Keith Coast Promo Video

Check out this amazing Keith Coast promo video.  Well done...and the guy does an amazing job teaching kids the word of God.

Psalm 146:7-9

Psalm 146 is a wonderful proclamation of hope for you and I in Christ Jesus. In verse 5 we are told, "Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD their God." This promise is fulfilled in Christ Jesus who is our hope.  The psalm goes on to describe some of the attributes and characteristics of Christ we will see lived out by Him:

"He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets prisoners free, the LORD gives sight to the blind, the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down, the LORD loves the righteous. The LORD watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked." Psalm 146:7-9

Jesus fulfills all these prophesies when He is born to Joseph and Mary.  He encompasses all these things that are counter to what the world does or believes.  In Matthew 10:5-8, He gives you and I the same power:

"These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give." Matthew 10:5-8

This passage says Jesus, "sent out" is the word apostellō (ἀποστέλλω) which means to order (one) to go to a place appointed.  What an empowering moment; Jesus appoints you and I to go out, proclaim the message that the kingdom of heaven has come near and to be His representative in the ways listed.

What does that look like?

• ...upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry = spreads the gospel and feeds the homeless.
• ...sets prisoners free = guides those in bondage of sin to freedom in Christ.
• ...gives sight to the blind = heals the sick.
• ...lifts up those who are bowed down = lifts up his neighbor when times are hard.
• ...loves the righteous = love your brothers and sisters.
• ...watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow = takes care of strangers and those who can't take care of themselves.
• ...frustrates the ways of the wicked = speaks out against heresy and religion and invites those into relationship with Christ.

Do you believe that Christ now rules your life now and you are now the conduit for these things to happen?  Christ has called you and I to die to ourself and allow Him to rule; we can only do these things listed about with Him in control.  

What are you waiting for? 

What are you still holding on to or trying to control?

"It's not about you." Rick Warren says, in my opinion, best line in the book.  Put your hope in Him. Allow Him to rule. Know that you are appointed to do His work and be blessed.

God Bless.

Happy Birthday, Granny

Granny would have turned 91 this year today. She passed away a little over two months after her husband, my Grandad. I had the pleasure of growing up about about half a mile from them and seeing them at least once a week. Sunday's after church, you wanted to be at Granny's. She always had something great to eat: macaroni and cheese, stew, and banana pudding (to name just a few or those are what I loved). Granny never sold you short, she'd always tell you what was on her mind. "Jeremy, you've gained some weight," she proclaimed sometime after graduating high school. Yes, Granny was one of a kind. She enjoyed watching As the World Turns and you either stated quite during the show or left. Here is what the newspaper published:

Sylvia Jewell (Robinson) Hellums, 85, passed away Friday, Sept. 22, 2006, at her home in Cedar Creek. She was born on Nov. 26, 1920, in Bastrop County, to Hosea L. and Florence (Jones) Robinson. 

Sylvia was married to Harold Utis Hellums on Nov. 25, 1939, in McMahan. They moved to Cedar Creek in 1941. She gave her heart to Christ in the Pentecostal Church. She loved to cook and to sew, and she was fond of raising violets and cactus. 

Sylvia was preceded in death by her husband of 67 years, Harold Utis Hellums, on July 5, 2006; her brothers, Terrel, Elmo, Hulon and Nolan Robinson; and by her sister, Lerah Hendrix. 

She is survived by her son, Denis Hellums and his wife Donna of Cedar Creek; her daughters, Gail Hellums of Cedar Creek and Lana Turner and her husband Gene of Bastrop; one brother, H.L. Robinson of Bastrop; one sister, Wilma Westbrook of Austin her grandsons, Lyn D. Turner, Terry Turner, Jeremy Hellums, Aaron Hellums and his wife Katie, and Matthew Hellums; her step-grandchildren, Matthew Foster and Christa Foster; and her great-granddaughters, Addie Turner and Makayla Turner. 

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2006, in the McCurdy Memorial Chapel with Rev. Martin Ruiz officiating. Interment followed in Bunton Cemetery in Dale.

Granny and Grandad saw the world change tremendously; from the Great Depression to the Tech Boom (and Bust)...they witnessed and passed on so much to me and my family. I am thankful for them both and miss them often.

I love you, Granny, Happy Birthday.

God bless.

Happy Birthday, Grandad

I am reminded today of my Grandad.  He would have turned 94 today, but passed away on July 5, 2006. I will never forgot the many memories he and I shared from him teaching me how to drive on his knee in his blue pick-up or one of his famous lines, "don't tear up the grass," before my brothers and I would leave his house on a 4-wheeler. Grandad and Granny hold a very special place in my heart and sometimes catch myself wondering what they'd say about our two little boys.  They loved so many people that came to their home.  I might not have known it than, but that's what it was; we could take anyone to see Granny and Grandad.  Most days you could expect to see Grandad in his coveralls and if he wasn't on the couch relaxing, he was in the kitchen offering you some food or his latest cache of BBQ from Lockhart.

Harold Hellums, 88, passed away on Wednesday, July 5, 2006, at his home in Cedar Creek,  Texas. He was born on Nov. 21, 1917, in Dale, Texas, to Jess and Lillie Mae (Alexander) Hellums. 

Harold married Sylvia Robinson on Nov. 25, 1939, in McMahan. They moved to Cedar Creek in 1941, where he worked for 60 years in the oil and ranching business. He accepted Christ in the Pentecostal Church and attended various Baptist Churches. 

Harold was preceded in death by his parents, Jess and Lillie Mae Hellums, and by two brothers, Terrell B. Hellums and A.O. Hellums. 

