Freedom Weekend

Freedom Weekend for us this year was great. My kids got to see all their cousins, aunts & uncles, grandparents, and great-grandparents this weekend. My old boss had me fill in for him at Davis Boulevard Baptist where I preached a sermon called, “Free To Be Set Free.” For me this year, it was a time of family, grilling, and relaxation.

It definitely is great to live in the land of liberty. As we were lounging around tonight we saw an episode of Extreme Makeover Home Edition where they highlighted a Marine who lost his leg in battle, and came home to his four kids who were all abandoned by his wife/their mother. His sacrifice for our country is a reminder of the great sacrifice our freedom requires.

On a weekend of patriotism and celebration, it is important to recognize that FREEDOM ISN’T FREE. There is a heavy price tag on our American freedom. Many men and women are serving our country daily to protect the privileges that are so easy to take for granted. We need to pray for them and lift them up daily. While thinking about freedom, we need to also remember there was an even heftier price tag on our Spiritual freedom found in Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. In Christ we are free indeed… may we never take that for granted and always pursue fresh growth in our relationship with Him.

Redeeming Jesus?

Recently a summer intern at our church shared about a ministry he is involved in at college. He said the premise of their work is to, "redeem the name of Jesus." Although I really like what they do (basically anonymous servant ministry), I have a fundamental problem with the idea that we - you, me, anyone - can or needs to redeem the name of Jesus! Is it not misguided to think the name above all names needs redeeming from mere men? Is it not a bit off to think that the Creator of everything is in need of our help? Is something missing with this thought?

Do not get me wrong, their work is awesome and I love the passion this guy has for the work he embarks upon. And to think of a bunch of college kids making an intentional effort to serve others is also great... did I mention this group is made up of college kids!

My issue is that I think the name of Jesus is safe, it is beyond our reach, and not in any sort of jeopardy. What needs redemption is the name of Jesus' followers. In a book called Unchristian, the authors basically state that those outside of the Christian faith see Christianity as something different than what Jesus originally had in mind. They also see us (believers) in regards to what we oppose, instead of what we are for; this is a serious issue for a later post.

So for my friend the intern, I am challenged by his work and praise him for it, BUT... it is not Jesus that needs redemption, it is His followers. May we all work on redeeming the name of Christian. May we work at serving, loving, sharing, giving, and caring. Let us light and candle and not curse the darkness for the glory of the Lord.

I Must Be Spoiled

Although I always thought it would be cool, I never realized how much I would love being a dad. It is awesome to hold Coleman or have Chloe run up and give me hug, wrap her arms around my leg, and want me to walk her around as she sits on my foot. I love how she wants me to play with her, hold her (she says hold you me), and read her a story then pray as I put her down at night.

She is an awesome mess too. She devours her food like a champ, going at her meals hand over fist to make sure nothing is left. She throws her toys all over looking for her baby’s bottle, and always takes her sweet little time cleaning up. She has a kind nature (on our way to VBS Wednesday we stopped at Sonic for breakfast. As the guy brought the food to our car she asked, “what’s that man doing?” I said, “Bringing us our food,” she replied, “that’s so nice!”), even though she is bossy and a little aggressive… she has me spoiled!

Coleman the Sports Fan is coming into his own as well. His personality is starting to develop and he is smiling on purpose. In the past few weeks he is acting happy when I hold him! He seems to love being outside as it is our failsafe when he cannot seem to calm down. People think I’m joking when I say this, but he is already doing push-ups, and rolled over at 4 weeks… total stud athlete!

Being a dad is the best. It is unbelievable that God has blessed me with a wonderful wife, son, and daughter. As the saying goes, I am sure the best is yet to come!

Bright Ideas

Over the years I have heard many different ways to be creative in ministry. Although I do not feel as though I am the most creative person in the world, it is critical to think outside of the box in hopes of maximizing effectiveness. Some people like to use “wild and crazy” methods to spark excitement, but I prefer looking at the DNA of my setting and going from there.

