Bryson and Anna!

My brother has finally done it...

I know Anna is happy! LOL

Today my brother finally "popped" the question on top of a mountain in North Carolina to his girlfriend of forever... Well, it feels like forever anyways... LOL

Congrats to both of them! Wooooooo Hooooooooo!!!

Church starts at 11AM!!! White folk only!!!

Only in America...

In fact only in the South....

Now that I think about it, only by rednecks who are proud of their heritage!!! LOL

I am a Southerner, proud to be a descendant of Civil War Veterans but sometimes some folk can just take it a little to far.

Example: A church celebrating Southern Heritage Day, complete with a civil war reenactment after the service with REAL actors...

While I am (again) proud to be born and raised in the South, I can't help but think that this church is ruining it's chances of reaching the minorities in their community. Then again, most of the time our Southern churches think its better to continue to keep the tradition of segregation within our churches... Yeah, that's Biblical... Ha!

I was once told by a pastor that if a black man and his wife visited their church they would be welcomed but would not be allowed to join. The reason? "There are just to many differences between whites and blacks." I agree with that, that culturally there are some significant tastes that certain groups have but that is by no means a reason to deny someone the opportunity to join your fellowship. What Biblical ground is there to stand on?

Sure a pastor is entitled to their own opinion but not about who can or can not join the assembly. We are commanded, not asked, in God's Word to "love one another" and to "bear one another's burdens," not "love only white folk" or "bear only black folk's burdens." The last time I checked there wasn't an asterisk in my Bible beside the instructions that said to "go into ALL the world..."

Ultimately, we as believers should do as little to offend non-believers (no matter the color of their skin) as possible. The Gospel and story of Jesus Christ are offensive enough... we don't have to add anything to it! (Like Southern Heritage Day) I still find that kind of hilarious... LOL

I Refuse to Stop!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!! May your Turkey be moist... :)

Don't Honk!

Very "Intense"

Why Don't Terrorist Use Ships?

This is an interesting article I found on Yahoo!...

Why would a terrorist risk getting caught on a plane with a razor blade when he can take a gun on a ship and hijack the thing? Read the article and think about it...

Yahoo! News: Why hijack a plane?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Photo courtesy of Sarah

Turkey, I am the Victor!

What an awesome picture... Sarah and I committed ourselves to Bi-Lo (a grocery store chain) in order to inherit the most awesome thing I've won this year: A FREE TURKEY!

Sure it took 6 weeks of dedicated shopping and yes we had to spend at least $35 a week (we budget for about $50) on groceries to earn our points, but I must declare it was worth it!

There was a lot of waiting in lines, knocking over old people to get to the bread and constant bargain hunting but at the end Sarah and I won the prize...

Now the question stands...

How in the world are the two of us going to eat a 13 pound turkey???

Answer: Very Slowly...

Savor the victory!!!

Why I Love Splenda...

I love Splenda...

It makes my coffee sweet without the calories as well as sounding super cool as it rolls off the tongue... One more reason why to love Splenda as I found this weekend while Sarah and I were on our weekly grocery shopping trip:

Each Splenda packet now has one gram of fiber. Nice...

Keeping me regular while making things sweet... You couldn't ask for a better product unless they could prove it makes a great anti-bacterial topical device... Hmmmmmm

Good morning America... I am not awake.

Aggressive Life-Style Evangelism

J.D. Greear does it again...

There is a great article on his site that was posted on November 19th that speaks about "life style witnessing" and how it is not a ticket to be passive in reaching out to the lost. Unfortunately I can't directly link it up so you may have to search for it. Here is a "snip" from the article:

We were never to wait for unbelievers to come to us to "ask" questions. We were to go to them and proclaim a message that answers a question they may not have known to ask.

The article is a good reminder that we are commanded to engage our world about Jesus Christ and what He has done... Not just sit back and relax!

Good Thought...

Stumbled across this blog this afternoon... Two things I like about it:

1. He uses great punctuation like me (...) a lot! Ha!

2. This article includes a cute lil' story with a good thought... Enjoy

Perry Noble

Bank Joke II

He just can't stop... Ha!

1. Q: What is the one thing Wall St and the Olympics have in common?

A: Synchronized diving.

