My wife and I just got back from attending the Roots South Conference in Talladega, AL. It was an awesome weekend of spirit filled worship and powerful teaching about social justice. The theme was "Dance Upon Injustice".

Here is a quotation from the Conference booklet:

"The purpose of Roots is to call people to biblical Christianity, radical discipleship, contemporary communication of the gospel and a passion for the lost. These are at the 'root' of The Salvation Army as a part of the Christian Church."

"Roots exists to challenge all to adhere to the model of biblical Christianity, to discover that spirit (the holy flame) that fueled the passion of the founders and trailblazers of The Salvation Army, and to deepen our resolve to serve God no matter the cost. The Roots South Leadership Team believes that we should require a Christianity that costs something, that requires of us our deepest devotion and a spirit that keeps the questions of our motives ever before us."

Wow! It was a powerful weekend!

I want to wish everybody a very Merry Martin Luther King, Jr. Day! Let freedom ring! Tis the time to celebrate brotherly love; to celebrate social justice; to celebrate non-violence, fair play, equality, service to humanity, humility, and self-sacrificing courage! Tis the time to help somebody!

Remember the price paid by so many to tear down the racial injustice of forced legal segregation in America.

Remember The Dream! There is still a long way to go. Deep in my heart, I do believe that we shall overcome someday!

You can't do wrong and feel good. Our brain and emotions are just not wired that way. Our feelings are tied to our behavior -- act wrong, feel wrong. It is that simple.

Tired of feeling bad? Change the way you act. Stop doing and thinking wrongful things and begin to do right. Ask God to forgive you for the wrong things you have done. Ask others to forgive you and make amends to them where possible. And guess what? You will begin to feel good. You will get your self-respect back. It is amazing!

Are there any other options? Sure. You can keep doing wrong, feeling lousy, and faking a good time; but that is sure hard work -- and it is dreadfully unsatisfying. Why wallow in misery with miserable people when you can take positive action and begin to feel good? It is your choice!

Pick a number. I. Do right -- feel right. Do good -- feel good. II. Do wrong -- feel wrong. Do bad -- feel bad.

I pick Roman Numeral I. How about you?

In the rehab where I work they love to decorate for holidays. They even put out pumpkins and other things for Halloween. However, in the four years I've worked there, I've never seen one decoration for MLK day, even though we are given the day as a paid holiday. I wonder why?

I usually preach a sermon or teach a class about MLK Day, depending on the opportunity I am given. It is a great holiday, honoring a great man. Martin Luther King is my second greatest American of all time. (Click "more" under "Recent Posts" to the right and scroll down to "Second Greatest American" and read why I chose Dr. King as my #2 Greatest American.)

MLK Day does more than honor a great man, though. It honors millions of Americans who took part in one of the greatest non-violent, freedom movements in human history, the American Civil Rights Movement. I am so glad the Civil Rights Movement changed America. We have a long way to go in the area of racial justice, yet we have also come a long way.

What was America like before Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement? I just recently read "The Ways of White Folk" by Langston Hughes, a black writer from Harlem in the early part of the 20th Century. It is a collection of short stories about race, Jim Crow, and widespread hatred and injustice toward blacks. Read it, if you have the courage. Then you will see why we need to celebrate MLK day.

Another important book that shows how much the Civil Right Movement improved America is "Black Like Me" by John Howard Griffith. Griffith was a white man who dyed his skin dark brown, shaved his head, and traveled the South as a black man for several weeks in the 1950's. It is unbelievable how Griffith was treated as a "black man". If you don't think MLK day is worth celebrating, read "Black Like Me."

Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day!

A UCLA Psychiatrist who works for their college health center recently spoke out against self-destructive sexual behavior in a book called: "Unprotected: A Campus Psychiatrist Reveals How Political Correctness in Her Profession Endangers Every Student". Because she thought she might get fired for her viewpoint, she called herself "Dr. Anonymous".

Dr. Anonymous, however, had second thoughts after the publication of "Unprotected" and courageously revealed herself as, Dr. Miriam Grossman. When asked "How are America's college students unprotected?" Dr. Grossman said, "I believe the false security engendered by the notion of 'safer sex' in an environment that promotes multiple casual encounters, endangers students."

Here are two more quotations by Dr. Grossman: "We are losing the war on sexually transmitted diseases and depression on campus; we all need to discuss the consequences of risky behavior." "The message must get out: casual sex is a health hazard."

In "Unprotected" Dr. Grossman gives many facts and case studies that vividly demonstrate the health dangers of casual sex. With the rampant sexual recklessness on our campuses and through out American society, it is good someone has the courage to speak out! If UCLA really believes in free thought, they should give Dr. Grossman a raise and a promotion instead of creating an environment where she has to worry about losing her job for expressing her viewpoint.

If only the rest of us who believe in sexual morality and/or good health would courageously and boldly speak out along with Dr. Grossman, our society might be turned around. Three cheers for Dr. Grossman!