David Covey

From Who All Blessings Flow....

As I spoke Wednesday to my teens I challenged them that although it is great to be thankful as everyone always seems to be this time of year, but it is even more important to remember where all of those blessings come from. We need to live in a constant state of thankfulness that we have a savior who provides everything that we need in the right time. I challenge you to also give something away this year instead of just being thankful for what you have, let's all give something away and make someone else thankful.

Mediocre Faith

     Mediocrity in church is something that I feel is far to often accepted and overlooked. People unwilling to volunteer to help the leadership reach a goal can be frustrating to say the least. Without support from its members a church cannot grow or exceed beyond where it currently is. Take for example a newborn baby. In order for it to grow and develop, routine yet daily occurrences must take place for development. Whether it be feeding, changing, cleaning, teaching, these are all necessary. The same may be said for a successful place of worship. Someone must empty trash and clean toilets in order for daily overall progress to occur. We as followers of Christ cannot be afraid or ashamed to step up and fill the gaps that we often find in our own churches. A saying that I like to use for successful churches is, " Lead, follow, or get out of the way." Why are you so greedy that all you want to do is show up and be fed weekly without ever contributing for the well-being of the body as a whole. If all we did in life was eat without ever doing anything else we would eventually run out of food and become so fat that we couldn't move. Everyone should do their part in one way or another. I challenge you not to have Mediocre Faith, use your gift and talents to help further His calling. If you are not available every week do it once a month. If you aren't willing to help I challenge your overall walk as a whole.

Head To Christ

     Many of you know that I have always liked the music of the band Korn. Not that I entirely support their lifestyles I have always been a fan. Brian "Head" Welch left the band a few years back and has recently written a book about how he has changed his life. This video is of Brian recently being interviewed on the 700 club and is very inspiring and sincere. I encourage you to watch it and share it with anyone you know as a great story of a man who has been truely forgiven and changed by the love of Christ!

Like A Child

Dear GOD, Instead of letting people die and having to make new ones, why don't you just keep the ones you have? -Jane

Dear GOD, Maybe Cain and Abel would not kill each other so much if they had their own rooms. It works with my brother. -Larry

Dear GOD, If You watch me in church on Sunday, I'll show you my new shoes. -Mickey

Dear GOD, I bet it is very hard for you to love all of everybody in the whole world. There are only 4 people in our family and I can never do it. -Nan

Dear GOD, In school they told us what you do. Who does it when you are on vacation? -Jane

Dear GOD, I read the Bible. What does "beget" mean? Nobody will tell me. -Love, Alison

Dear GOD, Are you really invisible or is it just a trick? -Lucy

Dear GOD, Is it true my father won't get in Heaven if he uses his bowling words in the house? -Anita

Dear GOD, Did You mean for the giraffe to look like that or was it an accident? -Norma

Dear GOD, Who draws the lines around the countries? -Nan

Dear GOD, I went to this wedding and they kissed right in church. Is that okay? -Neil

Dear GOD, What does it mean you are a Jealous God? I thought you had everything. -Jane

Dear GOD, Did you really mean "do unto others as they do unto you"? Because if you did, then I'm going to fix my brother. -Darla

Dear GOD, Thank you for the baby brother, but what I prayed for was a puppy. -Joyce

Dear GOD, It rained for our whole vacation and is my father mad! He said some things about you that people are not supposed to say, but I hope you will not hurt him anyway. Your friend, (But I am not going to tell you who I am).

Dear GOD, Why is Sunday school on Sunday? I thought it was supposed to be our day of rest. -Tom L.

Dear GOD, Please send me a pony. I never asked for anything before. You can look it up. -Bruce

Dear GOD, If we come back as something - please don't let me be Mary Horton because I hate her. -Denise

Dear GOD, If you give me a genie like Aladdin, I will give you anything you want, except my money or my chess set. -Raphael

Dear GOD, You don't have to worry about me. I always look both ways. -Dean

Dear GOD, I think the stapler is one of your greatest inventions. -Ruth M.

