Our Identity.....

        What we find our identity in is important. As human beings we can find our identity in many things from sports teams, religion, and sports. However, God has commanded that we fins our identity in him. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ you may think that this would be second nature, but it is not for many christians. I was raised in a traditional Southern Baptist home with Southern Baptist values. I also accepted Jesus Christ at the age of seven. However, this did not help me in understanding that as a believer I was supposed to be living a different lifestyle. The church I grew up in was medium sized in its heyday and always had what I would call hell, fire and brimstone preachers in the pulpit. I grew up in fear of God and not ever understanding the grace that was really extended to me as a believer.

Angry Preacher

         What I have come to understand as a believer is that God loves all of his children regardless of where they are in their lives. However, we as believers are meant to show the same love to those who are outside the faith. I have learned to find my identity in my Father in heaven and not the things or people of this world. By doing this I have been allowed to learn that the love of God and Jesus Christ is boundless and can change the lives of anyone who is willing to submit to the will of the Father in heaven. 

          What many will find is that none of us are ever in control of our own destiny. If we think we are in control of our own destiny we spend our lives running around in circles and filling our lives with miserable attempts to fulfill a void that only God can fill in our lives. God never promises man that when he or she chooses to submit to his will for their lives that it will be easy. Submitting to something that you have no control over is never easy. However, you have to ask yourself "How much control did I really have in the first place?". 

           Reaching out in the world and being involved in destructive behavior are outward signs of a longing to fill a void that can only be filled by the love of God. Binge drinking, pre-marital sex, gossiping are all sins that believers and nonbelievers can avoid. The problem is that we as believers and nonbelievers need to be willing to get to the root of a problem. We need to be willing to look into our hearts and ask the hard questions. Too many time the believer and nonbeliever avoid "uncomfortable conversations" as my mother-in-law would put it. We fail to discover what is at the heart of the problem we are dealing with. 

            The United States has been at a moral crossroads for many years now because we have chosen not to have those hard conversations with each other as believers. When we have those hard conversations with ourselves and with others inside and outside our faith community we will find that those relationships can grow deeply. I know some of you just had the alarm bells go off and think I have fallen outta my chair and bumped my head. Sadly, you might be wrong about that. 

            By identifying with our Father in heaven and our savior Jesus Christ we find that we do not need to find fulfillment in other places. These include sex and sexual relationships which seem to be one of the biggest problems we have in our society. We are so worried about whether or not we are compatible with others when we meet them. Believers and nonbelievers alike engage in premarital sex in the hope that they will find someone they are compatible with. Well thanks to Matt Chandler I will quote you as he says it "Are you male?, Is she female? Then you are compatible.". Why are you compatible? The simple reason is that your relationship cannot be based off of the antithesis that you have mad sex into. Rather, your relationship is a covenant before God. You in marriage are not committed because they make you happy, rich, or prosperous. Rather, you are committed because you have made a covenant before God and you have chosen not to violate that covenant with premarital sex and you have chosen to honor each other no matter the circumstances throughout you marriage. 

             God has made a covenant to the believer and nonbeliever. He has chosen to love you no matter where you are he just wants you to submit to his will so you can experience the full love of Jesus Christ. Allow yourself to be identified by your relationship with God and not the things of this world. In this way you will be able to fully understand the love God has for you. 

For Me to Live is Christ...

