Be Patient and Let God Work

We all have the opportunity to glorify God with our choices.
We all have the opportunity to glorify God with our choices.

I recently came across a story just too good not to share. While everyone seems to be focusing on the demise of American culture and labeling our society as “Godless,” I keep finding story after story of Christians rallying around each other, that bring me hope.

Interestingly, once again, this story of hope takes place on a football field.

A young man named Luke Keller had seen some hard times. His father left. His grandmother died and his grandfather was jailed. He had lost all hope and he decided on his way home from school, that it might be time to end his life.

He went to mow the lawn, hoping it might get his mind off of his suicidal thoughts. It didn’t. In desperation, he finally decided to call out to a God that he had never believed in. Isn’t that how it goes for many of us? We wait until we hit hard rock bottom before we cry out for help.

Luke said, “God, if you are real and you are what people say you are, then tell me something, because today I’m going to end my life. I need to know if you are real.”

He heard Β voice that said, “I want you to follow me.”

Luke needed to be sure. Here again, it amazes me at how often we question God. The supernatural alarms us. We like to check and double-check. But, our loving Father is ever patient with us, especially the young ones.

Luke said, “God I feel like I heard you, but will you please say it one more time so I know I’m not crazy?”

What do you think God did? Did He strike him down for his disbelief? Nope. He obliged and repeated, “I want you to follow me.”

Luke dropped to his knees and began crying. He had been through a year of counseling and after that day, not one more suicidal thought entered his mind.

Luke just happened to be a high school football player and he decided to drop to his knee and point to the sky to thank God when he made a touchdown. He said he was living for God and wanted to glorify Him with every victory he was given. This act was apparently not a problem until his team made the playoffs.

There was a referee who told him he was celebrating when he knelt and pointed and that if he did it again, he would be thrown out of the game. He was crushed. He was only trying to glorify God.

At half-time, Luke’s little sister got a note to him that said, “Be patient and let God work.” She was allowing God to use her too.

On his next touch down, he didn’t kneel and point to God. He simply walked back to the sidelines, shoulders slumped, until he looked at the stands. Around 7,000 fans had all dropped to their knees and pointed to the sky.

You see, we always have a choice. We can be like Luke and seek to glorify God in all that we do. If we make that choice, we have to have faith that God will intervene for us, if the road gets rough.

It really doesn’t matter whether we are on the field, or in the stands, or even the little sister. We all have a part to play.

What is yours?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy πŸ™‚

 

Just One

Who knows what kind of difference just one Bible can make?
Who knows what kind of difference just one Bible can make?

Last Sunday, a representative from Gideons International came and spoke at our church. I always enjoy hearing them speak because they always have inspirational stories to share. This time was no exception.

He started off by giving some amazing statistics about the work of the Gideons. Last spring they reached the two billion mark on Bibles they have distributed. He also shared that a few weeks earlier, they handed out nine thousand Bibles on the University of Georgia campus, also an impressive number. He told us that the Bibles they distribute have been translated into ninety languages.

All of those numbers are a really good indicator of the work they do, but our speaker said that he wasn’t there to talk about the numbers. He wanted to talk about just one person that a Gideon placed Bible had helped.

Part of the Gideon ministry is to place Bibles in motel rooms across America. There was a man who checked into a motel with a gun and the intention to kill himself.

When he walked into the room, there was a Bible lying open, on top of the television. It made the man angry, just seeing it, so he took his hand and knocked it onto the floor. It landed opened. Angrier still, he kicked it underneath the bed. Motel beds are built on platforms, so it bounced out, still opened.

In exasperation, he picked it up off of the floor and read the scripture that it was turned to. He expected it to be something about condemnation. He was angry with God and fully expected God to be angry with him.

What he found was John 14:27, which reads: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

At his lowest point, God didn’t condemn him. He reached out in mercy and extended grace through Jesus.

The man spent three days in that motel room and left there changed. He went home to his wife, who had locked him out of the house. She had been raising their children alone, while he was out chasing his own selfish pursuits. She was reluctant, but eventually agreed to go to church with him.

He is now a pastor in North Carolina. Our speaker asked us, “How many lives has that man’s ministry touched?” “How many lives has that one Bible made a difference in?”

