Resource Material

I was just doing a little research and decided to consult the Assemblies of God website for additional information. That is exactly what I found there; loads of good information and resources. This link will take you directly to a number of pdf printable position papers. "Worship in the New Testament", "The Security of the Believer", and "Can Born-Again Believers be demon possessed?" are just a few of the offerings there. If you have never visited there, I encourage you to do so.

The Wiles of the Web

Hello, my name is Sista Cala and I am an Internet junkie. I just don't know how I got so out of control. It all started with needing an email account at work. Then my job made it mandatory to complete on-line continuing education. Various committees decided to use email instead of actually having meetings. This was to cut down on wasted time. ha, ha.

Somewhere along the way, my sister Cyn encouraged me to start a blog. I pondered for days about what to name it, what I wanted to post, and how to get my thoughts from paper to screen. Blogger made that easy for me; and the rest is history.

From blogspot to bloglines, I needed a streamlined way to manage all of the blogs I wanted to read. Bloglines has a function called "clip blog" that made it so easy to save little snippets that I thought might be useful later on. Soon I had a mountain of snippets and little way to catalog them.

One day while teaching Sunday School, I made reference to something that I had read in a blog somewhere around here. Opened a can of worms indeed. My pastor decided that I must be a computer guru or something, so he put me to work on the church website. It started simple with a couple of pages and now it is about a dozen.

Requests came pouring in for info about our ministry. How could we get some samples out to the masses. Eureka........YouTube, GodTube, e-zekiel.tv, ShoutLife. Being the 'net-queen began to consume more and more time. Then the teens asked why we didn't have a MySpace. I said that I had no time to work it. Oh some of them could have set it up for Pastor, but they couldn't be trusted to keep it squeaky clean.....you know what I mean? Long story short; we now have a MySpace page. I tinker with it some, but get this......it has worked its magic on my pastor and I think he's got a hundred friends or more.

It is not enough that I've got all these sites setup and running for the church, I have my own personal pages too. Actually mine came first. I used them as beta-sites for me to learn the ropes. So much work, seems like a waste to terminate them as I plod the steps of sobriety. Alas, I have all but stopped posting here, have given a notice on ShoutLife, doing very little on MySpace, e-zekiel.tv, and GodTube (now tangle.com) but still keeping both YouTube accounts renewed weekly.

God is so good. He has spared me from withdrawal symptoms. So far. But then again, I didn't/haven't quit cold turkey. Actually, I have found the methadone of the 'net world.....Facebook. It is a little user un-friendly at times, but it offers means of blogging, networking, and IM all rolled up together. It has become my latest hangout. I can't barely go a day without logging in to see what long lost friend has found me.

It is going to take more than a 12 step program to free me from that one. Perhaps down the line I will get back to some serious posting. I still have tons of material that I could post; but for now you can catch up with my archives all over the 'net ( if all of these links are intact). See you around. If you're ever in the Facebook neighborhood, look me up (enter sistacala@juno.com )in the friend-finder box and we'll have a little chat.

The Reggie Dabbs Story

In my neck of the woods it is common to hear folks say, "The Lord brought me a mighty long way." In today's post I want to introduce you to a young man that I met some 30 years ago.

We met while attending Camp Ambassador (TN Assemblies of God church camp now called Jackson Conference Center). While we were from different parts of the state, and being different in gender and ethnicity, we found common ground in worshipping our Savior. Little did I know that he would mature into a mighty warrior in/for the Kingdom. I hope you will take the opportunity to visit his website and perhaps invite him to speak in your area. I know that he will be a blessing to you and your community.

The following is an excerpt of Reggie's story taken directly from the press kit posted on his site.

Born to an unwed teenager who at one time considered abortion as a viable option for solving her "problem," Reggie Dabbs considers himself fortunate to be alive. With no place to go, the pregnant teenager ended up living in a chicken coop in Louisiana. It was there she remembered a former school teacher, Mrs. Dabbs, who had said to her students, "If you ever need anything, call me," and gave the students her home phone number. The girl called.

