"It's that Crazy Time of the Year!"

Christmas time is my favorite time of the year, but it is also the craziest time of the year. It is suppose to be a time of sharing good will and peace with others, but when you go to shop for Christmas it becomes a hair raising event.

Recently I went to a well known box store and was looking for a parking place. I watched as an elderly lady raced for a parking place...I guess she thought I might beat her to the spot. Then in the store I watched as people left their Christmas spirit at the doorway and raced to get that last "hot" Christmas present.

I sometimes wonder what Christ must think of us and the way we handle the celebration of his birth. That he must think, "why do they get so distracted from the real meaning of this season and why do they concentrate more on the gifts than they do on me?"

I pray that so far your preparation for Christmas has been a good one. That you have not lost the feeling of the Christ Child in all that you do and say. If this has been a tough time for you...take time out to talk with God and strengthen your spiritual batteries. It will be the best thing you can do for yourself!

"Are you a Cards or Cats Fan?"

In this part of the country when you ask that question (Are you a Cards or Cats Fan?) most people would think you are talking about the University of Louisville (Cards) or the University of Kentucky (Cats), but in that case it has nothing to do with either school. The question has to deal with your understanding of Christ and the role the church plays in your life. Of course both "Cards" and "Cats" are actually acronym words.

The acronym for Cards is Christ Always Redeems Dry Spirit! It is our faith in Jesus Christ that helps us get through the most difficult times in our lives. We all have times when Christ seems so far away from us, but in reality he is always with us. Everyday we need to take time out and pray...not some formal prayer, but more of a conversational prayer. It can be as little as, "Lord please be with me today" or "Lord I need your help." Both of those statements are prayers and it will help us feel his presence more readily.

The acronym for Cats is Churches Alter The Spirit and the can be a positive or negative experience. I pray that as pastor of Speed Memorial Church that the only altering effect I have on a person is that they come to accept Jesus Christ as their personal savior. But I realize that some ministers have a negative effect on their congregation and I believe that comes from their attitude that they are the most important person in the church...and nothing could be further from the truth! I wrote an article several years back for the International Council of Community Churches (I.C.C.C.) entitled, "I Am Only Temporary!" In the article I stated that "as a pastor I will either move on, die or retire and no man or woman is greater then the body of Christ." I also stated that the "body of Christ" (the church) will continue far after the pastor leaves because the "body is constant."

So is it Christ that moves you everyday or is it your experience in the church that leads you? If you want to continue to have your faith make sure it is Christ...in your life and in the church that moves you forward. Remember, no matter where you feel Christ in your life..."I (you) can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (you)." Philippians 4:13

"Unbelievable!!!"

What took place on November 4th in this nation was unbelievable. Not because an African-American was elected president of the United States, but the voter turnout was incredible. I have not seen that much enthusiasm out of young people since John F. Kennedy ran for president of the United States.

Of course the election of Barack Obama as our next president was a milestone in the history of this nation. I remember as 10-year-old, traveling with my family to the deep South. I witnessed restrooms that had "Colored" or "White" over them. I saw water fountains with "Colored" on the rack that held the paper cups. I never thought in my lifetime that I would see a black man elected to our nation's highest office, but I can say now that it has happened I am overjoyed by it.

There is one fear that I have for the nation...it is that some people will not give President-elect Obama a chance. Christ came for all people, whether...yellow, black or white (as the old hymn goes) and we as a nation have the chance to demonstrate what it means to be a Christian to the world. Maybe...just maybe we have taken the first step in following what Christ asked us to do and that is to become one.

So whether you voted for Obama or voted for McCain it is time that we come together as a nation and work to make this once again "one nation under God!"

"Will The Real You Stand Up?"

We live in a society that functions on masks and untruths. Photos are being air brushed to make the person look better and videos are being edited to look different then they really are suppose to look. Unfortunately that has spilled over into our personal lives where we are frightened to show our true self to others...and that is very sad!

Now I realize there are times when you can not express your real opinion to a person because you may hurt them or it may lead to an all out fight. That is not what I am talking about...I am talking about being open and honest in your relationships so that the person will be operating off of reality and not untrue assumptions.

Of course you realize that there is one person you can not hide your true feelings from and that is Jesus Christ. He knows what is in your heart and mind whether you say it out loud or not. He is aware when you are not becoming whom you are meant to become, because you are afraid you may not please your family or spouse. Jesus came to earth not only to give us eternal life, but to help us become whom God meant us to become. If we don't turn to Christ and let Him help us out on our life/faith journey then we will lose out on the greatest gift God can give us. Again that gift is to become what God has planned for us to become.

So this week when you struggle with being your "true self" ask Jesus Christ to help you out. It will not only be a blessing in your life you will feel a weight lifted off of your shoulders and your soul.

"Random Thoughts"

This past couple of months have been filled with some wonderful events in not only the life of Speed Memorial Church but in the life of the Donahue household. One of the greatest events took place on Saturday, Sept. 27th, in Laramie, WY, at the Bowling Green State University (BGSU) vs University of Wyoming football game.

In October of 2007 Kari's (my wife) mother was on a ventilator and expected to die from complications from two massive strokes. In fact Kari flew out to Nebraska to be with her mom, expecting to say her "good-byes" to her. But God does work in miraculous ways and on Sept. 27 Kari's mom was sitting in the stands at the football game to watch our son, her grandson, play for BGSU. It was definitely a celebration since not only was Kari's mom and dad at the game 15 of her other relatives were also in attendance.

I have also enjoyed so much coaching football at Silver Creek High School in their inaugural year of football. Silver Creek High School has not had football since 1944 due so many of the young men taking part in World War II. As assistant coach (offensive and defensive line), I have had the opportunity to witness how football has become a positive force in the lives of so many of the players. I continue to have some of the players come to Sunday morning worship services at Speed Memorial and this past week one of the players asked to join the church!

One of my other joys has been watching our youngest son participate in the Silver Creek High School marching band. The Silver Creek High School Marching Band competes every weekend and last weekend they received their highest score and a gold. I am also very proud of him for his musical talent (both instrumental and vocal) and his unbelievable artistic abilities.

Another great event at the church has been the Women's Christian Fellowship's Yard Sale. It is amazing the amount of items that are donated to the church for this sale that is held in our Fellowship Hall. Fellowship Hall is as large as a basketball court and it is completely filled with items. The women's hard work paid off as they where able to being in over $3,400.00 in sales.

All I can say is...."Isn't God Great!"


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"What's Your Struggle?"

Somewhere in the history of Christianity, people started to think that if you followed Christ you would have no struggles in your life...boy is that wrong. Accepting Jesus Christ as your personal savior does not guarantee that you will never have to struggle in your life. What accepting Jesus Christ does guarantee is that you will have someone you can lean on and call on in those times of struggle.

One of the things you can do is look at whatever your current struggle is and ask Christ to help you through it. Sometimes, as humans, we make the struggle larger than it actually is. So take time out talk with Christ and see if it doesn't lessen the feel or magnitude of the struggle your are coping with in your life.

When it comes to words I like to make acronyms out of them to help me remember the Christ connection. My acronym for "struggle" is struggling transforms redemption unleashing God's gracious loving embrace..."struggle."

