Update

Earlier this year I blogged about how I was going to make a list of people I needed to go back and apologize to for various reasons. Today I am pleased to say that the calls are complete. I feel like a large weight has been ripped off of my back and I am anxious to start the new year in a fresh place in my life. If you have people in your past that you have wronged, or maybe there are just people that you have fallen out of contact with, my wish for the new year would be that you would start making some calls. Handle that business and make it right. It will be one of the most freeing experiences you will ever have.
Happy New Year all, and remember to seek His face in 2010.

Just like Play-Doh

My kids wanted to play with Play-Doh the other day. So we all sat down at the kitchen table and I got all of the equipment out and started opening the cans. At our house, the colored lids mean absolutely nothing after the first use. Brand new cans containing a singular color have a life expectancy of about 8 minutes. I did manage to find a couple of cans that had not been opened yet and so I broke those out and divided them among the 3 kids. I tried as hard as possible to keep the colors from mixing, but 3 kids equal 6 hands and that is 4 more than I have. I was able to rescue some projects in the beginning few minutes, but after a while it was a total loss. The Play-Doh looked like someone lit an M-80 and threw it at a Thomas Kinkade painting.
If you catch the different colors early enough you can salvage them, but there comes a point where the colors are blended to such a degree that any hope at all in separating them out again is impossible. You just have to come to accept the fact that they can't be separated and deal with it.
Here is the deal: Jesus' love for you is just like the blended Play-Doh. It doesn't matter if you believe in Jesus or not. It doesn't matter if you have accepted Jesus or if you reject the claim of who He is….you cannot separate yourself from His love for you.
Romans 8:38-39 says it this way, "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord".
Nothing can separate you from Jesus' love……………..NOTHING.
You can ignore Him, flip Him the bird, curse at Him, or spend your entire life running in the opposite direction of Him, and He still loves you just as much as someone who has spent their life seeking His face. So you can continue living your life the way you want to and distance yourself from Jesus, but if that is your choice then I have some questions for you. Why would you? When was the last time anyone let you disrespect or totally disregard them and then love you just the same afterwards? I would think that you would want to sprint toward that kind of relationship. Christmas is upon us, which is basically just a fancy word for when God, seeing all that went haywire on this planet, knew someone had to pay for humanity's blatant disregard for Him, and Jesus loved you so much, He said…..I will go.
That is unconditional love, and it looks just like Play-Doh.

The Gift

One thing you may not know about me is this…..I am a Christmas movie freak. I love everything from the classics like "It's a wonderful life" and "Miracle on 34th Street", to modern ones like "The Grinch", "Jingle all the way" (I know the acting sucks and the movie is kinda lame, but it's filmed in Minneapolis!!), and the greatest Christmas movie of all time………..
"National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation". My wife and I were trying to pick one to watch the other night and we decided on "Christmas with the Kranks". Let's just say it didn't win any awards from the Academy the year it came out, but it has it's moments. Towards the end of the movie, Tim Allen has a pair of tickets for an all expense paid vacation that he has decided he is not going to use. He ends up going to his neighbor's house to offer them up to the man and his wife. So Tim tells the couple that he wants to give them these tickets as a gift. His neighbors are obviously very excited about the offer, but they reject the tickets. There is more conversation and Tim offers them up again. The couple shyly turn them down again. As I was watching the movie, I was thinking to myself…"I would do the same thing…I would have turned them down too".
The reason why, however, is sad.
I have a problem believing that anything is free. I know it's cynical, but you know exactly what I'm talking about. You see an advertisement for something "free" and the first thing you do is look for the small print. Or someone calls your home to try and offer you a "free" 3 night stay in Orlando. The only thing you have to do is go and listen to a talk about a product they are offering (like your time does not cost you anything). Usually the first thing people say after hearing the words "It's free", is "What's the catch"?
That’s because we know how the game is played. There are always strings attached!
That's why the couple kept refusing the 2 "free" vacation tickets in the movie. Because "free" doesn't really mean "free" anymore. Nothing is free.
Well, almost nothing…………….
I know of a gift that has absolutely no strings attached. I am aware of something that has the word "free" all over it, and I know for a fact that "free" in this case, means "FREE". This gift does not require you to listen to a 3 hour speech about how cool a product is, in order for the gift to be yours. It does not require that you buy one to get this one "free".
2,000 years ago Jesus came down to Earth, to live among us, and to die for us.
His death on a bloody stump, has given you and I the opportunity to own this gift for ourselves. The beauty is that there is no catch. There are no strings attached. The gift is there for the taking……the only thing you need to do is accept it. I am speaking of course of the gift of salvation. It can be yours for free. Jesus already did all the hard work. Just ask Him to be the leader of your life and invite Him into your heart. It's free.
So…….what do you have to lose? Will you take the gift and give it a try?
At least open the wrapping paper. Hang onto the receipt and if you try Him out for a couple of months and nothing happens, then take it back, but I am willing to bet everything that if you give Him an honest try that you will be amazed by what He does to your life.
No strings, no fine print, just a free gift for you.
What are you going to do?