        I attended Passion 2014 this year in Atlanta, Georgia and during that time I knew that my life was on a rapid track towards change. For the previous eight years of my life I have been in the United States Army. During that time I have spent time in South Carolina, Arizona, Texas, Colorado and Florida. Sometimes living in those places for a significant amount of time or just training there for a few weeks. During those eight years I discovered that God wanted me not to be one person but another. During that time I discovered through prayer that God has a plan for me and I have almost no understanding of the significance of it. While at the Passion 2014 conference I realized that although my family and I had a wonderful security blanket for the past eight years of our lives God was going to provide something better in the near future.
        I am nearing the end of my transition period with the Army and I have yet to find a job in the ministry. However, I have learned that I can hear God speaking through those around me in my life. One of those people is my mother-in-law. She sat me down this week while on a trip to Georgia during Spring Break and had a real discussion with me about why I went to seminary in the first place, what my motivations were, and never to give up on my passions. Then my wife also jumped in and encouraged me to take a different route. I think she might be right on this one. Just as a sidebar I can count on my right hand the amount of times I have been right versus the amount of times she has been right. Then finally I heard God speak through my Father-in-law. He has been a music minister for decades and just pushed me not to give up on what God has called me to do with my life. However, that door might not be open yet.
         Anyone who knows me will tell you I have a problem with humility. One of my issues is that because I think I have great experience I am right about having great experience. What I have learned from family this week is that I might be very wrong about this and that I need to go before God in a humbler way about what he wants for me.
         Philippians 1:21 tells us "For me to live is Christ. To die is gain.".  For me to live a life like Christ is to be humble. This is something I have trouble doing on a daily basis. I grew up in a house where I was praised constantly for athletic talent that has now faded because of multiple knee surgeries. I personally absorbed that praise and since childhood have always been overconfident, cocky and arrogant about my abilities to do anything. A few weeks ago I preached at my grandmothers funeral and delivered what my parents, relatives and visitors told me was a great message. However, I couldn't help but feel humbled and a little proud afterwards. This feeling of pride was the wrong feeling when I finished delivering my sermon. I should have been completely humbled by the fact that I was asked to speak at her funeral and that God would allow me a sinner of such great magnitude the right to preach His word. Christ was humble when he reached out to those he knew needed to hear God's message. Christ humbly submitted to being tortured for our sins. Christ also took on our sins as a sacrifice for us all. So, even as one who teaches God's Word I should never be proud in doing so. Rather, I should be humble when presenting the gospel to those who are saved or unsaved.
           We as christians cannot let the salvation we have received make us feel as if we are an elitist society. If we do we become nothing more than Pharisees. We should approach the unbeliever as humble, loving, and understanding of where they are in life. If we do this I am convinced God will use the Holy Spirit to work through us and them. If we fail to do this we cannot reach those who do not believe because they will see us as no different than themselves. So in conclusion we must die to ourselves and allow Christ and the Holy Spirit to work through us for the betterment of His kingdom.

God Bless

Pre-Marital Sex and What It is Doing to Us

This post comes from the fact that a friend who will remain anonymous, and asked me to approach this subject. So, before I begin this post I already know that many of you will not agree with me. I will also state that in my life I have not been perfect, but I have learned a lot from my mistakes and wish to pass that knowledge on to those who will come after me.

Sexual sin is one of the most powerful sins that we as human beings can participate in. It infiltrates us to the deepest core of our soul and we do not even realize the effect that it is having on us. Scientific study of sex has shown that when sexual sin is going on between two human beings the chemicals released during sex can be similar to those of many addictive drugs.

The Apostle Paul is very thorough on the sexual sin issue. He writes in 1 Corinthians 6:18: "Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins people commit are outside their bodies, but those who sin sexually sin against their own bodies." You may be asking yourself at this point "What is this guy getting at?" Well here we go.

Sex was designed for two very specific reasons. One, the husband and the wife were to become one through sexual intercourse and connect emotionally and physically through the sexual experience. Two, it was designed for the purpose of creating and sustaining human life. Creating little human beings called babies.

Many people believe that the sexual revolution began in the 1960's. This would be an understatement at best. It has it's roots in the 1920's. This is when women and men began to move away from the Victorian way of doing things and more towards a Freudian school of thought. Another key piece of equipment was introduced into this mix that gave Americans more freedom than ever before. The automobile gave the American more freedom to move around, travel, and socialize outside of established social circles. This created the current establishment of dating and moved away from the previous Victorian era of courting. When the human being receives more freedom and can move about as wanted they will challenge the barriers that have been established in the past. This easily paved the way for the ability for the human being to be tempted into having pre-marital sex.

Pre-marital sex causes problems in the most intimate place for a married couple, the bedroom. The reason for this is that men and women who have engaged in pre-marital sex often compare their sexual experiences with one partner to another. This can often lead to awkward and confrontational conversations between couples after they are married because their current partner cannot satisfy them the way they were in a previous relationship. As a aspiring college pastor I often hear younger adults say today "I need to test drive the car before I buy it." The simple fact is this. Human beings are not cars. Cars are cold machines made of steel, carbon fiber, and plastic. They are not human beings created by God, with a soul, and deep feelers of emotion. I do not understand how we as wonderful creations of God can lower ourselves to a creation of metal, carbon fiber, and plastic.

The amount of pre-marital sex out in the world today has desensitized us to what it means to develop a emotional and physical connection to the person we are choosing to be with. Rather we have decided that we should fulfill only the sexual desire that we feel we need. This can be seen in television, movies, and music that is being produced by the mainstream media. Recent examples of that include musical releases by artists such as Rihanna, 2 Chainz and many others. 

