Several weeks ago, I asked for you to submit ideas that you would like me to blog about. The answers weren't exactly what I was looking for because most of them were questions about me. This turned out to be a lot of fun so I decided to do it again and see what kind of questions I got. There were a few questions that I thought were inappropriate so I am not going to answer them but below please find the rest.
LS and AM - Do you have a girlfriend? I have several friends who are girls and I am definitely a straight guy. Being in a great relationship with a woman is probably my greatest worldly desire but I am learning to wait on God to give me what I need. I guess the technical answer to that question is no but I believe God will change that at the right time. I just have to be patient. That last sentence should make one of my readers smile.
AB - How did you learn to speak a different language? - Well I took two years of German in high school and a semester of French in college so I guess I learned some in school.
DV - Who is your favorite band? - Well I have many favorites and that changes on a regular basis. Right now I guess it would have to be Rascal Flatts. I love the lyrics to a lot of their songs.
CM - Do you sing? - Actually CM, this is one of my favorite things to do. Some people who have heard me say I have a decent voice but mostly I sing by myself because I am really self conscious about it. It's one of the things I enjoy from my Box but I don't share with many people.
AM and AB - Why did you start the Opinion of the Minion? - I love this question because it makes me look at the whole thing. I am blown away by the number of fans of the Minion and the number of people who read my blogs. I am truly humbled by what has happened. The minion has fans literally around the world. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever see that coming. Ok so the answer is this - I started the Minion as just a place for me to rant about whatever I wanted. I was sort of like my journal for my life. I really didn't expect anyone to read it. My first post was called "the Classics." It was about several books that I had recently read and I just wanted to talk about them. Well I have some of the greatest friends on earth and several of them, AB, LM, TR, KS and others encouraged me to write more blogs. I started posting them and then I would write something on my personal home page each time I did one. Not wanting to bother several of my friends I started a page for the Minion on Facebook. Then as I wrote a blog called "The Box" I realized that God was giving me this as an opportunity to reach people. It changed my whole life. I began to see each one of you as an awesome gift from God and I started focusing on how to say something positive and help people. That is what I try to do with each of my blogs. Again, I really struggle to comprehend all the support and encouragement I have recieved while doing this. I hope this answers the question and I will be happy to talk more about it if you want.
AD - What is your testimony? - I also love this question. Did you know you cannot have a testimony without a test? That may be a whole blog in and of itself but I think you are asking me about when I made Jesus my personal Lord and Savior. Here is the short version. I think I was saved when I was very young. I don't remember when I actually asked Jesus into my heart. What I do know is this. After a very bad break up with a girl when I was in college, I moved back to my parents house. I knew I wasn't living right, I was living in sin and I wasn't walking in right relationship with God. This fact weighed on me so heavily that I spent several nights curled up in a bath tub clutching my bible for dear life. I knew something was wrong inside of me but I didn't know what to do. Finally, I realized that I needed to go back to my home church (I hadn't been in a while) and get my life right with God. The pressure was so intense I was really scared that the rapture was going to take place and I would be left behind. It truly frightened me. Anyway, I had said some awful things about my church. I called those people sobs and said that they really didn't care one thing about me. I said they were a bunch of hypocrites and were a terrible representation of God's love. Then I walked in that church one Sunday night to the youth meeting. Those same awful hypocrites, surrounded me and loved on me and accepted me right into that meeting like nothing had ever happened. I was so deeply touched by their love. I can honestly say that Calvary Cathedral International in Fort Worth, Texas is one of the most Godly places I have ever been. Bob Nichols is a true example of what a man of God looks like and my life is much better for listening to him all those years. Anyway, the service started and all I could think about was the alter call. Several times that pressure was so intense that I wanted to tell the youth pastor, Mark Carillo to shut up and open the alter but I didn't. When he did, I was the first one down there on my knees getting things right with a God who was patiently, longingly, and lovingly waiting for me there.
There is one other part of my testimony that I will share here. In March/April of this year on a Monday, I read a book called Redeeming Love. It is from that book that I got a revelation of how much God loves me. He is passionate about his love for me and you. I have tried to explain this using the English language but it is not sufficient to do the job. During the time I read that book, I heard the Lord say to me, your life is about to change for ever and it has. He took out a heart of stone and replaced it with a heart of flesh that has allowed me to pour more love out than I even thought was possible. Some people might say I have lost my mind and they are right. If you find it, run from it. I will take the one I have now. It is a present from Jesus.
MK - Do you have any weapons? - Yes, I am a Texan. I have a shotgun and a pistol but I am not a big gun fan. There is a long story behind them if you are interested (no violence though. I have never even fired the shotgun.)
DJ - Are you and the others based off the three stooges? - I don't know anything about the background of the cartoon characters but I love the three stooges.
BB - Is there a second movie? - Again, I don't really know.
