Scott's Top 10 Design Blunders (Just for Fun)

Thought it might be nice to write something lighthearted just for the fun of it. We've all gotten a laugh or two and the kids helped out. So here we go......

1. The Bicycle Seat - Whoever designed the modern bike seat had no understanding of the human anatomy. Notice that a bike is the only place you will ever see this particular design used as a way to rest your butt.

2. The Side Post Battery - This designer was absent the day they taught about leverage & torque because the bolt is larger than the head used to turn it. Not to mention it's made with soft metal so its easy to round off. Good luck trying to attach cables to this thing. Try to use this battery to jump off another one and you better have car attached to it. The battery by itself has NO place to put jumper cables. Not Smart

3. Toilet Seat Hinges - Ever had the seat slip off the little narrow pad it rest on? Scare you half to death and for us guys it doubly horrifying! Do we really need the toilet seat to flex left and right. Come on, I'm sitting still on the thing. I don't want it to move left or right, it's not a carnival ride.

4. The 360 Degree Chair - We don't need our chairs to revolve 360 degrees. All this is good for is to get kids in trouble. Turn that chair around 360 degrees and someone will get on to you, usually an older person. Do it long enough and it will eventually break. If you need to turn around 360 degrees GET UP!

5. The Blind Cords - Whoever designed the cord to operate the blinds never had children or pets.. Do I really need a 20 foot cord on my 4 foot blinds. I know you can cut it off but why make me do that. By the way, what's the life expectancy on these things operating properly, 3 - 4 pulls tops?

6. Tiny Buttons - Were not Hobbits. I can press 3 buttons with one finger all at once, but don't need to or even want to. My keyboard should not be smaller than my THUMBPRINT. Watching a good size man trying to text someone is like watching a contortionist squeeze through a 30 gallon drum.

7. TV's without on-board Controls - These designers lived alone and never lost anything. Every function on the remote should also be on the TV. I've lost the remote, but I have NEVER lost my Television. It's always right were I put it.

8. DVD'S - This design just wasn't ready yet. I have VCR tapes that got left in the rain, stored in freezing weather, thrown across the room and found years later covered in dust. You just blow it off stick it in the player and watch the movie. My DVD's need to be handled as if I'm transporting nuclear waste from the living room to the bedroom. My house is not a dust free laboratory, KIDS LIVE HERE. Make the thing where it can double as a Frisbee or give me back my VCR Tape. I know the quality is better but not if it freezes up just when Obi-Wan is about to go Yoda on General Grievous

9. I-pod Earplugs - Remember those nice comfortable headphones we USE to have that, if you could find them, would still work great. We've noticed something about these new earplugs, they mostly seem to fit girls. Maybe “Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus” was all about our ears. By the way you better handle these things with with kid gloves too or the wires will fray and then it's just your dumb luck if they work.

10. Juice Pouches - This one drives me nuts. A flexible pouch I have to hold steady (but not squeeze) and then skewer with a plastic sword. What was wrong with the bottle? Careful you don't squeeze this thing to hard or they might make you drink out of a Sippy cup. Now there was a good design.

There are many more but I've had enough fun for the night. I'd love to hear your design pet peeves so feel free to send them my way.

Are you listening to your (A.D.F.) ?

The date was April 4, 1943 – A United States Army Air Forces B-24 bomber named “The Lady Be Good” with a crew of 9 men was on its very first mission. This was WWII. They were part of the 514th Bomb Squadron base at Soluch, Libya and assigned to bomb Naples Italy 600 miles north across the Mediterranean sea. They never returned. A search found nothing and they were listed as MIA, presumed to have crashed in the Mediterranean Sea.

Fast-forward 16 years. British geologists flying over the desolate, sun-baked Libyan Desert spotted an aircraft on the sand. The "Lady Be Good" had been found; It was located almost 400 miles south of its home base.

The obvious question was how could this plane have been so far passed its base.

What happened?

Well, during the flight the pilot, Lt. Hatton, had reported that his automatic direction finder was not working. It was telling him he was south of the base, but due to their flight time this seemed impossible to the pilot. He ignored his instruments and continued flying south, looking for the lights of a base he would never find.

It was later determined that a high tail wind had caused the plane to make the return trip from Naples faster than the pilot expected. Because the sky was overcast he never saw the base.

