November

Note: At the very bottom of the page is a new section to communicate training and events for SICR. More to come...

Not that every day shouldn't be one of thanksgiving, but seems even more appropriate this month.

What are you thankful for? Do me a favor, take a moment to think about that today, and not just the easy answers, you know, family, job, salvation, etc. Stop and think about it a bit. I'll challenge you to say a prayer of thanksgiving every day this month.

Tonight finds me in Branson, MO. As has become my norm for saving the company a few dollars, I fly into Fayetteville, AR and drive 2.5 hours to Branson. The alternative being to fly into Springfield, MO and driving 45 minutes at approximately triple the airfare. So I take the cheaper flight and longer drive. The drive I enjoy, through the Ozarks, with no cell phone service to interrupt the beauty around me.

Today my pleasant drive was interrupted when I fell victim to a larger (read more powerful) than usual rental car, a small town (maybe 1500 people) police officer, and a speed limit that dropped from 55 to 30 for all of 1/4 of a mile. Yes I've sped before, yes on the interstate I run somewhere between 72 and 77 depending on the 65-70 mph limits in my surrounding states, but this time I wasn't even aware of the speed limit. I saw the sign and the cop all at the same time, and with him clocking me while approaching me head on, well, I was toast.

I broke the law, unknowingly and unintentionally, but I did. It's a hard pill to swallow a $100 ticket, but I can't argue that I was in the wrong. I want to yell that I'm a good guy, I try to drive safely, I respect Officers and work hand in hand with them in several locales, but all my good intentions don't erase the fact that I broke the law.

It's a tougher pill to swallow that without Jesus Christ as a personal Savior, the punishment is eternal seperation from God. Hell, if you want it put bluntly in "hell fire and brimstone" context.

We want to think that good people have a shot at heaven, we want to rationalize our own actions and think that picking up an Angel Tree Ornament (which I encourage you to do) makes up for the sin(s) we commit, but the Bible teaches us different.

Romans 3:23 (New International Version)
23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans 9:30-32 (New International Version)
30What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; 31but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. 32Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works...

This might be a hard fact to swallow, because we all know some "good" people who haven't accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior, maybe you're reading this and you don't have a personal relationship with Jesus.

I'm not sure the words I should type to wrap up this post, as it is a bit askew of what I started out to post, but to those of you who read this and can attest to the fact that Jesus is your personal Savior, share that with those around you. If you've read this post and you don't have a relationship with him, but want to know how or have questions, please feel free to contact me, or either of the guys at the blogs over in the column-EHBC, Scotty, Todd.

For today (Friday) I'm thankful for each of you who have taken the time to read my rants and ramblings and who have encouraged me to keep writing something. Thanks