Today was another busy day at work. As I sit here, it is eleven thirty-five and the house is almost quiet. Earlier this evening, we had our weekly SOA party. This week's party was a bit larger than in previous weeks. In addition to our regular Gores, we had Casey, Dana & Princess Zadia. Then, before we got the evening started good, David went and picked Alayna up & they came back by for a quick visit. We had all greatly anticipated this ninety minute episode and all sat glued to the tube for it. Yes, some might call us SOA geeks, but who cares? We all find the show interesting, to say the very least. Others will cast a stone and ask how we could bring ourselves to watch such a show. I really don't care what others think and I truly understand that there are groups of bikers who are very real who are very much like the characters and events on this show. The truth in all of this for me is that we may chose to live in sheltered environments, or we may chose to understand the real world a little better, then attempt to go into that very real world and carry a very real light and hope into it. If we live in our little sheltered corner of the world and cast stones at all of those who are not like the 'church folk', look down our noses at them and speak poorly of them, we have not been very Christ-like. It seems that I remember Jesus going into the home of one Levi who was a tax collector. In Levi's home, there was a wild party going on. Did Jesus party down with them? No, I believe He was true to the Father, however, I do not believe He went in condemning everyone there either. I believe He loved them and displayed in His life something that those there, like Levi, wanted, thus, He touched and changed lives. Oh, by the way, that guy, Levi, many may recognize him by another name. That name is Matthew. Yes, the same Matthew who was a disciple and penned the first book of the New Testament. You see, lives are only changed by genuine love and compassion, not by condemnation and casting of self-righteous stones. Further more, it is not our place to attempt to do the job of the Holy Spirit. Many people want to call themselves fruit inspectors and condemn everyone they come in contact with. While there is a place for pointing out something ungodly to someone, we must be careful and remember that there is only one Righteous Judge and NONE of us are able to hold that title. My encouragement to you is simple. SOA may not be your cup of tea, but, don't cast a stone at someone who drinks from that cup. Find who and what He has called you to go to and to be and do it with love and compassion. Until tomorrow, ride safely and be careful of the stones you pick up to throw.
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Here it is Monday night, almost eleven thirty and I have been home almost an hour. Needless to say, it has been an extremely long day. I went to work a little later than usual because I had no morning appointment. However, the workday did not end until about seven fifteen. When I finally left work, I headed over to the hospital to meet Chas. You see, I had gotten a call from Karyn today to let us know that a dear gentleman our family knows and loves was in the hospital. So, Chas got on Pearl after work and headed to the hospital. When David got up, he and Mike decided to meet us at the hospital because they truly love this dear gentleman and his wife. Mr. Carl, as we call him, was excited to see us and couldn't wait to let his wife, Mrs. Kate know we had come to see him. This couple is truly a lovely couple. They are some of those dear ones we miss from Logan Road. However, we are thankful that leaving a place of service does not mean that you have to end all relationships. I am a firm believer that many people are brought into our lives to make them brighter and to make us richer for having them in our lives. If we cut all ties as we move, were the relationships real or were they superficial? I believe that we should be real in all facets of our lives and that as we invest in the lives of others, we should count that investment for all time, not just for the moment. Too many times too many people use and abuse relationships. Relationships should be about giving, putting into and sincere, wouldn't you agree? I am ever grateful for those who have invested their time and energies into my life, my husband's life and the lives of our boys.