Lt. Hatton's instrument "his automatic direction finder" was correct. It was pointing him in the right direction. Had he put his faith in that proven instrument, instead of what seemed right to him, he could have saved his life and the lives of the 8 crewmen with him.

As Christians, we have an instrument that can help us find our way in a world which should now seems strangly odd to us. That instrument was divinely given to the world by our creator. The Bible gives us reliable direction, especially when we find ourselves lost or alone but also in the manner in which we structure our lives. It acts as a guide to keep us from the many dangerous traps this world can set before us. In other words, the wisdom found within the Bible can keep us on the proper path, and/or rescue us if we are already on the wrong path. The issue, as it was with the crew of the Lady Be Good, is are we going to yeild or follow our own path.

We are naturally more likely to rely on what seems right to us than to submit to the path given us by God in His word. As a matter of fact scripture says so;

"There is a way that seems right to a man , But its end is the way of death." Proverbs 16:25

We often put our lives and the lives of those we love in danger simply because our actions are base on what seems right to us as oppose to yielding to the proven instrument God gave us. Just like Lt. Hatton, we go by our feelings instead of relinquishing our will to the truth. Had he yielded to his instruments that night Lt. Hatton could have saved himself and his 8 member crew.

What dangers lay before us, or those we care for, that could be avoided if we would just yield to the instrument given us by a our righteous God. Nothing proves our belief (faith) in God more than when we yield to His word, especially when everything is screaming for us to do otherwise. At that moment, what we truly believe is revealed.

Yield to the Truth,

Scott Cosper

Read Romans 6 about yielding to the truth.

Thank God for BOWLING BALLS

It was the end of a long day as I approached the front porch of the parsonage. With 6 kids there is always lots of stuff on our porch and usually a bicycle or scooter to maneuver around before hitting the steps. Usually, I just ignore it, but on this particular day one item seemed to stand out. It was an unusual bag and when I reached down to pick it up, it was very heavy. Setting it back down I went inside, too tired to lift it and look inside, and figuring it was full of rocks the boys had gathered up for some secret club house ritual. Once inside my wife looked up to me and asked, "did you see your gift"?

Before I tell you the rest, I need to tell you this. The previous Sunday, a lady from our town named Ms. Lida came to our church. Now I can tell you about Ms. Lida but what my wife wrote on her blog best describes her...

From the world's perspective, Ms. Lida is a person with little or no value. She's an unsightly woman, who lives in a shack just a few blocks from us. She is never quite clean, and usually smells pretty badly... She doesn't have indoor plumbing, but uses the woods behind her house. She washes her clothes by hanging them outside on the line to wait for rain. She is paranoid, and has some tales to tell. Did I mention she hoards things? boxes, trash, dogs... anything will do. We often see her (or hear her) walking down the road, a dog (or 2 or 3) chained to her grocery cart and helping to pull it along. Since we found that she was digging in the dumpster behind a small grocery store for food, we have regularly taken food to her house. Our children know Ms. Lida. They are not ashamed of her, and they don't think any less of her than they do the finest dressed lady at our church. They see her as a person, created and loved by God, and valuable because of it. She often comes by our house to ask us to pray for her, and sometimes leaves t-shirts that she has painted hanging on the tree in our yard. The first one was for Kyle. It was yellow (and filthy) with Jesus' face painted on the front (with real glow in the dark eyes!). Kyle was not embarrassed, but said, "Mom, I WILL wear that shirt to church."Our children know the look and the stench of poverty, and the eccentricity of mental illness. They are not disgusted by it, but are motivated by the desire to help.
(picture is of Ms. Lida on our front porch)

When Ms. Lida came to church the previous Sunday morning she gave me a note. I put it on my desk to read after church. She had written a poem, well I guess you would call it a song since she wrote on the paper that it was to the tune of "Mama's Little Baby Loves Shortening Bread". She came back to church that night and I had a suprise for her. Our pianist could play just about anything and keep up with even the most horrid of singers. I told her to play the song and I sang what Ms. Lida had written during the time we generally have special music. Well nothing could have been more special to Ms. Lida.

You see few people have ever treated Ms. Lida like she was just as important as everyone else. I will never forget the look on her face when I finished that little song. I went over to her pew, hugged her and told her we loved her. She just sit there and cried.

