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I must say I really like sitting down in my recliner kicking back with a tall glass of Milo's sweet tea and letting the remote become one with my hand. We have such a nice relationship; me and my remote... oops that is another story.

I have always watched racing on TV but I got a wild hair one day and decided to go to Talladega and watch it live. I called the boys up and we took off a day in advance to camp in the parking lot. Well if any of you know NASCAR then you know what happens when the cars aren't going round and round. The beer flowed, the inhibitions disappeared and well you get the point.

Maybe it's not racing but a football game or maybe a Saturday night cruise. Who knows, maybe sitting in your house now looking at YouTube? Life will present several encounters with a nice thing that at least in my case usually turns into something else.

In an ideal world, we are to be a lamp and that glow is so bright because of who is in us that the something else will bow down in respect. But... you and I both know how difficult this struggle of our desires can be. I hope to be that bright some day but until then I discovered something about myself in the bible. I can do a lot better with my weakness as a man if I don't get in the situation to start with. And if I have already got in the scrape all I have to do is give it up or replace it.

Jesus tells us: If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. Matthew 5:29

Do you think this is meant to be taken literally? If so - whew, I heard Jesus was one radical dude but that is intense! No, it just means you have got to stop before you start.

Viewing videos on YouTube is no sin but if you end up looking at all the bad stuff because of the other videos on the side then maybe you don't need to visit YouTube at all. MySpace is no sin but if you get curious and follow the trail from the visitors on the page you will almost always end up somewhere you shouldn't be. Drinking a glass of wine is not a big deal but if ends up in an empty bottle maybe that one glass is not the best idea.

Now what a minute, I know what you may be thinking. I am not asking you to just give up everything you enjoy in your life. You can replace instead of reject. Instead of YouTube try GodTube, instead of MySpace how about HisHolySpace! You see what I mean. You don't have to give up everything just replace that thing that causes you to stumble with something that will help you to stand firm!

I still like to watch racing but maybe calling the boys up is not such a good idea after all. I think I will stay home with the family this time.

Learn more about this author, William Scott Smith.
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