This was for you Freckles...

This is long overdue, but I took this at the top of Red Mountain in Colorado. Climbing this was physically the toughest thing I've ever done in my life. But before it ended, I told you I'd climb a mountain for you, and that promise was my only motivation to keep climbing! I'll Miss you...

A short, but long defense against Abortion. (From a recent convo I had)

This is a response that I wrote towards a young sophmore high school girl who told me that I had no right to say that abortion is wrong, and that I was hateful towards women for saying that they shouldn't get abortions.

I'm quite proud of this comeback, but I know that it wouldn't have been possible if not for the privilege God blessed me with of attending and graduating Summit Ministries. A place where I not only grew to understand God's word better, but where I learned more about the anti-Christian issues in today's society, including abortion. So without further ado, here is the thoroughly thought out and researched response.


I cared about it way before the proposition came up, and that, frankly, has nothing to do with this issue. But I didn't start being vocal about it until I felt God calling me to stand up for his children and the atrocities being committed. (If you don't believe in God and/or the Holy Spirit working in people's lives, that's cool, but that's what led me to be more vocal about it

I don't set out to offend people. People have mistaken my tone as a hostile tone before, but it never has been such. I have friends in those situations. And I don't condemn them or treat them badly. They have come to realize that they were lied to by the doctors who tried to give them the abortions. The doctors talk over the heartbeat and refuse to show them ultra sounds.... I'm not trying to make people feel bad, because like my friends, most people who have undergone abortions were tricked and lied to. Ever since Roe v Wade, (Roe has since become a pro life advocate after realizing what the procedure actually does) the numbers of innocent lives lost have been way higher than that of those caused by Hitler or Stalin. 

I agree with you completely, I as a male, have no right to tell a woman what she can and can't do, and if she should or shouldn't get an abortion. That makes perfect sense and I agree with you completely, if the unborn are Not Human.

 I base what i say on scientific evidence. I  know from scientific research that abortion doctors will not perform a surgical abortion until at least 7 weeks. The child's heartbeat can be heard at 4 weeks. They are undergoing human development, just as we all do until we are fully grown, they are just at a different stage of development. Which factor makes them "terminate-able"? Size? Level of development? Environment? Or Degree of Dependency?  

Scientifically, we know that from the earliest stages of development, the unborn are distinct, living, and whole human beings. Leading Embryology Text books confirm this (TW Sadler's "Langman's Embryology", Keith L. Moore's "The Developing Human: Clinically Oriented Embryology", and O'Rahilly,Ronand,and Muller, Pabiola, Human Embryology and Teratology. Just to name a few) 

I'm all for women's rights. Women should be allowed to have all the same rights as men. It's the woman's right to have sex with whomever she wants. But by making that choice, she is risking getting pregnant. 98% of Abortions are performed on women who accidentally get pregnant and simply don't want to have a baby. This meaning that these 98% willingly chose to have sex and risk getting  pregnant. Just because they made a mistake of getting pregnant does t mean that they have the Right to kill their child. Murder is never the answer.

The point of the matter is: is the unborn human? (or, at what point does it become human?) If it is human, then my point and the comparison I originally stated are valid, but, if the Unborn is NOT human, then all your points are valid. But if it's not a human, what is it???

Final point: there isn't reason to bicker and insult each other over a scientific issue. The point that we debate over is simply: is the unborn human?/at what point does it become human? 

