Well I Do

Waupaca County Suicide Prevention Walk

"Crawling in my skin, these wounds, they will not heal. Fear is how I fall, confusing what is real." Powerful words that I reflected on this past Saturday as I, and 272 other people, went walking, together, to aid suicide prevention in Waupaca County.

Suicide has touched my life several times but not to the extent it has devastated the lives of others I know. Austin, Kameron & Bill, all gone too soon, left loved ones behind. Aching, mourning, forever scared by the loss of their loved ones. So, what do we do, we that remain? What CAN we do? Anything?

Chester Bennington, the lead singer of Linkin Park, offers us a clue in the chorus of the song One More Light.

Who cares if one more light goes out?
In a sky of a million stars
It flickers, flickers
Who cares when someone's time runs out?
If a moment is all we are
We're quicker, quicker
Who cares if one more light goes out?
Well I do

Austin

We have to care. We have to be willing to actually DO something. We have to be willing to sacrifice some of our precious time when others in our lives are hurting.

A local church's elders once asked me what their youth pastor could do to bolster his declining numbers on Wednesday nights. "That's easy," I said. "You have to LOVE these kids. Not preach to them. LOVE them first, THEN talk." The same answer applies to ALL of the people in our lives. We have to love them. And they have to know it.

Kameron

Everyone needs to be loved. Who have you loved today? Who WILL you love today? God will provide someone for you to love. The question is, will you ?

We have to care "if one more light goes out." We have to! When we see a life flicker, quicker, we have to reach out a hand and let them know that we care.

34“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” - John 13:34-35

Loving each other is NOT a suggestion. It's not something we should be doing only when it's convenient for us. It's a command! According to God, we should be loving others with every breath we take.

Are you breathing?

Crawling - Linkin Park

One More Light - Linkin Park

Chester Bennington of Linkin Park

Waupaca County Suicide Prevention Coalition

 

Who Are You?

Are you tired of all the killings and the war of words about various ideologies we've been seeing lately? Talking heads, force-feeding us their opinions; testifying to the "frail minded", hoping to convince us to join the world THEY live in. We write songs and tell stories trying to express OUR feelings, only to go unnoticed, unheard or persecuted.

Who are we anyway? Who are we inside? Are we what the world has created us to be - molded and shaped by other people's opinions? We read a book and now we're changed? Or are we different than everyone else? Set apart - far from the madding crowd? Who are we anyway?

We all have our opinions of how life should be. We spend most of our lives trying to attain what we think that life should be, only to fall short. Disappointed. My generation struggled with it. The current generation struggles with it. The world, you see, has no answers. It only creates more questions.

Well, I have a question. Why are we humans never satisfied?

The Apostle Paul has the answer. He wrote these words while he was in prison, awaiting his execution. Although he once persecuted Christians, he met Jesus. After that Paul had no more questions. He KNEW!

"3I thank my God every time I remember you. 4In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

7It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. 8God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

9And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ - to the glory and praise of God.

21For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." - Philippians 1:3-11, 21

Paul KNEW who He was and WHOSE he was. The only question each of us needs to answer is, "Do we know who WE are?" Are we "in Christ" or in "the world"?

Again Paul implores us examine ourselves. To always seek out the truth, in all humility. Test everything to see whether or not is is in God's will. If things do not line up, ignore them. But if they DO line up with God's will, whether it means life or death, follow.

"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will." - Romans 12:2

Baba O'Reilly - The Who
Chasing Cars - Snow Patrol
What The World Needs Now Is Love - Jackie DeShannon

Hi I'm Samson

If you heard the story of Samson in Sunday School chances are you only heard part of it. They probably left out the Lust, Sin, Betrayal, Vengeance, and Death parts. Yeah, we do that to make things all warm and fuzzy, instead of telling the truth.

I just read the story of Samson in my daily reading. You can read it here in the Book of Judges (Chapters 13-16). What struck me most as I read it was the sadness I felt for Samson. His life started off well but then went wrong because of sin.

