Sure, it's a few days away but I've got to ask, do these 37 years make me look old.
Man, I'm going to be 37.
What's happening?
Micah, my son, just turned 10.
That is scary enough.
I guess I started thinking a couple of weeks ago about how I am going to be 37. In my mind, I never figured I'd make it to 74, so I thought about how I may be half way done with my life. Yeah, pleasant thought. So I started to think of all the things I've wanted to do before my time was done. This was the list I came up with on Facebook:
1. Be a better dad. Less computer time, more reading time.
2. Finish my BA. Find the money to do so.
3. Get that Challenger program up and running with Steve Bailey up at North Rialto.
4. Get involved with Children's Ministry.
5. Be a better umpire. Go to umpire school.
6. Go see Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat live.
7. Stop procrastinating, some.
I've since added one more in my head -- Take part in National Novel Month. I have a story in my head. I have the outline. I told the story to my kids last year at Christmas and they enjoyed it. So I have been starting to do some research to give some legitimacy to the novel. They say outlines and notes are encouraged. They don't want the story already told though. My problem is the story is a familiar one taken from a different view so the ending is known already. The journey is going to be the adventure.
#1-- I have been working on it. I am still not as successful as I want to be but I have been working on it. It is better and always on my mind.
#2 -- Haven't started looking at it yet.
#3 -- I started making calls today. Talked to Western Regional. Talked to the city of Colton. Looked at a map for some fields and have some ideas. Our original idea of Rialto Western isn't going to work since Rialto Pony uses the field now. Saw a couple places in Rialto and Bloomington which may be appropriate also.
#4 -- I'm working at it. I'm teaching Sunday School. This Sunday, I am doing a baptism at our church for one of the kids in my Sunday School class -- the first baptism at our church since our family has been going. I was really surprised when Pastor Albert asked me if I would do it. Really, really surprised. But really happy too. I'm looking at the doors that God is opening at Palm and outside of Palm, especially with the Little League stuff -- a chance to meet people who need to know Jesus and an opportunity for me to be that example.
#5 -- I signed up for umpire school, February 11-17, 2012. Looking forward to in immensely. I am really going to have to start a workout program so I am in umpire shape in February instead of waiting until the new season and getting into umpire shape 3-4 weeks in.
#6 -- Haven't really looked into it. If it comes up somewhere, I'll look into it but it's not really a high priority right now.
#7 -- I'm working on it... mostly tomorrow.
So #8 is the novel. I'm thinking and reading and researching. November should be a fun month.
I've also joined the church softball team. We had a double header on Sunday night after AWANA. Getting to know a bunch of the guys at church in a different way. It was interesting though. I haven't played softball since I worked at Safelite some 10 years ago. I wasn't very good. So I wasn't expecting much on Sunday. Well, I ended up going 8-9 in the double header (the one out was the last out of the second game.) I played a pretty decent first base. One of my hits was a bomb to dead center that went over people's heads (second game.) From then on, they were scooting everyone back when I came to bat, so I sprayed the ball to the games, mainly on the right side of the field. It was fun. I should have had a triple on that blast but I'm not in umpire shape, much less run out a triple on a blast shape, so I made it halfway to third and turned around to get a double. At one point I slid into second quite ugly and scrapped up my calf and knee. The field burn is quite ugly. Like I said, though, I am not in softball shape so I have been sore for 2 days now. Have to start stretching and getting into better shape. Let's make that one #9.
Am I doing too much at one time? Probably, but I feel that I need to make up for lost time, that these aren't just my dreams that I concocted on my own but feel they are passions and desires that are God-given and will bring Him glory. That I must keep in mind when striving for any dream (thanks Doug.)
So, 37. Yeah, I'm getting years. I'm no spring chicken, but as a wise man once said, youth and exuberance is no match for age and treachery. Time to treacher on.
The Family
The extended family
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Dear Girl Scouts,
I am sad to inform you that my wife and I have decided that your organization is not the right place for our daughter to be a part of. This decision comes with a heavy heart but one clear and free of impulsive emotions. I wanted to let you know why we have come to this decision.
There are many things that my daughter has learned from Girl Scouts. She has learned that hard work can earn her rewards. She has learned that there are people out there who do care about her outside of her parents. She has learned how to be part of a group and what it takes to do what is right for the better of the group.
