I am a new convert to Free Thinking

OK I have had some interesting thoughts as of recent. These are just thoughts that may not have rhyme or be all too eloquent but they are my thoughts.

Last night was an interesting night with some deep conversation going on. I was a part of a group that included about 8 other guys. There was a word that was used rather frequently during the duration of the conversation. The word had been used a lot by the atheist in the 30 Days episode with her and the Christian family.

So this got me thinking about the word and what it means to me since it is a word that can be used by almost everyone.

Freedom
Main Entry: free·dom

Pronunciation: 'frE-d&m

Function: noun1 : the quality or state of being free: as a : the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action b : liberation from slavery or restraint or from the power of another

The word was actually “free” as in being free from, not as the cost or lack of cost of being bought & sold. We were discussing the sins in our lives, whether past or present, that have kept us from realizing Gods full grace. Many were feeling free from these sins and the bondage that lead them away from Christ. Others were expressing their want and need to have the feeling of complete freedom in Him. How can someone be free when they follow only the Lord my God?

Well for me it means that I had the freedom to choose Him which makes the relationship more meaningful. I am free from ever being any part of hell, free from having my sin count against me (not free from sin as many non-believers think we are) when in front of Christ and full of free love from Christ. It was a free gift that I accepted.

I still have the freedom to think of how life would be outside of Christ and unfortunately as everyone has lived outside of Him many of times. I still come to the same conclusion that Jesus is the way that my freedom will be granted and maintained. I have as I stated before realized that I am a clear thinker.

Free thinkers seem to have the belief that following God is being a slave to him and to his way of life. Where they fall flat is that having a relationship with Christ is a personal choice and a personal relationship with him.

This brings up a question that just popped up this morning on my commute to work. How can someone not Trust a God that has love for them all of the time. But yet love human kind that will continue to hurt us and let us down around many a corner? Hate to say that the hippies had it right when they all went around with signs saying FREE LOVE. Just that they had it all wrong and turned it all toward them selves and not to the Lord.

Where does all of this free thinking get them? If you come to a conclusion that there is no God are you still a free thinker? Wouldn’t a free thinker still have that as an unknown conclusion? Doesn’t that make them closed thinkers as they tend to portray us as closed minded. They closed their minds with the thought that there is a God.

I know Christ and He knows me even though I choose to continue to sin from time to time as all humans do. I am hoping to be free completely of sin and I know that I will be free of sin, desease and many other things this life on earth brings us. That is where we as Christians become Free Thinkers when we look toward our eternal life with Him whom created us.

Maybe someday I will be able to put all of my thoughts together in a nice piece of literature for y’all to understand someday but for know this is what you get.

Psalm 119:32

New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
32 I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free.

I am proud to say that I am a Clear Thinker for I know where I am headed and a new convert to being a FREE THINKER.

Save our kids from this madness

Working with youth is hard enough sometimes and teaching them the way of Christ is becoming far tougher to do. Infants as we already know are all about selfish since they cannot help themselves. But as kids grow older some of us would like to break this vicious cycle of kids feeling they are owed everything.

Luke 9:23-24 23Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.

What I think this verse means is that following Christ means that we have entitlement to everything he has created. This means to make a sacrifice even if you look silly so everyone can enjoy the same things.

Ok that was a pathetic attempt at twisting the verse since it is so straight forward as to how we are to function. We try hard to live this way each day and try harder to teach the youth that hearing "no" is not a bad thing sometimes. Our life in him will continue and in actuality we will be better off for it.

The next story relates back to my very first post and gives you a clue of what we are up against.

Teams woo female fans with freebies, but a lawyer cries foul
Dispute's outcome could have ramifications for Major League Baseball By Sasha Talcott,
Globe Staff August 22, 2006

Long before the Baltimore Orioles passed out lipstick and the Red Sox and other baseball teams began selling pink hats, ``ladies-night" giveaways have been a fixture of America's pastime. But a California lawyer, denied a free hat at an Oakland A's game because they were reserved for female fans, has filed suit against the team to put a stop to the practice.

Alfred Rava calls such giveaways ``sex discrimination on steroids." He is also suing the Los Angeles Angels for giving away tote bags to women only on Mother's Day. When Rava attended the Oakland game in 2004 , he said he asked for one of the hats that were being given out. ``The woman laughed at me and said, `No, these are only for females,' " or ``words to that effect," Rava said.

He said he filed the suits ``on behalf of other males who were denied [giveaways] because of their sex." He is seeking damages of $4,000 for each man at the games who did not receive gifts.