The interesting thing about Samson was how much like you and me he seems to be. Apart from his super-human strength he really was a lustful, backsliding hypocrite just like me.

Samson started out on the right path in life - devoted to God - but then he met a woman, a prostitute, and things went downhill from there.

How often do we get distracted by sin like Samson did? Too often would be MY guess. We can start out the day with the best intentions but before long we get distracted and fail the very God we profess to have faith in.

Samson's ultimate downfall was another woman named Delilah. She was not an Israelite and her people wanted to see Samson dead so Delilah betrayed Samson. A sad story indeed. But the last thing Samson did before he died was pray to God for his strength to return. Why? So he could kill God's enemies . . . along with himself.

^"28 Then Samson prayed to the Lord, “Sovereign Lord, remember me. Please, God, strengthen me just once more, and let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes.” ²⁹ Then Samson reached toward the two central pillars on which the temple stood. Bracing himself against them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other, ³⁰ Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” Then he pushed with all his might, and down came the temple on the rulers and all the people in it. Thus he killed many more when he died than while he lived." - Judges 16:28-30

When God's Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin, don't we also pray to God and seek His help in overcoming our iniquities?  What or whom is OUR Delilah? Is there something that is keeping us from following God's commands and being obedient to His will?

In the end Samson sacrificed himself to accomplish god's will. He repents. Isn't that what WE are supposed to be doing?

The story of Samson also proved another thing to me. How forgiving and loving God is. 

Samson Movie Trailer
Samson - Walk In Faith Interview

The Games People Play

When I was in high school my friends and I would pass the time in study hall by playing paper football or battleship - two paper-based games whose sole purpose was to pass the time between classes. They were simple games. That's probably why I liked them. Nothing like the "games" some people play these days.

Everywhere you look, it seems, somebody is playing a game. It goes way beyond sitting around a lunchroom table with friends.  We carry games with us on our phones and computers. We play political games, business games, religious games and relationship games.

Watch the news tonight and see how many news stories are actually games people play to entertain or amuse themselves. Sex games, games with drugs, immigration games, nuclear weapons games, war games.

We also enjoy watching other people play games. Biggest Loser, The Bachelor, NFL, MJB, NBA and let's not forget Jeopardy! It's a multi-billion dollar business, this playing and watching of games.

There ARE some times we should NOT be playing games. Funerals for example, That would be bad. Taking a knee for our national anthem is another. Sometimes people want to play games when the rest of us don't. Seems like we always have to make a game out of everything.

There are not a lot of games in the Bible, but people did "cast lots" for things. That's a kind of game. People also "ran the race" and "fought the good fight."

"8 So the men arose and went, and Joshua charged those who went to write the description of the land, saying, “Go up and down in the land and write a description and return to me. And I will cast lots for you here before the Lord in Shiloh.” 9 So the men went and passed up and down in the land and wrote in a book a description of it by towns in seven divisions. Then they came to Joshua to the camp at Shiloh, 10 and Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the Lord. And there Joshua apportioned the land to the people of Israel, to each his portion. " - Joshua 18:6-10

Life is not a game, although some people treat is like one. Life should be about loving God and honoring Him by love others. Let's be clear, there are "winners" and "losers" in the Bible. They're called "the sheep and the goats." You don't want to be a goat.

Games People Play - Joe South

Warning Signs

I went for a walk yesterday. It was an absolutely beautiful day outside so why not! As I walked I looked around at God's creation - the trees, the birds, the animals . . . and the road signs. Signs. Hmm.

That got me thinking. Do you think God gives us "signs"? Warnings of things to come or indicators that we should or shouldn't do something?

For example, you might think you have a really good relationship with someone but then things go horribly wrong and the next thing you know, it's over. Did things simply get ugly? Or did God not want you with that person perhaps and has someone else in mind for you? Unanswerable questions. At least for now.

What do you think about Bible prophesy? I saw on a web site (so you know it's true) that between 1/4 and 1/3 of the Bible is prophetic in nature. And of all the prophesies in the Bible, approximately half of them have been fulfilled. That means half of them are yet to happen.

