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HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT MONDAY
2007-08-11 09:30:00
I am PUMPED. I cannot believe what I'm going to get to do. It's still almost "unbelievable" in my mind. It all got started when I wrote a silly post called, "10 Things I Wish my Wife Would Whisper in my Ear," and then I asked my wife to have a follow up called, "10 Things I Wish Trey Would Whisper in my Ear." It was an outrageous wish that looks like may actually happen. I cannot believe it. It's like a dream come true. I'll let you know the full details Monday . I am so excited!_________________________________ I recently found these "jaw-dropping" statistics. Did you know ... A major crime is committed every 6 seconds.A rape occurs every 6 minutes.A murder takes place every 23 minutes.This year 1,095,000 babies have been aborted.Texas now has it?s first 21 year old grandmother, because children are having children.Over 50% of graduating seniors who marry this next year will be divorced by the time their 21.The US has the highest incarceration rate in the world.In the 1950?s teac...
More About: Family , Announcement , Huge , Onda

"DO YOU WANT ME TO SPANK YOU?"
2007-08-10 16:55:00
When Connor was little, he was SO strong-willed. Actually that hasn't changed a lot. As a three year-old, we tried everything on our strong-willed child, including Dobson's book, "The Strong Willed Child." The book only worked when I spanked him with it :) Lea and I would often tell him to do something, and he'd just ignore us and continue on with what he was doing. Once when I told him it was time to get ready for bed, he just sat there continuing what he was doing. So I leaned over again and said, "Connor, it's time for bed." No response. Finally, I said, "Connor, do you want me to spank you?" He immediately jumped to his feet and scurried off the bed. Lea and I were amazed. Something had worked. I immediately wrote down the phrase, "Do you want me to spank you?" thinking I had just come across the perfect phrase for raising children. I could even see a best selling book in the works called, "Do you want me to spank you?" I began to use that new powerful phrase anytime Connor ...
More About: Family , Children , Span

CHURCH ON THE DECLINE
2007-08-09 16:01:00
It's no secret that for the last few decades most mainline churches have seen a sharp decline in attendance. Too many times in the past, the things that held churches together and kept them strong were not things Jesus would applaud: impressive buildings, doctrinal formula, worship tradition and membership loyalty. What people are longing for is community, relationship and discipleship (Acts 2:42-47). Instead of giving them this, we're offering discipleship as committee meetings and programs. I see people who have grown tired of church conflicts over institutional issues (order of worship), personalities, and trivial items they have to deal with in other areas of life. Will we continue to simply be satisfied with riding out the storm thinking things will get better in time, while all around us more and more churches close their doors? Or will we heed the warning signs and look for the answer that has been there all along? So, what's the answer? It's the realization that the chu...
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GOD HATES DIVORCE BUT ...
2007-08-08 17:54:00
Anytime I preach, teach or write (like yesterday) about marriage, it always hurts my heart to think of those who have gone through a divorce sitting there listening to the sermon or reading a post about marriage. I sometimes wish I would pick a different topic than marriage just because I don't want divorced people to think I'm rubbing their noses in it. Not to long ago I told my friend Stachia, who goes to church with me, how I feel about this. Stachia is one of the godliest women I know. She has more faith in her little finger than I do in my entire body. Stachia is a single mother of four who did everything she could to save a marriage years ago. I had just finished preaching a month long series on the family, marriage and how divorce hurts everyone involved. After the sermon I made a special effort to find Stachia and apologize for preaching on such sensitive subjects. I told her, "Please don't think I'm picking these topics to make you feel bad. These sermons are not meant ...
More About: Divorce , Marriage , Divo

10 MYTHS ABOUT MARRIAGE
2007-08-07 15:39:00
Growing up I remember shows like The Walton's, Father Knows Best, Leave it to Beaver, Happy Days, Bewitched, I Love Lucy and others. Most of these shows showed us a traditional family of mom, dad, and kids. They didn't seem to have any real problems because there are no story lines about prior marriages, step-children, lack of sex, chores, physical abuse, infidelity, drinking problems, drugs, dropping out of school and threats or even thoughts of divorce.We got the idea from shows like this that marriages were perfect, every one's needs were always met, children raised themselves and never caused problems. And no matter what, you always lived happily-ever-after. Wow, how untrue.I require in every wedding I do that I have premarital counseling with the couple. I also do some marriage counseling for couples who have been married and are having problems. In counseling there are always some things I pick up on that are myths or untruths about marriage that we have created in our mind...
More About: Marriage , Myths , Myth

