money money money

Do you ever wish we could go back to the barter system??? LOL i hate how so much revolves around money......I wish there was a way to give everyone free healthcare (no im not a socialist) supply all hospitals with newest technology give police depts latest forensics tools and supply missionaries with all they need to carry on their work in unlimited supply.... but no money just isnt easy like that.

Tithing is a tough subject..... the OT is filled with references to its importance and how it demonstrates faithfulness to God.....the reality is though tithing belonged to the OT!!!!! The NT doesnt require it giving, in the NT is just based on being generous as God has been generous to us,.,,,,,, I believe one word used by paul is actually translated...... *hilariously* as to how we are to give and our attitude in doing it. This hits home more to me lately as my church is going through a budget crunch and tough choices might need to be made. We are a very small church have been many years now and the giving has been the same for last 3 years. Determining how to challenge the congregation to give is tricky without coming across as using guilt or manipulation each person needs to have it be their own decision based on how they believe God is asking of them and a tithe isnt it!!!!!

i am curious as to any thoughts you who read this have. Money is one of the biggest dividers in the church sure wish it was a much easier thing to handle. Just my ramblings for now.

flu pandemic

I have seen a few reports on this now, last night on Nightline. i dont always agree with Ted Koppel but i do appreciate his expertise in getting people to talk bluntly when he grills them, especially on controversial topics. According to our health secretary and leading researchers the USA is no where even close to being ready for a flu outbreak here , let alone the rest of the world. It really struck me as odd how the people Koppel talked to, including both Republican & Democratic party leaders, kept emphasizing that we are not ready and millions will die..... BUT we dont want to create a panic......

Even more surreal is when local newscasters talk about it in serious tones saying such a flu would cause a global pandemic and result in millions dying and a shutdown of global trade as we know it...... in other news,.,,,, blah blah blah they continue on as though they just said the weather...... incredible how things get handled. This would be the worst flu since 1918, when millions did die.......it will be very interesting to see how the govt goes about deciding who gets the vaccine when its available and who doesnt since not enough can possibly be developed before it actually begins spreading of course God might have something to do with what happens time will tell

getting closer to God

This is always a major theme in my journey...... I hopefully an desiring this more and more each day, but sometimes in a quandary just how to accomplish it??? I was doing a google search on hermeneutics, hoping to teach a sunday school class on the subject soon and was wanting to do a lil research.

Well, it struck me while perusing various articles that post-Enlightenment processes still are in play the whole divide between reason/emotion in how we can "know" God ..... plus add the entire existential twist enough to spin you in circles!!!!! Our post-modern age puts such emphasis on "experience" having a "personal encounter" with God wanting to "feel" Him and experience Him in a Martin Buber.... " I"- " Thou" type arena as opposed to knowing Him through preaching, teaching and doctrinal understanding.

Now, while I agree we need an instilling of a closeness with Him , i really wonder just how far we have gone in placing our own desires and expectations on what our relationship with Him is to be that we have buried and repressed the truth that He is God and therefore should dictate the parameters of the relationship we will share together. So many people seem to throw up their hands and say..... "I just want to love Jesus Hes all I need"...... which is very true of course but...... theology and doctrine are needed in order to qualify the validity of loving Jesus In order to know Him He needs to tell us about Himself make us aware of Him because we are finite humans unable to take on a spiritual form and see Him in a special way.

Created "In Gods Image" means many things , one thing for sure, it means we communicate we think feel and act and we do so by words in speech we dont just sit and "experience" each other we TALK Jesus and God are no different, They must talk as well in order to have a 'relationship" with us.

Hope this made sense as to the point.... any and all who come across please by all means share your thoughts cant wait to have "comments" whoohoo!!!!! :)

Joining up

Well... after a fun conversation with prof nachos aka the infamous david cho i decided to go ahead & give this a shot again..... tried doing one before but stopped due to thinking no one would read it now that i have people i know who already have blogs maybe that will change

I am so in awe at alot of the incredibly creative writing and storytelling ive come across in several blogs ive read... hope my mere prattling serves more than just like throwing paint on a blank surface have to have some aspect of method to the madness anyhow here goes....

first post lights camera action!!!!!!