Today at work, I told my boss' father that we might live week to week and month to month, but we do nothing we do to get rich. We do what we do to touch lives in an attempt to make a difference for eternity. This conversation came about because of an ordeal with our bank. You see, we went to buy groceries on Saturday and when Chas attempted to run the debit card, the pin did not take, so he had to re-swipe it as credit and sign for it. No major deal, you would think. However, today, when I went online to check my online banking, the seventy some dollars of groceries we had gotten on Saturday had been charged out of our account twice. Needless to say, I was not happy about this and called our bank to make sure they took care of the OBVIOUS error. Much to my dismay, they were very unconcerned and told me that they would file a claim, however, it would be anywhere from 24 hours to a month for the credit to appear. This distressed me and I simply asked why such an obvious error, which only took one business day to post would take so long to correct, when if I attempted to charge something and the money was not in the account, it would be declined immediately. Of course, this was futile and the whole conversation served nothing more than to push my blood pressure up. I mention these events because it is a clear image to me as to the way many people go through life. It is, in my personal opinion, a double standard. You may play by one set of rules when allowing someone to use their card, however, another set of rules apply if you make the mistake and the shoe is on the other foot. It was as if the people on the phone today were insensitive and could really care less. While I realize I am not a bank executive, I just failed to see the justice and reasoning in the wait. Many people in life treat relationships like this. This is just a sobering reminder to me that we should ALWAYS treat others in the same manner we would like to be treated. If we do this, we will be much richer in our relationships than if we simply use people to climb the corporate, ministry, or whatever ladder we are attempting to climb to arrive at the pinnacle of life. Jesus came not to be served, but to serve. May we all strive to treat others as we would want to be treated, invest in lives for the simple satisfaction of doing so, and live each day of our lives real and sincere. I challenge you not to lay up treasures for yourselves that moth and rust will destroy, but to lay up treasures in heaven instead. Until tomorrow, ride safe and invest wisely! WOW...I have spent the better part of two hours scanning previous posts. Then, I begin the process for a post tonight and realize that it has been over a month since I posted. I knew it had been days and even weeks. However, I did not really realize just how long it had been. I suppose the move and the emotions surrounding the resignation, etc. took a greater toll on me than I like to admit. What can I say? Those of you who have faithfully followed the blogs, even visiting on days that I did not post, know too well that the whole past three months or so have been packed with emotion. The mere blog posts alone were an emotional journey for me as I gave an account of our lives through the years, carrying you through the highs and lows of our lives and putting it into words was at very least a challenge. I must admit, we have had a few comments on the posts and several private messages sent via the guestbook. However, the regular visits to the website and the unique visits to the site are incredibly humbling. I have shared my heart in these posts and would desire to continue to do just that. However, I have been silent for several weeks for many reasons. As stated, the move took a lot out of me physically and mentally, as I continued to work, as did Chas during the move. Secondly, I have needed this time to reflect, refresh and begin to heal in some respects. Thank you for your patience with me through all of this.
I have a LOT to catch up on. Of course, there was Thunder Beach three weeks ago. We had the awesome opportunity to spend Friday to Sunday there. We passed out a ton of business cards and met a lot of people. Some of them have pics in the Thunder Beach Album on our pics page. Also, some of them added us as facebook friends and are also following us on the website. It was truly a much-needed weekend away and it was packed with opportunities to plant seeds, water seeds, cultivate, weed, etc. Did we reap a harvest? No, but we are not promised the harvest is ours to reap. We are simply asked to do our part. *As a side bar for Thunder Beach, if you are on Panama City Beach and want a great deal on t-shirts, go visit Chris and the gang at U.S.A. or Beach Memories on Front Beach Road. They are the greatest. We have been doing business with Chris for a couple of years. In other events since the last post, we have discontinued weekly Bible study at the Bates' house, but still have a little SOA viewing party every Tuesday night at our house. Instead of weekly Bible study at the Bates', we, along with the Bates, have plugged into a local church. We have all made Campground Baptist Church our new church home. We have resumed monthly LAHBW meetings and are hopeful to have a rolling Bible study in the very near future. I must admit, it is odd and refreshing that for the first time in many years, we go to Sunday School and Worship Service and are simply able to sit as members of a discussion and a worship without having the weight of the world on our shoulders. Maybe some will understand this and others will not. All I can say is that for once, I am not worried about whose toes were stepped on, who might have heartburn with what someone in my family said or did. I am incredibly glad that we are no longer in a position that lends some people to feels as if my family are their puppets. You might think that is harsh, but harsh is what happens to ministry families when the big mamas & big daddys at churches don't get their way.....when their way and desires are more important to them than God's Word and His desires. It is good to be back in blogging mode. I hope to see you all back here tomorrow night. Until then, ride safely and seek first Him and His Kingdom.... As I rode to work on this beautiful morning, listening to my ipod, the songs were near the end of the alphabetical artists' list. The song "Somewhere in the World" by Wayne Watson came on. It made me think of the first times I heard the song. We were at little Carnesville Baptist Church back in the early 90's. Sarah, our Pastor's Wife, would sing the song on occasion and even for one of the daycare year-end programs. I remember thinking way back then, when David was but a wee one, that we truly did need to be praying for our future daughter-in-law, that the Lord would write His name on her heart, because one day, my little boy would need a Godly wife. Nothing has changed since then except that my little boy is now a young man and I have another little boy, who is now twelve years old and he will also one day need a Godly wife. You know, Chas & I pray every night for our two boys and their future wives. No, we don't know who they are, but He does. Trusting in Him to bring the right young ladies to my boys, I continue to join with my husband in that petition. We see glimpses of hope and shadows of despair as we walk through this life, but He is a Great and Mighty God and we trust Him to answer our prayers in His time. On long, dark nights of a parent's walk, sometimes all we have to hold on to is His Word and our faith in Him and His Word. I urge you, if you have children, daily petition the Lord on their behalf, as well as their spouses or futures spouses. It it the MOST that we can do as we raise our children in His Word and ways, don't you think?
