No, I am not preaching. I am sharing.

I learned a while back that when people talk about something and they are referring to other people such as "lots of people don't like talking about money," that usually they should insert the word "I" in place of "people." Of course, you can't make that a blanket statement because I might say, "people like the Yankees." And well, the word "I" can't be used there! Hahah! (Truth be told, I don't hate the Yankees anymore. Not since game 7 of '04. October 20th, 2004 to be exact. But who's counting right? I don't root for them, but I don't hate them.)
Actually, I think that God blessed me with the gift of forgiveness when I became a Christian. I shudder to think of how much hate I carried with me for years. In the first 7 or so years after I graduated high school, I basically became friendless because I couldn't forgive anyone and over time, my sinful mind would only build up resentment and lies in my own head. Man, I could justify ANYTHING. Two of my closet friends in the world, Shane Leonard and Mitch Callahan had to endure me not speaking to them for years as I acted like some 4-year-old child angry with the boy who got the blocks first. Sorry boys! "Thank you Lord for putting those two back in my life." Both were actually there with me and my wife the night I became a Christian at the Billy Graham Crusade in 2000.

For those of you who read last week's blog about me making it a point to share the Good News with someone on my list, well, this week I made contact. He was busy, so it was brief but we got the ball rolling. For the sake of not wanting to offend anyone, I will be as vague as I can while still giving you the rundown. Please pray for this task I am on. Please pray for me to have perseverance because you know "some people" have the best of intentions but get sidetracked.

Oh, by the way, every morning I am praying for those people on YOUR list and for you to have the courage to fight through whatever excuse you have allowed to be bigger than possibly saving a soul for eternity. "Jesus, of course you already know this, but I must confess that I never told 'Mr. Lost Soul' about you because...well, he cussed a lot and had a lot of anger and I felt uncomfortable around him. Like he would reject me and not like me anymore. Yea...I guess you can relate to that, huh? So, I guess I choose to keep my relationship with him and that may have stopped him from having one with you. Yea, that doesn't sound too fair does it?"