WHAT KIND OF SINGING DOES GOD WANT?
2007-08-06 15:00:00
"You sure missed a bunch of notes on that song?" said a gruff sounding woman at church the other day. I turned to see who she was talking to and discovered an embarrassed teenage boy. I immediately prayed for two things, first that God would shut her big mouth, and second that the young man wouldn't take what she was saying as criticism and stop singing. I have no doubt that the Lord loves hearing this young man sing (missed notes and all).When will we learn that God is more concerned with singing that comes from the right heart than singing that hits all the right notes.Even the singer James Brown was criticized for not hitting all the right notes, but no on ever questioned his heart. He sang with his heart. I don't imagine anyone ever left a sold out James Brown concert saying, "I just don't think he meant it." He sang from the heart.If the heart isn't involved in the singing, it's nothing more that just some words, even if you hit all the right notes. But when you use your h...
More About: Singing

THE PORN MYTH
2007-08-04 16:57:00
"In the end, porn doesn?t whet men?s appetites?it turns them off the real thing.""People are not closer because of porn but further apart.""For most of human history, erotic images have been reflections of, or celebrations of, or substitutes for, real naked women. For the first time in human history, the images? power and allure have supplanted that of real naked women. Today, real naked women are just bad porn."The above quotes are from a secular article called "The Porn Myth " that ran in N.Y. Magazine this week. I find it sad that our secular society is just now figuring out what the Christian community has been preaching for years ... the dangers of pornography and the negative effects it has on both men, women, married and unmarried. I found the story at the end of the article jaw dropping and amazing all at the same time. Feel free to read the article, but understand it probably needs a PG-13 rating. Also for more on pornography, pornography statics, pornography addiction and t...

FINDING THE RIGHT CHURCH - Part 3 of 3
2007-08-03 15:38:00
When searching for a new church we've looked at "Church es to Avoid" and we looked at "Churches to Consider," but there are a few things we still need to do ... PRAY ABOUT IT: Ask for the Lord's wisdom, guidance and blessing as you search. Be specific, ask where you can be used best, and ask where you can grow the most.MAKE A CHECK LIST: Before visiting, make a check list of the most important characteristics about the church you hope to find. Then rate the church according to your check list when you leave. Keeping notes will help you compare and decide later. If you are visiting many churches, as time passes you may have trouble keeping them straight. This will help you keep a record for future reference.VISIT A CHURCH MORE THAN ONCE: It will give you a chance to dig deep. All churches will come across as friendly, and all churches will have some hypocrites. While first impressions are important, don't forget to look below the surface. ASK SOME QUESTIONS: Is the church a place w...
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A FEW THINGS I THINK TODAY
2007-08-02 16:11:00
I think tomorrow is a good time to finish up part 3 of the "How to Find the Right Church Series." I think I had a great time with John Dobbs yesterday in a phone conversation that he recorded for his podcast. He asked me questions about how Lea and I met, some things about the Childress church, about my past battles with cancer and about some other things too. John also asked me what the most popular post has been on my blog. You might be surprised at the answer. We did our best to talk about fellow bloggers like Dee Andrews, Danny Dodd's podcast last week and our worries about Bobby Cohoon who is MIA. We also brought up bloggers Brian Nicklaus, Eben Emerson, Danny Sims, and others too. No one was out of bounds ... it was a no-holds-barred interview :) If you want to swing by and give it a listen you can find a link to it on John Dobb's blog or go straight to his podcast and find it here: Part 1 and Part 2. I think Evan Almighty was an AWESOME movie. Why can't they make more movi...
More About: General , Today , Things