The outcome of the dispute could have ramifications for Major League Baseball, as well as for minor league teams, which frequently run promotions targeted at women and other specific groups . The Angels tried to make amends by offering a free tote bag, but it did little to placate Rava and the client he is representing in the case (``too late -- the discrimination had already occurred," Rava said.)

The A's, meanwhile, have changed their policy: They decided to let men into their Baseball 101 clinic, which had been marketed toward women, and the team no longer bases its promotions on gender. ``We're cognizant of it," said an A's spokesman, Jim Young . Even children's backpack giveaways now are available to adults who ask for one, he said.

Though the Red Sox do not usually use giveaway promotions, they are common in the minor leagues, where Rava's suits have become the subject of debate. Some fans of minor league teams become rabid for any type of freebie. For instance, in Manchester, N.H., the Fisher Cats' free bobblehead dolls, intended for children, have sparked interest from adults as well. ``Bobbleheads are so popular, adults will stoop down low and say, `I'm a kid at heart,' " said Jeff Tagliaferro , the team's assistant general manager. Nevertheless, the Fisher Cats -- the AA affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays -- turn them down.

Team officials also say no to men who request a pink visor or other female-only giveaway to bring home to their wives or daughters, Tagliaferro said, to make sure there will be an adequate supply for the girls and women in attendance.

Other teams do not draw the line so clearly. In New Haven, an independent baseball team, the County Cutters, have been promoting an event in which women hunt for a diamond ring in a giant haystack. No men have asked to participate, but the team might allow it if one did, said Ryan Conley , the Cutters' assistant general manager. He has experience to draw on: When Conley worked for another independent team, the Bangor Lumberjacks in Maine, the team sponsored a ``date the player" auction for female fans. Some men wanted to bid for the players, too -- mostly to take them out to bars, Conley said -- and the team decided to let them participate. ``It was `take a player out on a date' -- it didn't say it had to be a serious date," Conley said.

Baseball teams often use giveaways to lure fans to the ballpark, as well as to help the team's corporate sponsors reach potential new customers. Also, teams that market themselves to families often find that women make the household decisions about buying tickets.

Before he went to bat against women's promotions in baseball, Rava became known in California for suing bars that gave women discounts on drinks and admission. ``I found it appalling that businesses would charge customers different prices based on sex," he said.

In their response to Rava's lawsuit, the Angels quoted the Bible (``Honor thy father and thy mother") and Ralph Waldo Emerson (``Men are what their mothers made them"). They argued that giving a token to female fans did not infringe on male fans' civil rights. ``This is just unfortunate," Angels spokesman Tim Mead said. ``It's Mother's Day! Mother's Day is something that has been on record as a pretty special day."

At least one team promotion for women is probably safe from discrimination lawsuits. The Lowell Spinners once invited 30 very pregnant women to sit in the stands behind home plate, offering a year's supply of diapers to the first one who gave birth. Eight ambulances were parked outside the stadium, but no one went into labor before the final out. ``We consider ourselves a family park," said Jon Goode , a spokesman for the team. ``Obviously, part of the family is the mom."

And we wonder why kids feelings of entitlement are getting bigger, adults are causing it and attacking the fabric of who we should be.

It is great to be a part of a Church that praises and Celebrates the kids denying themselves after they go around the Country and World following Christ. I applaud those 290 kids that went and have seen themselves and their life differently from their experiences.

If you are interested in more of how I feel my very first post will help that.

Welcome

Wanted to lay out the WELCOME MAT to my wife and her entry into the Blogesphere.

Her link is to the right under Ally's After-thoughts.

Please make sure you wipe your feet before entering.

30 Days

A few days ago we were at a friend’s home watching the TV program 30Days. This program was spawned from the Supersize Me fella which by the way was a fairly interesting movie. The episode we watched featured an Atheist (free thinker) living with a Christian family right here in Frisco, Texas. It was interesting to watch how they communicated with each other and how they communicated with the others groups.

A few observations first. One being that the “Church” of Free Thinkers got a little defensive during their meeting time because they are not understood. One question they had was if they the Christian couple would you like it if “There is no God” is placed on all monies? What kind of silly question is that? All he needs to know is that it reads “IN GOD WE TRUST”.

I have a Q for all of the Free Thinkers out there. Do you ever come to any conclusions being such a free thinker? So being a Christian is not a free thinker? All Christians have faced the world on their own while thinking things thru on their own. The difference is that we have come to a conclusion in our thinking that Christ is the answer. We still have plenty of thoughts each day like whether or not we are going to live on our own or thru our Lord Jesus Christ for that day. It is a daily and sometimes by the hour thought process that we have. We have seen and at times have lived without the power of the Lord finding life to be better within his family than out.