She has also learned that there are parents out there who will lie and cheat to make sure that their daughter gets ahead, no matter what it costs others. She has learned that sometimes bad people get away with being evil because no one with power really cares except to cover their own backside. She has learned that people are mean. She has learned that people only care about themselves too much of the time, no matter if it hurts other people. She has learned that it is good to question authority because the authority doesn't matter and only her desires are what matters.
I thank God that my wife and I are there to intercept and correct some of the things she has learned from your organization.
My wife has given so much of herself over the last 6 months that she has been the leader of this troop that should have been dissolved with the former administration with insufficient support from the local council. She has jumped through hoops to do what was demanded. She has battled with MS to make sure that the girls came out on top. She has sat back and taken abuse from spoiled, disrespectful parents who were looking out only for themselves and their daughters, teaching my daughter that sometimes it is better to do what is best for the whole than for the one.
My daughter is heartbroken about this decision but we, as her parents, feel it is better for her to suffer a little heartbreak now than to have to deal with the heartbreak of learning that there are people out there that really don't care about her and would stomp on her just to make sure that their daughter, their power or their position are protected.
I have attached a picture of my car that was burned after it was stolen. I hope this is sufficient evidence that it was indeed stolen (along with the police report that she turned into you). I expect your written apology soon for accusing her that we lied about the theft of my vehicle, with enclosed Girl Scout paperwork. Your handling of this situation really left a lot to be desired in personal relations.
I wish you the best and pray that one day someone will do what is best for the girls instead of what is best for cookie sales and the bottom line.
Tony
Sunday, May 1, 2011
The Death of Osama
I know my opinion about the death of Osama Bin Laden means very little to anyone but me but I'm going to put it out there anyways.
I don't know what to feel about this. I am torn between the patriotic feelings of our country getting justice against a man who did an ultimate evil against our citizens. I am glad that those who lost loved ones can feel a little bit of closure.
My initial feeling though was that people were going to feel vindicated, that people were going to get drunk of the wine of revenge. He took 3000+ of ours in one shot, more soldiers since that day and now has "gotten his."
Ultimately, my initial reaction was that here was a man that everyone hated and wanted dead but one that God loved, despite his sin, and that he now has to answer for what he did, not for killing so many people, but for what he did with God's love and His Son. He has led so many astray, children, men and women. He has funded hatred for so long.
His death may have closed a chapter but a war is not done yet. This may re-energize those who have been in hiding for so long. "Martyrs" tend to do that. I pray that our government will do it's one job well -- to protect her people from foreign threat.
I don't feel peace from this, nor do I feel additional terror. I have peace despite it -- yesterday the same as tomorrow.
I don't know what to feel about this. I am torn between the patriotic feelings of our country getting justice against a man who did an ultimate evil against our citizens. I am glad that those who lost loved ones can feel a little bit of closure.
My initial feeling though was that people were going to feel vindicated, that people were going to get drunk of the wine of revenge. He took 3000+ of ours in one shot, more soldiers since that day and now has "gotten his."
Ultimately, my initial reaction was that here was a man that everyone hated and wanted dead but one that God loved, despite his sin, and that he now has to answer for what he did, not for killing so many people, but for what he did with God's love and His Son. He has led so many astray, children, men and women. He has funded hatred for so long.
His death may have closed a chapter but a war is not done yet. This may re-energize those who have been in hiding for so long. "Martyrs" tend to do that. I pray that our government will do it's one job well -- to protect her people from foreign threat.
I don't feel peace from this, nor do I feel additional terror. I have peace despite it -- yesterday the same as tomorrow.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Girl Scout Law: It's not just for Girl Scouts Anymore
The Girl Scout Law
I will do my best to be
honest and fair,
friendly and helpful,
considerate and caring,
courageous and strong, and
responsible for what I say and do,
and to
respect myself and others,
respect authority,
use resources wisely,
make the world a better place, and
be a sister to every Girl Scout.
So...
Last night my wife attended the Girl Scout Troop meeting without my daughter for a parent meeting. In it, she was pretty much blamed for the troop being a mess and was asked summarily to stop being the troop leader as of May 15th. Yeah, they knew that she was going to leave at the end of the year anyway to start a new troop that didn't have all the baggage that this one has. They are starting the new year planning then and don't think that having Trina in a position of leadership will help their cause.
They are also planning on changing the troop number because it is a "new troop". Here is where my problem is. We, as parents, want to teach our girls how to be respectful. We want them to respect authority, have integrity, have character, know what is right and wrong, and be a sister to all other Girl Scouts world wide. Let me give some people a clue -- if you want your kids to have these qualities, you better start having them yourself.
