Why Are We So Tired?

Why are we so tired?

For a couple years I've been blaming it on lack of sleep, not enough sunshine, too much pressure from my job, earwax build-up, poor
blood circulation, or anything else I could think of. But now I found out the real reason: I'm tired because I'm overworked.


Here's why:. . The population of this country is 273 million.
140 million are retired. That leaves 133 million to do the work.

There are 85 million in school. Which leaves 48 million to do
the work.

Of this there are 29 million employed by the federal
government. Leaving 19 million to do the work.

2.8 million are in the armed forces preoccupied with killing
Osama Bin-Laden. Which leaves 16.2 million to do the work

Take from that total the 14.8 million people who work for city
governments. And that leaves 1.4 million to do the work.

At any given time there are 188,000 people in hospitals. Leaving
1,212,000 to do the work.

Now, there are 1,211,998 people in prisons. That leaves just two
people to do the work.

You and me.

And there you are sitting on your butt, at your computer reading
blogs.

Nice. Real nice.

(Thanks to Brie for sharing this- it made me laugh hysterically!- NOW- BACK TO WORK!)

Can't Sleep

I am not exactly sure why, but it is 3:10 in the morning and I can't sleep. Go figure, the one day of the week that I can actually sleep in, and I can't sleep past 3:00 a.m. Oh well. I woke up thinking about this passage out of the book of Matthew:

11"Whatever town or village you enter, search for some worthy person there and stay at his house until you leave. 12As you enter the home, give it your greeting. 13If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. 14If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. 15I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.

16I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. 17"Be on your guard against men; they will hand you over to the local councils and flog you in their synagogues. 18On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. 19But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, 20for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

21"Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 22All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. 23When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. I tell you the truth, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

I have been thinking about this passage a lot lately. Why do you think that He tells us all of this? I think it is because He wants us to know that living and walking with Him is not easy, and we shouldn't expect it to be so. Living for Christ and standing up for His truth and His way does not make us self-righteous and prideful, it makes us faithful to Him. This passage reminds us that faithfulness has consequences in this world, but has great rewards in Heaven.

Any other thoughts?

Opinion Please

What does it mean to you when someone says, "My spirit is broken?"

Off to Work!

Today is National Take Our Daughters And Sons to Work Day! Guess where Bekah is?

Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work Day is designed to expand opportunities for girls and boys, expose them to what adults in their lives do during the work day, show them the value of their education, and give them an opportunity to share how they envision their future. It is intended to be more than a career day. Each year, workplaces and adults around the country recognize its benefits and participate in the program to support our nation’s daughters and sons.

Jason and Bekah left about 7:30 this morning to start their day together at St. Louis University. Bekah will have the opportunity to see what her daddy does all day, help him in the office, get to know his co-workers, have lunch together, and see what the working world of Computer Science actually looks like.

I am a little jealous, but Bekah is with me at work all of the time- I just wish that I could spend the day with them too! But at the same time, I know this is a great experience for them. I hope they have a great day!

Well- time to get ready for work.

Did anyone else take their son or daughter to work today?

Interesting Quote

If we were to wake up some morning and find that everyone was the same race, creed and color, we would find some other cause for prejudice by noon.
- George Aiken


I found this quote to be very interesting and thought provoking. Why is it that we are so intolerant of people who aren’t just like us? Is there room on this planet for multiple religions? Multiple races? Multiple attitudes and opinions? Can groups of people from different nationalities live together on the same land? Can the gifted be mixed with those who are not so gifted, and still live in peace and harmony?

My answer is, yes, there is plenty of room, and it is possible for us all to live together and get along. The problem is that we choose not to. We are prejudice. Even when there is nothing to be prejudice about, we find some reason. Maybe someday it will be hair color that separates us from the majority. Maybe it will be the kind of car that we drive. Maybe it will the kinds of flowers we plant in our garden that causes discrimination in the future. These things so trivial now, but I think race, gender, creed and color are trivial reasons to discriminate too.