   
Done

A True Love...... Lost

A year ago tonight the love of my life came to watch my last Summer Scholars On Stage performance. I've never felt better while acting on stage than I did that night, knowing that she traveled that far to watch me. Being here brings back memories of her. I do miss you love, living in a world without you is the hardest thing I've ever done. I live everyday one step at a time, trusting only in the Lord to guide me through. Not a day goes by that I don't miss you. I knew that You were the one, you were perfect in every aspect. You exceeded my highest Biblical standards of a Godly wife. I adored you and loved you, and I still do. We had planned a future, marriage, a family, raising the family in God's word, and growing old together. I would be always at your side protecting you and comforting you, and you would always be there to support me. Our kids would be raised to learn God's word. One of the greatest honors a parent should have is knowing that they raised their kids in the faith and that their child is living their life to serve the Lord. I knew that with you teaching them on  a daily basis, that would be true. You're the only one I'll ever trust enough to do that. Nobody can ever compare to you. You were the highest of Biblical standards for a wife, a true Proverbs 31 woman. I would do absolutely anything to have you back! The world isn't the same without you. You were the only girl I ever loved, and you will forever be that! I pray that God will continue to help me through life and learn to move on without you. It's been 4 mouths since it happened, and my feelings are still the same. Before it happened, I promised you I'd climb a mountain for you, and even though you were gone, I kept my promise. It was one of the most strenuous things I've ever done and took me twice as long as most, but that promise I made to you was the only thing that kept me going.  I will always love you freckles, always....

Mississippi: First Abortion-free State?

Today's post will be a mixture of joy and annoyance. And in the respective order. 

In effect today is a Mississippi law that requires anyone performing abortions at the state's only clinic to be 1.) a certified OB/GYN, and 2.) a doctor with privileges to admit patients to a local hospital. This very well could lead to Mississippi being the first abortion-free state. 

This is a very good thing, because Mississippi has a very high teen pregnancy rate, which means, with no abortions, girls will give birth to their kids instead of killing them. Thus cutting back the number of deaths each year. 

Now, some of you might be thinking: abortion isn't killing! To that I say: yes, it is. 

Scientifically, we know that from the earliest stages of development, the unborn are distinct and living  human beings. Leading Embryology Text books confirm this
(TW Sadler's "Langman's Embryology", Keith L. Moore's "The Developing Human: Clinically Oriented Embryology", and O'Rahilly,Ronand,and Muller, Pabiola, Human Embryology and Teratology.) Just to name a few.

*So scientifically, abortion is taking the life of a defenseless human.*

Now here comes the annoyed part. 

This made national news and liberals and lawsuits are already flying against it. MSNBC had an interview posted with Dr. Willie Parker, a black OBGYN from Alabama.  He made a statement that shocked me (not really):

 "Abortion is healthcare!"

I have a question: How? I was under the impression that healthcare was to help your health be better. 

According to a medical dictionary Healthcare is:

"the prevention, treatment, and management of illness and the preservation of mental and physical well-being through the services offered by the medical and allied health professions."

So, from a strictly scientific & medical perspective, abortion is NOT healthcare.

It is, in fact, the complete opposite. 

You also might have wondered why I specified the man's race. Well, he is a black man, and I find it ironic that a black man is supporting abortion in America, when the sole purpose of its starting in the US was to eradicate the black race from Harlem and then the rest of the US. Margaret Sanger (Planned Parenthood founder & American abortion advocate) was a racist with ties to the Klu Klux Klan. Many times she talked about how blacks were a lower class of humans and didn't deserve to live. Other Planned Parenthood  directors and board members had ties to and were admirers of Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany. One even was invited to speak to Nazis about abortion and eugenics and how to "weed out" the undesirable classes of humans(Jews, Blacks, ect...). Since then, Planned Parenthood has tried many different ways to carry on their racist agenda. 

What black person in their right mind would support abortion? 

Well, as you can see, I'm joyful about the law being passed. One reason being that the Governor that passed it, Phil Bryant, was the man I voted for in my first real election. 

But I'm also annoyed that so many people are upset and against this. 

Whether they know it or not, the people against it,  are supporting the slaughtering of many innocent human beings.  
 
 I pray that Mississippi will stand strong against them! 

Life is Short, Good Samaritans, & State Farm

Yesterday I was reminded of 3 things.
1. Life is short and can be taken from us at any moment unexpectedly. 
2. There are still good people in the world
3. Some State Farm agents are still true to their slogan.