2. I went to buy a toaster and it came with a bank.

3. Overheard in a City bar: 'This credit crunch is worse than a divorce. I've lost half my net worth and I still have a wife.'

4. What's the capital of Iceland?About $3.50.

5. Q: What is the difference between an investment banker and a pigeon?

A: A pigeon can still make a deposit on a BMW.

6. Q: What is the difference between an investment banker and a large pizza?

A: The pizza can still feed a family of four.

7. Q: What's the definition of optimism?

A: An investment banker who irons 5 shirts on a Sunday night.

8." I tried to make a withdrawal from an ATM and the machine said 'Insufficient Funds'. I wasn't sure if it meant for me or the bank."

9. "I lent my friend $20 last week and according to the market I qualify as the country's 4th largest lender."

10. Broker to Client: "I've got good news - you'll be paying 40% less in fees for the foreseeable future!"

11. I wrote a check for $100 to my friend but he never got it; the check was good, the bank bounced.

12. The crisis is so bad, Bank ATM's now have slot machines.

Bank Joke

One of my friends sent this to me... I find it funny... You might find it nerdy...

Cookie Queen!

My wife is super awesome in so many ways and last night she surprised me once more...

She made THE BEST cookies I believe I have ever eaten and she did it from scratch! The chocolate chip cookies were crisp and gooey all at the same time... Those delicious treats were flat out AWESOME!!!

So once more I pay homage to my beautiful, gorgeous wife and her excellent cooking and baking skills... Also, I wanted to draw a picture today... LOL

My Brother the Real-Life Super Hero!

My brother, Bryson, participated in a wickedly large fire in Chapel Hill last week! He is a full time fire-fighter... (Not to be confused with those "volunteers..." LOL)

Check out some of the pictures here.

You can't see my brother that well, though there is one photo of him with his nomex hood on... He told me was changing pants or something like that, I don't know.

Anyways... While I sit at a desk servicing mortgages from all across America my brother runs into burning buildings...

The Butner Brothers: Taking DANGEROUS to a whole new place!!!

Ted Haggard... He's baaaaccckkkk....

Wow...

If you don't know the story you can read about it here. If you do know the story, you can see what his response is.

I find this situation a bit interesting and myself a little confused. Here is a man who admitted to committing gross, abominable sin and now says that he has gotten it right with God... As believers, how are we to accept (or even reject) a person who seems to have "come clean?" Now, I don't agree with Ted Haggard on MANY theological points but he does claim to be a born-again believer. A part of me is saying, "Yeah man, welcome back! Try to serve God any way you can!" and the other part of me is taunting, "Yeah man, whatever... Am I suppose to believe you? Get a life!" In this case, I am told that if this man has sought forgiveness from God and the community then I am to forgive him... But... what... if... um.... Hmmmmmm........

Where do you stand?

Avoid this Pastor...

I don't totally agree with everything here, but it is something worth reading...

David Foster

Have a super day!

Wedding Pictures

Some of you may know about this, some of you may not...

Here is the link to view our wedding pictures!

My wife is gorgeous... :)

Can you say, "Wow?!?"

In my Internet cruising today I found this quote by C. S. Lewis from a work he did called, The Weight of Glory. This statement jolted me awake, not only physically (man, I'm tired today) but spiritually.....

I can.... I say, "Wow..."

"If we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong but too weak. We are halfhearted creatures fooling about with drink and sex and ambition, when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased."

Read more about C. S. Lewis here.

What does it cost to choose Jesus in America?

Persecution in Today's Church

There was this kid at my elementary school who use to tease the snot out of me. It didn’t matter what I was doing or who I was with, “Anthony” would find and torture me to no end! Eventually it got to the point that his bullying began to effect my performance with my school work so my mom had to step in… (Super Mommy to the rescue!) Yeah, he totally learned his lesson...

No one likes a bully…

Sure that type of childhood “persecution” is a bad thing and should not be tolerated but it is nothing compared to the persecution the church and believers have faced over the centuries. Men and women tortured for the cause of Jesus Christ, beaten and murdered for trusting the Creator of the Universe. Last night at church we had a gentleman speak about the atrocities that are going on around the world, crimes that are happening to Christians today. He said that everyday, believers are arrested, roughed up and killed for proclaiming the Gospel… but they continue to forgive their tormentors and pray for their salvation.

