Bloggin old school style

Well i really have nothing to blog about so i decided on days like today i will just take a verse and expound on it so here is the first of probably many expoundments (is that a word)

This is pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father, to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world. James 1:27

If you look at this carefull it may remind you of something it did for me at least. It reminded me very much of the one true commandment Jesus talks about in the Gospels. To love God with all your mind, body and soul and to love your neighbor as yourself. Lets look at it "visit orphans and widows in their distress" Would this not fall under loving your neighbor as yourself. Taking care of parentless children and widows is not an easy thing to do. Not only does it tax you financially but also it taxes your time and your heart. Is it not hard to see children without parents and in some cases without homes. Does it not strain the heart to see women who have lost thier husbands who no longer have a means of support not to mention lost thier best friends. Care for the widows and the orphans had such a meaning now and then also. Were not widows and orphans for the most part without inherietance. The only thing that made you what you were in the days of old. But how gracious is God that he gave himself to be our inheritance. To be our support or best friend our father. God and his mercy is amazing and to see it demanded of us to imitate what he has done is a humbling matter one that none of us should take lightly. But on to the next section of the verse "and to keep oneself unstained by the world" Is not staying unstained by the world living under the guidance of God. Does it not require us to live under the redeming blood of Christ. Is living a blameless life according to God not loving him with all your heart mind body and soul because that is what it will take to live that life a life unstained by this world. Living an unstained life with Christ is improbable living and unstained life without him is impossible. I know that only thanks to the blood of Christ do i have even the opportunity to live an unstained life. And even so i get stained but thanks to his cleansing blood i can be wash and made unstained becuase his sacrifice was complete. He removed my sin so long as i accept him in my heart and believe in him with all my mind body and soul. Romans 10:9-10 is a good verse for that. God is so amazing that i can not begin to place into words how i have been effected by His grace. I can only pray that i would not forget the cleansing power of His blood and at the same time to continue to strive to live that unstained life. May God bless us all in the name of His son Jesus Christ to continue to rely on Him and his love to keep us unstained by this world that we maybe one with Him in the next. That when we see him all he will have to say is Well done good and faithful servant.

Conversation with the old man

The coolest thing about this weekend had to be the time i spent with my dad and brother for the 5th consecutive year we had our annual Easter Classic Golf Outing(yes i know easter is long past)and for the 3rd consecutive year i was the winner. All this was great but the best part of the weekend consisted of the drive up to pittsburgh to celebrate my sister's birthday. While we were driving to pittsburgh me and my dad got into a conversation about God and Jesus and all that wonderful stuff. He was asking me questions about how to answer the typical if there is a God why are things so bad type questions. The reason for these questions was because my dad's best friend does not really have any faith and my dad really feels for him because of this which is cool on its own. So my dad has made it a goal that each time he talks to him to lead the conversation to spiritual things. It was really cool how my dad grasped the fact that his friend had been burnt by the church and that he need to emphasize the fact that its not so much about the church and religion but about a relationship with God. How cool is that. I was very proud of my father and it made me take a look at my own passion for people and not only that my passion for my friends who dont know Christ. It also showed me the truth that its worth risking upseting a friend for the Gospel and not only that but a good and true freindship will not be hurt by these conversations if they are handled in a gentle and loving manner. I guess what im trying to say is that maybe we all should be more bold in who we tell the good word to. To stop worrying about who's feelings we might hurt and be gentle and honest and loving and if we can do that then any feelings that may be hurt will be able to be mended. I just hope that i can take from my father this desire to reach out to my close friends who dont know Jesus and to show them the love and the life that i have and to stop being afraid of losing a friendship when the more important issue is that they can gain life. Maybe i should remember that that it is better to lose a friend and gain a brother.

Natalies 21

This weekend i celebrated my little sisters 21st birthday. Not only does that make me feel old, but for the next month and one day she is the same age as my fiancee. Crazy. But the coolest thing was just getting to hang with the family and laugh and joke an enjoy one anothers company. It is always wonderful when my family gets together. We all know how to make each other laugh and we do it well and often. It was wonderful times and to Heather, Nick and Tara i appologize if you all do not get the humor, but we Culps are a wierd breed. But the conversations and the laughs varied so much through out the day it was a wonderful weekend and more about it to come if not for a quiz in less than a half and hour i would expand on the full weekend but all i can say for now is look forward to probably two more posts today. And who knows maybe even one that is more preachy. I do love preachy. Good day to all off to the quiz.

My experience in AA

I had to attend an AA meeting today for class. It was quite a humbling experience. It was so awesome, but at the same time so sad to see so many people who had to get to such a low point to realize the truth that they need God. To see the people that did find God was the awesome part, but the ones who just relied on the group and a "higher power" i felt for. I just wanted to go to them and tell them about Jesus and how he was there and able and willing to lift them from there despair and to free them from their addiction. It just reminded me of what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11. Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor aduterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

I think we can all find a bit of ourselves in those verses. I am just continuously thankful that God is still working in me and helping me to truly be washed, sanctified and justified. I continue to look at these verses and see that all vices and all sin can be covered by those statements. Which again demonstrates God's mercy for us all. His ability to forgive is aviable to all. My charge that I recieve from this verse is to always remember that "And that is what some of you were" I am no longer bound by my sin and that I have been freed by the redemptive power of the blood of Christ. I am free to live a life unbound by my own sin. I am free to live boldly for the Lord. To live and to fail under his redemptive power. To strive to live the perfect life the life i have been called to live. The life that he has given.

My first blog

I am joining the bloging community so hopefully they will get better after this one just wanted to get the prosess started. Onward and Upward.