Now it was my time to cry as I scurried back out to the porch to see what was in that bag.

IT WAS A BOWLING BALL

It was a nice one too, except that I couldn't have gotten my little finger in any of those holes and I don't bowl.

As a pastor you get many gifts. People give things to me and my family to help us out along our path. Many of those gifts were greatly needed and all were most appreciated. Yet, here was a gift that I really had no use for, but one that touched my heart. I may one day have a hard time remembering from whom and what gifts we have recieved over the years, but I will never forget that Ms. Lida gave me a bowling ball. For starters it was heavy and Ms. Lida was a little woman. She must have really struggled to get that ball from wherever she found it. Probably in a dumpster somewhere or some old abandoned house.

She had nothing of value to give, but what she gave, God made exceedingly valuable.

By the way, I did get one of those tee shirts she would hang on the tree; although mine didn't have a Jesus with glow in the dark eyes; must be a kid thing. :)

You see, I learned more about what it means to minister to people through our family's relationship with Ms. Lida than I ever learned in a classroom, a seminar, or from a sermon, including my own.

James (the half-brother of Jesus) teaches that since God is not a respecter of persons neither should we be respecters of persons. When James gets to that scripture so many know about works and faith, he uses the brother or sister who is without clothing and daily food for his example. Yes we should pray for people and have kind words for them but if we don't love them with our works (deeds) then our words seem empty to a dying world, and we fall short of fulfilling the "royal law according to the scriptures" James speaks of in chapter 2. Lida helped me to see the value in doing what God has instructed, God's way. Especially with respect to those that society (and in some cases the church) has forgotten.

Fact is Lida probably blessed us more than we blessed her; so let me close with this...

"THANK GOD FOR BOWLING BALLS"!

God Bless!

Pastor Scott

Where “Common Sense” & Truth Collide

Proverbs 3:5,6 tells us NOT to lean on our own understanding, but in everything we do acknowledge Him and He will direct our path.

"Well, I know the Bible says..., But God also expects us to use our common sense."

I have heard this phrase used countless times by well-meaning Christians, and at more than one church business meeting! The idea that God gave us a mind so we could then think for ourselves and use our God given "common" sense flies in the face of this Proverb and many other verses in scripture.

Does God in any way expect us to be "common" in our thinking or in our actions?

The word "common" means, "widespread; general; ordinary. The phrase "common sense" means, "sound practical judgment that is independent of specialized knowledge, training, or the like; normal native intelligence."


The fact is that the teachings of Jesus were a call for us to be uncommon in our thinking and our actions. For example, Jesus taught;

• If asked to go one mile; in the name of Jesus, go with him two ..... Matt 5:41
• If someone takes your cloak give them your coat also ..... Matt 5:40
• Turn the other cheek ..... Matt 5:29
• Do not store up for yourself treasures on earth ..... Matt 6:19,20
• Love your enemies ..... Matt 5:43,44
• Do not worry about your life ..... Matt 6:25

(All of these are just a part of only one of Jesus' sermons)

"Jesus called His followers to be a light unto this world of darkness,
not to stand in the shadow of the light."

So why do I write this? Because we have become increasingly aware of an attitude towards those who are "taking their Christianity too far". I speak of those who have taken extraordinary steps to restructure their lives based on the teachings found in God's Word & the conviction of the Holy Spirit. They begin to see their lifestlye as a hinderance to fulfilling the will of God in their lives. In other words, how much more could they do for the kingdom, if they had more time and less expense?

We know believers who have left their careers for full time ministries or to become missionaries, some who've chosen to "downscale" by moving into a smaller home or trading in a luxury car for a more practical and reasonably priced one. We have friends who have put away their TV's, because they just simply wanted less of the world invading their family time. Some have choosen to take on the responsibility of teaching their children at home. Or restructured their lives so Mom could quit work and stay home with the kids. There are a number of other changes, but I think you get the point.

They do these things, not because they wish to meet some legalistic standard or show themselves worthy, but because God is worthy of our complete devotion. They have chosen to seek God's will in every aspect of their lives, because of an overwhelming desire to please and honor God. There has been a complete change in their worldview, a paridigm shift in how they view the world and how they see God. What an exciting leap of faith toward a life where God is an ever growing central focus of life.