In these videos released by the music industry you see multiple desensitized images of what sex is. Rather than sex being something that is sacred between a husband and wife it is treated like something that is meant to fulfill personal desire. There is nothing sacred in these presentations that are seen here. This is not the design that God has set forth for man and woman and the sexual relationship. Yes, we are supposed to enjoy each other sexually but not like this. Pre-marital sex has opened the floodgate for the degradation of women, degrading of the male as the head of the household, and images such as these. These images are having a lasting and terrible effect on the people who are seeing them. Children see these images and hear these lyrics from an early age, because many parents today fail to understand the lasting effects that entertainment like this are having on the future of society. 

When speaking with many young people today I hear them say "The lyrics of a song do not really matter." or "I just listen to it for the beat." However, the people of today are so desensitized that they cannot grasp the amount of damage that is happening to their emotional and psychological well being. Also, their ability to have a healthy sexual relationship. 

Abortion is a consequence of pre-marital sex. In 1973 their were 1.6 million abortions. In 1990 their were 1.6 million abortions resulting in what appears to be 43 million abortions since Roe v. Wade was decided by the Supreme Court. As I mentioned earlier sexual intercourse was created for two reasons. One of those is to create children. When a person engages in sexual intercourse they are possibly going to create a baby. However, in a world where the consequence of sin and self accountability have been thrown out the window the United States has chosen to believe that a baby with a heartbeat is not a human being. I have even heard an unborn child referred to as a "parasite" by a coworker because it is sucking the life out of the mother. Forty-Three million creations of God have been thrown in the trash, sucked out by vacuum cleaners and destroyed by any means necessary by doctors who have veiled the truth of God with a curtain of science. 

Sexually Transmitted Diseases are a consequence of pre-marital sex. STD rates have skyrocketed since 1960. Prior to 1960 doctors in the United States were battling two major STD's in the United States according to ChristianLifeResources.com. Now their are over 30 different types of STD's in the U.S. alone. Twenty-five percent of sexually active teens have an STD, a 500% increase in herpes cases since 1976, HPV among young females has gone through the roof, five million new Americans will contract a new STD this year and 85% of those who contract that disease will not show any signs of it. This is alarming information. I believe every part of the Bible and in the Bible God brought plague and disease to people who had fallen away from Him. God is in control of everything and with God being in control of everything He has the power to bring disease and suffering to those who choose to live outside of His will. If you are involved in sexual sin you are living outside of His will. 

Unwanted Pregnancy, Unwanted Marriages, and Divorce are all consequences of pre-marital sex.  My dad always said this to me. "If you are not ready to provide for a family then you should not be having sex." When one becomes pregnant it is an emotional roller coaster. Children change every dynamic of the life that you thought you had. You might be "in love" with the person you are having sexual relations with but you might not quite be mentally ready for marriage. I have always asked young men and women "If you are not ready to be married why are you doing things only married people should do?" Here is the response I get. "Because it's fun."or "Because it feels good.". This is the wrong answer and it is the answer that Hollywood and mainstream media are preaching to our children. We allow ourselves to absorb it and let it bypass us rather than hit them head on and tell them "Enough is enough." Divorce is one of the most painful things a person can ever go through. I have a personal friend who has been divorced three times. Yes, three times. In all of those divorces he has felt defeated and depleted emotionally. I can only imagine the view or marriage a young man or woman would have if they were married at a young age because of an unwanted pregnancy and then divorced and faced to raise a child on their own. There are many other consequences to pre-marital sex but I will not preach on. Rather I will leave it with you the reader where you stand.

In closing. As a sensible human being I would never walk up to a hive full of angry bees and hit it with a baseball bat and stand around waiting to see what happened. Rather, I would leave the bee hive alone and carry on with my hike in the woods in a different direction. When we as human beings open ourselves up to sexual sin we open ourselves up to thousands of consequences that can destroy us spiritually, mentally, and physically. Much like a hive full of angry bees. God bless. 

Humility......24 Months of Humility.

Humility

Humility is defined by Merriam Webster as: the quality or state of not thinking you are better than other people: the quality or state of being humble. 

With that being said this is something I have struggled with since I was born. I do not know where this behavior comes from. This is not a behavior my father and or mother instilled in me. It just kinda appeared one day. I have never been humble and this is something I am working on since I have had my most vain quality taken away from me in the last two years. I never really thought I was the best looking guy or smartest guy in the room but when it came to athletic competition I believed I could beat anyone, anywhere, at any time. 