Around 4 pm our house phone rang and my mom answered it in the kitchen. I was 2 rooms away, but could still hear her. "What?! Where?! Are y'all okay?!" I ran in the kitchen and she was still on the phone. I asked her what happened and she said that my grandparents had been in a bad wreck in Macon, MS (about 45 minutes from my house). They were both okay but the car was torn up. We jumped in our SUV and quickly drove to pick them up. It was the year anniversary of my great aunt Bobbie's death. My grandparents had gone down to my grandfather's hometown to put flowers on her grave. They were driving home on a 4 lane highway. There was an intersection in the highway, but only the crossing road had a stop sign. My grandparents were on the highway, when all of a sudden, from the crossing road, come a car flying past the stop sign. Not only did the car run the stop sign, he sped across 3 lanes of traffic, hit my grandparents car, and finally hit & knocked over the stop sign on the opposite side of the highway!

Luckily, my grandfather was able to swerve to avoid any further damage. He and my grandmother were both okay, save for a bruise on my grandmother's arm. While they were standing outside their car after the wreck, a nice lady drove up and let my grandmother sit in her car with her and then drove her to the hotel (the wreck was right in front of a hotel), got her some water, and stayed with her until my grandfather had finished business with the insurance and police. The lady did not know them, yet stopped and helped out of the kindness of her heart. A genuine "good Samaritan"! When my grandfather and the State Farm Insurance agent got to the hotel, the lady left. The State Farm agent stayed with my grandparents until my mom and I arrived. The agent was the nicest and most helpful old insurance agent that I've ever met! He treated them like he knew them, which he didn't. I guess their motto is correct: "Like a Good Neighbor, State Farm Is There" =)

Even though nobody was seriously injured, it was a shocking jolt of reality that made me realize that no matter what we do or how safe we think we are, our lives can be unpredictably taken. It makes me think about the important things in life, and what I want to accomplish before I die. When I die, I want my life to have meant something. I want to have made a difference in people's lives. I know that if I continue to live my life for my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, then I can accomplish those goals. We needn't worry about the little things, for we need to focus on God.

Matthew 6:19-34 talks about where our focus should be and what we shouldn't worry about. 

• 6:19-21 says:

  “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be."

• 6:30-33 says:

  "And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need." 

In conclusion, I was reminded of 3 things: life is short and can be taken from us at anytime, there are still good people in the world that do good things to help others, and some State Farm agents really o stick to the motto! 

Tolerance and Religious Persecution

I was listening to the radio this morning and heard of a case that the Alliance Defense Fund was taking in New Mexico. A Christian couple owns a photography studio in NM and a lesbian couple approaches them and wants to hire them to photograph their "Commencement Ceremony". (In NM, Gay marriage isn't legal and isnt recognized) the Christian couple politely declines to take the job because it goes against their religious and moral values. The angry lesbians then commence to suing the small privately owned studio for discrimination! The couple is fined $7000 for their "intolerant" views. The ADF is now taking this case to the state supreme court in attempts to protect the religious freedom of the Christian couple. Now, an analogy to this situation: Would a photography studio owned by animal rights activist be wrong to refuse to take pictures of a hunting group's taxidermy animals? NO! It goes against their beliefs! Is that intolerant? I don't think so! Michael Hamblin states:

"... what does it mean to be "tolerant" or "intolerant?" In the past, tolerance meant that other people have a right to their opinion, and the right to express themselves, and that even though we may disagree with their opinions, that we can tolerate their view and live in peace, with the understanding that all people are working toward truth. In recent years, however, tolerance has come to mean something radically different, that tolerance should be never saying that someone else is wrong. All value judgments are viewed as intolerant, except of course, the value judgment that says "value judgments are wrong." Rather than tolerating other people's opinions (or perhaps, learning from them), many people have come to believe that "Judge not, lest ye be judged," and hence not making value judgments, is the basis for tolerance.
In an intolerant world, rational dialogue gives way to argument by insult. As Greg Koukl notes, "Most of what passes for tolerance today is not tolerance at all, but rather intellectual cowardice. Those who hide behind the myth of neutrality are often afraid of intelligent engagement. Unwilling to be challenged by alternate points of view, they don't engage contrary opinions or even consider them. It's easier to hurl an insult-'you intolerant bigot'-than to confront the idea and either refute it or be changed by it. 'Tolerance' has become intolerance." When thoughtful principled arguments can be refuted by insults or speculation about hidden motives (a hermeneutic of suspicion), rational discourse breaks down.""