As I shared with the congregation during Sunday morning worship (Sept. 7) my brother had a fantastic attitude when it came to life's struggles. Randy was the head high school football coach at Treynor, IA but unfortunately died of liver complications in 1994. He sent the following to his football team in the fall of 1993: "Never give up, no matter how things look...possess a positive attitude at all times that will allow you to rise above any adversity that confronts you and look at each obstacle that faces us and say BRING IT ON!!!!"

With Christ you can face all of your struggles with a positive attitude and rise above it with his help!

"Is Your Answering Machine On?"

Everyday we are inundated with thousands of sounds and messages. We are hit with commercials on the radio and television...not counting all the billboards we see when we are on the road. We also have so many activities that we have to go to or at least take our kids to every day. Although we seem to have time for a lot of activities we never seem to have time for God.

The most amazing thing about our lack of time for God is that all God asks of us is just a couple of minutes a day. I really believe that part of the problem is we think we have to have some sort of high and mighty prayer...nothing could be further from the truth. All we have to do to talk with God is to take at least five minutes out of our day. What you can do to enhance that time is to figure out if you are able to do it either in the morning, afternoon or night. Then start out by just being quiet...as scripture states "be still for I am God."

When I served three churches in Wisconsin, one of my children said what was a very profound statement to another child. I had just purchased an answering machine for the church office and one of my kids was telling another kid that I had purchased one. Of course the kid kept saying "so" and then he said, "why did your dad get an answering machine?" My child answered with "that is in case God calls and my dad isn't home." Wow what a profound and thought provoking statement.

It leads to the question are you listening to God when he talks to you or have you turned your answering machine on to receive his call? God talks to you everyday, but as we have aged we tend to stop listening. You know the voice it is that inner voice that if you ignore it is usually means you are going to do the wrong thing. So don't let God have to leave a message on your answering machine, but rather take time out and talk with God everyday.

"Pathway To Victory!"

Last week was one of those tough weeks when you don't have enough hours in the day to get accomplished all that tasks you have to do. I found myself struggling trying to make sure the luncheon for Sellersburg Celebrates! was in order (I was the chairperson for it) and that I had my offensive and defensive line ready for the big game that took place on Monday, August 25. It was so bad that I could not get going on my sermon for last Sunday...but then something happened. I shut the door of my office and took time out to listen to God. It worked the sermon and service just started to flow.

What happened when I became silent is that God was able to give me the sermon he wanted me to share with his people...and the sermon title "Pathway To Victory" was on the cover of a New Testament book. The New Testament edition has former Green Bay Packer defensive end Reggie White on the cover. The New Testament has sports figures throughout it giving their own personal testimonies.

The pathway to victory is really an easy one. It starts by accepting Jesus Christ as your personal savior and reading your Bible. It then requires that we stop beating ourselves up, because Christ gave us worthiness when he died for us on a cross.

I found it amazing how the football players I coach (see my "Overwhelmed" blog) have discovered Christ. The are excited about this discovery and they are also amazed they can have fun and be a Christian. Of course they will all tell you that as crazy and fun loving as I am proves that God does have a sense of humor.

Start your own pathway to victory...all paths start out with just one step and this case the step is Jesus Christ!

"Overwhelmed!"

Every once in awhile something happens on a Sunday morning that actually overwhelms me...such was the case last Sunday, August 17, 2008. I started out the morning like I do every Sunday morning making sure everything is ready for the morning service. I went over the quotes I was using for my sermon entitled "Are There Bugs in Your Light?" Then, about 15 minutes before the service was to start I was surprised who walked into the sanctuary...it was two of my football players of the team I serve as assistant football coach (offensive and defensive line coach).

Before the service started there were 20 players plus the head football coach. I was asked by Mike Flores (head football coach) to help with the Silver Creek High School football team. This is the first year for football at the high school since 1942. The players and Coach Flores came to show their support for me and to thank me for all I do for them. To say the least I was overwhelmed by their attendance.

People ask me all the time why a minister would coach football and Sunday was a prime example of why. I do it because I want to help the players become better young men by the end of the season then when they initially walked onto the football field. What made their attendance at the service even more special is five of the players asked at Monday's practice if they could attend church every Sunday...boy there is definitely a God!

After church I had the players go into my office. They were amazed at all of the football "stuff" as they call it in my office. They said they are starting to realize how you can be a true Christian and still enjoy life...now if that is not a profound statement I don't know what is! That is the problem with a lot of churches they make young people feel that to be a Christian you can not be "goofy" or fun loving and nothing can be further from the truth.

I also explained to them how a church is really like a football team. God is the head coach; the pastor is the assistant coach and the congregation is the team. The players said they all get it now. That is what makes it all worth it to coach. When young men finally "get it" and become excited for Christ. All I can say is that I am truly blessed to be able to impact the lives of young men through the sport of football. THANK YOU LORD!

"How's Your Warranty?"

We live in a world that requires us to purchase or use the warranty that comes with our products. It seems like things don't last as long as they once did, especially since the more technological of a society we are the more there is a need for a warranty. I am so glad that God gave us the greatest warranty for life we could ever imagine...Jesus Christ.

No matter how difficult life is, we have been given a way of making it through with Jesus Christ. He is the one that when we fail...he picks us up...when we hurt he comforts us and when we are filled with joy he celebrates with us. And the greatest thing of all is his warranty never runs out and is never a "limited warranty."

I was reminded this week of how Christ impacts people's life when Mike Flores gave me his NFL player's card. He played for the Philadelphia Eagles and the Washington Redskins of the NFL. Mike is the head football coach for the Silver Creek High School football team and he asked me, this year, to be his assistant coach. This is exciting since it is the first year for high school football at Silver Creek since 1942. What he had put on the back of his player card is incredible.

Here is what is one the back: "Life is basically made up of choices. How you determine what choices are best for you is crucial to your success. Obviously, I made the proper choices that allowed me to play in the NFL...choices like hard work, determination, setting goals, refusing drugs, getting an education, etc. But the absolute best choice I ever made was when I invited Jesus Christ to take over my life and be my Lord and Savior. It takes more guts to follow Jesus Christ than to play against the toughest players in the NFL. I dare you to seek God for yourself, that he may help you to make the right choices in life...especially eternal life. (See John 3:16)"

Mike understands what the warranty of Jesus Christ brings to your life. I pray that you can discover that warranty in your own life and will be touched by his grace every single day.

"Last Entry from the Trip!"

It was such a fun day seeing people in North English I have not seen in years. I was able to see a few of them when I went with my dad again to the "Liar's Club" in the morning. They are such a fun group and the way they tease each other is unbelievable.

Later in the morning I had the chance to see my cousin Matt. Matt is very special since he is like my little brother. Matt's mom died 15 years ago (at the age of 42) and when Randy died Matt became like my younger brother. It has been a tough life for Matt, but as he would tell you I have been his one constant throughout his life. I was not going to be able to see Matt, because he works in Cedar Rapids as a car salesman, but over night someone broke into the dealership and shot...yes shot up the dealership. The gunman or gunmen shot out the windows and all of the computers in the dealership. So fortunately I was able to see him and talk with him.