My least favorite method for getting new ideas is the CASE method: Copy And Steal Everything. Not only is it unoriginal, there is nothing to say that what worked at another church in another setting will work where I am. The primary example of this came when Rick Warren and Saddleback blew on the scene. Pastors from all across America went to the Purpose driven seminars and returned with Hawaiian shirts and sermons that Pastor Warren had preached from his pulpit. The problem however was found that Hawaiian shirts were fine in Southern California, but when trying to pull that look off in Iowa, Oklahoma, or Mississippi a pastor just looks confused and stupid.

This week I came across another idea for turning ideas into reality. Scott Hodge listed his process: Create, Criticize, Optimize, Validate, & Execute. To me this is much better than the CASE method and it requires originality, something which must never be overlooked. If one is reduced to poaching other people’s sermons, messages, ideas and thoughts, I would ask, “why on earth are you in ministry… does God not talk to you… where is your God-given vision?” With that being said, never forget your ministry setting and never forget where you feel God is leading your church.

Wholly Holy

Last month our church did a series called Wholly Holy. My hope for this was to create an awareness in the hearts of our church to consecrate ourselves for the great work God is leading us to in the relocation project (we are about to vote on the plans, everything associated with that, and have a capital campaign). In order to give credit where credit is due, I would like to give props to Mike Fechner, my former boss from p-wood. We were talking about the spiritual development aspect of the campaign, and he said that if we missed out on God, we would limit the potential that He had in mind for us.

The focus for us was Joshua 3:5, “Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow I will do amazing things among you.” We have been able to focus on our personal, family, and corporate wholeness, seeking to be holy in every area of our lives. One of the truths God has been teaching me in this process is that I am either fully holy or not holy at all. There are not compartments of my life I can allow God to dominate and others where I can ignore Him. Either He is either Lord of all or not at all.

A prayer of consecration from John G. Lake:

Dear Heavenly Father, I come to you boldly in Jesus' name. Take me as I am. I now give myself - my heart, my mind, my body, my time, talents and treasure to you. Fill me and possess me. I renounce all sins, self and satan. Jesus, sanctify me. Cleanse me, purge me, purify me. Your will be done in my life, on earth as it is in heaven. Let me manifest a faithful spirit, a pure mind and a sickless body to your glory. Amen.

May Mission Trip

This past weekend my church went to help out Abundant Grace Church (AG), located just outside of downtown Dallas in the projects. Pastor Bob had a vision of planting a church where pimps, prostitutes, drug dealers, and dirt poor people live… Bob is a friend of mine from Prestonwood that I led my church to partner with this summer. After attending our first of three summer mission trips to AG, I can only stand amazed at what God is doing through this partnership. Here are some written testimonies of some men who went on the mission trip:

“Teacher, what shall I do?” Having gone to Dallas and served this weekend gives me a connection to this question …I’m sure Jeremy and Jason who also went would be of the same opinion. I am a person in a state of expectation…What amazing things God can do if we let him! Getting a chance to walk door to door in a very tough neighborhood that I would never be in otherwise…and having a feeling and sense of peace while doing it…amazing! Witnessing the outpouring of Christ’s love in park while feeding and engaging others…amazing! High fiving God’s children in park, picking up trash; enjoying a long bus ride with family and friends, watching Facing the Giants (which if you haven’t seen is a MUST see!)…awesome! We serve an awesome God – He is able to unbelievable thing if we let Him – Have a great week! – Randy N.

I am excited to go back June the 27th and 28th. A few of those kids were so needy and captured my heart; I can hardly wait to see them again. Thanks you for the opportunity to join you in this work our family was blessed to serve and be Jesus to others. – Trenda D.

