If you are like me you are SO ready for warmer weather to arrive. Winter is great for the holidays. I enjoy it being cold at Christmas, it’s how it’s supposed to be. However, by the time January rolls around I am sick of the cold, gray sky and ready for bright and sunny, warmer days. Spring flowers, baseball, fresh cut grass and picnics at the lake are among the things I miss most this time of year.
I get excited as I see the stores stocking their shelves with all the gardening accessories and lining up the grills. I know it’s getting close (51 days) and on days like today when there’s ice on the ground and the sun is hidden behind the clouds, I can hardly wait!
What do you do to chase away the winter blues? Or, do you enjoy winter?
I am a pastor, not a politician, so I can only speculate as to what awaits President-elect Barack Obama. The long-lasting benefits of good choices…the fearful consequences of poor ones…complicated social issues and relentless international problems.
He needs our prayers. And it’s our privilege to pray for him. The Bible says: Pray for rulers and for all who have authority so that we can have quiet and peaceful lives full of worship and respect for God. (1 Timothy 2:2)
For that reason, I invite you to set aside a few minutes on Inauguration Day, Tuesday, January 20, and ask God to bless Barack Obama and his family. Join me and urge as many people as possible to speak to God on behalf on our incoming president.
Good things happen when people pray.
A few years ago I attended a meeting in the White House. While standing in the State Room, I noticed some words engraved on the fireplace: a message from John Adams to his wife Abigail. “I pray heaven to bestow the best of blessings on this house and all that shall hereafter inhabit it. May none but honest and wise men ever rule under this roof.”
Here’s hoping that same prayer is offered and answered again.
It’s getting cold outside. The malls are crowded. Christmas music is being played on the radio. However, the true sign that Christmas is upon us once again….Christmas specials! All our favorite TV shows have their Christmas episode and there is a new Christmas movie each year, but the greatest tradition is watching the same old specials like Rudolph, Frosty and everyone’s favorite, A Charlie Brown Christmas. How can you watch Linus explain the meaning of Christmas and not get into the spirit of what this holiday is all about. We get so busy shopping, cooking, having family gatherings and parties that it’s easy to forget why we celebrate at all. Hope you and your family have a very merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!
If you listen to contemporary christian music at all then you’ve probably listened to Bart Millard of MercyMe and Mark Hall of the group Casting Crowns. Both are among my all time favorites. They have recently challenged each other to a little weight loss challenge. You can join them in the challenge, just visit the MercyMe blog to find out more! Here’s a little video the two lead singers put together….watch and decide who’s team you’re on.
I love both and wish each of them the best of luck. However, living in Greenville, Bart’s home town, I have to go for Team Bart!!! How about you?
History has been made and Barack Obama will be the next president of the United States. Though he was not my choice, you have to admire his achievement. It’s our hope that he will live up to the many promises he has made over the past several months and reach across the isle to help lead this country in the right direction. I will never agree with his stand on abortion and other domestic issues. However, he is going to be our president, all we can do is pray for his convictions. Proverbs 21:1 says “The Lord can control a king’s mind as he controls a river; he can direct it as he pleases”. Christians must join together and pray like never before for our leaders and the direction of this great country. I believe if we truly want to be blessed as a nation we must return to the core values this country was founded on. It’s no doubt tough times are ahead, but we can take comfort in knowing that God still reigns and is over even our highest of offices.
With only one day left before the U.S. election, presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama staged a last campaign blitz throughout the country. It’s our privilege and duty as Americans to get out and vote tomorrow. Who would you like to see become the next president of the United States?
2 Chronicles 7:14: If my people, which are called by my name shall
humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face and turn from
their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive
their sin, and will heal their land.
If you have turned on the news lately you know our country is in trouble. The stock market is crashing and people are lossing what they have worked so hard to save. Retirements are uncertain and business is slow in most industries. Many are looking to the next president for “change”. To come into office and fix that which is broken. However, it’s my belief that our focus is off. We need to look to the one true Saviour for help in these troubled times. We didn’t get here because of the bad decisions of only one man or political party, but rather the greed and sin of a nation. Below is an email I received a few days ago:
A father wanted to read a magazine but was being bothered by his little girl, Shelby. She wanted to know what the United States looked like.
Finally, he tore a sheet out of his new magazine on which was printed the map of the country. Tearing it into small pieces, he gave it to Shelby and said, ‘Go into the other room and see if you can put this together. This will show you our whole country.’
After a few minutes, Shelby returned and handed him the map, correctly fitted and taped together. The
father was surprised and asked how she had finished so quickly. ‘Oh,’ she said, ‘on the other side of the paper is a picture of Jesus. When I got Jesus back where He belonged, then our country just came together.’
We loaded up the family and headed to the piney woods of east Texas for a fun-filled weekend of camping, fishing and campfire cooking. The weather started out beautiful and our campsite near the lake was perfect. We spent day one fishing. We didn’t catch enough to keep, but had a good time none the less.
The next day wasn’t as enjoyable. We woke up to the sound of thunder and a driving rain. The weather man had deceived us with a promise of clear skies. To make the day even gloomier, our dear neighbor who was “baby sitting” our two dogs, Odie and Penny, called to let us know they had dug out of her back yard and couldn’t be found. With both having our cell number on their dog tags we were certain that we would be receiving a call at any minute that they had been found. However, the unexpected call came again from our neighbor informing us they had found Penny, but that she had been hit by a car and didn’t survive. Odie was and is still missing. Hope that he will be found alive is fading. We just aren’t having luck with dogs lately. It is a shame because I love dogs! What is an even bigger shame is we have spent so much money (close to $1,000) on shots, spaying, neutering and other dog necessities over the past few months and don’t have a dog to show for it. Many are advising that we take a break from the furry friends for a while. That may not be a bad idea, but when we do decide to add to the family again I think we’ll go for a small inside dog that goes everywhere with us.
Penny
Odie
Over all we still enjoyed our time camping together. It’s always nice to get away from the hustle and bustle of life for a few days and relax with those you love.
In theaters this Friday, September 26, FireProof is sure to give you a new perspective on your marriage. Watch the trailer here and then go see the movie this weekend.
