Guess who is Blogging

Thats right my Beautiful Bride, Heather L Pickens. It has taken me awhile to get her to get into this whole blogging thing but she is finally up for it. God speaks to her in such awesome ways and she has such an innocent spirit, but the best thing is she keeps her heart focused on God. If you get a chance please go visit her Blog at heatherepickens.blogspot.com she is just getting started and would really appreciate any good comments you can give her. Thankyou all and dont forget to go and help Heather fill up her hit map.

Are you Serious!!!!!!

I have a absolutly no words for how gross this is. I guess the world really is running out of fresh water supply. Still I'll eat tree bark before I go this route, pretty funny though.

Content because I now hold tight his Love

It's funny how my last few post have taken me time to really get my thoughts and Ideas into words. I love writing and blogging, it's a great way to share your heart with friends and tell others about what God is speaking to you. But most of all I love the fact of being transparent in where I am at in my relationship with Christ. It let's others know I have rough moments to and it can give them hope as well, even in there season of life. But it all came to me today after alot of prayer and finally admitting to God that I cant deny the way he has created me, rough, wild, but a heart that has become full of compassion, and an unyielding desire to reach those that are lost, those that cant fend for themselves. I remember back in high school I had so many thing's that I wanted to do in life but felt I would never have time because they where such big desires, but at the same time I wanted with everything in me to live life unhinged and unleashed for Christ. My flesh and Spirit where at War, after 5 years of learning the hard way all the things I wanted to do never coming to fulfillment I have finally confessed what is truly on my heart. And have finally given to God what belongs to him, my heart. I did not get the job at the Sheriffs Dept and it is not ironic at all, I was praying for awhile that God if this is not your will make it painfully obvious, well after 3 and a half months of test, interviews, and applications I made it to the last stage and got turned down. Get your hope built up after all that time then get a big NO at the very end. But I thank God for doing that b/c now I know why, I have known fore the past 2 yrs but I have finally said God my desires don't fulfill like your plan does. I have not been content I have been at a Holy Dissatisfaction for a long time now. My heart and my call have been to Africa. I remember the first time I went it was 2 yrs ago and ever sense then I have felt like half of me has been missing, trapped in the little hands and heart's of those beautiful children. I have dreams and thoughts and journal entries and mental movies that play over and over in my mind every single day. I want to make a difference I want to share the love of Christ to them not just by sending money or sponsoring a child, but by going and playing in the mountains with them, holding them in laughter, kicking soccer balls barefooted all day long, and most important giving them Jesus in a tangible way weather through teaching or food or games or whatever anyone needs me to do I am willing. I loved thanks giving this year because as I thought about all the people there my heart was overwhelmed with Joy, my face was filled with smiles, and my eyes could not stop seeing there tears, I must do something. I MUST. Alot of people ask me why do you want to do that what will your wife think, it's not safe, it's not home, you will miss out on so much. I SAY WHEN YOU TRULY REALIZE HOW MUCH CHRIST LOVES YOU AND REALIZE HOW MUCH HE DID FOR YOU, THOSE WHO TRULY FOLLOW HIM WILL EVENTUALLY COME TO A PLACE WHERE THEY SAY I CANNOT DENY HIS CALL, AND I CANNOT RUN FROM THIS I WANT TO DO EVERYTHING I CAN FOR JESUS AND THE KINGDOM, THAT'S WHAT MY LIFE IS MENT FOR, TO GIVE IT ALL BACK TO HIM. Your call my not be Africa it may not be preaching or what the world sees as main stream ministry but if you are a follower of Christ you do have a call, and I pray that you fall in love with his voice and head to it, cherish him, and leave this temporary that we chase and run with everything towards his eternal. There is nothing greater nothing more powerful and nothing worth more than Christ and Jesus Christ alone. He Love's you he wants everything from you so that he can give you the best and take from you what you thought was best, I dont understand everything for that matter much of anything but I do know that his ways are higher than ours and his love for us surpasses all understanding. The only way I have ever found peace is in his will , outside of that I have always been discontent and restless. But when I have laid aside myself and run into his arms there is no greater peace, no greater feeling of being content, and most of all a Love that can only be understood and felt from the arms of Jesus Christ.

Where are we as a Nation?

