Buckeyefaninaz’s Blog

Hello friends and family. I am happy to be alive today, as God has granted me many blessings. Wow, what an incredible weekend of church. Sunday’s service was fabulous. But, the part that stood out to me was during worship. I love music and I love to dance. Everyone probably already knows this by now. But, during worship, something happened.

As I was shaking my groove thing and singing to the music, something happened. I began to dance more and more and sing louder and louder. I also began to raise my hands in worship. John 4:24 tells us that, “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” So many powerful scriptures, this one sums up my experience this weekend.

You see, the Holy Spirit was in me. When I sang, I couldn’t sing loud enough. When I danced, I couldn’t dance fast enough and good enough. When I lifted my hands, I could not lift them high enough. I felt unworthy. I felt that the Spirit of God was there and I was worshipping him. I was true. I was not faking it, as I have done before. Little tear drops rolled down my cheek. I tried turning my head so my friends and family wouldn’t see. But it came to the point where I just didn’t care. I began to get into the music and worship God almighty.

You see my friends and family, I want to get HIGH. I want my hands to reach up and feel the Spirit of God. During this worship, no matter how high I reached, I couldn’t get high enough. I want to get closer to God. There is nothing like being high in the Spirit of the Lord. For finally being true to myself and God, I felt I was rewarded. I truly felt the Spirit inside that worship. I thank God for having that feeling. Man, it felt great.

That was just the beginning. At the end of the service, a nice lady came up to me and my friend. She came up simply to thank us for praying for her in a previous service. That capped off my wonderful church service. God is good.

As for a challenge this week. I am famous for issuing challenges. This week’s challenge, for anyone who chooses to accept it, is the getting higher challenge. Here’s how this one works. Before church service this weekend, I ask that you pray before entering the service. What are you praying for? Well, simple. Ask God to lift you up high. Ask God to shine his spirit down on you during worship. Ask God to fill up the entire worship service with his spirit. The result will be a blessing.

Anyone who chooses to accept this challenge, I would like to hear from. Just remember, I love you all and may God get you HIGH.

Pastor Big L

God gives spiritual gifts. When you realize what your gift is, use it. One of the gifts that God gives is the gift of discernment. That is a great gift. I can think of a few friends that have this gift. But there is one person that comes to mind when thinking about the gift of discernment. I am going to tell you a little about this person. He is cute, adorable and spoiled. He is a joy to have around and his smile brightens up the entire room. Who is this you might ask? Well, it’s none other than my 8 month old boy Lance Jr. How can he have the gift of discernment? Believe me, he does. First I will mention his love for the remote control. He loves the TV remote. If I put it on the floor he military crawls to where it is at. Even if it is on the other side of the room he scoots along and grabs it. Now, here is where his gifts come into play. We bought him a play remote this past Christmas. His grandpa sent him a play remote as well. We felt great. He will play with those as if they were the real thing. But, they aren’t real. We try to give them to him and he knows the difference. He gives us the “Do you think I’m stupid” look. This guy is hilarious. He can tell the difference between a real remote and fake remote. The Bible says, “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him.” 1 Corinthians 2:14, KJV. Our flesh cannot understand the spiritual truths. Only those in the Holy Spirit knows the spiritual truth. Wow, deep. That is indeed true. Our fleshly selves cannot comprehend the power of discernment. God gives us these gifts. Sometimes we use them how He plans for us. Other times we use what we think is God’s gift, but it turns out to be the flesh. Yet another story about my 8 month old. Most, if not all, babies have the special gift of discernment. Several weeks ago, my little brother(he’s 21) brought over one of his friends. When I saw this person, I immediately felt the presence of evil. But, I thought to myself, it’s probably because I am used to the type of people my brother knows. However, my son felt the same thing. My son did not smile at this person. Which was weird because my son smiles at everyone. So, after noticing this I felt the need to thank God for this gift. Now, this brings me to my question for everyone. Are we who we say we are? I think everyone needs to take a few minutes and examine whether or not we speak the truth. As Christians, non-christians, everyone we need to think if we are truly the people we pretend to be. I am asking everyone to examine themselves and take the “Moment of Truth Challenge.” This challenge requires you to be honest with yourself. Believe me, God knows when you lie. Search your heart. Ask God to make you into the person he wants you to be. Time to stop living lies. Good luck with this challenge. It’s tough to examine yourself. I will struggle with this mightily. I love you all and hope for the best. God Bless Pastor Big L

Hello again friends and family. What a lovely gift of life God has given us. I am going to start writing to you all more frequently. I feel it is my calling to express myself to anyone and everyone. Part of expressing myself is using words. Word choice is difficult for many of us, myself included. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue…” Proverbs 18:21, King James version. What a powerful scripture. We all have the power to speak life into our words.

