You Are Alive!

I've been talking to some of my old friends from college and high school over the last few weeks. Now I graduated from high school in 1992, and graduated from college in 1997. In some ways, that seems like a long time. In most ways it is not. One of the ways that it is not a long time is in the fact that many of my friends from the past have already passed on. Here is the list:
J.H.- committed suicide (20's)
w.M.- suicide (teenage years)
C.T.- murdered (30's)
K.W.- murdered (20's) 2 years older than me
M.B.- cause of death unknown by me (I don't know how this person died)
C.W.- heart attack (20's)
R.T.- drowned in swimming pool in the third grade
J.P.- cause of death unknown by me (death was last week)

I'm sure that there are others that I don't know about, but I am amazed by the number of people that I know that are no longer here on the earth. It also lets me know that no matter what happens to me from here on out, my life has been a success simply because I'm still here. And so is yours. Let's not waste the time that we have left being angry, holding grudges, or hurting each other. Who knows when someone will be remembering us.

Peace and Love,

Rev. Mike





Back to Homepage

Find All Theese Things on Google!!

Want to tell someone about All These Things? Is it difficult to do because of the spelling? I know, I've had the same problem. Here's a solution. Because this blog is supported by Google, you can easily access it through the google.com search engine. Just type "alltheezthingz" in the google search engine, and it will link you to the main page as well as to the titles that I have posted. It's an easy way to locate "All These Things" and an easy way to spread the news. Thank you for reading.

Peace and Love,

Rev. Mike

I'm Getting Old! Understanding Our Children

I Corinthians 13:11 "When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put away childish ways". When I was a teenager, I made a promise to myself that I would never do what I felt the adults in my life did to me. I felt like they didn't understand what it was like to be a me( a seventeen year old). The promise that I made was that I would never forget what it was like to be a teenager. Guess what? I am now 34 years old, and I cannot, for the life of me, remember what it was like to be a teenager! I don't even remember what it was like to be single with no children. And I'm still young! Well, mostly young.

Think about what it must be like to be a young person under the age of twenty. I know you don't understand what they are going through. Or maybe you don't understand why they feel that what they are going through is so important. Think about teenage boys for a second. Teenage boys have every single desire, frustration, and insecurity that teenage girls have. They are just conditioned by the world to suck it up and be strong. So instead of allowing them to express those emotions, we adults make them internalize all of these emotions (with no outlets)until they burst out on their own. Usually this outburst of emotion is expressed in the most unhealthy way. Now don't get me wrong. I'm not telling you what to do. I'm simply asking you to consider some things the next time you talk to a young man or young woman:

1. The problems that they have are important to them. It doesn't matter if it is important to you or not. They need to feel like you are sympathetic to their problems.

2. Sometimes, you just have to let them vent. No opinions, no solutions, just be a sounding board.

3. Let them know that it's okay to feel how they feel. Lets give our young people permission to show emotion. Boys and girls need to know how to laugh, cry, challenge thinking, and change opinions.

4. The more you let them talk and you listen, the more they will let you talk and they listen.

5. Our children are fragile. They may look older than they are. But they still need to feel like it's okay to be babies.

Remember the verse in I Corinthians? Sometimes, when we put away childish things, we also put away some great qualities. My son does not yet know that he shouldn't push so hard for everything he wants until he gets it. He doesn't know that he is not supposed to be learning chess at the age of five. He doesn't know that you can't just speak to every stranger that you meet. He doesn't know that the world is not safe. Some of these things I need to teach him. But there is a part of me that wants to let him be naive a little while longer. Our children have the rest of their lives to be adults. Lets agree to let our children be children for now and provide the support they need as they come of age. They will get there sooner than we think.

Peace and Love,

Rev. Mike





Back to Homepage

Something Lite!

I was telling my three boys the story of the Nativity and how the Wise Men brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh for the infant Jesus.
Clearly giving it a lot of thought, my six-year-old observed, "Mom, a Wise Woman would have brought diapers."

Taken from readersdigest.com. joke by Angie Flaute

Back to Homepage

The A.R.K

I saw an A.R.K. today. A.R.K. stands for Acts of Random Kindness... I stole that from the movie "Evan Almighty". Anyway, I was in the drivethru of that famous gourmet restaurant Taco Bell when it happened. The lady in the car in front of me handed the drive thru attendant a candy bar after she received her order. Just because. When I got to the window, the girl was smiling from ear to ear. Who's day did you brighten up today? I'm talking to myself as well...

