I really enjoy writing. Since my journey in blogging began on April 17, 2007, I have published nearly 600 posts which mainly center on two topics: Bible Commentary and Real Life Stories. The Bible Commentary section of this blog started as a challenge to myself about being more consistent in studying God’s word and also developing something for my own kids to be able to use one day in their own journey through the Bible. This personal study of the Bible has been an exciting part of my spiritual growth over the past few years and hopefully into the future. My goal is to finish my thoughts on the New Testament by the beginning of 2010 and then start my trek through the Old Testament, which I’m certain will take several years.

The second part of my blogging adventure began on March 8, 2008, when I created a new dimension to my blog by incorporating random thoughts and real life stories with spiritual applications. This usually turns into an attempt to view everyday life with a sense of humor while providing a chance for personal reflection.

Considering all the reasons I write, there is one particular truth that I hope you do not miss. Thousands of years ago God created people to be like Him and have a relationship with Him (Genesis 1:27); however, the first two human beings were deceived by a fallen angel, Lucifer, and their disobedience brought sin into the world (Genesis 3:1-13; Romans 5:12). God had already warned Adam that breaking His commandment would result in death (Genesis 2:16-17), but Adam ignored the consequence for sin and chose his own way. Because God loved man (John 3:16), His prized creation, He immediately promised them a future deliverer who would conquer sin and death (Genesis 3:15). Thousands of years later God sent His only Son, Jesus, who was born of the virgin Mary to become this deliverer from sin and death through sacrificing His own life on the cross (Matthew 1:18-25). Since death is the only way to pay for sin, man now has two possibilities to pay this penalty: either man can pay for his own sins through physical death and eternity in hell (Revelation 20:11-15) or he can repent of sin and receive by faith that Jesus’ death was in place of his own and that His resurrection guaranteed eternal life in heaven (Romans 10:9-10; 2 Corinthians 5:21).

Jesus is why I blog. He has provided new and eternal life to all who repent of sin and believe in Him; therefore, I use my words to hopefully point people to the benefits of living life God’s way.

Saturday was full of adventures for our family, but nothing was quite as exciting and exhilarating as our search for a bird bath; of course, I am being sarcastic. My wife came up with this brilliant idea of purchasing a bird feeder for our backyard as well as a bird bath to bathe the winged creatures. We visited our local PetSmart and immediately found what we needed, but the bird bath was a little expensive, in my opinion, so, we decided to check out a couple stores across the street but had no luck. Instead of returning to PetSmart, Leah and I thought of some other stores which may carry bird baths, but no success at any of those either. After driving around for well over an hour, we returned to our starting point and purchased the bird bath. I told Leah, “For all the time it took us to gather these things for the birds, it better attract eagles, hawks, vultures, condors, and penguins!” So far we’ve had no flying fowl quite that size – just a couple sparrows and some robins. I still have my fingers crossed for some bigger birds!

Over the last few days our entire family has enjoyed watching as the feeder has attracted a handful of birds. Although the feeder has not initially brought as many birds as we had expected, we know that time will bring more. We are convinced that the key to attracting more birds is to offer them something which sustains life.

The modern day church has many avenues to “attract” people; however, it must not forget that its first priority is to offer hope and life through Jesus Christ. It was Jesus who said, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).

Lately my son has been coming up with the most random topics of discussion. Apparently at school today, one of his friends was discussing a unibrow. Since he could not remember what it was called, tonight he asked me, “What is it called when a person’s eyebrows are joined in the middle?” As a father, I was proud to have the answer to this life-changing question. I’m not sure where I picked up this useless information, but I know I’ve met quite a few people sporting the unibrow – males and females.

At dinner tonight, we had another random discussion about how he would escape if a fire was blocking all the doors in the house. Initially my wife told him, “Just jump out any window. I would rather you break your legs than not to have you at all.” By the way, our house is two stories and I’m not even sure if I would jump from the second floor, but then again, I’ve never been face to face with a raging fire either. In response to Leah’s answer to his question, he brought up the fact that he doesn’t know how to open the windows. Good point. Personally, I was stumped, but Leah quickly spoke up saying, “I would do anything I could to save you. Don’t worry.” This answer seemed to satisfy him. I guess it’s a good thing to have someone nearby who is willing to give up their life in order to save yours.

Know anyone like that?

“For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

I got my driver’s license the week I turned sixteen years old and up until last year, I had never been pulled over for speeding. For seventeen years, my driving record remained clean, but everything changed last Memorial Day weekend (2008) when our family skipped town and headed to Columbus, Ohio for a much-needed vacation. We were not even an hour into the trip when I was clocked (from a helicopter) going 70mph in a 55mph zone, which resulted in an $80 ticket. I hated every moment of it especially because my wife was loving the fact that it was me being pulled over instead of her. Let’s just say her driving record is not as clean as mine. The kids were also in the backseat laughing and saying, “Daddy, you got pulled over by a policeman! Daddy, you got pulled over by a policeman! Look at the flashing lights.” Over the last year, I have attempted to speed less, but most of the time I’m oblivious to my disregard for the speed limit.