It’s not about the numbers; it’s about real people being changed by the Gospel. Every lost soul matters to God.

God is always at work reaching back for us, when we reach for Him and sometimes when we don’t reach for Him. Every effort we make to serve Him has the possibility to make a tremendous impact on someone else.

Our speaker shared just one example of one Bible making a difference. What can I do today to make a difference? What can you do?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy πŸ™‚

Showing Not Telling

When we show our faith instead of telling about it, we might be more effective.
When we show our faith instead of telling about it, we might be more effective.

Last week I spent three days subbing in an elementary school art class. The assignment for each child was to create a pumpkin, leaf, or turkey design for the upcoming Thanksgiving Feast. I spent the first few minutes of each class, reading the directions and giving all of the details.

Each child could pick the size of paper they wanted, then draw out a design in pencil, trace in Sharpie, color, and then cut out. Sounds simple, right? By the third day, with six classes each day, I could almost recite the directions without reading them.

The third day, however, presented a new challenge. I had three, yes three, students, each in a different class, who didn’t speak English. They spoke Bulgarian, Chinese and Spanish.

Each child sat and listened to the directions and smiled and nodded. But, when they came up to my desk, to choose their paper, they had absolutely no idea what to do. Those seemingly simple directions, might as well have been a physics lesson.

How could I communicate words like trace and Sharpie with them? I tried explaining a few times and then I had a light bulb moment. I actually showed them what they were supposed to do. I asked them to point to a design and then I asked them to point to the size of paper they wanted.

Next, I walked back to the table with them and picked up a pencil and showed them what to do. While each child worked, I went and got a Sharpie and showed them that they were to trace it. Then I picked up crayons, markers and colored pencils, indicating that they could choose which medium they wanted to color with.

My demonstration paid off. The first two students did a great job with their art.

Then the student who spoke Spanish came in. I speak a little Spanish; a little being the operative word here, I decided I would speak to her instead of show her. She laughed and shook her head at my rusty attempts at her native language. I ended up showing her too and got the same results as the other kids.

I chuckled to myself the rest of the day. Communicating can be hard. Communicating with people who don’t speak your language, can feel close to impossible at times.

I think that’s a big challenge for the Church in the times we live in. We can talk about the Gospel all day long. We can quote scripture and preach it from the pulpit. We can use words like grace, love and mercy when we describe Jesus to others.

But, to those who are lost and suffering, we are speaking a different language. There are many people who have never witnessed true Christian love, many people who have never been extended grace or mercy. When life has been nothing, but hard and harsh, those words are just words. They mean nothing.

Perhaps to bridge the gap, we need to show grace, love and mercy to those who need it the most. We can extend kindnesses, throw open our church doors and welcome in the lost, but also try to meet them at their eye level, right where they are. Isn’t that what Jesus did for us?

I think the key in sharing our faith is showing not telling. I was grateful for the lesson. It may be one we all need to hear.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy πŸ™‚

 

Life Lessons from Crayons

Potential is useless without action.
Potential is useless without action.

While subbing for a few days in an art class last week, I came into contact with a bunch of art supplies, from paint brushes, to glue, to scissors, to clay, to colored pencils and crayons. In my opinion, crayons are one of the coolest inventions ever.

They are cheap. They are readily available and simple to use. The novice can proudly create pictures by using them to scribble and the most talented of artists can create masterpieces.

The interesting thing about crayons is that they come perfectly sharpened and ready to go. I remember as a kid, opening that brand new box to use on a school assignment. I don’t know about you, but that first stroke with an unused crayon, could make me giddy with excitement.

I never got the same feeling about using crayons, once the perfect little tip was gone. A pile of used crayons in a box, for some reason, is kind of ho-hum. We still have the same colors. We still have the same potential to create. What’s the difference?

Perhaps the perfect unused crayon represents potential. If that crayon has never been used to color anything, it’s up to us to make it count. We have in our hand, the possibility of creating something new and beautiful.

But, as long as that crayon is perfectly shaped and pristine, it hasn’t been used to create anything. Potential is great. There’s are a ton of people and ideas with potential. The thing about potential, is it can live and die inside of our heads and hearts. Potential is useless if we don’t act on it somehow.