I also had the opportunity to meet with my Aunt Reva and Arland again. It was sad for me when I left because she hugged me harder than she ever has and reminded me that she loved me and was proud of me.

The afternoon was spent just hanging out around my folk's house, but Mitchell had the pleasure of going fishing and playing golf with his grandfather. My dad takes such pride in doing that and can not praise Mitchell enough for the way he never gets upset over a missed fish or poorly hit golf ball.

Well tonight is my last night in Iowa and essentially the last blog on the road. It has been such a wonderful and relaxing time for me. I want to thank the church family for allowing me to take this much needed (did not realize how much I needed it until we were on the road) vacation and I pray you have enjoyed reading about the attics of the Donahues.

Tomorrow morning we will leave to return to Sellersburg. Please pray for our safe return. We will make a stop at the Nichols, IA cemetery where Kari's grandparents are buried. I look forward to see you all Sunday morning.

"What a Fantastic Day!"

It is hard to put into words a day where you got to see people you have not seen in years. The first thing in the morning, I went to the EV Malt Shop with my dad to meet with other members of the infamous "Liars' Club." It is a group of guys (most of them my dad's age or older) who come into the Malt Shop in the morning and afternoon to drink coffee and make fun of each other.

Some of the guys I remembered from childhood, but others it was like meeting them for the first time. Of course the kept telling my dad it was good that "your son did not get his looks from you...Donahue!" That was said over and over again. It was fun to be able to just listen to them talk. During my time in the Malt Shop I had the pleasure of meeting Kurt...the minister of my home church the North English Christian Church. Kurt has been at the church about four months longer than I have been at Speed. He has a great personality and the North English Christian Church is also growing. He was nice enough to give me a tour of the old home church...how things have changed, but at the same time how things have stayed the same.

Another highlight of the day was meeting with my Aunt Reva and Arland and Reva's daughter Nancy who I have not seen in years. My Aunt Reva was my second grade teacher and I also went across the street to her house when I was in junior high and high school to get ice tea she always had ready for me. She told everyone (yes we ate lunch at the EV Malt Shop) that I have always been her favorite nephew.

Later that day Kari, my mom and dad and myself went to a large household auction in a community about 14 miles from here. We were amazed at how cheap things were going. Kari got four glass serving dishes for three dollars and we were able to get Mitch an auto harp for only $25.

Tomorrow should bring more "hometown" adventure since tomorrow the North English Celebration starts. I do find it funny that every time I meet someone I went to high school with I always think, "boy when did they get old!"

"10 Hours Later We Have Arrived in North English, IA"

We started the day off by having breakfast with Kari's folks at a local restaurant in Alliance. After saying goodbye to Sandy and Ted, we stopped at the hospital (Kari's brother Dana is the head of the maintenance department at the hospital) to say goodbye. Then we started off for North English, Iowa.

Kari took the first leg of the very, very, very long trip. It is amazing how fast one can drive in Nebraska, but fortunately for us Kari decided to slow down just in time to see a large pickup pull over a car. The pickup was a Nebraska Highway Patrol vehicle...yes in Nebraska you are liable to see anything.

I have been asked via texting on my cell phone whether or not Mitchell has been driving.
Well unfortunately when you rent a vehicle all drivers must be 25 years of age or older so he has not had the pleasure of driving. He has been entertaining us with song, different voices, etc.

I took over the driving responsibilities as soon as we were able to cross over into Iowa and stopped for a Maid Rite sandwich. If you do not know what a Maid Rite is it is like a sloppy joe sandwich without the sauce. It is a wonderful sandwich and something that both Kari and I ate growing up in Iowa.

Well we finally made it to North English at 10:35 Sellersburg time (9:35 pm Iowa time). It is great to see my folks and we are all looking forward to spending the next couple of days with them.

"An Interesting Day!"

Today was sort of a sight seeing trip as we (Kari, Mitchell, myself and Kari's mom and dad) went on a road trip to Crawford, NE. It was only a short drive from Alliance, but when you are out in this country it seems to take forever to get anywhere. I have resolved myself to the fact it is because there is NOTHING between towns in this part of Nebraska, but that said it was an interesting day.

We went to Fort Robinson, located just outside of Crawford, NE. It was an actual cavalry installation which closed in the early 1900s. Still remaining at Ft. Robinson is the actual barracks and the headquarters...lodge as it is now called. We were able to eat lunch in the lodge which was absolutely wonderful and I had their Fort Robinson Buffalo bacon cheeseburger...to die for! Inside the restaurant is a large picture of a buffalo made out of buffalo head nickels...yes actual nickels and it probably has over a thousand in it.

One of the most interesting "historic" makers was the one about the "Buffalo Soldiers." "Buffalo Soldiers" was the name given to Black cavalry members by Native Americans. The regiment of Buffalo Soldiers fought against the Cheyenne Indians and then went to the Philippines in the early 1930s.

After leaving Fort Robinson we went to back to Alliance via Chadron, NE to see Chadron State University (it was Kari's idea). The running back for CSU set an NCAA record in total yards rushing last year and has been picked up by the New York Jets (NFL) in free agency. Of course I realize that none of you would understand why your pastor would want to see that football field...NOT!

Well Wednesday, July 23rd will be a traveling day for the Donahues as we head for North English, IA to see my folks. I know they, as Kari's parents were, will be anxiously awaiting our arrival. I am not looking forward to the drive since it will be at least 10 hours on the road.

I should be able to blog with ease at my folks since they do have an internet connection, but I do want to thank Alliance Public Library for having open internet access to the public. Well as the old song by Willie Nelson goes..."On The Road Again!"

"We Made It!"

One of the things that you realize when you make it to Alliance, NE is the ability to find Internet connections for blogging is a little difficult...fortunately when all else fails go to the public library. So that being said I will try to catch you up on the trials and tribulations of the Donahues coming to the panhandle of Nebraska.

We left Sellersburg at 4:30 am on Saturday and arrived in Alliance, NE at 9:30 pm our time...we are two hours behind here. It was an extremely long drive (1,099 miles) but we were able to accomplish the feat in less than what Mapquest said...they said 17 hours we did it in 15 hours. Now the unique aspect of the trip is that for the first time Kari was tired enough that I was able to drive about 5 hours of the way...something that rarely occurs.

The last 150 miles seemed to take forever, especially since the drive from Broken Bow to Alliance is very isolated. In fact we had to gas up in Broken Bow since there are no gas stations from that point until Alliance. We did have one exciting event in that stretch and that was when we picked up a sand turtle on the side of the rode and brought it to Kari's folk's home to put in their garden pond.

Kari's mom looks great and is doing very well! She has lost a lot of weight...I am guessing around 80 lbs and is getting around far better than I ever expected. He dad is also doing well and is as funny as ever! Her brother and his family are doing great...but I can not believe how much Tyson and Allison have grown over the last eight years.

Sunday morning was difficult for me to say the least. I kept feeling like I had to go get ready to preach and that was hard to deal with. Kari, her mom and dad and myself went to the United Methodist Church in Alliance for worship. How you all sit in the pews for an hour is amazing to me! I can say one thing about the service...THANK GOD FOR SPEED MEMORIAL CHURCH! The minister at the UMC read every prayer, and his sermon...it was driving me crazy. And the service also strengthened my feeling that we are blessed at Speed for our musical talent in the church.

