Sterling Griggs

Careful how you mix Diet Coke and Mentos

I ran across this article about how a school in Indiana handled violations to their dress code on the first day of school. Here is part of it quoted: "Classrooms were a little less crowded at Morton High School on the first day of classes: 128 students were sent home for wearing the wrong clothes. "Fed up with inappropriate outfits, the principal suspended the students (128 of them) for one day Wednesday, minutes after doors opened at the school. Those suspended represent more than 10 percent of the 1,2oo total students." Wow! How would you like for that to happen at your school? But isn't there some justification to this? I mean, the dress codes at our schools are clear; why won't students follow them? Better yet, why don't students want to follow them? When I read a story like this a whole lot of things go through my mind. But above all of that, I have to ask where the parents are. Why do mom and dad let kids leave the house dressed inappropriately...

A college has prepared a list of all the things that incoming freshman probably didn't know (click on the orange letters to see list) by the time they finished high school. How much of this list did you know?

I just ran across this article on the web that basically blamed rap music for teen pregnancy. Let me first say that I don't like a lot of the rap music that is out there because of it's filthy content and the way that it glorifies a hedonistic and materialistic lifestyle. Many rappers spew forth lyrics that treat women as no more than sex objects at best and they do give a distorted view of what relationships are all about. But, can we really blame a song for our actions? It's time to start addressing what it means to be responsible for our own actions. Sure, someone can influence you do just about anything, but unless they use force they cannot make you do those things. James addresses this in his epistle ( James 1:14 ) that we sin when we allow ourselves to become enticed by our own desires. The devil didn't make us do anything; instead, we choose to follow our own desires and temptations. James also writes in 4:7 that if we submit to God and resist the devil...

I'll be the first to admit that I sometimes lack motivation to do much of anything. It was so hard to roll out of bed this morning and I had a host of excuses that I could have used to justify it: long weekend, 3 kids who tired me out, pool party last night that left me achy and stiff, etc... But I did get out of bed and after a cup or two of coffee my day has now kicked into at least a low gear. Where are we to find the motivation to do the things in life that we really don't want to do but are supposed to do anyway? Someone once told me that if you find a job that you love then you'll never work a day in your life. But will every day be that great? What about the student who loves some of his classes but despises the others? How does he make it through the semester with his sanity? I believe that if we accept that God has created us for a life of purpose then that will be all the motivation that we need to move forward. No matter what you choose to do with your lif...

I find it curious that when someone dies people like to bring lots of food to the family. Not that I mind it, but after my grandmother died we had enough food at my parents house to feed a small third world country. The reason so much food is given is probably because it provides for the grieving family so that they don't have to worry about cooking for awhile and it brings comfort. Who doesn't like to eat when they are grieving? It's kind of like when you have a great need food is what can sometimes bring you the most comfort. Sounds a little bit about what we do with God. I mean, when we are in turmoil in our spiritual lives where else do we turn to comfort? The best food that we can enjoy is to feast on God's Word and His promises to us when things seem to be so far out of control.

My grandmother died today. We called her Mee-maw and she lived a long and productive life for the Lord. A couple of years ago she was diagnosed with Alzheimers and although it never progressed to the point that it stole all of her mind, she still struggled with recognition of family members and other things. I was fortunate enough to go and see her this past Friday and I read her some Scripture and she tried to sing some songs with me. Before I left the nursing home, we prayed together and she was truly trying to pray with her head bowed and her eyes closed. I cried when I saw it, not because I pitied her but because I still saw in her the woman of faith that I grew up admiring. When her health was still good, my grandmother read 3 chapters from the Old Testament and 2 from the New Testament every morning. She prayed for me always, first that I would stop being such a bonehead and submit to Christ, then that I would find a godly wife, and then that I would have beautiful childr...

Have you heard the news? According to Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad the world will end on August 22, just 2 scant weeks from now. He bases this belief on his Shiite Muslim faith. The Shiites believe that there has been a progression of Imams (Muslim religious leaders) over history and the 12th Imam went into hiding in 868 AD. When the day of judgment comes, this 12th Imam will come out of hiding, end the misery of his people, and proclaim Islam as the true religion. Not only does the presiden of Iran believe that the return of this 12th Imam is near but he also believes that it is the responsibility of the Iranian government to prepare for his return. Their plan? They want to unleash a surprise of apocalyptic proportions on August 22 and their plan undoubtedly involves Israel. Do I believe the world will end in two weeks? No, but it does bother me that a religious group is willing to act to try and make it a reality. The damage that they can do if left unchecked is fri...

How many times have you asked someone how they are doing and the answer you get is either, "Fine" or "Good?" Or when you ask someone what they are doing they will say, "Nothing?" Now, how many times have you given those same answers when someone asks you those questions? We all do that. We assume that the people who are asking really don't want to know our feelings and oftentimes we don't wish to share our feelings with just anyone. I've got a challenge for you. The next time you ask someone how they are doing and they answer with "fine" or "good," follow that up with this quesion: "No, really, how are you doing?" They may look at you like you're stupid and walk away or they may actually share their heart with you. People are dying for someone to talk to and share their lives with. In our busy world we've become way too comfortable with short, pre-packaged answers for every question. The next perso...

The other day my 2 month old son was on his play mat doing his thing when suddenly he began to scream out in pain. Normally when he does that I just assume that he has a gas bubble that's gotten trapped and needs to be held over my shoulder until it's better, but this time it was different. He was under attack! I saw a big lock of his hair in the grip of a fist that would not let go. The crazy part about this was that it was his own fist that had grabbed hold of his hair. And as bad as it was hurting him he couldn't seem to be able to let go of his own hair so that he could stop the pain. A lot of the struggles and pains that we face every day are often the result of self-inflicted wounds. I'm not talking about when someone else hurts you or when a loved one gets sick; I'm talking about the ways that we hurt ourselves by our own sin. Galatians 6:7 clearly tells us that when we sin we have to face the consequences of our sin. In other words, when we choose t...

As a sports fan (and a very loyal one at that) I enter into this time of year with great anticipation and expectation. Football is starting to crank up and basketball is right around the corner. Baseball is good but I don't follow it too heavily, although I will watch it if there is nothing else on (much to my wife's chagrin). If you have't figured it out by now, Wake Forest University is my team whether it be football or basketball and it doesn't really matter whether they are having a good season or not. I have always followed them and I always will. The funny thing about following sports teams is that you will always have expectations for your team. Last year, Wake Forest had a bad year in basketball and nobody really expected that. It was hard to watch the games and I found myself really bothered that the team didn't meet my expectations. With football season about to begin, I have the same expectations of greatness and imagine Wake Forest winning the ma...