I Need Easter This Year!

The beginning of this blog could be seen as morbid. I will apologize up front for that, but I promise if you'll read the entire blog, you will see there is more to the story. In fact, FAR MORE to the story!

A few weeks ago, I was told of a young 16 year old high school student in a neighboring town who decided to skip school. Later that day, he was involved in a auto accident. He did not survive. He was thrust into eternity far too soon by our human, fleshly time table.

Right on the heels of that, a friend of mine from my college days, only a year older than I, went to sleep in his own bed. The next face he saw was that of Jesus! A massive heart attack to this young man who was involved in mountain biking came as a shock to all who knew him. This was an incredibly bittersweet occasion. Paul, writing in the New Testament put it somewhat in perspective. He said to be absent from the body is to be present with Christ. We who are left behind are the ones suffering from the painful separation caused by death.

Also, within the past few days (not weeks or months, mind you), I have had friends with relatives pass from this life. Some have been expected, some not quite. Some have known and trusted Christ as Savior, others have struggled with wondering if their loved ones had made that commitment to the One who died as a sacrifice for their sin.

Still, as I write this, another family of friends are struggling with a daughter / sister being placed in hospice care. They travel now to visit with her before she likely slips into a coma and passes from this life. There is much pain in that scenario.

I watched a little bit of the news earlier. Wars and fightings continue to abound. People around the world are feeling the effects of Libya, Iran, Iraq, and Afghanistan. The news continues with the quakes and tsunami in Japan. We turn to our own Nation and are confronted with economic struggles amid other problems.

It was likely a similar scenario that Bill and Gloria Gaither found themselves in early in their young family's life. It was the late 60s, the United States was in turmoil over racial tensions, the conflicts in Viet Nam, and more. This young, midwestern family of four learned that another baby was on the way.

Why would anyone want to bring more children into this world? They fought with their emotions and as Spring drew closer, had a head knowledge that life should get better. Perhaps it was merely the dreary winter that had brought about the emotional struggles.

It took a little blade of grass that had fought its way through the asphalt parking lot, stretching itself toward the heavens to help the Gaithers break free. Just as that grass had defeated all odds, persevering to the light above, the Gaithers knew that they, too, could defeat the odds.

They realized a very important factor, though. They knew they could not defeat anything alone. They recognized that the only way their loneliness and struggles could be defeated would be because Jesus had risen from the dead. It was the beginning of that now classic song, Because He Lives! Because He Lives, I can face tomorrow. Because He Lives, all fear is gone! Because I Know, He holds the future, and life is worth living Because He Lives!

Reflecting on the world's events, the pain of death, and the seemingly hopeless state of affairs, it would be easy to become discouraged. This is one year, I need Easter. I need the refreshing reminder that although Jesus died, He has now risen! He has risen, indeed!

Jesus' followers likely felt somewhat as we do today. Their lives had been turned upside down in a matter of days. The One they had trusted with their very lives was now dead. They feared for their own lives. But with that first Easter morning, everything changed! Perhaps you need a good dose of encouragement. Perhaps you need Easter this year to remind you of the victory that belongs to the Christian. Our hope is not found in job security or retirement funds. Our hope is not even found in our family or the church. Our hope must be founded in none other than Jesus Christ. He is Risen!

Now, perhaps you've read all the way through this and realize you have not come to terms with your own relationship with Jesus. Your hope has been in things other than the truth of the Christ. Feel free to e-mail me and let's discuss further the opportunity of discovering real, true hope. I need this Easter! Do you?

Let's Go To The Gasoline Station

I passed the gas station a couple of weeks ago. I called my wife to let her know the price was $3.05/gallon. I called a couple of days later to mention to her that gas was now $3.09 and we needed to fill up our car the next morning. I did so, fortunately at $3.09. A few hours later, I drove past the same station to see the price on the marquis now at $3.19. Four days later, gas at the same station was $3.22. I was getting a bit angry at the continuing rise of gasoline prices. A mere 24 hours later, Wednesday night on the way to work, gas had now been priced at $3.29!

A few years ago when gasoline prices were going through the roof, the media was calling for the head of our President. As if it were his fault the gasoline prices were as high as they were. Then again, it was a liberal media stirring the pot, acting as the driving force to create a mob scene in the op/ed sections of local newspapers. A few months later, when gasoline prices began to decline, the media was much slower to give credit to the same President. I wonder if they finally realized the President / Executive Branch of the US government has little or nothing to do with gasoline prices? I find it interesting the lesson has stayed true. I have heard nothing mentioned from the leftist media to come down on the current President.

Granted, it is not in the hands of the Executive Branch of government to determine the prices of gasoline at the pump. I simply find it amusing, and somewhat sad, at the inconsistencies of the left-wing members of the media.

So, what do we Americans do in the face of rising fuel costs? Do we discipline ourselves to drive less? Do we lobby our congressional leaders for more bio-technical fuel? Or should we already have been drilling at home, utilizing the millions (or should I say Billions) of barrels of crude here within our own borders? I suppose in the short-term, we should discipline ourselves to drive less. Plan our trips more carefully, even across town.

But in the long term, consider contacting your congressional leaders to pressure them to drill at home. We have been blessed with the natural resources to lower the cost of our fuel. We really do not need to spend money we already don't have in order to fill our tanks.

And by the way, have you noticed how fuel prices only rise significantly after the media says it is going up? There are some times that ignorance is bliss! I wonder if that just might affect the sharp spike in fuel prices?

Do You Remember Being Two?

I recently heard a new song. It wasn't just any ordinary song, either. I'm not sure if it has ever been recorded or even written on staff paper or a lead sheet. The song, by and large, is just a cute comedy song ~ that's exactly what it is intended to be. It's author performed it live in my presence, and I laughed. I genuinely laughed.

Beyond the laughter though, I began to think and assess its words. Leave it to a preacher to do that, right? The song simply answered questions about our younger years. Much younger. What's the title of this song? (Thought you'd never ask!) It's Just What You Do When You're Two. What did you think about when you were two? What was your logic at the ripe old age of two? We've heard of those Terrible Two's; the author mentioned an interesting thought as he prepared to entertain us. For those new parents who have yet to experience a three year old child, this is what you have to look forward to: A three year old is merely a two year old with experience! Doesn't that sound encouraging?

Josh Taylor, the author of the song, wrote this about his experiences as a dad of a two year old. Incidentally, the lad is a cute three year old now. He was able to capture and put to music some questions all parents ask themselves from time to time. Incidentally, after you read my blog, feel free to click on the link and visit his site. He's pretty insightful, and insanely funny. Being around him for a few hours, I'm pretty sure he has a serious side to him that could help a person understand the importance of living a solid Christian life. He is indeed an impressive young man.

Now, back to the assessment; the Apostle Paul, in the New Testament, wrote that when we are young, we act young. Sounds profound, eh? Seriously, when we were a child, we spoke as a child, we acted as a child, etc. But when we became a man (or woman, as the case may be), we put away the childish things. Later in the New Testament, the writer of Hebrews (we really don't know for sure who that is) compares a young Christian to a little baby. He says that as young Christians desire the pure milk of the Word, when we grow, we should desire the meat of the Word. We should be constantly growing. We should not be satisfied with the status quo. We should not want to stay merely a child in our faith.

For the more seasoned believer, take some time to think back to your early Christian life. What are some ways you have grown in your faith? For the new believer, stay in the milk and continue to grow daily. For the unbeliever who may be reading this, are you skeptical of all this Christianity stuff? Are you just not sure it is for you? Let me hear from you. I would love to exchange communication with you about where you stand in a relationship with Christ.