Guest Blog Week (Chris Voelker)

This post is from a friend of mine in Chicago. He is an Atheist. I was thinking about it last night and I really can't think of a single domain that we agree on. We hold different political views, different spiritual views, economical views, etc….It's amazing that he and I are even friends. This post is fairly lengthy, but I do hope you take the time to read it in full because he makes some interesting points. I also have some comments to follow.

Here's Chris….

It is my favorite time of the year again. Christmas time. I love the Christmas season, the lights, the songs, the cookies, the joy of buying the presents. This season is simply the best time of the year. For me it just can't be rivaled, it makes me happy, those around me can see it on my face, in my walk, in all that I do. I love Christmas.
However Christmas can also be a difficult time for me internally, within my own mind and heart. For I have often asked myself, can an atheist celebrate Christmas without being a hypocrite? One of the human characteristics I have always found most repulsive is hypocrisy. How can someone say one thing, even at times preach it, and be found to do the complete opposite? Now of course I don't mean the parent that tells a child to wear a seatbelt or to not drink a beer while doing it himself because that's our job as parents, to protect our kids until they are able to make those decisions, some things just must be done and that's just fact. But I mean the full on hypocrisy we see in our daily lives, that is controllable and just shouldn't occur. Such as a Jesse Jackson chastising Bill Clinton for his infidelities both in public and private, and then it is discovered Reverend Jackson has his own child as the result of an affair, or the same man chastising a comic for using a certain offensive word, even demanding EVERYONE cease from using that word immediately and calling for a complete boycott of any media outlet who used the word. Yet later the same man, and not an ordinary man but someone who himself desires, and almost demands that we look up to him as a leader, uses the word in reference to a potential and eventual President of the United States of America. Now I understand all men are human and make mistakes, it's unavoidable.
I know I have erred many many times myself. But the true hypocrisy is in that he refused to apologize, refused to admit he even did wrong, and can continue to refuse to forgive other men who have erred while it is completely obvious that he himself is not perfect. Or the hypocrisy of a Catholic Church pretending to be saviors of our children, and at the same time sending known child molesters on to lead other churches to hide them from investigations of their dalliances at their last church, in the name of religion. Dare I mention the environment summit where world leaders meet to discuss ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, while never mentioning the summit itself creates more emissions than are produced annually from 60 smaller nations on this planet? From these extreme cases down to the person who chastises a person about swearing only to drop the F-Bomb in conversation himself are all examples I try very hard to avoid in my own life, lest I end up being the very person I claim to dislike.
So what about me? Yes I am an atheist. Although not one of those in your face, can't stand the slightest mention of religion, complaining about the pledge of allegiance in schools or the 10 commandments in a courthouse, atheists. My philosophy is we can all have differing opinions and that's a good thing. I want you to say Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, Happy Ramadan, or whatever makes you happy, to me, I will take no offense to that. While I am confident in my belief that no higher power created all that we see around us I am willing to admit I could be wrong. My thoughts are based on thorough personal analysis of the recorded evidence, testimony, and scientific theory available to me, but I can admit and freely will, that the only way to be sure of any religion’s truth will only show itself at the end. Too late for me if I am wrong, but I shall live with that decision. For me the alternatives are just to great against it. I even on the rare occasion go to a church with my family because that makes them happy. Because both my wife and my middle son do believe in Christ, and I think that's a good thing. Both of them need the external guidance, structure and hope that religion provides them. It just so happens my oldest son and I are ok with the internal compass we have to guide us in our daily lives and personally can't accept or begin to believe in things we can't add up on our own. We choose to believe in only what we can see and add up ourselves, and we have seen the evidence that at its core can't support the case for religion to the rational mind. We are strong enough in ourselves to accept the fact that the end just might be the end. No pearly gates and beautiful clouds, no 72 virgins, no redo's in another form on this planet till we get it right or whichever version a person wants to hope for. Maybe there is just the end. And that's ok, We'll say I did all we could do with our time. Blind faith just doesn't work for us.
