Secret Service Scandal: What else would you expect?

             For those of you isolated from the real world, there is a scandal going on with the secret service.  It involves legal activities in a foreign country.  Apparently, in their off time, a group of secret service members hired prostitutes and took them back to their room.  In the country they were in it is legal.  What brought this to the attention of the US is one of the girls brought a complaint against one of the Secret service members.  It then came out, that in another country a year earlier, another detail had gone to a strip club, got drunk and took strippers back to their hotel room.  Once again, nothing illegal happened.  The women were willing and the detail was off duty.
             Why am I mentioning all this?  Let me begin by saying I don't condone any of it.  The crux of this is that, we live in a society that hinges on the belief that it is your life, do what you want as long as it is legal.  Yet, when sex is involved, that same society, is decidedly fickle.  The real tragedy is that society doesn't even recognize it as hypocritical.  When you push for sexual freedom, freedom to do as you will in private (as long as it isn't rape and is legal), and freedom from responsibility for your sexual actions, it should come as no surprise when people exercise those rights.  How dare you castigate those who stand for sexual morality while crucifying those who practice sexual freedom.  This is the same as saying build roads where ever they are needed, but not here.  It's the same as saying treat animals as equals then euthanizing hundreds of stray pets because you don't have room to keep them.
              The men involved in this did nothing illegal.  One man had a complaint brought against him and we aren't even sure if it was legitimate or not.  Another group did absolutely nothing illegal, in fact, it was only brought to light because a reporter dug into it.  So either this is about the immorality, or something else, but for a society that embraces sexual freedom to investigate, punish, and revile those who practice it, is hypocritical in the extreme.
               Once again, I must iterate that this is not something I will ever condone.  I find it immoral and disgusting (apparently the sexually free society does as well, but they won't admit it) and think they are reaping what they sow.  This post isn't about defending them, it is about pointing out the hypocrisy society is displaying in pursuing them.
               This is the part where I preemptively answer a few possible comments.  The first being someone randomly pointing out various hypocrisies in various religions.  To that, I say, "that isn't me."  The second is someone randomly quoting scripture or saying something along the lines of who am I to judge.  To that, I say, "If I were to judge, I would have to pass sentence.  I am pointing out truth and hope that it may bring change to what is right.  It is not my place to judge, merely to point out the truth and allow it to be heard."  The third is someone who mentions that I am not perfect and who am I to speak.  To that, I say, "You are right, I am not perfect, never have been, never will be.  I have committed many sins of which I am not proud and have had them forgiven by my lord and saviour Jesus Christ.  I speak from experience and that gives me the insight to see it.  I will, most likely, sin again and he will forgive me again.  Once again, I point these things out merely to point out the irony and hypocrisy of it all." 
                 The final type of response is one which brings new information to the table or tries to brush this off.  To that, I add the following:  What we don't know is whether or not the resulting punishment to the secret service agents is due to an internal policy forbidding such activities while off duty in foreign countries or external pressure.  The news sources have only reported on the incidents and the results.  The fact that it has garnered such attention on such few details is what I comment on, not on the unknowns  of internal Secret Service policies.
                 Where do you stand on it?  Are you a proponent of the "sexual freedom" or are you against sexual immorality?  It isn't a gray area, either the men in question did nothing wrong, or they did.  If they did, how can doing legal acts that fit in with "sexual freedom" be wrong?  Just food for thought.
                Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.

What do you see?