Why are humans prejudice?

Blessing or Curse- The Way I See It

Yesterday I asked, “Is it a blessing to be born with characteristics which help us to grow from gentle little girls into strong, intelligent and independent women, or is it a curse?” Today, I’d like to give my answer.

It is a blessing to be born with characteristics which help us to grow into strong, intelligent and independent women. Without doubt, one of the things that I am most thankful for in life is that I was born strong, intelligent and independent. Wanna know why?

My childhood was less than ideal. I survived it because I was strong. Most of you know that the accident that I had when I was 16 was supposed to end with me in a pine box. I survived it because I was strong, and I learned t walk again because I was independent, and I didn’t want to lose that. I faced a lot of hardships with my family of origin, my health and in relationships for the first 25 plus years of my life. I survived by using my strength, intelligence and independence.

Now, before you think that I am tooting my own horn, please hear me out. It is by the grace of God that I was born strong, independent, and intelligent. Without these characteristics, I would have never seen my 10th birthday. God made me who I am on purpose. He knew who I would need to be to survive this world, and for that I am thankful.

I’ll admit that sometimes I tend to be like a bull in a china shop, because the old defense mechanisms kick in and I feel like I have to be “strong” even when the threat is low. It is during those times that I think that being strong is a curse. Those times are difficult to deal with, but when they are over, I remain thankful that God made me the way that He did. It is also during that time that I realize that it is my responsibility to learn to balance my strength, intelligence and independence with grace, compassion and mercy. That isn’t always easy…but I am learning.

So, the long and short of it is this…the way I see it…. It is a blessing to born with tendencies toward strength, independence and intelligence.

Blessing or Curse?

I have been thinking a lot about the following question. What are your thoughts?

Is it a blessing to be born with characteristics which help us to grow from gentle little girls into strong, intelligent and independent women, or is it a curse?

ZZZZzzzzz

.
I am feeling a little under the weather today, but didn't want to miss a day of the blogging world. I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

Time to lay down again...

Baseball Heaven?

.
As we entered the new Busch stadium today, we noticed signs everywhere that said, "Welcome to baseball Heaven." I enjoyed my first game at the new Busch, but I think baseball heaven may have been the victim of the bulldozers that took down the old Busch.

I loved the old stadium. I hope the new one grows on me. The Cards beat the CUBS 4-1, and we all had a great time. The pictures below were taken at the game.

The New Busch- from the outside looking in!

Nate and Becky enjoying the game!

Sarah and Donna take a look at the new field before the game!

Here is Mr. Steve with a "build a Fred-Bird toy!"

My favorite first baseman- ALBERT PUJOLS!

What did you all think about the new Busch? Is it baseball Heaven?

Love, Faith, and Friendship

In a world filled with a lot of turmoil and garbage, it is great to have reminders of love, faith and friendship. Last night, 10 of us gathered to finish Jodi and Paul's wedding invitations. It was great to have the opportunity to serve one another, share in Paul and Jodi's love for each other and to see how faith plays such an important role in the development and foundations of families and friendships.

The invitations are finally finished and they are beautiful. I enjoyed being a part of designing and putting them together. But what I enjoyed the most in the process was being part of two families who have made love, faith, and friendship the things that matter most in their lives. Thanks for letting me be a part of it.

Pictures: 1. Jodi and Paul 2. Melissa, Jodi and Karen, 3. Enjoying a wonderful dinner made by Karen 4. Paul and Doyle stuffing envelopes...5. The bride with her invitations!

Stay tuned for pictures of the PROGRAM MAKING PARTY soon!

Great Spiritual Teachers

I love to learn. I like learning in a wide variety of ways…classroom, experience, example, etc. But, I don’t want to talk to myself; I want to talk about teachers. To be specific, I want to talk about great spiritual teachers.