This past weekend was unbelievable for my family. Jana and I truly appreciate you guys setting it up where we could take our kids. It was awesome to see our girls interact with those kids down there and to be so excited about going door to door to hand out flyers to people in that community. I wanted to make sure that we were on the team that walked through the neighborhoods and actually met some of the people we would be ministering to. We took Brooke and Britton and they had a blast going door to door hanging the church information and VBS information on the doors. We even had them knocking on doors and talking to people. It was also awesome getting to hang out and actually do God's work with other members of our church. What a neat opportunity for us as parents to see our kids putting to action what God teaches us in His word. If you can, you guys need to make a point to go to at least one of the trips, I think we are going to try and go to the rest of them. – Jeremy R.

The trip was one of the most rewarding things I have participated in for quite a while! I think my favorite moment was when a small girl, maybe six or seven, wanted to play ball with me. We kicked one of the large balls around for about 20 minutes or so and she came up to me and said something like, "Would you like to come and play again soon?" I don't know the girl's situation, but I do know that smile was genuine. It's not often in today's hectic schedule of soccer, work, and youth taxi service that you can focus on letting Jesus shine though your life. Thanks for providing us the opportunity to do that! Jess D.

It sounds like you all had a great time in Dallas last weekend and I am jealous of the blessing I missed out on. Jeremy was telling me about all that happened and it sounded truly amazing! - Chris K.

(This is where Abundant Grace meets; it is an old gym the Dallas Housing Authority basically gave to Bob... it stood abandoned for 7 years)

Whiney Crybaby Spurs

I love the Mavs, they are my favorite NBA team, always have been and always will be. From Ro Blackman & Roy Tarpley to Nowitzki & Kidd (no comment on Kidd), I love my Mavs. We have never won a title, and only have the hope that in about 2-3 years something will happen, because we are not getting there next year... SO, with that being said, I cannot stand the Spurs.



Not because they win and we don't, which is a great reason to hate them (no one hates losers by the way, see the Cubies, "loveable losers"), I cannot stand them because they have made an artform of crying and whining. The Spurs are grown men that look like little girls. They remind me of my daughter at her worst when she fails to get her way, throwing a temper tantrum... ridiculous!



It is my hope the Lake-show knocks them out of the playoffs. I do not care if it is 4-3 or 4-1, just as long as I do not have to watch their whining faces in the finals. Seriously, is anyone else tired of Timmy throwing his hands up, holding tears back, questioning how a ref can call a foul on him regardless of how hard he hits an opposing player with his arms or body... you can throw Manu, Parker, and the rest of the team into that description too as they take on the personality of their cry-baby sissy-boy, tantrum-throwing, dominating-diva-Duncan!

Awakening of Me

Come meet us, King Jesus, oh wind of change blow through this temple. Sweet Spirit of God, come and mend our hearts, for all we have are songs unless you come.

Awaken what is inside of me to my heart to all you are in me even though you are here, God come. May the vision of you be the death of me and even though you have given everything, Jesus come!

Come free us, King Jesus, it's the only way that freedom's given. For you and you alone, in the work you have already done, for all we have are songs unless you come.

Awaken what is inside of me to my heart to all you are in me even though you are here, God come. May the vision of you be the death of me and even though you have given everything, Jesus come, oh Jesus Come!

Here we are, in this place. Crying out for your embrace. To hear your voice, more than songs. Oh please come, Jesus come!

Awaken what is inside of me to my heart to all you are in me even though you are here, God come. May the vision of you be the death of me and even though you have given everything, Jesus come! Awaken what is inside of me to my heart to all you are in me even though you are here, God come. May the vision of you be the death of me and even though you have given everything, Jesus come! May my heart awake. Jesus come.

Powerful words in a song called "Vision of You" by Shane and Shane that have impacted me along with the reading of a book by Mike Breen called The Passionate Church. Although I should by working on my dissertation, I believe God had plans to work on me today instead...

Somehow I cannot help that this is what seminary training should be all about, a renewed sense of passion and purpose for the work God has called me to. In studying for a paper, God wants to expand my love for him and remind me why I am grinding out my dissertation like a golfer struggling to make it into the clubhouse (golf would be good right about now)!