Mrs. Dabbs went to Louisiana, picked up the girl, and took her back to Tennessee where she and her husband, whose six children were adults by this time, took the girl into their home and cared for her until after the baby was born. They continued to care for little Reggie as foster parents until he was in the fourth grade, and then they officially adopted him and gave him the Dabbs name.

As the Dabbs' reared Reggie, they instilled in him strong moral values, for which he is genuinely grateful. They also ingrained in him the fact that in every situation he faced, he had a choice. What he did with those choices was entirely up to him.

When addressing a school assembly, Reggie talks to the kids in a humorous style about choices each of them has when faced with drugs, alcohol, suicide, etc. Reggie gets in kids faces and tells them that he never smoked a cigarette, never did drugs, never drank alcohol, because he chose not to. He assures them that they can make the same kinds of choices.

Reggie talks to kids about family and how thankful they should be that they have families. He talks to them about dating relationships and emphasizes that virginity is the most honorable choice. Most of all, Reggie drives home the fact that "You can never change your past, but you can change your future.

From being a "Problem" to an unwed teenager, Reggie is fast becoming one of the most in-demand speakers who helps teenagers meet their problems head-on and overcome them.

Treasures for the Taking

My how the time flies......I'm not sure when I will get back to regular posting, but I know that I will. Eventually. In the meantime, I have found a great resource site that I am sure you will enjoy.

Initially, I viewed the YouTube videos posted by Pastor Loran. Then I followed the links from his YouTube channel and found a wealth of valuable downloads; mp3 sermons, written semon notes,worship songs w/lyrics, and links to several other great sites. So, I just wanted to pass the info along. Visit Abundant Grace Assembly of God and find some treasures.

Another Soldier Made it Home

Last November I introduced you to this Soldier of the Cross. He no longer has to battle physically or spiritually. Some would say that he is now at rest. Peace, yes. Rest...... I doubt it. He was rarely idle in this life. He spent it working in God's vineyard. Now I am sure he is rejoicing evermore.

On September 9, 2008 Reverend Vilbert Vernon McCoy quietly slipped from his earthly existence into his eternal life with Jesus Christ. I'm sure that he wasn't so quiet once he made it to the other side. He was a stalwart in the Christian faith; a church planter, pastor, evangelist, prophet, and one crying in the streets, "Jesus is coming soon".

He was 93 years old. He leaves behind his wife of 70 something years. He preached for 60 years. What a testiimony to the power of the Cross. Until recent years, he averaged preaching 5 times per week. He traveled from one corner of Tennessee to the other many many times. He preached in every jail, juvenile detention center,hospital, and nursing home along the way. He preached anywhere the door was opened to the Gospel. He distributed over 100,000 tracts. All of which he wrote and published himself.

If ever a man was passionate about souls, Uncle V.V. was.Known all over the state as Brother V.V., he was never without a scripture on his lips. Only God knows how many souls have been won into the Kingdom because he took time to preach and pray. He will be sorely missed by many.

PC Parable

Last night I spent a considerable amount of time updating my computer. It had been quite a while since I had done a complete scan and clean up procedure. When I checked the virus vault, I found 3 trojans. Good thing they were the type that could be auto healed. There were 68 warning messages related to tracking cookies. Are they harmful? I'm not sure. I just deleted them all. Actually, I was wondering why they were there. I run the CCleaner after every use and it is supposed to catch all such stuff. At any rate, my computer is clean again.

What about my human hard drive? Often it is cluttered with tracking cookies, viruses, worms, and extensions left over from situations that I thought I had un-installed. The brain is really a complex organ, not to mention the "mind" part of it. And the soul? Who can know it except my Maker? Yet He has given me some tools to keep it all clean and running right.

The conscience is a built in helper. He put it in right from the start. I have downloaded portions of the Bible, "basic instructions before leaving Earth" over the years. Actually, I have an automatic update scheduled for that every day. That is if I have left the power on. I mean, if/when I open the pages and begin to read. The Holy Spirit is another great installation that keeps me on the right track. He is all the anti-virus protection that I will ever need.

Really, there's no need for me to continue with this analogy. I got the message loud and clear. I have to keep my brain working, my mind clean, and my soul pure. Thank God, He has made it all possible.

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2 NIV

So Sad: So Relevant

Church Laughs from ChristianityToday.com