Peace and Love

Rev. Mike





Back to Homepage

Father Figure

Everything I ever learned about being a man, I learned from my brother. Pure and Simple. My brother taught me how to tie a necktie, stand up tall, and shake hands like a man. I later practiced that firm grip on him, the older men at church, and all of my sister's boyfriends. Those were the little things that he taught me. He took great care to ensure that I knew Basic Manhood 101. But everything he taught me as a kid paled in comparrison to what he taught me as an adult.

As an adult, he taught me how to change my thinking about people, how to be a good husband to my wife, and how to be a good father to my son. The interesting thing about it is that he didn't know he was teaching me these things at the time. He was just being the man that God commanded him to be. He lived his life and took care of his family. He did this as a physical provider, but more importantly, he did it as a spiritual leader, a nurturer, and an encourager. He never tries to force his hand, but always looks for an opportunity to give advise when needed. He is my pattern as a husband, a father, and as a man of God. I just wanted you to know that... Thanks J.

Peace and Love,

Rev. Mike





Back to Homepage

Something Lite!

Here's a joke. I got this one from the Reader's Digest website: It comes from Sherri Leard:

As my five-year-old son and I were heading to McDonald's one day, we passed a car accident. Usually when we see something terrible like that, we say a prayer for whoever might be hurt, so I pointed and said to my son, "We should pray."

From the back seat I heard his earnest voice: "Dear God, please don't let any of those cars block the entrance to McDonald's."

Peace and Love,

Rev Mike

Back to Homepage

People you need to pray for (In no particular order)

1. Yourself
2. Your Family
3. Your Job(this includes bosses)
4. Your Church (this includes pastors)

This list will continue...

Back to Homepage

A Message to Single Parents

I was the youngest of three children in my family. My mother was a single parent. She worked two jobs and spent a majority of her time and energy just trying to make it. You see, she left my father when I was only three months old. She did this because he developed a problem with the bottle and was never able to shake it. My older brother was eight years old and my older sister was five. My mother did everything she could to provide for us. We never went to bed hungry, and we never lacked for any of the necessities of life. She gave of herself more than any of us ever had to do. And yet there were times that I resented her.

I resented my mother because she was not able to give us all the "finer things" in life. I had friends who receive material things that could not simply because we did not have the extra money to get it. Do you remember parachute pants? I wanted a pair of parachute pants so badly, I would have killed someone for a pair! How about the first pair of Air Jordan's that came out? You know the ones with the red and black and white design? I got Pro-wing Eagles (shout out to Pay less Shoe Source)! My mother worked very, very hard. When I was young, she held two jobs. She was a teacher's aid at school during the day. She got off that job at 3pm and started her second job at Wal-Mart. She had to be there by five. She wore herself out day and night for us and yet I still resented her at times for not having enough money to do the extras. My mother and I have a wonderful relationship, and we can talk about almost anything. We often talk about the bad days, as well as the better days. I've also talked to my wife about those days and she asked me an interesting question. She asked why I didn't direct any of my anger towards my father for not being there. Initially I did not have an answer. Now I do.

You see, I wrote my father off years ago. I met him for the first time when I was around three or four years old. I saw him sporadically throughout my life. The last 10 years of his life before he passed away, I did not see him at all. I did not even allow him to come to my wedding. Don't get me wrong, I loved my father. I realize now that he was just as much of a victim of circumstance as I was. I just felt sorry for the man he never became. Or did he? Never mind, I'm rambling. Anyway, I never expected anything from him because he was rarely around. He was rarely around during my childhood, and never around in my adult life. So I got accustomed to him not being there. My idea of a proper family unit when I was a child consisted of my mother, my brother, my sister, and me. Many children today have this same misguided view of family. My mother, on the other hand, was always accessible. So she received my resentment and frustrations because she was available to me. She was the only face I saw, so I released all of my frustrations on her. SINGLE PARENTS...listen to me. Your kids lash out at you because they don't have any other outlet. Please, try not to take it personal. They love you, but you are all they have. So you are their mother, their father, their sounding board, and their padded cell, all rolled into one.

TBC (to be continued...)

Peace and Love,

Rev. Mike





Back to Homepage

Have You Hugged Someone Today?

I had a friend tell me something that I never forgot. They said that if you can get at least three hugs a day from three different people, it would help you to have a better day. I grew up in what others might call a "touchie feelie" family, so this concept makes perfect sense to me. This may not have been the case in your house, but I want you to try this experiment with me for a couple of days. I think that it may help you improve your well being. Here are a few start up rules:

1. Let your first hug be at home. The first person you should hug is your spouse.
2. The second person you should hug is your child (or children if you have more than one).