This came to a screeching halt 24 months ago during a Army Flag Football game. I had come to my new unit and quickly entrenched myself as the starting quarterback for the D. Co. 344 MI BN Football Team and we were winning, boy were we winning. As a QB I had not had this much success since playing for Kappa Delta Phi at my undergraduate alma mater Brewton-Parker College and winning the colleges championship two years in a row as the QB for my fraternity. Previous to this night my new found team was gelling after a five overtime victory over a team that was much better than us athletically. The winning touchdown was scored by me on a 25 yard touchdown run that made me feel like I was the fastest man in the world. We won 35-33 and I could not be happier. We were 3-0 and it looked like D. Co. was easily on it's way to another Corry Station Flag Football Championship. Well that all changed for me on a Wednesday night in August 2011. Eight minutes into a 10 minute half Delta Co. was up 28-0 on the Navy Hospital and I had thrown two touchdown passes and run one for a touchdown while our defense had contributed with an interception for a touchdown giving us a 28-0 lead. In the huddle I called a fade route into the corner of the end zone to my best receiver and knew we would get another Touchdown. I received the snap, was flushed out of the pocket, rolled right and threw a 40 Yard BOMB into the back right corner of the end zone. As I watched it leave my hand I heard a pop and my life would never be the same. The pass was completed for another touchdown and we were up 34-0 but I had never felt pain like this before. I tried to get up and run back into the huddle but my knee gave way and I knew it was something bad. The next day I was not shocked to learn that I had torn my Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) and I would require surgery. This would begin my journey into humility. On the morning of this injury I had also run a 11:32 min. two mile Army APFT and this was the fastest time I had ever run in my life. I was feeling pretty confident about myself. 

I have discovered along this journey that I am more than what I thought I was but what I was is not what I should have been as a Christian. Whenever I would score touchdowns, make good plays in softball or do good on my Army APFT tests I never would glorify God. I would always say that I did it and I was the driving force behind my success. However, I was wrong and I am 100% sure God has used this as a life experience to teach me humility. 

Philippians 2:3-4 states: "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also the interests of others."

Here is where this verse comes into play regarding this matter. I have a really good friend Jeramie Auchtung in Colorado and he is probably the closest friend I have had in my adult life. Jeramie will tell you that when we played softball together the last year we played together I hit 8 home runs in softball and I had never hit a home run prior to that season. When I would cross home plate I would yell "And he touches em' all." I was playing for my church in Lone Tree, Colorado known as Cornerstone Church of Lone Tree. This was not the example as a Christian that I should have been displaying. This is also the example I brought with me to Florida and it was wrong. I am not saying that you need to be like this guy every time you something. See Below.

BostonHerald.com

I am saying that as Christians we need to be giving glory to God and I honestly believe God has put me through the trial of having three knee surgeries in the last 24 months to help me understand that all things come from and through Him. During my sports playing days I should have always gloried Him in the abilities He gave me but instead I was too interested in glorifying myself. God puts us through trials not to punish us but to grow us as Christians. One should not feel that God has abandoned them because they have been through some rough times in life. Rather, we should look towards the heavenly father and say "Challenge accepted." This is not the approach I initially took when I found out the severity of my injury. I was mad, angry, and every other emotion you think a human being goes through I went through. However, this story of humility goes even further.

Four months after surgery I was released to start jogging again. While at physical therapy on the treadmill my knee bent backwards the wrong way and I felt a hard twinge in my knee but kept going. After this happened I repeatedly expressed to the physical therapists that something was wrong but no one wanted to hear what I had to say. So after a massive amount of complaining, two infections, almost losing the lower right half of my leg due to infection and three knee surgeries God is still teaching me more about myself. 

When reading this above mentioned verse the second part really speaks to how this injury has effected my family. By playing football at the age of 33 with kids almost half my age I was really looking out for my own personal interests. My wife had repeatedly asked me not to play football any longer. I think she knew God was trying to tell me something and when God is talking you need to listen. Here is how I know. 2009 Flag Football Season Grade Two Concussion, 2010 Flag Football Season Partially Torn Ligament in Right Foot, BTW I had just recovered from the foot injury when I tore my ACL. Wifey had asked me several times to pull it back a notch and just play softball but I refused to listen. If I had been looking out for the interests of my family and not just my personal fulfillment I would not be in the situation I am now. I honestly believe God does not want me to play football ever again and that He probably had been telling me that for a couple years. I refused to listen. God will speak to you through other people and as a Christian you should always be prepared to listen. God was speaking to me through my wife for three years and when I chose not to listen too many times He gave me a wake up call. I kind of liken it to the story of Jonah as he tried not to go to Nineveh. Although I had not been charged with speaking to a mass population about their sin I was charged with listening to Him through my wife and looking out for the best interests of my family. Since my surgery we have been unable to do fun things and spent many a day in a doctors office because of me. My injury has taken away from fun time with my daughter and adventures we could have had as a family. However, I know I have a good wife because she has stood by me through all of this mess. That's what this is A MESS.