        As you look out your window (provided you are lucky enough to be near one), what do you see?  More importantly, what do you notice first?  Think about it, what was the first thing you noticed?  Was it the bird in the tree, or the worn out building across the way?  Was it grass on the lawns or the empty parking spaces in the street?  In other words, was it natures beauty or man made things that caught your eye first?  We all see things differently.  That is a fact of life.  Where some See beauty, others see desolation.  Where some see man made junk, others see art waiting to be set free. 
          Take a junkyard, for example.  In it you expect to find rusty, dented cars, stacks of tires, worn out engines, and mud.  What you don't expect is the flowers growing in the corner or the cherry tree blossoming in the middle.  What about the cars themselves?  Can you look at them and see that one of them may have been a thing of beauty when it was new?
         We tend to do the same with people we meet.  We categorize them and sort them by initial appearance.  We don't think that that guy with the purple 12 inch Mohawk is a florist and regularly volunteers at the local soup kitchen.  We don't think that that girl in the nice suit and shoes that is well manicured and beautiful hair is on her last dollars hoping that the interview she is on the way to will get her a job, any job.  It is our first reaction to make assumptions on generalities regardless of the specifics.  We associate purple Mohawks with punk rock and anarchists and thus anyone who has one is one.  We associate well dressed and manicured people with affluence and assume they can afford whatever it is they need.  Yet if we only look a little closer, we can see that the guy with the purple Mohawk is wearing a name tag and apron for the local florist and the lady's shoes show a bit of wear and her purse is held together with clothes pins and mismatched stitching.
         It is in our nature to place people into categories.  We want everything to fit where we want it to fit.  We define our world by what we've seen and heard and we try and cram everything we know into those definitions.  As an example, if I were to set a recliner next to a standard sized moving box (2'x2'x3') and asked you if the recliner would fit in the box, you would, most likely, say no.  But if you break up the recliner into small enough bits, it will fit (trust me, I have experience).  It isn't about Destroying something, it is about changing assumptions.  When I first posed the question, you assumed I wanted the recliner kept whole.  I did not specify it, yet is was assumed.  And you would have been right, a whole recliner will not fit into a standard moving box.  Change your assumptions into questions.
             We make assumptions because we are afraid to ask the questions.  This is because we either are afraid of looking less intelligent, because we are afraid of the response, or just plain arrogance.  The fear of appearing less intelligent is a self centered fear.  You are afraid of what others think of you.  If you ask the question, you find the truth and maybe you weren't the only one with the question.  If you are afraid of the response you get, you are typically making another assumption.  This one about the character of the person you are asking.  You are assuming that the person is going to respond negatively and cruelly.  Once again, if you are polite when you ask, very few people will respond negatively.  The final is the tough one.  It is when you decide you know what the other person wanted.  You know best and thus, you don't need to ask.  They left it up to you, so why should you ask for clarification.
                I guess what this all comes down to is, find the beauty in everything.  Oh, and don't make assumptions.  Oh, and look at specifics.  Wow, looks like I just rambled incoherently for a while.  Makes for an interesting read I guess.
             Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.

Why are weekends so full?

           This weekend was an interesting mix of events.  First of all, we were blessed by a visit from my brother-in-law, Joe.  The downside is that we didn't get to dedicate a day to hang out with him since we had so much other stuff already planned.  But I am getting ahead of myself.  Friday afternoon, we had a septic expert come out and lay out what exactly would be required to repair our septic system.  The upside is that it is going to cost about half of what we thought.  The downside is, that we will most likely have to change the listing for our house from a three bedroom to a two bedroom which could cost us significantly.
            Saturday started off well with my bible study in the morning.  Joe joined me and we had a good discussion on Luke Chapter 12.  It was a good time in all.  Immediately after that we went next door to help my boys build pinewood derby cars.  The bodies were cut and mostly painted by noon which was the end of the event.  That was a good thing as I had to go to work at 1:30.  We got home, ate lunch, and then spent what little time I had left before work discussing the problem with my disc drives on my Computer.  I never did fully find out what my family did while I was at work, but I will assume they had a good time.  Sunday morning we had church.  Then we had about an hour to get back to the church to finish the boys' cars.  Then at 4:30 I had another meeting at church.  We finally were able to sit down and enjoy each other's company for about 3 hours until we had to go to bed.
          Overall, it was a great weekend that went well.  I now have to go to the pier so, I will sign off for the day.  Thanks for reading and, as always, thanks for reading.

My Final PFA

           Yesterday was a somewhat interesting day.  I did my annual Physical Fitness Assessment (PFA) for the Navy.  This involved doing push ups, sit ups, and riding a bike for 12 minutes.  This is supposed to make sure I am physically fit enough to perform my duties (currently, those comprise of sitting at a desk and waiting for someone to need me to watch them work).  I had to do 27 push ups to pass and I managed to get 29 out before I couldn't take anymore.  My shoulder is going bad in case you were wondering.  Today, my shoulder is killing me.  Thank God for pain medication. 
             The great thing is, this is my last PFA I will ever have to do.  This means I am now free to enjoy eating what I like.  No, I am not going to pig out and get fat just because.  I will admit that, yesterday, after I was done, I expressed a desire for "something greasy, something fried, and something sweet and if I could get all that into one bite it would be considered a win."  I am not going to suddenly start eating unhealthily (OK, maybe a little), I am just going to enjoy some of my favorite foods a little more often without worrying about whether or not it will make me fail the next PFA.  This also means, my wife no longer has to nag me about what I am eating (at least not until I go up a pants size).
              There are just so many things I enjoy eating.  Food has become something I am passionate about.  I don't think I could cook for a living, but I sure could go for being a food critic.
              Anyway, thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.