What a testimony to the awesome work that has been brought into their heart by the salvation granted by Jesus Christ! Salvation that changes! Salvation that results in a life totally and radically changed! Though they are persecuted they do not quit, they do not compromise and they do not complain… they love God with a passion that is scarcely seen in America today.

American Christians do not face true persecution. Sure the Christian Law Association would disagree with me on this point stating that they help defend those in America who are under “persecution.” The persecution in America usually goes like this: a Christian business man is forced to rent to a same-sex couple. A believer is told that they can’t put a sign in their front yard that has a Bible verse written on it or a church runs into trouble getting their church building permits in order because a community doesn’t want another big building in their neighborhood. Is this persecution? Maybe, maybe not….

No where in the Bible did God promise America that she would be free from persecution for ever. In fact the Bible says that in time persecution will come more and more and men’s hearts will grow colder and harder… not a good mix!

There is something great that does come out of persecution, a genuineness that is bright and a passion for God that is unquenchable. Believers around the world who are persecuted are forced to make a decision between God and the world… there is no compromise there. But in America we find professing believers who have one foot in the world and one foot in the church… They have no problem serving God, as long as it doesn’t offend the world! I find in my own life that my own responsibility to share the Gospel is many times stifled by the fear of offending someone… In my mind I think, “Oh my, I better be careful, I don’t want to hurt his or her feelings!” How pathetic! It would be wrong to bring persecution on myself by being an idiot (i.e., standing on my desk with my Bible over my head screaming about the world coming to an end) but would it be dumb to sort of wish (or pray) that persecution would come to America?

"Aaron, you would wish persecution on American Christians!?!" What would happen if (or maybe we should say “when”) persecution comes to America? Well we would definitely see professing believers in America have to make a decision to truly serve and follow Jesus. Now a days some professing believers of Jesus Christ sip their beer and curse their problems while others throw themselves head first into their careers and money making adventures. There is a lack of true, genuine believers in America. Is Jesus worth losing your job? Is God worth having your home or children taken away? Those are some humbling thoughts to think about but it happens around the world everyday… We haven’t had to give up anything to follow Jesus Christ in America…

The day may come when we soon will have to decide what is really important…

Also you can check out this older post about persecution.

Check Out Aaron's Favorites!

I've updated and added a few links under the Aaron's Favorites tab. There you will find some great resources to aid you in your spiritual journey from some great men of God. So while you're sitting at your desk, whether it's at home or the office, take a few minutes and read some of their blog entries and articles. I know it will be a help and an encouragement!

There are a few "miscellaneous" items also... Yes, I love Iron Chef... I make Sarah watch it all the time!

Creepy Old Picture...

The Civil War (or as I like to call it The War of Southern Independence or The War of Northen Aggression) produced many practices that we have today, and one of those is our method of embalming...

Yeah, that's right...

My dad, of course, is a licensed funeral director so whenever I hear anything about the art of embalming my curiosity is peeked... (No, I am not a freak... *insert evil laugh here*)

Here is a picture of Dr. C. B. Chamberlin and Dr. Benjamin Lyford teaching students how to embalm a fallen civil war soldier. You can see and read more about the history of embalming here. As for your creepy picture of the day... enjoy!

Aaron's Library

First I want to say that Tim Keller's The Reason for God was an excellent book. Pastor Keller's response to arguments against God's existence are very fascinating and will be a help to contemporary apologists.

Now... For our next book...

Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist is a book that I am very excited about. This is my second John Piper book (Let the Nations Be Glad! Great missions book...) and if it is anything like the first one I read this is going to be a blast!

The theme of this book seems to be this:

"God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him."

True that... Ha!

Bad Job!

This week be grateful that you have somewhere to be Monday through Friday...

Whether it is your job or your school...

Just be glad that...

YOU'RE NOT THIS GUY!!!

Who knew going to church could be so dangerous! You've got to read the story... just click on the link below!






Fox Attack!!!