When I think about the people who have been great spiritual teachers in my life, many come to mind. Some of these folks I know very well, some I don’t know at all, and some are barely acquaintances. My list is too lengthy for a blog entry, but I want to share a few with you (not in any specific order).

Willie and Judy H.- friends from Memphis, former elder, great examples and mentors.

Mike and Deanie R.- friends, fellow praise team and small group members, current elder, wonderful examples of grace, patience, living a prayerful life and great mentors.

Mike Cope- preacher, author, teacher- great example of God’s acceptance, mercy and grace.

Simon Birch- lead character of the movie “Simon Birch” who convinces the whole world that we all have a purpose.

Anonymous Commenter “G” (who is NOT anonymous to me)- friend, advocate, church member who will always, always, always, share thoughts of a heart that wants nothing more than to serve Jesus Christ.

I am blessed to have LOTS of great spiritual teachers in my life, and I am thankful for all of them. Those listed above just stand out in my mind today. How about you? Who are the great spiritual teachers in your life?

Not Gonna Stop

I am a pretty sensitive person. For those who know me, you know that I am speaking the truth. I tend to over-react, and I tend to take things pretty personally. The recent dialogues on this blog have proven to me that I have a long way to go before I can say that I have moved beyond my tendencies of strong sensitivity.

I have been troubled by some of the comments made. In fact, I have been troubled to the point that I have lost much needed sleep thinking about how my posts may or may not influence people for or against Christ. I have also felt somewhat nauseous after reading some of my reader’s thoughts and feelings about what “real” Christianity is. I have missed a few meals because I have felt too sick to eat. (That’s alright; I can stand to miss a few anyway.)

As I have tried to move beyond these feelings, I started thinking about why I am having such a strong reaction to all of this Easter debating. I started questioning myself and I had just about decided that I needed to stop writing about potentially difficult or controversial topics. Then a friend (you know who you are) said, “You want to make people think, you want people to share their opinions, that is what blogging is for.”

My friend is right. I hate that things have gotten a bit out of hand, and I am still bothered about some of the comments. But, this is my blog and I want to share Jesus with people. That sharing may come by telling you about my wonderful daughter and husband. I may share how God has worked in my life, or how the smile of a child reminded me of His love, or I may share about how amazing our Easter service was. But no matter what, I am going to keep sharing Jesus with the readers of this blog, and I am thankful that many of my readers are willing to share how God is working in their lives. I am also thankful for those of you who continue to search, and come here for a little peek into the life of someone who used to be caught up in legalism and rigidity, but found freedom in Christ.

I am a sensitive person, probably overly so. Today, I decided that I am not going to let Satan use that sensitivity to push me away from Christ and sharing Him on this blog. This is my last post about the Easter Debate, but it is only one of many to come about topics that I hope will honor and glorify our Lord.

Thanks for your comments. Each of you have encouraged a great deal of thought and prayer on my part (and hopefully the part of others as well). At the risk of sounding like Tiny Tim, “God bless us every one.”

Not the Purpose of This Blog

Yesterday, another comment was made in regards to the Easter “debate.” Amid a whole host of very good things, the commenter said,

If I was a non-Christian reading this blog I would not be attracted to Christ at all. I can get fighting and contention on reality television. Please do not misunderstand me tradition, doctrine and study of god's word is paramount to the Christian’s live. But so is loving and listening to each other. If we really want to demonstrate god's love we need to learn to see everyone (even those who express their worship experience in different ways then us) in light of the fact that we are all made in the image of God and that spiritually maturation is a journey.

My heart sank when I read the comment. It is not the purpose of this blog to drive people away from Jesus Christ. I suppose the comment upset me so much because I know that G is right. I want nothing more than to show people the love of Christ. On many occasions on this blog I believe I have been successful in my attempt to articulate the power of the love, mercy and grace of Jesus. In honest reflection, I can see where I may have fallen short during the Easter discussion.

If anyone was offended by my comments, please accept my apology.

