The Redneck Desert Dweller

My church, Cornerstone Christian Fellowship, has believers that are not just hearers of The Word, but they also put their faith into action. One of the ways that we’ve done this is to partner with Huruma Children’s Home in Kenya. There have been many people from Cornerstone that have not only given their money, but have also made the trip to Kenya to assist this amazing ministry, run by a woman named Mama Zipporah. This woman, with her husband Papa Issac, have adopted over 150 children. But what’s amazing is that they not only house and feed these children, but they teach them as well. Since I haven’t been to Kenya (yet!) to witness this, I can only imagine what this looks like from some of the pictures I’ve seen from there.

I first became aware of Huruma when Caroline, Mama Zipporah’s daughter, came to our church for a few months last year. I can’t say that I spent a lot of time with Caroline, but she made an immediate impact on me. There was something so kind and graceful about her…it wasn’t just charisma, but she possessed a gentle, peaceful, and loving spirit. A truly Godly and beautiful woman.

Earlier this year, Mama Zipporah had also visited us. Because of the size of our church, and the amount of people I saw talking with her, I only had a chance to shake her hand and wish God’s blessings on her and Huruma. But it was immediately clear where Caroline got her spirit from; her Mama had the same loving spirit.

Since that visit, Cornerstone has been a huge part of Huruma, adopting children, providing financial support, and also physical labor. Our pastor and his wife were recently there, along with many other church members…some of which have stayed months. Huruma is definitely part of our family.

Yesterday, I received some sad news. Brian Wurzell, our worship leader, informed us on his blog that Papa Issac had passed away suddenly from a heart attack. Not only is this the loss of a father and husband, but for Huruma it’s also the loss of the man that donated the land to build their home. Papa was also the strong male figure for everyone at Huruma…what a tremendous loss this is.

With apologies to Brian for almost direct copy and paste from his blog, here is what we’re requesting from you:

1. Pray for healing and comfort for Mama Zipporah, Caroline, and everyone at Huruma.

2. If you have a blog, Myspace page, etc., please help us get the word out about Huruma. Donations are badly needed, and they will be wisely used.

3. Give! Link below is for donations.

Thanks for your time reading this, the prayers that you’re saying for Mama and everyone at Huruma, and your donations.

One of my favorite songs…and has been known to move me to tears. Yeah, Bubba’s a softie…but you already knew that, didn’t you?

Ran across this one, thought you might like it.

Hey y’all…hope you’re doing well.

Cornerstone’s young adult ministry, Camber, is hosting an appearance by Nick Vujicic, a man born without arms or legs. I got to see him once a couple of years ago at another church…and I gotta tell ya, to see him speak is something else. Not the usual “oh, look at me, I can do stuff because of God” speaker, but someone that is truly motivated by what he IS. Thursday, April 24. No time is listed yet, but probably around 7ish. Bubba sez go see him if you can. If you want more info, check out Nick’s website, www.lifewithoutlimbs.org. Bubba sez God bless.

Howdy folks. Unca Bubba here, sayin howdy and hope y’all had a great weekend. Today is going to consist of the same mindless drivel you’re used to by now. Hope you enjoy it.

Right now I’m on lunch break listening to a 70s/80s mix of R&B and disco…fun stuff. George Clinton’s Atomic Dog either gets yer toes tappin’, or you ain’t been checked for a pulse lately.

Got to see the Dbacks win on Saturday night 6-2 over the Dodgers. A truly fun game for several reasons: 1) the Dbacks are in a tight playoff race, 2) they won, 3) because of the rivalry between the Dbacks and Dodgers fans. No one was hurt, security wasn’t involved, it was simply a bunch of fans rooting for different teams that didn’t get out of hand. There were about 100 Dodgers fans congregated in the same section chanting “Lets go Dodgers!”, which caused the Diamondback fans to chant “Beat LA!” I think those are some of the most fun moments in sports…

Janet Jackson, That’s The Way Love Goes. Nice, quiet stuff for work.

You know, Bubba has been on da internets for a long time. The first time Bubba got online was 1996, and I’ve seen a lot. However, I’ve been doin a lot of thinkin about some of the stuff I see about Christians over the years. And lately, I’ve come to the conclusion that a lot of it is because one thing that Christians love to do more than anything else is tell everyone else how to run their lives.

Why?

What in the H-E-double-hockey-sticks gives us the right to outlaw certain types of bars, or get in an uproar about pornography? Why are we so concerned about gay marriage? Are we so good at cleaning up OUR backyards that we have the spare time to tell others how to do it?

