His Daughter - Viral Video and Why I love it!

The video was shot on a cracked iPhone and played on an out of tune piano. 

Molly Kate Kestner's first take of recording and the video has exploded. Originally posted on Easter Sunday, it currently has over 6 Million Views and counting. She appeared on Good Morning America this morning so I expect the views to go up again. 

Listen to it real quick. Then check out why I Love it below.

I Love It Because:

The story she tells is very close to many stories of faith or lack there of that I have heard over the years. Too often it is assumed that being a Christian means having everything together, and believing in God so much that everything just falls into place. This myth is perpetuated by evangelical pastors that say over and over again that "God is in Control" or "God has a reason." Their message on the surface gives the impression that the crap going on in the world around me is my fault. 

Instead this song takes the reality of the pain that many have in their lives and says God is big enough for the pain to be real and valid. God is big enough to answer the prayers of even those children whose parents are the ones causing the pain. God is big enough for the parent who wants to show their child a better life. 

Maybe your life hasn't been this rough. Maybe you have never felt the pain of and alcoholic parent. Maybe you have never cut yourself, starved yourself, slept around, or been bullied. Maybe you never felt scared and alone, like you can't make it another day. If you haven't then consider yourself lucky, and be sure you smile at the people you see today. Make sure that you show love to anyone you interact with because they may be at the end of their rope and not even know how to say it.

And maybe you see yourself in these lyrics.

Maybe your prayers haven't been answered yet.

But....

If your one of the people who has seen the grace of God in your life. If God has redeemed one of these pain's for you, tell as many people you can that: "There's a God out there who heard my prayer."

If your prayer has been answered I'd love to hear about it in the comments below. If it hasn't then shoot me an email and I will be glad to join you in praying.

Grace and Peace

Jacob Fields

Lyrics -
"Everything's gonna be alright."
She whispers to herself.
She was only 6 years old that night.
As she hid behind that shelf.
Cause daddy had a little too much to drink.
And mama didn't want her to feel the pain she felt.
But she still felt the pain...

Well 10 years they came and went,
and dad was gone.
So she looked for love in other men.
And tried to act strong.
Broken hearts and Scars in only places she could see.
Cause she just wanted, she just wanted to feel something.

And as she sat there on that bed,
thinking bout what those girls said,
tears streamed down her eyes.
She cried...

"If there's a God out there
Please hear my prayer.
I'm lost and I'm scared,
and I've got nowhere else to go.
I've come a long, long way.
But I'm not sure I can make it much farther...
So if you're listening, could you give a helping hand.
To your daughter."

Well her path started to change.
She reached out and grabbed God's grace.
And finally, she saw a light.
Until that night...
Where she decided one drink was alright, 
and one thing led to another.
Next thing you know, 9 months go by, 
she's a mother.

And as she laid there in that bed.
Stroking that small angel's head.
Tears streamed down her eyes.
She cried...


"If there's a God out there.
Please hear my prayer.
I'm lost and I'm scared,
and I've got nowhere else to run.
I've come a long, long way.
But I'm not sure I can be the best mother...
So if you're listening, could you give a helping hand.
To your daughter."

Well that baby grew into a boy.
Who became her pride and joy.
He loved her like no man could.
And her heart felt peace, cause she finally understood.
God's love.

And as she laid there in that bed,
99 years old.
She grabbed her son's hand and said.
"There's something you must know..."

"There is a God up there. 
Who heard my prayer.
I was lost and afraid.
And I had nowhere else to go.
I had no clue, what to do
And then He sent me you."

So if you're lost and afraid, 
and you feel so alone,
don't worry child,
cause there's a Father who will love you as His own.
Just like he loved his daughter.
Like he loved His daughter.

Michael Sam Got Drafted. Now I'm Nauseated. (maybe not for the reason you think)

This past weekend history was made. Michael Sam became the first openly gay football player to be drafted into the NFL.

I am a huge football fan. I listened to all 3 days of draft coverage on the local sports station and I loved every minute of it. I knew that Michael Sam got drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the 7^th round the moment it happened. I didn’t think anything of it to be honest. I support equality. I work against misconceptions and mistreatment of all in the LGBT community.  But I found myself a bit nauseated while listening to the radio this morning.