Now, to those who have commented on this blog, I have asked once before, and I will ask again; Please remember to be respectful of one another. I am thankful for everyone’s comments, but when the theme turns so ugly that non-Christians would not be attracted to Christ, I must do something differently.

I don’t want to stop having open dialogues here, but I will start being much more careful about what I post about if our comments cannot be more respectful. However, I am not sure why saying; “Happy Easter” started all of this, so I am not convinced that I can stop what people choose to jump all over. But I can delete comments, and while I don’t want to do that, I may have to start.

The commenter finished last night by saying,

I would love to hear what you think about this because I was EXTERMELY CONCERNED by the levels of hostile that where coming across the blog spot. I am going to pray that their in common ground and that in Christ we can learn to love each other deeply.

I have shared my thoughts, and again apologize for whatever part I have played. If anyone else wants to share their thoughts, please feel free to do so here, but please, remember to be respectful.

May God continue to bless each of us as we seek Him.

Shepherds at McKnight

Some of the comments made on this blog over the past few days have been very thought provoking. This morning someone said,

“…If there were more elders like the ones at McKnight Rd around, I might have actually stayed a Christian.”

That comment really made me think. Here are my thoughts:

Yes, McKnight Road Church of Christ has some pretty incredible shepherds. I cannot begin to tell you how they have touched my life and helped me to grow closer to the Lord. I could literally write a novel about what I have learned from them spiritually, emotionally, personally, and professionally. I could talk for hours about how they have blessed my life through prayer, laying hands on me, encouraging me, and gently disciplining me. On more than one occasion, these men have gently guided this sheep back into the flock! They are men who seek to honor God and serve the Kingdom.

At the same time, the shepherds at McKnight Road Church of Christ are just men. They are in need of the same mercy and grace as the rest of us. Please don’t let men determine if you are going to remain a faithful Christian. If you put your faith in them, you will be disappointed. I would encourage you to put your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

I am sorry that your experience within the Churches of Christ was a negative one. I know how that goes- I was there once too. I want you to know that I will be praying for you and your family as you seek the way, the truth, and the life. Not all congregations are rigid and legalistic. Find one that works for you and put your faith in the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords…not a group of men who shepherd any one given flock. They are JUST MEN.

I am thankful for your knowledge of the Scriptures and your desire to understand things better, and to help others understand your point of view. Keep seeking…Keep knocking…the door will be opened!

Not Offended

I have received a couple of emails from people who are afraid that they offended me today with their comments made in regards to my Easter posts. Well to clear the air, let me say I am saddened; I am not offended.

You see, I posted about my Easter experience. I enjoyed our worship services, and I am very okay with calling Easter a “special Sunday.” I simply posted about my overwhelming joy as I celebrated the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the grace and peace and love I find through Him. No one can take that away from me. My joy is in Jesus Christ, not in men. It is okay with me if you want to challenge that joy- my faith is solid and I find my hope in Him.

If you celebrated Easter at the Catholic Church, in your living room, at the Baptist Church, at the Church of Christ on the corner, at the local soup kitchen, or by offering a kind word to the lady in front of you at Wal-mart, I am thankful that you recognized the resurrection of Jesus in some way. I think that ANY time the world wants to pause and recognize Jesus; it is a VERY good thing. We all have our own beliefs, our own faiths, and our own ways of celebrating religious holidays. I wish you had all been at McKnight because we had a beautiful and honoring service remembering the miracle of Easter. Consider yourself invited next year! (But keep in mind that we are likely to have a solo or two, a few special readings, maybe some by women, and the topic will certainly be about the empty tomb….so if you find that offensive, please don’t come.)

