Hello readers. I hope all is well out there. Have you ever heard somebody say “don’t pray for patience, you just might get it?” Well guess what kiddies, it is so true. As you have seen in my past blogs, I am just turning over a new leaf, I am planting a whole new tree. I am taking everything about the old me and everything I knew, and throwing it out so I can make room for what God has for me. This has been the most heart wrenching, emotional, mentally and physically exhausting month and a half of my life. Anybody who is my friend can attest to the fact that if it weren’t for FB and MySpace, they wouldn’t know I was alive. My life is consumed with my wife and my family and learning what God has for me; piece by piece. And you know what I don’t have that this requires? Patience. That is right. I had NONE as of February 7th and since then I have gotten about 12% better. That may not seem like much, but trust me, it is. I asked God to do whatever He wanted, and not only did I mean it, I am actually listening and doing it. I am not perfect, and I have A LOT to get better at, but I am trying, which is more than I could say my whole life before. I played Christian, even got a Master’s in the study of God, but it just wasn’t real to me. Well, I can assure you that it is real now. I honestly cannot describe the roller coaster of emotion that I have been through. I have had extremely high highs and extremely low lows. And I have had to learn patience. I am waiting on more than God; I am waiting on my wife, my family, my kids, my job, Savannah drivers, etc.. That is what patience is about; waiting. Not just what we deem worthy to wait on, but waiting on that which drives us absolutely nuts. I am learning how to love, and it just wreaks havoc on your emotions. I am learning how to be a better father, a better friend, a better worker, a better everything. And just like anybody else, I want all that now. Well, guess what? God doesn’t work like that. He made the Jews walk around a desert for 4o years for crying out loud. And all they did was chicken out and whine some. How much worse did I do????? I know I am not one of His “chosen” ones, but I am a child of the Kingdom and He loves me equally. I don’t want anybody to expect for me to answer their inquiry about how to get patience. I don’t have a clue except to just encourage everybody to pray and seek His will, no matter where it leads in the interim. Remember, if you are on the straight and narrow, there is only one end result; a forever spot in Heaven, worshipping our God for eternity. No matter how many twists and turns may be there along the way, keep your eyes on the prize. Be encouraged knowing that the chief among sinners is finally getting a handle on this, and that if I can do it, ANYBODY CAN. Pray for me, pray for my family, pray for everybody. Take care readers.
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Satan Sucks!!!!!
Hello readers. Since we last talked, a lot has happened. More than I could ever explain in one blog. More than I thought I could handle. I had an amazing amount of emotion this week. I went from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows. I went from the brink of killing myself to wondering if things could get any better. You get the picture. I have had a lot of comments from my last few blogs and I have to say that I have really enjoyed it. But I don’t blog just so I can tell you about my life. I tell you about my life so that it may help others on their journey. I have to be honest; I have had a lot of battles with Satan this week. He has absolutely tried to destroy me at every turn. He has ruined friendships, tried to cost me my job, tried to wreck my marriage, tried to drive a wedge between me and God, I could go on. But here I stand. I am still beaten and bruised. I am still reeling from the realizations I made two weeks ago. Well here comes Satan to knock me back down. They say Satan doesn’t bother the ones he already has, so I kind of feel honored. He is trying to absolutely destroy everything I hold dear. But I have something now that I didn’t have two weeks ago; the love of God. And as any Christian knows, or at least they should, our God wins. Satan has had my mind for longer than I can remember. I have tried in the past to give it to God, but I just wouldn’t. I was afraid that He wouldn’t treat it as good as I was 
. But then I had an epiphany and everything became clear. I could NEVER do with it what God was wanting to do. I can honestly say that if He didn’t have my mind and my heart, I would be behind bars or under the ground after this week. It has been that bad. Now there are those of you who are going to want to gossip and ask questions and I ask that you NEVER read my blog again. If you have a question, you can ask, but don’t expect a whole lot of answers. This is supposed to be a help to all of you and this is why. My marriage is better than it has been, EVER. We have things to work on, and we are just beginning the process, but it is so much better. I am getting a new beginning in my job. I am sleeping better. I love my kids more than I ever have, and have truly begun to enjoy hanging out with my family. I am praying a ton more than I ever have. I feel like I found a new best friend, except this one actually answers my prayers and provides miracles. I have always relied on humans, and I have to tell you, God is so much better. I love all of my friends, and will continue to rely on them, just in different ways. Now they get to just be my friends instead of my friends and my gods. I have discovered God now, and He provides me with the peace that I have been searching for for so long. The peace that passes all understanding. The peace that allows me to sleep at night and know that everything is going to be alright. I truly am praising Him in the midst of a storm, and it is awesome to see what is happening. So you know what? Satan can keep on trying, and I will fail from time to time, but Satan, if you are reading this, know this, YOU SUCK!!!! And you will NOT get ahold of my marriage, my mind, my anything ever again. Please continue to pray for me as I am human, and have to fight battles with my mind. Pray for my family, and most all, begin to pray for yourself and know that you are worth it. God wants a real, tangible relationship with you. God sent His son to die for all of us, and that means you.