Well, this past Memorial Day weekend (2009) marked my one year anniversary of being ticket free; however, the celebration was cut short as I made my way to work early Thursday morning. I’m sure I was singing praises to God in the car until I noticed flashing lights in my rear view mirror. Singing praises turned to desperate prayers as I pleaded for the guy next to me to get pulled over rather than me. My prayer was quickly shot down and I reluctantly pulled into a small parking lot. Of course, my prayers resumed as I fumbled around in my glove compartment (anyone know why it is called a glove compartment) to find all the pertinent information. A very tall and muscular officer whose arms were as big as my legs approached my car and asked me a few questions:

1. Do you know what the speed limit is here? Yes. 40mph

2. Do you how fast you were going? I have no idea.

3. When is the last time you got a ticket? One year ago.

Following the brief interrogation, the officer returned to his car as I awaited my fate. A few minutes later he came back to my window with paper in hand and said, “I’m giving you a warning…” blah, blah, blah. After he said that he was only giving me a warning, I didn’t hear anything else he said. The only “pastoral” thing I could think to say was, “That is very gracious of you. Thank you.” In my mind, I really wanted to jump out and give him a big hug, but better judgment overcame me. I figured he wouldn’t understand the bromance.

As I think about the officer’s actions, I am reminded of my own standing before God. The guilty receives grace even though he does not deserve it. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

On my way home from work the other day, I pulled into my neighborhood and as I was making my way through the streets my eye caught something on the side of the road. At first the only thing which defined it was the color – red. I slowed down and began gazing inquisitively at what seemed kind of odd to be on the roadside. What the heck was a decorative pillow doing on the side of the road? For real…when does a person decide, “I don’t want this pillow anymore, so I think I’ll throw it out the window?” I have to be honest. This is not the first weird thing I’ve seen on the roadside. My favorite roadside object ever is a mattress. Anyone else confused about a mattress being on the side of a well-traveled road? How could you not realize that you just lost a mattress strapped to the top of your car or flying out the bed of your truck? Come on, people! There are some things which are mysteriously out of place.Many times I feel out of place…like I don’t belong where I am. I look around our world and see all the crazy stuff happening – the hotly-debated presidential election, the failing economy, and the insane atrocities happening in other countries such as poverty, disease, and genocide. Is this what I was made for? Am I supposed to feel good about being here? Peter wrote to hurting believers in the early church and reminded them that they would feel out of place. He writes, “Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation” (1 Peter 2:11-12). Although, as followers of Christ, we may feel like we do not belong here, Peter challenges us to live righteous and have gracious conduct before a lost world. How can this be accomplished? Remember that earth is not the final dwelling place for those who have faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ for their sins. Our hope is in a place where “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4). But while I am here, I want tell others how they also can have forgiveness of sin and hope because “God is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

Last night I had a meeting with a family who has been attending The Summit for several weeks. After the appointment, I jumped in my car and headed back to my house. When I got on the main road, I thought to myself “I don’t think my lights are on.” Since it was not fully dark yet, I ignored my thoughts and just kept driving. I even turned off of the main road onto the interstate driving another seven miles before I exited. As I got closer to home darkness had set in and now my earlier thoughts were confirmed – my lights were NOT on. I quickly turned them on so I would not end up in the obituaries the following day! When I finally arrived at home the thought hit me that not one person flashed their lights at me as a warning to turn my lights on. I probably passed a hundred cars or more on my journey home. I know what you are thinking…Tom, didn’t you receive the e-mail about the gang related killings where hopeful gang members ride around with their lights off and the first person who flashes their lights as a warning must be killed. I did receive that e-mail along with other e-mails which declare your hatred for Jesus if you do not forward. DELETE! My apologies if you sent me those e-mails. I began to think. How many people do I pass every day without warning them? The warning I am speaking of is not an automobile thing, but a Jesus thing. All of us should be witnesses (Acts 1:8) of Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross which paid the penalty for sin (1 Corinthians 15:1-7) and His miraculous resurrection which guarantees our eternal life. We are quick to speak about the failing economy, gas prices, presidential candidates, and the new fall season of our favorite show; however, we are scared to talk about the one Person which gives people hope. Don’t get me wrong…I stink at this. I know what it means to be a coward. I know what it means to fear rejection. I know what it means to be fearful of what others may think. Do I really believe that “God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved” and “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” (John 3:17,36)? If I do, I need to start warning others. How about you?