Let me tell you a little about myself. I am a big guy. Well, fat actually, but I like to think of myself as having more to love. Or like I told a friend of mine I am not fat, when I get around people I swell up. But, you see my friends, I am confident. Why you ask? Well, because I do not believe what people think of me. When I speak of myself I speak as a child of God. When I speak of who I am, I speak about having Christ in me. When I walk and have people speak negatively of me, it bounces right off. Most people say, “why are you so confident?” I respond with this, “God has a plan for me. I am beautiful in God’s eyes.”

Many people think I am deeply hurt but hide my feelings. No, “for God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and love, and a sound mind.” 2Timothy 1:7 KJV. You see God has given us the spirit of love. Our words can show love. Our words can also destroy us. “A fool’s mouth is his destruction…” Proverbs 18:7.

Our words, indeed, are a powerful tool. Every thing we say can and will be used against us. Let us think before we speak. I am a teacher by trade. My words are definitely going to pierce many hearts and minds. The slightest misuse of my tongue can bring about deadly results. I feel it is crucial for us all to take some time to think before we speak.

When speaking to your children, speak positively. They can sense when you are upset or disappointed. When a child fails help them correct mistakes positively. Use God’s word as help. If you continuosuly preach positively to the children they will begin to see themselves as one of God’s children.

I struggle sometimes with this myself. I sometimes refer to my kids as piglets or rugrats. Sometimes they think it’s funny, sometimes they take offense. But, regardless of how it was meant, they take it whatever way they feel. So, “let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath..” James 1:19 KJV. Be wise in choosing words. Yes, it is going to be a tough path but be wise. Trust God’s word. Trust God with all your heart, soul, mind, spirit and body.

This brings me to the end of this note. As always, everyone needs to know I love you all. For we are the body of Christ and we should all do our part to keep the body working. Take care everyone.

God Bless

Pastor Big L

Hello again family and friends. I am writing once again for a bit of release. Everyone has issues which penetrate their heart. Well, ready or not here is my lesson for the day.

I am a definite sports fanatic. All sports, all the time. I am also a coach for children. I love watching a child go from not being able to throw to being able to throw on target. It really warms my heart to see a child who couldn’t hit a ball blast one out of the park. Kids are very precious and need to know they can achieve. Today, I want to bring up this Bible verse. “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6, King James Version. Wow, yet another powerful scripture. We must all train our child in the Word and they will be blessed.

Now, on to the meat of my note today. I enjoy being around kids and sports. But lately, my heart has been aching for kids doing sports. Why you ask? Well here is my statement for the day, remember this well….KIDS ARE BEING TAUGHT TO WIN, NOT TO BE WINNERS. There is a difference. It is a BIG difference. What do I mean? Well, allow me to explain.

In order to win a football, baseball or any other sporting event it takes talent. I think everyone would agree with that point. Coaches try to get the best talent at all costs. It is sad to say that even at the tee-ball, coach pitch, and little league level coaches are teaching to win at all costs. Coaches try to weasel their way into getting the best players on their team. Anything for a “w.”

But, there is something being lost in the mix in today’s time. Teamwork, sportsmanship and heart all seem to be missing in many athletes today. Terrell Owens, Chad Johnson, Alex Rodriguez, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and many, many more athletes are putting shame into the world of sports. Where did their attitude come from? It came from parents and coaches when they were young.

I recently attended my 8 year old daughters first baseball practice. I came in with an open, positive attitude. When practice started I became my critical self. God bless anyone who volunteers their time with children. I thank the coach for giving his time freely. But, his time was given for the wrong reasons. The main reason is to win. I can already tell he wants to win and not teach the kids to be winners. He has good baseball knowledge. But my dear friends when coaching, it takes more than knowledge of sports. It takes knowledge of children and how to deal with them.

That is just one instance of lacking in the sports world. There are many more, but it would take a novel to write. Here are my steps to coaching a child to be a winner:

1. Positive feedback. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” Proverbs 18:21. How you speak to a child after the child fails is the biggest part. If a child strikes out, misses a flyball, or gets caught stealing give positive comments such as: “Nice Job, but next time lower your hands.” See, that is simple, yet so effective. You have to make them feel they can achieve success. If they don’t feel capable they will not learn to be a winner

2. Remember, every child is not a superstar. Many coaches expect every child to be a superstar. Not every child who plays a sport will be successful. Not every child is the next Michael Jordan. Just teach the kids the basics. If they don’t grasp it, spend a little extra time on those who need it. Remember, no child should be thrown to the wolves. You have to crawl before you walk. Not everyone is going to understand everything.

3. Fun. Sports are meant to be fun. Teach the child to enjoy the sport. Show them they can have a blast and still compete. It is highly possible to have fun while being a winner. I coached a team years ago. We had tons of fun. We finished in second place in our league. We won games, we were winners and most importantly we had fun.

