MAC KIRK

Ever buy a used car? Seems some people are happy to sell you something, whether a new job that is not as great as promised or a way of thinking that is not that thoughtful. Recently I re-learned this lesson. I was looking , but when I asked too many questions the other party got angry. HMmmmm? Questions can reveal where people are . Do not be quick to do things others wish without taking the time to think and ask questions. It may save you from problems later on. So knowing God and following His will is not that easy either. OPen door is not always wha t it appears. The advice of others is to be heeded but not always followed. In the end you live with your decision. So pray, think and above take the time to ask questions and I mean a lot of them! If the other side gets mad, then maybe you found a problem!

Ogilivie says ," Satan's strategy is to try to influence us with the false idea that this life is all there is." " We are set free to enjoy life to the fullest, knowing that everything matters because nothing ultimately matters except our relationship with Him." Philippians 1:21 " For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain." I have to say you need to read this book, " 12 Steps to Living Without Fear" Step 10.

I am drawing my comments from Lloyd Ogilivie's book, " 12 Steps to Living Without Fear" Step 10 says, " I will face my eventual physical death and claim that I am alive eternally. Therefore, I can live abundantly without panic for the rest of my time on earth." I would add thru Christ. He says that in the chapter. I like this one. One lady who he quotes who was ill says, " I'm not afraid of death anymore. In fact , panic over sickness is gone. However long I live physically matters so much less now, and I'm really free to live now and forever." This she says about facing death. " We'll discover that claiming death as a transition in living----a new beginning, and not an end---will be the start of a wonderful freedom to live more fully now and for however long we have left on this earth." " Lurking beneath our gusto for living is the grief we harbor about dying. Unfortunately, many Christians, who should have the greatest free...

Has the Church lost its relevance? If you like " USA Today" last week the paper shared several statistics about how many young people feel it is so. Their spirituality is personal and not linked to any organization. I thought the article quite slanted. I wonder who they really polled. Yes, I understand many are feeling the lack of connection and even some in my own family. I just wonder if they skewed the article towards their view point. There are many dynamic churches today where the good news is being preached and assistance is offered to many. Counseling, fellowships, true teaching are some of the evidences as well as ministries to the poor and struggling. Wherever two or three are gathered in His Name , Jesus said He was in the midst. If you gather your ideas about the relevance of the Church from a paper you may be mis-led. Of course the Church can be more in tune with the issues and needs of the day. A drive through any community will see many churches. The...

We were blessed on Palm Sunday to have children sing to us from the Palmer Home for Children from MS. Here is a link. http://palmerhome.org/mobile/PalmerHistory.html It was a great day and this home sure needs our support. So, wave a Palm and bless someone else who needs it. .in the name of the Lord. HOSANNA!

I guess it is really true that unless you have lost a loved one you really are not aware of what others feel like. Even then I would suggest we not say, " I know how you feel." Because you probably don't really. Their feelings are unknown to you. You may have some empathy because you have gone through a similiar experience. It certainly brings home the shortness of life. It brings home a lot of things really. It puts you in a fog and cloudy day. The sun does not seem to be shining even though it may be there physically. I am not sure how the loved one would want us to react, but I do not think they would want us to be moping around all, " woe is me." That is for sure. So it is good to take those good memories and sayings of the one we have lost and put them out there to ponder. I am trying to do that, slowly.

The waves were steady and high and the whaling boat took us out as we scattered mother's ashes on the deep. Do you believe in the certainty of the Resurrection? I do. " At The Burial of the Dead at SEA" 1928 Book of Common Prayer " Unto Almighty God we commend the soul of our sister departed Patricia, and we commit her body to the deep; in sure and certain hope of the Resurrection unto eternal life, through our Lord Jesus Christ; at whose coming in glorious majesty to judge the world, the sea shall give up her dead; and the corruptible bodies of those who sleep in him shall be changed, and made like unto his glorious body; according to the mighty working whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself." Now those are some powerful words! I do not see any doubt here!