the church of Christ
Romans16:16 "Greet one another with a holy kiss.  All the churches of Christ send greetings."

That's it!! That's all that all of us are looking for...OUR piece of cake. Most people won't believe it but OUR piece of cake is out there for everyone. Now there are two roads to take in life to lead us to this piece of cake.

the "RIGHT ROAD" & the "left road". These two roads run parallel to each other and contrary to popular belief they are separated by a ditch rather than a fence. See, to get from the left to the "RIGHT ROAD" you have to lower yourself not climb up. We start out in life literally in this ditch which in the beginning it has such a slight dip in it it is hardly noticeable. At this time we have the opportunity to choose which road we wish to travel. In fact, like the alcoholic, we must make a choice everyday, when we get up, as to which road we are going to travel that day. For some of us our choice becomes a sub-conscious decision and we no longer have to contemplate this decision. We get up and to do it automatically.

Now these two roads are quite different. The "RIGHT ROAD" is lined with rules and regulations and the left road says everything and anything is okay and acceptable. The left road many times is referred to as "Easy Street" and there is nothing easy about the "RIGHT ROAD". You have to learn constantly, be tolerant of people, put others before your piece of the cake, love the unlovable, etc... The left road has bright beautiful neon signs saying, "Your piece of the cake is right down this road. Come on down. It's bright, beautiful and exciting. The only rule is everything and everybody is okay. Come on this road! It's so much easier than the other road. No parents, no rules, no regulations. Do as you please and get what you please immediately!!!" Now you can't see the cake on the left road BUT it is easy!!! Soooo, off we go!!!

Now the cake on the "RIGHT ROAD" is in plain view and it's not a piece of cake but the whole thing. A great big beautiful cake covered with the best decorations and icing you could ever imagine...BUT...the rules and regulations. The do's and don'ts! Leave me alone. I have the right to live my life the way I want! Independently!! I don't need your rules and regulations! Right??!! Well,.... we'll see.

We jump on the left road and we begin our travels thru life. Most parents start chasing us and demand that we get on the right road. Now like most animals who are chased...we run!!! This running doesn't put us farther down the road but it does make the ditch deeper and wider. With every step we take it grows deeper and wider. Our parents believe that this widening is solely our fault and accept no responsibility for this at all. I'm not talking about blame...I mean responsibility. Responsibility will lead to the correct action being taken not blame or guilt.

We travel along on the left road and not only do we "not" get our piece of the cake we don't even get a crumb. Some of us are fortunate enough to have the ability to realize there is something wrong with this picture. So we start looking around for answers. In our search we notice a crumb just lying over on the "RIGHT ROAD". Nothing big. No one standing around it. No rules being beat over our head. It is just laying there absolutely free for the taking. There is one problem. Our arrogant independence must be put in check and we do have to get across the ditch. Some of us think it is to deep and wide. Others of us just jump right in and get across some how. When we get there, and pick up this crumb of cake, we discover we can have more if we wish to stay on this road....BUT.... there's rules to learn. We jump back to the other road. Now what was amazing was the ditch was completely filled in and the jump back was incredibly easy. We keep going along in life repeating this routine. As we go along we are learning these rules of the "RIGHT ROAD" and maybe we don't even realize it. We do realize that these crumbs are coming along more often and each one gets minisculely bigger. We also begin to "learn" that going thru this deep ditch is getting very bothersome and is kinda stupid. BUT we are not yet aware of where these crumbs are coming from so we keep going thru this ditch that now has become a canyon. But again only when we go from the left road to the "RIGHT ROAD". From the "RIGHT ROAD" to the left it is always easy.

Learning leads to maturity. Maturity leads to questions. A literal starvation sets in for the answer to these questions. We start finding these answers and discover the truth in these answers. BUT where did these crumbs come from? Who offered me the opportunity to take them and develop these questions? Who never grew tired of putting these crumbs out on the road for me? In fact, now that we think about it, every time I looked over to the supposed "RIGHT ROAD" there was always a crumb of cake that literally was a life saver. Where? Who? What? Most importantly WHY?????

Our parents?! Unfortunately for most this is not true. In fact they are part of the reason it has taken you so long to begin to see these things. Every time you made the trip to the "RIGHT ROAD" they were there to point out to you, " SEE?! I told you so!! Now if you had just done what I told you to do none of this would've happened. You are seeing the road. You are trying to look at it and study it. BUT something is distracting you...something is blocking or blurring your vision. What is it? FRUSTRATION! Where is this frustration coming from? "See?! I told you so. Now if you'll just do what I "tell" you, you can have a good life from now on." That's where!

Now the crumb giver is not saying or doing this to you, it's your parents. But you where correct in the feeling that only a parent could do this for you. But..but, I-I, my parents aren't doing this. They are what sends me away?! TRUE! So...who is this that is being the perfect parent and offering me these crumbs? The only perfect parent in the entire universe. GOD, our FATHER in HEAVEN! HE really loves us. HE let's us learn and never is a stumbling block. HE doesn't want to rub it in that HE is the "RIGHT ROAD" and we have been wrong all along. HE wants us home with HIM.!!!

It's amazing but parents will approach GOD thru the same type of ordeal. They learn GOD is the "RIGHT ROAD" and that not only does HE give us crumbs, but a piece of the cake and eventually the whole cake. They learn from GOD all the rules and regulations about "TRUE LOVE", patience, tolerance, forgiveness, unselfishness, and "Blessed are the peacemakers". There was no force feeding for them! YET... they turn around to their children and yell, "Blessed are the peacemakers"...GOD says so, so you do it!!! " But parents your not making peace.....I'm the parent! Don't you talk to me that way. GOD says, "Honor thy mother and father" and by heaven I'm going to make you honor me!!

Absolutely no force feeding from GOD. Yet parents believe they have the right to do so. Why?

Your child comes across the ditch. You saw him make the trip. He picked up the crumb...ate it...enjoyed it. He's looking around for more. What do you do? NOTHING! ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! Why?????? I'm his parent. I'm supposed to help. I've got to help! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! He is looking! He found the first crumb all by himself. He had to be looking when he found that one and he's looking now!!! If you leave him alone he will find the next crumb and the next and the next and pretty soon he finds himself at the door of a big cake. It's an open door. Beautiful, peaceful music is coming from inside and he hears a strong, confident, un-condemning voice say, "COME IN MY CHILD! YOU HAVE FOUND ME AT LAST!"

When your child was three years old he/she came to you and said," Mommy, daddy..look what I found!"

Your response was, " Oh yes that's great." "What you gonna do with it?" Child, "Why I'm going to play with it and throw it and have all kinds of fun!" "Ok! Just be careful and if you need me you come and get me. Ok, baby?" "OK!"

Confidence was built. The child "Found" something all on his/her own. He/she received approval for his or her ability to accomplish something on his/her own.

WE OWE THIS TO OUR CHILDREN "ALL" OF THEIR LIVES!!!! Confidence building, love, and support! If you plant the seed in fertile soil and water it ... will it not grow? The secret is to fertilize the soil before planting and afterwards. You fertilize with a good, loving, kind, patient, GOD filled environment. If the soil can accept it...it will! If it can't DON'T you become as it is. Do as GOD would do ... always be there. Always offer the help but never force it. Never ridicule or condemn. GOD's judgment and condemnation does not come until after death! So ours should never come at ALL!

If your child comes to you as an adult and says, " Look mom and dad, I found this crumb? Your response, " Hey great son! If you need my help just ask!"