I want to thank Sam Stone for filling in for me and I have heard nothing but rave reviews on his sermon. I can not wait to hear it.

Today (Monday, July 21) will be spent site seeing. We may go to South Dakota or we may just go to Car Henge which is located just outside of Alliance. I will try to get back to the library to blog on Tuesday, but if not I can blog everyday at my folks starting on Wednesday. To say I miss you all is an understatement.

"What's Your Excuse?"

We live in a culture that does it all the time...makes excuses for what we do or do not do. That same principle applies to our faith or should I say lack of faith. We all, sometime in our faith journey, have come up with an excuse why we don't accept or follow Jesus Christ. One thing I am certain of that I am so thankful Jesus Christ did not come up with an excuse why he would not die on a cross for you and me!

Webster's Dictionary defines "excuse" as "to ask forgiveness or pardon for oneself; to apologize for; to justify; and to allow one to leave." I tend to think that most of the time when we use the term excuse we mean "to justify" our actions. When it comes to accepting Jesus Christ we can come up with some very unique excuses. My favorite one is "if Jesus knew what I have done he would not want to have anything to do with me!" I like that one because Jesus ALREADY KNOWS what we have done and he still wants a relationship with him!

I am so thankful that when Christ went to the cross he did not say to his Father..."couldn't this wait until another time?" or "ya know I really haven't given this enough thought yet!" Instead he went to the cross willingly for you and me; thus we need to stop making excuses and start accepting the gift.

Remember following Jesus Christ does not mean your bank account is going to start miraculously increasing or that nothing will every go wrong in your life...that just isn't the case. But following Jesus Christ does guarantee that no matter what happens you have him to call on or lean on.

So the next time you think that you have an excuse why you don't accept the gift from Christ, remember he did not have an excuse when he died on a cross out of love for you. In fact, he outstretched his arms to remind us that if we ever need a hug his arms are always open for us!

"Hold My Hand!"

At first glance it seems like a very small thing to do, but it is actually one of the most effective means of nonverbal communication humans have...holding hands. Research has demonstrated that babies do better when held; people who are sick get well faster when someone holds their hand and it can be the most comforting act you can offer another.

But you need to realize that there is someone else who is offering their hand to you on a daily basis and he is Jesus Christ. He reaches out to us all the time wanting us to grab hold so that we can make it through the day. Unfortunately too many of us are convinced that Jesus Christ would not want to take our hand if "he knew what we have done in the past." Well I can tell you he does know and he STILL wants to take your hand.

Touch is very powerful and for me touch means touch offers unlimited Christ healing! It is the touch of our Lord and Savior that heals a broken heart and shattered dreams. His embrace can change your out look on life in a heart beat and bring the needed purpose to your life. He says that we should bring "all of our burdens" to him and when you reach out to him that is exactly what you do!

I recently performed my daughters wedding and part of what I did was walk her down the aisle. I put my arm out for her to take but instead she took my hand...it made what Christ has been saying all along come to light, "Take my hand and together we can make it through everything." For me, that day, I was not walking down the aisle with a grown up daughter, but walking down the aisle with that little girl who had counted on me all these years. That one act by her reminded me that Christ just wants to take my hand and let me feel he has always been there for me.

I challenge you to reach out and take Jesus Christ's hand and feel the burdens be lifted from you! It will be an every day occurrence once you start and you will never want it to end.

"It Ain't Spooky!"

One of the most misunderstood aspects of Christian faith is spirituality. It is treated as if it were some sort of spooky ghost that occasionally God lets us experience and nothing could be further from the truth. Spirituality according to Webster's Dictionary is "the quality or fact of being spiritual." To me spirituality is the measurement of our connection with God.

To understand that we must first realize that God does NOT leave us! Christ said, "I will never leave you or forsake you!" And when we lack the feeling or presence of God in our life...we are the ones who have turned from God, not God. For some reason many Christian faiths are propagandizing the attitude that we have to "look for God" or go out and "find God." Which I believe is in error since Christ, himself, said, "the kingdom of God is within." That means that God is with us always.

We don't have to go out searching for God, but rather take time out and be with God. Sometimes we have to be as the Old Testament states, "Be still for I am God." In a society where we run around like chickens with our heads cut off, we never take time out to be with God. Now I am not advocating that you have to spend hours and hours with God (He is there anyway) but rather throughout your day take time out and talk with God. Sometimes that just means starting off your day with a short prayer like, "Lord it is going to be a busy day today I hope you are there with me and guiding me." That is a profound prayer!

I also believe the reason spirituality is spooky to a lot of people is that true spirituality makes us look at ourselves and sometime we don't like what we see! But the unbelievable part of that is that even though we may not like what we see, Jesus Christ still feels we have a worthiness and value. Always remember Jesus Christ stayed on the cross because he felt YOU were worth it!

Remember spirituality is not spooky, it is your connection with God and to be honest it's your love connection with Him. So if you don't feel His love, take time out of your busy schedule and let Him hug you with the greatest love a person can know!

"Anyone Can Be A Father, But...!"

One of the most powerful days for me is Father's Day. It reminds me how blessed I am that God entrusted four children in my life...two girls and two boys. It also reminds me that "Anyone Can Be a Father, But It Takes Someone Special To Be a Daddy!"

We live in a society that does not put enough weight on the role of the father in a child's life. It amazes me how people do not realize that a child who grows up with no father or father figure in their life suffers when they hit adulthood. It has been proven that a child who grows up with a father or father figure in their life, does better in school, in work and stays out of trouble.

As I have said every Father's Day to men from the pulpit...even though you have not fathered a child if you have been a positive influence in a child's life, then Father's Day is for you too! I have been blessed in that my own father has been active in my life since I can remember. He went to every ball game, instrumental contest and vocal contest that I was in. He demonstrated to me the strength of a father, when my only sibling (my brother) died in 1994 and he has taught me how important my role will be in my own children's life no matter what age I am. For that I say from my heart, "Thank You Dad!"

I think the following poem says it best about being a dad...the author is unknown:

"DAD"

God took the strength of a mountain,
The majesty of a tree,
The warmth of a summer sun,
The calm of a quiet sea,
The generous soul of nature,
The comforting arm of night,
The wisdom of the ages,
The power of the eagle's flight,
The faith of a mustard seed,
The patience of eternity,
The depth of a family need,
When God combined these qualities,
When there was nothing more to add,
He knew His masterpiece was complete,
And so, He called it...DAD!

To my children, Andrea, Kassi, Tyler and Mitchell I say, "I love you all with all my heart and I am honored every time you call me Dad!"

"An Adventure!"

Going on a mission trip is somewhat of common place thing for churches to do, but recently I had an opportunity to go on one to Victory Junction Gang Camp in Randleman, NC. It was far from the norm. Now one could say what made it unique was the people I traveled there with and I will admit it made it an unique adventure to say the least.

