I know exactly what you're talking about when it comes to posting about things we have strong convcitions about. You are WISE to wait till you've cooled off. - I've made the mistake of posting when I was still upset and ppl thought I was mean, unkind etc...

Blessings to you!

In Christ,

Kerrie

Its good that you've cooled down. Wish I had sometimes in my life. I'm probably going to wait, if God wants me to have a wife, it'll happen. I jus don't want to take the Major Payne view: "If the Marines wanted me to have a wife, they would've issued me one."

The Art of War is very insightful, I've actually noticed some mistakes in reguard to how the civilian control of military in the U.S. Its not the fact that the military is ulimately answerable to a civilian leadership, but rather the civilian leadership may have no experience with the military, doesn't know, or doesn't care about the military and how to win in war. cough*Clinton*cough. Sun Tzu states that its o.k. for a military to be ultimately under civil control, just as long as strategy and battlefield policy is still largely controlled by the military. The bad side to civil control is the fact that one could get a civilian leader (in our a case a president) with no military experience, or with no knowledge of the military.      

It is just too confusing and unnecessary. If you follow a philosophy to attain goodness in everything, then why does one have to follow Marxism. Is the wisdom of Christ not enough? For these men who call themselves 'Men of God'?

I will check the site you gave. Thanks.

Hey Jim , I will be checked in 6 months and I trust that it all was removed .

My pastor gave notice as required in our church's bylaws , He always told us that he would not allow for a confidence vote but would leave to prevent any possibility of a split in our church . Like everyone he had flaws and many good points . He was there shorter time than any I can remember . Our church has many retired pastors and some even attend from other denominations (even though they are not members they lead in prayer and fill in with a class if needed ) . A church down the road pastor has been there over 30 years and one of our church members retired after preaching for over 30 years and spent at least 24 years . Our church averaged 6 years from what I've been told . Mark was with us over 4 years and was a very kind and loving person , never did anything to hurt anyone and was a man of faith . He loved kids and we had nearly 30 children and young adults saved the first 6 months he was there . It's funny how God can be working in a dieing church . The one we had before was described by his wife as having a control problem and had a real problem trusting anyone including God . He used witch hunts to cover his paranoid out look over the church body . He even formed a key control plan and told me that there were several deacons he would not trust to have a key and he installed security system so no one could go into the church office with out the police being called . I told him even if I had trouble with any of our decons I would trust them with a key to my home and office . He also said He had no use for someone who could get up and dust themselves off after getting knocked down but wanted people to stand by his side that would do the striking . He would go out of his way to run off people that he thought would be a waste of resources and play up to those who had money . He even from the pulpit said he did not belive in the bus ministry and that the bus kids would not stay around when they grew up but would move someday to another church when they started to make money or go off to school . I said that is fine and I hope they support the church where ever they go and God will bring us bus kids from other churchs when they grow up and move for work and school . Once I went off to take a class on a wend. night and he wanted to influence the vote for officers of which his son wanted a specific position some other teacher was to fill in for me that night and he took off and had someone fill in for him so he could intimadate the class to vote the way he wanted . when the kids failed to follow his desire he pressured them to the point that ove one half of them did not return in just 2 weeks . He stayed 5 years and our church dropped one third while he was there and a great part of them teachers and workers in the church with most suffuring a controlling abuse and manipulation .  I never experanced a pastor like that before or after he left a lot of injuried and pain fill children of God in his wake .

Jimmy your a natural you pastor many on your site and trust God and His Word . Some are preachers and some are pastors , I would rather have a pastor with a heart of Jesus than just a polished preacher who knows how to shine on stage but have a heart of bitterness and control when he deals with the body of Christ .

God love ya brother keep growing in Jesus !

Barry   

hey!! yeah, i like bein in the marchin band but it is a challenge. i am glad to hear that your preachin career is goin good. so, what else is happening?!? comment back!!

Thanks for your encoraging comments, Praise the Lord!  Sunday School went well, it was the last lesson in the quarter, new material this week....May God Bless You!

Mike

praying God gives you the right words to share.

Heather

you've got me all worried...
I hope you're doing better today.