CHRISTMAS IN TENNESSEE!

Wow ... Mary, Malachi, and I are in Tennessee for Christmas!  It is so beautiful down here!  You'all should come and visit!

Last night we went to a "dinner show."  Towards the end of the show the father walks his child over to the manger scene and tells his daughter, as he points to Jesus, this is the real meaning of Christmas.  And then for 10 minutes or more we sang the "real" Christmas songs - the ones that are actually about Jesus!  It was amazing - I thought I was in church.  Then I thought - "This would never happen in NY."

Things are so different in the Mid South - christianity is very much a part of the people lives.  I thank God I live in NY but there is something inspirational about seeing people sing the "real" songs of Christmas in a non-Christian event!

Anyway - enough ramblings - I pray that all of you have a GREAT Christmas!  On Christmas day, pause, and remember what Christmas is really all about - JESUS!!!

HOUSE PARTY - December 29th @ 7:30 pm - all invited!!!

SHOULD WE BAN CHRISTMAS?

I cannot believe that Macy's will not post any signs saying, "Merry Christmas."  I don't understand what is so difficult to understand.  Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Christ!  When President Grant set aside December 25th as a National holiday he did not do it for convenience.  He did it because our nation was and still is a Christian nation.  He did it to recognize and remember the birth of our Lord.

82% of Americans believe that Jesus is real and/or was the Son of God (Newsweek).

Our nation is largely Christian.  Just because a few liberal extremists want to erase Christ from our vocab doesn't mean that we should cave in.  Hey guess what - American is still conservative - just remember the election!!!

I have an idea - maybe we should BAN MACY'S ... I know they have great deals, but we should send them a message:  "If you try to erase our Christ we will gladly shop somewhere else."

IMAGE vs. INTEGRITY

I have often been perplexed by the lowered standards of the Christian community.  I often find it disturbing to see how "low" we have gone.  I consider myself to be someone who has 'balanced' his beliefs and doesn't swing the pedulum too far to either extreme.

Have we subsitituted our spiritual integrity for image?  Behavior is similiar to the world.  Beliefs are similiar to the world.  "Christianity has made little or no difference in the world today" (Josh McDowell).  Why?  Because in a lot of ways we are no different than the world.

I could be totally wrong, but I still believe that we should be "different."  We should live our lives in spiritual integrity - acting the same no matter who we are with.  I have been accused of many things through the years, but one thing that people have often commented to me on was my transparency.  This should be the goal of our lives!

I will not trade my spiritual intengrity for image anyday!  Keep the standards of right living up ... don't weaken.  Stay strong!

ALEX PIZARRO - HAPPY SWEET 16TH!!!

WHAT'S WORSE:  Boredom or busy-ness?

Otfen I have struggled as to what is worse - no life? Or too much life?  I guess you have to find the balance somewhere in the middle.  So many people often think that the busier they are the more exciting life becomes - I don't think that always true.  Others just want to relax their lives away - I don't think that's healthy either.

Find the balance - decide what is the "right" amount of time to do both!  We all must learn to relax, but we also should learn to be about the Father's business.

The Ministry of the Mundane

It seems like life is so routine.  I wake up.  I get ready.  I do my devotions.  I go to work.  I attend church services.  Each week it seems like I do the same exact thing.  So much of life seems mundane.

In the middle of the routine I realized some of the things I value most.  I enjoy time with my beautiful wife.  I play with my awesome son.  I like hanging out with my friends.  I love seeing young people changed by the person of Christ.

Life may seem so mundane, but in the middle of the "routine" God forges and refines our integrity and character.  It is there that God speaks to us and through us.  It is in the daily routine that God tests our patience and breaks our will. 

Life may seem mundane, but it is really an opportunity for us to better ourselves and allow Christ to work with us.