And they were talking about Michael Sam…

My Take on Phil Robertson Duck Dynasty and GQ

Background:
So the A&E reality series Duck Dynasty has become a bit of a cult classic in the form of a TV show. To some the show is hilarious and to some it is one of the least entertaining things on television.

The show follows the Robertson family in their business and personal dealings. The patriarch of the family Phil Roberts was the starting quarterback for Louisiana Tech ahead of Hall of Fame Quarterback Terry Bradshaw yet passed on the opportunity to play in the NFL because of "Duck Season."

Phil went through a period of time in his life where he struggled with alcoholic and criminal habits before coming to faith at the age of 28.

Phil revolutionized the Duck Call and duck hunting industry as a whole when he patented a new kind of Call in 1972 and incorporated Duck Commander in 1973.

Controversy:

In a recent piece by Drew Magary for GQ magazine (read it here) the Robertson family was the center of attention. The reporter published a quotes from Phil regarding homosexuality and Phil's perspective on sin.

The primary two quotes that have sparked the controversy are:

“It seems like, to me, a vagina—as a man—would be more desirable than a man’s anus. That’s just me. I’m just thinking: There’s more there! She’s got more to offer. I mean, come on, dudes! You know what I’m saying? But hey, sin: It’s not logical, my man. It’s just not logical.”

And,

“Start with homosexual behavior and just morph out from there. Bestiality, sleeping around with this woman and that woman and that woman and those men,” he says. Then he paraphrases Corinthians: “Don’t be deceived. Neither the adulterers, the idolaters, the male prostitutes, the homosexual offenders, the greedy, the drunkards, the slanderers, the swindlers—they won’t inherit the kingdom of God. Don’t deceive yourself. It’s not right.”

And because of this article Phil has been suspended "indefinitely" by A&E from the TV show.

My Take on all of it:

First I would like to question the journalistic integrity of both the writer and the editor. Not because I support all that Phil says here but because it is written and published in a way to spark controversy. The first quote can be found on the first page of the article out of context from the rest of Phil's response to the reporter's questions. The bulk of Phil's response is found on page two of the article where the second controversial quote is coming from. A majority of the media outlets that have reported on the story have left out what I find to be an important part of Phil's opinion when he says:

“We never, ever judge someone on who’s going to heaven, hell. That’s the Almighty’s job. We just love ’em, give ’em the good news about Jesus—whether they’re homosexuals, drunks, terrorists. We let God sort ’em out later, you see what I’m saying?”

The scripture that Phil quotes from Corinthians talks about multiple sins, some of which he had a past with. It does not surprise me that Phil holds this position, many conservative Christians (especially in the deep south) hold this position. 

From my perspective the Robertson family lives consistent with their stated beliefs. While my beliefs may differ from theirs on some points we do agree on not judging, loving others, and that Jesus exemplifies a better way to live than I know how to live on my own.

I do not agree with Phil in terms of naming specific things as "sinful" because when you do that even if you can back it up with scripture points a finger towards others. When asked about sin I like to discuss the concept of it or to point out that whatever sins may be, to God they are all equal. While at the same time I like to point out that my own sins are the worst sins in my opinion because those are the only ones I have anything to do with. My hope is that Romans chapter 8 holds true and that nothing can separate us from the love of God.

I understand A&E suspending him for commenting on how they handle the show Duck Dynasty. Maybe not an "indefinite" suspension but there are some things you can't say about your employer to a Magazine writer and not get reprimanded. If he was suspended specifically for the two quotes posted above then perhaps they should reconsider based on how the article is presented in general. Either way you look at it, this is PR tightrope for A&E to walk, even though the added publicity will probably translate to more viewers for the hit TV show. Unfortunately the irresponsible way the interview was presented by GQ has been rewarded with an obscene amount of traffic surrounding this article.

Disclaimer:

To any of my friends that might identify themselves as LGBT reading this: I want you to know that I do not see you in terms of your sexuality. I see you as individuals created by God who loves you. In any aspect of life I would be more than glad to show you that I care for you as a brother or sister. Even if you press me to do so, I will not say that your sexual orientation is inherently sin, yet without provocation I may still address other sinful aspects of your life if you display them around me, i.e. unnecessarily foul language, slandering others, hate, lust, violence, or cheating. Lets try to figure out how to live out loving others more perfectly.

