I'm Thankful

I'm thankful for Jesus who died for me when I didn't deserve it.....I'm thankful for Pam my wonderful wife who is my partner & love...I'm thankful for two incredible daughters who teach me a lot about life.....I'm thankful for friends.....I'm thankful for lifelong friends.....I'm thankful for our church family & friends in Champaign...I'm thankful for music that gets me going....I'm thankful for our home & food that is plentiful....I'm thankful for chocolate....I'm thankful for my guitar.....I'm thankful for passion....I'm thankful for love....I'm thankful for Judah girl basketball players....I'm thankful for Gold Medal Ribbon ice cream...I'm thankful for my mom, dad & brothers....I'm thankful for co workers at church....I'm thankful for my missionary sister in law who is in Bosnia...I'm thankful for pizza....I'm thankful for beautiful days....I'm thankful for my mother & brother in law....I'm thankful for my Korean friends from Asbury....I'm thankful for friends from Marshalltown....I'm thankful for all of my Pastors....I'm thankful for health
Thank you Lord for everything that you've given to me in my life for every good and perfect gift comes from above!

Weather & Old School

The weather has been so strange lately. Yesterday I was watching "Da Bears" football game and they tried to kick a field goal, but the wind was gusting so strongly that it looked like a giant hand swatted the tiny football sideways. It was going straight through the goal posts and then the football went sideways. That's nothing compared to tornadoes in Iowa in mid November close to where we used to live. That's also nothing compared to the 3 hurricanes that hit the U.S. lately. Not to mention the Tsunami in this last year. I guess they say that we've had hurricanes and stuff like this happen in the past and that it could be a cycle, but it seems like the world is going haywire. It makes you wonder about the end times? Are we near to it? The Bible tells us that there will be earthquakes and famines and that nation will rise up against nation. We see a lot of nations rising up against nations. Even our own.
This leads me to another thought lately. I really enjoy new music. I get tired of listening to the same ole same ol, but last year we got the Beatles greatest hits. You know the old one which is red and the not as old one which is blue. Our girls really liked them. I keep going back to listen to them and I sing along with pleasure. With all of the turmoil in life it reminds me that we need to keep going back to the oldest old school. The Bible. It gives us direction, comfort, widsom, correction, peace, joy, challenge, transformation etc. etc. etc. God's word is the most solid source for us to go to in these days!

Dating help for teens

This year I found a great resource for teens and their dating life. In the last decade there was a book that came out called "I Kissed Dating Goodbye". It was helpful for some people, but not everyone. A youth leader named Justin Lookadoo wanted to give advise to a majority of teens who aren't going to kiss dating goodbye.
He has two great books full of honesty! I think that teens should get these books when they're first going to start dating. These books will be some of the most helpful books to learn more about the opposite sex and how to date in a way that will build them up rather than tear them down. The two books that I'm talking about are: "Dateable: are you? are they?" & "The Dateable Rules: A guide to the sexes".

WoW! What a legacy!

I was amazed to hear that the funeral for Rosa Parks lasted 7 hours. People lined up the night before just to get into her funeral. It's like a great concert or sporting event. I've never heard of anything like that before! I knew that she left an incredible legacy for sitting in the front part of the bus back in the 60's when only white people could sit there and African Americans had to sit in the back. She knew it could cost her a lot! It could cost great physical pain or maybe even worse. It became a watershed moment when civil rights gained momentum from an ordinary lady with extraordinary courage! Great things seem to be accomplished when an ordinary person has the courage to make a positive difference not only for themselves but for people for many years to come. I know that I'll never have that kind of impact, but I do hope and pray that the impact that I make will be positive for at least a few people and that it will help them for the rest of their lives. I wish that we had more courageous, regular people taking bold stands for what is right. Our society seems so self centered that it seems to stifle these difference makers. I think that all people should shoot to have a legacy that makes a positive difference in people's lives!