The ultimate weatherman.

           Things don't always go as we hoped and nothing is predictable.  Sure the sun rises in the morning, but can you honestly say for a certainty that you will see it.  Or even that it will shine through the clouds in the sky.  We try to predict things based on past events or even scientific principles, but we still end up surprised fairly regularly.  It isn't so much science failing us or lack of information.  It isn't even a lack of knowledge or data.  It is simply that no one can predict the future with 100% accuracy.
           This is an amazing fact to me.  No matter how hard we try, we are continually surprised by the unexpected.  A particle that does the impossible, exceeding the speed of light.  A planet where it shouldn't be.  The list could go on and on.  The reality is that no matter what we do or how much we know, we will always have something new to surprise us and even contradict us at times.  Why?  Because we are human, imperfect, and prone to error.
           The only instance of a human in recorded history to be without error is Jesus Christ.  The most interesting aspect of it all is the the number of prophecies written about him before his birth that he fulfilled.  How is it that humans were able to predict so many things about him so accurately with no history or data to base them on when we can't even predict the weather accurately with tons of data, history, scientific discoveries, etc. to aid us.  We get close sometime, but the accuracy isn't there.  Imagine if you will a weatherman that predicts exactly how much rain, to the thousandth of an inch, that you will receive in your back yard.  Would you believe him?  Would you be amazed if he was right?  I'm pretty sure that you would scoff and say lucky guess if he got it right.  Yet, Jesus's birth, life, teachings, and death were all accurately predicted hundreds of years before his birth.  Jesus himself predicted his death and resurrection, Peter's denial, his betrayer, and many other things.  Simply amazing.
         Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.

Service is an Attitude, not an action.

            This weekend was enlightening.  In the Diehards bible study we had a discussion on the 6 woes in Luke chapter 11.  Then on Sunday the sermon covered what Jesus had to say to the pharisees.  The culmination of which was an eye opener to the world of legalism within the church.  Pastor Barry did a great job of pointing out where churches go wrong.  How they elevate good ideas and practices to must haves for salvation.  The one thing I think that could be added is a simple idea and basis.  The why we do the good things we do, our motivation.
            While it is true the bible says to tithe, it is very clear on one point.  It isn't about the money or the amount, it is about the attitude.  Do you give because God orders it and thus you give exactly 10%?  Or do you give because you truly love God, want to please him, and feel that he has a better use for it and thus tend to give extra either through rounding up liberally or just giving generously?  Do you do the right thing because it is the right thing to do or because brother so and so might be watching?  Do you volunteer at church because the church may or may not need you or because the deacon board might see you?  Do you pray out loud to be heard by others or to be heard by God?
            But they are all good, what difference does the motivation make?  Simple, if the motivation is to be noticed, then it is a selfish motivation and not a Godly one.  Eventually, that person will be noticed for the wrong reason or worse, cause hurt to another Christian who has the right motivation.  Someone who does things for the right reasons and unselfish love of God, while they may eventually err, is always quick to admit their errors and will do what they must to correct them.  The selfish one will blame others.
            When you do things to be noticed, you make yourself the focus and not the task.  When serving God, the service and God must always be the focus.  Once you start focusing on yourself, you trivialize God.  That is not a good thing.    The Pharisees forgot that.  They followed the rules that elevated themselves and did things out of a look at me attitude.  This led to hypocrisy running rampant among them.  It was noticed by the people, but the Pharisees were oblivious to it.  When we make rules to follow and things to do based on good principles and then judge others by how well they adhere to our made up rules, we are asking God to humble us.  Personally, I think I would rather avoid that.  God has a way of humbling us that no of us like.  He is especially harsh with those who claim to follow him.  As one man said, "if you are a child of God, you best be on your knees praying regularly or God will bring you to your knees some other way."  Several places in the Bible state that every knee shall bow and every tongue confess, that Jesus Christ is lord.  You can do it voluntarily or have God do it for you.  Personally, I would rather do it myself and save myself the pain and embarrassment.
            Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.

