Friday, February 29, 2008

Hard To Get Along With Someone?

We all have that someone at work, school, church, family, etc. that we just have a hard time loving and getting along with! What do you do with them? Click Here for the answer! You may not like it.

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Wisdom From A Cracker Jacks Box


I always seem to find significance in the small things in life. I enjoyed a snack of Cracker Jacks yesterday, it had been a while and someone left some in the Fellowship Hall here at church so I grabbed them. Anyways...It was the prize inside that struck my interest. When I was a kid, the prize was actually a toy of some sort or maybe even a temporary tattoo, but all I got was a piece of paper with a picture on it that you are supposed to tape on your pencil as a "topper"

being rather irritated (I mean, who uses pencils anymore?) I was going to toss it all when I noticed some writing on the back of the prize wrapper about pencils. It says:

"Fun Fact" - A typical pencil can write 45,000 words or draw a continuous line for 35 miles! Having that information to me was more valuable than the pencil topper itself. I have a tendency to ponder on the meaning of ordinary things (see the oyster cracker post) so I came up with a spiritual comparisons on the Christian life and pencils.

1. I rarely use pencils...Christians rarely use God, the Bible, Prayer, Faith, etc.
2. Pencils need to be sharpened to work properly...Spiritual disciplines sharpen our lives to
help us fight the battle as is mentioned in Ephesians 6:10-20.
3. A good feature about pencils is that you can erase mistakes...God erases our sins when we
repent and ask forgiveness, bringing us back into right fellowship with Him.
Just as the fact that pencil can draw a line about 35 miles shows...it has to continually be pressed down and moving, keeping it s sharpness, and not quit working. Paul addressed this idea of perseverance in 1 Corinthian 9: 19-27 by using a race illustration. A runner must keep himself in training for the race, run with all the intention of winning the prize, and to win means he must finish. Are you quitting your race? Is your spiritual life dull and need sharpening? Almost all pencils get thrown away before their usefulness is over. We as Christians should not quit running this race in life, "keep on keeping on" as they say!



Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Starbucks Will Be Closed Today...Yeah!

I just read today that Starbucks will be closing for three hours today. (Click Here for the story) to retrain their employees, oh wait "baristas" how to make coffee. Starbucks needs more than three hours to learn how to make good coffee! Maybe they should roast their own beans in their shop so it is as fresh as it can be! My favorite coffee shop of all time in Dothan, Al. did this and they (Dakota's) kept me going through my college years. JavaMoon Coffee here in Bradenton,Fl. does this as well and as their slogan says..."There are many stars but only one moon...may JavaMoon buck the stars out of the sky"

Support your local Coffee Shop!

Reverend Willy

It's official...I'm now the Reverend William G. Blackrick! O.k. now that the excitement is over, you can just call me Bill.

Saturday, February 23, 2008

I'm Up Before the Firing Squad Today!

Tomorrow Evening at 6:00 p.m. I will be taking the next step in my ministry and becoming ordained. Many have chosen to be ordained before entering college and their first "jobs" at a church but I chose to wait. I had never been approached with being ordained by any of the churches I had been a part of and I feel it is the duty of the church to recognize, nominate and ordain someone. I've always felt that if I was the one to bring it up or ask to be ordained it would be selfish.
Today is my ordination counsel here at church. I'll be sharing with other pastors, deacons of the church, and others about my testimony, call to ministry, education goals, theological beliefs (which is the part I'm worried about answering...I know what I believe, but some of my views aren't the traditional Southern Baptist's), and whatever else they decide to hurl my way.
When someone gets ordained there is a orientation of praise, recognition of achievement, etc. and I don't want that. Yes I will have the "REV." before my name from now on, but it's a prefix I don't want to flaunt around like some in the media light do. Anyways...I hope I come out alive!

Friday, February 22, 2008

Can You Get "Moon-Burned"?


As I am writing this, the moon is very bright and full outside! For those of you actually got to see the lunar eclipse last night you are lucky (too cloudy in Florida to see) I was out enjoying life and walking around my apartment complex which I do when I want to think about things...I noticed the moon. Have you ever just stopped and stared at that thing? I ended up laying on the hood of my car and did nothing but stare into the brightness of the full moon. It's amazing that you can actually see the craters and spots from earth with the naked eye. I'm no expert on the moon but I do know that we only see one side of the moon ever due to its rotation timing with the earth's. This idea got me thinking about how Christians show only one side of their lives to people around them.

