Archive for January, 2009
Sam and Esther
January 31st, 2009 | 2 Comments | Posted in » God at Work, Prayer Requests
This video is not for the faint of heart. In fact, it’s likely to break yours.
Watch it. Weep about it. And then DO something.
We have NO idea what hunger is. No idea whatsoever.
Pray for kids like Sam and Esther… their story is being repeated worldwide over and over and over again. And do something to help… there ARE many out there giving their lives to prevent things like this, but the needs FAR outstretch the resources available to meet them.
HT: Anne Jackson
Jenna… the Kitchen Princess
January 30th, 2009 | 1 Comment | Posted in » My Life / Family, Pictures
It’s been forever since I’ve posted any Friday photos… but these made for a good reason to revive the tradition. (Not to mention that a certain Aunt is probably getting restless for lack of new photos!)
Jenna received “The Pink Princess Cookbook” for Christmas, and an apron to match. One afternoon while Jenna and Nancy had some time alone together, they had a bit of fun doing some cooking from this book. But you can see that for yourself…
She’s quite a little chef… our little kitchen princess.
Shocked from My Comfort Zone…
January 27th, 2009 | 1 Comment | Posted in » Christian Living, My Life / Family
This post is reposted here from sbcIMPACT, a site where I primarily serve as webmaster. Since it’s a personal account, I thought it might be of interest to readers here that don’t get over IMPACT’s way.
Last Friday morning, I had an experience that shocked me out of my comfort zone a bit.
I had a lunch meeting planned with a couple colleagues, and had over-estimated the amount of time it would take me to make the trip through Kansas City to one of my favorite out of the way BBQ joints. Arriving nearly a half-hour early, I found myself with time to kill. Sitting in my truck, checking e-mail on my iPhone, I was blissfully unaware of everything going on around me.
The sudden rapping on the driver’s window just to the left of my head shook me back to reality. Heart racing from the sudden shot of adrenaline, I jerked my head in that direction and found myself staring straight into the weathered face of a beggar.
I rolled my window down slightly, letting in a biting draft of cold air.
“Can I help you?”
“I’m sorry to bother you sir,” the man stated with eyes cast toward the ground, “but my wife and I have not eaten in 31 hours, and I was hoping you could help.”
He began to reach into his coat, and another shot of adrenaline hit my system. My mind was racing. “What was he reaching for?” “How could I get out of here fast?” “Why in the world did I ever decide to stop the car?” “If only I had checked Google for directions to get a better time estimate!” “Why on earth is there never anyone else around when you need them?”
He pulled out a knife.
“I don’t have much, but I could sell this to you.”
As I sat there unresponsive, eyes surely glazed over, he continued, repeating his situation again, sharing more about the knife in an effort to convince me to buy it or help him somehow, and asking questions I couldn’t begin to answer from the stress pulsing through my body. There’s no telling what he was thinking about me.
I finally snapped to my senses.
“31 hours, you say? Let’s go inside, and I’ll buy you some lunch.”
Now, you could give me props for doing the right thing, but they’re not at all deserved. You see, like the Pharisees that prayed grand prayers for the benefit of being seen, or that gave vast sums of money (in large quantities of the smallest denomination)… the action itself was all well and good, but the heart impure. I didn’t look at this guy with the love of Christ. I’m not even sure I ever even saw him as a person. I just knew what the right response was and did it begrudgingly.
In that moment, I think I experienced in myself the root problem we Christians have with truly making a difference in the lives of the poor and destitute… most of us don’t even want to see them, let alone interact with them or treat them like a person.
Now I’m not sure where to go with this, but thought I’d share my experience. Like I said, it shocked me out of my comfort zone, and made me realize something about myself that frustrates the heck out of me. That realization?
Matthew 25:40
The King will reply, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”
You see, I had a chance to serve Jesus and was ticked off about it. And that attitude just ain’t right, regardless of whether my actions were.
Perhaps there are others in the same boat?
Arizona Cardinals… Super Bowl Bound!
January 18th, 2009 | 1 Comment | Posted in » In the News..., Worth Reading
If there has been one constant in the NFL over the years, it’s been that the Cardinals would stink. Today… they’re Super Bowl bound.
Yes, the Arizona Cardinals are headed to the Super Bowl.
Unbelievable.
I couldn’t be happier for them, though… with a QB like Kurt Warner, how can you NOT pull for these guys? Just check out this article and tell me you won’t be rooting for him…
If You Want to Know Me Better…
January 14th, 2009 | 5 Comments | Posted in » Just For Fun..., My Life / Family
… I do have a phone (it’s even listed!). And a public contact form. And plenty of places on this blog and others where you can comment and interact with me.
So… to the interested party visiting a variety of sites across the web from the IP address 72.170.61.199, using HughesNet internet (formerly DirecWay), searching such interesting things as:
“john stickley acts 29″
“john stickley darrin patrick”
“micah stickley” (on Marty Duren’s original SBCOutpost archive)
… oh, and the ever-so-popular …
“roger moran”.
While I’m sure you’ll find plenty of stuff to pigeon hole me into whatever mold you’re looking to do so by searching blogs, you’ll have a whole lot more success actually getting to know me by just contacting me.
But that wouldn’t be NEARLY so much fun, would it?
I never dreamed I’d have an internet stalker… much less one interested in Missouri Baptist life!
LOL!
Thoughts on Election…
January 14th, 2009 | 2 Comments | Posted in » Christian Living, Devotions / Bible Studies
Why is it that we Christians have such a difficult time dealing with the idea that God elects some for salvation and some for damnation? If there’s any theological debate amongst Christians that’s more intense, I’m not sure I know what it would be.
I wonder… perhaps it’s that there’s not enough outward difference between the “saved” (who are supposed to be the elect of God) and the unsaved? Perhaps the life change that is supposed to mark those who claim to have been saved by the grace of God (who again, should be amongst the elect)… perhaps it is not clearly enough evident?
Perhaps a good number of the supposed “elect” really aren’t saved to begin with?
I wonder.
Poverty, First-Hand…
January 8th, 2009 | 3 Comments | Posted in » Worth Reading
We all know that disease, hunger, and poverty are prevalent conditions in our world. We know it’s bad, and we know that people are suffering.
But we don’t REALLY have a grasp on it, do we?
Today you have a chance to get a better understanding. I guarantee you that this blog post will make these issues strikingly real to you. Be forewarned… while no pictures are shared, the descriptions given in the post are a bit graphic.
Puts everything in perspective, doesn’t it?
(HT: Anne Jackson)