Is having the thought that there is no God closed minded? I have to answer this question YES, since you have faith in your answer and you are not about to be persuaded otherwise. There would be no reason to hear anyone else’s side of things if your faith in your beliefs is strong. What makes Atheist’s free thinkers and Christians closed minded?

Why then do you follow the law as a free thinker, are there not better ways of doing things if you are truly a free thinker. You have no reason to truly live life if there is nothing to live for? Yes I know your family is a reason to live but why? God created the family institution to be second only to him.

Here is a fun game to think thru: What if a free thinking couple has three free thinking children and one day one of them comes home with Christ? Does this kid who has grown up as a free thinker all of a sudden have all thinking privileges revoked? Or is his free thought to choose Christ encouraged? Huh, well I do not know.

Also on the show the FT mother asked her youngest son if there is a higher power the young son said “you”. Kids are so honest aren’t they? Truly she has done a great job parenting her kids for them to know their authority in their lives. But then he changed his answer to himself and the mother then said good answer and encouraged him a bit. If the kid is being raised as a FT then how come mommy and daddy are encouraging their thoughts into him? Does that not then make the kid a non-FT?

Also the Christian family took them to see a Third Day concert and afterward they got the opinions of the kids and the concert. The daughter of the free thinker liked the music since she made an effort not to listen to the lyrics of the songs. That is some serious free thinking, not to listen to the other side.

I know these are just ramblings and I hope that I got them across clearly; sometimes my fingers do not always follow the old noggin in my non-thinking process. If they are the free thinkers can I call myself a clear thinker?

Maurice Claurett gets $5 Million Dollar Contract

$5,ooo,ooo Bail!!

He took being a member of an Arena Football team named the HITMEN way too far. The scary thing is he had four loaded guns within his car and was wearing a bullet proof vest when pulled over. He was also only a few miles from the home of the woman I believe who was to testify against him in his upcoming trial.

Where has this world gone wrong when someone of his skills ahould be making 5 million a year playing a game but chooses a life he has been leading. Now having 5 million dollar bail set, that is a ten million dollar swing in life that leads to prison not to a plush mansion with all the Bling of a third world country.

Did you notice that he is still wanting to look good while out and about with four loaded guns. Next to the bottle of Grey Goose and his four loaded guns is a lint roller. Gotta keep the clothes and Bullet Proof vest he was wearing lint free I guess.

Craziness I tell ya!

Which story do you find hardest to believe?

First! Me taking a class and then a possible series of Classes? The class being Intro to Theology at a local Church here in the N. Dallas area. Me? What? Crazy? Yeppers that is what it sure sounds like to me. I have given up on School way back when I dropped out of Art School. Yes I am not a beauty school dropout but I am an Art School dropout. If it was not for the cost of school doubling after my first year I would have stayed in cuz it was Art and not Theology where I have to actually listen and learn.

I am actually excited about it all, at least I think that I am excited about it all. I am taking it for Credit I think. There are 6 classes in the series and I do want to get thru them all since of our Desire to reach the mission field within the next few years. These classes will hopefully give me the smarts while out in the field so please pray for me.

Second! HAMILTON, Bermuda (AP) -- A fisherman was recovering from surgery after he was speared in the chest and knocked into the Atlantic Ocean by a blue marlin during a fishing competition off Bermuda's coast.

Ian Card, 32, was in stable condition at King Edward VII Hospital in the British Island territory from a wound that his doctor said could have been fatal.

"He was very lucky," said Dr. Christian Wilmsmeier. "It was a very serious injury."
Card and his father, Alan, both operators of a charter fishing boat and experienced marlin fishermen, had just hooked the fish Saturday when it suddenly leapt out of the water, impaled Ian Card just below his collar bone and knocked him into the ocean.

"The fish all of a sudden changed direction and jumped. The fish made a leap and Ian just happened to be in the way," Alan Card said.

The younger fisherman managed to struggle free while his father cut the line and helped his son get back into their boat, the Challenger.

They managed to make it back to shore in about 40 minutes for emergency medical treatment.
The fishermen estimated the marlin at about 800 pounds (363 kilograms) and about 14 feet (4.3 meters) in length.

Which is hardest to believe? For most of you that know me the first one I think would be hardest to believe than a feller being speared by a Marlin. Yikes!