Some of my friends accuse me of being a compulsive blogger, which I may be. I have a new one called
Immeasurably More-Discipleship Version. It is written specifically for Christians, persons already persuaded to follow Jesus Christ.More than a year ago I began publishing LIFE MATTERS as a dialogue with the general population about Jesus Christ, life in general, living with purpose, reflecting on the culture. It's purpose was to help them see that not all Christians are the narrow-minded, judgmental extremists that the media paints us to be. IMMEASURABLY MORE is to a different audience. I share thoughts, observations, questions, links, etc with fellow Christians who have one desire - to be authentic servants of Christ living the promise of Paul's benediction to the Ephesians "Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more." I may offend you or challenge you or worry you or encourage you but all is done in the spirit one of who loves Jesus Christ and the Church passionately, and wants to "get it right." If this latter desire matches you, visit the site and sign on as a FOLLOWER or SUBSCRIBER. Even if you are not a Christian, but want a deeper look at how someone who believes that Christians need to take their faith more seriously, you are welcome.
I have an unusual week these next seven days. I will be performing
two weddings. Tonight I am uniting a lovely couple I have been pastoring now for a little over year, their first marriage. Saturday I will be in Indiana performing a second, for a cousin who has been very special to me over the years and who was once part of my ministry team at a church in Fort Wayne. Both of these couples have been planning for this for some time and I believe God deeply desires to bless both unions.
Marriage today draws both passion and pundits. Literally thousands of dollars are spent on a wedding to make it a special, memorable moment; but often those moments are fleeting because the marriage itself (not the ceremony) has been approached far too casually. I am a pastor who requires preparation for marriage counseling because I learned a long time ago that a healthy marriage requires a solid foundation (which I believe is a relationship with Christ) that is strengthened when there is a clear understanding of the
responsibilities of the marriage relationship and a common agreement as to the
expectations. Although more than half of marriages in the US today end in divorce, I firmly believe that God's intention is that this union is "for as long as we both shall live." (By the way, last week's post on my wedding anniversary "38 years" was among the most widely read on any of my blogs and I received a number of comments and emails both of congratulations and concurrence.)
It's
the first day of school in my community today. I leave on one of the streets leading to the high school. About 7:15 am there will be an increasing volume of foot traffic from the student's favorite on street parking two blocks away (for some reason they don't like the school lots). I will have to exit my neighborhood from another direction as I will be unable to get onto the street on the other end because it is almost the exact point that cars and minivans turn into the school entrance to deposit their would-be scholars.
I am a firm believer in the
public schools because I believe we need to learn, work, and live together with all the people of our community. Schools are the center of most communities. I realize that schools carry many of society's problems through their front doors despite vigilant administrators, book bag inspections, and metal detectors. I believe we should pray for our schools and also to be proactive in helping provide solutions and assistance to the many challenges schools face.
Have you prayed for your school today? Are you volunteering?
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