Spare Change

So, as I said in my las post, I went to the UK basketball game on tuesday night. The game was definitely sub par because of the performance not the company. Anyway, I have decided that we are just having bad luck and things would be better if Jasper and Meeks were not injured. I digress. I had parked my car over on second street which is a short walk from the civic center. If you know anything about downtown, second street has a lot of big,old homes. The homes are beautiful, but sometimes there are some shady characters over in that area of town. The further and further you go down second street, and just that area in general, the worse and worse it is to be a person who belongs to the white middle class. As I was walking to my car a man approached me and asked me for some money. I'm gonna finish the story in a second but we need some background first. From almost the time I was born until about the second grade I lived right outside of Nawleans (that's New Orleans). On frequent occassions my family would drive over lake ponchartrain into downtown. We encountered several homeless people and I remember my parents giving me money and telling me to go give it to the homeless person and tell them "God bless you" or "Jesus loves you". However, this was under the safety of crowded areas and my parents watchful eyes. For the most part I grew up with white middle class people. I do not think this is bad or good, it's just how it was. I was not used to poverty and neediness. God blessed my life and put me in a loving Chrisian home where I didn't have to worry about anything. Because of all this, I grew up being uncomfortable around poverty stricken and homeless people. I didn't want people to stop me and ask me for money. I could always just wipe it out of my mind by saying "There just gonna use it to get hopped up on drugs and alchohol anyway". That's just classic. As I have gotten older, my perspectives have started to change on this. Now, back to tuesday night after the game. So, this guy asks me for money after a story that doesn't make a whole lot of since. He was acting like he had just come off of some kind of buzz. I stood there and listened to him and then gave him a few dollars and went on. I should have done more. I should have tried to talk to him about the Lord. You see, God has blessed me. I need to help other people that are in need. I have no idea what that guy used my money for. I hope he used it for food or he used it for what he told me he needed it for. What if he didn't? What if he went straight to a liquor store or to a dealer? Well, that's not my responsibility. That's his. Jesus gave us an example and told us to help those that are in need. Why do you think that God has blessed you? He has given you blessings not because you are loved more than others, but because He wants you to use those blessing to reach and help others. Love people with the love of Jesus. Hebrews 13:2 says, "Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it." I don't know who that guy was. Was he an angel? Probably not. Was I an angel to him? I sure hope so.


soon to come: i'm almost ready to talk about uk football-- i havne't been able to talk about it because of some "misfortune" at the end of the season. my readers will be the first to hear my take on a roller coaster season

Random thoughts

1. I have a new name for my blog. Taylor informed me that I had the same title as Justin Sok and the same Bible verse as the blog description. I did not know that i did that at all. I have seen Justin's blog before. I guess it was one of those sub- conscious things because I had no idea. Thanks t-flow and thanks to Justin Sok for not suing me for copyright infringement

2. I went to the Kentucky Basketball game tonight with Sarah. It was her first time going to Rupp Arena to see uk play. If anyone has not experienced this, please let me know and I will try and get you a ticket. Everyone should see UK play in Rupp. We had a great time even thought the game was awful. We won yes, but this was Stony Brook people. They have not won a game this year. This team probably about peed their pants when they stepped onto our floor. We show some promising signs, but if we can't learn to take care of business and grow up fast, it might be a long year. I do think we will be awake when UNC comes to town this weekend. I can't wait to see Patterson and Hansborough go at it. We have got to get him the ball more. I think he scored 17 or 19 tonight, but they almost never gave him the ball in the post. He shoulda had about 30. He has got to be our MVP if we want to have a solid year. Unfortunately, this may be his only year at UK. In other uk basketball news, kerry benson left the team. Does anyone care???

3. I have a 15 page paper due tomorrow in my upper division communication class, affectionately known as cohort. I think I speak for everyone when I say that I can't wait for this semester to be over. I don't care if I ever remember one thing from these cohort classes. I just don't want to ever have to experience anything like these classes ever again. It has been misery, but after this semester it should get a lot better so.... woohooo

4. Rocky Top will be played over and over again in Hell!!!!!!!

Thankfulness and Turkey: Good combination

Happy Thanksgiving everybody. I hope everyone has taken some time today to stop, really stop, and think about some things they are truly thankful for. Here's a list of things that I am thankful for, in no particular order.

