Tis the Season to say, "Merry Christmas!"

Merry Christmas! All this politcal correctness that is sweeping the nation lately is really starting to get frustrating. When I hear that so many employess of businesses are being instructed to only say, "Happy Holidays," and not, "Merry Christmas," it makes me wonder where this is all heading. Come on, give me a break, it's a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. If that offends you, then don't celebrate Christmas.

The true purpose of Christmas is to celebrate the fact that God sent His only begotten son, Jesus Christ, to come to this earth and live among sinful mankind. He lived a sinless life and was crucified on the cross of Calvary to pay the price for all our sins. He rose from the grave on the third day and then acsended up into heaven. The forteenth chapter of John tells us that Jesus will come again someday and receive us (those that have trusted Him as Savior to forgive them of their sins) to Himself, that where He is, we will be also. What a celebration that will be! The greatest gift available for Christmas is Jesus Christ. Merry Christmas!

Following God's Directions

Ever since I was a teenager, I have wanted to follow God's direction in my life. Although I never really knew what God had in store for me, I knew that I wanted to give my life to Him for His service. If you would have told me when I was 17 years old that I would be pastoring a church in Anaheim, CA 20 years later, I would have laughed at you. Eventhough I had a lot of dreams in my early teenage years of being an electronic engineer, going to the Air Force Academy, and maybe even going to NASA, today, I can't imagine myself doing anything else other than trying to make a difference in God's Kingdom.

Following God's directions in our life doesn't need to be something that we fear. Yes, it can be scary at times, but when you look back on your life, there is a wonderful sense of peace. Too often we ask God to control our lives without willing to give up our goals for which we strive. If we're not careful, we may find ourselves asking God to help us to where we want to go. We must be willing to turn over not only control of our lives, but the destination of our lives. This can seem really scary, but it is a matter of trusting God totally with every aspect of our lives. Another step that is critical is to do what we already know God requires of us. Don't wait for more directions from God when we haven't been obedient to what we already know to do. No matter how silent God may seem to be in directing us, we must listen for further direction from His Word - God's map for life.

My First Blog

Well, I've been wanting to do this for a long time. This is something that is definitely a sign of the times. I will keep this first post short for now.