The Dark Side of People

It has been said that tolerance is a two way street unless it offends you.  I struggle daily with pain and I do tend to blow up when things don't go my way.  Blow up is not the right terminology but I'm keeping it in here.  Look we all dislike things if they don't go our way but if we acknowledge that and put faith in God to help us fix those problems He will.  It bothers me when people decide they need to talk about others in a "holier than thou" fashion.  Despite all of that the issue that is truly bothersome is the fact that people need to let their "holier than thou" selves take over when they are in a church setting.

I am not talking about problems with Scripture or the word of God, instead the real problem is with those that feel the need to talk about others following a sermon.  While it is true that we all have our spout off moments it is also true that we have to remind ourselves about people in glasshouses throwing the first stone.  It's incredulous to think that people are talking about others in such a fashion but then do in the party of children, the children of OTHERS is repulsive.

I am the first person to acknowledge that I am a sinner, I have asked God to help me, to forgive me and I believe I have been forgiven BUT I make mistakes and I know I do.  I try to live in his Spirit and overcome the sins I have perpetrated.  I do however take umbrage to those that feel it is necessary to run others down in the setting of a church proceeding.

I pray that God will forgive me for my own sin of feeling anger about the issue and I ask that the person doing the "spouting off" will ask God for forgiveness of his sins too and that he will rectify, resolve and understand how Unchristian they are being through their actions and comments. 

Faith

Today is yet another day in the life of me.  I have put my faith and trust in God and he will give me what I need when I need it.  That's a difficult concept but I know it's true.

September 11th

Anniversaries are a reminder of important events and today is no different.  Thirteen years ago the world was stunned by the attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and the crash of Flight 93.  On the day that those attacks occurred I, as well as the entire company I worked for watched in horror as the attacks happened and as the buildings fell.  I was devastated, I was angry, and I was full of hate.  On my way home that night I prayed.  I prayed for the men, women and children that were killed by the terrorists and then I prayed for justice.  My prayers for those lost in the attacks and justice for them and the Nation as a whole were angry, I knew that but then I asked God to forgive the attackers for their actions.  I prayed for them, I prayed that God would have mercy on their souls as well as those that helped perpetrate the actions and those that planned it.

I knew that my hate wasn't something to be proud of, nor was it something God would approve of.  I knew that God could forgive them of their terrible sins so as I thought about my actions and emotions I prayed that He would forgive me too.  I prayed in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and I asked that he would forgive me and that he would remind me every time I would say something terrible about the terrorists, the murderers if you will, and that I would ask for his forgiveness.

Human beings are odd creatures because we know when we do something wrong and we have the ability to remember the event.  I do have those days where the anger about the attacks can become debilitating because of the pent up anger and still to this day I am reminded of my request I did in His name.  I've been watching all of the coverage and programs regarding the events on September 11th this entire week and my anger has been building. 

As I went onto Facebook today I saw all of the tributes I was reminded of those words I prayed thirteen years ago.  Although the words of that prayer have been forgotten, I remember what I prayed for.  I looked through my heart and I asked for forgiveness for my anger and hatred once again and I know that I have been forgiven once again.  I pray that justice has been achieved for all of those that were involved in making this event happen and I pray for mercy from God the Father for each and everyone of them.  I pray for the victims and their families that they can find peace in God and that they know him and seek him in their hour of need.

Thank you Lord for reminding me of this day and thank you for teaching me the truth, love and forgiveness through your son, my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

I Am So Confused

I really have struggles with the things I am learning as I read my "One Year Bible".  I've read it once before completely and I am probably a year into it again but my struggles are with the differences between the Old and New Testaments.

Do They Know It's Christmas?

As I was driving this evening I was listening to XM Radio when the (in)famous Christmas based cry for global help simply known as "Do They Know It's Christmas?" made its presence known.  That little blast of reality made me think back to a time that had me firmly entrenched as a junior in high school but it opened my eyes to the past and forced me to think back.

Pain and trust

I have a member of my family, a 14 year old cousin to be exact, that has several types of cancer, and although she is being treated, it seems like she takes one step forward and 450 steps back.  Cancer is evil.  How can anyone think that cancer isn't?  How can a man see such suffering and still have faith?

The Death of a Nightmare

My Mom can still tell me where she was when she heard that John F. Kennedy was killed, and I can still remember where I was when the Space Shuttle exploded, those dates are indelibly etched into our memories.  I remember where I was when the attacks on September 11, 2001 occurred and I remember feeling, much like everyone else in the Nation did, anger, hatred and disbelief.  That evening I did something on my way home that still sticks with me, and I remember it every day.