of fun. I have now been recognized by people in Wal-Mart as the guy who played Jesus in these videos. There was one person from our church that said these videos have made these Bible stories come to life again to her. This has been a great deal of work, but I am glad it is over. It has truly been rewarding.

If you want to see the videos and listen to the sermons go here. Or just check out the episodes here.

24 - Episode 1 - The Setup
24 - Episode 2 - The Meal
24 - Episode 3 - The Garden
24 - Episode 4 - The Arrest
24 - Episode 5 - The Denial

24 - Episode 6 - The Face-Off

Bible Reading

One of my big goals this year was to read through the bible. Yes I know, it is probably one of the most tried and retried Christian commitments that is made over and over. I have made my attempt many times before. I got started when I began working on this Life Development plan. Well, I am excited that the small group Jill and I have been with for a long time is stepping up to the challenge, and we are going to do this together. I am looking forward to this experience.

HAIR!!!

LOCKS OF LOVE!! Yes that means 10" of hair on my head. This is my official public announcement!

My dear female friends and my wife brought be down to reality. I thought that after a couple of months I would have a pony tail... They are telling me this will take about a year. So hold on tight. Be ready guys for me to start talking about hair styles, and should I wear my hair up or down? This is going to be an interesting experience. Especially when I get a close as I can to a military looking hair cut pretty regularly.

So about a year from now, a wig will be made from my hair for a kid that lost all their hair due to some illness or medical treatment. Yes, I checked... they will even accept MY hair.

And for all my Financial Peace Friends - the money I save on hair cuts will just be put into another envelope :)

The 24 hours leading up to the cross

One of my favorite things to do now is to produce short films. These short films go along with the sermon series "24 - The Last Day of Jesus Life". This has been a great challenge and a great deal of fun. We have one more episode to produce, and I am not sure how we are going to pull this last one off. The reactions have been varied, from laughter (my most frequent response) to people who have seen the scriptures and the stories in a fresh new light.

The experience for me has been great. I feel like I have grown to a new level of editing and filming. If I would have produced these videos a year ago, I would have been editing late, late, late into the night, but it has been going much better.

Watch the videos, listen to the sermons. Soon the videos will be available on www.sermonspice.com. Hope you enjoy.

The Screwtape Letters

I have just completed reading C. S. Lewis' book The Screwtape Letters. This has been an incredible read. Some books I have read that have been written in the last 5 years seem already out of date. While this one was copyright 1942 seems to be dripping with truth that won't be dried out by time. Lewis writes as one senior demon to another on how to tempt and tear down a man. Everything you read in this book black becomes white and white becomes black. We learn about Christ and Heaven out the plans of these demons and what they are fighting against and for.

Here is a sampling of quotes (or read a chapter here) "Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one - the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts"

"The Enemy [God] wants him, in the end, to be free from any bias in his own favour that he can rejoice in his own talents as frankly and gratefully as in his neighbor's talents - or a sunrise, and elephant, or a waterfall. He wants each man, in the long run, to be able to recognise all creatures (even himself) as glorious and excellent things.

"All the time the joke is that the word 'Mine' in its fully possessive sense cannot be uttered by human beings about anything. In the long run either Our Father [Satin] or the Enemy [God] will say 'Mine' of each thing that exists, and specially of each man. They will find out in the end, never fear, to whom their time, their souls, and their bodies really belong - certainly not to them, whatever happens. At the present the Enemy says 'Mine' of everything on the pedantic, legalistic ground that He made it: Our Father hopes in the end to say 'Mine' of all things on the more realistic and dynamic ground of conquest"

"They, of course, do tend to regard death as the prime evil and survival as the greatest good. But that is because we have taught them to do so."

"It is obvious that to Him [God] human birth is important chiefly as the qualification for human death, and death solely as the gate to that other kind of life. "

Alright that is enough quotes. This book has made me hungry for more. I pray that I just learn what it means to be a follower of Christ, then do it.

MS150 - A Big Physical Challenge!!!

The MS150 is a bike ride from Houston to Austin Texas April 21-22. Brad Granderson and I are going attempting to train for pedaling every mile of the trip. It is for raising money for the National MS Society. Part of the challenge of riding is raising $400 that will go toward research designed in ending the devastating effects of multiple sclerosis. I have set my goal at raising $1000. I would really appreciate your joining me by helping me raise money to find a cure. To donate online just go to http://ms150.org/edon.cfm?id=196549
More Info: 600 Zephyr Lane Ruston, LA 71270

The Deadline to donate is May 1st. Thank you for your help supporting me with your donations and your prayers.

On The Lot

Fox is going to have a new reality TV show coming out this year. This is the only one I think I might be cut out for. It is called On The Lot. Here is a link to the video I have submitted to try and get on the show. The winner gets a $1 million dollar development deal with Dreamworks. I figure it would be a great and fun opportunity if it happens. Watch the video, tell your Friends, and have a great day.

About Time

I have contemplated this for months and now I have stepped into the blogging world. I may be a day late... but I am here. In the effort of keeping things simple I decided that using something with a template would be much better use of my time than learning web design stuff from scratch. So welcome to my little world. Check out my many links to discover my little slice of the world.