I went down with my son, Mitchell, my wife, Kari, and church members and our friends, Arvel, Phyllis and Kimber. Now to understand how this trip was unique you need to know that Mitchell and Kimber are an "item" (boy and girl friend). So our two families started out the journey loaded up with the items the Women's Christian Fellowship had made for the campers.

Of course the beauty of Kentucky, West Virginia and North Carolina is amazing. The mountains are so beautiful and at times are breathtaking. We all seemed to take in God's handiwork as we traveled the interstate to our destination.

We spent the night in Greensboro, NC, made the short drive to the camp the next morning. When we arrived we were all amazed at the beauty of the camp's entrance. I was happy to see the camp matched the pictures that I saw on the Internet about this camp.

We were taken on a tram and driven around the camp, it is obvious that the theme of the camp is NASCAR. The camp was built in memory of Adam Petty, who died in a wreck during a practice NASCAR run. There is a building that looks like a large race car; a bowling alley called Victory Lanes, donated by Jimmy Johnson the popular driver who drives the "Lowe's" #48 car. But the most amazing part of the camp is the children that come to the camp and the ability of the staff to meet their needs.

Over the summer, there will be children with arthritis, hemophilia, autism, sickle cell, spina bifida, down syndrome, epilepsy and many more other diseases. They try to put the kids with the same disease together for a week. A doctor who specializes in that disease volunteers to be at the camp that week. Also there is a small hospital on site in case of emergencies...a hospital that can do blood transfusions and dialysis.

I came from the experience wanting to become more active with this wonderful camp for children. We are working with Victory Junction to have a team from the church attend next summer to volunteer to work. As the brochure for the camp states, "Victory Junction Gang Camp is summer camp, Disneyland, and a box of crayons mixed in a blender and a special retreat for children."

Now back to the adventure part of the trip...one of the things you don't want to do is to lose your wedding ring at the first rest stop in West Virgina...fortunately my wife did not get upset and yes, believe it or not, purchased a new wedding band for me on the trip.

"Time To Remember!"

As I stated on Sunday morning there are some ministers who struggle with doing anything to honor those who have given their life in the service of this country in the military. They get caught up with the aspect of war and the killing that takes place. I see those who serve in the military in a very different way...one that has Christ tied to it.

In Matthew 5:9 Jesus says, "Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God." Isn't that what our military really does? They fight so that they can bring peace to an area or the world. During World War II, our nation went up against whom I consider the son of Satan Adolph Hitler. It was our action that brought peace to the world.

Christ also made another statement that I believe demonstrates that He does understand and embraces those who die in service to this country. The statement comes from John 15:13, "No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friend." And that is what our men and women do when they give their life in service of their country.

There is also a personal reason why I take time to remember those who have given their lives in service. If it where not for those men and women who feel "called" to service, I would not be able to freely stand before a congregation every Sunday morning, without the fear of being persecuted. It is because of their unselfish act that I can say and worship how I feel moved to do so. In June of 1990 I had the honor of going to West Berlin (the Berlin Wall had come down in November of 1989). I was told by many people who lived in East Berlin how they had to take extraordinary measures to worship every Sunday. I also was in East Berlin a week after a young man was executed for preaching the Gospel on the streets of East Berlin.

Yes I am grateful to those who have died to make sure I have the freedom to do what I do. And every time I hear on the news of a young man or woman who has died in Iraq serving this nation I can hear my Christ say, "Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God." I have taken time out to remember and to say 'THANK YOU!"

"Trusting Brings Peace!"

In our society it is something that is very difficult for us to do and that is to trust. We live in a world where people seem to make it more and more difficult. But there is one who we can trust everyday of our lives and he will never break that trust and that is God through Jesus Christ. As it states in scripture Christ said, "I will never leave you or forsake you."

So what does it mean to trust God...it means to trust Him to the fullest. To be able to realize that God will always give you what we need, not necessarily what we want and to be thankful He knows the difference. I have a running joke at the church, I pray that God will give me a red Corvette, but every morning I go out and I still have my white Tracker...He gives me what I need, not always what I want.

When we trust God, we are given something that we all strive for and that is a sense of peace in our lives. But this peace is like no other you will ever experience because it is a "restless" peace. What I mean by that is the peace God gives us is tied to a feeling or beckoning that we must do something with our faith. Dr. Jeffry Newhall, former executive director for the International Council of Community Churches, always said that "God's gift of restless peace to us doesn't mean we set aimlessly under a shade tree, but rather we are to continue on our faith journey with a renewed sense of the love and grace God gives us...thus His restless peace."

Trusting God also means that we have to give up control and for some that can be very difficult. I have learned over my 20 years in the ministry, that when I have got out of God's way and trusted Him things went better than if I was in control. Trusting God means that you have accepted His grace and love from Jesus Christ and realize that God can enhance your life in so many different ways.

Isn't it time that you started to trust God? One way you can begin that process it to pray "God I trust you with all my heart, with all my soul and with all my mind!" When you pray that you will receive one of the greatest gifts in your life..."God's restless peace!"

"You Are A Mother If...!"

This past Sunday we honored one of the most important people in our life...our mother! It is a day that we go out to dinner with them, call them if they live far away and if they are no longer with us we remember. It was also a very hard day for some people who were spending their first "Mother's Day" without their mother and for those who have never been able to bear children.

For any woman who has not given birth to a child, but has helped a child in any way Mother's Day is also for them. The true definition of a mother is not just someone who gives birth, but rather a woman who has nurtured, cared for, wiped the tears and held a child...whether they gave birth to them or not.

Mother's Day can also be a tough time for anyone who has been estranged from their mother. It could have been a disagreement or a misunderstanding, but as I tell anyone who has gone through that...use Mother's Day as a day of reconnecting. Don't ever let things go and then when your mother is gone it is too late and you are left with a pain that can never heal.

As I age I become more and more thankful for my own mother and everything she has done in my life. I know for her Mother's Day was difficult because she is torn between the joy of having me and the pain of missing my brother who died in 1994. When I called her on Mother's Day and told her I loved her, I could hear the joy in her voice when she said, "I love you too, son."

Many years ago...more than I would like to admit I sang the following song in church...it says it all:

"M" is for the million things she gave me,
"O" means only that she's growing old,
"T" is for the tears she shed to save me,
"H" is for her heart of purest gold;
"E" is for her eyes, with love-light shining,
"R: means right, and right she'll always be,
Put them all together, the spell "MOTHER,"
A word that means the world to me.

"It's The Super Glue!"

If you are still breathing and alive, you have experienced sometime in your life when things felt like they were falling apart...maybe you are feeling that right now. Well I can tell you the greatest form of "glue" to put your life back together is Jesus Christ. He is the one who can help put the pieces back together as if it was put together with super glue.

One of the reasons Christ can do that is expressed in Hebrews 13:8: "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever." That means that Christ knows where you have come from, knows where you are today and will be there for you in the future. It also demonstrates that the Christ we have heard about and read about in the Bible is the exact same Christ who is with us today.

Now another reason some people struggle to find a way to put the pieces back together is that they go out looking for a "fix." Sometimes that is drugs, alcohol or other destructive behaviors. They think that the answer is "out there" somewhere and all they have to do is find it. That saddens me a great deal, because they have possessed the answer within themselves all along. Christ said "the kingdom of God is within," and all we have to do is take the time to look inside of ourselves.