You would think that if someone made a significant lifestyle change, based on a sincere desire to honor God and be more effectively used for the Kingdom, that their Christian friends (and family members!) would be excited about the evidence of God's work in their hearts and lives.

Well, think again.

Sadly those who make radical "lifestyle" changes because they have grown in their faith, or just out of obedience to God, often find themselves feeling more isolated or misunderstood, than encouraged by their Christian brothers and sisters.

I mean, it's one thing to get saved or to rededicate your life, or to start coming to church or Bible study regularly. Go from drug dealer to perfect attendance church member, and your Christian friends will be thrilled about that! In fact, any radical improvement in one's morals would be applauded by most Christians. But, remember, we are talking about radical lifestyle changes...and even, radical financial changes! That's a whole different ballgame! And one, evidently, that makes a lot of Christians very uncomfortable.

One expects that the world will think they are crazy when they begin this journey. The shock, and might I add, frustration, comes when those they consider to be their brothers and sisters in Christ start to question and even criticize their actions, and worse yet- when some in their own families join in the chorus.

It usually isn't long before they start hearing phrases like, "Your taking this religious thing too far" or "We still have to use our God-given common sense". Others may even perceive them as thinking they now "have a monopoly on the Truth." Mind you, none of these statements will have an ounce of biblical truth or wisdom behind them, even though there is a reason for them.

The question one might ask is, why this reaction from these people? The answer soon becomes painfully obvious. You see, the fact is that many of us desire the blessings of God, but not so much God Himself. We like doing the things we think will please God, as long as those things don't really upset our lives in any real way. This works for us until someone comes along and upsets the apple cart. Through them, God shows us where we are lacking in our faith or spiritual discipline, reveals a misguided theology, or perhaps makes us aware of the hold the world has on us.

Now, the faith demonstrated by these real life changes has become a light of truth to those who cannot deny its reality. The first reaction to this conviction of the Holy Spirit is often defensive. Some accuse the faithful of going too far or not using their common sense, all to assuage the conviction of the Holy Spirit that comes from the truthfulness of the testimony demonstrated in the changes they are witnessing.

Jesus Christ did not call us out to become followers of Him so we could live "common sense" lives, and one cannot possibly take loving God and following the teachings of Christ "too far".

Christians are called to live extraordinary lives based on faith in Jesus Christ. To live within the light of truth that is the Word of God, and not hide in the shadows of that light.

Does that mean you need to sell all you have, give it to the poor and go on the mission field? Maybe. Some have. If that's what God is calling you to do, it will be the most fulfilling adventure of your life. And yes, even your Christian friends and family will think you're nuts. However, if they are truly born again, they won't think your nuts for long and if not, your testimony might just be what changes their lives forever. Wouldn't that be just like God!!

Live for Christ,
Pastor Scott Cosper

Mark 16:15

Sermon - "Beside the Cross" Luke 23

"Beside the Cross" is a message dealing with the amazing transformation that takes place in the heart of one of the two men crucified on either side of Jesus. How could this thief, this criminal, go from reviling Jesus to spending eternity in paradise over a few short hours, all while being tortured on his on cross? The answers to that question gives us a greater understanding of the path to salvation for us today.

Click on links below NOT the pictures for video.



Click Links Below To See Video and Sermon
<Video Introduction > ---- <Sermon Part 1> --- <Sermon Part 2>

Sermon - Believing the Unbelievable

Preaching at Uvalde Baptist Church

Houston, TX

March 2009

Sermon Entitled "Believing the Unbelievable" Romans 3:21-26
It was a great morning!



Click Link Below for Part 1 of Sermon
http://www.tangle.com/view_video.php?viewkey=9fec9b0209d4aa8fc611

Click Link Below for Part 2 of Sermon
http://www.tangle.com/view_video.php?viewkey=14b33bc74d318fe81727

Sermon - "Elijah's Challenge" 1 Kings 18

This sermon deals with the challenge Elijah made to the nation of Isreal. The key verse of this message is found in 1st Kings 18:21.
The point is that we must choose who we will serve, either the God of Scripture or the God we create for ourselves.


Click below to see message:

Elijah's Challenge Part 1

Elijah's Challenge Part 2