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Friday 13th Mega Millions

Today is one that many who are superstitious label as unlucky, but it has a chance to be super lucky for someone.

Tonight's Mega Millions Jackpot has an estimated value of 425 Million or cash value of 228 Million.

Have you ever thought about what you might do with that kind of money? This summer I did a blog post on what I would do with 1 million in cash (read it here), but 425 Million?

That is an amount in a windfall that is really easy to be "stupid money." Stupid money is when you have more money than you know what to do with and start doing "stupid" things with it. You might even accidentally give your kids "affluenza." 

I mean sure it sounds well and good to go to the top of tall building over a busy street and make it rain with $100K in fivers, but that would be stupid because you would probably cause an accident and possibly get someone killed.

I personally would dedicate 100 million of it to forgiveness, and helping people escape from whatever debt they find themselves buried under. I should probably write a post explaining this in more detail. 

I would put about 10 million into a mutual fund so that I could live off the interest and would never need a paycheck again. I would keep working though because what I do is not about money it is about a calling, I just wouldn't need to get paid. I'm not sure what I would do with the rest other than pay taxes.

What would be the first thing you would do if you won?

The trick to it is the odds are 1 in 259 Million and you would have to play to win. As a whole I do not advocate gambling, and yes playing the lotto is considered gambling, smart financial management and sound biblical principals all teach that in the long run you would be better off investing the money that you would have spent gambling. I might buy a ticket for this one anyways how about you? 

Paraskevidekatriaphobia or not, have a great Friday the 13th.

Affluenza: Why parents should let kids Fail

Recently a 16 Year old was sentenced with only probation after pleading guilty to four counts of manslaughter by intoxication and two counts of assault by intoxication.

What in the world would lead a Judge to make that decision? What kind of legal defense do you have to not end up in prison?

Well it turns out you just have to have "Affluenza." If you want more detail on the case you can read about that in this Time Magazine article.

The point that was established during the trial was that Ethan Couch's life suffered because his "wealthy" parents had never let him experience a life consequence. To quote a psychologist in the case Gary Miller "He never learned that sometimes you don't get your way."

It is easy to look at the case and see it as a life of luxury enabled by lots of money. Please understand that the fault is not in the wealth, its that the parents covered for him all his life. As a Youth worker, and simply an observer of life around me, I have seen this happen no matter what the family financial situation.

As a parent you have 2 main responsibilities:

1. Teach your child values that enable him/her to add to the world around them.
2. Do your best to keep them alive.

As a parent you must let kids experience the consequences in life. When you take the consequence away you take the life lesson away and handicap your child in the long turn. 

In no way do I mean parents should not help their children, but there are situations where the best way to help them is to let them hurt in the short term.

When you child never starts a homework project till the night before its due, DO NOT finish the project for them after they fall asleep. Let them get a bad grade and if you have taught them that grades are important then they will be more likely to start the next project sooner.

When your child complains about being disciplined in class, do not participate in bickering about the teacher. You teach your child that no matter how they behave if they can argue it then they can get away with it. There are basics about how to behave in life and being able to argue well does not mean that your child is well behaved, usually it means the opposite.

If your child wants a car, and you can provide that for them, then sure let them have a car. If your child wants a car that has more features than getting them from one place to another then make them get a job to pay for it. If they wreck the car, let them ride the bus for a while instead of just getting them a new one. 

Let your kids fall,  let them experience that sometimes life hurts. Let them know that even if it is within your ability, they should not always get what they want, especially not when they want it.

You should let kids fail so that they can learn from life. When you can learn from life around you then you set them up to continue to learn even after they grow up and move out. Letting them fail will help to keep them alive and teach them values that will help them the rest of their life.

Hour Of Code - Christmas Break Challenge

Has anyone heard of this "Hour of Code" already? I may be late to the party.

Aparently there are a few computer science students that have started a pretty epic movement. and have taught over 8 million people some basics about writing code and creating computer programs. These 8 million people have written over 250 Million lines of code.

"When we live in a world driven by technology, if you can write software you can change the world."

Seems like a novel concept. The official website for hour of code is code.org



So here is a challenge: I am challenge myself and you to an hour of learning how to write code.

If you accept the challenge share this post and challenge your friends. Once you have completed the challenge take a screen shot of the code you wrote link to the picture in the comments for this post and tell me about what you wrote.

