motd Sunday Oct 9, 2011

[Guest guest]

GOLIATH!

Sunday, 09 October 2011

You all know the Bible story of &

Goliath, don't you? It was about this little guy

named . (Sounds like he couldn't have been

much taller than me.) Well, had to fight a

giant warrior named Goliath who must have stood nine

or ten feet tall! When the two of them faced each

other on the battlefield, all of the other soldiers

from both armies were watching. And I'm sure those

soldiers on Goliath's side of the battlefield were

laughing their heads off at the spectacle before

them. Oh, I can just hear them...

"That little guy doesn't stand a

chance. Goliath's gonna finish him with just one

swing!"

"What...is he crazy? That little guy doesn't

stand a chance. Goliath's gonna finish him with

just one swing!" (Oh, yeah? Well keep

laughing you guys!)

See, as Goliath charged, was not

afraid. He took out his trusty slingshot, loaded

it with a rock, aimed, swung and the

soldiers watched as that rock sailed through the air

and struck Goliath squarely in the head. And...down

the giant went! Everyone watched in

disbelief and the soldiers on 's side of the

battlefield erupted in cheers for their brave little

solider!

's story dates back thousands of years but let

me tell you another & Goliath story that

took place just 50-or-so years ago. It involved...me!

There was a giant of

a kid who

would have been my Goliath.

When I was in elementary school, I guess you could

say I was sorta like . See, there was a giant of

a kid who

would have been myGoliath.

Oh, he just loved picking on me, while everyone

else looked on and laughed at me...the fattest boy

in school. This kid would throw me to the ground

then added insult to my injury by whacking me in the

back of the head with a baseball bat! And he didn't just do this to me once, he

did it to me several times.

That is, until the day I simply got fed up

abuse and decided it was time to put an end to his

bullying. One day, he came at me and before he even

knew what happened, I grabbed that baseball bat from

his hands! And with everyone in the school yard

watching, I told him that I was tired of his being

so mean and treating me the way he did. I'd had

enough of his hurting me and I was not going to

take abuse from him...anymore! After

telling him how I felt and...meaning it, I walked

over and handed the bat back to him. I had a look

on my face that let him know...I was not

kidding! And

you know what? He never bothered me again

after that day. What's even more amazing is that by

the time I graduated eighth grade, he'd become one

of my best friends at school.

Now listen up, everybody. You may not have someone

hitting you in the back of the head with a baseball

bat but someone may be hurting you in other ways.

They may be hurting you with insults, by putting you

down and trying to make you feel bad about how you

are. Oh, the

nerve! And

I know, sometimes mean words can hurt as

much as being hit by a baseball bat.

From this day forward and on every day of

your life, I want you to stand up for yourself.

From this day forward and on every day of your life,

I want you to stand up for yourself. I want you to

remember...you are an incredible person. And no one

has the right to say bad things or do bad things to

you. God made you his one-of-a kind creation and

you don't needanyone tearing you

down. Now, I'll say it again, always

stand up for yourself.

Do you have your slingshot ready?

Love,