As a new Christian, I leaned a lot on my friends to show me how to live.  My friends back then are still my friends today.  It’s amazing that I am once again living in the community I grew up in – hanging with the same guys (And now their families).

We were all together this past Saturday night talking about old times with some of our new friends.  (Brad, Jayme, Rusty, and Kara spelling?) along with most of our children!  I was sharing one of those stories about me being a young Christian.  Darrell had invited me to go to this Charismatic church in town where this evangelist was anointing people with Oil out of some sort of horn that used to be on a animal… and prophesying. 

Well, there I am in this church sitting just a few rows back with Darrell by my side.  He was leaning forward anxiously anticipating what I was going to do.  He had been going to this thing all week long.  So there I sit with my Chaps Ralph Lauren green shirt and my Bono like mullet.  The pressure is building within me to go forward… Next thing I know I am up front being anointed with oil and being prophesied over.  He prophesied I would see lights.  I think the only lights I have seen since then were blue in my review mirror.  Thankfully that’s been a long time since I have seen those.

So… I get home and my parents are in bed and I walk in with the shirt my mom picked out for my no doubt – now covered in Olive Oil.  She looks at me and asks, “What in the world happened to you?”  I replied with tremendous excitement, “I got anointed!!”  My dad sat up and said, “You got what?”

Ahh yea… the zeal I had as a new Christian.  The great thing about my walk with God is that I am still desiring new things… still desiring to grow and be challenged.  Now I don’t know that I would go forward and be anointed in the manner  I did when I was 19.  But who knows?