Prioritize your priorities

           Have you ever sat down and sorted out your priorities?  I mean really sat down and thought about it.  I have and it became clear to me that I had my higher priorities set (God, wife, and then kids), but had simply thrown the rest into a stack called other.  That led me to wonder how I showed those priorities and where the rest of them fit in.  Which was more important, my friends or my job?  What would I do if I had to choose between them?  It takes some soul searching to really put your finger on it.
           Will we really have to make a choice between them?  Probably not, but it is an exercise that helped me to figure out my priorities (friends ended up first in that battle).  The thing is, when you know your priorities and live by them, it puts things in a new perspective.  For instance, I decided long ago, that my family was more important than any job I could ever have.  This meant they had first dibs on my time.  I did what I had to at work, but I immediately went home when the day ended.  This meant that I got passed over for promotion as I was seen as not dedicated enough to spend every waking moment at work.  I did make a few other decisions that affected it, but no one wants to help someone advance who goes home as soon as the boss says, "you're on your time now."  My family came first.  Sure, I could give them a little more money paycheck to paycheck if I got advanced, but the reality, to me, is that my time with them is more important than a little extra cash.  How could I justify working an extra 20 hours a week for an extra night out in a restaurant a month?  That's what it came down to. 
              Whether you want to admit it or not, we all look at everything through the filters of our priorities.  If your priority is making money, you will look at every thing you do and place a monetary value to it.  If it doesn't add money to your pocket and it conflicts with something that does, you will choose the one that makes you money.  This is in contrast to someone who's priority is their family that is faced with the same decision where the non money making event is family time and the other is overtime at work, the family guy will choose family.  This doesn't mean the family guy never does overtime, he just prioritizes differently.  When the family guy works overtime, it is with a specific goal in mind that is usually family centric (a vacation, Christmas gifts, etc).
              If you understand your priorities and why you appreciate them so much, it will help you in your future decisions.  The downside is that you can talk yourself into a lot of things that are contrary to your priorities if you aren't careful.  For instance, you could talk yourself into spending a large sum of money on a new car on the premise that your family deserves it when in reality a used one would work fine, save you money and not stress your checkbook.  When you look at your priorities you have to look at them from all sides.  I know I have primarily written this on the money side, but that is just because it is the easiest side to see and use.  You also have to consider the emotional, spiritual, and moral side of things.  Which is more important, working overtime for an expensive vacation or spending that time with the family and then taking a less expensive vacation?  That isn't just a question of money, it is a question of connecting with your family.  One week a year is not enough time to fully connect with your family.  It is a year round thing, at least for me it is. 
          What is your priority?  Is making money more important than helping your child with a science fair project?  Is having a night out more important than holding your spouse when they are upset?  Is washing your car more important than playing a game with your children?  We live our priorities everyday and what you choose is an indicator of that.  Don't just say that it is your priority, live it.
         Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.

How's your Check Engine light?

           On my way into work this morning, my check engine light came on.  I have no clue what it could be as I can neither feel nor hear anything wrong.  This led me to the realization that the check engine light isn't there just to tell me when something is wrong, but also when something is going wrong.  It lets you know that something is not as it should be before it leads to something more expensive and damaging.  At least I hope that is what it does.
           The interesting thing is, we humans have a check engine light of sorts.  We call it our conscience.  It lets us know when we are doing something wrong.  And just like the check engine light in your car, you can choose to ignore it or you can choose to fix it.  The problem we run into is we tend to ignore the check engine light until it does so much damage the repair is costly and painful. 
             We, as humans, don't like to admit when we were wrong.  We are stubborn and hard headed.  It is easier to try and justify what we did or cover it up in a web of lies.  The problem with these two approaches is that, either way, you don't fix the problem.  We are still wrong and have to live with our consciences until we make it right.  With a car we take our check engine light to a mechanic to get it checked out and repaired.  We can do the same thing with ours and the mechanic for our check engine light is the best there is since he made each of us.  Yes, I am talking about God.  He will forgive us as well as cleanse us.  He gives us strength and guidance and so much more.  It isn't easy but it is actually very cheap.  In fact it is a free gift.  The only thing you have to do is accept it. 
            "But that means I have to quit doing some of the things I like to do," you say.  That is part of repenting.  You admit to your sins and that they are sins.  This means that you recognize what you are doing is wrong.  The only question is, "if you know it is wrong and you need rescue from it, why would you want to do it again?"  Sure, you should give up the wrong things you did, but this is a result of doing what is right and repenting, not a cost for it.  Think of it this way, you get your car fixed after the check engine light comes on.  The mechanic tells you that the problem was due to you driving over curbs all the time.  Concerned about making your car last longer, you stop driving over curbs.  Was that a cost, or correcting the error of your ways?  You see, changing what you do is not a cost of salvation, but a result and a correction.  It means giving up immediate gratification for lasting salvation.  It means giving up the now for the later. 
             So, have you had your check engine light looked at by the mechanic?  Or are you ignoring it, hoping it gets better? 
             Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.