Some say there are over 300 prophetic scriptures that were fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Here is a link to a listing off just 44 of those biblical prophesies that were ALL fulfilled by Jesus.

Old Testament Prophesies of Jesus 

And what are the odds of one man fulfilling just eight messianic prophecies? 1 in 10 to the 17th power. What's that like? The article says that if you placed one specially marked silver dollar someplace in Texas and then covered the whole state with silver dollars to a depth of two feet, having a blindfolded man find that one marked silver dollar would be about the same odds.

Yet 44 prophesies were fulfilled by Christ?

Some prophecies about Jesus have yet to be fulfilled. He told us about the signs of His coming. What do you think? Are we there yet?

^"3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” - Matthew 24:3

Matthew 24 Prophecy by Jesus
Sign of The Times - Harry Styles

God Hates Me

Have you ever gotten the feeling that God doesn't like you? It sure can feel that way sometimes. Just ask Job, the Old Testament man of faith. His wife told Job to "Curse God and die" - Job 2:9. But can God actually hate us? The answer is both yes and no.

The Old testament is filled with examples of an angry God. But if we look at those examples we can soon see why God got angry. Our disobedience.

In Job's case God wasn't angry with Job. It just seemed that way when God allowed Satan to test Job. God actually loved God and was confident of Job's faithfulness. At the end of the Book of Job God actually rewards Job. God loved Job.

God does actually hate things. Proverbs . . .

"16 There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: 17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, 18 a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, 19 a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community." - Proverbs 6:16-19

If you have any of those characteristics in your makeup, life will not go well for you. But God loves His children and He rewards those who are faithful and obey Him.

"1See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!" - 1 John 3:1

When Jesus was on the earth we can easily find examples of what HE hated. He overturned the money table in the synagogue. He also hated the religious leaders of the time. Why? Because they were hypocrites - professing faith but not showing it in their lives.

Hypocrisy is “the gap between public persona and private character. Hypocrisy is the failure to practice what you preach. Appearing outwardly righteous to others, while actually being full of uncleanness and self-indulgence—that’s the definition of hypocrisy.” - Kevin De Young

We can easily find reasons to think God hates us of is angry at us. Maybe He doesn't answer a particular prayer in a timely fashion or we are disobedient to His will in some area of our lives.

I believe that God does NOT hate us, but He can hate things ABOUT us. If you feel like God hates you or doesn't answer a particular prayer, chances are the problem is with you, not Him. Examine the prayer. Is it a righteous prayer in God's eyes? Or only ours?

"If we think God hates us, we don't know Him." - Dave Wager

Life can be frustrating at times, but if we are followers of Christ, if we truly believe in God and obey His commands, God will

“4You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. - Exodus 20:4-6

The key to God's unending love is . . . obedience. The question is, are we truly obedient?

Look, the best proof that God Loves us is in the death of His Son, Jesus. He died for us so that we might have life - eternal life! We can't earn a gift like that. There's nothing we can do get God's blessings. He gives them to us out of the abundance of His glorious grace. He does so, not because of who WE are but because of who HE is.

Television is full of hypocritical pastors. In the following video, watch one pastor (Matt Chandler) as he rebukes another (Steven Furtick) right to his face.  Worship is not about a church or an image its portrays. It is about, and for, God. Give HIM thanks and praise in ALL things. Amen.

God Is For God - Matt Chandler

The Stories

This past weekend I traveled to Michigan to see my Uncle Bob and Aunt Kathy who came all the way from Oregon to visit my mom. What an incredible few days of stories and old pictures! Laughs were plentiful. Sad moments too. But the thing I will remember the most are the stories.

Most of the stories were from before I was born. Like the time my uncles got my mom some underwear for Christmas. Rather than wrap her "unmentionables" in a box or bag they chose to display them . . . on the Christmas tree. Boys! (Why didn't I think of doing that with MY sister!)