KT - How many minions are there? - Well I guess right now there are two. Me and my friend DD who has helped me write and should do so again in the near future.
MR and SK - Do minions have babies - I don't know about the cartoon but I have four. One in heaven and three that are here on earth.
AS - What's up with your hair? - Got me.
KP - Do people call you tater tots? - No but my nick name in high school was Oompa Loompa.
NK - Why do you listen to Gru? - Again, I don't have anything to do with the movie.
TN - What do you do when you get hyper? Who do you eat? - No idea what the cartoon minions do.
IM - Are you my brother? - I will answer a question with a question. Have you asked Jesus to live in your heart? If so, then yes. If not, then I don't think so.
MR - Who are your parents? - John and Donna Oswald
JD - Are you a twinkie... - Nope
MK - Are you corn pops cereal - Nope
AK - Where are you from? - I was born, raised, and live in Fort Worth, Texas in the United States.
CJ - What's it like to be yellow? - I don't know.
CJ - Do you ever feel self conscious about your hair? - Nope
LB - Can I get a minion as a pet? - Cute question. I have no idea.
BR and MC - Where can I get a minion? - Sorry, I don't know.
I hope that answers your questions and that's another Opinon of the Minion
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Mercy Minion
Today I want to spend a little time talking about two very tough words - mercy and grace.
Several times lately, I have heard someone mention the word karma. When they use this word, what they are basically saying is that someone got what was coming to them and normally this applies to something bad happening to someone and the fact that they deserved it.
For instance, when someone is mean to you and let's say they call you something bad. Then a couple of days later you hear that something bad happened to them. It can be very easy for us feel like this bad person got what they deserved and maybe they did. But let me ask you something - Do you want what you deserve all the time? Do you want that karma to play a part in your life? Because I know me, and I certainly don't want to get what I deserve because I can tell you that by some of my actions, I deserve some pretty bad stuff.
Now most people who know me would say that I am a pretty nice guy. I try to help people and try to give where ever I can. But there was one time that I was an extremely huge jerk. See, my brother, his wife, my ex-wife and I all went to the movies one night. Now we were at the snack counter buying stuff for the movie and I think my brother's wife ordered a hot dog that we didn't get so I mentioned it to the clerk. From there, things spiraled downward pretty quickly and an one point he called my sister-in-law a liar. This really made me mad so I told this sixteen year old kid that I had a law degree and was smart and successful (at least that's the way I will clean it up for this) and I also told him that he was a worthless nobody who would never make it out of the job he was in. I told him to enjoy working at a movie theater or pumping gas the rest of his life because that was all he would ever do.
Are you little surprised at me? Well, I can tell you that to this day, it is one of the things in my life that I am most ashamed of. That kid didn't deserve the stuff I said to him. So let's talk about karma. As I said, I am really a good guy at heart and I want people to judge me for my heart and not necessarily for the things I say or do. Did I make a mistake with that kid? - YES!!! Am I extremely sorry that I said what I did? - YES!!! Would I ever want to say something like that again? - NO!!! So did I deserve to have something bad happen to me because I said what I did? According to people who run around talking about karma, I did. But thank God I don't serve the God of karma. I serve a God who is full of mercy and grace. What mercy and grace mean is that even though I deserve one thing, I get something else. Let's say I deserve to have something bad happen to me because of what I said to that kid, but I am thankful that God had mercy on me and gave me grace so that nothing bad happened.
Before I leave the movie theater story, I want to tell you one of the most grown up things I have ever done in my life. As you may know I like the movie Dirty Dancing. Now my favorite line is by Baby's father. He confronts Johnny at the end of the movie and says something along the lines of "I know you didn't get that girl in trouble," and Johnny basically says, "So." Then here is my favorite line. Baby's dad says, "When I'm wrong, I say I'm wrong." So I sat down in the theater and felt such a conviction from the Lord about what I had done that I told my then wife, I had to go back and talk to the kid. I will never forget walking up to him. He was standing at one end of the counter and it looked like he had just been ripped up and down both walls for our altercation which had gotten pretty heated. The manager started down toward us to break up what he thought was going to be round two. But when he got close, he heard me telling this kid how sorry I was for my actions. I told him that I was a christian and what I said was absolutely horrible and awful. Then I did something strange, I asked him to forgive me for being so ugly. He said he was sorry too and that he too was a Christian. We both walked away apologizing to each other. I don't know where that young man is today but I hope he is fulfilling all his dreams. I certainly wish him the very best in life.
So back to mercy and grace. I just told you of a time when I needed God's mercy and grace to cover something bad I did. But let's talk about a little different situation now.