It has been a while since I blogged, but I am hoping to get back into some kind of routine as we finalize the move and begin to settle down a bit. Thank you for those faithful to check daily to see if there has been a nightly blog. Hopefully, you will have something new to read in the days to come.
Tonight when I got home from work, we had a family discussion about spiritual warfare and the daily battles we face. Of course, the fist thing that comes to my mind is the whole armor of God. It is the very scripture that is so beautifully woven into our colors. Ephesians 6:10-18 state, "Finally, my brethren be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having gird your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints--" While many of us know these verses, we often forget that we should place each piece of the armor on...daily. Will this keep us from facing trials and challenges? No, we need to realize that we were given these verses to strengthen and encourage us. If we look at each piece of the armor, we should be mindful of each piece and its purpose. Each piece is explained well in scripture. I once heard Kay Arthur, with Precept Ministries teaching on the armor and she likened verse 18 to one final piece of equipment. The verse says, 'praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit...' She said that the final piece to have is the WALKIE TALKIE. Basically, as you WALKIE, TALKIE with God. I have always remembered that. It would do us all well to daily place each piece of the armor in prayer and to never be without our WALKIE TALKIE. I challenge you to place the Whole Armor of God on Daily and as you Walkie, Talkie with God. See you all back here tomorrow. Some of you may have noticed that I have not posted in a few days. As stated earlier, we are packing and moving, so my evenings after work are a little full at the moment. However, I just wanted to drop in and tell everyone that we hope to have this madness under some sort of control by the end of the weekend and be back to some kind of normalcy. Regardless of the degree of normalcy we reach, our lives will grind to a halt next Tuesday night for the Season Premier of Sons of Anarchy. It has been a very loooooong nine months and we are more than ready to see the new season begin! We will celebrate the night (Tuesday, September 7) with friends. We will meet at the Bates' house for Bible study at 7:30, then bolt to our house to have some dinner with the Gores and watch SOA. Now, I realize some of you may be wondering why we are so stoked, but if we have to explain it, you wouldn't understand. Those of you who DO understand, meet me on Facebook during the commercials ;)
Keep coming back, as we will keep posting. As always, we love to get your feedback, either through blog comments, or through the guestbook. Also, we will be getting the weekend rides going again very soon! Contact us and let us know if you are available to ride (the more, the merrier). See you back here real soon. It is after midnight and I have had quite a busy day. However, I simply can't go to bed yet. For starters, I haven't blogged, and secondly, the season 2 finale for Sons of Anarchy is on. You so know I must see this. It is like only the third or fourth time I have seen this episode. True, it is quite graphic, but I do so love that show. I won't have a lengthy post tonight, as I am about brain-dead. I will see all of you here tomorrow night. Oh, and by the way, if you are in the Ozark area on Tuesday, September 7, we WILL be having a SOA Season 3 Episode one party....contact us if you plan to attend.....
As David, Mike & I ran errands today, a song by Matthew West came on the radio. While I know the song well and have listened to it many times, Today was different. The lyrics state, 'I don't wanna go through the motions. I don't wanna go one more day without Your all consuming passion inside of me.