FINDING THE RIGHT CHURCH - Part 2 of 3
2007-08-01 16:35:00
When looking for a church home there are some things you need to consider. While there are definitely some churches you need to avoid, what are some positive things that you need to be looking for in a church?CHURCHES TO CONSIDER:A WORSHIPPING CHURCH: The primary reason we meet together is to focus our attention on God, giving Him our worship, praise and adoration. This should be something that we have a strong desire to do in our hearts.A CHURCH THAT FOCUSES ON JESUS: Healthy churches talk about Jesus all the time. Their main focus isn't their building, their budget or their bottom line. It's Jesus (1 Corinthians 3:11). They don't have gimmicks. They have Jesus. He's at the center of everything they do and teach. Jesus was the main focus of the church in the first century ... why should that change? Jesus, not issues, is at the center of a healthy church.A BIBLICAL CHURCH: The Bible is still the best book ever. It's full of answers for people's lives. To use something other t...
More About: Church , Part

FINDING THE RIGHT CHURCH - Part 1 of 3
2007-07-31 16:30:00
God has created us for community. It's called "church." Church is where we grow, encourage one another, share our spiritual gifts and become accountable to one another. It is where we praise God together, pray together and worship together.Recently I was asked by a friend who had moved to a new community and was looking for a new church home, "How can I tell if a church is right for us?" and "What are some things we should look for and some things we should avoid in a church?" Those are very good questions, and I thought it would make a great post for discussion. So let's start with some churches you might want to avoid.CHURCHES TO AVOID ...A CONTROLLING CHURCH: I'd avoid any church that feels they have "authority" over all areas of your life. If you have to ask the leadership's permission to change jobs or permission to move ... that's probably a church you should avoid.A PERFECT CHURCH: Avoid any place where everyone pretends to be sinless and without problem. Look out for an...
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TAGGED
2007-07-30 16:01:00
I've been tagged twice this summer but haven't had time to reply to either challenge. The first tag comes from my friend John Dobbs. It calls for me to list eight random things about myself. These things are not necessarily marvelous things?or good things ? or even interesting things. These do not have to be secret things that no one else knows. So keep that in mind when reading my list. Random simply means they come out of nowhere. Oh?the rules?The Rules:Players start with 8 random facts about themselves. Those who are tagged should post these rules and their 8 random facts. Players should tag 8 other people and notify them they have been tagged. EIGHT RANDOM (and possibly weird) FACTS ABOUT TREY:I hate getting out of the shower all clean and my teeth still feel dirty, so I brush my teeth in the shower everyday.I love a good cup of coffee. It is my favorite drink. I like my breakfast cereal a little soggy, so I'm likely to pour the milk and go do something for a couple of minute...
More About: General , Tagged

"DAD, CAN YOU PUT MY BAPTISM ON YOUR BLOG?"
2007-07-28 08:00:00
I was blessed to baptize my son, Connor, at camp on Friday. Lea and I have been talking to Connor for some time now about becoming a Christian. Connor decided it was time. Later that afternoon I asked him if he'd like to watch the video we shot of his baptism. He said, "Sure dad, and can you put it on your blog?"I'm honored to put it on my blog, Connor. Your mom and I are very proud of you and we love you very much.PS - The crazy guy you see briefly in the video is Nate, our fantastic (yet goof-ball) youth minister. He was shooting the video for us. For the QMCC campers that promised to drop by: Click here for some camp pictures.
More About: General , Blog , Baptism

TEN THINGS I'VE LOVE ABOUT SUMMER CAMP
2007-07-26 17:40:00
Camp is going well. All 240 of us are having a great time. I had about 20 minutes to run into town and check my email. So I thought I'd share a quick post. Here are ten things I've loved about church camp at QMCC so far...1. I've learned some great new praise songs.2. I've learned that fun and faith CAN go in the same sentence.3. My friend Jesus has been there. 4. The real Jesus has been there too.5. I've loved watching my kids play and realize God loves watching His kids play too. 6. Five young people have become Christians this week.7. I've heard some great lessons on David - "A Man after God's own Heart."8. Worship has been inspiring.9. I've renewed old friendships and made new ones.10. I've realized from watching these young people ... the church has a BRIGHT future!!!Blessings ~ Trey
More About: Love , Summer , General , Camp , Things