I am somewhat troubled how Scripture was twisted and turned in some of the comments yesterday and today. But, I guess it all comes down to interpretation. In the past few years, I have learned that if I want to, I can make the Bible say pretty much whatever I want it to say. If I pick and choose verses, I can prove that slavery is okay, stoning someone for adultery is okay, instrumental music and dancing during worship are okay, (and not okay) and we all are sinning because we haven’t sold everything that we have to give it to the poor. God gave us a beautiful book. It is my choice to look at that book as an amazing love story, not a book of “do this or don’t do this… and if you do, or don’t, you are going to hell.”

I am thankful that I am a child of God’s and that I am saved by His mercy and grace.

So to answer your question, no, I am not offended.

Invitation to Anonymous Commenter

Wow- I just wanted to share my wonderful day (which happened to be Easter Sunday) with all of you. I didn’t expect such judgment and anger. But, since that is the direction that some chose to go, I started wondering if maybe I need to look at things differently. So, this post is directed to the anonymous poster who is against “special Sundays.”

You said,

“but as a Christian, i have a duty to teach my fellow men...so i ask you how am i supposed to teach others if i do not judge whether they are in the wrong or not?”

Thank you for you concern. If the purpose of your comments on this blog is truly to teach, please feel free to continue. I am open and willing to be taught the true meaning of Scripture. I am sure that we could have a great dialogue together and maybe learn from each other. I also have several elders and deacons who visit my blog regularly who I am also sure would be interested in learning, or teaching the “real” truth.

So, please let this post serve as an invitation to you to continue your efforts to teach your fellow man. I will be happy to allow the comments and even create posts from your thoughts and ideas.

Also, I must admit, that I am somewhat confused by your desire to be anonymous. If you are sure of your position, why hide who you are?

"I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile." (Romans 1:16)

May God continue to bless us all as we continue to earnestly seek Him and His ways.

Happy Easter!

.
Today has been a great day. We started with rehearsal at 8:15, followed by Bible class, and a wonderful worship experience. Becky and Chris both did great jobs on their solos, and John Mark Hicks gave an amazing lesson about the resurrection and the celebration of breaking bread together. Remembering what Christ did for us is a reason to celebrate! After worship, it was off to mom's for Easter lunch and family time with my sister and her kids. A good time was had by all. We ate, watched Pujols hit 3 home runs to lead the Cardinals to a victory, ate too much candy and came home. Now we are just sitting around relaxing and watching TV. I had a great Easter, and hope that you all did too.

What did you do this Easter Sunday?

He's Alive!

The gates and doors were barred And all the windows fastened down I spent the night in sleeplessness And rose at every sound
Half in hope of sorrow And half in fear the day
Would find the soldiers breakin' through To drag us all away
And just before the sunrise I heard something at the wall
The gate began to rattle
And a voice began to call
I hurried to the window
Looked down into the street
Expecting swords and torches
And the sound of soldiers' feet.

But there was no one there but Mary
So I went down to let her in
John stood there beside me
As she told me where she'd been
She said they've moved Him in the night
And none of us know where
The stone's been rolled away
And now His body isn't there

We both ran towards the garden
Then John ran on ahead
We found the stone and empty tomb
Just the way that Mary said
But the winding sheet they wrapped Him in
Was just an empty shell
And how or where they'd taken Him
Was more than I could tell

Oh something strange had happened there
Just what I did not know
John believed a miracle
But I just turned to go
Circumstance and speculation
Couldn't lift me very high '
Cause I'd seen them crucify Him
Then I saw Him die

Back inside the house again
The guilt and anguish came
Everything I'd promised Him
Just added to my shame
When at last it came to choices I denied I knew His name
And even if He was alive It wouldn't be the same

But suddenly the air was filled
With a strange and sweet perfume
Light that came from everywhere
Drove shadows from the room
And Jesus stood before me
With His arms held open wide
And I fell down on my knees
And I just clung to Him and cried

Then He raised me to my feet
And as I looked into His eyes
The love was shining out from Him
Like sunlight from the skies
Guilt in my confusion Disappeared in sweet release
And every fear I ever had Just melted into peace

He's alive yes He's alive
Yes He's alive and I'm forgiven
Heaven's gates are open wide
He's alive yes He's alive
Oh He's alive and I'm forgiven
Heaven's gates are open wide
He's alive He's alive Hallelujah He's alive
He's alive and I'm forgiven
Heaven's gates are open wide
He's alive He's alive He's alive I believe it
He's alive Sweet Jesus .