If you are struggling and life seems to be falling apart, then STOP and take time out to listen to your inner voice...that voice that God tries to communicate to you through. Realize that Christ is there for you, wanting to help you put your life back together and to be the glue that holds it together until you see Him face to face!

"God Isn't Fair!"

It is something that we have all said one time or another in our life..."God isn't fair!" We may have had an illness or lost a loved one and we ask God "why" and tell Him what we think He has done is not fair at all! Although we have all experienced that in our lives in some degree we need to understand that it is only in our human mind that God isn't fair and by the way...thank Him that He is not fair!

It is because God is not fair, that we have been given the greatest gift ever given to mankind. Think about this, Barabbas should have been executed, Jesus should have been freed. God isn't fair because He decided that we deserved a second chance and had His son die on a cross for you and I. There is no logical reason that Jesus had to die for us...we don't deserve it, we did nothing for it...in other words God demonstrated that He is not fair and THANK HIM THAT HE DID!

There will always be things that happen in our lives that seem so unfair. It could be an illness or a loss of a loved one, but remember that you have been given someone to lean on, someone to talk to and, more importantly, someone who loves you...Jesus Christ! There are people who you know in your life who have experienced unbelievable trials and hardships but their faith never wanes. They don't think that God is unfair, but rather they understand that in life is just life and sometimes we are dealt a hand that is not the greatest. Instead of blaming God and telling Him that He is unfair, they turn to His son Jesus Christ and ask for strength to make it through!

It is hard sometimes not to feel that God has been unfair in our lives, but remember instead of abandoning us He gave us Jesus Christ who said, "I will never leave you or forsake you." I don't know about you but I am so thankful that GOD ISN'T FAIR!

"Jump!"

Every Sunday morning I have a song that I listen to before Sunday morning worship service starts. Now you are probably thinking that it is some sacred old time hymn, but it is Van Halen's "Jump"...yes I said Van Halen. The song is off the album entitled "Van Halen" and was released in 1984. The reason I like to listen to the song (besides being a rock and roll disc jockey on the air previously to becoming a minister) is the first line of the song..."I get up and nothing gets me down!"

When I was listening to the song a couple of weeks ago I realized, that for me, the title of the song had a special meaning. For me Jump means Jesus Understands My Problems! We as Christians sometime forget that Jesus really does understand our problems. The reason God sent His son to us in human form was to reconnect with us. Through Christ, God was able to "feel" every emotion that we experience and He really understands them. Remember Christ said "let all who are heavy laden come to me and rest." That statement alone proves that Christ understands our problems.

There is another aspect of Christ that is proven throughout the New Testament of the Bible. The aspect is that Christ wants a relationship with us. Throughout the New Testament Christ talks about "the love of God" and it states in the New Testament that God is love. As we have learned in our human existence, to experience love in our lives we must have a relationship. Thus, for us to experience the love of Christ we must have a relationship with him.

So one way of experiencing this love/relationship is to jump right into it. I realize that people think that having a relationship with Jesus Christ is difficult, but it really isn't. All you have to do is just ask Christ into your life. Just say, "Lord I need you in my life!" Of course you need to be asking this from the heart and really mean what you say.

Maybe you need to think about the song "Jump" by Van Halen and remember the first line, "I get up and nothing gets me down." For if you think in those terms you are really thinking of how Christ impacts your life. I know that every Sunday morning I am reminded when I listen to that song that Jesus Christ will get me up and will make sure that nothing gets me down because, Jesus Understands My Problems!

"Where Did IT Go?"

It happens with everyone sometime in their faith journey...losing the feeling they had when they first discovered Jesus Christ. Believe it or not it even happens with pastors. I did not realize that until I went to a Mark Lowry concert recently. For those of you who have not heard of Mark Lowry, he is a Christian singer and comedian. He is most noted for the song he wrote entitled "Mary Did You Know?"

One of the problems of being a minister is that if one is not careful you spend all your time taking care of other persons' spirituality and you forget to replenish your own. I realized that at the concert when I felt God trying to tell me "sit back and take it in...your spirit needs to be replenished!"

I also learned that you can regain that closeness to God at anytime, because God did not leave. Remember that Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within"...which means that God is with us all the time. Most of the time the problem is that we do not take time out to be with God. We find ourselves running around trying to get our kids to different things or running around to do what we think we have to do.

If you are not spending at least 15 minutes a day with God, then expect your spirit to feel like it has left on an extended vacation. Although we have time for everything else it seems like God comes last and God always has us first! It is when we put God last that our spirituality starts to suffer and we feel abandoned.

For me, I have been reminded that I need to take time out and replenish my spiritual batteries and I have to do it everyday. So if you are having a problem with your spirituality, take time out to be with the one person who will never leave you and whose love for you will never end...Jesus Christ!

"You've Gotta Be Kidding!"

Over the past several years, I have become increasingly concerned about how so called Christians are acting in churches. I am blown away when I hear about people who get so upset over the most insignificant things in a church or hear about a church that protests at military funerals. All I can say is "You've Gotta Be Kidding!" It seems that in some cases they have forgotten the main message of Christ...LOVE!

I often wonder if that is what Christ says when He sees how we act. The problem, in my opinion, is our church people are reacting instead of acting. This reacting can be to small changes in the church or to disagreements over how someone does something in the church. At times their reactions are so mean that it borders on frightening.

Maybe what we need to do is think before we react and to ask ourselves the following question. Is what we say or do pleasing in the eyes of Jesus Christ and does it further His kingdom? If we ask ourselves that question before we react it will temper our emotions (rage) and it will also slow down our reactions. I don't know about you, but I don't want to ever think that Jesus Christ is saying "you've gotta be kidding" when He hears or sees something I am doing!

It is time we start acting like Christians (one who follows Christ, what the word Christian actually means) and demonstrate the love that Christ has for us to others. Remember from 1 Corinthians 13:13 "and these three remain, faith, hope and love and the greatest of these is love."

The one emotion that prevents us from receiving or sharing the love of Christ is anger. I firmly believe that anger is the one emotion that satan uses to his advantage and against us. You see the other name for satan is the devil and if you take the "d" off of devil and added to anger you have danger. And when you do that what is left from the word devil is EVIL!

Make it your goal to try and be that beacon of light and love from Christ to others. You can be that beacon by stop reacting and start acting after you have asked yourself...are my actions pleasing to the eyes of Jesus Christ and does it further His kingdom?

"An Interview With God!"

Over the twenty years I have spent in the ministry I have been amazed at how difficult it is for people to talk to God. For some reason, people think that to talk to God you have to use "million dollar" words or their prayers have to be "formal." Fortunately that is not the case, you just have to take the time and have a conversation with God.

One way to help accomplish that is to act like God/Jesus is sitting in a chair. I use that technique all the time and I have discovered over the years that my prayers are more meaningful and are from the heart. Remember the old hymn "What A Friend We Have In Jesus," and the verse that says "Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share?" Since Jesus is our friend doesn't it make sense to talk to Him like we do any of our close friends?