The stories seemed to be endless and told with such emotion. Do we tell stories like that with OUR families?

You know, we sit in church and listen to old stories out of the Bible. Rarely are they told with the emotion and vigor the stories I heard this past weekend were. Why is that? Where has the fire gone? Where have the Biblical stories gone that we should be telling our children?

One of the reasons for our lack of enthusiasm is that all of the Bible stories are at least 2,000 years old. They are no longer just one or two generations removed from our own. The stories of my parent's generation are somewhat real to me because I actually KNOW some of the people in them. But my children cannot relate to them because they don't have that personal connection.

Why don't we tell Bible stories with passion and excitement? I think it's because we are generations removed from them. It's becuase they didn't happen to us or someone we know.

But each of us has our own present day story to tell of how God touched our lives. I do. It's called our testimony. Stories of how God touches our lives are everywhere and we should tell them with unbridled enthusiasm. Why? Because they happened to us and God wrote them.

Do YOU have a story to tell about how God changed YOUR life? Tell it! Work it into the conversations you have about God. Let people see your emotions and just how dramatically God has changed your life. The word of our testimony is a powerful thing. No 0ne can refute it or argue against it. It is a story of redemption and love. Those two things are something the world needs lots of today. So let's tell it! :)

Overcome - Jeremy Camp
I Am Second - Ashley Rawls

The Final Fight

I was sitting in the living room watching Ben Hur the other day when I was interrupted by a sound. It was the sound of something we usually experience rather than hear, but I got to experience BOTH on that day. It was the sound . . . of love.

Knock, knock, knock!

Someone was at my door. There was a lady standing outside our garage, knocking at the door! Alright, who is this lady? And what did she want?

So I bolted out of my chair and went out into the garage. The opening of the door revealed a somewhat familiar face but I couldn't place it. Then I saw the lady's husband climb out of their car. He looked familiar too! Hmm.

Turns out I had seen them both a month ago at the local home show. They were interested in the tiny home I am building for the homeless and the plans we had for a tiny home village.

So I gave them a tour of the tiny home. That took two minutes. LOL! Then we talked a bit and I walked them back to their car. I thanked them for coming out and gave each of them a hug. Why? Because of what the lady said.

"We're trying to understand what God wants us to do to help you in your efforts."

What?

There are lots of negative headlines in the news these days. Lots of pain and suffering in our world too. It seems rare when people want to help one another . . . love one another. It's unexpected when it should be the norm.

The sound I had heard that day was more than just a knock. It was the sound of love. Someone wanting to help someone else. So much so that they had piled into their car and traveled a distance to display it.

"7Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us." - 1 John 4:7-12

Who will you show love to today?

Love is the final fight. - John B. Perkins

The Sound - Switchfoot

Blessings R Us

photo by Blaise-Von Lanthen

Have you ever heard the same thing multiple times during the course of a day? Once is normal, twice is interesting, but three times or more comes across as, "Okay, somebody's trying to tell me something."

This morning I'd like to talk about something I heard twice on Sunday. It's something I could have easily heard three times, and in a way, maybe I did. In my memory. See if you recognize the following. Perhaps you have heard it yourself at the end of a church service.

 "The Lord bless you and keep you;

The Lord make His face shine upon you,

And be gracious to you;

The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,

And give you peace."

That is a standard blessing given at the end of many Christian worship services. It was also in my daily reading on Sunday. Numbers 6:24-26. I also heard it at a funeral Sunday afternoon. It's called "The Priestly Blessing" in the Bible. And what a blessing it is!

Has the Lord blessed you? Has He looked with favor upon you? Has He been gracious to you? Has He smiled at you and given you peace?

How would you answer that question?

My answer is a resounding "Yes!"

Here's a tougher question though. Have you been those same things to others? Have you blessed others, has your face shone on others? Have you been gracious? Have you brought peace into people's lives who are not experiencing any?

My answer to that question is not so enthusiastic, nor is it as positive. All I can muster is a meager, ". . . umm, sometimes."