But I think I have digressed too much. You now know my view on Christ and the dreaded hypocrisy I fear I may succumb to. Now Christmas is after all, the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. So should someone who does not believe Jesus was the son of God celebrate his birthday? Probably not in the strictest sense. But, as I look all around me to what Christmas in America is, I actually don't see a lot of Christ. I don't know if that is a result of political correctness gone haywire in America, a lack of religious tradition in general or something else entirely. Of all of the things that make me so happy about Christmas what is actually related to Jesus Christ and his birth?
There was no fat guy in a red suit with a big white beard in that manager, that I am sure of. Which by the way, no man can get as fat as St. Nick has gotten without being truly gluttonous. Is not Gluttony one of the seven deadly sins? A symbol, maybe in the minds of many THE SYMBOL for the most holy of holidays is the embodiment of one of the seven deadly sins? That just feels wrong.
As for Rudolph and the other reindeer, the same, I doubt they would survive in the desert, not related to Christ.
LED lights strung up in a dazzling array of reds, blues, greens, and yellows chasing each other to a beat? Nope.
The first record of a candy cane in a Christmas celebration was 1847, so put that one down as a no.
The North pole where the big guy lives is about as far as you can get from the sand of Jerusalem and the birthplace of Christ. Got to mark that down as no.
One of my favorite parts of the holiday is to go out and cut down a tree, the biggest tree I can possibly afford and fit into my home. It is a big production every year and I insist the whole family goes together to select our tree in the woods, cut it down and drag it back. Well I suppose it is possible there were evergreen trees in Jerusalem. Although the earliest know reference to a decorated tree at Christmas time was in 1570. A millennium and a half after Christ was born. So I'll put that in the no column, but give partial credit for the angel or star on top. By the way I insist on the star for my tree, it just feels less religious than an angel and equally appealing.
Presents, they may be the largest component of Christmas for most people. I know for most kids they are. It is the thing they look forward to all year. They spend hours compiling their list to send to the north pole. Parents spend countless hours scanning those lists, standing in line for this years equivalent to Elmo, or the cabbage patch doll. I know in my house hours upon hours are consumed wrapping the treasures in bright, shiny, glittery wrapping paper complete with bows and ribbons and large festive tags. This one I am happy to put down as a yes. The three wise men did bring gifts to Mary and Jesus according to the writings of Matthew.
When I take into account all that Christmas has become I can't really say it does have much to do with Christianity any more, other than the name they both share. I personally see it as a celebration of family. A time to spend with my kids, my spouse, my family and the rest of those I love. Its a time to take pause and be thankful for all we have. A time to put aside work and our other daily obligations, even if just for a short while. Its the joy of the morning when I can watch my kids tear open the brightly colored presents and watch their eyes light up and a smile widen on their face when they find exactly what they wanted. I know then, that I have done good. Maybe throughout the year in our daily lives we don't find enough time to do the good things, not just for our immediate families, but for our coworkers, distant relatives, our brothers in the military and even strangers, those less fortunate than we are. To try and bring a smile and a little joy into the lives of others whether through a donated present, a dollar in the kettle or just a greeting and a wave.
This year I am going to make the most out of every little bit of the season, savor every last drop of the joy. Maybe even attend a service, just for an extra smile it will bring from those I love, even if I fear it will get a frown from my firstborn child. To me Christmas isn't just one day but more a name to put on a season, an event that lasts a whole month that culminates on December 25th. It's really a feeling that comes from within that is projected outward as good will and joy to all.
My Conclusion: No I'm not a hypocrite.
Merry Christmas everyone!

