DISCIPLESHIP

Ok- I guess I need to get back on target and start my daily Spiritual journal as well. I recently had a major "Epiphany" as Hammer so aptly described it. I have been walking with the Lord since shortly after I was married in 1982. I was raised in a home where we went to Sunday School-(Methodist) and my Dad's Dad was Baptist. I don't remember going all that much but MYF (Methodist Youth Fellowship on Wed or Sunday evenings was a bust. I always played sports and even came to SC and played College football for the Gamecocks.)

I was All-State in Fla as a Quaterback in 1972. Came to SC and they changed from a passing offense to a running offense- (The Veer). I sucked. Really bad! Played 1 1/2 years. I say this to say that most of my life growing up dad was taking me Hunting/Fishing/ or I was Practicing Sports and don't ever remember him setting foot inside a church. We had a lot of disagreements early on and often. I actually left Fla for SC instead of Playing for my real team the Gators, to get out of the State and away from home.

Oh please don't even begin to feel slightly sorry for me- at that time the drinking age in Fla was 21 and in SC for beer it was 18!!! Enough said!! LOL> I was an EXCELLENT HEATHEN and sold Pot to keep up with my habit during my Paramedic days. I also became a Christian near the end of my Paramedic run and left the mean streets for a gig in a Doctors office where I ended up staying as office manager for most of my 29 years in medicine!

OK- that's all for the background- I'm now working in an Urgent Care as an ED Tech II (Paramedic) and I'm on the waiting list to start my Clinicals to finish my RN after 25 years- DEEP BOW- I am proud of that! So I'm waiting and fighting and applying to 4 schools in the area to see which one will open up first.

Next I will start writing and taking a cue from Ambulance Driver who wisely in his blog said to "Just tell the story". That I will do as honestly as I can. I can teach and teach very well verbally- God has gifted me to do it and it is not false humility that I say that! Truly I will be as blunt and honest as possible. Good, bad or indifferent I have played the game of being the Chameleon and changing colors and kissing ass to be liked an accepted for what my father did to me and the aliens when they implanted and I was locked in a closet and a dog bit me and a trailer fell on my head psychobabble bull crap for people to blame the fact that we are inherently TOTALLY SCREWED UP mentally!! (Example of major rant and possibly a small seizure- i didn't pee myself though.)

STOP BLAMING EVERYTHING on everyone else- step up to the plate and get OVER IT!!!
OK- Let's move on. I will ramble-chase rabbits and run in great big circles. Other times I will be so lucid and make a point so clear it will scare us both! All of this is just what I would normally be writing in a journal but after 17 years I want to switch over to this format. If we move I'll have less to pack and if this place burns down or a Tornado spots it-( We are renting a mobile home for 300.00 a month!!!!! Praise God! 300.00 dollars with air and heat and a ceiling.) But as you know- Mobile Homes piss off Tornadoes only second to Velvet Elvis paintings and will skip from Kansas to Arkansa in 18 seconnds just to destroy one mobile home!

Example of Rabbit chase above. I have made almost every mistake that can be made as a young adult and many more daily. And I do try to grow and learn from them- so God wont have to keep Holding me back in Remedial Christendom 005- I hope to graduate to the 100 classes. Basic Faith and stuff.

Minor miracles like wading in water and turning a jelly jar into a drinking glass! Hey- you have to start where you are!

Ok- enough for tonight. I will continue with the Epiphany of the major funk and depression that God just lifted me out of. He sends me to the desert to gain experience and lessons for teaching. I hate it when that happens. LOL

So if you are totally bored and would like to journey along- I'll try to put a daily devotional up for a quick read in the am and tie it to a Take it To the Streets Lesson- TITTS??? Take It To The Streets?? Cool! Something practical that we can actually use when we interact with the general pubic. Public--Freudian slip- I think not- He wore Lederhosen. And don't count off on spelling and crap like that. If you get the main point great. Also I'm not going to argue Theology, Apologetics, Exegesis, Hemorrhoidology etc. with anyone --probably. These are my viewpoints and mine alone. Also I know beyond a shadow of a doubt I shouldn't use curse words or try to be funny with off color remarks. I'm working on that. I do fence sit on a lot of things and that bothers me. But right now it's the truth and I think you will appreciate it more if you know at least I'm being as honest with you as I know how right now. Hopefully I won't have to always do that and you can actually watch me grow- You'd think after 17 years of Journaling I would be farther along but that dual nature thing is a hard nut to crack. Not an excuse, I know.

I do pray that when it comes to the Word of God that I stay as true to the meaning as I know how and to the point that I have learned or experienced it. If I'm wrong and you can prove it through the Bible and the Bible only; as that is the only common ground we will have, then I will apologize, repent, correct myself thank you and move on! ( example of Baby rant.)

If you have read this far- you have way too much free time- get a life- lol- just kidding- there are some awesome blogs that I just can't get enough of also. Mine is not even close enough to them to be read every day. The only people that will read this are the ones that God- through the Holy Spirit has allowed them to stumble across it maybe just that day for a particular word of encouragement or lesson that they may be dealing with at the time. It is only for Him that I journal so I can see if I'm treading water, swimming or going Backwards in my personal walk!

Love to you all... I will write as much as God moves me to and time I end of having!

John McElveen
05/02/07 20:20 pm