Phil Kidd... *SIGH*

This is the type of crap that is born out of the hatred that is spewed from legalist pulpits across America. Reading Phil Kidd's website has always given me a good laugh but at the same time depresses me. It's interesting that Phil Kidd and many other legalists pastors are deemed "good preachers" and "fire balls" who preach against "REAL sin" just because they can say hateful, racist things against the world and God's people.

A TRUE Gospel preacher will mention progressive sanctification in a church and people will sink in the pew but drop a line about women wearing pants, homosexuals or how liberal that preacher is because he doesn't wear a tie on Sunday night and the house will come down! Glory! (Add your saracasm here.)

Here is a comment off of Phil Kidd's website. I wish and pray that God would open the eyes of these people and their pastors...

Date: 11/07/2008
Name: Support Obama this Christmas

I feel like we can all have a special part of Mr. Obama in our lives this Christmas. There are now Christmas ornaments of Mr. Obama being sold every where. Each of us need to purchase one so we can all have a nigger hanging from our tree this season. Black Panthers watch out for us we are known as The White Lions.

Oops... Where did it go?

Ok, you can scroll down to read today's update or you can just click here.

God bless America!

Christian or American... What am I?

My Secret Santa Letter!

Our office and my team are doing "Secret Santa" this Christmas!!! They asked us to type a letter to Santa and put it outside of our "cube." Here is how my letter reads... I am an office celebrity... LOL

Ho! Ho! Ho!

Dear Secret Santa,

Oh boy, it’s that time of year again! I know you have been watching me all year long from your secret, magical space station at the North Pole… I hope I haven’t let you down! We have all had our bumps in the road (That incident with that officer accusing me of shoving him after he ticketed me… it was an accident!) and sure I made a few errors of judgment (Running naked through downtown USE to be legal! Just ask the Greeks, they did it all the time two thousand years ago!) but at the end of the day you have to look at yourself in the mirror and say, “Gosh darn it, I’m an ok* guy!”

I just want you to know that I’ve been good compared to most folks. I didn’t kill any animals I didn’t eat, I didn’t build any fires in any state parks and I did eat all of my vegetables. What I’m trying to say is my momma was right… I might not be the smartest guy in the house but I sure am funny to laugh at! Hmmm… now that I think about were they laughing at me or with… never mind…

Oh! Secretest Santa will you please consider these few things I have listed below?

Gift card to Olive Garden, any amount.
Dry erase pens.
A bag of sugar.
Crossword puzzles.
Diet Mountain Dew.

Love,


D. Aaron Butner


* “Ok” is in reference to the fact that though I’ve been charged with multiple felonies, I’ve never been convicted! That makes me alright!

Barack Obama and the Election

Whew! I've had off the last two days and have enjoyed every minute of it! I made some predictions on Monday to which I must address...

*Sigh*

* North Carolina: I was wrong, but McCain only lost by 15,000 a small figure when you see that 2.2 million people voted in that state.

* Florida: I was wrong, again... McCain got beat up pretty bad there. It looks like the cause was due to the large Hispanic voting turn out for Obama...

* Ohio: Obama took McCain to school there. Where was "Joe the Plumber?"

* The Landslide: Unfortunately I was right about the electoral landslide. Obama's campaign was so much better organized than McCain's.

* Senator Dole: Bye! Bye! This kind of bums me but at the same time it is probably best. We will win it back in six years... We just have to deal with Kay Hagan for a while...

* Bob Conley couldn't defeat Graham... Shame... I liked Conley (Ron Paul man). LOL

I voted for McCain and I am disappointed he lost, but that doesn't mean I am about to throw Obama under the bus. Obama should be given a fair chance to lead and if it is true that he is a liberal and socialistic and Limbaugh and Hannity say he is, then we can rock the boat. First, let's give him a chance to bring the country together.

He says that he wants to unify and bring everyone in to make this nation a better country... Let's see if he lives up to his promise. For now, though we may disagree with his party and some of his personal preferences, let's support President Elect Barack Obama.

Christian or American... What am I?

We have a conflict today that is reverberating through out our churches in America. The sound of war drums beating from pulpits across the US warn us that danger is emanate and proclaim that we should be on the guard... A liberal, socialist is back in our presidential office, and on top of that, he is BLACK!