If you use the chair technique you will discover your prayers will take on a whole new meaning. You will start talking like you do to a friend and you will be more relaxed when you pray. I feel that praying in that manner is what God has always wanted His children to do, but we have put up a wall of "formality" which separates us from Him.

I have imagined over the years what it would be like if I sat down and conducted an interview with God. I am convinced that He would tell us that we worry about too much and that we forget to love, not only others, but ourselves. He would remind us that His son, Jesus Christ, died for us out of His love for us and that all He really asks from us it to love Him back.

If you are struggling with prayer...just have a conversation and remember that (prayer) prayer releases all your everyday rubbish. Isn't it time you sat down and had that conversation with the greatest friend you could ever have?...God!

"Amazing!"

Of all the services I do, one that causes me to realize how amazing God can be is Easter. Easter reminds us how much God loves each one of us and how the death and resurrection of his son, Jesus Christ, is amazing. It is amazing, because Jesus Christ's act was done for each one of us out of the love God has for us.

This Easter was also amazing for me because I am constantly being amazed at the talent of my youngest son, Mitchell. During Easter worship, Mitchell with his girlfriend Kimber sang "The Prayer"; it was absolutely wonderful. It was so great that it brought me to tears of joy and for a moment I was not sure I was able to lead the congregation in prayer following the song.

To say that I am proud of Mitchell would be a large understatement! He has been given a gift from God that not only includes his vocal music talent, but also his instrumental and his artistic ability (the drawing to the left was done by Mitchell). I am equally proud of his ability to get along with people and his ability to make everyone his friend. He does not measure a person by their stature, wealth or skin color, which is truly a demonstration how Christ wants us to interact with people.

Each day I am thankful that Jesus Christ cared enough to die for me and to call me into the ministry. I cannot imagine how my life would be without Him. I am also thankful that the Lord blessed me with Mitchell, for everyday Mitchell demonstrates and reminds me what it means to love life. I wish that sometimes I could bottle up his joy and give it to others.

This past Holy Week and Easter I was reminded how amazing God is and on Easter morning God reminded me how special and blessed I am for having a son named Mitchell!

"How's Your Celebration"

One of the greatest stories in the Bible, is the one of Jesus riding the donkey into Jerusalem. People are shouting "Hosanna!"..."Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" (Mark 11:9). The people are celebrating Christ's entry into the city with palm branches and placing their cloaks in front of the donkey.

That is such a wonderful account of his "triumphal entry," but it also begs to ask the question..."how are you celebrating Christ in your life?" You see we have a habit as Christians to only include Christ when we are in times of turmoil or trouble, but leave Him out when we have joy in our life. I believe one reason is that we think (as Christians) we have to be "prim and proper" when it comes to Christ and nothing could be further from the truth!

We forget that Christ's first miracle (turning water into wine) was at a celebration...a wedding. Christ has the ability to attract children which demonstrates he was fun loving or the children would have stayed away from him. Maybe as we get older we lose the ability to include Christ in our joys and in our playtime....which, in my opinion, is very sad.

I believe we need to celebrate the fact that Christ is in our lives...we need to be like the lyrics from the song "Celebration" by Kool and The Gang (1978) states: "There's a party goin' on right here. A celebration to last throughout the years. So bring your good times, and your laughter too...we gonna celebrate your party with you!"

So as we enter into what is historically called "Holy Week" I ask you "how's your celebration" of Christ going? Do you include Him in your life when things are going well or only call on Him in times of need or trouble? If you have only included Him in your times of despair...open your heart and let him celebrate with you. If you do a joy will come over you, that you thought not possible and you will start realizing you have been given the greatest gift in the history of man...the love of God through Jesus Christ.

"March Madness"

This time of year is a very busy one in the life of the Church. In this season of Lent there are additional services at church and soon we will be in Holy Week. This is a different "March Madness" that is usually associated with basketball.

During this time we need to diminish the feeling of madness...trying to get things ready for Easter, etc., and concentrate on "preparing" our hearts and mind for Easter. At no other time of the year are we so aware of the greatest gift given to us, the gift of salvation from the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It should be this act that we concentrate on during Holy Week and really for the rest of our lives.

And during this time, if you start thinking that Christ came for everyone else but you...remember he said "Father forgive them for they do not know what they have done!" To get Christ's true meaning put your name in place of "them." So in my case his words become: "Father forgive Mike for he does not know what he has done!" To me that is the most precious thing Christ could have said for me from the cross and reminds me how much I am loved by him!.

This year when Holy Week begins, don't get yourself all worked up trying to prepare for the arrival of family or in preparing an Easter dinner; rather prepare your heart, your mind and your soul for the gift of love that came to each one of us through the crucifixion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

"Faith Is The Key!"

It seems like there are more and more books being written about how to "find God" or "connect with God." The books usually give some sort of fancy outline of do's and don't's we are to follow to achieve God's presence. Sadly these books are so out of whack from the simplicity God intended it to be for us.

What the contents of the books are missing is the real key to connecting or discovering God...is your own faith. It has always amazed me that every time Christ heals someone...he never says I have healed you but rather, "you faith has healed you!" That is an unbelievable statement from the Son of God. It demonstrates, from his own words, how important faith really is to our relationship with him.

I am convinced the reason Christians have trouble with the concept of faith is that they try to compare their faith to others...something we need to stop doing. Remember Christ said, "if you have faith the size of a mustard seed and tell the mountain to move it will move!" I believe that Christ is trying to tell us that no matter what level of faith you have, as long as you have faith, it is enough!

So what is the "key" to connecting to God or discovering God...it is faith. Take time to look at your own faith and realize that as long as you believe that Christ is the Son of God, you are on the right path to discovery!

"OOPS! I better turnaround!"

It happens in every one's life sometime...we go in the wrong direction. Usually we are aware that we have headed in the wrong path, but we don't turnaround, because we are either too proud to acknowledge the mistake or just down right stubborn. The story of the prodigal son is an example of someone who went down the wrong path...realized it...then took the steps to turnaround!

The story of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32) is really the story of us. Isn't is true, that we have all taken a path away from God and then realized it was not the right way to go? The grace of God (and the meaning of the prodigal son story) is that we can turn back to God and we will be accepted! I am so thankful that the Lord takes us back and continues to love us unconditionally.

Years ago, I was a radio announcer and played a song on the air by The Vogues, entitled "Turn Around Look at Me." The following are the lyrics of that song...but this time when you read it, think of it as Jesus talking to you:

"There is someone walking behind you, turn around, look at me. There is someone watching your footsteps, turn around look at me. There is someone who really needs you here's my heart in my hand. Turn around look at me, understand, That there's someone who'll stand beside you. Turn around, look at me. And there's someone who'll love and guide you. Turn around look at me. I've waited, but I'll wait forever for you to come to me. Look at someone who really loves you, yeah, really loves you. Turn around, look at me."

Now isn't that was Christ wants from us? To be aware of his presence and that he is always there for us. If you are one who is floundering and not sure if you are going the way God has intended you to go...then turn around....for he is there!

"Boy, I Am Glad He Did!"

