Soakin' Up Life . . . at a 100 MPH!

Read this on Eugene Cho's blog. Pretty thought provoking. Made me stop and think. Check it out . Let me know what you think. Mike

Ministry Today posted this article on their website - Small Town Meets Big-Time Forgiveness in Action Ministry News Every week, David Pinckney preaches to his congregation about being like Jesus. Now the small-town New Hampshire pastor is discovering not everyone wants to follow through with that challenge-especially when it comes to forgiveness. Last week Pinckney did the unthinkable for many of the 2,000-plus residents of Chichester, N.H., by inviting a convicted child killer to live with him and his family for at least two months. After officials couldn't find anyone else willing to take in 60-year-old Raymond Guay, who spent the last 35 years behind bars on charges of abducting and murdering a 12-year-old boy in 1973, Pinckney opened up his home-where his wife and four teenage children also live. Unfortunately, most of his neighbors believe his kindness i

If I'm going to be able to sleep through the night, then I'm going to have to get some new neighbors!! We live a couple blocks east of downtown Gresham and a block from a rail stop and bus transfer stations. So, yeah, there's some noise, but nothing like what my neighbors are causing. Every once in a while I'm JERKED out of a dead sleep by our cat, Dot (No, Dot is not short for Department of Transportation). She's part Siamese and when she gets riled she SCREAMS . . .like a wild freakin' banshee!! At least one night a week for the last couple of weeks I've stumbled down the steps to find out what in the stink is she upset about? One night, recently, it was a neighborhood tom cat. One night last week it was a possum! A possumm!!! Last night? You won't believe what I had to chase away, not once, but TWICE!!! There were TWO raccoons in our back yard! The first time I came down they scooted under the fence. The second time they just ran around i

One of the things I like to do, it's part of my nature, is to connect the dots with a given situation - even if they're not in a straight line. I like figuring things out and taking problems apart and coming up with solutions. I like fixing things - ok, not if it requires a hammer, not my forte. But there are some dots I just can't connect. It has to do with Easter. Here it is: What does a bunny rabbit have to do with eggs? I have yet to figure this one out. Wouldn't it be more likely to have a hen with some eggs? Or a duck with some eggs? Just a thought. Mike

This Sunday we celebrate Easter - don't really know what bunny rabbits and eggs have to do with celebrating Jesus' walking out of the tomb, leaving it empty and never returning to it, but so be it. As the church we get all spiffed up, we may even go out and buy a special outfit - just for this day. Don't really get that, but whatever floats your boat. We run to church to participate in the once-a-year event - the choir does it special music, the pastor preaches his special sermon, then we go get stuffed to the gills (I'm sure there's something in the Bible about gluttony, but we sin for a day, oh well) and sleep it all off. The one thing I think we forget is that while celebrating a risen Savior is a great way to spend the morning, who do we bring to share in the festivities? Listen, I love Easter. I love celebrating my Savior's victory over death. But to celebrate alone has got to be on of the biggest crimes of the century. Why? Because this is one of

In preparation for Easter, I'm reading through the account of Jesus' death and resurrection (those come on Sunday). It's just something I've done this week for quite a while. Yesterday, as I was reading Matthew's testimony of the arrest, trial, conviction, and death of Christ I noticed that twice while Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane he prayed, " Yet not as I will, but as you will. " ( Matthew 26:39, 42 ). I began to think how many times I have prayed, and heard others pray as well, " Lord, if it's your will... " or " May your will be done... " Yet I'm not sure we really mean it. It's not that we're not meaning people, we are. But do we really want God's will to be done,. Or...are we really wanting or hoping our will to become God's will? Jesus truly wanted God's will...even if it cost him his life. In fact, he knew it would. had had already predicted his death several times before this night ar

For quite some time now. . .I've been wondering if I should keep blogging or not? I like to blog and share my thoughts, my day, the events in my life, etc. Cindy says it's an outlet for me. I think she may be right. But lately it's been like there's this blog block going on inside me. I read others and their blogs are informative, thought provoking, funny, quirky, observant, and informative. Lately, I've just not been feeling it. Maybe I'll just take a blogging hiatus and see where it goes. Until that time. . . Mike