The Pirates Arrrrr Coming!!

arrrrrrrrrrrr!

welcome! You're invited to the pirate party!

we (the pirates) are throwin a mighty good party on Halloween.  

There could no other way of celebratin this party without all the pirates in the area.  

So come out! (pirates and non pirates)

No Scary costumes please...this be a family event.

Lots of candy!

Free food!

Pirate games and treasure!

Live pirate performances!

Free raffles!

Face Painting and more!

October 31st, 5.30- 7pm. at the Mosart Theatre.  

For more info, go to www.vintageworshipgathering.org

What would you do with $8,000,000,000?

Another angry blog entry. I promise my next blog will somehow find some joy in this world.

First, I have a question for you. Are hurting people more important than unwanted dogs? Locally, we have two Safe Harbors. Most would only know about one. The one that is a "No Kill" facility for unwanted pets.

(Before I go any further I am a pet lover).

The second facility is a shelter for abused and neglected children. "A child once described the emergency shelters as "a safe place where I won't get hurt any more." What's amazing is that people rush to support the animal shelter. There are golf tournaments, websites dedicated for donations, news coverage, etc., people are passionate about these animals. (Another aside, animal shelters are a good thing, I've adopted from an animal shelter and I've had to tearfully give a beloved pet to a shelter). However, my experience in the community of Palm Beach County is a deafening silence when it comes to the children's shelter. I've had to take children to this shelter. I've worked with kids with scars from whip marks, bite marks, children living in conditions that the ASPCA would have you arrested if your animals were exposed to. Children who were fearing for their lives and this shelter was there only hope. But I don't see Golf tournaments, or websites dedicated to these children. (Maybe I'm under a rock)

I know it's not the PC thing to say. But hurting children, hurting people are more important than unwanted pets. I've known people who have chosen to have pets rather than children, My wife and I received email threats when we put out classified ad trying to find a more suitable home for one of the dogs we rescued (the person was angered that we chose the safety of our new baby over keeping our loved pet), I've scene people choose to nurture sick animals to the point of neglecting the hurting people around them.

Then today I see this:

"Leona Helmsley left $12 million in her will to her dog, Trouble. But that, it turns out, is nothing much compared with what other dogs may receive from the charitable trust of Mrs. Helmsley, who died last August. Her instructions, specified in a two-page “mission
statement,” are that the entire trust, valued at $5 billion to $8 billion and amounting to
virtually all her estate, be used for the care and welfare of dogs.."

What would you do with $8,000,000,000? Oh yeah, Leona, what about the cats? You Hypocrite. :)

Click here for more information about Safe Harbor Children's shelter

Click here for more information about Safe Harbor Animal Shelter (and the recent fire).

I WIll Never Step Foot in A Church Building Again.

The Buildings stand high in downtown west palm….they seem to be getting larger. There are so many people living here now. There must be millions…among these millions are country clubs of all sorts…There in the middle of the city lies a huge one with a huge cross standing on the top…At least it made me feel like labeling it a country club last night. Let me explain.

The Vintage Band played a Benefit dinner last night at a church downtown. Now I don’t rant too much on this blog, but today I feel it in my bones, in my heart, and in my soul that I write something…I can’t stop thinking about it.

The band is asked at times to play different events. I love to play out. I love to play shows with the band. More importantly, I love to worship with these guys, and the people there…it is huge. It is beautiful and through the Holy Spirit…watch out man, it’s gonna be outstanding…I treasure these moments in life when I feel closest to the Creator. I am a musician at heart and to play music for my Lord…there is just nothing like it.


We set up our stuff waiting for a sound tech to get to this place. As we tune our instruments, play through our amps, you know…jam a little, an apparent not so happy lady in high heels is doing the fast walk across the room…I can sense it now. I can feel something is about to hit the fan…We have just destroyed this sacred space by stepping foot on it…Dear Lord, forgive us. No hello…no how are you…no welcome…no smile…no apparent look of grace…nothing my Lord teaches. Just a what-do-you-think-you-are-doing-kind-of-look. We tell her that we were told to set up at 4 and that we haven’t touched any of their stuff because we were asked not to. Well because she can hear noise, it is assumed that we touched every knob on the board and that she was given very strict instructions that we were NOT aloud to touch anything. We promised her we didn’t.

5 minutes later, yet another “church lady” walks in with the same message…again, no smile…more of like a stern ache from inside that we are actually there…again, we promise that we haven’t touched anything. She wanted to be sure so she called some “higher up” so we could talk to him…I was actually excited because I thought she was calling God…these people seem to be so close to him, what with there perfect hair, clothing, teeth…these people must be angels. We repeat for the third time now that we haven’t touched anything.