Potential requires action to become something great.

As I looked around the art tables, I found crayons which had been dulled from use, broken ones, ones that had the paper pulled down or off, and ones that were really short from use.

It's only when crayons are used, that they have added color to the world.
It’s only when crayons are used, that they have added color to the world.

When I thought about it, those were the crayons that had made a difference for some young artist. They had actually been used to spread color to a blank space and the color helped to make it something new and unique, something creative and beautiful.

We all start out like those perfectly pristine crayons. We are all full of potential of some kind. Some of us choose to stay in the box, safe from any wear and tear, safe from getting damaged or broken.

But, it’s only in using what we have been given, to add color and beauty to the world around us that we are able to reach our potential. That requires risk of getting used and broken, yet it’s what Jesus calls us to do.

“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill that cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16

Perhaps we should ask ourselves if we need to get out of our box.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy πŸ™‚

 

Lessons from the Art Room

Lessons from the art room
Lessons from the art room

Last week, for three days, I was a substitute teacher in art, for grades third through fifth. As always, being in the art room was an interesting experience. I had subbed in there before, but not for three days. Three days spent doing anything, can give you a new perspective.

Their assignment was simple. They were supposed to create either a pumpkin, leaf, or funky turkey to help decorate their school for the Thanksgiving Feast. They had some examples to look at, but they were given a white sheet of paper, the size of their choice, and a pencil. After drawing, and then tracing in Sharpie, they could color in any way or design they saw fit. The turkeys could be dressed in any crazy costume that the kids could dream up.

After three days, I noticed a pattern. The third graders were super excited about the assignment. They gleefully took paper and got busy. My challenge with them was to get them to keep drawing and stop sharing their creations with their friends. They were also very encouraging to each other. I witnessed a lot of kindness.

The fourth grade, just one year older, tended to play it safe. They tended to choose the pumpkin more than anything. They would sometimes trace a perfectly round circle and they tended to simply color it orange. They were more self-conscious Β about their art. There wasn’t as much sharing.

The fifth grade had two distinct groups. There were those who loved art and knew they were good at it and those felt they had an hour to kill. The ones who loved art and creating, always went for the turkeys. They dressed them in a wide array of outfits, from Bulldog jerseys to pearls and earrings. There were fat ones and thin ones. The ones who enjoyed creating were focused solely on their creation. They didn’t seem to care much what the other kids were drawing.

It was the ones who didn’t feel like they were, “good at it,” who seemed to spend the most time looking at what their peers were creating.

As I thought about the art classes, they seemed like a perfect example of people in general, and our creativity as well. When we are young, we feel like there is nothing we can’t do.

When was the last time you attended a high school graduation? That valedictorian gives his/her speech and those graduates believe there is nothing out of their reach. But, as the invisible door silently closes on high school and life begins, dreams and aspirations tend to get lost.

Life happens. Like those fifth graders, we begin to compare ourselves to everyone else in big, and sometimes dream destructive, ways. Our dreams get lost, forgotten or put away. Some were meant to die, but some were planted by our creative Creator.

Once life happens and we have a spouse, kids, and a mortgage, we feel it’s too late. But, the bottom line isΒ that it’s simply never too late to chase a dream. If God is behind it, it can happen at any stage of the game.

But, how do we know if it’s from Him? We have to pray a lot and spend a lot of quiet time listening. Perhaps the most important step is spending time in His Word. He would never have us pursue something contrary to scripture. It’s also really helpful to have some other Christian friends to bounce ideas off of.

Once we do all of that and that nudge is still there and that dream that we’ve locked away for so long is still calling to us, it may be time to take a leap of faith.

Stop comparing and worrying, like the fifth graders, just jump. Don’t play it safe like the fourth graders. If God has called you to it, you are in for a wild ride. What are you waiting for?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy πŸ™‚

The Joy of Fellowship

We should always be on the lookout for the people who God puts in our path.
We should always be on the lookout for the people who God puts in our path.

Last Saturday morning, the ladies from my church were supposed to meet at our new church building to clean our new kitchen. We are moving in a couple of weeks and we were hoping to get everything sparkling clean and organized. Our pastor’s wife was even bringing donuts and coffee.