Book Reviews

I've decided it would be good to keep track of the books I have read and my thoughts on those books, so I will be adding book reviews to my blogging life. Without delay, here are my first few reviews:

The Passionate Church by Mike Breen (Finished 5/20/08)

If you are in ministry, this is a must read. In comparison to Simple Church, this book dominates. Breen's understanding of Jesus translates powerfully from his pen, to the paper, to the heart. He uses Jesus as the compass and shapes as illustrations for discipleship. Reading this book makes me want to do more for Jesus, be more for Jesus, and it also clarifies how to do that more effectively.

Simple Church by Eric Gieger (3/27/08)

This is a very good book for enabling insight into one's process of make disciples. One of the greatest mistakes in the book though is the blinding absence of the family (mom & dad) in the process. I cannot help but think that any church that fails to mention or incorporate the family in the discipleship process fails to make disciples. BUT this book should be viewed as a resource to create a discipleship process, and for that everyone in ministry should read it. My fear is that many church will call them simple when they have simply poached the slogans Gieger uses as examples in the book (i.e. love God, love others, to change the world)... something I have already seen in multiple churches around my current setting. Hear is to originality!

The Present Future (2/07)

Solid approach to ministry in our current times… Loved the concept of moving from every member a minister mentality to every member a missionary! If we could think of our current setting in life as a mission field instead of a place where we live, what a difference that would make! Most that dislike it or question its theology probably have questions as to why hymns and boring sermons don't seem to attract new people into the church. A rock solid read for anyone who desires to make a difference for Christ.

The Holy Wild by Mark Buchanan (11/06)

Buchanan is anointed. The Holy Wild should be read by every believer. It provokes thoughts and sparks the reader's imagination as to what God wants from His followers. Trusting God in all things; knowing He is great, mighty, and able; understanding that God will also challenge those who love Him... Great book.

Sad News

I am sad. I am sad for my former church, former pastor, and a man/family I have never met. Today a minister at a church I previously served at made headlines for all the wrong reasons. Apparently, there was an online predator sting in Bryan, TX where undercover police officers were posing as a 13 year old girl. Joe Barron was arrested for online solicitation of a minor.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/051708dnmetministerarrest.107c9d887.html

Our first response is to throw stones and annihilate this fraud, phony, hypocrite, and so on for what he did, but I would like to bring up to things before stones are picked up. First, at the heart of the issue, he sinned. Not against Prestonwood, not against Southern Baptist, not against you or me, he sinned against an Almighty God who loves him with an unconditional love. Second, he is now in the same place where Abraham, David, Solomon, Peter, & many other mighty men of God were at one point in their lives.

We also need to remember that every man struggles with the issue of sexual integrity on some level, which is why there is a book called Every Man’s Battle. The problem is that the once entitlement creeps into the picture, some men have the ability to do the unimaginable. It never starts off that way though, it is a slow process. Once we try something and get away with it, we slowly become numb to the guilt associated with sin and we then learn how to diminish the seriousness of sin. Next thing we know, the unimaginable becomes thinkable, then the thinkable becomes doable, and we are so dominated by sin that we cannot see the light… this is a process.

With that being said, this is a sad state of affairs. If anyone can hear this story and not immediately feel grief for his wife, family, and church family, they may not be Christian. If anyone glories in this, they are obviously on the other team than me, because this does nothing to help the cause of Christ. The church suffers because of this, but the church has a history of overcoming great falls in the past. It is my hope that if you have not done so already, you will stop reading for a brief moment and pray for Joe (he should be fired and will probably spend many years in prison), his family, and the Prestonwood family. Pray that God would comfort them and give them wisdom.