Now, I know there are a lot of Christians reading this right now thinkin “uh-oh, Bubba’s gone off the deep end! Get him to church ASAP!!!” If you’re in that crowd, calm down and take a deep breath. No, I’m not visiting strip clubs, downloading porn, or anything like that. I don’t even think any of those are good options. I’ve made up my own mind, and none of those are right for me.

The gentlemen that founded our nation some 231 years ago were Christians. But they did not set up a Christian nation. They founded a nation where you could be a Christian, a Jew, Muslim, Zoroastrian, or whatever else you wanted to be. In other words, our founding fathers built this country on the principles of FREEDOM, which is also what the Christian faith should represent. Instead, Christians are known as some of the most freedom-killing people in the world.

I am too busy worrying about my relationship with God to worry about homosexual marriage, the adult video stores in downtown Phoenix, or whether Brandee has to wear pasties at the local topless club. Legislating morality does NOT work for several reasons. If you have any doubts, ask yourself why Prohibition failed so miserably.

As Christians, we didn’t change because God gave the ten commandments to Moses, or because we have Bibles in our houses. Knowing God’s law did NOT make us better people. The only reason we are changed because of the power of God, and the sacrifice that Jesus, God’s son, made for us by dying on the cross. If all of this is true, why would we ever think passing laws could save anyone?

Do you really want to change the world? Start with your own corner. Clean up your own backyard. How does someone know we are Christians? By our LOVE. Therefore, love your neighbor. 1 Cor 13:4 states that love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant. Therefore, meet your neighbor where he/she is. Be patient. Do not brag, don’t be arrogant. The only reason Christians are forgiven is because He chose US, not the other way around.

I’m sure I’ll post more on this one because this is where my passion lies. Until then, Bubba sez love your neighbors, enemies, and friends…and God bless.

Ending with: Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel, Tavares.

For a minute, please put away whatever opinion you have on the US military operations, and please take the time to read this story. I am not trying to sway you one way or the other. This is a human interest story only.

My friends at Blue Star Chronicles found an article in the Dallas Morning News about Roy Velez, a Christian who has lost two sons in the United States’ war on terrorism. It is a lengthy article, but well worth your time to read. Please read the article, and then scroll down.

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Because I am a Christian and a previous caretaker to a family member with a severe mental illness, I feel like adding my $0.02.

Both sons were human. They made mistakes in their lives. However, both were men of character, answering the call of their country without looking back. Even after losing his brother, Andrew went back to Afghanistan to continue to serve his country. At a time where he could have said “I won’t serve” without anyone questioning his character, he honored his commitment to his country, even over the objections of his father.

The reason for hiding my observations with empty space follows. As you read in the story, Andrew was not killed by enemy fire, but a self-inflicted gunshot. Some would cheapen Andrew’s character, saying that he made the decision to take his own life. Some Christians would even question his salvation because of his manner of death. I say that both groups are absolutely wrong.

There are a lot of soldiers who suffer mental illnesses as a direct result of the totally unnatural rigors of war. Adults that aren’t old enough to have attended their fifth high school reunion are watching close friends violently murdered, killing other human beings, and enduring many stresses that no human should ever have to endure. I believe that war induces mental illness in two ways. Sometimes it is caused directly because of what the soldier experiences, while others already have a chemical imbalance that predisposes them to illness. War is merely the trigger to set off what is already in place biologically.

My ex-wife has several mental illness diagnoses. Sometimes she is a wonderful, generous person with a big heart. However, I’ve also seen her at her worst. Yelling, hitting, destructive, and also extremely suicidal. During lucid times, she has expressed the opinion that suicide is nothing more than a person’s decision to end their own life. But if someone’s brain causes someone to end their own life, isn’t that indication enough that their brain is not working correctly? If your arm is broken, your brain tells you that it’s broken, and that you need to get it fixed. If you’re having trouble breathing, your brain tells you that you need to get medical attention. But if your brain is broken…how would you know to get help? The fact is: you don’t.

Andrew’s brain was broken. We don’t know if he had a predisposition towards mental illness before he went to war, and it really doesn’t matter. His brain had suffered injuries because of experiencing combat and the loss of his brother, injuries which turned out to be fatal. The manner in which he met death does not make his sacrifice any less heroic than his brother’s.

If you are a Christian reading this and you question whether or not Andrew is going to heaven…don’t. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that suicide nullifies the payment that Jesus made for his sins, and the notion that it does was invented by man. If I’m wrong (and God knows that I frequently am), please correct me. And if you’re not Christian, save the “organized religion” crap for someone else.

Please continue to pray for their father that he would experience many blessings for the extremely noble way he has handled these tragedies.