I’ll have to admit that I was just thrilled by the old-fashioned idea of the church ladies coming together to clean a kitchen. It’s so not PC. Modern society would certainly ask why the men weren’t coming to help. To be fair, they had done their part a couple of weeks earlier, by replacing ceiling tiles.

This was now our opportunity to have some fellowship and do our part to get our new building ready. It was also reminiscent for me, of times when I went to our own tiny church, when I was a kid, with my cousin Janice to help clean up “God’s house.”

It was 8:00 AM on Saturday morning and I had survivedΒ  an exhausting week; so I came into the parking lot five minutes late on two wheels. There was only one car there. I breathed a sigh of relief. Everyone was running late.

The one lady who was there, was not one I knew very well. She isn’t in the choir and I hadn’t seen her at Wednesday night Bible study. I knew who she was, but little else. But, the fact is, that I rarely meet a stranger, so I got out of my car and figured I could chit-chat with her for a few minutes.

Although, she has a grown son and is a grandmother, we found so much in common right away. Our beginning conversation was about the new building and our excitement at getting inside. But, it didn’t take long to move onto deeper topics.

She had wanted to stay home and raise her child more than anything and acknowledged how blessed she was to be able to do so. I told her that I didn’t participate in as many programs at church that I would like, but that I was trying to spend every minute possible with my two teens who are still at home. She told me that she understood completely and encouraged me to enjoy this time.

We got cold after a while and got into her car. Our talk turned to our dogs and how we both felt that God had guided us to them and what blessings they are to us. We talked about organic gardening. Before I knew it, an hour had passed. I made a couple of calls and learned that the cleaning day had been cancelled and that somehow my name hadn’t been on the e-mail.

She and I laughed about it and said that we both enjoyed getting to know one another. As I climbed out of her car, I looked up and saw a hawk soaring overhead.

I smiled as I said a silent prayer of thanks for the fellowship with another Christian. The next morning, my pastor’s wife apologized for the mix up and said she felt terrible about it all. I reassured her that I had a delightful visit and made a new friend. She smiled and said that was exactly what the other lady had said.

I thought about it later that day. God is always at work in big and small ways. He puts people in our paths for so many reasons. Sometimes we can help them. Sometimes they can help us. Sometimes it’s simply to build new relationships in Christ through simple fellowship. I’m often too busy to see that.

It wasn’t the first time I’ve learned a valuable lesson in a church parking lot. When was the last time you stopped to enjoy Christian fellowship?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy πŸ™‚

 

Praying for His Will

As we grow in faith, we strive to learn to pray for God's will, not ours.
As we grow in faith, we strive to learn to pray for God’s will, not ours.

Last Sunday, our pastor was preaching about the passage in Mark, Chapter 10, where the brothers James and John, approach Jesus and ask him for a favor. They approach him and say, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask.” Mark 10:35

Hmmm, how many of our prayers begin the same way? “Dear, God, please give me A,B,C and D and quickly please.” Are you squirming a little? I know I am.

They then go on to ask Jesus to let the two of them sit on his right and left in his glory. They would like to be exalted above the other disciples and anyone else, for that matter.

It’s easy for us to sit and judge these guys. Isn’t it? What a selfish request for them to make, right?

But, when we honestly look at our own prayers, do we fare much better?

My pastor pointed out that Jesus often answers the simple prayers of young Christians, to let them know He is listening and to grow their faith. I know he answered my prayers for good grades on tests, when I was in high school. Perhaps you had similar prayers answered.

But, as we mature, our prayers become more complex. When we pray for our team to win a football game, or when we pray that we get that job we want, there are consequences. What if the other team is praying for a win? What if someone else is praying about that job?

Aren’t we actually praying for favoritism over someone else? James and John aren’t looking quite so selfish.

As we mature in our faith, our prayers are supposed to mature too. There is absolutely nothing wrong with bringing all of our concerns, heartaches, pain and troubles to God. That’s what we are supposed to do.

The problem arises when we expect Him to act as some type of cosmic genie and answer all of our requests in the way that we request and on our own timeline. When that doesn’t happen, we sometimes decide that God doesn’t answer prayers.

