Archive for April, 2009
Swine Flu Warning!!!
April 30th, 2009 | 1 Comment | Posted in » In the News..., Just For Fun...
WARNING!!!
According to sources at the CDC (Center for Disease Control), certain activities greatly increase the risk of catching the H1N1 virus (commonly known as swine flu). Shown below, in increasing order of risk, are several activities, that, when avoided, help to reduce your risk of infection.
Please be advised that the above activites are to be avoided at ALL costs.
(DISCLAIMER: This is purely intended for humorous purposes. No offense is intended to pigs, rednecks, hillbillies, swine-lovers, and Razorbacks fans. Well, okay, maybe to Razorback fans.)
Compassion International… Up Close and Personal.
April 28th, 2009 | 3 Comments | Posted in » God at Work, Worth Reading
Right now, a group of bloggers are in India visiting with children whose lives are being changed by Compasssion International. The purpose, of course, is to give these bloggers the opportunity to share with the world the story of what this incredible organization is doing worldwide to rescue children from poverty… giving them both hope for tomorrow and hope for eternity through Jesus Christ.
Anne Jackson is one such blogger, and today she shared about her encounter with a beautiful little girl named Lakshmi.
You’ve gotta read it.
You see, Anne’s touching moment with Lakshmi today cuts straight to the heart of what Compassion International is all about. Beautiful kids that, without help from people like you and me, have little to no hope for tomorrow. Their hopes and dreams stand little chance against the ravages of poverty.
Won’t you change a child’s life today?
The Solar System of Self…
April 27th, 2009 | No Comments | Posted in » Quote of the Day
More from Erwin McManus today…
In a solar system where self is the sun around which everything revolves, pride, greed, and foolishness are our largest planets. And in this scenario, the gravitational force that works in the dark spaces in between is our need for control. As long as we’re living for ourselves, and our lives are about us, we will strive to control everything around us. The more self-oriented we are, the more controlling we are. Everything in our universe is required to work the way we determined it should.
Unfortunately, the more we try to control the world around us, the more out of control our world becomes. There are some things that are simply out of our hands. When God is not a part of our lives, we tend to begin to act as if we were God.
Is life spinning out of control? Have you considered letting go and trusting God?
Food for thought.
A Search for Life…
April 26th, 2009 | No Comments | Posted in » Quote of the Day
It’s been a while since I’ve posted a quote of the day… but I couldn’t pass this one up (from an excellent book I’m finally getting serious about reading).
Human history can be summarized as a desperate search for life. We look for it everywhere and in everything. We pursue wealth, power, success, pleasure, and endless experiences just to feel alive. Yet with all that we gain, there is always the inescapable stench of death all around us. Even if we gain the whole world, we die with our souls empty and hollow.
Ironically, what we are so often willing to sacrifice is the very thing most essential for life — God.
– Erwin McManus, from “Uprising: A Revolution of the Soul”
Strike a chord with anyone?
Easter 2009
April 12th, 2009 | No Comments | Posted in » My Life / Family, Pictures
As you can see from the photos, the Stickley family (the kids in particular!) had a great Easter weekend… a day at Grandma and Grandpa’s house… some egg dyeing… some treats from Mom and Dad on Easter morning… celebrating our risen Savior at church on Sunday (decked out in their finest)… and family lunch on Sunday.
It was a good weekend.
This is a WPSimpleViewerGallery
Jesus Wants the Rose…
April 8th, 2009 | 1 Comment | Posted in » Christian Living, Devotions / Bible Studies
I don’t generally do a lot of re-posting of things others have shared elsewhere in blogland… but this is a powerful video clip. It’s a short message that Matt Chandler gave called, “Jesus Wants the Rose”… a powerful presentation of the essence of the gospel.
Check it out:
HT: Micah Fries
Favorite Bible Verse…
April 5th, 2009 | 1 Comment | Posted in » My Life / Family
Almost every Christian has a favorite Bible verse, life verse, or the like. Mine’s pretty clear… Philippians 3:13-14:
But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Hence, the blog site… Toward the Goal.
Tonight, we were asking Jeffrey some questions that his school (St. Joseph Christian) had asked us to have him answer for kindergarten graduation, and one of them was just that… “What is your favorite Bible verse?”
At first, he didn’t know quite what to say. He’s learned a LOT of Scripture this year, but he’s young enough yet that I think it all just kind of gets filed away, and not really thought about much. So I began to help him, reading through the verses he’s learned this year.
His favorite of the bunch? Colossians 3:20:
Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.
Dead serious. I asked him why (another question on the list), and he replied,
Because I love my parents.
Given all the fights over obedience we have around here, that’s quite an interesting selection! But his reasoning is priceless, and makes this daddy VERY proud! 
AP Coach of the Year? What a Joke!
April 3rd, 2009 | 2 Comments | Posted in » In the News...
Check out the Associated Press’s men’s college basketball Coach of the Year voting.
Mizzou’s Mike Anderson finished FIFTH.
What a joke. A guy leads a team to a 15 win improvement (from 16-16 to 31-7) and an Elite Eight berth, falling just short of the final four to a powerhouse team… with a bunch of nobodies (at least when you consider recruiting and future NBA potential)… yet gets only 5 votes?
I’m thinking these AP guys don’t watch a bit of college basketball.
Friday Funnies… Door-to-door Evangelism
April 3rd, 2009 | No Comments | Posted in » Just For Fun...
Two church members were going door to door, sharing the gospel with those they met. At one particular house, they knocked on the door and were met by a woman who was clearly not happy to see them. As they began to share their message of hope, she interrupted and told them in no uncertain terms that she did not want to hear their message… and slammed the door in their faces. To her surprise, the door did not close and, in fact, bounced back open. So she tried again, really put her back into it, and slammed the door again with the same result… the door bounced back open.
Convinced that these rude young people were sticking their foot in the door, she reared back once again to give it a slam that would surely teach them a lesson, when one of them said:
“Ma’am, before you do that again, you really might want to move your cat.”
More Thoughtful Gifts…
April 1st, 2009 | 3 Comments | Posted in » In the News...
Wow, President Obama is NOT a very good gift giver. First, he gave the British Prime Minister a DVD set (that won’t work in British DVD players!)… now he’s given the Queen an iPod!
Are you kidding me?
(This has GOT to be an April Fool’s joke… right?)