BUSY SUMMER
2007-07-22 20:21:00
I'm headed to QMCC this week for six days of camp with 175 kids. Temperatures are going to be about 95 degrees everyday, but trust me that's cooler than usual. It'll be a great week. Jesus is coming to camp with us again this year. I told you about him a while back, so I'm looking forward to getting to know Kendal a little better.Summer s are usually busy, but this one has been busier than usual. I guess it happens. Hope everyone has a great week. A couple of links for you this week. John Roberts wrote an excellent post on marriage called "Together, Forever." You can find it here, posted under the date of Wednesday, July 18th.Here's Sunday's sermon. "How to Know God's Will for Your Life." I hope if you get time you'll drop by and give it a listen (or a sleep). Blessings to you this week ~ Trey
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THE MOST POPULAR BIBLE TRANSLATIONS
2007-07-20 15:59:00
Did you know that the Bible is the best-selling book of all time and it continues to be the best-selling book of the year, every year. The CBA has released this month's "Best Selling Tran slation s " list. Does any of these surprise you?New International Version King James Version New Living TranslationNew King James Version English Standard VersionThe MessageHolman Christian Standard BibleNew American Standard Bible Today's New International VersionNew Century VersionFor years I've preferred the NIV. Seems like most of the people I preach to use the NIV as well. Lately I've been doing my daily reading from the NCV and the NLT. I've enjoyed both of these as well. So what translation do you use? Is there a translation you don't like? Do you know anyone who thinks the Bible translations they use is actually the only one God authorizes us to use?
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Mexico City Update - 6 (Clothing the Poor)
2007-07-18 23:06:00
We're home. Glad to be here for a couple of days before I leave for a week of camp. But I can't help but think of what an amazing day Monday was in Mexico City . It was by far the high point of the mission trip.Monday we left the house early for a little Mexican village about 2 hours north of Mexico City. We spent the major part of the day working in a little park where kids play soccer, basketball and play on playground equipment. We worked hard, and then we were invited to play a game of soccer with some of the locals, in which we were killed. Following the soccer game, the church members treated us to a Mexican feast, which they called "barbacoa". They offered us their very best food. We explained to the kids earlier that day ... whatever you are offered ... eat it! The food was pork, lamb and other Mexican favorites.Later that day, we took clothes that we had gathered from our own closets before we left Childress, and drove to an area of Apaxico where the poorest lived. We pull...
More About: Clothing , General , Update

Mexico City Update - 5
2007-07-17 08:00:00
Monday was unbelievable. I can't wait to tell you more about it. We worked our tails off and gave clothes away to poor families and children. It was an extremely emotional day. It's been a long time since I've struggled with my emotions like I did today. I can't wait to tell you more about it in a couple of days. But tonight, I'm exhausted. I'm going to bed.We leave early in the morning for what should be a 32 hour bus ride home. Thanks for thinking of us and thanks for sharing our Mexico trip with us.
More About: General , Update , City , Mexico City

Mexico City Update - 4
2007-07-16 08:00:00
A few things to update you on...Saturday we had an "off" day. We spent time at the park playing football with some of the Mexican people and then they taught us how to play soccer. It was lots of fun spending the day playing in the park. We told Nate (our wonderful youth minister) that he could play only if he toned-down his competitiveness. Nate is the most competitive guy in the whole world, and we enjoy spending time teasing him about it. He was able to keep himself under control (for the most part). :)Saturday night a handful of us went to Lucha Libre (yes, a Mexican professional wrestling match). How could I ever live with myself knowing I had a chance to watch a cultural event such as Lucha Libre and didn't go? So I decided not to deprive myself of this pleasure and I watched the great "Mistico" defend his title. It was too fun. Sunday: Worship with the church in Mexico City was amazing. The singing was tremendous and the communion time was very moving. I wish everyone could ...
More About: General , Update , Mexico City

Mexico City Update - 3 (Feeding the Homeless)
2007-07-14 06:04:00
$300 for the groceries... Three hours to make about 100 sack lunches for the homeless of Mexico City ... Watching our group coming to the realization that the church's purpose is about serving the world .... PRICELESS. I know I've got a lot of moms and dads from home reading each day to see how their kids are doing. The kids are doing awesome. They are working hard, serving others and keeping a great attitude. The singing at tonight's devotional was awesome, but you could see "tiredness" in the kid's eyes. Tomorrow will be an easier day and we're giving them an extra hour of sleep. I think it'll help with the tiredness.The day was very eventful. The kids experienced a lot of emotion feeding the homeless today. It too three hours to fix the sack lunches but it only took about 3 minutes to give them all out. They watched a fight over a sack lunch between three men, but also experienced "making friends" with the homeless, as you can see from the picture above. We had one of the ad...
More About: General , Update , Mexico City