Those three things can go a long way into coaching a child to be a winner. Parents this next list is for you. This is a list to help parents understand what coaches need.

1. Let the coaches coach. Wow, this seems simple, but it is often overlooked by parents. Let coaches put children where they want. Let coaches decide who hits in what order. It is alright to disagree with the coach. I always disagree with coaches. However, as long as the coach is not getting the children hurt, let him/her do their thing.

2. Your kid is not the next Michael Jordan. Yes, I have said this before, but it needs to be repeated. I understand you want your child to be the best. But, do not put your child upon the pedestal and expect the child to be humble.

3. Help the coaches wherever needed. Every coach needs help. It takes a community to raise a child. So, a coach needs help. But remember, never overstep your boundaries. Meet with the coaches and get the lowdown on what they want you to do.

4. There are more kids on the team besides yours. Teamwork is important. Every parent needs to cheer for every kid, not just their own. Kids need all the support they can get

You see, there are simple things we can do to teach a child to be a winner. To sum up everything here is my definition of being a winner. A winner consists of the following:

1. Teamwork
2. Sportsmanship
3. Effort
4. Heart
5. Support

By implementing time in practice plans to teach kids the art of being a winner, kids can grow to not only love sports but they can also have fun and maybe, just maybe win a couple games. For every athlete like Terrell Owens, Barry Bonds you hear about on TV there are athletes who are overlooked that are definite winners. Tony Dungy, Warrick Dunn, Tim Tebow, Kurt Warner, Steve Nash are just a small example of all the GOOD coming out of the sportsworld. So, the next time you think about coaching or enrolling your kids in a sporting program think about all it entails. Plan your time accordingly and teach your child to be a winner.

God Bless

Pastor Big L

P.S. Jesus loves the little children, so should we all.

This was a great film. But, my favorite part was when one of the stars dsicussed having a woman versus having a wife. This was deep. So, allow me to express my own personal opinion. First, let us decide what the difference is between a woman and a wife. A woman is someone you show off to friends. A woman is someone who you are attracted to. A woman is someone who is fun to be around. A woman never argues with you. A woman is someone you think is perfect and will always be happy with you and things will be perfect forever.

A woman sounds like a good thing, right? But, I have something better. I have a wife. What is a wife? A wife argues with you. A wife is not always fun to be around. A wife is not perfect and never will be perfect. So, How in the world is that better than a woman? Well, let’s start simply. A wife does not lie to you. When you mess up a wife is there to stand behind you and pick up the pieces. Your wife is there through the good times and bad. As the Bible says, “Wives, submit yourselves unto your husbands, as unto the Lord.” (Ephesians 5:22 King James Version. Yes, indeed, wives submit themselves to the husbands. And in the same respect, “so ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.” Ephesians 5:28. See, a wife and husband work together to serve the Lord.

Now, The first question I asked was, “Why did I get married?” Well, I guess I will be the first to answer. Not many people have answered this honestly. So, allow me to open up and tell all. God works miracles in different ways. I met my wife on the internet. I never thought I would ever meet my wife on the net. Now, here is the honest answer. I married because I wanted to be a hero. I wanted my wife to look at me and say, “oh he rescued me.” I wanted the fairy tale. I wanted to be seen as the MAN. I wanted someone to wash my underwear. It takes a special lady to deal with my underwear. So, that’s it. I wanted to be a hero.

Now, the next question I will answer is, “Why am I still married?” Well, like I said before, God works miracles in different ways. I am still married because God sent me a hero. God sent me an angel. God sent me someone I can grow old with. God sent me someone who argues with me(Yes, I don’t mind arguing.) God sent me someone who loves unconditionally. Everyone expects their marriage to be a fairy tale. I am happy with imperfection. Without my wife, I do not feel I would have ever given my life to Christ. Without my wife, I would still be that shy guy in high school. Now people can’t get me to shut up. I am a very lucky man.

Now, as we go throughout our days, we need to all take a little time and answer these questions. Here is my challenge. I want answers. I want everyone to respond with the answers to the questions, Why did I get married and Why am I still married? Please respond. I implore you to be honest and open. Thank you for your time and I appreciate all the response.

God Bless

Pastor Big L

Hello all my family and friends. Happy New Year and May God bless you this year. Now, on to the reason to why I am posting this bulletin. I am offering up a challenge to all of my friends and family. The challenge is simple. Very simple, in fact. I am challenging everyone to have a generous New Year. What do I mean? Well, God loves people who give generously. No, I am not asking for everyone to give money. Giving is not always about money. I am asking that every person on my friends list do something nice for someone. The trick is, when you do something nice you must do it withot expecting something in return. Good deeds will be enough of a reward. I also challenge everyone to forgive. If there is someone in your life you are angered or upset at, forgive. Give them a call and all you have to say is, “I’m Sorry.” I challenge everyone to be themselves. Let us not be fake. Let us prepare for the next year and keep it real. I challenge everyone to find a place in their hearts for peace. Let us make 2009 the best year and let us allow God to work in our lives. You do know God is why we all are here. Let’s give God our best efforts this year. Let us allow God to take a break from this mad world and live life according to his will. If you wish to participate in my challenge, please respond. I appreciate responses. If you do not wish to participate, please respond. Let us all be honest wit ourselves. Besides, we cannot fool God. I love you all and look forward to seeing great things from everyone.