Born-again believers burst out of their churches, screaming and pulling their hair out in clumps as they face a new reality... we might have to *GASP* suffer under this new regime. Preachers cry from the platform that God's hand of judgment is upon us; parishioners grind their teeth at the thought of higher taxes... "Oh God!" they cry, "Where are You?!?"

Seriously?

Let me preface this article with this statement: I am proud to be an American! I am thankful for the blood that men and women shed for our freedom. I take pride in the fact that some of those men who died were my ancestors. I love America... this is the greatest place to live in the world!

I'm proud to be an American but I'm also so thankful and humbled to be a born-again believer in Jesus Christ... but do the two ever contradict one another? I'm convinced that some Christians believe they are living in Heaven NOW and that Hell with all it's fury is about to take the White House! Is it possible to be American and Christian at the same time? Well of course it is possible to have dual affiliations but which should take the precedent: American or Christian?

Now the easy answer to this is Christian, right? It seems that our affiliation with Jesus Christ is way more important than the land of our fathers, but our attitude many times does not reflect that. We curse the liberals and their tax hikes; we bash the republicans for their out of control spending... when will it end!?!

I've sat in many church services where the pastor was more infatuated discussing the flaws of a presidential nominee than with the flawed soul condition of the people in the pews. Now, we have the right to complain about a candidate, sure, but when that right supersedes our duty as a believer (or pastor) then it becomes wrong (aka sin). Our sole focus should not be on fixing the economy; it should be on repairing broken hearts, lives and relationships between people and God. If we continually use our places of worship as political soap boxes we soon will not have a church just another political faction awash in a sea of temperamental policy pushers. How close are we to that today?

Take for instance the Moral Majority, founded by Jerry Falwell, an organization that instituted a drive for an evangelical revolution to help conservative politicians get elected. I think it was a great idea, to have believers unite for moral causes, but it soon turned sour because Christianity does not mix with politics; compromise is the outcome every time. The Moral Majority folded after only 10 years of "service" due to compromise and complaint. Along with the Christian Coalition (founded by Pat Roberson) many believers today are viewed by the world only as a political force that hates homosexuals, believes women don't have the right to make decisions about their own bodies and are "hell-bent" on getting hilarious TV shows off the air.

Believers must recognize that their allegiance is to Jesus Christ and Him only. While it is an honor and a privilege to live in America, our country should not claim authority over the throne of our heart. We are debtors to Christ not country. Sure a believer can strive for the American dream but what does it profit at the end of that Christian's life? Will God look at us when we stand before him and give us rewards according to our patriotism for America or our passion for Jesus? You decide... (and use your Bible if you have any trouble finding the answer.)

And Your President Is......

Click on the horrible paint shop production on the right if you want to view my 2008 Presidential Prediction!

Ok, HERE WE GO! I had to take some time off of work, so I chose November 4th (and 5th) so I could ensure that I got to cast my vote. I hate long lines!

I seriously believe that Barack Obama is going to be president... along with a few million people. The numbers HAVE NOT been adding up for John McCain for a little over a month. (I have been following the polls closely the last month! Have you? LOL I'm such a geek.) Here is a snap shot of what I THINK might happen as the numbers stream in...

* North Carolina will side with John McCain, but it will be close!

* Florida will also side with McCain but it will be VERY close!!!

* Expect Ohio to be down to the wire, but with Obama taking it eventually.

* Overall, for the presidential race, it is going to be a landslide electorally...

Now as for some other picks that I have thought about, more so for the Senate and House, here is what I see:

* Elizabeth Dole OUT; Liberal Kay Hagan in by just a little bit.

* I would love for Bob Conley to knock off Lindsay Graham... Conley is a quiet follower of (shhhh!!!) Ron Paul! Graham by 6 points.

I will follow up on THURSDAY (I'm off Wednesday) unless something super crazy happens... This is going to be an interesting election and I can't wait to watch the results...

Oh yeah, I'm glad Romans 13 is still in the Bible... " But Aaron, aren't you worried about who will become our next president?"

Nope!

Chillin' this weekend with the family...

Sarah and I are chillin' at my folks house in Durham, NC this weekend...

My wife is sitting right here beside me... she is so hot. :)