1. My family- It's pretty rare for the wayne braswell clan to get together at the same time. We are all under the same roof this weekend and it is a true blessing. I love all my siblings and my parents are great godly examples for me. Truly a blessing

2. Football- What would thanksgiving be without a little (or a lot) of football. Even if there are games between teams that I don't care about, I have to watch football on thanksgiving day. The sport is incredible to watch, especially college football, and its just a good bonding time. I am actually watching some as I type this post.

3. Turkey- I think that this is something that MOST of us (not naming any names) are thankful for on this day. Not just the turkey but the whole meal in general. I would love to high five whoever first had the idea to eat a ton of incredible food at the same time and make it a yearly tradition. Good call nameless legend.

4. I could go on but all of these things I am thankful for, and the ones that I have not mentioned, can be summed up by saying that I am truly thankful to God. Hebrews 12:28 says, "Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe,". We should be thankful to God because He is the giver of all good things. He gave us His Son Jesus Christ who died for us so that we could live eternally with Him. This is not something that we somehow deserve, but He did it for us because He loves us. He has blessed me, and you, in so many ways.

I hope that everyone had a great thanksgiving. Spend time with the ones you love, eat lots of turkey, and watch some football. Take time to really be thankful because, think about it, is there anything that you have that you inherently deserve? Really? Thank you Lord.

Are You Alive?? really...

Stephen, are you crazy? Of course I am alive. I have a pulse, I'm breathing, heck I'm reading the words on the screen right now. Some of you may have stopped reading by now because, thus far, this post seems pointless and you already know the answer to the question that I have posed in the title, but for those of you who are still intrigued, or bored..... Philippians 1:21 "For me, to live is Christ, to die is gain." Are you alive? You see I want to challenge your definition of what life, or 'to live, really means. We think that is we are up, moving and experiencing our day that we are experiencing what life is. However, this is not what living is or means. The Bible says that to live is Christ. To live means to be following Christ in all that we do and serving Him for His glory and the furtherance of His kingdom. Some people stay on this earth for 60, 70, maybe even 100 years and never... not once... experience life.
One of the things that I do not understand, if we are defining terms as I have defined them, is why non- believers say they don't want to follow Christ. You may hear, "I want to experience life. If I start following Christ, it's just going to be rule after rule after rule." Maybe you have heard them say that they will have plenty of time for Christ later after they have sowed their wild oats and really experienced life. Since when did life mean going out and doing whatever your flesh is driving you to do? You see I think when people give these responses and have these attitudes towards Christ they are experiencing life but death. Let's say I have a cell phone that is broken, some of you know my luck with cell phones, or one that is simply not charged. Is it really a phone? Well, no it's not. If it can't make calls and serve is function as a phone then it is a plastic case made up of different parts that is in the shape of a phone. If people are not defining life through the lens of Christ then are they alive? No, they are just flesh and blood who are literally death walking. Jesus created you to experience life and life to the fullest. Some of you may have never truly lived, or have lost sight of what it means to truly lived, despite having a pulse for x number of years. Jesus has a plan for your life. You are not some mistake that was pointlessly set loose in this world to aimlessly wonder with no rhyme or reason. Step into the marvelous light and live today. Tell Jesus that you belong to Him and that you are not the definer of life. He is. He has defined life as living in Him. Some may think, "I don't follow Christ and I'm just fine." Give life a try. Once you have truly lived you will never want to go back to the death that so many enjoy walking around in on a daily basis.

"Awake sleeper and arise from the dead and Christ will shine on you."
Ephesians 5:14

True Love

Note: don't read this post unless you watch the video



No matter what, Christ loves us. He has loved us from the beginning. His word says that while we were yet sinners, He died for us. Did you get that? WHILE WE WERE YET SINNERS. There is truly no greater love than this. He has a good and perfect plan for our lives. Just follow Him. Trust Him completely.


I Corinthians 13:4-8a

4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8Love never fails.