J. Lee Grady writes a blog entitled, Fire In My Bones in which he writes about what fires him up. He’s much more regular than I am and I think he hit the nail on the head this time. Please enjoy his article and then let me know your thoughts!

http://charismamag.com/index.php/fire-in-my-bones/22383-reality-check-the-case-for-relational-christianity

If you want to read the article, go to http://www.enterprisepub.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=15155.

Let me know what you think!

I was listening to the radio this morning and I heard the announcer read an email that our Democrat Senator Ben Nelson received regarding his stance on the Congressional spending bill they are calling a stimulus package. The email said, “You can scrape a few flys off a poop sandwich but you tell me how it is NOT still a poop sandwich”.

I don’t think it needs an explaination.

Well said.

That got me thinking about what it means to allow our light to shine. Much has been written in about Jesus bringing a light to a dark world. That light shines in us if we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. But what does it really mean to allow that light to shine in our life? How do we reflect that concept in our daily life?

Obviously there are some high-profile examples like Mother Teresa, but what does it look like in our normal everyday life? It could be something as always being a positive influence in your immediate circle of friends. It means doing the right thing when nobody is looking. It means loving those who treat you badly. It means helping those who can’t help themselves. It means being humble and caring. It means forgiving those who offend you. Basically – it’s acting differently than the rest of the world.

It reminds me of a story I read recently. Lee Strobel was an atheist. He married a fun loving girl the everything was fine until his wife became a Christian. He started noticing a change in her. He had to admit that something was different about her. As a journalist, he set out to disprove Jesus. During his two year investigation of the evidence of Jesus, he became a Christian. He is now one of the leading apologists for Christ, writing books entitled, God’s Outrageous Claims, The Case for Christmas, The Case for Easter, What Jesus Would Say, among others. But it was the difference he noticed in his wife’s life that prompted him to seek further. He saw her light.

So – Happy New Year and make it a point to Let Jesus Shine in 2009!

I just read this great city guide on Omaha. It’s a great guide for things to do and places to go in Omaha. Some of those places I didn’t even know about. I can’t wait to visit. Checkout the whole guide at Design*Sponge

Another benefit of writing about it here? I don’t lose the link!

Have a great day!

The Christmas classic that almost wasn’t by Bill Nichols (USA Today)

A Charlie Brown Christmas Devotional

Can’t see the video? Go here to watch it.

Can’t see it – go here!

Every November 10, Marines around the world celebrate their birthday. So today I want to wish my fellow Marines, Happy Birthday! Semper Fidelis. Below I have reproduced the Commadant of the Marine Corps, General James T. Conway’s message to Marines worldwide. I was fortunate to server under then Colonel Conway in 1988 in the Persian Gulf.

—–

During the summer of 1982, in the wake of a Presidential Directive, Marines went ashore at Beirut, Lebanon. Fifteen months later, on 23 October 1983, extremists struck the first major blow against American Forces – starting this long war on terrorism. On that Sunday morning, a suicide bomber drove an
explosive-laden truck into the headquarters of Battalion Landing Team 1/8, destroying the building and killing 241 Marines and Corpsmen.

Extremists have attacked our nation, at home and abroad, numerous times since that fateful day in Beirut. Their aim has always been the same – to kill as many innocent Americans as possible. The attacks of 11 September 2001 changed our nation forever, and our President has resolved that this nation will not stand idle while murderous terrorists plot their next strike. Marines will continue to take the fight to the enemy – hitting them
on their own turf, crushing them when they show themselves, and finding them where they hide.

Only a few Americans choose the dangerous, but necessary, work of fighting our nation’s enemies. When our chapter of history is written, it will be a saga of a selfless generation of Marines who were willing to stand up and fight for our nation; to defend those who could not defend themselves; to thrive on the hardship and sacrifice expected of an elite warrior class; to march to the sound of the guns; and to ably shoulder the legacy of those Marines who have gone before.

On our 233rd birthday, first remember those who have served and those “angels” who have fallen – our reputation was built on their sacrifices. Remember our families; they are the unsung heroes whose support and dedication allow us to answer our nation’s call. Finally, to all Marines and Sailors, know that I am proud of you and what you do. Your successes on the battlefield have only added to our illustrious history. General Victor H. “Brute” Krulak said it best when he wrote, “… The United States does not need a Marine Corps … The United States wants a Marine Corps.” Your actions, in Iraq and Afghanistan, and across the globe, are at the core of why America loves her Marines.

Happy Birthday, Marines and Semper Fidelis!

General James T. Conway
Commandant of the Marine Corps

I saw a funny story today about one citizen’s effort to make his feelings about this election known. Regardless of who wins – this is pretty funny.

My favorite line from the story is, “I think Obama’s plan is just one big old poop sandwich and we’re all going to have to take a bite”. Ewwwwwww!

Read the whole story here!

So now you don’t have an excuse!

Regardless of who wins this election, on November 5th, I will still be praying for our leadership. Isn’t that what all Christians should do? Pastor Jeff Leake has a great response when he is asked, Are you going to speak on the election? You can read the complete post at his site but here is a summary of his points:

1. My hope for the future of the USA does not rest in this election.
2. My primary concern is with the Kingdom of God and not with the United States of America.
3. I believe that a believer should consider moral values, character, and vision when they make their decision to vote.
4. My responsibility is to pray for and even bless governmental leaders, even when I disagree with their policies.
5. I think at times we can over-estimate the election season.
6. My passion is to represent Jesus well in the world. Partisan attitudes often divide.
7. I want to protect the unity of the church (not just APC but believers all throughout this nation).
8. I like to consider what Jesus did regarding politics when he walked the earth.