Mexico City Update - 2
2007-07-13 08:01:00
I'd like you to meet Pedro. He's the one in the center between Lea and I. Many years ago Pedro was walking out of a Mexico City bar in the early morning hours when someone handed him an invitation for a Bible study. Pedro went home, sobered up and decided he needed to change his life. He became a Christian after a few Bible studies and is now one of the strongest leaders in the Mexico City church. He currently serves as a local missionary here and was our group leader today. As for the one who handed him the invitation as he walked out of the bar years ago... it was someone in a group just like ours. Someone in a group who'd come to work with the church that week. That will be on our minds as we hand out the same invitations tomorrow to hundreds of people how need to know Jesus. We also got to eat "Taco's el Pastor" a wonderful taco made of the meat you see in the picture. The put it in a corn tortilla and then add onions, cilantro and pineapple. I just can't seem to get eno...
More About: General , Update

Mexico City Update - 1
2007-07-12 19:41:00
We made it! And in record bus-riding time. Twenty-nine hours to be exact. We're tired, dirty and excited all at the same time. We're in the process of a slight clean up and heading out to eat lunch and then work. Trip was uneventful. Had a few motion-sick kids, but all in all, uneventful. Crossing the border was a breeze this time. We didn't even have to unload from the bus.One quick note: It was amazing the difference in housing, cars and lifestyle that was noticeable the second we crossed the border. You had no doubt you were entering a different country. Thanks for letting me share our trip with you.More later...
More About: Mexico , General , Update , City , Mexico City

MEXICO CITY
2007-07-11 08:54:00
32 hours from Childress, Texas to Mexico City on a bus (and then another 32 hours to get home again). Walking close to 6 miles a day. Handing out invitation to study the Bible.Picking up trash. Seeing a few sights.Working in communities. Feeding the homeless.Serving others.Sounds like a TON of fun to me. Personally, I'm looking forward to the growth that our little group of 35 will experience from a trip like this. We leave this morning and we'll be back next Wednesday. For those that are interested, I'll do updates on the blog. Thanks for your prayers. --------------------------Here are a few interesting links you might enjoy ...Last week's sermon: "Know How To Stop." I started the sermon with watching Cooper's bicycle crash. That was fun.Tammy Ross wrote a GREAT piece in the Christian Chronicle on "ministers and their families." Check it out here. Church members come and church members go. Why do they leave? What's our response? What's a church to do? A must reads for every...
More About: General , Mexico City

"WHY DIDN'T MY DAD TELL ME HE LOVED ME?"
2007-07-10 15:55:00
I still remember sitting next to her at the funeral home. She was in her 50's and her dad had just passed away. She wasn't crying, instead she was weeping uncontrollably. I asked her if she was okay, and she repeated the same question to me over and over, "Why didn't my dad ever tell me he loved me. I know he did, but why didn't he ever just say it? Would it have been that hard just to say it?" I didn't really have an answer.Thankfully I was raised around a dad that was always willing to tell me, "I love you son." Even after he'd just disciplined me for something I'd done wrong, he'd always let me know, "I love you son." That was his way of saying, "I'll never stop loving you. No matter what you do." This past weekend I got to spend some time with my dad and at least twice he told me how much he loved me. I am SO thankful for a dad who was man enough to tell me he loved me.Dads, you cannot tell your children ?I love you? enough. Trust me, one of the biggest fears that they ...
More About: Tell , Tell Me

THE GROUCH
2007-07-09 15:35:00
I see Mrs. C working nearly every time I go out to the prison to teach a class to the prisoners. I'm guessing she's in her late 50's or early 60's. I don't know much about her other than she works the gate at the prison. And every time I've seen her, it's always the same. No words, no facial expression and no smile, only hand gestures. If she ever makes eye contact, and that very rarely happens, you can feel her icy stare burning right through you. I believe she could scare anyone from the smallest child or the meanest convict with simple eye contact.She is always there in all her grouchiness. It's almost as if an aura of grouchiness surrounds her like dirt surrounded Pigpen from the cartoon Charlie Brown. I've always guessed that she's just unhappy with the world and everything in it. I've often thought to myself, "Mrs. C working at the prison is the perfect job for her."The very first time I saw her I offered a smile and spoke to her, she didn't respond. I thought she ...
More About: General , Ouch , The G