Thanks Chris.
You might be asking yourself, why give an Atheist an opportunity to talk about Christmas from their vantage point? The reason is because it is important for us to listen. Some times as Christians, we talk too much. We can still learn from those who have differing views. I happen to agree with Chris on a couple of points that he made. There is hypocrisy in the church. The deal with hypocrisy in the church however is this…..there will always be hypocrisy in the church. We follow Jesus, who never sinned. We try our hardest to be as much like Jesus as possible, but when it is all said and done, we can't come close to perfection. I also agree with him that I don't see a lot of Christ in the Christmas holiday these days. I heard an add for Wal-Mart on TV last night. It said Christmas costs less at Wal-Mart. Christmas costs. We have lost the true meaning I'm afraid. And finally, I agree with Chris on this….He said that there is only one way to be sure if Atheism or Christianity is right or not will be in the end ……"too late for me if I am wrong". It is going to be too late at that point. I will not get into my reasoning for belief in Jesus or the evidence I see (inside and outside of the Bible) for Jesus' birth, life, death, and resurrection…Chris and I have had those conversations until we are blue in the face. But what I will say is that before Jesus left the planet, He said this to His disciples, "A new command I give you…that you love one another". That is why I had Chris post his thoughts. I am to love him just like I love my Christian brothers and sisters. And I do.
Merry Christmas Chris.

Guest Blog Week (John Reynolds)

Today's post is from another co-worker/friend of mine in Chicago. John has an interesting relationship with God. I am not even certain he can describe it. I hope you enjoy his post....Are you paying attention?

THE ART OF LOST COMMUNICATION

Here we are on the brink of 2010. The world is undergoing rapid, unprecedented, technological change. Science and
Technology is zooming so far ahead of us it's almost hard to keep up. We have developed a countlesss number of gadgets, devices , and tools to enhance and better our ability to communicate with one another. So, why does it seem like it has only
gotten worse? Sure, you know. We all know. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out something is wrong. I mean really wrong.
Drive through a McDonalds and say you want a large Black Coffee and the response will be.."Cream and Sugar?". Recently
While in a Subway sandwich place the person behind the counter made my sandwich and within seconds before ringing me up asked me what kind of sandwich it was? Huh? I told him to ask the guy that made it 10 seconds before...oh yeah, HIM ! When
I had ordered furniture and they delivered a Couch and a Love Seat instead of a Couch and an oversized chair. When the men came to deliver the proper oversized chair and remove the Love
Seat they brought along another couch to deliver as well. I told them "Look, I have the couch" However, their paperwork had the couch listed on there and the fact that they couldnt leave it
really through them for a loop. Everything seems to be in a state of Confusion.
This all is in relation to the lost Art of Listening. Nobody really pays attention anymore. We are in a world of constant rapid stimulus. Our Beings can not process the rapid fire barage of information. People are driving while talking on their phones while texting..It's crazy. Paying attention
to the road or traffic conditions is secondary. With all the new technology we seem to be at a place
where we are more removed from each other than ever before.
Recently, a customer of mine had shared a story about his seven year old daughter. She had just put together her long list of things she wanted from Santa this year. Upon reading this he explained to her that it had been a rough year for Santa. The current economic climate hadnt been to good to Santa. Sundays, are his daughters days. They choose what they want to do and he spends time with them. Usually means a movie. On this particular Sunday his seven year old wanted to visit TOYS R US. She insisted that her daddy bring a camera. He did. She started taking him around the store stopping him at certain toys and having her picture taken with them. After a couple of Pictures
he had asked her why they were doing this. She expained that "Santa, really got a lot of things screwed up and made a lot of mistakes the year before". She was going to include these pictures
with her letter to Santa to make sure he couldnt screw things up this year!
So even Santa is not immune from the current crisis we are in. Santa needs to pay attention. We
all need to pay more attention. Perhaps, the children of the future can correct this. We can only Hope!

Guest Blog Week (Bernie Delaney)

Today's post is from a co-worker and friend of mine in New Jersey. I hope his story makes you think about what you are doing with the time you have left on Earth. It certainly made me. Go ahead Bernie......

The end of the year is closing in on us. I am constantly reminded of how good life can be. This year will go down as one of the best of my life. I got to enjoy it at a new pace. I would have never thought that turning 41 this year could make time slow down, especially with two very active boys. It is hard to imagine with what seemed like everyday there was something going on in our lives. There were scheduled baseball or basketball games, homework, practices, work and so much more. For many years my time was usually spinning like a top out of control, but this year was different. This year my family and I got the chance to slow down and appreciate life. As the saying goes, we were able to “slow down and smell the roses.”

For twelve years now I’ve been keeping a little journal at work for some of the important events that occur during the year. I write little notes on the special things that might have happened to me or my family or even big news like the Phillies winning the World Series. I have tried to write something down every week. I was looking back at last year’s journal and could not help to notice all the empty pages of September through December 2008. The impact of those missing days will forever be remembered as a turning point in my life. The last entry in my 2008 journal was Labor Day. The note was simple, it read, “Party Laskeys.” The missing edited pages there after could not tell the story that lied ahead for me.