This is a very difficult post for me, not because of personal issues or difficult circumstances but mainly because I have so many things on my heart right now but no way to really express them. One of the biggest things that is really getting to me the the decay of this country, and the blind eyes that dont see it. I'm not trying to get all doomsday on anyone but there have been some really big things going on in the last 2 years, more and more tolorance of things that hurt the heart of God. You cant turn the TV on or walk into a store without seeing all the junk being set in front of you craving for your attention, people resorting to all kinds of things to fill that void in there heart. All promising signifiance, beauty, power, pleasure, popularity, sex appeal, wealth. My heart breaks alot of times just thinking about all these things and the poeple that are chasing after them. What good does all this temporary stuff get you but another plate to stand in line with for the next temporary meal. When did we as a nation fall away from God to the point where the name of Christ is the next punch line in a comedy skit, or the next word used at the end of a vulgar statement, or has become the toss around religious obligation instead of a personal realtionship. When did we as a nation turn our own foundational teaching of the Bible into a textbook that you must have in your home as an emotional security but not message we will truly follow and believe in. Why do some go to Church for the sake of having religion or feeling good because they met the weekely quota, God does not want empty practices or false actions he wants your heart! People living together outside the Covenant of God's plan of marriage, people giving murder a new name called abortion, I just cant understand it all. God does not have rules to pin us to the ground, those rules are there to set us free from all the pain that comes from living those types of lifestyles. It's upsetting to see how such a blessed nation founded on Christian principles is now being the isrealites in the wilderness, forgetting so quickly how much God has done for them, resorting to the flesh to fufill all there desires. I hope the hearts of the people will turn, not because of another disaster awakening but a spiritual awakening. One where the true Church of God, the followers of Jesus Christ will come together reaching the poor, the orphans, the widows, the hurting, the oppresed, the addicted, those in bondage, those who have no hope, those who are looking for Salvation. I pray for this to cover this nation now, I ask all Christians to pray for this, no longer living as selfish and self righteous, but humble and longing for Christ. Will we become this again, it wont come from some Goverment plan or agenda, or Hollywood, or any save the trees foundation, it will only come from the body of Christ. Everything in this short life we have is temporary, but the one thing that will never be forgotten never be stopped and will only continue to move foward is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That will bring us mercy, that will save that which is lost.

Step ONE, The Orphans

Sorry The Picture came out blurry the Camera is not that great

This is a really defining post for me, I know that I have expressed many times before about how bad I want to be in Africa but it's just not God's timing yet. There is no doubt that the call is there, I think about it every day literally all the time. The Children how much they changed my life, how much God spoke to me, I remember all the little faces. I have taken my Grandmothers advice and I've started to write an illustrated book about what God spoke to me there (The tale of the Orphan). I wish I was holding those little one's, playing in the sand, singing songs, climbing rocks and running through fields. I wish so much, but again it's just not his timing yet. But the coolest thing about God is that even though I cant go yet he still keeps me close to them, he has given me a gift and he wants me to use it. Art, I cant be there but God has put on my heart to bring them here, I've been drawing pictures and I have one finished already, but the whole purpose is to produce as much artwork that I possibly can of all the children, people, and scenery of Africa that I have and can remember sell it and give all the money I make 100% to Children's Cup. That way more orphans will be taken care of and more mouths will be fed. God put this on my heart a few months back and now it's starting to take place which is so awesome. Step One for me is the Orphans. I will keep posting Art as I finish each peace but for now here is the first.

Sights at the Grandparents house, Weekend in Mississippi.

I Love going to the Grandparents House in Mississippi, it's surrounded by woods hardly a car on the road all day just peace and quiet. It really is a door into the past and a look at how it used to be across the country and for some like my grandparents still is. Such honorable people, hardworking and lovers of Christ. They are really great examples of living a life for Christ. But the sights the sounds the smells they all remind me of being a kid, I love it. Hear are some pics I took this weekend.



Little Man


New Deer Stand in the works

Why I Love being a Man

It's Saturday morning, cool and crisp, Hunting Season is in the Air. Lance what do you think we should do, Go to Cabelas. I love being a man, being in the woods, hunting, fishing, walking for hours in the ultimate outdoor store with my little brother, it's such an awesome privilege. I love America, just the opportunity to go freely into the wild,camping, and exploring, man I just get so excited thinking about all the fun that can be had, especially in this Country and in this time of the year. Such a past time, such a beautiful land, It's just great being a man.

So After trying to decide for a few hours on what Hunting Rifle Lance wanted he finally decided on a good choice. The AR 50 cal haha, not really but we thought it would be funny to blog about. Hunting Season has to be my favorite time of the year, I love the hunt, the tracking and the Challenge. The one perfect shot, that big buck, the wait for the one perfect moment that could bad the big one. Yeah I love being a man.

This was Ray, Lance and my animals we killed last year, our game room got so full we asked Cabelas if they could display our collection, and wouldn't you know they said yes, haha. Also not true but funny, one of my dreams has been to go on a big game hunt somewhere in Montana or Colorado, or maybe just maybe Alaska. So every time I come in this store and see this display I keep telling myself that big bear is gonna be mine one day, or I'm gonna wrestle that big moose to the ground with my bare hands. Yeah I love being a Man.

And finally I love being a Man because of Guns, shooting and Hunting are so much fun. Especially when the guys in the family come in after a hunt and share all there stories from that morning or afternoons hunt. Eating some left over butter milk biscuits snacking on some bacon and sausage, and hopefully underneath the back porch skinning a deer. Yeah I love being a man, it's rough, rugged, burly, challenging, untamed, unleashed, wild, and fierce all in one. Yeah I love it!