With all this being said here is a simple solution to humility in life. When you do something good for someone else, score a run, write a good report, get a good grade. Don't be this guy. See below.

BleacherReport.com

Rather, be this guy (see below) and see if how people respond to your faith and love of Christ differently. 

Celebrate with those who helped you get there, appreciate those that helped you and always look out for the Christian brother or sister in your life. God Bless.

Why Preseason College Football Polls Don't Matter

I know that as much as we all like to talk about how great our respective college football teams are gonna be in the coming fall because of preseason polls we all really have no clue as to how the season will play out. NEWS FLASH!!! Neither do those guys as ESPN. <------ If you reference this link you will understand what I am talking about. It is a link to the 2012 College Football Preseason rankings by ESPN last year. They were just about as clueless as JAMES is when he gets dunked on repeatedly by FROGGY FRESH.

After writing about something so serious I thought I would be good to take a minute and write  about college football again. 

Last season the people at ESPN said that USC was the #1 team in the country and Notre Dame was #25. Boy, were they wrong and boy will they be wrong again this season. ESPN and all of these supposed experts never predicted a few years ago that Appalachin State would defeat Michigan and completely derail a football program for several years.  No one except Notre Dame thought the Irish could play for the National Championship last year. Even though I don't like Top 25 polls at the beginning of the season lets look at one and examine whether or not some of these teams actually have a shot at playing for a national championship this season. The poll I will utilize will be the Bleacher Report Pre-Pre Season College Football Poll.

USC somehow made it into this poll at #24. Here is the long and short of it. As far as I have seen Lane Kiffin cannot coach by himself. The problem at USC has never been the talent. The problem is the coaching staff. There are some guys who are just better as coordinators. Case in point Charlie Weis at Notre Dame, Kansas and every other football program he has been head coach of. Kiffin could not coach at Tennessee and he is experiencing the same problems in his tenure at USC. Good luck Trojans.

SB NATION

Ole Miss arrives in this poll at #20. Ole Miss staggered to another 7-6 season last year which is mediocre considering the talent that Hugh Freeze has been able to Oxford. Let's face it the Ole Miss Rebels have not been relevant in 50 years and unless Robert Nkemdiche is all he is cracked up to be in his first season the Rebels will be irrelevant again this season.

Bleacher Report

Texas rolls in to this poll at #16. Bad news Texas fans. I am afraid it is going to be another long year for Mack Brown and the boys in Austin. One reason is because the Big 12 Conference and the Texas Longhorns became the bottom feeder of the two big schools the minute they decided to spurn the SEC and allow the Missouri Tigers to take their place they began losing recruits. The other issue for the Longhorns they just can't seem to figure out who the quarterback is going to be. Without steady leadership it doesn't matter how much talent you have. The reason the Longhorns were so good were for so long was because of three guys and they weren't on the coaching staff they were named Vince Young, Major Applewhite, and Colt McCoy. Sorry Mack Brown David Ash and Case McCoy are not even close to any of these guys. 

Eric Gay/Associated Press

Oklahoma comes in at #15. I would say more about Oklahoma but Bob Stoops, his players and coaching staff are the biggest choke artists in the last fifteen years of college football. Enough said.

Bleacher Report

Louisville comes in at #14. However, I think this might be the most underrated team in the entire preseason poll. The Cardinals are locked and loaded with a guy named Teddy Bridgewater. Bridgewater destroyed the higher ranked and unmotivated Florida Gators. Bridgewater is a true college football talent. As Bleacher Report has stated the only issue the Cardinals will have is if their rather unknown defense can step up and help them make a run for the National Championship. At this point I would point to the Cardinals being a dark horse candidate for the championship game.

CFBsection.com

Florida rolls into the poll at #10. What? Are you serious? When you look at the Gators schedule and how the talent level has fallen out in Gainesville you will notice that the Gators might only win five games this season. Florida's wins will probably come against teams that are suffering from the same issue they are. Lack of talent. The main problem for the Gators is they really do not have a running game and Jeff Driskel might be a prototypical sized quarterback but so is my cousin and he can't throw the ball either. There is no doubt Driskel can chunk the rock but he can't read defenses or react fast enough when the pocket collapses around him. I will boldly say it. For the first time in a long time Vanderbilt will finish higher than the Gators who will be hanging out with Kentucky and Tennessee in the SEC East cellar at the end of the season. 