Learning about Later.

           Ever wonder what goes through the heads of your kids?  Ever sit back and ask yourself what just happened?  Have you had those situations where you aren't exactly sure how you ended up in your current situation?  If not, then we all envy you or you just haven't figured out how to tell the truth.  Either way, you need help.
          To answer the first, you have to understand that kids haven't learned that there is such a thing as later.  Later to them means ask again as soon as we turn our back.  Later means never if we don't keep asking.  It doesn't mean, well, later.  The importance of that fact is that kids don't worry about later when an "opportunity" presents itself.  If it looks fun, interesting, or different, then the answer is always go for it.  Why?  Because there is no later to worry about.  Thus, thinking is not required.  One of our jobs as parents is to each our kids that later exists.  In this day and age, that job is a lot harder.  Instant searches, emails, text messaging, Skype, the Internet, and 24 hour news all feed the now attitude.  Why wait, get it now.
          This leads to the second question, what just happened?  This isn't due to inattention so much as distraction and the ability of kids to do amazingly complex and stupid things at astounding speeds.  Take yesterday for example.  My 10 year old was doing his homework in his room and my 4 year old was next to him playing with a Nerf gun.  The gun in question was one of the mid range models that has a magazine and takes a decent amount of strength to cock.  I saw him playing with it and thought, "there is no way this can end badly."  Mistake #1.  I then went back to cooking supper.  Mistake #2.  Two seconds later, I hear my 4 year old yell and start crying.  I run to the room and my 10 year old informs me that, not only did my 4 year old manage to cock the gun, he managed to hold it back long enough to open the de-jamming hatch and get his finger caught in it as the cocking mechanism slid forward.  After a couple minutes of crying, we got him calmed down.  He then made sure all of his brothers saw his owie and told them how much it hurt.  Then a minute later, he full on tackles his older brother.
           Which leads to question #3, How did we end up in this situation?  There really is no satisfactory answer to that question.  Think about it.  Are you really ready to admit that it was through a series of stupid decisions and miscalculations?  That is usually how you end up in those situations.  I could go into detail on a personal situation, but I think that you can figure that out for yourself.  Besides, I really don't want to relive that series of events.  Let's just say, getting home was interesting as was the intense headache that followed.
         The great thing about all this is it teaches us things.  At least for the immediate future.  I am sure my 4 year old won't be putting his finger in the clearing hatch on a Nerf gun for at least the next few days.  That doesn't mean he learned about later, just that he learned that putting your finger in that location hurts.  I think later is about perspective.  It takes years to learn the difference between a 10 minute later and a 10 week later.  We can tell our kids all about consequences and results, but unless they learn the concept of later, consequences don't mean a thing.  I try and teach my boys later every chance I get.  "Dad, can we have dessert?"  "Later."  Dad, can we go to (friends) house?"  "Later."  "Dad, can we watch a movie?"  "Later."  I really do love that word.  It is vague and yet conveys a conciseness necessary for the training of children.  At some point I will make sure I share the secret of that word, but I have a few years for that.  I guess I'll write more later.
          Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.

What makes a great weekend.

           What a great weekend!  The weather was awesome (we actually had two days of sunlight in a row).  The time with the family was great and it was the Easter celebration.  In all it was wonderful.  let me break down how it went.
            I got home from duty Saturday morning and was able to enjoy a bath.  We got the boys to clean house (the wife and I did dishes and other chores while they worked) and were able to relax after lunch.  I then had softball practice at 2:30 (which turned out to be 3:00) and that became a scrimmage.  It was a great time.  Then we got home and went out for date night.  That makes any day great.  Anytime I get to spend 4 hours alone with my wife without worrying about my boys is a great time.
           Sunday morning came around I I got to work.  I was the coordinator for cooking the brunch for those serving during the morning services (about 200 people).  I was in charge of getting the food and making sure it got cooked and served.  I had a great group of people working for me and it went great.  We had a ton of food left over and everyone got fed.  I was happy with how it went.  I was also worn out when it was over.  the boys then invited a few friends over and we did an Easter egg hunt at our place and had a good time there.  Over all it was a great day.
           Then today happened.  So far, I woke up late and was about 30 minutes late to work and I have 2 appointments today.  The first is for my eyes (I need new glasses) and the second is for my Shoulder ( I need a new one of those as well, but I think I will end up with Motrin instead).  Either way it should be interesting. 
            Over all, I have to say this weekend was the best I've had in a while.  Not to many arguments and in all it was a good time.
             Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.