Let’s take a church journey; be careful it is a bumpy ride
Hello readers. This one may actually be more aggravating to some than my last. This one is about church. I don’t mind church, I really do understand the idea and believe that we really should go. It is our chance to be among people of like minds, and to be fed spiritually. But let me give you some of my experiences and then you tell me how you would feel (still going to church by the way). I grew up as a pastor’s kid. When I lived in Illinois and became a teenager, the rumors began;. This is a list of a few; I was a satanist, I was sleeping with whoever, whenever. I was a drug addict, alcoholic, smoking teenage punk, dissenter, God hater, well you get the idea. And that was before I was even 17. Also, I had a youth pastor who cheated with a teenage girl. Then we moved to Atlanta, and they got even funnier; now I was a criminal, still a man whore, drug addict, although now a peddler to other “innocent” teenagers, a violent person (that one was kind of true), a corrupter of young minds, a church destroyer, and well you get the point there. Also, I had a music and youth pastor’s wife who cheated with a teenage boy. Here is the kicker; the guy resigned, and because the family was very prominent, it got swept under the rug, and this punk actually got a free pass to continue acting like the perfect young Christian man and singing in the church, and going on to start his own church all the while never admitting fault to any part in it. Then my dad moved to Savannah, wasn’t even there (freshman in college), and here we go; Drugs, sex, violence, alcohol, and now I had AIDS (my personal favorite), I was again a Satanist, church hater, home wrecker, and even a father (really). So I wasn’t the biggest fan of church. I met my future wife on one of the very few visits I made when I was home, and then I actually started going a little. Then I became fascinated with different religions and started experimenting with eastern mysticism. That didn’t take either. During this time, I actually was doing drugs and drinking heavily, so the rumors became true. The funny thing about rumors is that often times when you hear them so much, you almost want to make them come true out of spite. Not smart, but I know I am not the first one to do that. Well, I hit rock bottom, and I decided to give church another chance. I even committed to go into full time ministry. I went to Tennessee Temple University and we were forced to go to TTU’s home church. Hated it. Not the pastor, the music. The pastor’s son swore he would help me out since I was 21 and going back to school, but he was a liar. It worked out though because he was still in the closet at the time, and I didn’t feel like being a confidant. At any rate, I got a pretty hard time from some people and because of the people I was friends with, I was even forced to sit in the front of the church like some bad child or something. I was 21. Then, I transferred to BBC. I chose to go to a church there in which not many other students went to, and it was actually really nice. Well, while I was there, I worked at a sports bar, and invited some friends to come. One, an unchurched girl, came and was so uncomfortable that she actually left crying because we got signals crossed and I was looking for her on the opposite side of the church. She wasn’t crying because she was shy. She was crying because she had been treated so rudely by the people. She sat down, hoping to see me and somebody actually asked her to move because she was in their seat. She moved and then asked where the college class was and was told that they didn’t know, they chose not to associate with “punk” college kids. Needless to say, she wasn’t impressed. I miraculously convinced her to come back and this time was very careful to protect her and she tried, but never came back. We were still friends, but she never wanted to come back. I went back to that church a total of 3 times after that. After that year, I moved back and got married. I call this “the peaceful time”. Then I graduated and got a position in a church in Denver as the youth pastor (after all that I still wanted to go into the ministry). The day I got to Denver, the pastor told me he was resigning to move to Delaware (thought there might be a chance, but still). The guy who followed him promised to give all existing staff 6 months and proceeded to give me 6 weeks. He fired me because he felt I was a threat to his ministry; my youth group was growing and seeing kids saved, and regularly ran more on Wednesday nights than the church did on Sunday nights and Wednesday nights. He felt like I was kind of a rebel and he just wanted to eliminate me. So I came back to Savannah 6 short months later, and worked to overcome the bitterness. We stayed there for about 4 years before we went to another church to teach Young Marrieds (as a lay person), and was looked down upon because it was a “Southern” Baptist church. Unfortunately my work schedule changed drastically and I was unable to stay there, so went back to my dad’s church. It never felt like home, and I began to look late in 2007. We left and came to the church we are at now, which is only 3 miles from our home and has a great pastor. But here is the latest chapter in this story. I hurt my back in September. I had surgery and was out of commission for a long time. 4 months to be exact. Well, I could actually go, but I didn’t. This may seem petty, but just read. In the time of my surgery and following, I didn’t hear from anyone in my Sunday School once. Not