Many people will look at this situation and wonder what we should do. What should Prestonwood do? What should his wife do? What should I do? Here are my thoughts:

1. Show the love of God to Joe: Call him and tell him you still love him; let him know you are there for him, when he apologizes for his actions tell him you forgive him as God forgives him; Continue to reach out to him as he will feel alone for years to come.

2. Show the love of God to his wife and remember she did nothing wrong: Joe obviously does not “deserve” to get paid, but the church has an obligation to take care of his family, because they felt led by God to call him there; Be gracious enough to give them time to get some other form of income, so pay him for the next 3 months; reassure her that if God can overcome the grave, than he can overcome, heal, and restore anything, including this huge struggle in her marriage.

3. Get them help ASAP: New Life Ministries would be my first option (http://www.everymansbattle.com/). New Life puts on a conference called the “Every Man’s Battle Workshop,” which would be perfect for him. He should also find a counselor to help him work through this huge issue I am sure he has been dealing with for years; His wife and family will also need counseling. She/they may be unwilling to get help, but offer it and then offer it again and again… she needs this!

4. Remember that it is more important to sit next to, cry with, or call and let them know you are there, than to rush in with all the answers: This is what the counselors are for, but if they ask for help or advice, freely offer it. The best thing they can get right now is a group of people who will simply be there, not to ask questions or offer advice, just to be there; Also, be intentional to let them know you are there. Do not think that doing nothing is helpful, it is not, and offering a kind word when you run into them a few months from now will seem shallow; Call, write, or email him in a way that shows God’s grace!

Green for Green

So I am not one who buys into the global warming thing, but we would be foolish not to go green in our new building (my church is about to relocate), simply because we would save so much money… just like if we could buy a hybrid for the same price of a non-hybrid for gas prices.

A church much smaller than mine has saved $200,000 in less than two years. Prestonwood Baptist, obviously much bigger than us has saved 1.5 million in 18 months, by making a few minor changes. Proving it is not only kind to the earth to think green, it saves green. For my church, I will be formulating a plan to save green by going green over the next few weeks. We need this to be instrumental in our new building too (automatic lights, heating and cooling systems, insulation, etc.).

Not only is this wise financially, it will teach our people a great deal about stewardship. Our community will also take notice as they did with the new Wal-Mart in Glenpool, known as the “greenest” Wal-Mart in the world. Here is a story on the topic:

http://www.prestonwood.org/updates/stories/today_show/index.php

We can start by turning off our computers and office equipment each evening, remove the light bulbs, from vending machines (I will have Diane call them), and adjusting our thermostats a few degrees in the summer and winter. It is good to save money…

Netty Pot

A while back Oprah (shut up) had a Dr. on who talked about something called a "Netty Pot" (shut up, this is what I get for flipping through the stations). At the time I remember thinking that it was a horrible, torturous thing to do to oneself, then people around me began singing its praises. After listening to my friends rant and rave, I travelled to Walgreen's and purchased one... and it is AWESOME! Never in my wildest imagination did I think it would work or be enjoyable, but if you have allergy or congestion issues, you have got to get one. Here is a picture and a youtube sample video... seriously, it really does work and really is awesome.



This is one of my favorite videos ever!

Laminin, The Cross, and Being Held Together

Today a friend of mine in Houston sent a youtube video to me. I wanted to give you the link as well as a few pictures to go along with the video. Basically, there is a protein that holds our bodies together call laminin. Where this becomes interesting is that laminin looks eerily similar to another image that holds us together spiritually.



For one who is ignorant about most things science, it is great to see science point things towards Christ. Laminin is the major non-collagenous component of the basal lamina, such as those on which cells of an epithelium sit. Basically, laminin is a protein found in the "extracellular matrix", the sheets of protein that form the substrate of all internal organs also called the "basement membrane". It has four arms that can bind to four other molecules. The three shorter arms are particularly good at binding to other laminin molecules, which is what makes it so great at forming sheets. The long arm is capable of binding to cells, which helps anchor the actual organs to the membrane. The laminin protein is made up of three separate parts, called the A, B1, and B2 chains. That gives it a total of six "ends", which accounts for a lot of its flexibility in connecting up various kinds of molecules. Because of this, scientists who create biomaterials are extremely interested in the whole family of laminins. They are a family of glycoproteins that are an integral part of the structural scaffolding in almost every animal tissue. Laminins are secreted and incorporated into cell-associated extracellular matrices. Laminin is vital to making sure overall body structures hold together.