Bruce Lipsky/The Times-Union

LSU comes in at #9. There is not a lot to say except this. If Les Miles does what Les Miles does and Zach Mettenberger can improve his accuracy and the LSU passing game the Tigers have the talent to dethrone the Crimson Tide and take control of the SEC West. However, the best these Tigers do is come away with one loss this season and lose the west again to Alabama. 

Catherine Threlkeld

Clemson comes is at #8, South Carolina is at #7, and Texas A&M is #5. In all reality all but one of these teams could sneak into a contention for the National Championship. That would be Texas A&M. Just so Kevin Sumlin and Johnny Manziel know everybody in the country has been watching film for 8 months figuring out ways to shut down Johnny Football. The honeymoon in the SEC for the Aggies is over. Texas A&M and Johnny Football will not be major factors this year in the world of football. Especially in the SEC West. Nick Saban will make sure that Kirby Smart and the boys in Tuscaloosa are more than prepared for The Aggies this time. If Clemson can get past UGA and South Carolina on their schedule then be looking for the Tigers to be playing for it all in January because, Florida State is simply under talented and overrated. If South Carolina and Jadaveon Clowney can get over the hump and win the SEC East they will finally have a shot at the SEC Championship and could easily write their tickets to the National Championship game. 

ESPN.GO.COM

UGA comes in at #4. This might be a bit of a stretch for the Bulldogs this season. Here are some reasons why. The Dawgs have early season test like they have not seen since the early 1980's. Clemson is a challenge that may have the Bulldogs dragging their knuckles the next week against the USC Gamecocks. The one game where the Dawgs offensive line cannot afford to be tired is the USC game. Say what you will Jadaveon Clowney is the most talented defensive player in the SEC and I am sure before he leaves for the NFL he really wants to make a run at a national championship. Georgia is almost completely rebuilding a defense that was proven and powerful last season. The Bulldogs have reloaded but the new ammunition may not be a potent as the last volley thrown at the SEC East. Aaron Murray, Keith Marshall, Todd Gurley, Malcolm Mitchell, and Michael Bennett will have to outscore Clemson and South Carolina for the Bulldogs to win. Also, don't forget LSU comes to town in week 4 and they will be no small challenge for the Bulldogs either. UGA could win it all but they cold also start out 1-3 looking up at the rest of college football dazed and confused. 

blogs.ajc.com

Oregon is at #3, Ohio State is at #2, and Alabama is #1. Plain and simple anyone of these teams can win it all. The Ducks are loaded with talent on both sides of the ball and with a sophomore quarterback named Marcus Mariota and if you don't know who he is you will by the end of this college football season. The Ducks don't really have a flaw anywhere so their destiny and an undefeated season is in their hands. Ohio State and coach Urban Meyer are loaded like the Ducks. They have another special talent at quarterback Braxton Miller. With a perfectionist coach like Meyer and a year like last year the BIG10 has it's first real contender against Alabama. Alabama is more loaded than loaded. I would dare to say that the Crimson Tide could beat at least 2 NFL teams 9 out of 10 times they played them. What is the guiding force behind these teams? Two things A.J. McCarron and Nick Saban. Those are the two things that have not changed in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. So, the Tide will again make a run for it, and the Buckeyes and Ducks will probably fight it out for who gets to play Alabama for it all. But just like I said. I really have no idea how things are gonna play out in this scenario. 

Kevin Cox/Getty Images

The sleeper of this college football season will be Vanderbilt. These guys are now competitors. Vanderbilt is the new Tennessee and the Volunteers have been reduced to the status of cellar dweller. 

vandybubble.com

If I insulted your team or didn't do them justice just realize this is my opinion and it doesn't matter for much. Also, I have no idea if any of these scenarios will play out. For all I know the Colorado Buffaloes could win the PAC 12 and ARMY could win three games in a row this season. Who knows? See y'all on Aug 31st for kickoff. 

Marriage is Not About Your Spouse Making You Happy

When my wife and I decided to get married almost twelve years ago I had no ideas about the some of the challenges that we would face. I was a naive twenty-two year old boy who thought he knew how the world worked. Boy was I wrong about a lot of things. I didn't know that this endeavor that we were going to jump in together was going to be the biggest challenge of my life and continues to be to this day. I love my wife and thank God for her everyday. However, it is a challenge every day to live with another person(s). We love each other very much but we both find it a challenge to make our marriage work on a daily basis. So before I dive into the world of this post I will define what marriage is to me.

Marriage is defined by the Bible as a union between a man and a woman. Genesis 2:23-24 states: "This is bone from my bone, and flesh from my flesh! She will be called 'woman,' because she was taken from man.'" This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one." When I was a young man I never saw my parents argue in front of each other and thought that the marriage thing has to be easy because my mother always seemed happy and my dad just didn't show emotion so I always assumed he was cool with the way things were. My parents have been married for 40 years and over the past few years of my adult life it has been revealed to me that my parents marriage was not so perfect and they had a series of problems that with the help of a loving God, counseling, and prayer they were able to make it through.

