I’ve always been confused by something. Well no actually, I’ve been confused by a lot.

But one thing is why some people seem to enter into a relationship with God but over time they fall away from the vitality of it. And others, no matter what life throws at them, grow stronger and deeper in it.

I’ve known people who started going to church and got excited about it. They made new friends, enjoyed the services, and found the messages engaging. So they got involved. Joined a small group, taught children’s classes, attended a retreat.

But somehow over time the excitement waned. They started attending sporadically. Found other things to do on Sunday morning. And eventually just moved on. Kind of “been there and done that”.

Add to that the ones who drop away when pressures hit. They don’t see God work they way they prayed. So they conclude, “This just doesn’t work for me.”

Through the years I’ve seen a whole bunch who tried out Christianity and somehow it just didn’t stick.

Yet the real problem I see? They miss the amazing life God offers because they never stayed with it long enough to truly discover it.

Frankly, I don’t have a clear answer for this dilemma. And honestly, I don’t have a clear answer for why with me it did stick. I was a most unlikely candidate.

[Read more…]

I’ve stopped going to church regularly, again. Oh, I go on Easter and Christmas. Just enough to drive the regulars crazy.

Photo Credit: Theodore C

A few years ago we attended a church that catastrophically imploded. Having been a pastor I was so incensed I just couldn’t go back.

Fast forward four years and we tentatively stuck our toes into the shallow end again.

We attended a popular church semi-regularly. It’s the hip go-to church in our community. Their worship was well done and the preachers were good.

On a few occasions I’d winch as they seemed to drift off into legalism or minimize God’s miracle working power. But for the most part I could pass over that.

Then one Sunday the pastor spoke on the promise of how God will work all things together for good in our lives.

I thought, “Great. Here’s something we can fully agree on.”

Then they showed a video interview of a young woman in her early forties. She told how she continually prayed to get married yet God never answered. And how she was so disappointed and couldn’t understand why.

Then she said, “But God was using it for good. He was preparing me for something much worse. Because now I have cancer.”

Then the pastor explained how she’d passed away a couple of weeks earlier.

Frankly, it took all of my will power and glancing over at my wife to not stand up and scream, “Noooooooo! That’s heresy!”

We never went back.

[Read more…]

Jennifer and I were both raised as dog people yet have five and a half cats. Yes, five that are ours and PJ is a stray that still isn’t sure.

Photo Credit: freeparking

See we live in the country so strays pass through regularly. Most are young so aren’t completely feral but aren’t all that sure about someone else being in charge.

I mean they’re country cats. They’re free to roam, eat what they want, sleep when and with whom they want. Life is good. They don’t need some master telling them what to do. I mean why in the world would they want that?

Of course there is the little problem of the pit bulls next door. And then the coyotes looking for a tasty kitty dinner.

Also mice get scarce in the winter.

And when it rains, ugh. It would sure be nice to have a warm bed.

[Read more…]