During this season of Lent, I think alot about the love that God has for everyone through His son, Jesus Christ. I am also amazed at the way the Lord changed dealing with us. In the Old Testament, when people did not follow His commands they were wiped out. When Lot and his family left Sodom and Gomorrah, God told them not to look back at the cities...Lot's wife did and she was turned into a pillar of salt (Genesis 19:16-29).

I am prayerfully grateful that God changed from turning people into a pillar salt, to sending His only son, Jesus Christ to love us. Through Christ we are able to obtain a joyous life on earth and eternal life in heaven when we leave this earth. God no longer punishes us immediately for our transgressions, but rather tells us to turn to His son and ask for forgiveness. If we do that we are assured that we will not be turned into a pillar of salt (a very good thing), but rather we will feel God's loving embrace.

It is God's way of showing us His love that has changed so dramatically from the Old Testament to the New Testament and ..."Boy, I am Glad He Did" change. For the entire New Testament the theme is the love of God through Jesus Christ. We are to learn from Christ's example how love touches our lives and is a form of growth. A 19th century minister Henry Ward Beecher said, "Love is not a possession but a growth. The heart is a lamp with just enough to burn for an hour, and if there be no oil to put in again its light will go out. God's grace is the oil that fills the lamp of love."

God also gave us a symbol of His love and that is the cross. No other symbol can bring such emotion to millions of people...whether it be a crucifix or whether it be an empty cross. To some they can only think of Christ's suffering...to others it is an overwhelming sense of peace and love. For me, at different times, it can be one or the other emotion, but the strongest emotion is God loved me so much that He gave His only son and since I believe in him I will have eternal life.

I pray that you too will feel that love and understand that God changed from wiping people out to holding us..."Boy, I Am Glad He Did!"

"Mirror, Mirror On The Wall"

Every morning we start the day by looking into a mirror to see if we are presentable. Usually we find something wrong in the way we look...eyes are too far apart; nose is too big or small; don't like our hair or lack of hair or we think we are just plain ugly. Unfortunately we live in a culture that is obsessed with looks and we start thinking that God sees us like we view ourselves. Fortunately for us, God sees us in a very different way.

God does not care about how we look, but rather God cares about what is in our heart...our real self. We can look like (as the old saying goes) a million dollars, but if we do not have Jesus Christ in our hearts we have nothing. I hear people all the time say that if they accept Jesus Christ they have to give up so much and in reality you gain more than you will ever give up.

Greg Laurie in his book entitled "Life. Any Questions?" states, "A question I often hear is this: "If I become a Christian, will I have to give up anything? The answer, of course is YES." He also writes, "But I assure you that what God will put in place will be so much better, you eventually won't miss those things you gave up."

Paul in Philippians 3:8 writes, "I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ."

Remember you are a creation of God and God does not do ugly! You are one of his children and all you have to do is to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal Savior and you will start to become whom God has intended you to become. I challenge you to look into the mirror and see the wonderful, beautiful person God has created. Look into yourself and if you are struggling give up whatever it is to God and it will be as if the thorns of your life have become roses.

"Super What?"

One of the most watched sporting events, the Super Bowl was played Sunday evening. As a football fanatic I always watch the game and the game was incredible....but it is not as "super" as what God does for us on a daily basis. It is truly the power of a living God, through Jesus Christ, that is super!

Reggie White (known as the minister of defense...he was an ordained minister, besides a defensive player for the Green Bay Packers, and died several years ago) understood the true meaning of a super God. In the book entitled "It Happens on Sunday," he wrote: "It was an amazing privilege to win the Super Bowl. But as thrilling as that was, I can honestly say that I have experienced even greater privileges and deeper joys. It is a daily privilege to be married to a godly woman like Sara, and to be dad to two children who love Jesus. It is an honor to be involved in ministry and to see people become spiritually renewed."

Reggie White got it! He understood that the true "super bowl" is your own life and how God has impacted it. When you understand that the true "trophy" is not what is handed to players on the field of play, but rather the reward you receive in your life when you have accepted Jesus Christ...you understand the difference.

As Tony Dungy (head coach of the Indianapolis Colts) wrote in his book, "Quiet Strength," "God's definition of success is really one of significance--the significant difference our lives can make in the lives of others. This significance doesn't show up in win-loss records, long resumes, or the trophies gathering dust on our mantels. It's found in the hearts and lives of those we've come across who are in some way better because of the way we lived."

If you have not had the chance...look into the mirror and ask yourself...where can I experience the superness of God in my life and how can I demonstrate it to others? It doesn't have to be a major thing, because sometimes the "superness" of God can be found in the smallest of things and places...but when you discover where it is in your life...it is greater than any Super Bowl or Super Bowl trophy!

"Hello, it's me!"

Today we live in a society that is infatuated with the cell phone. It has become a common place event to hear a cell phone go off in restaurants, stores, movie theatres and yes even in worship services. I wonder what we would do if the next time our cell phones ring, it was God on the other end? That would be a life changing experience to say the least!

God may not call us via our cell phones, but God does call everyone. It seems like today that most people think that the only persons God calls are pastors and nothing could be further from the truth. GOD DOES CALL EVERYONE! The problem we have is that we don't take time out to "hear" God call us.

We live in a society where we are bombarded with messages and sounds every minute that we are awake. If it is not music, it is the television...or yes even people calling our cell phones. We never take the time out to just "listen." Scripture tells us that we are to "be still for I am God." I believe that for us to understand what God wants us to do or what path we are to take we need to get somewhere that is quiet.

I am convinced that somewhere in your life you have experienced the presence of God. May be it was after a major event in your life, where you said afterwards, "I made it through by the grace of God" and you meant it! Find a place where you feel completely removed from the outside interferences and turn off your cell phone. This does not mean you have to travel far, but rather find a place near your home or in your home. And when you do this just "talk" with God...just like you do to a very close friend. You will be amazed that if you do this on a regular basis how you will start to feel the direction God wants you to go!

Make it your priority to talk with God every week...not just on a Sunday morning in church. I pray that you will do this and will rediscover your "calling" from God!

Facing Your Giants

One of the aspects of our human existence that causes us problems is fear. We have things in our life that prevents us from doing what we should be doing, because we are afraid of what may or may not happen. Many of us have been raised with the concept that we are to "fear" God...I feel that is a misinterpretation and the word should be "respect" God.

In Mark 12:30 Christ says, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." He does not say we are to fear God. I am convinced the reason Christ said that is you can not have a relationship with a person you fear. Christ came to reestablish our relationship with God...with love.

It is interesting that the phrase "don't be afraid" appears 365 times in the Bible. As a member of my church said, "one for everyday of the year." If we are to become what God has meant us to become we must put aside our fears and enhance our faith:

"Our greatest enemies are not wild beasts or deadly germs but fears that paralyze thought, poison the mind and destroy character. Our only protection against fear is faith!" Anonymous. As this phrase states it is faith that will get us past any fears that we may have preventing us from fulfilling what our purpose from God is in our life.

I challenge you to open your hearts to Jesus Christ and to lay all of your fears and burdens at the foot of the empty cross. As it states in Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Make that your focus if you are facing fears that continue to paralyze you...learn to "lean" on Christ and He will help you make it through.