Cyberhawk's Thoughts From The Realm

Okay, I will come clean.  I’ve had it for a while, but recently, I’ve been really addicted to Minecraft.  If you haven’t seen this game, just google it.  You will get everything you need and more.  It’s a very simple game in game play and graphics.  It’s exactly what the game title says – You mine almost everything in the virtual world, and use it to build whatever you want.

And people have built just about everything.  I don’t get much time, but any time that I have gotten lately has gone to digging deep into my lair looking for diamonds.  It’s even taken over Star Wars Old Republic, which I have to tell you is amazing.  (though I’m sure I’ll be back in the Star Wars Universe very soon)

Check this game out.  It’s cheap, clean and anyone can play it.  Parents, you can allow your kids to play it without worrying about what they will see or experience.  It’s really like a lego world on steroids.

I woke up to crazy weather this morning.  They told me that it would be a nice day today.  I believed them, and paid for it.  I got up, put a short sleeve shirt on and walked out the door to Winter.  Okay it wasn’t winter, it was 58 degrees but after the last two days being over 70 degrees, it felt cold.  Apparently a little cold front came in and hit our area, yet amazingly it was in the 80′s only about two hours away.  It’s amazing what a little front can do.  I came home and put a long sleeve shirt on and a light jacket and I was good.

It gives you a little more understanding of why the Lord says to watch the little sins in life.  Just as a small cold front can hinder some beautiful weather, a little sin can wreak havoc in a life.  Summer will be here soon enough, and I’m sure as usual that I will be complaining that it’s too hot.  But I’m still looking for a few more days of 70 degrees plus.  Wonder what I’ll have to wear tomorrow…..apparently the weather lady doesn’t know

I heard a report on the news last night that more than a few people say that they are not truthful when sending texts.  Apparently when people aren’t looking face to face and speaking, they feel like they can be a little less truthful with one another.  I would say that this is all another part of the problem that I think our society has with conversation.  I’m sure you’ve heard me say it before….we do not know how to communicate with each other.  We are losing probably one of the most powerful strengths of relationship – the ability to communicate.

Contracts of all types can be broken so easy today.  So it doesn’t matter whether we sign our name on the dotted line or not.  Now we cannot even carry on a conversation by texting and believe what the other person is saying.  If we cannot get face to face with anyone and be able to carry on an honest conversation, we are finished.  The Bible is very clear to say that we are who we are when people are watching us and we really are who we are when nobody is watching us.  Even when we are sending a text.  Let’s be truthful with people out there.

Today was just an amazing day.  The church that I pastor, held a service with the church that uses our building.  We tried the best that we could to make sure that there was no identity of any single church, but a new identity of the two operating as one.  And it came together in an amazing way.  The music team was huge and took on the sounds of both styles of music.  The service, which was very well attended, just blended as if there was only one church, and I really believe that today, that’s what it was.

I feel that as Christians begin to lose their personal identity to take on the identity of Christ that many things will begin to change.  We won’t worry about the things that once used to bother us.  Like whether people notice us or not.  Or how people have hurt us, because those things won’t matter.  We won’t have to strive to be something that we are not.  Because we will recognize that we are the best we can be when we are in Christ and Christ is in us.  We won’t bicker about things or find ourselves in those little quarrels so often.  We will have nothing to really fight about.  I’m not saying that we were perfect today.  I’m sure there were things that we could have differently and probably should have.  But I sure do thank the Lord for helping us start somewhere.  The rest will develop naturally.

Let me say it again…..What a GREAT Day!

I’m downstairs playing on my computer and catching up on some old Mission Impossible movies when I hear a sound of unbelievable decibels echoing through my house.  It is my boys who have decided to play one or our old Madden Football games on the Xbox.  And they were having a ball, hollering at each other and laughing and talking smack as they stop each other or score on one another.  My wife teases me a lot about the testosterone levels in our home with three men, but it felt good tonight.  The realization is that I’ve been very blessed with an amazing family.  Ministry is never easy on a family because of the pressure it exerts, but this family has always responded well to what the church and the world throws at us.  And I know that these two boys will be leaving and starting their own families in just a few short years and this house will be quiet and empty.  So the sound of the laughter and talking smack is really a welcomed sound to my ears.

As I type this, I type it with a big happy and satisfied smile on my face.  My family is together for another Christmas.  What will the future be like?  I do not know, but I don’t care right now.  Right now, everything is A-OK!

Santa was very kind to me this year.  But one of the things that I got really was a blast from my past.  In fact, I played with it for hours thinking about my past and how cool it was.  I got an Icade.  It is a cabinet made for the Ipad that is built to resemble the old arcade games.  It has a joystick and 8 buttons that can be configured many different ways depending on the game that you choose to play.  I was able to download many of the old Atari games that I used to put quarter after quarter into to try and get further into the game then the last time I played.  Oh, I’ve definitely lost the touch and I’m amazed at how far the graphics have come.  But these were games that I loved and I’m sure that I will continue to play for a long time.  Tempest, missile command, asteroids to name just a few.  And I haven’t even tried Pacman or Donkey Kong yet.  I think this thing is going to get a lot of use.  :b

AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE GREATEST MAN OF ALL TIMES…..MY SAVIOR, MESSIAH, FRIEND, AND GOD – JESUS CHRIST!

This is the first year that I do not have to decorate a Christmas tree on Christmas Eve.  Our wrapping was finished last night and earlier tonight, so I don’t even have to wrap gifts late into the evening or early into the morning….and that’s also a first.

I guess there are some benefits of having older children.  Although I have to admit that there is something missing in not having to play the Santa game any more.  But it sure will feel good tomorrow morning, especially with it being Sunday and me having to speak a message.  We actually have had our tree up almost two weeks already, and that’s an amazing thing.  Especially with a pitbull named Dallas in the house.  You can read last years post – Dallie the Destroyer to understand that better.  Well I better end, I think I hear the fatman up on my roof.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Wow, I wish every year had been this easy.  I started my Christmas shopping on Tuesday night, and I”ve been out all day today.  But it is all finished, I’m ready to wrap tomorrow and we are done.  I might actually get some sleep this Christmas eve.  And I think I got everything I needed.