The point being, the Christian couple has religious and moral values and as a privately owned business, they have the right to accept or decline any client they choose. They have the right under the constitution to religious freedom. They have the right to live their life without fear or without being persecuted for their beliefs.

As a Christian, I am tolerant of others beliefs. Even though I might disagree with them on their beliefs, I am called by Christ to treat them with kindness and compassion. I can still love and be friends with them regardless of their values and ways of life. But IF their ideals threaten me or the lives of others, I will not hesitate to fight back!

I have friends that are gay and I don't treat them or love them any less than I do my straight friends! The Bible calls us to treat others lovingly and kindly. Hate speech, animosity, and violence isn't an acceptable way to treat people you are called to love.

A Review of My First Year Of College

This school year has been an odd one, to say the least. I just finished my freshman year as a Communication Broadcasting Major at Mississippi State University. The work load was easier than all 4 years of high school, so in essence, it was fairly easy! I defeated my long time foe, Algebra! After fighting against it for almost 8 years, i finally defeated the satanic language and I do not have to deal with it ever again! YES! *does the I passed algebra dance*

As many of you know, my dream has always been to go into the film industry. Ive always wanted to be a film director like George Lucas or Steven Spielberg. I am obsessed with movies and want to use that obsession to fuel my job. Well, about the time i started college, my then-girlfriend told me how she had her mind set on going to college and going into a field she had always dreamed of doing, but she realized that that was what SHE wanted, but she wasn't sure if it was what GOD wanted. So, after much thought and prayer, she realized that God was leading her in a different direction, and to this day, he has continued to bless her in that area. This got me thinking, I wanted to do film and be a film director, but was that what GOD wanted me to do? I prayed about it and turned my future over to the Lord, I know that he will provide for me and will lead me in the direction that he wants me to be in. I know I'm gifted in the Communications area, but I'm not sure about the specifics. I know that he will make his will for my life known to me when it is time.

Along with all that, in January, I started applying for jobs around campus. I took my resume into the Mississippi State University Television Center and filled out an application. after a week, my mother convinced me to go back there and follow up on the application. So I did. Much to my surprise, they had been very impressed with my resume, and hired me that day! I started working there the next week! I was overly thrilled! The Lord had blessed me with a job that, not only fit my skill set, but was also one I enjoyed doing. Every week I film a nationally broadcasted Agricultural News program called Farmweek.  I also get to film various events and speakers around campus along with ballgames. Since I started in January, the only sports games I've been able to film have been MSU Baseball, which is somewhat boring, but i get free food and drinks in the press box and I get to film from the home dugout! This weekend I get to film the MSU graduation ceremony, at which, the United States Secretary of the Navy, Ray Mabus, is speaking at. 