Here is my rant. I have a young believer on my worship team…this is the 2nd “church”….no not even church…this is 2nd time at a place of worship this has happened to us. What does this say to him…This is not a welcoming message…these aren’t people who display Christ on their face or in their actions to us…It is very disheartening to think that these country clubs are doing nothing to the kingdom other than catering to the people who sit in the pews on a Sunday to Sunday basis, soaking in the stale message on bettering yourself for the kingdom…you might be going to a soup kitchen every month for “ministry” but where is your heart? I don’t see it. Where is your kindness? I don’t see it. Where is you love for people? I don’t see it. Maybe it’s there, but you would think me, being a Christian, could spot the love of Christ in you…I just don’t see it. My new believing friend in the band wanted to leave…wanted to get up and go play at a bar…a place where we have played and are accepted…can you believe this? Christians who go and play at a bar are more accepted than in a church? Sorry, a house of worship? My God, My God, what is going on in your Church? Help us to love EVERYONE Lord. Help us to see how we treat others around us…we never know who might be watching us, who might be noticing our every move. Small things. A smile. A hello. Something. Anything. Love. Please teach us this we pray.

He slept.

I don't predict anyone reading this post will know or remember Sheldon Dantzler. Sheldon, a Marine, a warrior, a musician, and a man of faith. I became acquainted with Sheldon just a little over two months ago. Easter morning, Sheldon, hungry found his way into our worship gathering and luncheon. He said that "God must have brought him here" and I think he was right. Over the next two months I became more fond of him. We shared our struggles, We shed a few tears, we shared meals together, prayed together, and worshiped together. I don't know how or why, but over the past few months I would run into Sheldon on multiple occasions. The last time I saw him was this past Sunday. He slept through most of Albert's message (he's not the only one j/k). I was glad to see him, even if he slept. Sleeping meant he was safe. Safe from the brokenness of the streets. It must have been so tiring walking the streets. So tiring, roaming, roaming, not stopping out of fear of what might happen if you stop. Sleeping meant he was safe, at peace, not worried, he felt safe with me, our family, his church. Sheldon awoke and was one of the last people remaining at our worship gathering. We gave him a box of food. With fear in his face he told me how he shouldn't be in Lake Park, that it wasn't safe for him, but wanted to come to church. He said he only needed to stay in the area a few more weeks to finish his treatment at the VA and then would be heading home. I looked him in the eye and told him he would make it, and I believed it. I believed that over time Sheldon would make it off of the streets. That Sheldon would overcome his struggles. Daily I prayed for him, Reggie, Low Tar, and the other people struggling on the streets of Lake Park. Daily I thanked God for bringing them into my life. I thanked God for allowing me the opportunity to show his love to them. I don't know if I failed. Sheldon "Dantzler was gunned down Friday at about 4:20 p.m. in Lake Park's busy downtown area by another man who followed him into Mary's Place, a consignment store on Park Avenue." Sheldon may you be at peace, may you sleep without fear, may you finally rest in the loving arms of your heavenly father, and if you must, if you must roam, roam the streets paved with Gold.

Do you have faith? Faith In God? What about faith in you?

Matthew 17:20 "He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

Philippians 4:13"I can do everything through him who gives me strength."

We hear verses like this, but honestly we don't believe them. Do you really believe that you can move a mountain? Do you really believe you can do anything, anything through Christ. If you believe it why don't you? Even if we believed it just a little bit, wouldn't we be trying it more. Wouldn't we pray more, believe more and do more. Watch these next two videos. They're both worth it.

My prayer today is that God helps each of us have that "mustard seed" faith in Him and faith in the masterpiece of his creation you and me.

God Debate at Google

It's worth watching. It's long, but get to the Q & A time at the end. What an opportunity.

Costa Writings

I just got back from a trip to costa rica. I went down to work with kids and lead worship for a group. At night, I was able to process a little of what was going on and was able to write a few things down.

I prayed through psalm 40 everyday before we went out and asked God that I would see Jesus in the kid's eyes. I have been down to the mission countless times and I had never felt like this before...I couldn't leave Marcus, Dillon, Stephanie, and Axel down there because I knew where they were going to sleep that night..I saw Jesus in their eyes and it tore me apart, and I knew that holding them during the day, singing songs, letting them paint my finger nails, just wasn't enough. I sat one day on the curb with all of the kids I mentioned above on my legs/knees and I just kept singing Jesus loves me in spanish...we didn't sing it all week, but I just knew these kids would know the song because we sing this song all the time in bajo tejares. They sang, and sang, and sang with me...It's simple. They know it...and believe it...they have nothing...yet they know Him. They know the same Jesus I know and they have nothing. That was the hardest day to leave...I felt his presence in the lowest of the low and in that moment, everything made sense. This day I saw a glimpse of the Almighty in the faces of four dirty kids in Tejares.

Here are my writings...


Leaving on a plane to no where, far away from the trees where no one will ever reach me, finding me to where I flee.
This place of secluded serenity. I stand on solid ground: firm, unfiltered, Raw.

Take me away with you. This place we call home grows old, overgrown, stale.

Repeat...repeat. I'm sick of it. Give me something I can't digest. Throw something at me I can't carry 'cause I have a friend who can.




......

When our bodies become one.
When we connect on a level no one else will ever experience.
When love for the moment seems the only thing
we will ever need, I see You.
I experience grace, hope, faith, love, oneness, peace,
and for the moment everything is beautiful.

Is this why you are called, "Lover of my Soul?"

This intimacy with the Creator is achievable.
One must first submit as lovers submit to one another,
become selfless,
then you will achieve intimacy with the Creator.


- captain