But what about when someone does you wrong? First of all, take a minute to look through their eyes at the situation. You might see things much differently if you do. Remember that hurting people hurt other people. If someone hurts you, it is very likely that they are hurt themselves. Again, I don't want you to let someone continue to hurt you but I do want you to consider mercy and grace. If you have a way to let them off the hook, consider it. After all, don't you want someone to give you grace when you mess up? We all know that you and I never mess up on purpose. Sometimes we just do stupid things. Is it possible that the other person you are mad at right now is in the same boat? They didn't mean to hurt you, they just did? I know that sometimes this isn't the case but sometimes it is.
So I want to leave you with this thought, there is a God in Heaven that constantly shows us mercy and grace and when we get in trouble, we always want someone to show us mercy and grace. Then we are going to have to stop giving people what they deserve and give them what we want instead - mercy and grace.
And that's another Opinion of the Minion
Several times lately, I have heard someone mention the word karma. When they use this word, what they are basically saying is that someone got what was coming to them and normally this applies to something bad happening to someone and the fact that they deserved it.
For instance, when someone is mean to you and let's say they call you something bad. Then a couple of days later you hear that something bad happened to them. It can be very easy for us feel like this bad person got what they deserved and maybe they did. But let me ask you something - Do you want what you deserve all the time? Do you want that karma to play a part in your life? Because I know me, and I certainly don't want to get what I deserve because I can tell you that by some of my actions, I deserve some pretty bad stuff.
Now most people who know me would say that I am a pretty nice guy. I try to help people and try to give where ever I can. But there was one time that I was an extremely huge jerk. See, my brother, his wife, my ex-wife and I all went to the movies one night. Now we were at the snack counter buying stuff for the movie and I think my brother's wife ordered a hot dog that we didn't get so I mentioned it to the clerk. From there, things spiraled downward pretty quickly and an one point he called my sister-in-law a liar. This really made me mad so I told this sixteen year old kid that I had a law degree and was smart and successful (at least that's the way I will clean it up for this) and I also told him that he was a worthless nobody who would never make it out of the job he was in. I told him to enjoy working at a movie theater or pumping gas the rest of his life because that was all he would ever do.
Are you little surprised at me? Well, I can tell you that to this day, it is one of the things in my life that I am most ashamed of. That kid didn't deserve the stuff I said to him. So let's talk about karma. As I said, I am really a good guy at heart and I want people to judge me for my heart and not necessarily for the things I say or do. Did I make a mistake with that kid? - YES!!! Am I extremely sorry that I said what I did? - YES!!! Would I ever want to say something like that again? - NO!!! So did I deserve to have something bad happen to me because I said what I did? According to people who run around talking about karma, I did. But thank God I don't serve the God of karma. I serve a God who is full of mercy and grace. What mercy and grace mean is that even though I deserve one thing, I get something else. Let's say I deserve to have something bad happen to me because of what I said to that kid, but I am thankful that God had mercy on me and gave me grace so that nothing bad happened.
Before I leave the movie theater story, I want to tell you one of the most grown up things I have ever done in my life. As you may know I like the movie Dirty Dancing. Now my favorite line is by Baby's father. He confronts Johnny at the end of the movie and says something along the lines of "I know you didn't get that girl in trouble," and Johnny basically says, "So." Then here is my favorite line. Baby's dad says, "When I'm wrong, I say I'm wrong." So I sat down in the theater and felt such a conviction from the Lord about what I had done that I told my then wife, I had to go back and talk to the kid. I will never forget walking up to him. He was standing at one end of the counter and it looked like he had just been ripped up and down both walls for our altercation which had gotten pretty heated. The manager started down toward us to break up what he thought was going to be round two. But when he got close, he heard me telling this kid how sorry I was for my actions. I told him that I was a christian and what I said was absolutely horrible and awful. Then I did something strange, I asked him to forgive me for being so ugly. He said he was sorry too and that he too was a Christian. We both walked away apologizing to each other. I don't know where that young man is today but I hope he is fulfilling all his dreams. I certainly wish him the very best in life.
So back to mercy and grace. I just told you of a time when I needed God's mercy and grace to cover something bad I did. But let's talk about a little different situation now.
But what about when someone does you wrong? First of all, take a minute to look through their eyes at the situation. You might see things much differently if you do. Remember that hurting people hurt other people. If someone hurts you, it is very likely that they are hurt themselves. Again, I don't want you to let someone continue to hurt you but I do want you to consider mercy and grace. If you have a way to let them off the hook, consider it. After all, don't you want someone to give you grace when you mess up? We all know that you and I never mess up on purpose. Sometimes we just do stupid things. Is it possible that the other person you are mad at right now is in the same boat? They didn't mean to hurt you, they just did? I know that sometimes this isn't the case but sometimes it is.
So I want to leave you with this thought, there is a God in Heaven that constantly shows us mercy and grace and when we get in trouble, we always want someone to show us mercy and grace. Then we are going to have to stop giving people what they deserve and give them what we want instead - mercy and grace.
And that's another Opinion of the Minion
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