(words and music by D. Parton)

Happy Easter!

My family and I celebrate Easter remembering Jesus and the empty tomb. I will blog about that tomorrow, and probably again on Sunday. For today, I wanted to share a cute cartoon that focuses on the secular view of Easter, but it made me laugh none-the-less. Hope you like it too.

Happy Easter everyone.

Another Chance for a Sex Offender?

.
This morning on the Today Show, Ann Curry did a report on a former Elementary School teacher who had been convicted of multiple counts of sexual assault against a 13 year old boy. Ann reported that this former beauty queen had agreed to a plea bargain that kept her out of jail, but put stringent restrictions on her. One of the conditions of her plea bargain was that she would have NO CONTACT with the victim or his family.

Apparently, the former teacher was taken into custody once again yesterday for having internet contact with the boy. A file on her computer was taken that said something along the lines of, “My feelings for you have not changed, it is still the same as it always was baby, what is meant to be will be.”

What should happen to this former teacher turned sex offender?

Hollywood Star

Today Winnie the Pooh was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Who do you think deserves a star on this prestigious tourist attraction?

Hooray for Team McKnight

Congratulations to TEAM MCKNIGHT! The softball season has started, and our team is made up of a great bunch of guys and our cheering section is made up of a great bunch of girls, cute kids, and one "old guy!" Please check back soon for pictures and updates! GO TEAM!

Thanks to STEVE HAUPT for providing the team shirts!

It's Opening Day!

.
We have waiting a long time- but Opening Day at the new Busch Staidum has finally arrived!

Today the new Busch Stadium officially opened. The park is located just south of the old stadium, and sits in what used to be the south parking lot. The new park, which seats 43, 975 was designed by HOK Sport and was constructed by Hunt Construction Group. Construction on the new stadium began on January 17, 2004, and opened its gates to a sold out crowd today as the Cardinals played host to the Milwaukee Brewers. The cost of the new stadium was a solid 365 million dollars, coming in 21 million over the original estimated cost!

Cardinals fans everywhere are anticipating a great season, and many games are sold out already. Fans also hope to witness a lot of long ball this year, with high expectations for Pujols, Edmonds and Rolen. The boys of summer will have to crush a ball 400 feet if they plan to hit a home run over the center field wall in the new stadium. They will only need to hit it 335 feet to the far left or far right to circle the bases.

For those interested, if you want to enjoy a cold beer on hot day, share nachos with your sweetie, or shovel in a couple of hot dogs while you watch the game, you may want to stop by the ATM before heading for your seats. Concession prices are up again!

Well, here is to a great Cardinals season! Bring us a winner!

(I am enjoying the game in the comfort of my living room as I am writing this. Did anyone actually go to the game?)

Any Good News?

Since I started this blog several months ago, I have covered a wide variety of topics. I have touched on everything from family life, to church happenings, to “hot topics” in the church. Many of my readers have commented on a lot of the topics, but the majority of comments have been made about the controversial posts that I have made.

One week ago today, I posted about GOOD NEWS. I’ll admit that my hope was that as Christians, we would be willing to share the good things in our lives. I was disappointed. I’d like to thank Deanie who was willing to share something that is GOOD NEWS in her life. The rest of us didn’t share anything about how God is blessing our lives.

Now, I know that my blog is not the only means by which people communicate. (THANK GOD!) I just find it interesting that I can get 15 comments about something that is controversial, even among the Christian community, and only 1 person was willing to testify about the blessings in her life.

Are good things happening? What is the GOOD NEWS? Are we willing to share with others how God is blessing our lives?