This troop's biggest problem is not Trina. It's not a bad administration before her. It's not that they have too much money. It's not that they lost all their paperwork when my car was stolen. It's that there are too many parents in this troop who have no integrity, who will step on all the rest of the girls in the troop to make sure that their child gets her fair share and more, curse the rest and laugh. These parents have no integrity.
I posted on facebook a while back about a parent who took her granddaughter out to another council area and started selling cookies out there before that council was allowed to sell cookies, a gross violation of the rules that could have resulted in the entire troop losing all cookie sales and she knew better. But it was ok because she was getting her sales no matter what else happened to anyone else.
Last week, there was an Easter egg hunt at the troop with one egg having a "Golden Ticket" to get an Easter basket instead of the just the candy in the egg. Well, there were more eggs than kids at the meeting so a couple of the parents had to go out and pick up 7 eggs to make it that everyone got 5 eggs each. One of the parents accidentally picked up the golden ticket egg, so she put it back down and picked up another one. When the girls start to come out, she makes sure to tell her daughter, "Go pick up that green one." Integrity. If I would have found the egg during a random pick up, I close it up and toss it to the middle of the field, none the wiser of what I found and wish every girl the best in finding it. But this parent thought that their daughter deserved the basket more than any of the other girls and had to cheat.
So, when my wife is no longer the troop leader of this troop come May 15th, outside I will sympathize with her and console her. Inside, I will be rejoicing because she gets the opportunity to start her own troop and not have to deal with a group of ungrateful, lying, selfish, ingrate parents who are teaching their girls to be the same. If you want your child to be honest and fair, friendly and helpful, and a sister to every Girl Scout, how about trying it yourself.
I will do my best to be
honest and fair,
friendly and helpful,
considerate and caring,
courageous and strong, and
responsible for what I say and do,
and to
respect myself and others,
respect authority,
use resources wisely,
make the world a better place, and
be a sister to every Girl Scout.
So...
Last night my wife attended the Girl Scout Troop meeting without my daughter for a parent meeting. In it, she was pretty much blamed for the troop being a mess and was asked summarily to stop being the troop leader as of May 15th. Yeah, they knew that she was going to leave at the end of the year anyway to start a new troop that didn't have all the baggage that this one has. They are starting the new year planning then and don't think that having Trina in a position of leadership will help their cause.
They are also planning on changing the troop number because it is a "new troop". Here is where my problem is. We, as parents, want to teach our girls how to be respectful. We want them to respect authority, have integrity, have character, know what is right and wrong, and be a sister to all other Girl Scouts world wide. Let me give some people a clue -- if you want your kids to have these qualities, you better start having them yourself.
This troop's biggest problem is not Trina. It's not a bad administration before her. It's not that they have too much money. It's not that they lost all their paperwork when my car was stolen. It's that there are too many parents in this troop who have no integrity, who will step on all the rest of the girls in the troop to make sure that their child gets her fair share and more, curse the rest and laugh. These parents have no integrity.
I posted on facebook a while back about a parent who took her granddaughter out to another council area and started selling cookies out there before that council was allowed to sell cookies, a gross violation of the rules that could have resulted in the entire troop losing all cookie sales and she knew better. But it was ok because she was getting her sales no matter what else happened to anyone else.
Last week, there was an Easter egg hunt at the troop with one egg having a "Golden Ticket" to get an Easter basket instead of the just the candy in the egg. Well, there were more eggs than kids at the meeting so a couple of the parents had to go out and pick up 7 eggs to make it that everyone got 5 eggs each. One of the parents accidentally picked up the golden ticket egg, so she put it back down and picked up another one. When the girls start to come out, she makes sure to tell her daughter, "Go pick up that green one." Integrity. If I would have found the egg during a random pick up, I close it up and toss it to the middle of the field, none the wiser of what I found and wish every girl the best in finding it. But this parent thought that their daughter deserved the basket more than any of the other girls and had to cheat.
So, when my wife is no longer the troop leader of this troop come May 15th, outside I will sympathize with her and console her. Inside, I will be rejoicing because she gets the opportunity to start her own troop and not have to deal with a group of ungrateful, lying, selfish, ingrate parents who are teaching their girls to be the same. If you want your child to be honest and fair, friendly and helpful, and a sister to every Girl Scout, how about trying it yourself.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
The more I think about it, the more I'm bothered
So, in case you don't follow me on facebook, let me set out the entire situation as it occurred.