He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Sylvia J. Hellums of Cedar Creek; son, Dennis Hellums and wife, Donna, of Cedar Creek; daughters Gail Hellums of Cedar Creek and Lana Turner and husband, Gene, of Bastrop; brother, Jess Hellums, Jr., and wife, Betty, of Lockhart; sister-in-law, Llavona Hellums of Dale; grandsons, Lyn D. Turner, Terry Turner, Jeremy Hellums, Aaron Hellums and Matthew Hellums; step-grandchildren, Matthew Foster and Christa Foster; and great-granddaughters, Addie Turner and Makayla Turner. 

Funeral services were held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 8, 2006, at McCurdy Memorial Chapel with Rev. Gary Rogers and Rev. Martin Ruiz officiating. Interment followed in Bunton Cemetery. 

The family wishes to express its gratitude to Austin Hospice, Bluebonnet Home Healthcare, and Dr. Lance Carroll, M.D., for helping us through this trying time, and a very special thank you to the angels who came into our lives – Felipa Jaramillo, Maria Valdez, Ruth Cordova and Susie Martinez. Memorials in Harold’s memory may be made to a charity of choice.

My most recent memory of Grandad was Christmas of 2005. He was using a walker and came into the dining area. I grabbed another walker and we rammed into one another. I'll never forget the huge smile on his face as we played and laughed; amazing to watch and 88 year old man play like a child.

If you get a chance to tell someone you love them, do it. God bless.

Words Don't Mean Nothin'

‎"The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks," Jesus.

These are the words of Jesus recorded in Luke 6:45.  My title, Words Don't Mean Nothin', is a cultural falsehood, a lie, or a trap we sometimes fall into. Words do have meaning and words have repercussions.  Words are so important, Jesus said that we can identify good and evil by the words that come out of someones mouth.

Jesus changes you and I from the inside out.  Along the journey, He changes your heart.  Your heart is either good or evil and according to this passage, what comes out of your mouth is directly from the heart.

What does your heart look like?

Sarcastic.

Compassionate.

Rude.

Empathetic.

Heartless.

Passionate.

Christ.

It's time that many of us check our hearts.  What's coming out of your mouth is the monitor.  Jesus desires that a, "good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good."

May you be touched by God's word and allow Him to change you.  Only Christ can change your heart.

God Bless.

Playing in the Water After the Rain

When You Are Away

To Kari:

When you are away,
It just isn't the same.

I want to say, "its all the same,"
But it clearly isn't.

The cheerful tone in your voice.
The radiante smile on your face.
The beauty you share glimmers.p
The passion you show me - amazing!

It's clearly not the same,
When you are away.

Chapter Six: What Happened Next

For Chapter Five Click Here

John-Thomas was a skilled rifleman. He had served in Desert Storm and the early years of Operation Freedom; he was a reserved man, but understood what it took to carry out a mission. John-Thomas was now operating in "mission mode."

He immediately left to find out what window had been broken and why.

I clung to my weapon and let my mind wander for a moment, "I hope the boys have after school activities...I don't want them involved...what is really happening..." were just a few of the thoughts. I needed to regain composure and focus on the task at hand.

Two shots were heard from the other side of the property. John-Thomas is either shooting or being shot at.

As I came around the corner into the utility room, I saw John-Thomas standing on the patio lowering his weapon. "Did you shoot?" he yelled at me.

"No!" with a hint of panic.

I stepped outside to survey the patio and two creatures lay dead; one directly in front of John-Thomas and the other behind him. "Someone is helping us," he acknowledged, "but I didn't tell anyone what was going on here."

I scanned the outskirts of the property and did not see anyone. "Where's the third creature?" I exclaimed. The hair on the back my neck began to tingle; suddenly two bat-like arms wrapped around my waist pulling me back into the house.

This concludes Chapter Six: What Happened Next

Please note, this is a work of fiction, currently being hashed out here at Insert Title Here. Thoughts, ideas and story is the property of the author.

Tune in later for Chapter Seven: It's Not a Dream

Peek a-boo with Logan

Chapter Five: Behind the Scenes

For Chapter Four Click Here

Not a single news station, newspaper or website published what happened next, but that's probably because those involved agreed never to speak of what happened that afternoon. As the three waited with every intention of doing whatever it took to survive, a black ops team stood by to clean up the mess.

The creatures were not unknown to the government, but kept secret for various reasons. The creatures had first been sighted on the northern coast of Washington four years ago and since than were under constant surveillance, teams were assigned in zones all across the country. Team Lambda 2 had been on alert for the last 36 hours and had been monitoring the situation the entire time.

Team Lambda 2 was poised and ready to do anything necessary...

This concludes Chapter Five: Behind the Scenes

Please note, this is a work of fiction, currently being hashed out here at Insert Title Here. Thoughts, ideas and story is the property of the author.

Chapter Six: What Happened Next

Loving the Blogger App

I recently downloaded the blogger app. I had not searched in a while for this particular app in a while, but when it popped up on the search I immediately downloaded it. So far, loving it.

This app should allow me to post on a more regular basis; considering I am not in front of a computer much, but I do have the iPhone on hand.

It was recently brought to my attention that I never competed my short story, thanks Matthew, hopefully I can wrap that up in the next few weeks.

Did anyone else notice some new speed limits around Austin? 75 on Texas 130! I guess the road crews are hard at work increasing the limits all over the state.

God bless.

Bathtime Sing-along Time

Poetry Thursday

Wandering through the mall
Looking at all the merchandise
What to buy, what to buy?

I got my allowance this morning
A whole dollar fifty
What to buy, what to buy?

Some may think my options are small
But I see many things with my name
What to buy, what to buy?

A matchbox car will go far
Pack balloons will entertain
Or some marbles to shoot

What to buy, what to buy?
I don’t know
Maybe I’ll save it
  For next time.

An original composition by Jeremy Hellums