Daunting Dangerous Dean

As I type this post Hurricane Dean is a growing Category 4 storm with stats like: Winds - 150 mph, and could dump 20 in. of rain. Right now it is on a collision course for Mexico. People are evacuating like there is no tomorrow. Foxnews reports that people are sleeping on the floors of the airport just to get a flight out to anywhere as long it is away from Dean. People might be leaving, to the risk of a high death toll now limited but does that excuse the church from being on her toes to help? No way! We need to ready to jump in to these disaster zones. We need to be more ready than the government. It is our mandate to take opportunities like these to show the lost and dying world the action of the gospel! For the Gospel of Christ is alive and powerful! Therefore, let's pray that the Lord will send laborers to this field of harvest. Maybe you will be one of them.

End of Summer!

Well friends, the end of summer has arrived. Now it's time to go back to our school/work schedules. We had so much fun last night with everyone coming to my apartment for the end of summer bash. I want you all to know that I thank the Lord for each of you in prayer. I am excited to see each of you grow in your walk with Christ, and I am excited to see the gospel be displayed in your lives. May you never forget that involvement is grounded in the gospel. In fact, it is a gospel mandate. Each of you have orphans and widows in your midst, God has placed them in your lives so that He can show forth His Fatherhood and you get to be a part of that! WOW! How amazing and humbling! So often we seem not to care enough about the people around us be it at school, work, or neighbors to get involved in their lives. The gospel gives us a mandate to be involved, and it motivates us to get involved because it His power that transforms lives, not our power.
Grace and Peace!
Michael

Back to College Party!

When: This Sunday night after church, around 7:30
Where: My Apartment
Food: Grilled Brats, Hot- Dogs, Burgers
Bring: Yourself and pop (not soda), water or juice

I am looking forward to seeing everyone!

Only one Life to Live - P2

My grandfather ended up passing away a week ago today at 6:40 in the morning.

The Lord allowed me the privilege of having the last conversation with my grandfather. It was the Sunday before his death. That afternoon I found him in the lunch room sitting at a table all by himself. My heart sank like a rock in water. As I came into his view he turned and looked at me. Then his face lit up into a bright smile from ear to ear. He said to me "Boy you surely are looking sharp today. You're all color-cordinated. The only thing you need is a tie clasp." I had just come from church. As we sat there he enjoyed a couple glasses of red kool-aid, which he offered me some. He told me he liked being there, especially in the dining room because the workers would get him anything he requested. He was very nicely dressed, 'classy', and topped with one of his favorite 'Yale' styled summer caps. What is most important about this time with him is what I got to say to him, for I knew that the end was near.
I started off general. I told him that everyone loves him and wants him to get well. Then I told him that I love him very much. I thanked him for all that he has done for me, teaching me a strong work ethic, the importance of history, of writting and doing the best possible job. He really shaped me as a man. He just looked at me and smiled. I came over to him and we hugged and I kissed him. After a while I wheeled him back to his bedroom where he had trouble getting out of his chair. So I helped him up and layed him in his bed. It didn't take long for him to close his eyes and drift off into a deep sleep. I stayed there watching him for over fifteen minutes. Then I left. What I didn't know is that he would never again wake out of that sleep.

Oh how we never know the time when the end will come. We too could very easily take a nap and never wake from it. After that happens, then the judgement. Are you ready for that? Or have you wasted your affections, emotions, and desires on loves of this world that you will one day have to cease to love. It will all be nothing at that point; it is all already passing away. The only thing that will matter is what is done for Christ. That is what will truly last. That is what will really count. May our lives truly be described by the Apostle Paul "For to me to live is Christ, to die is gain."