We forget that sometimes the answer is, “No.”

What we need to strive for is the, “Thy will be done;” part. For example, if we are looking for a new job, we can ask for guidance and for God to show us where we should look, instead of, “Please give me this specific job now.”

What if He has a different plan for you? A large part of faith is learning to trust in His plan and not ours. It’s tricky because we believe we know what’s best for us. We can pray for patience and perseverance too. Now we’re talking about fruit of the Spirit.

The James and John exchange with Jesus, has made me take a look at my prayers. I’m reminded to focus less on my wants and will, and more on God’s. Sometimes I need reminding. Maybe you do too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy πŸ™‚

 

Getting off the Sidelines

One brick can't do much, but a bunch of them together, can build a fortress.
One brick can’t do much, but a bunch of them together, can build a fortress.

Seems like everywhere I look these days, there’s some new controversy about sports and prayer. In September of 2014, the ACLU told a Tennessee high school that they were no longer allowed to have a prayer over the PA system before the game. They were allowed a moment of silence.

The two cheer captains from each team, decided to stand up on their own, and lead their teammates in the Lord’s Prayer. When they were obedient to God’s call, the Holy Spirit stepped in. The entire crowd in the stands joined in. They were amazed. It was completely unexpected. But, that’s what happens when we step out in faith.

There wasn’t much the ACLU could do about it.

The latest prayer war is happening in the state of Washington. At Bremerton High School, a football coach named Joseph Kennedy, has been walking to the fifty yard line to kneel in prayer, after each game,Β since 2008, when he saw the film, “Facing the Giants.”

He always says some form of the following prayer: “Lord I thank you for these kids and the blessing you have given me with them. We believe in the game; we believe in competition and we can come into it as rivals and leave as brothers.”

It’s pretty shocking, I know. Apparently the big issue for the school district was that he used the word, “Lord,” in it.

Well, last Friday night was their homecoming game. The coach was told he could no longer pray in the locker room or on the field after the game, because he was still on the clock for the school. He was told by the school district if he prayed, he would lose his job. He agreed not to pray in the locker room because he did in fact, have a captive audience.

Did I mention that Coach Kennedy was a Marine for twenty years? He served in Dessert Shield and Dessert Storm. Kennedy said, “He spent twenty years defending the Constitution and the freedoms that everybody has.”

After the game was over, as usual, he went to the fifty yard line and took a knee and prayed. He always has players who voluntarily follow him, but last week, the team on the opposing side and their coaches joined him.

Not only that, the word had gotten out about his situation and fellow prayer warriors showed up. One man had never been to a Bremerton football game, but came because he was tired of, “ACLU bullies.” Another man hadn’t been to a high school game in forty years, but came to pray with the coach. A State Representative came and stood by the coach through the entire game.

Who knows how the story will end? Coach Kennedy has kept his eyes focused on the, “things of God, not the things of man.”

But one thing is for sure; this is how revival starts. Christians don’t have to ram our faith down anyone’s throat. We don’t need violence. We don’t need protest signs. We don’t need hate speech or to try to put someone out of business because they don’t believe like we do.

All we have to do is remember that the God we serve called the universe into being. He is all-powerful and in control. Then, we need to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our fellow prayer warriors in Christ.

The Holy Spirit will do the rest. The only question for us, is are we willing to stand up or in this case, take a knee? Perhaps it’s time to get off of the sidelines and into the game.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy πŸ™‚

Being Understandable

Perhaps communicating the Gospel clearly, should be a priority or all Christians.
Perhaps communicating the Gospel clearly, should be a priority for all Christians.

My pastor called my two teens into the parking lot on Sunday before church, for a little chat. I’ll have to admit that I was super curious what it was about. My kids adore him. They call him, “Captain,” which they got from the Robin Williams movie,Β “Dead Poet’s Society.”

I later learned that Captain asked them to take notes during his sermon and jot down anything that they didn’t understand, from vocabulary to concepts. During the sermon he said that John Wesley had done something similar, with a young servant girl. He asked her to raise her hand when he used words that she couldn’t understand. Turns out, her hand was in the air almost constantly.