Thursday night is Girl Scout night around our house. Trina, being a girl scout troop leader, has a box full of paperwork for the Girl Scouts, including contact information, permission slips, money, etc. So, getting home Thursday night, she was suffering from MS fatigue and asked me to make sure I bring in her box. Not a problem, I thought. She made sure to lock it. I went out later to get something for her in the van. I double-checked to make sure it was locked. It was 10 pm.
As I was getting the kids ready to go to school, we walked out of the house to get into my car. It was in the driveway. But then, it wasn't. I walked back into the house, "Where's my car?" It wasn't there. It wasn't parked on the street. It wasn't down the street. It was gone. So the kids have to go to school. We jump in the van real quick and I take them. Meanwhile, my wife calls the sheriff department to report the stolen car.
I get back and decide that I can't go to work that day because we were going to have to take care of a lot of stuff. Sheriff shows up and begins to interview us. The car was in my wife's name so they asked her for her license. It was at this point that we realized that her wallet was in the car still.
So, while the sheriff interviewed my wife, I began calling banks to cancel her card. I call GEICO to report the theft. Of course, we didn't have comprehensive on a 15 year old car bought for $1600 as the cost/benefit analysis proved that was a gamble worth taking (we lost) so they can't help at all. My home insurance couldn't cover anything because we have $1000 deductible there and we didn't lose $1000 worth of stuff.
So, now the list of stuff in the car in order of importance:
1) My wife's wallet and purse
2) All the Girl Scout's information
3) My umpire gear
4) My favorite shirt
5) About $50 in tools
6) My umpire uniforms and hats
7) My Denver Bronco sticker
8) My razor
9) A plug/car charger converter
10) My license plate frame that says, "I'd rather be behind home."
11) About 4 years worth of collecting HeroClix
12) About $2.50 in change
13) Some Axe Deodorant
Well, after going to the DMV to get a new license, cancelling all the bank cards, taking care of what we could, spending $280 to sign the entire family up for LifeLock immediately (since all the kids' social security cards were in my wife's wallet.)
So Friday night we have no idea where the car is. Of course, driving down the street I'm looking at every car driving the other way to see if it was my car. No luck (of course.)
Saturday morning, I take Micah out to his baseball game. Right before it starts, I get a call from the police department saying they found the car. Great! Oh there's bad news. It was burned. I don't know how bad. They give me the phone number for the tow truck company that has the car. I'm able to call them and they would send someone out to look at the car but I couldn't go look unless I wanted to pay the $100 to open the gate or wait until Monday to see it for free (plus all the fees.) We'll wait for Monday.
Sunday is our day to go look at cars. We go to CarMax and figure out that the number we're looking to pay is not going to be possible. So we figure out that we are going to need to go up a little and figure out a way to come up with more funds (anyone need a part-time secretary/child care specialist/warehouse guy/umpire?) We ended up with a 2006 PT Cruiser for $318 a month. That's going to be hard but God has provided before and He's been pretty faithful.
Monday finally comes. I'm going to show up late for work that day to take care of all the car stuff. We went to the police department for the release. Then we go down to tow yard, pay $365 ($235 for towing fees and a ton for storage fees of a dead car) and go take a look at the car. List of stuff in the car that we were able to identify:
1) The Girl Scout Information burned so it wasn't taken
2) All the car parts were in tact, including radio.
3) A couple of Umpire shirts that were in the back. We've washed them a couple times and they still stink pretty good.
4) My license plate frame is fully functional! It goes on the PT!
5) The Bronco Sticker, rolled up and burned to a crisp.
That's about it. I wasn't able to recognize anything else.
So, from talking to others about it, someone probably stole it, went and robbed a liquor store or something, parked the car out in Loma Linda (behind the Del Taco on Waterman and Barton,) burned it to hide any evidence and used my umpire bag and wife's girl scout tote to fill with the loot. I went to where the car was found and it looked like the trash truck came that morning (Monday) to empty the dumpster so I wasn't able to find anything.
So I was ok with everything. Then I start to think about how the tools my wife and I use to volunteer for things we care for were all stolen. Then I start thinking about what kind of jerks would do that, take stuff that ultimately is going to hurt kids, not just our 4 but all the kids we work with. What kind of jerks would steal a car to rob a place and try to get it to point back to us if the car was seen driving away? Why did this happen to our family!? Getting more and more upset.