Bekah in Wonderland

.
Congratulations to our sweet Bekah! She tried out today in one our local community theatres to be in an upcoming production of "Alice in Wonderland." This afternoon, we recevied a call that she was cast, and rehearsals start Monday!

Way to go Bekah- we are so proud of you!

Gotta love it!

I think this is so funny- I hope that you get a good laugh out of this too!

Death for Zacarias Moussaoui?

Zacarias Moussaoui is the only person to stand trial in the U.S. in connection with the 9/11 attacks. Today, former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani testified in the death penalty phase of the Moussaoui trial. Giuliani gave emotional testimony about the events of 9/11.

Should Moussaoui be put to death for his involvement in the 9/11 tragedy?

Hypothetical

You have just been assigned to a team of 12 who will travel together on a mission trip. Included in the group is your spouse or significant other, and there are no children on the team. You will be gone for 3 weeks and your travel expenses are completely paid. The team must decide together where they will go to share Christ.

Where do you want to go, and why?

HYSTERICAL

http://www.stupidvideos.com/video/song_dance/stupid_rap/

Take Me Out to the Ballgame!

It is with much excitement that I blog today to inform you that football season is long gone and the baseball season has started!

Anyone who knows me at all knows that I love baseball, especially Cardinals baseball. Today the Cardinals opened the 2006 season in style. Every member of the Cardinals starting line-up achieved at least a base hit, Albert Pujouls smashed two pitches out of the park, and Scott Rolen crushed a ball for a grand-slam! The Cards had a total of 17 hits and won the game 13-5. Hooray- It is baseball season again!

Anyone else happy that it is baseball season? I can’t wait to watch the Cardinals knock out the Cubs with some of you on April 22nd. GO CARDS!

Good News

This morning, Brian brought us an excellent lesson entitled, "Now, for some really good news." He talked about how our media is saturated with bad news, and talked about how people in the world can get good news. As Christians, we know that Good News is found in Jesus. Brian made the point that our communities should be looking at us, and saying, "I am so down, but you are up- how do you do it?" We have the opportunity to share Jesus with these people.

As we are all aware, Christianity only makes the news or the headlines when something really bad happens. We can't necessarily change what is on the news or the front page of the paper, but we can share the GOOD NEWS, and give testimony to how God is working in our lives.

So, I am opening this forum for us all to share something, even if just one thing, that God is blessing you with in your daily life. We all have been blessed with His sacrifice. Let's also tell the world the GOOD NEWS that is happening in our lives today!

God's Bridge

I'll just come right out and tell you that I have had sort of a bad week. Okay, well it was more than sort of a bad week. It was a terrible week. Well, we all have them- it's just part of life. Yesterday I was talking with a friend who reminded me that the cross is where my focus needs to be. Later in the day, I was reminded by another friend of the song that I so often share with those who are struggling in one way or another. The song is "Love Will Build a Bridge" by Becca Jackson. Check this out:

Love Will Build a Bridge (Music and Lyrics by Becca Jackson)

You feel like your life is running away from you
And you’ve lost touch of the childlike faith that you held onto
And there seems to be this canyon
Dividing you from God
And you can barely see Him on the other side
And he gets farther away as each day goes by
You wonder who will help you through
He will build a bridge
To get to you.

You think that redemption is so distant
And how could God after all that you’ve done show forgiveness?
His arms of love are long enough
To reach you even now
But you can barely see Him on the other side
And He gets farther away as each day goes by
You wonder who will help you through
He will build a bridge
From your heart to His
He will build a bridge,
To get to you.

Wow, what a powerful song. (I wish you could all hear it, it is beautiful.) I am thankful for the friends that remind me that God is always there and that He has already built a bridge to get to me, and that even when I can't seem to see Him, He is there waiting with His arms out waiting for me. The bridge is the cross that Jesus died on, and He died on it for you and for me.

God is good...all the time.