Archive | September, 2008

Negativity can KILL a church

4 Sep

Have you ever been to a store, or on a quest to purchase something, and had a salesman say “You wouldn’t want to buy this WOULD YOU?”  If you did, you thought twice about it.  Most salespeople are trained to speak positively, speak supportively about their product, and de-emphasize the use of the word “dollar.”  A negative-talking salesperson is the quickest way to get rid of me.

Do YOU realize that people think about churches that way, too?  NOT that we are salesmen in any way, but when we speak positively about our church and about things that are going on in our church, it is contagious.  AND when we speak negatively about them, it is EVEN MORE contagious.
How can this be stopped?  I don’t know . . .  Because there will ALWAYS be someone who has nothing good to say, and there will always be things that are fodder for criticism.  Because the church is made up of PEOPLE, and PEOPLE are not PERFECT.  And your staff is definitely NOT PERFECT!
What can we do about this??
All we can do is THINK ABOUT WHAT WE SAY AND DO before we do them.  That is ALL!  If every person in the church tried their best, there would still be mistakes, but maybe we would all be a little less critical.  At least, I would like to hope so.
And, if we all would remember the words of Jesus in Matthew 7, which basically says “By the same measure YOU JUDGE, YOU WILL BE JUDGED,” maybe we should rethink what we say from time to time.  One day, we will all stand before the judgment seat . . .  Maybe that is enough said?

One Question (Okay, two)

4 Sep

WHY does the price of gas stay up after the Gustav jump even after the price of a barrel of oil has DROPPED almost every day this week???  WHY does gas JUMP at the sign of trouble, even BEFORE the price of a barrel jumps, but it takes days for us to see it at the pump after the price of a barrel FALLS???

If Jimmy Norton could FIX THAT, I would vote for him for President of the US.

Today’s funny from Mikey

3 Sep

A police officer pulled a guy over for speeding and had the following exchange:

Officer: May I see your driver’s license?
Driver: I don’t have one. I had it suspended when I got my 5th DUI (Driving Under the Influence).
Officer: May I see the registration for this vehicle?
Driver: It’s not my car. I stole it.
Officer: The car is stolen?
Driver: That’s right. But come to think of it, I think I saw the registration in the glove box when I was putting my gun in there.
Officer: There’s a gun in the glove box?
Driver: Yes sir. That’s where I put it after I shot and killed the woman who owns this car and stuffed her in the trunk.
Officer: There’s a BODY in the TRUNK?!?!?
Driver: Yes, sir.

Hearing this, the officer immediately called his captain. The car was quickly surrounded by police, and the captain approached the driver to handle the tense situation:
Captain: Sir, can I see your license?
Driver: Sure. Here it is. (It was valid.)
Captain: Who’s car is this?
Driver: It’s mine, officer. Here’s the registration.
Captain: Could you slowly open your glove box so I can see if there’s a gun in it?
Driver: Yes, sir, but there’s no gun in it. Sure enough, there was nothing in the glove box.
Captain: Would you mind opening your trunk? I was told you said there’s a body in it.
Driver: No problem.The trunk was opened; no body.

Captain: I don’t understand it. The officer who stopped you said you told him you didn’t have a license, stole the car, had a gun in the glovebox, and that there was a dead body in the trunk.
Driver: Yeah, I’ll bet he told you I was speeding, too.

today’sTHOT============================
Diplomacy is the art of letting somebody else have your way.

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Oh, Church Softball . . .

2 Sep

Went to the late game tonight for our co-ed team. It really wasn’t so bad until one of the umps, whom I will not name, went from zero to furious after he blew a call and we let him know about it. All kinds of things were exchanged, both during and after the game, that make me wonder if I am done at that league, and if we should try another league next year?? If the umps don’t like your team and your team is the ONLY one complaining, (which I find hard to believe) maybe it IS time to move on. I don’t know, but am glad I don’t have to make that decision tonight.

ANOTHER Sign of the Apocalypse

1 Sep

I won’t recap the previous signs, but this one is definitely a sign of the end of the world: PAUL FRAZIER HAS A BLOG!!! I will GUARANTEE everything he writes to be worth a read. His link is http://pauldfrazier.blogspot.com. CHECK IT OUT!!

Now, to be completely serious for a moment, things DO look hopeful for New Orleans, but it looks like south central Louisiana is going to take the hit. And where New Orleans is the most vulnerable geographic area, the south central part of the state is the poorest. SO, I do breathe a little sigh of relief, but I am still praying and you should be, too. Don’t be fooled . . . The devastation and destruction WILL be there, just not in New Orleans.

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