Dear GOD, I think about you sometimes even when I'm not praying. -Elliott

Dear GOD, Of all the people who work for you I like Noah and David the best. -Rob

Dear GOD, My brother told me about being born but it doesn't sound right. They're just kidding, aren't they? -Marsha

Dear GOD, I would like to live 900 years like the guy in the Bible. -Love, Chris

Dear GOD, We read Thomas Edison made light. But in Sunday school they said you did it. So I bet he stole your idea. -Sincerely, Donna

Dear GOD, The bad people laughed at Noah - "You made an ark on dry land you fool." But he was smart, he stuck with you. That's what I would do. -Eddie

Dear GOD, I do not think anybody could be a better GOD. Well, I just want you to know but I am not just saying that because you are GOD already. -Charles

Dear GOD, I didn't think orange went with purple until I saw the sunset you made on Tuesday. That was cool. -Eugene

Faith

     faith   (fāth)  n. 

1. Confident belief in the truth, value, or trustworthiness of a person, idea, or thing.

     Many people ask me about my life, things I have done, and where I am going. How I have overcome certain obstacles and how I stay focused on the future. One thing I must tell them is that I simply live by faith. Not to sound super religious or super anything but faith is something that I hold close. I am a Christian, and a songwriter, husband, poet, and son but beyond that I trust in my Lord instead of trusting in myself. I try not to be judgmental and I screw up often, there are things I do and have done that I am not proud of but I have faith that they have made me who I am. If you know me well you know my love of music. My love of performance and my love of poetry. I do not get up and preach when I write songs but they always tell stories. Stories of my life and others I am been influenced by so that others may make their own educated decisions on how and why they live their lives. I do not force my beliefs on others, but stand true to myself and my faith. I encourage you to find what you have faith in, does it make you stronger, and does your faith help or hinder you in life. You may not have faith in anything but faith certainly helps me on the days that suck. One verse in the Bible I trust in is as follows:

Hbr 11:1	Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
Hbr 11:2	For by it the people of old received their commendation.
Hbr 11:3	By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. I really hope that you have faith in something, it really gives you something to search for in this thing that we call life!

Dumbing Down Of Religion

Why is that we must dump ourselves down in order to reach people? Why is it that we must use cute sayings and one liners in order to teach? Why can't we use "big people" words. Why can't we use intelligent phrases such as Dominus vobiscum? I want to challenge you to be yourself as you try to reach people. You don't have to be unintelligent to reach out. If you are intelligent great, there are intelligent people looking for answers. Not every Christian has to have a southern accent and end every line with "The Lord Said." Do something... be something... Reach Someone...

Fuel vs. Water

So I thought of something today as gas prices yet again rise higher and higher. People complain constantly about the price of fuel. Now although I do not endorse paying more I bought a bottle of water today and thought of something interesting.

I paid $1.19 for a bottle of water which is 20 ounces. There are 128 ounces in a gallon.

So technically you could say I would pay $23.80 for a gallon of bottled water.

Fuel is $3.11 which frankly is about 1/8 the price of water.

I also thought about my relationship with Christ. It is free all He asks is for your everything in return.

Also an interesting fact he made both of the previous mentioned items but yet we profit from him.

Just a thought...

Why do we go to church?

Why do we go to church, is a question I ponder. Why do we feel that something that has been distorted from what it was originally started for is so necessary? Why is that the entire meaning of church has nothing to do with four walls and expensive carpeting? Why is it that Christianity is the fastest dying religion in the world? In my opinion it is an easy answer, Realism. The fake handshakes, cheap make-up, and false relationships is ruining the church as we know it. People want to be loved and cared for. People want to belong. People want to be accepted for who they are. Why don't we drop the "better than thou" attitude and step up to what He wants us to be. Why don't we revolutionize our country and world for Christ? I think the answer is simple....... we enjoy our Dockers and our Hush Puppies too freakin much! I challenge you to change how people view church with me. I challenge you to be different and show people what true love is. I challenge you to be yourself and stop hiding behind your suede colored pew.

Flyer I Just Made

Hell

I really found these lyrics amazingly true by the Squirrel Nut Zippers:

In the afterlife
You could be headed for the serious strife
Now you make the scene all day
But tomorrow therell be hell to pay

People listen attentively
I mean about future calamity
I used to think the idea was obsolete
Until I heard the old man stamping his feet.

This is a place where eternally
Fire is applied to the body
Teeth are extruded and bones are ground
Then baked into cakes which are passed around.

Beauty, talent, fame, money, refinement
Top skill and brain
But all the things you try to hide
Will be revealed on the other side.

Now the d and the a and the m
And the n and the a
And the t and the i-o-n
Lose your face, lose your name
Then get fitted for a suit of flame