once. My wife got 3 emails and one ancillary call. We were active and looking for a place to serve when I got hurt, so it wasn’t like we just visited once or something. I was hurt by that, and to be honest, that is the reason why I have only been back once since September. Really like the pastor, but I don’t go to church for the pastor (sorry Dad ). I understand that a lot of people have horror stories, but even through all that, I am more than willing to give it yet another try. I have said all that to say this. Don’t EVER, EVER, EVER go to church for any other reason than to worship God. I did, and look at me. I worshipped, but I let other people get to me along the way. That is my point in all of this. People have continually let me down, and I have let it effect me this time. I am sick of “church” people. The ones who were nice to me because of my father, the ones I saw in the bars (yes, I was there, but I didn’t try to hide it) and then condemned the very things they were doing, the ones who are trying to force my newly saved best friend and his wife to be baptized for what seems to be the sole purpose of adding two more members to their church, the guys who want to be deacons so they can finally have the status they so crave, etc.. Anyway, I think I have said all I want to say, and for those of you who want to condemn, or try to convince me of the err of my ways, here is my phone number is 912-272-3145. Don’t hesitate to call. But don’t call and expect an argument. I know what the Bible says, to not forsake the assembling of ourselves; well you know what? I don’t want to assemble with anyone other than those truly committed anymore. I am tired of the fakes, the rumors, and everything else. Church is for building up and helping those with problems; not adding to them. Please do not wonder why people don’t want to go to church; we did it to ourselves. Good night.
White House press release
Hello all. Let me give this disclaimer. This post may seem a tad offensive and racist, but I can assure you that that is not the intent. I am just fed up. I watched the inauguration, I am even optimistic that he will do a good job. But here is what straight pisses me off. First of all, for all the history talk, and there was some history made, it wasn’t that crazy. He was not the first black man in the White House; that honor goes to a slave named Elizabeth. He is not the first black person invited in the White House; that honor goes to George Washington Carver. He is not the first black person to stay overnight in one of the main rooms of the White House; that honor goes to George Washington Carver as well. He is not the first black person to work in the White House, really, he is not even the first black president; WHAT?!?!?!? Yeah, he is half white folks. And the other half is African. So he truly is African American. That is another thing that chaps my hide. The term African American. Very few people are actually African American. That would mean that half of you is American, and the other half is African. 50/50, not just because it is PC. I am not English American. My wife is not Norse American. My co worker is not German American, and so on. Here is the deal, I am American; chances are you are too. Why would you want to hyphenate that? Most black people do not realize that it was there own people that sold them into slavery (look it up). I don’t see Jews still griping, asking for reparations, and trust me, they have had it a lot worse over time. If you want to go back to your mother land, feel free; you will be on a plane in no time. The first time you go to Russia and you turn the faucet and the water is black; the first time you go to Nigeria, and you have to walk, not drive, 20 miles to go to the doctor the one time a year he is in town. Or perhaps you want to go to France and get made fun of and hated the rest of your life. Feel free. Now I am not racist, but I am prejudice. I can’t stand people, of any race, to act as if they are better than me. They feel like I owe them something. They mooch off the system and would rather scheme to beat the system than use that brainpower to get a good job and get ahead. I don’t think there is an intelligence gap, I think there is an ambition gap. And another thing, how classless and crass is it to boo the outgoing president. All the presidents could fit in my house. That is an extremely powerful position with more responsibility than I could ever imagine. I am not a Bush fan, anybody who knows me knows that. But I do believe him to be a good man who really did try his best, and really believed he had our best interest at heart, even though it was misguided. To boo him, and sing sha na na na, hey hey hey goodbye is absolutely disgusting. He has been nothing but gracious and helpful to Obama, and I believe that he truly was embarrassed by those people. Also, why vote for a man because he is kind of black? How about his policies? A TV show went around and asked why they were voting for Obama. Only 2 out of 100 said anything other than something inane. 13 actually said they think Sarah Palin would make a good vice president for Obama. 55 didn’t even know whether he was pro life or not. I keep MLK being quoted over and over; let me leave you with this quote and see if you really think his words were heeded; “I look forward to a day where a man is judged by the CONTENT OF HIS CHARACTER and NOT THE COLOR OF HIS SKIN“. How many do you think really voted their conscious and his character, and how many voted his color and their ignorance? Something to chew on. Hubbard, out.