I have to change my perspective though. They didn't steal my car, my umpiring gear, my razor, my wife's stuff. These are all ministries that God has given us outside of the church to work with the lost and be a positive influence, showing God's love in everyday life. They stole God's stuff. But that's the great thing. God has a lot more stuff than they can ever steal -- stuff they couldn't steal if they wanted to -- because God wants to give it away. Maybe one day I'll find some of my umpiring stuff hiding in a pawn shop. Maybe I'll inadvertently run into these guys who did this, not knowing it was them. I hope that they will feel the love that God has given me all these years through me despite what they did. God loves them. I may not be happy with them but my anger and hurt isn't going to hurt them. I won't get even by holding a grudge. In the end, God is good. All of the time.
Thursday night is Girl Scout night around our house. Trina, being a girl scout troop leader, has a box full of paperwork for the Girl Scouts, including contact information, permission slips, money, etc. So, getting home Thursday night, she was suffering from MS fatigue and asked me to make sure I bring in her box. Not a problem, I thought. She made sure to lock it. I went out later to get something for her in the van. I double-checked to make sure it was locked. It was 10 pm.
As I was getting the kids ready to go to school, we walked out of the house to get into my car. It was in the driveway. But then, it wasn't. I walked back into the house, "Where's my car?" It wasn't there. It wasn't parked on the street. It wasn't down the street. It was gone. So the kids have to go to school. We jump in the van real quick and I take them. Meanwhile, my wife calls the sheriff department to report the stolen car.
I get back and decide that I can't go to work that day because we were going to have to take care of a lot of stuff. Sheriff shows up and begins to interview us. The car was in my wife's name so they asked her for her license. It was at this point that we realized that her wallet was in the car still.
So, while the sheriff interviewed my wife, I began calling banks to cancel her card. I call GEICO to report the theft. Of course, we didn't have comprehensive on a 15 year old car bought for $1600 as the cost/benefit analysis proved that was a gamble worth taking (we lost) so they can't help at all. My home insurance couldn't cover anything because we have $1000 deductible there and we didn't lose $1000 worth of stuff.
So, now the list of stuff in the car in order of importance:
1) My wife's wallet and purse
2) All the Girl Scout's information
3) My umpire gear
4) My favorite shirt
5) About $50 in tools
6) My umpire uniforms and hats
7) My Denver Bronco sticker
8) My razor
9) A plug/car charger converter
10) My license plate frame that says, "I'd rather be behind home."
11) About 4 years worth of collecting HeroClix
12) About $2.50 in change
13) Some Axe Deodorant
Well, after going to the DMV to get a new license, cancelling all the bank cards, taking care of what we could, spending $280 to sign the entire family up for LifeLock immediately (since all the kids' social security cards were in my wife's wallet.)
So Friday night we have no idea where the car is. Of course, driving down the street I'm looking at every car driving the other way to see if it was my car. No luck (of course.)
Saturday morning, I take Micah out to his baseball game. Right before it starts, I get a call from the police department saying they found the car. Great! Oh there's bad news. It was burned. I don't know how bad. They give me the phone number for the tow truck company that has the car. I'm able to call them and they would send someone out to look at the car but I couldn't go look unless I wanted to pay the $100 to open the gate or wait until Monday to see it for free (plus all the fees.) We'll wait for Monday.
Sunday is our day to go look at cars. We go to CarMax and figure out that the number we're looking to pay is not going to be possible. So we figure out that we are going to need to go up a little and figure out a way to come up with more funds (anyone need a part-time secretary/child care specialist/warehouse guy/umpire?) We ended up with a 2006 PT Cruiser for $318 a month. That's going to be hard but God has provided before and He's been pretty faithful.
Monday finally comes. I'm going to show up late for work that day to take care of all the car stuff. We went to the police department for the release. Then we go down to tow yard, pay $365 ($235 for towing fees and a ton for storage fees of a dead car) and go take a look at the car. List of stuff in the car that we were able to identify:
1) The Girl Scout Information burned so it wasn't taken
2) All the car parts were in tact, including radio.
3) A couple of Umpire shirts that were in the back. We've washed them a couple times and they still stink pretty good.
4) My license plate frame is fully functional! It goes on the PT!
5) The Bronco Sticker, rolled up and burned to a crisp.
That's about it. I wasn't able to recognize anything else.
So, from talking to others about it, someone probably stole it, went and robbed a liquor store or something, parked the car out in Loma Linda (behind the Del Taco on Waterman and Barton,) burned it to hide any evidence and used my umpire bag and wife's girl scout tote to fill with the loot. I went to where the car was found and it looked like the trash truck came that morning (Monday) to empty the dumpster so I wasn't able to find anything.