I will pick the best code written anyone who is not already a computer programmer and feature it in a blog post.

GAME ON!

STAND UP - A cry for Peace.

Stand Up, We will Not Be Moved,

Except by a child with no Socks or Shoes.

 - Flowbots "Stand Up"

Today reading the news I see a headline that looks all to familiar in my lifetime.

US Military Stands Ready to Strike Syria

Let me start by being candid here, war breaks my heart.

As a rule I stand against militarism and war. I stand for peace. I stand for loving not only your neighbor but your enemy.

Sure there are instances where even the most holy individuals will advocate war, for example to end Genocide. Which is the primary reason Christians use to justify the need for storming the beaches of Normandy to overthrow the Nazi party of Germany. If you are an advocate for war to end Genocide where are you crying out for intervention in Darfur?

Many people will be upset with this post for appearing political in nature or in opposition to their point of view. Even still, I cannot remain silent in the face of war.

This current conflict we face is one that I have seen and heard the least amount of public opinion on, as if we have resigned ourselves to defeat in standing for peace. Leading into the Iraq war there were public demonstrations and marches for peace. Yet with Libya and now with Syria, all we hear are newscasts on how the world needs so badly for us to step in and take military force, with the occasion conflict line of the opposite political party saying that its a bad idea because it scores them political points with their base.

So join me and Stand Up.

Let public opinion, let opposition to violence rise together with a loud voice in a way that cannot be ignored.

Stand for Peace.

In the words of the Flowbots

"Put your hands up high if you havn't imagined.

Hope that the pen strikes stronger than the Cannon"

Lets let the world know that we the people are not being fully represented by our government when their method of good will for the world comes from cruise missiles and drone strikes.

Stand Up, and let the world see that we love them.
and not by sending them weapons.

The power of death and destruction rests in the power of Fear. We must not fear even death for the sake of love and the sake of peace. When we refuse to fear, we take away the power of destruction.

Stand up!

Stand Against arming revolutions.

Stand for the innocent people trying to live as normal a life they can who are surrounded by gunfire. Stand for those whose roads and bridges are destroyed. Stand for those whose opportunity to educate their children is robbed from them by political conflict of world leaders.

In the words of Gandhi "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." The pathways to freedom come through the overwhelming voice of the people and not the echoing of empty shells as they hit the pavement, or the roar of a violent mob conflicting with police.

In the words of Jesus "Even as you have done for the least of these, you have done even to me."

Life is a gift. Pray for peace. Pray for life. Pray for strength to Stand UP!





As Always thanks for your time and giving this a read. If you enjoyed it share it with friends, you can do so easily with one of the buttons below. I pray that you will embrace life in the Love and Grace offered to you through Jesus Christ, and that you will always remember Jeremiah 29:11.  – For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, Plans to Proper You and not for harm, Plans with Hope for the Future.

Do The Right Thing

 We live in a world that has become more and more competitive that how we perform often is used as a defining measure of who we are as people. 

Because of that we are often tempted to bend a little or sacrifice our morals or conscience especially when something significant is on the line and there is no way of others knowing your wrong doing. It becomes easier to rationalize and justify our behaviors than to do the difficult thing of exposing our wrong and making it right. 

We can even get to the point where we actually think we are right and defend our action to others. So the question then is how do I know if I have done right or wrong?

There is a simple approach to figuring this out for yourself and it is one that was taught to me by some great men during my time in college, and I still use it regularly.

If a question should arise to the ethics of my position I will resolve it against myself first.

What this means to me is that we must consider and pray about all things and if there is something unsettled about the way you or another feel about something then try and find in any way possible where you personally may be in the wrong and how if possible to make it right.

This is an excellent story of a golfer who disqualified himself from a tournament days after the tournament was over:
Click Here

Of course it is not always simple to resolve our wrong doings. We must try to resolve problems but in the case that the resolution still leaves a person unsettled we must then figure out how to let it go and continue in doing our best as we continue our lives.

We are imperfect people and we make mistakes, thank God for a thing called Grace.

As Always thanks for your time and giving this a read. If you enjoyed it share it with friends, you can do so easily with one of the buttons below. I pray that you will embrace life in the Love and Grace offered to you through Jesus Christ, and that you will always remember Jeremiah 29:11.  – For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, Plans to Proper You and not for harm, Plans with Hope for the Future.