The day after Labor Day I was admitted to the hospital with some pain. The pain went away the following day but the x-ray that remained had a whole new story. The cat-scan showed a mysterious mass inside my body. The mass would change my life forever. The mass eventually turned out to be cancer. A dreaded word! Cancer! I’m 41 years old, don’t smoke. There must be a mistake. There was no mistake. I was diagnosed with type three testicular cancer and was given an immediate date for surgery and a schedule of chemotherapy soon after. I would spend the next three months of my life giving blood, going to doctors and being completely exhausted from 5 days a week of 5 hours of chemotherapy. Time stood still for those months.

I began to feel hope as an effective word in my life. I began to feel prayer working both physically and mentally in my life. I can’t begin to tell the unbelievable story of support my family received from my community. It was overwhelming. I would take pages to give an understanding of the support we received from my employer as well. I was flabbergasted at the overall support mentally, socially and even financially from nearly everyone I knew. It changed my thinking of all the people in my life from that moment on. It shone a new light on my life that would make me eternally grateful.

My last chemo session was December 29, 2008. I would be able to enjoy a New Year chemical-free and at that point cancer free. I began to appreciate my community, my family and my friends more after that difficult period of my life. Life was passing me by at a quick rate and I didn’t realize it until I sat in a cancer treatment chair for months. Nowadays I find myself wanting to talk to neighbors more extensively, to write down more information in my journal, to be in the company of good friends more often and especially make the time I spend with my family not just time spent but making that time more quality time. I find myself enjoying the simpler moments of life. I have found the importance of the slowing down and appreciating everything. I found the time to smell the roses.

Guest Blog Week (Heather Brotzge)

This one is from my sister, whom I love dearly.

She is a Christian and a great example of what a Godly woman looks like.

Friday night I went to see one of my clients in the nursing home. Let me tell you a little about him...he has cerebral palsy. He 's pretty much a quadrapalegic...can move his hands and arms but they are of no use to him because he has no fine motor skills. He's brilliant. He has a degree in Theology and in Physiology. He does speaking engagements at churches and schools talking to kids and anyone who will listen about what Jesus has done in his life and how they can overcome anything and can do anything they put their minds to. His mind is so sharp. His speech is slurred. People treat him differently...like he is "less than" because they don't take the time to listen to him and to know what's inside...all they see is the body and the fact that he is served by a company who works with the developmentally disabled. He has told me that he sees how people look at him differently and treat him differently...and that breaks my heart. His body is weak...he's on lots of pain meds for muscle spasms...he is sometimes in bed all day every day except to get a shower from his staff or to go to the bathroom. Because of being in bed so much, pneumonia is easy to catch. Two weeks ago he went to the hospital with pneumonia. A few days later he was released to the nursing home for respiratory rehab.
The first day I went to see him was last Wednesday. He was doing well and asked me for 5 changes of clothes and some other things from his apartment. He told me how horribly he was being treated and begged me to get him out of there. I cried. It broke my heart. I promised him I would talk to the nurses and make sure he got what he needed and I would bring what he needed on Friday. And I kept my word. So I went back Friday. And he was asleep...and on oxygen. Not good. I didn't wake him, but left the things he had asked for, touched him, and left. Today I told my coworkers that I didn't think he would make it out of there, and I made another trip out on my way home to check on him....thinking that I would bring some light into his day today by showing up there and making him smile because he had a visitor. But he made me think again...
I got there and he was laying in the dark...awake...without oxygen. He smiled when I came in and thanked me for coming. I think he knew that I was tearing up even though it was dark in there...he was telling me how much he hated the place...and then he saw me crying and started telling me how good the therapy was there...and how he was tough and he had lived a long, good life...and he wasn't done yet...not until he had done everything that God had meant for Him to do...and he hadn't done it all yet. There is so much to do. He said he couldn't just lay there and die. He had to fight. Because if he just laid there and died on purpose and let go...he would be letting down all those people that he had spoken to and told they could do anything they put their mind to. He admitted he wanted to go home to God...but that he was willing to live for others.
Wow. My heart got stuck in my throat and I just looked at this broken man with a brilliant mind and a heart of gold. And my heart was lifted up...my spirit was strengthened...and God spoke to my heart that this trip to the nursing home to lift a client's spirits was really meant for me. How humbling. And how SO like God.