This year has been different because I have been with my first girlfriend for a little over a year and a half. She was an amazing, beautiful, talented, caring woman of God. She was without a doubt the most Godly woman I have ever known. While dating her I grew closer to God than I ever have. I adored her and loved her with all my heart. She had a way of seeing who people really are. I know I'm not attractive. Im short and overweight. But she saw through me, she saw that I was a man seeking God's will and that i was a sweet caring person. She claimed that she didn't care what I looked like, she loved me for who I was in my heart, and that i fit all the biblical aspects of a Godly man.........well, her parents didn't think as she did. They kept telling her that they did not like me because i was not good looking and because I was not athletic. Her parents tried so hard to get her to leave me, even going as far as trying to convince her to cheat on me with a guy she hardly knew, just because he was good-looking. Only a few days after that, she stopped speaking to me, and a few days later, she broke up with me. Over the period of a week she gave me three completely different and conflicting reasons as to why she left me. To this day i still do not know what happened, or what made her so suddenly stop loving me. This being my first breakup, you can imagine that I was quite hurt. I have been through a lot of pain in my life mentally,emotionally, and physically. But all the pain i have endured throughout my life cannot even come close to comparing to the pain this breakup had caused. I literally felt like my heart (Or rather, my entire inside organs) was being ripped apart. I prayed and cried myself to sleep for weeks. It hurt even more not knowing what happened or what i had done, I still loved her, and she claimed she still loved me.....I was in agony. The only way out of the pain that i could see was to take my life. I know this sounds stupid and coward-like (I once thought that as well) but the pain was so much, I just wanted to be at rest and be painless. BUT  I remembered that I had a loving God, and that he promised that he would never give me anything I couldn't handle. (Throughout the year and a half that I was dating her, I prayed every day that if it was God's will for us to get married, then let it be, but if it wasn't, that when we did break up that he would grant me peace and comfort me to move on) I once again went to the Lord in deep prayer. I told him that I realize that he has a plan and a reason for everything, and that everything he does for me is to make me stronger. I told him that, despite what I desired for my future, I was going to let him take the wheel of my life and lead me towards HIS will for my life. I once again asked him for peace and to help me continue living life. After about a month after the breakup, i realized that I was no longer sad and depressed! Although i still missed her terribly and wanted her back, I realized that I was at peace with the situation. The Lord had answered my prayers! Although the answer was not what I desired, he gave me peace and encouraged me and comforted me to keep on. 

Not knowing what my future holds, I continue living my life for him and following him. I have been involved in a campus ministry where we get to go out and share the gospel with random people on campus. Despite what most people think, there are a LOT of people who do not understand the gospel/how to get to heaven and have a great misconception about the Bible and Christianity. Ive been blessed with the opportunity to share the gospel with several people and sometimes the circumstances surrounding those sharings, have been obviously God directed. I see no other way other than God's hand that could've led those people to me or brought me to them. It is simply amazing! I realized that my life is not about living the way I want to live it, it is about living it to serve God and to bring others to the Lord.

Ive had many ups and downs throughout the year, and the Lord has been there with me every step of the way. And I have learned to praise him and trust him in the good times and the bad times.

I want to leave you with the lyrics to a song that I heard on the radio the day before my breakup, which has helped me and comforted me throughout the entire situation. The song is By Steven Curtis Chapman, entitled: "Long Way Home".

I set out on a great adventure
The day my Father started leading me home
He said there's gonna be some mountains to climb
And some valleys we're gonna go through

But I had no way of knowing
Just how hard this journey could be
Cause the valleys are deeper
And the mountains are steeper than I ever would have dreamed

But I know that we're gonna make it
And I know that we're gonna get there soon
And I know that sometimes it feels like we're going the wrong way
But its just the long way home

I got some rocks in my shoes
Fears I wish I could lose
That make the mountains so hard to climb
And my heart gets so heavy with the weight of the world sometimes

There's a bag of regrets,
My should've beens, and not yets
I keep on dragging around
And I can hardly wait for the day I get to lay them all down

I know that day is coming
I know its gonna be here soon
And I won't turn back even if the whole world says I'm going the wrong way
Cause its just the long way home

When we can't take another step
The Father will pick us up and carry us in His arms
And even on the best days, He says to remember we're not home yet
So don't get too comfortable
Cause really all we are is just pilgrims passing through

Well, I know that we're gonna make it
And I know that we're gonna get there soon
So I keep on singing and believing
What all of my songs say

Cause our God has made a promise
And I know that everything He says is true
And I know wherever we go
He will never leave us
Cause He's gonna lead us home