Christians seem to always get stereotyped as being hypocrites and such by society and there are many many many of them that deserve that title. Christians try to only show their better side when they are with people...who wants to show their dark side anyways right? It's easy to hide our problems, sins, and ugliness deep inside ourselves and act as if everything were perfect and bright, like the moon is right now. The truth is, we are human and we all have a dark side which we hide from others. Is this being genuine? There are so many passages in the Bible that deal with this kind of thing...what are your favorites?

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Someone Against The Church of Scientology


I heard a rather interesting interview on a non-Christian talk show on the radio the other day. John Duignan was very involved in the Church of Scientology and has claimed to have successfully escaped from its life-controlling snare. It would be worth your time to read what he has to say on his blog by clicking here.

Also, click here for an interesting wikipedia article on this matter. Have a good weekend everyone!

Monday, February 18, 2008

Psalms, Hymns, and Contemporary Music!

In Ephesians 5:19-21, there is a great doctrine for worship music in churches. Many times I am approached by someone reminding me about a particular style of music they like to sing in church. I have blogged about this topic before, but it is a never-ending battle I deal with so I'll mention it again. We come to worship to worship God, not fulfill our fleshly desires. What! wanting to sing only gospel or hymns is a fleshly desire? Absolutely. It is commanded in Scripture to sing to the Lord all types of song which glorify Him. I am one of the few worship leaders who actually incorporate a true blended style of worship in the services. I feel there is great doctrine and theology in the hymns we sing, I also feel there are great contemporary songs which are based on Scripture too. I have been studying the book of Psalms recently and have read it in an entirely new way then ever before. Since Psalms was the "hymnal" back in the day, I have been reading the texts while trying to come up with a tune to go with it. Some are harder than others. It is easy just to sing familiar tunes that have already been put to them like Third Day's version of Psalm 36. if you've never tried this before I encourage you to, it has really made me enjoy the Psalms even more.
Anyways...the verses in Ephesians give the importance of using all types of songs for worship. It could be translated today as being "singing old gospel songs, hymns, and praise music! While studying hymnology in school, I learned that some of the hymns we sing today are from old tavern tunes in which the church set the words to to help people learn them. That's always been funny to me. Do you agree that wanting to sing only one type of music because it is what YOU prefer is a fleshly desire?

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Dull Men's Monthly


Did you know that February is "National Bird Feeding Month" ?

Thanks Dull Men! click there link below for some good humor

Monday, February 11, 2008

I Just Didn't Feel It

Yesterday (Sunday) was very odd for me in church. I just didn't feel anything! As a worship leader I should be the first person to be in the spirit of worship but I just wasn't. Why? I have no idea and believe me, the possible reasons kept running through my mind all through the singing, prayers, and sermon. I addressed this with Jessica on the way home from church and she thought the service was great! Was the problem with me? Was the problem with the congregation? I decided to post this personal problem because others I know have done this before. Who cares if I felt something! Worship isn't about what I feel (at least true worship) Any comments?

Thursday, February 7, 2008

To Shave Or Not To Shave


One thing I lack when I am sick is the desire to shave, or comb my hair. For the last two weeks now, I have been getting over and re-catching the cold. Hopefully now, it will stay gone. I noticed this evening in the mirror that I'm looking a little rough! I guess it's time to dust off the old Norelco and make my face as smooth as a baby's ....ummm, anyways. I remember a time in my childhood when I envied my dad and older brother because they got to shave! I wanted ever so badly to be as cool as them. I was exctatic when I finally was able to shave. I hate it now! Why can't people go around with long beards like in Bible days? How come that fashion trend was lost? Now I must shave to keep an "image" of a civilized human being. After all, who wants a minister with a scruffy face? Did Jesus have a beard? I should shave my whole body...I heard that itches after a few days though so maybe not! I'd like to say "Thanks A Lot" to the person who invented the razor...you really did mankind a lot of good!

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

True and False Statements

I have gotten a kick out of a philosophical excercise lately. On my office door I tied a piece of paper with this on the front:

THE STATEMENT ON THE BACK OF THIS PAPER IS FALSE!

and this on on the back:

THE STATEMENT ON THE BACK OF THIS PAPER IS TRUE!

it's been entertaining to watch people flip over the paper numerous times trying to ponder it. You should try it too!