A for effort
Hello all. I wish I could do this everyday, but I just don’t have the time. I have a wife, three kids and a job that requires me to work at least 11 hours a day. But here I am. I though it would be ironic to use a cliche to headline it, but is it really a cliche? What if we really gave people an “A” for effort? So many times in life, we flippantly pass off peoples best effort as the least that they could do. What if it was the best? Why do we place such unrealistic expectations on those around us to live up to or above our standard, whatever it may be, 100% of the time? People make mistakes, people make errors, we all have setbacks from time to time. But what if we have a setback even though we gave it our best? Does that not count for anything?Sometimes, despite our best efforts, things just don’t work out that way. I wish they did, and in some cases, failure cannot be an option. But I say this; cut people some slack. Now we all know those who perpetually underachieve and don’t even come close to living up to acceptable standards. But they are not a lost cause until they are truly lost for good. So next time somebody puts forth an effort and seems genuine, maybe give them the benefit of the doubt. You might just need it back someday. Sorry for the shortness, but this was just a quick blurb. Good night and good luck.
Resolute resolutions
Hello all. I have never been one to buy into resolutions. I don’t think January 1 is anymore important to start something than October 23rd. So, that being said, I did something yesterday that changed the course of my life. I stepped on the scale. When I looked down, I saw something I would never see. It brought tears to my eyes. And it made me want to do something that up to that point, I kept putting off because I thought it wasn’t that bad. I am fat. Obese. Flabby. I could go on, but I don’t need to. I have been overweight since about 1996, but hadn’t really given much thought to it, because, well, it was easy not to. But I saw a number that shattered my being yesterday. People have big birthdays, couples have big days, and we have big numbers that we never want to see. For those fortunate few, it is 200. For a woman, it varies from 110 to 2oo. For a man who is 6’2 with three kids and a smoking hot wife, it is……………………….. don’t feel like telling yet. I will just put it this way. My goal is 80 pounds. Added up over a year, that is only 4 oz. a day. Seems easy huh? But I like baaaaaad food. I mean, if it tastes good and can make you gain weight, I loved it. Not liked it, loved it. So here is what I have to do. I have to be strict. There is no 2 slices of pizza for me. There is no small bowl of fat free, sugar free ice cream with no chocolate topping for me. There aren’t any Little Debbie’s. I could go on, but I don’t need to. So, I will eat, and I may not like it all the time, but they say a habit only takes about 3 weeks to develop, so here’s to lasting 3 weeks, moths, years, and hopefully decades. I can’t run due to back and knee issues. But in the past 24 hours, I have walked 3.3 miles. Feels good I have to say, and really not that hard. When I was a teenager, I was in shape, and I ate whatever I wanted. Now as an adult, I am realizing that the same is not true. I hate that once again, I found out later than I should have, but I can assure you, I have found out. So if you live near, and you see me, don’t pat me on the back or tell me I can do it, tell me I will do it. I used to have a teacher who hated the word can. I can see what she meant now. Good luck and good night.
What is up with cliches?
Hello. My name is Jamie Hubbard. If you have been directed here, it is because I have invited you to read it or you just thought the title was cool. Either way, you may need to know some things. I am married with three kids (Christian 5, Faith 3, and Grayson 2). My wife’s name is Sherri and she has been my rock for almost 14 years. I was 19 when I met her, she was 16, we have had many ups and downs, and yet here we are. This is not my first blog, but I feel like it is. I can’t believe it took me so long to find this site. What an awesome site. I want to talk about something I heard today; a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. What? I get the symbolism, I just don’t know where people came up with these things. If you have ever talked to me, I doubt you have ever heard me speak like these. I am a realist; not a pessimist, not an optimist, but a realist. So I speak in realistic terms. I don’t speak in circles, triangles, octagons, pentagons, or any other shape. I speak in a straight line. IF I am going to make an analogy, it will be appropriate to the situation and relevant. I will not put the cart before the horse, nor will I look it in the mouth if it is a gift horse. I won’t make lemonade if life gives me lemons, even though I have never been given a lemon when I am down. I could go on, but you get the point. If you ever count on me for advice, and some of you have, you should know that I give realistic advice that can help. Most of the time. Sometimes, I tend to be too forward, but I have good intentions. I didn’t get anything from the cliche today, and I doubt most do. If you want cliches, don’t come to me. And if you give them, let me know so that we can sidestep that little misstep. I know this may seem harsh, but like I said, I am forward. I don’t think I am rude, just to the point. I am a work in progress, and maybe one day, I will use cliches, like when I am old, I can say “Why buy the farm when you get the milk for free”?. Oh well, I guess I will have to improve my cliches. If you read this and laughed, good for you. If you read this and got upset, quit telling me cliches. If you read this and have your head cocked to the side like a puppy, you didn’t get the point. I simply want to say that if you talk to me, just tell me what you want to, don’t beat around the bush . Until next time folks.