I really like one of his last statements, “I think it is safe to say that neither Obama nor McCain is the hope of the world. That is Jesus. It is also safe to say that neither candidate will be as much a threat as Nero, Herod, or Mao. If the Kingdom can expand under their leadership, I am confident God can continue to work no matter who is elected in 2008.”

Another Pastor that I read frequently is Mark Batterson. He pastors National Community Church in Washington D.C. His church is unique in that the livelihood of a lot of his congregation is dependent on the election. His church regularly goes through a change with each election cycle. He has a sermon series called the Elephant in the Church where he discusses issues that everyone knows are there but don’t want to talk about in church. This week is the Political Elephant. I urge all of you to listen to or watch his message. It is a great perspective.

So – I will be voting. I will be voting my conscience. I will be voting based on character, values and vision. When the next president is sworn in, I will commit to pray for his leadership regardless of who wins the election. My hope is in Christ – not the president. Besides, like I have said in other posts, I’ve read the book. I know who wins!

Take 9 minutes out of your day to watch and listen to his message.

If you can’t see the video above, click here to watch the video.

What are the consequences? Well, first, I would save my largest debt payment. That’s over $18,000 per year. That’s a nice savings account. Second, I could negotiate a new loan based on the actual value of my home – which keeps going down. My credit will be marred but I have so much credit available to me right now that I don’t need any more. And – more than likely, the govt. will wipe out any bad credit reports to make it easier for me to borrow again (they need me to keep borrowing). Is it worth it for the amount of money I would be saving?

It’s an entertaining thought. So – politicians – what is your answer? Should I become irresponsible so I can get the govt. candy?

I’m not the only one thinking this way.

The politicians have a knack to vote in such a way that they can claim they were for something if it turns out good, or against something if it turns out bad. Of course, they are never responsible for any position they hold.

The banks are blaming everyone. The people they lent the money to aren’t paying the money back. The assets that support the loans are being devalued. Never mind that they lent money to people who shouldn’t even have qualified for the loans in the first place. They took the risk – now they don’t want to live with the results.

The people who borrowed more money than they can pay back. How may people borrowed money with adjustable rate mortgages that once adjusted couldn’t afford them anymore. They are blaming the banks for getting them into an adjustable rate mortgage. I even heard a story of Oprah’s Mom saying that the bank shouldn’t have lent her any money. They should have known better!

Where is the personal responsibility? Shouldn’t we all get our own financial houses in order? If you borrow money – it is your responsibility to repay it. If you can’t repay it, you shouldn’t borrow it. If you are going to borrow money over a period of 30 years – you should make sure you will be able to continue to make those payments for 30 years. If things are getting a little tight financially – who says you can’t work two jobs?

If you are a lending institution – why are you lending money to people who can’t pay it back? I have heard stories of banks lending money to people without jobs! Incredible! Lending standards need to be tightened. Does that mean that some people won’t be able to purchase a house? Yes – until they get their own financial houses in order. Depending on their own situation – it may always be more economical to rent than to buy. A good way to determine this is to use one of many rent vs. buy calculators like this one.

If you are a politician – God help you. Please support policies that limits Government intervention into our everyday lives. History is rife with examples of situations getting worse when government gets involved. Does the government really need to own banks? With government printing all of this bailout money – can this be good for the economy? I don’t think so.

Anybody and everybody should stop right now and embrace a dependency on God. I just read a post by Jeff Leake at the LaunchPad where he paraphrased Dave Ramsey. In it, Dave said that we should “shake off the spirit of fear and declare our dependence on God, who is far bigger than this economic crisis.”

Speaking of economic fear – the news keeps harping that home values are going down. Who does that really affect? Anyone trying to sell their house or refinance their house, right? If you are currently in your home, and planning to stay there for a long time – it doesn’t really matter does it? As for me – I’m actually looking forward to protesting my valuation for property tax purposes. If the value of homes are going down, I definitely want to pay lower property taxes! I’ll use the savings to add an extra payment toward debt elimination!

If you can’t see the graphic below – click here to be taken to the Fireproof site!

This week while many people in the United States were fretting over the credit crisis and its effect on their 401Ks, Christians in the Indian village of Sindhipankha were mourning the death of their friend Dushashan Majhi. A bold Christian, he was shot on Oct. 3 by a band of Hindu militants who then cut his body into pieces.

The people in Sindhipankha do not have 401Ks. Many of them, in fact, no longer have homes. Across the state of Orissa, in northeast India, Hindus have ransacked and burned hundreds of Christians’ houses and churches during the last two months. Hundreds have died.

“The violence in August and September of 2008 has been the worst in our 2,000-year history in India,” says John Dayal, an Indian journalist and founder of the All India Christian Council. “Fifty thousand are homeless and 30,000 are hiding in forests, chased like animals by Hindu fanatics who are forcing them to become Hindus or die.”

The number of deaths continues to climb in India while most Americans are consumed with the stock market and the Obama-McCain contest. (You won’t hear too much about the anti-Christian attacks from the mainstream media.) I wonder: Could we call a brief timeout and pray for the persecuted church on the other side of the world? more…
from Fire In My Bones – J. Lee Grady

Reading that article grounds me. When was the last time a Christian was hacked to death in America? Are Christians in America hiding in fear for their lives? When you are facing death – a drop in our 401Ks seems pretty minor. It’s all about perspective.