Does the way I live my life reflect the life God wants me to live? Am I imitating Christ as I walk through this world? Or do I look so much like "the world" that people can't tell the difference?

"Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; ² and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma." - Ephesians 5:1-2

We are Christ's ambassadors for His kingdom. Will we love others as He first loved us? Will people look at us and think of Him?  You and I are here for a reason - to love God and love one another. Imagine a world filled with sacrificial love and you will begin to see that God's plan is perfect. Let us begin today by being a blessing to someone in our lives. That will be a "fragrant aroma" to our Lord and Savior, Jesus.

My Jesus - Todd Agnew

Self-Diagnosis

I woke up in the middle of the night last night. My back was hurting so badly that the pain itself had woken me up. As I began trying to find a pain-free position in which to sleep, I began to think, "What could have caused all this pain?" I began going through all the activities of my day - at 1:30 AM - until I finally figured it out.

Two days earlier my wife and I were rearranging the living room furniture. We took great care not to lift anything too heavy but . . . there was this one chair. I must have strained something in my back. At least that's the way I am looking at it - self-diagnosis by Doctor Bob.

Do you try figuring out why you feel a certain way on any particular day? I do. Like, "Why am I feeling so depressed?" I remain depressed until I can figure out why. Then it's just a matter of addressing the situation and I begin to feel better almost immediately.

My faith is the same way.  There are times I feel distant from God. Why do we feel that way? He's everywhere! What steps can we take to remedy the situation? It may be over simplified but, when I am feeling distant from God, I try to get closer.

It's just like our earthly relationships. When I feel distant from my best friend I give her a call, send her a text or stop in for a visit. We can do the same thing with God. We can pray, we can read His Word, The Bible. And we can worship.

We can also serve others. That's another form of worship.

Since retiring I have had more time to read. That has been good. My prayer time has decreased though. That's NOT good. That's probably why I feel a little out of sorts these days. It's not JUST my back.

Do you spend enough time cultivating and nurturing your relationships? I think I need to do more in that area. I must be intentional about it. I must make an effort. Too many relationships are lost because of our inattentiveness.

Reach out to someone you love today who has become distant. I would be willing to bet that you will feel better in no time.

^"12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³ Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴ And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

¹⁵ Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. ¹⁷ And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." - Colossians 3:12-17

You've Got A Friend - James Taylor

The First Days

Image by Fernando Puente

Well, I've been retired now for one whole week and I've discovered a few things. For one, it's weird waving goodbye to your wife in the morning. Except for being sick and off from work, that never happens. Well, it's happening now and it's weird.

Another thing I've discovered is that it's really easy to sit down and watch TV for extended amounts of time. I already knew that but being retired and the only one in the house, well, it's dangerous! Therefore I don't turn the TV on except for weather or a pre-approved, pre-DVR'd show. Newton Minow, former chair of the FCC, called television "a vast wasteland." Ol' Newt was right!

As I walk around the house I am finding unfinished projects of mine from decades gone by. I am now finishing them. That's a good thing. I'm fixing an old, handmade window frame right now. That doesn't mean much to you perhaps but it has been sitting on my workbench for years! I guess that's a goal of mine - to find the top of my workbench. LOL!

Another nice thing is, I can play my music as loud as I want without my wife leaving the room or rolling her eyes at me. Have you ever heard the band Skillet? Perhaps the volume isn't high enough yet. Ha ha!

I do miss the time spent with my friends at work though. That sucks. Just seeing their faces everyday always made me smile.  I miss that.

But I think by far the best thing that has changed since I have retired is the increased time I have been able to spend reading the Bible. God's Word is like a rock in my life. When things are going badly I can always stand firm upon it and weather any storm.

I am currently reading through Leviticus and, although it can be a little hard to get really excited about, there are a few gems hidden in all of its rules and regulations. This one touched me deeply. Speaking about God's sacrificial system for sin, God dictated this to Moses.

"For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life." - Leviticus 17:11

Jesus sacrificed HIS blood on the cross for OUR sins.