I find being understandable a fascinating concept because last week, I wrote a post about experiencing God and I had someone comment that, “I had written in a way that all could understand.”

I was floored by the comment simply because I never really thought about it before. Shouldn’t we all communicate in ways that everyone can understand, especially if we are sharing ideas and truths about God? Shouldn’t being understandable always be our goal?

Is, “The Church,” failing in communicating plainly with the world around us? When I say, “The Church,” I mean all of us who follow Jesus. “The Church,” is people not a place or a denomination. We are the Body of Christ. That’s a really big role to play. We should probably take it seriously.

What are we communicating to non-believers? Are we unclear? Are we teaching and preaching one thing at worship service and then acting entirely differently when we exit the building?

Do we preach grace and forgiveness to those who visit, but then change our message entirely after they join? Does church membership become about rules and appearances? Do we preach the importance of loving others, but then do nothing for those who are in need?

There are some highly educated people out there who seem to enjoy using big words whether spoken or written. I personally find essays or books that are written with words that cause me to find a thesaurus, to be tiring. I’m likely to put a piece of writing like that, down. It doesn’t matter how profound the message may have been, if it gets lost in five dollar words and abstract concepts.

The world at large needs to know about Jesus. Christians are called to share the Gospel with the people around us. Perhaps we should take a little time to be sure that we communicate clearly with our words, as well as with our actions, who it is we serve and why.

Perhaps we should follow the lead of Captain and make every effort to be understandable to everyone who God sends across our path. Sometimes I need reminding. Maybe you do too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy πŸ™‚

Are We Part-Time Christians?

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Photo courtesy of Red & Black- Mark Richt prays with Nick Chubb.

My Facebook page has been extremely populated with anti-Mark Richt comments the past couple of weeks. The Bulldogs lost to Alabama and then to Tennessee, and a vocal contingent of the Bulldog Nation has been calling for his resignation. It doesn’t matter to them what his record is. All that matters is that they want to beat Alabama and win a national championship.

Who doesn’t? I think that the majority of college football fans are tired of mouthy Alabama fans, and is there a fan out there who doesn’t want their team to win a national championship? That’s a fabulous goal. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to win, unless perhaps it defines you.

When we decide to win at all costs, sacrificing integrity, decency and everything else in the way, winning becomes an idol.

Mark Richt is in his fifteenth year of coaching at UGA. His players have an 82% graduation rate, tying with Vanderbilt for number one in the SEC. In a 2014 ESPN article, of the top twenty-five programs in the country, according to the AP and USA Today Coaches Poll, UGA ranked third in the country, in players who graduate, right behind Notre Dame and Stanford. Since less that 4% of players go on to play in the NFL, that’s a big deal.

When the disastrous Tennessee game played out a couple of weeks ago and Nick Chubb was injured, Richt was caught on camera, praying with him. He felt like prayer was that important.

During Saturday night’s game against Missouri, I saw Todd Gurley sitting on the sidelines with Chubb, throughout the game. Gurley is now an NFL star. He certainly had better things he could have done on his week off, yet there he was supporting his injured former teammate. The week before he had tweeted prayers for him.

Praying for each other and supporting one another, isn’t that what those of us who claim to be Christians are called to do? Is there any way we can avoid giving Richt some credit in that friendship?

Richt has been quoted as saying, “My identity is not in being a national championship foot ball coach. My identity is in Christ. Do I want to win one? Yes. Does that define me as a person? No.”

He has also said that he has been asked by moms to help make their son into a man. That’s the sad reality that we live in these days. Richt has tried to rise to the challenge.

So, with all of these thoughts and facts that have swirled in my mind, I have to ask the questions, “As Southerners, who consider ourselves God-fearing Christians, men and women of faith, are we part-time Christians? Are we only Christ-followers on Sundays? Do we put away our faith for Saturday football?”

As Christians, it seems to me that what happens to those young athletes in the years after college should matter to us. Do they deserve to have a productive life after college? Do we pray that they come to know Jesus as their savior? Do we pray that they be able to have a positive impact in their world, (our world), after college?

Are their lives worth more than a national championship? Mark Richt seems to have his eyes focused on the things of God, not the things of man. Can the Bulldog Nation honestly say the same?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy πŸ™‚