For most of us, that will get you two to five hugs. If it does, then you are done for the day. If it doesn't, then please use the following list as a guide for your next "huggie". Please note that you are the "hugger".

1. You should hug the last person you had a disagreement with. This gives you a wonderful opportunity to rebuild relationships.
2. You should hug any friend that is going through a rough time. Sometimes I don't know what to say when a friend is going through something. So I just ask them if they need a hug. Sometimes they say yes. Sometimes they say no. But the gesture on my part lets them know that I am there for them.
3. You should hug total strangers. But you have to be careful with this one. If you are not absolutely sure that the Holy Spirit has told you to hug the stranger, you could be subjecting yourself to a embarrassing or possible life threatning situation. If you live in Texas like I do, then you need to be aware that the people in this state carry mace, tasers, firearms, and pitbulls without fear of prosecution.
4. You should definately hug grandparents. Grandparents LOVE hugs. It doesn't matter if they are your grandparents or someone else's. Everyone is grandmommy's baby.
5. Lastly, you can hug cousins, nieces, nephews, and other miscellaneous family members. These are reliable huggies because, they have to put up with you. Don't worry if they frown when you hug them. The truth is that they really want the hug. They just have a reputation to protect.

If all else fails, and you still need that last hug to complete your set, come and find me. I can always use a good hug.


Peace and Love

Rev. Mike

How Often Are You Going To Post?

It is my intention to put out approximately five to ten posts as soon as possible. Once I reach what I feel is a good group of posts, then I will probably slow down to once or twice a week. This will depend primarily on my energy level, seeing as how I have a full time job in sales. I have also decided to embark on a "Read the Bible in a Year" program. I promise that I will do my best to let you know how that is going. By the way, Did you know that both Abraham and his son Isaac lied about their wives? Check out Genesis 12:14-20, and Genesis 26:7-11. I am currently on the 41st chapter of Genesis, and I am discovering again that God is revealing different things to me at the age of thirty-four, then when I was younger. I would encourage you to read your Bible on a regular basis as well. Together, we can keep each other honest.

Peace and Love,

Rev. Mike

Back to Homepage

The Roman Road to Salvation

I found this version of the Roman Road to Salvation on this website: allaboutgod (I wanted to make sure that I gave proper credit). Remember that as Christians, we have a responsibility to witness to those who are not saved and show them the path to salvation through Jesus Christ. There are several ways to witness to someone. This is just one of many. Please feel free to share your thoughts. And remember, I am reminding myself that I need to be a better witness for God as well.



Just remember that the Roman Road provides a detailed map for our salvation and eternal fellowship with God. Just follow these steps:

1. We must acknowledge God as the Creator of everything, accepting our humble position in God's created order and purpose.


Romans 1:20-21 states: "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened."

2. We must realize that we are sinners and that we need forgiveness. None of us are worthy under God’s standards.
Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God.”

3. God gave us the way to be forgiven of our sins. He showed us His love by giving us the potential for life through the death of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Romans 5:8: “But God demonstrates His love toward us, in that, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

4. If we remain sinners, we will die. However, if we repent of our sins, and accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we will have eternal life.

Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

5. Confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead and you are saved.

Romans 10:9-10: “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

6. There are no other religious formulas or rituals. Just call upon the name of the Lord and you will be saved!

Romans 10:13: “For whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”

7. Determine in your heart to make Jesus Christ the Lord of your life today.

Romans 11:36: "For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen."

The Roman Road: Are You Ready?
The Roman Road shows you the path – are you ready to accept God’s gift of Salvation now? If so, believe in what Jesus Christ did for you on the cross, repent of your sins, and commit the rest of your life to Him. This is not a ritual, just a prayerful guideline for your sincere step of faith:

“Father, I know that I have broken your laws and my sins have separated me from you. I am truly sorry, and now I want to turn away from my past sinful life toward you. Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again. I believe that your son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.”
"Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." (Acts 2:38)

If you decided to receive Jesus today, welcome to God's family. Now, as a way to grow closer to Him, the Bible tells us to follow up on our commitment.
• Get baptized as commanded by Christ.
• Tell someone else about your new faith in Christ.
• Spend time with God each day. It does not have to be a long period of time.
Just develop the daily habit of praying to Him and reading His Word.
Ask God to increase your faith and your understanding of the Bible.
• Seek fellowship with other followers of Jesus. Develop a group of believing
friends to answer your questions and support you.
• Find a local church where you can worship God.

I realize that this is a long post, but I think that it is also very worthwhile.

Peace and Love,

Rev. Mike