Sunday, December 30, 2007

Sick of it All
This has been a long week. As I write this I am laying on the couch in my basement. I am the latest victim of the flu. My wife and I suffered through lots of messy diapers as both of our little ones felt the flu explosion. Jen felt it Sunday, but I stayed strong. Invincible and head strong, I would not give in, but I did.
This week was just to much for one person to take. You see we also had Christmas Eve service, family over for Christmas, a wedding rehearsal and a wedding. These in themselves are often enough to make us sick, but non of these are the reason I was brought to my knees this week.
This week a young lady from my church passed away. She had struggled with a brain tumor for months. Christmas Eve she took a turn for the worse. We prayed and prayed and Christmas day she went to be with the Lord. I just wonder what it was like to celebrate Christmas face to face with Christ. She must have been overjoyed because she had never made it a secret that she loved Jesus and now she is with him always.
The hardest thing to remember this week was that we do not morn for her loss. We morn for our loss. We are the ones who have lost fellowship with her. She has perfect fellowship with God.
So why am I sick of it all? I am sick of this world, of sin and suffering, sick of death. I'm sick of being tired and strained, but this is good.
It's good that I'm sick of it or I may have to wonder if I've grown complacent. You see we often forget that this world is not as is should be. You may be thinking, "no I don't", but really we like to pretend that life is fine. We forget that this world is not as God intended it to be. We and this world both suffer from the same problem, sin. Sin that takes us out of fellowship with the perfectness of God. That relationship with our Creator that is meant to fulfill us.
We tend to forget that we need God. More then anything or anyone we need Him to complete us.
This young lady understood this. She also knew with all her heart that relationship with God can only be gained through Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ, the baby that didn't stay in a manger, who bled and died for our sins. This is not a fantasy it is reality. She understood this and lived her life expecting to see Jesus and right now she does. This is the thing we forget, the reason I get sick of it all, because I forget that this isn't all there is. There is so much more and it is found in Jesus Christ. Consider this verse.

Romans 6:23

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.



Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Email, Email, Email and More Email!

Normally I get about 100 emails each day that have nothing to do with work. About 20% of those are from friends or family or friends of friends or friends of family, and they are not personal at all. You know those emails that have a story of theme with a deep profound meaning? If you don't then you have no friends that care about you. Anyway I normally read through them (if I haven't received them before) and delete most of them, but on occasion I find one that is worth the forward or save. This one for some reason (I was laying sick in bed when I read it) made me smile. So merry CHRISTmas AND GOD BLESS US EVERYONE!

I have not edited my answers:

Welcome to the Christmas edition of getting to know your friends.
Okay, here's what you're supposed to do, and try not to be a SCROOGE!!!
Just copy this entire email and paste into a new e-mail that you can send. Change all the answers so that they apply to you. Then send this to a whole bunch of people you know, INCLUDING the person that sent it to you... 'Tis the Season to be NICE!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? gift bag because I'm lazy
2. Real tree or artificial? real
3. When do you put up the tree? asap after Thanksgiving
4. When do you take the tree down? after the Super bowl
5. Do you like eggnog? Yes but it makes me sick
6. What about Fruitcake? love it!!!!! We should have it year round
7. Favorite gift received as a child? big guy power construction set
8. Do you have a nativity scene? Zoe has a little play one
9. Hardest person to buy for? Jesus
10. Easiest person to buy for? my wife
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? it's the thought that counts!
12. Mail or email Christmas cards? if i remember
13. Favorite Christmas Movie? Christmas Story
14. When do you start shopping for Christmas? I've already done most of it
15. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? as far as I'm aware, yes,yes,yes
16. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? home made cookies ...with coffee
17. Clear lights or colored on the tree? white
18. Favorite Christmas song? O Holy Night
19. Travel for Christmas or stay at home? home
20. Can you name all of Santa's reindeers? dancer, prancer, donner, blitzen, commet, cupid
21. Angel on the tree top or a star? star
22. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? eve/morning, two weeks before
23. What is the one present you want most this year? cash
24. Most annoying thing about this time of year? the lack of true CHRISTMAS
25. What I love most about Christmas? Christ