Some Lessons I’ve Learned From My Cock-A-Poo puppy

Here's is just the first of several brilliant things I have learned from my Cocker/Poodle mix.
1. I can't supply all my needs for myself.
Philippians 4:19 - But my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in Glory by Christ Jesus.
The first thing that I learned from my little Cock-a-poo Higgins is that he cannot supply even the most minute things in his life without my help. The fact is that I have to supply him with his daily food. Higgins is a house dog. He can't run down and chase anything to eat. Besides that, have you ever seen a Cock-a-poo? They are little dogs. A whole pack of these little rag muffins couldn't bring down a deer if the deer was just standing there looking at them. No, everyday, not every other day, or just once in a while, or even just whenever I feel like it, I have to make sure that he has his daily supply of food waiting for him.

What happens if I let his food dish get low on food? Higgins has learned that if he comes to me and paws at my leg, I usually figure out that he is out of food and needs to have his supply replenished. When he communicates to me that he has this need, I most always stop what I'm doing and and go see if he's needing food or water.When I am at his food or water dish, he gets so excited and so thankful that he can't stop wagging his tail and dancing around the area where his food is. He is truly appreciative when I get him his food.

It's the same way with me and God. He supplies all my needs. Especially here in the U.S.A., but throughout most of the civilized world, many times people get themselves in trouble. When I begin to think that I can fend for myself, after all, I live in the most prosperous country in the world. I go to work everyday, I make my own money, I buy my own food, pay my own bills, and yes I pretty much take care of myself. It's not long before I find myself in trouble, because I've gotten sick and can't go to work, or the car broke down, or I was just careless and spent too much money on something stupid and I find that I am sinking and realize again that I have to have God's help. Then I once again realize that He was the one supplying the job, my health, and my wisdom. Suddenly it becomes all too clear again, that I cannot supply my needs for myself.

Thankfully, He has never failed to supply my needs. I have never missed a meal that I didn't intend to miss, I've never gone thirsty, and I've always had a shelter to lay my head down at night. Truly, my God DOES supply all my needs according to His riches in Glory.

YouTube, Not a pretty picture

Last Sunday we had some very high winds in Nashville an my Direct TV dish was blown over interrupting my television service until the service technicians could get out to reset my dish. It took four days, but now I have television so things are better. Since I had all this "down" time, I thought I would use it to see what all is on YouTube concerning Southern Gospel Music. What I saw was not a pretty picture. I went to YouTube and searched for Southern Gospel Music and to my dismay I found very little quality. What's disturbing about this is that I know that Dean Adkins and Harold Timmons have put some very good, quality videos on this site for us to enjoy. Unfortunately after ten pages of searching I found very little quality music. Now don't get me wrong, I think that YouTube could be a powerful tool for letting the rest of the world know what really good Southern Gospel is like, but they need to hear quality singing and playing.

What I found was maybe half a page of decent music out of the ten I looked at. This is not what we want people who are not familiar with SGM to see. Aside from the music and singing that isn't very good, the other thing showing up was a ton of interviews from last years NQC. Now I think that Rob Patz does a phenomenal job with what he does on the radio, but I don't really want to see fifty interviews when I'm trying to find music to listen to. The interviews we done really good, but that's just not what I want to see when I'm searching for SG on YouTube.

After venting here and stating what I don't like, I have to admit that I don't have a clue on how to fix it. All I know is that the picture people are getting who aren't familiar with SGM is not a pretty one on YouTube.

With a Capital “C”

A friend of mine just sent me a youtube video of a group called Go Fish Guys. No, these guys aren't Southern Gospel, but I think you can bear through one song that is just a little more progressive than Ernie Haase and Signature Sound, besides, there's a Bass singer in the song. The song is really neat and it talks about how our culture is not wanting to say Merry Christmas, but rather Happy Holidays. The song is humorous, but has a great message to it. Take a listen to it here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAckfn8yiAQ .

I like the song so much that I'm including it in my compilation CD that I make up every year of Christmas songs to listen in the car.There is one part of the song that really hit me hard. There is one phrase, not even a complete sentence, just a phrase that struck a nerve. The phrase is "this is my country too". I am sick and tired of having to walk on glass for fear of offending some little minority group. We have gone so far in trying to not offend the minority groups that we have offended the masses who make up this great nation. Hey, it's our country too, and over 80% profess to be Christians, so get over it. We're were here first, and we're here to stay.

I am NOT going to be ashamed to say Merry Christmas to everyone I see, and in every store I am in. My kids think I am fanatical, but every store wants me to spend lots of money with them for CHRISTMAS presents, but some don't want to put the mention of Christmas in the store or in any of their advertisement for fear that they might "offend" someone. Well, they do offend someone, ME, and they should offend every Christian in the land, so I do NOT shop in stores that refuse to put any mention of Christmas in teir stores or advertisements. You can say that I am being childish or immature, or as mykids say "stupid", but I call it standing of priciples. Enough is enough! Those stores have it right, they are offending someone, and it's ME.

You can agree with me or not, but I'm not spending my money in stores who will not mention Christmas or those who tell their employees to NOT say Merry Christmas at their checkouts. So come on and be just a little rebellious with me.