Some might call this a coincidence, but God is wise enough to know exactly what he is doing with something as small as a protein molecule. For me, it is no coincidence that the very thing holding our bodies together is in the very image that holds our lives together as well.

An Introduction for Christ

If you do not know Him like this, you just need to get to know Him!

Essentials for Christian Service

A member of the church where I serve told me about 5 C’s that he tries to live by

1. Christ Centered
2. Committed
3. Courageous
4. Coaching Others
5. Character

In no way do I think this is a complete list, but it is definitely a great start. I would add Called and Qualified, although I might write it as “Cualified” to fit wit the C list. If anyone reads this, which I do not think they do, what would you add? It is my hope to fulfill these 5 + 2 C’s for Christian service.

Kobe, Kenny, & TNT Fun

This video is worth the time it takes to watch.

Confidence vs. Cowardice

A buddy of mine recently talked about 4 things that make him more qualified than anyone else in his church to be pastor and set the direction for the church. Having served in a church where my bosses always, ALWAYS, pulled the spiritual authority/submission card, I have been hesitant to even think about this topic… there is just something about an insecure pastor pulling this card that makes me sick…

Anyway, my buddy was talking about why he should be confident as senior pastor of his church to set the direction and I could not help but see the merit in his reasoning. If nothing else it added credibility to the calling of God on a man, and the benefits of being faithful to that which God has called us to do. His four reasons to be confident were:

1. Education – if one has never invested in an education, there is an obvious lack of credibility. However, God has used many uneducated men for His glory. It does truly bother me when people are dogmatic towards pursuing or having an education, because most of the time preachers who do not feel it is needed are really to lazy to go out and get one.

2. Experience – Being able to look at your congregation and say, I’ve seen God come through before, let’s watch Him do it again not only inspires, it motivates a church to try big things for God.

3. Call of God – Before you cling to this reason to be bold, make sure you have a list of people who follow you who agree with what you see as God’s call upon your life. It is difficult to look at a young minister who chose to study instead of server during seminary and believe the have the call of God on their life as well. In other words, prove the call by serving God (like a James approach).

4. Call of your church – Every single person in the church should agree that only the pastor is called by the church to do that job. If someone wants to look over your shoulder and tell you have to properly fulfill your task, ask them who commissioned them to be the pastor… they should get the point although many never seem to understand.[

Hopefully, we pastors can humbly look at these four reasons to be bold and not lord it over the places we serve, but act confidently in the tasks God has called us to!

Is the Culture War really over?

This morning I was catching up on work and reading Brian Jones’ website (http://www.brianjones.com). He made a very interesting post about the culture war. He stated that the culture war is over and we lost. In his blog he said he went to go see a movie, “Forgetting Sarah Marshall (knowing absolutely nothing about the movie). Dumb idea. Within 2 minutes we were staring at a guy’s penis. A few minutes after that we in line to get a refund for our tickets. Listen, I’ve been to a few rated R movies and have NEVER seen anything like that. What the heck is going on? I’m with Jud Wilhite at Central Christian in Las Vegas. There is no “culture war” going on any longer. There may have been a war at one time, but we lost. Do you hear that? The culture war is over. We lost.”

Unfortunately, I totally agree. Not only have we lost, it was no contest. We have laid down and accepted the fate that we cannot compete or have a voice with the world. You would think Christians would have the sense to learn from our mistakes (i.e. Roe v. Wade) and use the voice God has given us, but we remain silent. Why?

