Pride is King.

"My dog is more polite then the shoppers here" this was something someone at my job said tonight and it got me thinking, how proud are we that we can't work, shop or process without grumbling about what is happening to us.   In this age pride is king and we are it's slave, we bend under it's power and selfishness thinking we have some sort of ownership to what is happening around us, we see everything as "Ours" and nobody can or should touch it.  We wake up every morning and think to ourselves how am I going to spend "My" day?  Since when did each day becomes ours?  We like to think that every minute is ours and it is a precious thing to us and if anyone wastes it then it has been stolen from us, for example that one person in your life who you can't stand wants to talk to you, but you won't give them the time of day because your time is too important to waste on them, oh the arrogance we mortals have, C.S. Lewis talks about how we trivialize the fact that we think everything is ours, from my boots to my God, he says "This is a joke both in Heaven and Hell." We are so arrogant that we even think salvation is up to us to choose.  God gave His only son to die for us, we never told Him to do that yet we still think it's our call to save ourselves.  Now you may be thinking I am talking about free will and all that jazz, I am not, I am simply stating that we make God out to be something that He is not, we want to control Him and make Him ours but the fact of the matter is, He is untamed, like a mighty wave that cannot be controlled by man, He crashes down on our insubordination and our lack of faith.  We want a cuddly God who tells us that everything is alright, We want a punching bag God who we can yell at and blame for our problems, but that is not who God is.
Back to our pride, we are not the masters of our destiny, we are simply vessels of God or vessels of death, in the end it's that fact that breaks it all, are we going to continue in our pride and pour out death? Or will we allow God to take charge and cast out pride from our lives?  Each day is God's day, this boot is God's and God is God, so remember to not complain or grumble, imagine a world where everyone lifts each other up, speaks words of truth into lives instead of gossip and deceit.  That world is one where Christ is first and we are last where pride has no throne and death is no more,  That is a sweet thought my friends...

This song is by Deas Vail and it has a great message about going for the last place because in the end it will be the first place.  This is the attitude we need for a Christ like life style.

Let's strive to be a servant like Christ, because after all He is King and we are His children shouldn't we at least try and obey the master?


-Todd LaBerge

The wisdom of children.

This kid is amazing, I'm sure most of you have seen this before but I just had to post this.

"It's an exciting movie" - 3 year old girl in the video.

-Todd LaBerge

I would give you Rome.

Love is a powerful word, one that has been miss used since the dawn of man, but when used in the right situation is the most influential word in history.  Now I bring love up because my dear friend Evan has recently entered into a relationship with a wonderful little lady named Jessica, this has brought up some  thoughts about love and what one will do for it.  How can we mere mortals even consider love when we live in a world so torn by hate?  Well it's simple.  God loved us first.  Now you may think that is cliche' or a given but think about it, we would never know love unless we at some point were loved first.  Sense we all have a beginning there had to be someone who was there from the start to show us what it means to be loved.  God is the alpha and omega, the beginning and the end. 

Love was shown in the beginning and it will be shown till the end.

This love triggers all other forms of love, but the strongest is that one that makes us toss and turn in the wee hours of the night, that love which tortures our very soul, it desires to burst forth from our hearts and be said from the mountain tops, this love that musicians have sung about for years, this love that poets make masterpieces out of.  This is the love that will drive a young man to conquer the world and a young women to chase her dreams.

I would give you Rome for a smile from you, I would give you Paris for a chance to be next to you, I would give you the moon to hold your hand and I would give you my heart for a life time with you.

Argue, laugh, cry, sing, read, dance, eat, travel, work, grow old.  This IS life that is to be had with one another that God intended,  for it is a glance of heaven, a song of ages and a call to Him in the end.  Let your hearts not fret for your special someone but rejoice in the moments that pass till you meet.  For every minute is a life time ready to begin.

Single people rejoice in the divine opportunity you have with God, grow deeper in His word, let not your heart wonder into the realm of those before you for it is not your time, you are to be focused on God and HIS plan before your own...   He would give you Rome, Paris and the Moon...  He already gave you His son after all.

A bit random but known the less still on my mind.

-Todd LaBerge

Mothers

  A mothers love is sweeter than honey, her patience is out done only by the grace of God.  She is a beautiful model of elegance and humility.  But yet we don't appreciate them enough, they toil and labor over us for years, yet we only take one day to celebrate these amazing women,  why is that?  All too often we take for granted the most important things in life, one of which is motherhood.  As teenagers we argue and complain with the women who spent hours in pain bringing your-selfish life into the world.  But you know what's best don't you cupcake?  Sense you've lived nearly half your mothers life you obviously know better then she does right?  Hmmm arrogance is such a childhood state of mind don't you think?  I say we leave the wisdom to the mothers, I mean that is what they are here for right?  To teach us our lessons in life, to be the comfort we needed when we were in our darkest moments, she cleaned us and fed us, she gave us life!  This gives us reason to celebrate her everyday!
   Now if you have a mother who has died and find this day especially hard to celebrate then I want you to know that I can't imagine the pain you feel,  but take this day to think about your mom and celebrate her, for no matter how short a time you had with her, she was still your mother and no matter what, a mother WILL always love her children,  You were loved... If only for a moment, you were loved.


Now give your mother a phone call or pay her a visit, let her know that she is loved too.

"All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel Mother."  -Abraham Lincoln

-Todd LaBerge

A letter to 22 from 21

Dear 22,

    I hope this letter finds you in the highest of spirits, 16, 17 and 20 all send their love and hope the best for you.  Now on to more important matters,  I have often wondered about you and how you will be embracing the changes you will no doubt be taking, I image you are preparing for the year, and the plans you will be making are (As I have complete trust in you) going to be marvelous!  I'm sure our friend Todd will be quite comfortable with you, he can at sometimes be a bit of a nuisance but he does have his moments (Make sure to make the most of those moments).  All I ask of you is to make sure that Todd is living a life that will be worthy of our family who is to come after us, make this year one that even 100 will hear of.  I beg of you to always make sure that Todd is living one of honor, respect and humbleness.  Let's pray we don't have another 13 again, we all know that was a terrible year.  But I just want you to know that I believe in you and know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you have Todd's best interest in heart.  We have a good thing going on right now, so stay true to the course and never cease, because the moment we fall out of line is the moment we have failed this young mans life.  Don't allow him to screw this up.  In fact as often as possible refer him to the man upstairs.  I mean God is the only reason we even exist,  He is the reason our path changed so much from 7 to 8, you remember the story that 8 tells us!  The moment we stepped into this race.   So be sure to encourage Todd as he runs the race, strengthen his resolve to be more then flesh and blood.  Remember though even if you do stumble on the way it is like the great scholar C. S. Lewis once said, "Experience: that most brutal of teachers. But you learn, my God do you learn."  So even if that point comes when he is in the toughest situation remember that experience will teach him something amazing.
So my brother, I love you and am looking forward to what you are going to do, may it be nothing less than spectacular.  

Knock em out kid.

Love,
 
21