Guest blog week (Teri Cox)

This post is from a very good friend of mine. She is an agnostic for lack of a better term, and I have learned a great deal from her through conversations we have had about Jesus and religion. She is also one of the best mothers I know. Here words today remind me that it is not just enough to be in the room with my kids. Being there does not necessarily mean I am present. Are you spending quality time with your children, or are you playing monopoly, strategically positioned so that you can still watch the football game? Your children know the difference. Go ahead Teri......


When I was in my late teens I had completely convinced myself I wasn't going to have children. Things were going pretty smoothly too until I met Gary. The day I found out I was pregnant every emotion within me began to rear its ugly head. I was terrified. I was excited. I was...terrified. LOL How was I, me..of all people...going to raise a child? I wasn't exactly the best example. I was a bad girl with an even worse attitude. I was lucky though, I had Gary. He was far more ready for us to have this child than I was. I had never changed a diaper, I wasn't a babysitter, I preferred kittens over babies. Then November 27th 1995 my entire life as I knew it had changed. There he was, this big 8 lb bouncing baby boy. I fell madly in love with him. Still very much terrified I made a promise to him that I would do everything within my power to make his life wonderful.
Today he is a 14 yr old teenager who I couldn't adore more. As a mother I couldn't ask for a better kid. He is driven, strong willed, kind, gentle and loving. He's brilliant, funny, and emotional. I believe he was my gift, and also my test. Could I, the bad kid who had everything and was spoiled rotten, find the focus and drive I needed to see to it he was better than I was? I feel I have done just that. He's a leader, not a follower, he has a kind word for anyone and everyone. He believes all people are special and need to be treated as such. He feels people do deserve a second chance if they should mess up the first time around. He has goals and dreams and everyday he thrives to get one step closer to them. He's a 2nd degree black belt, working toward his level 2 instructor collar, and has show his dedication for his martial arts. He still hugs his mom and dad and isn't afraid to let his friends know how awesome we are. He appreciates us, he loves us, and he respects us.

Take the time to get to know your kids. You might be pleasantly surprised by what you learn.

The Deployment

There were some people on T.V. this week who were calling for the President to bring our troops home. It sure would be nice to have all of our men and women home for Christmas wouldn’t it? The issue is this: There is a war going on right now. The Commander in Chief finds it necessary to have these men and women on the front line. You may or may not agree with the President and I will not get into politics on this site. But I think we can all agree on something……There is no draft. Those men and women that are overseas right now in harms way, volunteered. I was in the Army for 8 years. When I signed on the dotted line, it was made very clear to me that going to war would be mandatory should I be needed. After some careful thought, I signed.
This is where I am going with this. I think there are people in the church today that signed on the dotted line but want to protest the war. We want to say, “Hey I’m in the Lord’s Army” (remember that song?), but we refuse to go to war. We won’t get our uniform dirty by lying in the muddy trenches, and we certainly don’t want to be inconvenienced by having to make our way up to the frontline. Let me explain a little here. There is a war going on out there for lost souls, and all too often, Christians are refusing to engage the lost, and in turn, losing battles left and right.
We love to fill our days of the week with church people and churchy stuff, making absolutely sure that we don’t have time left in our schedule for the real work. And we can clog our weeks fairly well can’t we? Church on Sunday and then we have our church friends over for a late lunch or early dinner. Monday maybe a small group gathering, Tuesday prayer meetings, Wednesday…..I am not saying these things in and of themselves are a bad thing, but when was the last time you invited a neighbor to your after church cookout or bonfire? When was the last time you asked your neighbor, the atheist, to church? When was the last time you asked that family member, the one who has been turned off to Jesus and the church because of something that happened 20 years ago, to come to your small group? It is time we get into the thick of the fight and start engaging in this battle. If Hell is real, and I believe it is, how can we allow anyone to slip by us without at least inviting them to church? Its worth getting a little mud on our uniform don’t you think?
Next week is guest blog week. Since this issue was on my mind, I have asked several of my friends to write something that I will post. When I was thinking about this topic today, I thought…It will be cool to have some of my atheist friends and agnostic friends write something as well. So there will be a day or two next week where you might find something of interest. If you are a Christian and read this blog, sweet (I think there are about 3 of you). But the real reason I write this stupid blog almost every week, is for my friends that read this, that are not Christians. I care about them. I believe in Hell, and I don’t want them to end up there. I guess I am just trying to not go AWOL on my Commander in Chief’s call for deployment.