Why are there tears in my eyes right now?

Father, thank you so much for leading me to this point in my life. A time where I can take my time. Take my time reading your word. Take my time serving others. Take my time in worship and in prayer.

Thank you not allowing me to fall into the time-wasting traps the world offers. You remind me each day who is really important - You, my friends, my family, the things I do to worship and serve you. It is important not to leave thise things behind.

And thank you for your sacrifice and your calling us to Yourself that made this all possible. I love you, Lord. You are my hero. Amen.

Hero - Skillet

The Co-Op

Back in 2014 my friend Gayle had an idea. It was based on something the Cloe character came up with in the Left Behind series of novels. A Co-Op. A cooperative where people would barter and trade, give and receive, without the use of money. It's not really a NEW idea. It's in the Bible.

⁴² They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. ⁴³ Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. ⁴⁴ All the believers were together and had everything in common. ⁴⁵ They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. ⁴⁶ Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." - Acts 2:42-47

My friend's idea has conjoined with my idea for a tiny home village into an actual company called Wee Build. Wee Build is more than a company though. It's an idea. Sharing the gifts that God has given us with others in our community. We do these things not to make us rich or to gain fame. We do ALL of this in the name of Jesus. God gets the glory. We get blessed. Everyone benefits.

You can do the same thing right there where you are! What are YOU good at? What are some of the things you can do? My friend Gayle was once a professional seamstress - making costumes for the actors at Busch Gardens. She now teaches others to sew and to make their own clothes. What can YOU do?

A friend of mine had a need for some house plans. That's something I can do! So I am drawing him a house . . . for free. They gave to anyone who had need. And guess what? My friend gave back to me. He gave me food to eat. He gave me the use of this home when it gets done. That's how the Wee Build concept works.

Is there a need in YOUR community for something like Wee Build? There is always a need for love and compassion for one another. Do something for someone today without thought of receiving payment. You will be blessed in so many ways. And whatever you do, do it in the name of Christ. You will truly be blessed beyond measure.

What's A Worker's Cooperative?

Choose Today

Yesterday was Easter. My wife and I had a great time celebrating with our kids. I hope you had a wonderful time as well. Our kids chose to be with us. We were glad they did.

A lot of good stuff happens at this time of year. Easter is just one. Spring is another. Warmer temperatures, flowers blooming, birds singing, snow melting. Yes, we still have snow.

This time of year also brings forth hope. A time of new beginnings. Who hasn't had a time in their lives when they wished they could just start over.

I know people who are still hibernating in their houses - afraid to venture out. They are still breathing in the stale winter air instead of opening the windows and breathing in new air . . . new life. That's their choice, foolish though it is.

I see the sun shining in spring and marvel at it. How the earth is just the perfect distance from it so we neither freeze to death nor burn up. It's perfect. I see the birds returning from warmer climates to start new families, giving birth to new generations who will live and breathe and do the same things in their time.

'Spring' and 'Easter' are words that represent new life and new hope. Similar hope can be found in the name 'Jesus'.

Christians believe in Jesus. They believe in His promise of hope and eternal life. A promise filled with endless opportunities of fellowship, worship and love.

Others don't believe in Him. They "follow" the teachings of other religions or no religion at all, denying any deity what so ever. Easter is just eggs and candy for them. That's fine. That's their choice.  But it's not mine. As for me, I have chosen whom I will serve.

14 “Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” - Joshua 24:14-15

The following video is a true story of a magician. He made his living by fooling others. That is, until he got some bad news. Then he received a heavy dose of truth. "You have cancer." You know what saved him? Someone sacrificed their own blood so that he could live. A simple transfusion and he is now cancer free.

Jesus has offered everyone HIS life-giving blood - a sacrifice for sins. This world is in bad need of a transfusion. Do YOU need one? Would you choose life? Or do you think you're above all this religious stuff? Even though it would give you life, would your pride choose death? It's your choice. But choose today whom you will serve.

Jim Munroe - I Am Second