A FEW THOUGHTS ...
2007-07-08 16:00:00
Wow, what a weekend. We made a flying trip to New Mexico for my niece's wedding. Rachel is my sister Monalea's oldest daughter. I'm tired but it was good to spend time with all my family.---------------------------------- --I've made a big change to my "sermon" page. I'm now posting my sermons at http://trey.mypodcast.com/. The main reason for the change is it's FREE! I like free. It's also much easier to listen to a sermon on the new page. And for those that like to use podcasting. I was able to "podcast" one of my sermons with my new I-Pod. That was pretty cool. Anyway, check out the new page if you'd like. ------------------------------------ I'm excited that my friend Eben Emerson, who preaches in Tulia, Texas, has begun blogging. I'm sure Eben will be challenging us on a regular basis. When you get time, stop by and welcome Eben to the blogging world. -----------------------------------I'm leaving for Mexico City this Wednesday for a mission trip. I'm thrilled that m...
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25 WAYS TO KILL A GOOD MARRIAGE
2007-07-06 10:05:00
1. Demand that your spouse meets your needs. 2. Pout when you don't get your way.3. Use the silent treatment when you are mad.4. Always put yourself first.5. Be critical.6. Tell your spouse they need to change, but you make no effort to change.7. Ignore your spouses needs.8. Make no effort to improve yourself or your marriage. 9. Never compliment your spouse. 10. Speak negatively about your spouse around other people. 11. Make no effort to keep yourself "looking good" for your spouse. 12. Use derogatory names like stupid, dumb, ignorant and idiot. 13. Always blame your spouse for the problems. It's never your fault. 14. Take your mate for granted. 15. Quit trying to impress your spouse (you're married, it's not needed anymore).16. Withhold sex to punish your spouse. 17. Never take any time to get away without the kids. 18. When arguing ... bring up old stuff from the past. 19. Have a short fuse.20. When angry be verbally abusive.21. Never seek outside help when you come to an im...
More About: Marriage , Good , Arri , Kill

FASTING
2007-07-05 16:17:00
I've been reading Jim Martin's blog about "Journaling As a Spiritual Discipline" (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4). I like his thoughts on journaling and on spiritual disciplines.We don't do a lot of talking on "spiritual disciplines." And one spiritual discipline that doesn't get much attention is fasting. The purpose of a dedicated period of prayer and fasting is to humble ourselves before God, seek His will, and ask Him to empower us to do His will. Jesus expected his disciples to fast. In Matthew 6:16 Jesus said, "when you fast" indicating an expectation that his followers would fast. So, as requested by a reader, here are a few of my thought on fasting.BIBLICAL REASONS FOR FASTINGTo bring the body under control (1 Corinthians 9:27).To receive understanding and insight (Daniel 9; 10:2-3; Luke 2:37).To sorrow over sin. (Daniel 9; Acts 9:9; 1 Samuel 7:6).To begin a new work for God (Matthew 4:2ff; Exodus 34:27-28; Acts 12:2-3).To empower us (Esther 4:15-16; Matthew 9:15-17)...
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SARGENT JON JAMES & HONORING OUR TROOPS
2007-07-04 16:46:00
Today, July 4th, my friend Sarg ent Jon James fights for my freedom in Iraq. Today is also Jon's birthday.Jon, my prayer is that you are able to get online today. Because I want you to know that although you're a long way from home, today I think of you and today I thank you. Thanks for being my friend and thanks for being my hero. Today, as always, I pray God will keep you safe. Happy 4th of July and Happy Birthday, Jon.
More About: General , Troops , Ames

IMPOSSIBLE TO WATCH WITHOUT SMILING
2007-07-03 16:23:00
You've heard of the 23rd Psalm from the KJV or NIV. This is the 23rd Psalm from the "sweet" or "precious" version. Then he said to them, "I can guarantee this truth: Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." ~Jesus
More About: Video , Watch , Children , Impossible , Ossi