BIg Lance

I love IHOP.  It is a great restaurant and has great food and great pancakes.  Everyone knows Christmas is just around the corner.  A couple days ago my family and I were sitting in the living room talking.  My youngest daughter, Amaya, who is 5, requested something she wanted Santa to bring.  She said these words, “I want an IHOP.”  So, I think to myself, “Sweet, a nice family meal out.”  Well, we all completely misunderstood her.  You see, according to little Miss Amaya, an IHOP is not what we think it is.  An IHOP is, to her, an IPod.  Where in the world did she get IHOP and Ipod confused?  You see, Amaya has what all people should have, INNOCENCE.  She never knew the difference.  She thought when people were saying IPod they were saying IHOP.  Funny, but that is what runs through the mind of a 5 year old.  We should all take notes on this.  She doesn’t even know what is the difference between an Ipod and IHOP.  She only said that because that is what she hears other kids say.  Kids are very impressionable.    We should all take a lesson from this situation.  Children are our future.  What their little ears hear, they believe.  We need to step up our efforts to protect our future.  Put our hearts and minds and energy on developing kids to be fully focused on goodness.  Tell our kids if they can dream it, they can do it.  Let our kids fully realize the power of God and his great will.  Educate our kids.  Let the next generation do what our generation should have, CHANGE THE WORLD.

Well, I did it.  I am finally a real man, I have become a blogger.  This will be interesting.  My words on the internet to be read by the entire world.  This is going to be quite the roller coaster.  Let me give a little background on myself.  I am 30 years old.  My name is Lance, but many people call me Big L.  I am married to Michelle and we were married on April 15, 2000.  We have three children.  Hayley was born on October 14, 2000.  Amaya was born on march 6, 2003.  Lance Jr. was born on June 26, 2008.  He was born one day after my birthday.  I was begging and pleading to get him here on my birthday.  But people remember, we live by God’s timing, not ours.  What does my life consist of?  Hmmm, not much now.  I spend my days entertaining my children.  I am a die hard sports fan.  In my house I OWN the remore control.  I look forward to sharing my life and thoughts to everyone in the world.

Well, this will be my first REAL post.  It may be controversial, it may cause arguments.  But, this is my blog and I choose to speak.  Christians today are different.  What do I mean by that?  Heck, I wonder sometimes why am I a Christian?  The term Christian is different today.  When I think of Christians, my focus goes to people who just gather on Sundays to pretend to be believers.  Yes, that’s my definition.  So, from this day forward I will not be a Christian.  I will choose to be a FOLLOWER of Christ.  Jesus did not just do miracles on Sunday.  Jesus did miracles all day every day.  People WAKE up.  The time is now to spread the gospel.  You are doing ok by just showing up on sundays.  That’s a step in the right direction.  But where in the Bible does it say JUST come to church on Sundays?  Nowhere.  Exactly my point.  Get to work people.

Now as far as people today.  Goodness, I could write whole novel about the disgust I feel with people.  I sat and watched a show on MTV known as My Super Sweet 16.  Watch this show one time and we can clearly see what’s wrong with the world today.  Stupidity, greed, selfish ways seem to dominate our culture.  People are more concerned about having the finer things of life.  Well, I am sorry, I don’t need all that.  I already have the FINEST thing of life, I have Jesus.  That’s all I need.  Enough ranting and raving for now.  Let me know what you all think.

Hello again world.  Here is my thought for the day.  After arriving home from church this afternoon, I sat my son in his bouncer so he could nap.  He woke up screaming.  He was screaming as if he was dying.  I figured he was hungry.  He is a big boy and food is his number one priority.  So, I picked him up.  He continued to scream.  As my wife was coming over to pick him up and attempt to feed him, we noticed something dreadfully wrong.  Before he went down for a nap, my 8 year old daughter Hayley changed his diaper.  Little did we know she made a terrible mistake.  She did not put the diaper on properly.  So, when he woke up and was screaming, we didn’t, at first, notice the problem.  As my wife was walking away, we noticed that he pooped real bad.    The diaper was on the wrong way and no poop reached the diaper.  It all got on the bouncer and the boy.  It was disgusting.  You might ask me what is my point to this story.  Well,  the point is, if you do not take a second to really, truly look at your kids, then you might get stuck with a load of crap.  I urge everyone out there to pay attention to their kids.  You never know what the next day will bring.