My dad did not always make my mother happy with his decisions and I have not always made my wife happy with my decisions. That is just a fact of life. The husband nor the wife are here to make every one of your dreams come true. There are many problems with marriage today and one of them is the view of it in the United States. Marriage cannot be totally based off of love. I am sorry if that just either blew your mind or offended you but it is the truth. You might be saying "This guy is off his rocker." or "My marriage will be different." I am about to give the reader NEWS FLASH numero two. I am not off my rocker and your marriage will have it's high points and it's low points. That is just the way life is.

1. Men must treasure their wives because they are worth it: The Bible is the greatest instruction manual ever written in the existence of mankind. It speaks explicitly to this very thing I just said. Proverbs 31:10 states: "Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is more precious than rubies. Her husband can trust her, and she will greatly enrich his life." This verse in Proverbs speaks volumes to men if they would only listen. Here is why I say this. In the life that I have shared with my wife I can count on two hands how many times I have been right about something. The issues and arguments where my wife has been right have greatly enriched my life. I have learned how to properly cut a steak, speak in public, navigate a social situation without embarrassing myself and eat food properly in any social situation. These are just some of the things that have enriched my life because of her.

2. Men and Women are to Treat Each Other Kindly: This is true but in the course of being treated kindly and loved by your partner you may not always be happy with the way they are doing things. Colossians 3:18-19 states: "Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting for those who belong to the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and never treat them harshly." For many years this verse was used by uneducated lay pastors to allow husbands to rule their homes with an iron fist. However, they were only utilizing verse 18 and not verse 19. Husbands and wives are not always going to make decisions that make each other happy but when making decisions that involve you and your wife (which means every decision you make after you say your marriage vows.) you have to be thinking of them when you are doing it. This means as men and women you have to think about the spiritual, financial, and emotional effects that are going to occur when you make said decision. As husbands and wives we are not going to be able to make decisions all of the time that will fulfill every dream that your spouse has. Your spouse is going to become angry at you but it is how you as a spouse deal with it that matters. Charles Swindoll has been quoted as stating "Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it." This has been a powerful truth in my marriage since day one. Most of the time my wife is not aggravated for the decisions I make on a daily basis. Rather, she is mad when I make a mistake and then improperly react to it.

3. The Main Goal of Your Spouse is to Help You Grow, Spiritually: My wife is my equal partner on everything and it has always been that way. We live in a Christian home and as such I have the final say on all matters but my wife has a massive influence on all of those decisions. I am by nature a heathen. My wife has kept me on track spiritually since we met in 2000. She has also been behind me all the way since I told her I was going to pursue a career in the ministry even though I do not come from what may consider to be the traditional Christian pedigree for pastors. My wife has built me from the ground up and stood by me in all of my faith struggles without judging me. But most of all she has helped me understand that as a husband I will not be perfect and she does not expect me to be. My wife and I do not always pray together and do Bible studies together but we as a couple keep each other spiritually grounded and continue to help each other grow.

4. Friendship is More Important the Sex: When I met my wife I was kind of still in a relationship. The first time I saw her I was very physically attracted to her. But, when I had my first conversation I knew I was going to have a great friend even if I this attempt by me to court her was unsuccessful. When we first started hanging out we were leaving relationships that had very emotionally drained us. When we talked we didn't talk about our attraction to each other. Rather, we discussed things that mattered to us and what we wanted in life. My wife and I were hanging out and just doing things together for three months before we even had our first official/accidental date. We never even really looked at each other and put a label on our relationship until we were engaged. I am not always the best communicator but my wife brought out the communicator within me. We still have arguments about me being quiet and not effectively communicating but we always work our way through it. Almost all couples today are having sex before marriage and this is the quote I often hear when I ask people why they do it "You gotta test drive the car before you buy it." This quote comes from both men and women. That surprised me when I began asking this question but then I realized that this generation has grown up in a world where MTV and the rest of the world have told them that it is okay to do this because it will help their marriage succeed. The Sex in my marriage is by no means the most important part of my marriage and it never has been. The fulfillment from the time I get to hang out and interact with my spouse has been the most important part of my marriage. I want all those out there to know that I am not saying sex is not important in marriage because it is. But it cannot be the focal point of your relationship or it will fall to pieces when the fire runs out.

