Excitement for Gods Precious Word

I so love to be involved in actually building relationships at Evangel through working the floor during the week. For many years I have been separated from that aspect of the ministry due to working the accounting end of things. Due to changing economic times and remodeling how things are to work for the sake of our stores very survival, my brother and I are on the front lines. It has been a total blessing to be a part of the very pulse of things which occur pretty much on a daily basis. To hear of trials in peoples lives, to hear about small miracles, to be in the place of actually getting in on the very issues which cause heart ache and pain, strife, uncertainty...

I have no corner on the market when it comes to having all the answers. I do know,however, the One who so cherishes us and does hold all the answers. It's amazing what peace invades our lives when we stop and take a mere 5 minutes to hold someones hand or place your hand on someones shoulder to come before our Heavenly Father. Jesus Christ wants so desperately to have that ongoing relationship with us, personally speaking, I forget often about the One that soothes our very soul, that calms the anxiety of our present. I thank my wife Rene for all the times when in the deepest of valleys, she asks me.... "Well have you prayed about this?" Often the response is nothing, in my mind, she's hit the nail on the head so to speak. She's right, my pride tries to well up in me to say "I've got this under control", but deep down....

I had the pleasure the other day of helping a family with two precious daughters. The youngest was getting a picture or story book bible, the other, her very own bible. (For kids, the best one around, I think, would be the NIV Adventure bible). We looked at a couple different ones and she picked this soft faux leather that had a green leaf pattern on the bottom half with pink on the top. After completing the purchase of their little ladies bibles, along with some other things, I had the privilege of engraving the older girls name on the front cover of her new bible. I wanted her to write out her name to be a part of the whole process of making this personal for her. She could only write her initials. The girl was a special needs child with just the sweetest spirit, that I so admired. Dad helped with spelling it out and while I did my part, the family went for cookies at Cookie Connection.

Ten minutes later, smile on her face, the little girl came bounding in ahead of her family. With the bible waiting for her up on the counter, she spotted it right away. Grabbing her new bible she had to see her name of course newly engraved. I asked her if I spelled her name right, she looked it over and, I didn't think it possible, but her smile got even bigger. We didn't put the bible in a bag when the family left, she needed to hold onto it. That wonderful children's NIV Adventure bible had instantly become a part of her life. Looking back on my time with this family, this sweet young lady said not a word with her mouth to me, her conversation to me was a twinkle in her eyes as well as her sweet smile.I encouraged her to cherish her new bible, I know she will.....

Does this change your perspective toward this life giving, life changing book?

Can We Rule Our Own Lives?

I have over the last few years been really mulling over stories which used to be shocking and disturbing. Now I think we have become anesthetized to this daily bombardment of horror. Does this disturb anyone else? Is it disturbing to see numerous people that look like they are quite new to the world of wandering the streets with all their belongings in a shopping cart? When is it commonplace to read about a mother and her 3 daughters found killed in their Salem home that was set on fire? The father was found dead 80 miles down the road in Cottage Grove. Attempted abductions in our own valley? Bomb threats in our schools. Wasn't there a brutal murder in Ashland? Good Lord, I could just keep going and going and going if I wanted to expand the unraveling of our society beyond our "sheltered" little part of Southern Oregon. I could keep going on stories just in our valley but I have grown so weary in life to ponder any longer for now.

I wish I had the strength as well as the energy to feel like I can make a difference in helping put all the pieces back together again. To somehow get back to the days of my youth for the sake of my son.Back then, if I acted up, the neighborhood adults looked out for and had each others best interests in mind when keeping the kids in line. Do we have that trust for one another today? I tried very kindly a while ago to ask a teenager wandering through the neighborhood to watch his mouth (as one can imagine the language was quite colorful), what amount of respect was given to me do you think? It's gotten to the point where it is quite frankly dangerous to confront for fear of violent reaction from the disrespectful youth, or even a step further, from their parents.

Is it not so blatantly obvious that the further we push God away from us, the more decadent and vile our society becomes? We have put the Creator of our whole universe on the shelf to gather dust while we go about living our lives in our own strength. I will freely admit I am not immune from wafting in that direction. I haven't mastered the moment by moment intimacy yet my Lord so desires from all who choose to follow Him. I/We need to know our Maker, He is, and deservedly so, on the throne. How is it working out for you being the center of your own world, sitting on your throne, living life in your own strength?

I would like to thank you for taking the time to actually read this. I don't pretend to think that I possess all the answers in life, I know who does....  I write this blog for a few reasons, for one, I want to get this off my chest and into a forum of sorts. For another reason, I suppose I would like to feel like I have a group of people that share my same values in life. I would love to get plenty of feedback. I would love to have our shared values, shared with other people. We need to connect with each other better than we have, I know life is so busy and my expectations are low as to the growth of this blog. I am so grateful as to my connections I have at my church. I love the connections that are establishing at Evangel. Perhaps this will be the next level, so to speak in connecting with one another. I am also open to whatever discussions people want to talk about. Blogging is a new world for me so I enter into this with excitement and anticipation of great things...

Alan

Our hope and future for those in Christ Jesus

http://bible.us/Rev21.1.ESV Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." And he who was seated on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." And he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.

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can a civil society exist without moral absolutes