Recently, Fox 23 here in Tulsa aired a Degrassi show at 9:00AM during Fox Kids where a boy was hiding that he was gay. Not only is the gay thing wrong, why have any sexuality matters discussed during Kids programming. Many people from our church sent letters and emails to the station director at my request, and she came back calling the show educational and informative… educational and informative! Part of me was unsure whether or not we should take a stand, but I feel like we cannot act like the Christians did during the holocaust and sing a little louder as people are getting murdered. We must use our voices to take a stand.

If we continue with our current strategy of being silent and taking it on the chin, we will find that it is over and that which was once unimaginable is now on Saturday mornings for our little ones to see. That is pathetic, and we can do better!

Give Ewing Jr. His Due

Everyonce in a while there is a dunk that deserves special attention. Patrick Ewing Jr. deserves props for this one!

Vaccine - Autism Link Afterall?

Further adding to the controversy:

Officials from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services have agreed that vaccines administered to a 9-year old girl contributed to her condition. Hannah Poling of Athens, GA, and her family may be receiving compensation from the federal vaccine fund, although the exact amount of the award is not yet known. The girl began presenting with signs of autism three months after receiving series of routine shots administered to her at the age of 19 months. According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the document provided by the government does not suggest a clear-cut link between vaccines and autism, but rather admits that childhood immunizations further aggravated the girl’s underlying mitochondrial disorder, which evolved in a condition “with features of autism spectrum disorder.” Autism and other autism spectrum disorders are permanent neurological disorders characterized by altered social interaction and communication. It is estimated that 1 in 150 children may be affected by autism or related disorders.

The case of Hannah Poling will likely reignite the debate over possible link between vaccines and autism. While the exact cause of autism is not known to science, some argue that a mercury-based vaccine preservative, thimerosal (also known as thiomersal), may be responsible for the development of autism in some children. Since 2001, thimerosal has been removed from most vaccines in the U.S. and the European Union. Some of the vaccines which may still contain thimerosal, include inactivated influenza vaccine, tetanus toxoid, diphtheria and tetanus (DT) and tetanus and diphtheria (Td). Of these, only inactivated influenza vaccine is commonly recommended for use in children. Thiomersal is still being used in vaccines in countries around the world, most likely due to the fact that the World Health Organization has stated that there is no evidence of any link between thiomersal and the development of autism.While some public figures and celebrities advocate the link between vaccines and autism, pediatricians worry that some children may not receive valuable shots, because of parental concerns over vaccine-autism link. The final decision about vaccinating their children belongs to the parents, it only seems responsible that they discuss their concerns with their physicians and weigh the risks and benefits of either action.

Source: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Autism, Quack theories, & My Son

For most of my life I have had the fear that my children would be born with the same defect I was born with, a cleft lip and pallet. What makes this scary is that it is mostly genetic, with nothing to prevent it. Now there is a new hot topic with regards to children, autism. Hollywood, Jenny McCarthy in particular, have been pushing a link between autism and vaccines. Vaccines containing thimerosal are said to increase the likelihood of autism greatly. However, scientists have long been discrediting any link between the two.

What we do know is that Autism is a debilitating disorder, which according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is suffered by 1 in 150 kids, making it more common than childhood cancer, diabetes and AIDS combined. For me this is huge, because at any moment my wife will give birth to our second child, Coleman Britton. If there is a link between the two, is it not my obligation as a parent to protect him by not giving him the vaccines? Am I falling into the quack theories? Does it even matter?

I cannot say that I have the answers to any of these theories. However, I do know the FDA did acknowledge that there could be a connection (according to a quote read on Oprah), but they are not saying that is definite. With all these conspiracy theories, we are planning on significantly delaying the vaccines containing thimerosal, which are the MMR & seasonal influenza vaccine. We do not feel led to go without these two, simply to delay them. Not that anyone reads this blog, but if someone does please let me know your thoughts.