Christmas...

Just wanted to express our sincere desire for you and yours to enjoy a blessed and joyous holiday season and end the year with this thought...

As we go forth in the coming year, why not allow the spirit of this time of the year to go with us. I'm not talking about the fighting for the last parking space at the mall, fighting off an elderly grandmother for the last of a particular game that you have to have, or even the anticipation of wanting to see what is in the package with your name on it. No...rather I am speaking of the warm feeling of having your family near, the act of sharing or giving to another, inviting strangers into our midst and offering them our kindness. Maybe we could carry with us the understanding that Christ was born for us year round and that if it were not for His LIFE and DEATH and RESURRECTION we would not have the opportunities that we do.

So why celebrate only His birth and His resurrection? Why not celebrate every second of His life here on earth? I bet that the woman at the well is happy for more than 2 days of Jesus' existence! What about Lazarus, the demon possessed young man, Nicodemus, or even the criminal on the cross. It was because of the life of Jesus that these people had their futures changed forever. It is because of the truths that He demonstrated through His life that we are able to have His guidebook, the Holy Bible, for our lives. Celebrate and live your life in honor of His and then you will be able to show the world the true "Spirit" of the holiday season, every day of the year...

Natural Disaster...

We have all heard about or seen some of the recent "disasters" that have hit our planet. From hurricanes to earthquakes to famine or drought, these natural disasters drastically alter our lifestyles and enhance our appreciation for the times when things are "good". Not to belittle these events or the impact that they have had on people's lives, but I believe that the most potent natural disaster is found within us and among us everyday...Us.

We settle into an area and consume every resource that God has graciously blessed us with and then like a plague move on to the next "host" that we can consume. And the worst part of it all is that we often fail to even acknowledge the God that has given us the ability to enjoy this frivolous and cavalier lifestyle in the first place. Think about it. We openly exploit the environment that He has given us. We use hatred and prejudice to validate our reckless destruction of people and ideals. We openly profess to love God at the same time as we kill His creation. We predicate and push our own agendas under the banner of Godliness (this applies to all religions, even we as "Christians") and then we completely humiliate and embarrass our faith by in one breath shouting and proclaiming the benevolence, grace, and mercy of a God that we cannot possibly know and love because we twist and convolute His teachings to try to demean everyone who is different or believes things differently than ourselves.

Why don't we, instead of arguing and bickering, even among ourselves, express the love and kindness that we profess to enjoy. Why not let that be our legacy to the world rather than the bitterness and disdain that we currently perpetuate. What if we took the time to appreciate where someone was coming from before we condemn them to hell! Why not allow them to get to know the God that we worship by first getting to know Him through us. I recently heard it put this way, "You cannot lead someone to a place where you have never been and you cannot show someone something that you yourself do not have."

Maybe that is the bigger problem...

Excuse my absence...

I apologize for the long period between postings, I have been out of town on vacation. In the time that I have been gone I was humbled to hear more teachings on the life of Daniel. Surprisingly enough, his encounter in the lion's den was not the only time in his life where he exhibited strength and proved his willingness to serve and devotion to God. His life's story is a shining testimony to the power, glory, and awe inspiring majesty that is a life left in the hands of an almighty God. I would encourage anyone who would like to see what a Christian life could and should be to read the book of Daniel. There is no telling where God may take you when you are able to see where God took him...