I don't wanna spend my whole life asking, "What if I had given everything, instead of going through the motions?"' I began to think a lot about these lines and how sad it is that so many times, so many people go through the motions day after day and especially on Sundays. Have you ever thought about it? About how many people go to church because it is what they are supposed to do, like they are trying to convince God they are 'ok' and serving Him. Truth be know, many people are and actually have no 'all consuming passion' for the Lord or for reaching anyone around them. It goes back to that ritualistic/legalistic idea I have mentioned in previous posts. People try to convince themselves, others around them,and even God that they are 'glory-halli-gush-gush-get down-get back up for Jesus-marching through hell with a water pistol' kind of living. However, they are so entrenched in the ritual of 'being a Christian' that they are missing the mark. I don't want to be like that. I truly want to and strive to be a person who gives everything instead of just going through the motions. If we just go through the motions, we will one day give an account of all of the empty words and good intentions. Going though the motions often satisfies one's conscience and leads others around one to believe that one is uber spiritual, but will not be worth much when the trumpet sounds. Don't you want what you do to remain after the fire which tests our works/deeds? (1Corinthians 3:13) I want to be able to enter heaven with more than my salvation. I don't want to simply go through the motions, pleasing myself and my critics, but I want to please my Lord by reaching as many as possible. This means I must go into the highways and hedges, be compassionate, and real. Won't you do the same? It's Thursday night and I still haven't caught up on rest from the weekend. However, we are looking at a very busy weekend as we begin to move. The good thing is that this is my normal long weekend off, so I am hopeful that it will be a productive weekend. I am even hopeful that we will be able to fit in a short ride with friends.
As I mentioned, I am tired. So much so, that when I left work this evening, I had gotten several miles up the road when the wind began to blow my hair into my eyes pretty badly. I instinctively reached up with my left hand to brush the hair away, when what to my surprise...I had NO doo-rag or helmet on! Yes, you read that correctly. I had left the office, ridden around the circle, past Westgate Tennis Center/Park, to John D. Odom Road and was a ways up Murphy Mill Road when I realized this. So, I wheeled around in the road and began to make my way back to the office. Let me just say that if for any reason I had been behind on my prayer time, I pretty much got caught up on the way back to the office. Remember, we live in Bama, not Florida, which means we DO have helmet laws. I could just see myself getting pulled over. I can only imagine how this might have gone. Her I am, no helmet, two heaters and can't afford a ticket right now! I found myself, in between praying for no po-po to be anywhere nearby, thinking that if I get stopped, I might just have to start crying and pleading for mercy, or blaming it on the boss because I am stressed at work. In any case, I did make it back to the office without getting stopped, Praise the Lord. The whole episode was quite humorous when it was all over, but stressful as it was playing out. I plan to continue to do nightly updates during the move. However, if I skip a night, it will likely be due to exhaustion or lack of time. Hopefully, it won't be because I am in the slammer for not wearing my helmet ;) Tonight marked the second week of House Church/Bible Study at the Bates' house. It was another good night with great people. It is so refreshing to be in the midst of a group of people who are real. There is nothing fake about this group of people. Just a group of people meeting together to pray, share burdens and praises, learn from each other and to grow closer to the Lord. Too often, people meet together in the name of the Lord to be seen or to be heard. This is, in my humble opinion, an abomination. People who meet together for personal gain, puff out their chests, and act as if they are superior to others are in no way the Christians they call themselves. Really, think about it. Most of us have been to churches where these people are. It must simply be stench in the very nostrils of the Lord. You know the type, those who feel that they have some special clout because they have been at a particular church longer than anyone else, give more money than any one else, or are constantly boasting of all they know about the Word of God. Instead of boasting and feeling as if one is anything superior, which totally disqualifies one, because the Word plainly states that the first will be last and the last will be first, one should seek to humbly serve without recognition or accolades. This is the very thing that Jesus taught AND practiced. While He was worthy of servants, He came and served. So much so that he washed His disciple's feet. Don't you think it is time the 'church' got the priorities straight and began to be 'Christians' instead of claiming to be? We encounter people everyday who say that they are not going to church because of all of the hypocrites. You know what? Sadly, the 'world' has a better grip on the truth than much of the 'church'. So how will this ever change? It will only change when people rise up and say, 'Enough is enough.' As long as people continue to enable the hypocrites in churches, they will continue to trash the very name of Jesus with their hypocritical actions and arrogant behavior. It is time to be real and stand on the Word of the Lord, not on the principles of what people say church is supposed to be. Too often 'church' is about what man says is right and very little about what God's Word says. I challenge you to stand on the Word and stop blindly following hypocritical leadership.
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AuthorMy name is Sonja. I am known as Road Rash, for obvious reasons. I have been a member of His Blood Warriors since 1996 I served as Secretary of LAHBW since the charter began in February 2002. In October, I became International Secretary and currently serve in that position. Archives
June 2012
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