What do I believe about the gay community and God.

            I understand that the following commentary will be controversial to many.  I also understand that if you only read the first paragraph or two it will probably anger, confuse, or insult you.  All ask is that if you start reading it, you finish it.  It was written as a whole and should be read as such.  To pick it apart based on a single paragraph is to do an injustice.  That being said, I stand by what I have written.
            There has been a recent resurgence of posts denouncing the Christian stance toward the gay community.  One of the more notable ones proclaims that we as Christians tend to decide who we will be Christians toward.  I find this reprehensible and, unfortunately true in many cases.  The problem isn't that we are hateful and mean, it's that we tend to confuse the sin with the person.  You see, we are directed to try to be like God.  To hate the things he hates and love what he loves.  God loves all people and wants all people to come to him.  God also hates all sin.  So how do we reconcile the difference between sin and people?  The simple answer is, we don't.  We have to leave that up to God.
           That doesn't mean that we have to accept sin.  The bible is very clear on how to react toward unrepentant sinners.  We are to love them and care for them, but at the same time, we are to direct them in his ways.  If they become hostile to us, we are to leave them be as they have hardened their hearts and have rejected God's love and forgiveness.
           That being said, where do we stand on the gay community?  With the above in place we have to separate ourselves from the gay community as they tend to revel in their sin.  Let's not kid ourselves, the bible clearly states that gay sex is a sin (read Romans 1:26-32).  This doesn't mean that we should spew hateful messages about God's wrath or not minister to them in hopes that they will come to God, it means that we should not do anything that would indicate we support their sin just as we should not protect someone who stole our car.  Both are sins and to condone either is a sin in and of itself. 
          If I were to offer one piece of advice it would be this, treat all people with love and respect at all times.  This includes those we see as living in sin.  This includes those who hate us.  This includes those that "rub us the wrong way."  It isn't easy and never will be.  We have to share our testimony and show them that Christians aren't hateful bigots.  We have be clear in how we treat others what it means to love the sinner but hate the sin. 
           Too many Christians forget this and see the sinner as the sin.  The bible is also clear on that.  When you decide the sin and the sinner are inseparable, you act as their judge.  Romans 2 states, "1 Therefore, anyone of you who judges is without excuse. For when you judge another, you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, do the same things.  2 We know that God's judgment on those who do such things is based on the truth.  3 Do you really think-anyone of you who judges those who do such things yet do the same-that you will escape God's judgment? "  The thing to remember is that, to God, all sin is the same, disobedience to him.  Reading the bible has taught me that, to God, lying and murder are both sins and deserve the same punishment, death and separation from God.  So if murder and lying receive the same punishment so do any other sin such as theft or homosexuality.  Degrees of sin is a human concept.  When you judge another on their sins, you place yourself above them as though you have no sin.  I don't know anyone who hasn't sinned.  Even my pastor admits that he has sinned.  The difference is, whether you confess it or not.
            I could continue on and on, but the reality is this, either you believe or you don't.  Either you accept what I have written or you don't and continuing on will add nothing else.  As always I welcome comments and debate as long as it is respectful and not hate filled.  If I offended you, I can't help that, I meant what I wrote.

Three days of friends means a happy exhaustion.

            So I had a busy weekend.  Initial plans had us hanging out with friends Friday night and Sunday night.  That changed Friday night while we were entertaining the first of our friends.  Another friend called to see if we were busy and wanted to get together so we invited them over for Saturday night.  That made last night the first night we were able to get the kids to bed at a decent time since last Thursday.  I am still tired.  It was a good time and worth it though.  I do look forward to passing out in bed this evening.
            I am currently in the midst of planning brunch for 200 people and finding that it is a huge deal.  What makes it even more wild is, not only the fact that this is my first time leading such a deal, but it is the first time I have been in charge of something so huge.  I have some plans in the works for it, and I keep finding more and more that needs doing.  I meet with the church secretary today to finalize a few of the details and figure out exactly what I will need.  We'll get it done.
         Other than that, not much is going on.  I find that I am falling behind on answering my boys questions so I will try and answer the next one today.  I still have a few things left to do before that, but I should get to it. 
         Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.