So I was ok with everything. Then I start to think about how the tools my wife and I use to volunteer for things we care for were all stolen. Then I start thinking about what kind of jerks would do that, take stuff that ultimately is going to hurt kids, not just our 4 but all the kids we work with. What kind of jerks would steal a car to rob a place and try to get it to point back to us if the car was seen driving away? Why did this happen to our family!? Getting more and more upset.
I have to change my perspective though. They didn't steal my car, my umpiring gear, my razor, my wife's stuff. These are all ministries that God has given us outside of the church to work with the lost and be a positive influence, showing God's love in everyday life. They stole God's stuff. But that's the great thing. God has a lot more stuff than they can ever steal -- stuff they couldn't steal if they wanted to -- because God wants to give it away. Maybe one day I'll find some of my umpiring stuff hiding in a pawn shop. Maybe I'll inadvertently run into these guys who did this, not knowing it was them. I hope that they will feel the love that God has given me all these years through me despite what they did. God loves them. I may not be happy with them but my anger and hurt isn't going to hurt them. I won't get even by holding a grudge. In the end, God is good. All of the time.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
When games get SERIOUS!!!!
You know, as one who likes the multi-player games of the world, I have run into a couple of people who take these games far more seriously than they should. I like them. I play them. I hate it when I miss out on something but it is not the end of the world. I'll just run into someone who takes themselves and the game way too seriously sometimes. It happens a lot on fighting-type head-to-head games. Tactics Arena was that way too many times. Runescape, with it's PvP areas was pretty bad at times. And now it happened again on a facebook wrestling game. The problem here is that it happened in a place that I am responsible for maintaining. So I cleaned it up. I did what I needed to do to take care of the situation, much to the chagrin of the one who took the whole situation way too personally and seriously. I guess these situations come up more often in these 1 on 1 type games because of the type of people who play these games for the most part -- people who want to make sure that you know that they are more intelligent or more diligent or have more time to play these type of games than you do and you are not worthy to buckle their +5 speed sandals.
I like my games but always have to keep them in the realm of just that -- games. Some people are going to be better than I am and some are going to be worse. If I ever take it more seriously than that, someone slap me silly.
I like my games but always have to keep them in the realm of just that -- games. Some people are going to be better than I am and some are going to be worse. If I ever take it more seriously than that, someone slap me silly.
Friday, January 14, 2011
So a thought occurred to me
Well, it's been a while since I posted here. Sorry for the delay for those who care :)
This morning I was driving to work when a random thought came to me about what would happen if Jesus came back to take his church today and how would the world explain it away. I think the Left Behind books say it was some kind of weird environmental thing that just vaporized some people and leave it at that. That seems weird to me. Then the thought came to me...
How many people would still go to church on Sunday as if nothing happened? How many churches would continue on with little change as some of their members may be missing but the majority is still here?
This isn't a blanket criticism of the church as I am a member of one, as well as a member of the universal church, but I have to take this to heart about myself. Am I ready? I am brought back to the 10 virgins waiting for the bridegroom and how 5 had to go search for lamp oil only to miss the coming of the groom. I think about how Jesus said that He will tell many that He never knew them even though they performed miracles in His name. I think about Jesus separating the sheep and the goats based on their responses to those around them and how they showed love to their neighbors. About how a real faith lives in real works and not in feel-good statements.
If Jesus were to come back today, would the number taken be so small as not to make a difference in our nation? Am I ready or am I lukewarm?
This morning I was driving to work when a random thought came to me about what would happen if Jesus came back to take his church today and how would the world explain it away. I think the Left Behind books say it was some kind of weird environmental thing that just vaporized some people and leave it at that. That seems weird to me. Then the thought came to me...
How many people would still go to church on Sunday as if nothing happened? How many churches would continue on with little change as some of their members may be missing but the majority is still here?
This isn't a blanket criticism of the church as I am a member of one, as well as a member of the universal church, but I have to take this to heart about myself. Am I ready? I am brought back to the 10 virgins waiting for the bridegroom and how 5 had to go search for lamp oil only to miss the coming of the groom. I think about how Jesus said that He will tell many that He never knew them even though they performed miracles in His name. I think about Jesus separating the sheep and the goats based on their responses to those around them and how they showed love to their neighbors. About how a real faith lives in real works and not in feel-good statements.
If Jesus were to come back today, would the number taken be so small as not to make a difference in our nation? Am I ready or am I lukewarm?
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