I agree with you on 5, 11, 17 and 21, but I also place great importance on 3, with the addition of eat no meat. God provides us with all we need for nutrition without the needles slaughter of other living creatures.

Number 12 because you should always let go and let God.

Number 27, which is the hardest I have ever encounteed, but the most fulfilling when accomplished.

I an hopefully you are WE! Let us live as such.

As a nation we do not do so.

War is not a Christian principle.

Matthew 5:9 plainly states:

9Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.

Read Matthew 5:43-47 and justify war for me please.

43″You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Allowing others to suffer in poverty is not a Christian principle.

Hard as it may be to accept, Christ was a socialist. In the book of Acts 2:42-47, it is written:

And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, And laid them down at the apostles’ feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.

Sort of sounds like someone named Karl Marx, who wrote;

“From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.”

That is true Christianity, something that is sorely laacking in this country.

So, if the teabaggers can run around screaming “I want my country back”, have I not the right indeed the obligation to quietly, as Jesus would speak, say I want my Christianity back?

As Abe Lincoln famously said:

“I am not so concerned as to whether God is on our side, as to whether we are on God’s side.”

Let us act like a nation of Christians and then I shall be more than happy to see America called a Christian nation.

As Tiny Tim said “God Bless Us Every one!”

All I can say is fantastic! It is amazing how much I have seen you grow in the past couple of months since the retreat – that is the true work of the Holy Spirit in your life. I actually sit here and read this and realize that we are all longing to be called into the game; the truth is our Coach, God, is always calling us, we just may not be listening for the call, but like Tommy, we have to be ready to get in the game. I know I have fallen short in always being in the game, but your testimony is VERY uplifting and relevant to all of our walks. I am praying that we all be open to listen to the call of our Coach – God – to truly get in the game and deliver on His call to be a player in the game – our faithful, trusting and committed walk with Him. God Bless you brother! Eric

Excellent metaphor. The Carpenter used parables to reach his audience where they lived. This post is fantastic. Paul used athletic analogies frequently in his writing to paint a clear picture of the struggle to persevere against all odds. You are in the game, brother, and the enemy will be watching. My suggestion… leave him in the dust.

Ask to be put in the game. Study the plays before you ask to go in. Listen to the quarterback in the huddle. Execute in faith. It is a glorious struggle. Remember, character is built through adversity, not prosperity. The enemy will try to steal your time and distract you. Focus on the target.

Give wings to your faith. Remember, we seek progress, not perfection. There was only one who was perfect and that was Jesus. He knows you are trying and will strengthen you if you stay close. I have your back, and so does our Heavenly Father. Holy Spirit, bless my brother Chad’s effort to work his way into the starting rotation. Amen.

My favorite authors can paint a picture with words. The ability to write realistic dialouge is important, but more so is the ability to make me feel the wind, smell the smoke, feel the chill in the air just by stringing words together in such a fashion that I become a part of the experience.

You have captured that here:

“The swirling wind blew across the field making the wheat roll like the sea. The endless waves stretched out as far as the eye could see and then suddenly disappeared over the hill, while right behind it was another crest and still another. To stand and absorb this field of gold is to catch a glimpse of what awaits me in heaven.”

I can see the waves of wheat and feel the wind. Of course I have personally experienced standing in a wheat filed in the wind, but I think that even had I never seen a field of wheat, that I would have been able to visualize what you were trying to evoke.

Don’t give up being an engineer, but focusing more on writing would be a positive thing.

The world today is not a safe place. Media constantly tries to invoke fear in our hearts and minds by reminding us of how different “they are”. Choose your own “they”, since there are plenty of them depending on if you are young, old, black, white or brown, male or female.

The experience of being somewhere unfamiliar can be viewed as an adventure, a chance to see things through a different lens, a chance to expand our horizons and accept a different perspective.

This defines freedom to me. Freedom to not fear those who don’t look or sound or act in the same manner as I gives me release.

I have spent the majority of my life seeking new experiences, ideas and belief systems. Living life in the same manner as everyone else, the way it is expected, following the norm is the box to me. There is no comfort in that. Looking and living outside the box, seeking new experiences to compare to what I have been told is the way it should be allows me to make my own mind up based on more than just what I am told is right, or wrong.

I am glad thet you are seeking to step out of that box and expand your horizons. The mind works best when open and the heart expands when given the opportunity to share with and serve others.

The wonder and beauty of God is all around us.

We may choose to accept or deny the existence of God, but that does not change how God feels about our existence.

What we take with us when you leave this Earth will not be worldly possessions. The work that we should be doing here is not building up physical treasures. Instead we should be nurturing our souls and helping others to do the same.

When we put aside our petty differences and realize that each and every one of us is a unique and special individual, a person of worth and value and refuse to allow the perceptions of others to color how we feel about ourselves, then we can be free of the lies.

This is optimism. This is also hope. I have faith, I have hope and I am an optimist. I wake each day knowing that it is I and I alone, with the blessings of God, who will shape how my day progresses. Do I allow others to influence my decisions, attitudes and desires. Sure thing. I am human. I have ego. I seek approval. Still, it is only I who decide to allow these things to govern my life.

Politicians make decisions that affect us but do not listen to our desires because they are all beholden to the highest bidder. America is no longer the country of the founding fathers. That is a good thing and a bad thing. Slavery no longer exists, women can vote, a harmless God given plant is illegal, corporations run everything. Some blame the Democrats, some blame the Republicans, I blame the people. We have allowed this to happen. We have allowed the dumbing down of the populace so that a large portion of the people will believe anything without asking for proof. We have become a nation of low intelligence and lack of compassion for our fellow man.

But regardless, I too believe that we are capable of reversing course and bringing this country back to where it belongs. A country of Hope, compassion, concern for our fellow man and woman, regardless of economic, social or ethnic background.

If hope is a lie, then life is not worth living anymore.