In Closing: It is my firm belief that if Husbands and Wives need to concentrate on their spiritual lives, friendship and finding ways to help each other grow as people. I believe that if you do these things together as a couple the issues of kids, bills, disease, and death will take care of themselves. God Bless

Two Weeks Will Determine the National Championship,SEC Championship, and Possibly the Heisman Trophy

In the south we all know that college football is king and the king is returning on August 31 in grand fashion. On this day the University of Georgia Bulldogs will play the Clemson University Tigers in Clemson, S.C.. It appears from the reading I have done regarding this upcoming game that it might be one of the toughest tickets in town and might serve as a battle between two national championship contenders.

Why does this game matter so much to UGA's national championship hopes?
The Bulldogs will find out a lot about themselves in this first game of the season. The Bulldog defense was decimated by the NFL draft and will need to make a major impact with its underclassmen filled defense. If they are exposed early and often by Clemson the game film from this performance will be utilized over and over by opposing defensive coaches to expose UGA's defensive flaws.

UGA has only one full time returning starter from last season according to ESPN which is defensive back Damian Swann. This might not be all bad for the Dawgs. The previous Bulldog defense struggled mightily against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the SEC Championship game and a new gang without previously developed bad habits might be just what the Bulldogs need at defense.

Scott Cunningham/Getty Images USA

UGA has to be able to put away Clemson early. This is the simple truth when you think about the monumental task that UGA will have against Jadaveon Clowney and the South Carolina Gamecocks. What Mark Richt and the UGA faithful are asking the Bulldogs to do is nothing short of fighting two heavyweight championship fights in back to back weeks. Georgia cannot afford to go deep into the night against Clemson on Aug. 31. They cannot come out flat but must find a balance that allows them to keep the Tigers down without running their players ragged for the Carolina game.

UGA must be able to effectively use it's four headed monster on offense. Those who know anything about UGA football know I am speaking about Aaron Murray, Todd Gurley, Keith Marshall, and Malcolm Mitchell. Mike Bobo has not really had a problem finding an effective way of using his personnel but it is a new season and no one will be sleeping on these Bulldogs.

US Presswire

If UGA loses to Clemson they still have a chance at the SEC championship but they will more than likely be knocked out of the national championship picture. However, if the Dawgs suffer a loss to Clemson they will more than likely suffer a loss to the Gamecocks. It does't matter what you believe Jadaveon Clowney and the USC Gamecocks are gonna give the Dawgs a fit. This game has been a fight year after year. It appears that it will continue to be as long as Steve Spurrier is the head coach at USC. If these two losses happen the Dawgs can prepare at best for a two loss season where they come up short of expectations again. 

Sports Illustrated

What does this game mean for Tajh Boyd and the Clemson Tigers?

This game means one thing for the entire Clemson Tiger nation LEGITIMACY. Clemson lives in the shadow of the entire SEC. Especially South Carolina and Georgia with whom they are constantly in recruiting wars with. Dabo Swinney has spent his first few years building the Clemson football program in the the ACC team that has almost gotten it done. Believe this ACC fans Clemson and Dabo Swinney are for real. I have often heard of them as being referred to as the Oregon of the east coast. Clemson and Dabo would have liked to have claimed legitimacy when they defeated LSU in the Chick-fil-A Bowl on Jan 1. However, Dabo and Boyd both know that without a win over UGA in the season opener this year all their efforts will be a failure. For Clemson this game will decide recruiting wars, conference bragging rights and could signal a shift in prime SEC East recruiting country for the ACC by showing they are ready to play "BIG BOY" football. This game will also give the Tigers a legitimate shot at making it to the National Championship game. 

With the recent success of both programs you better believe this will be the biggest game of the early part of the college football season. The University of Georgia has not won a National Championship since Herschel Walker and Vince Dooley walked the sidelines of Sanford Stadium. Georgia has come close to playing for the national title in 2008 and then was five yards short of the big game in 2012. The Clemson Tigers have not seen the National Championship trophy since 1981and have not really been close to playing for it since that year. However, this resurrected rivalry that was one of the fiercest of the 1980's will surely be entertaining and is critical for the future success for the rest of the decade. 

For more reading on this matter check out what Sammy Watkins Clemson's top wideout had to say about playing Georgia this season. Sammy Watkins Comments courtesy of @ajcuga on Twitter.

The final factor for this matchup will be the effects it has on the Heisman Trophy race for both Aaron Murray and Tajh Boyd. Both quarterbacks are viable candidates for the trophy but they will be judged by the big games this season. Some people will argue that Teddy Bridgewater and reigning Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel are the front runners but, this might not be the case after the first football game of the season. I hope this one is as good as advertised. See y'all on August 31.