Hello! Happy Friday!
As I was packing to go to Texas, Lauren filled several of my kitchen towels with ice from the ice maker. I have no idea why….maybe she heard we were going somewhere warm and wanted to bring the cold with her!
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One of our Team Allegan Motorsports riders is absolutely adorable- well they all are, but this one was so funny the other day. He’s 5 years old and ripping it up in his class. He’s a natural rider and fast as fast can be. This is his first National race, and he got 2nd place even after he fell. Of course we’re all very excited and he’s getting high fives, fist bumps and lots of hugs when he comes back to the trailer. Then he looks at his Dad and with incredible enthusiasm says, “Dad, I’m just warming up for the Nationals!” He has no idea that he’s AT the Nationals!!! I mean, dealers are lining up to sign this kid, he’ll probably be in MX Magazines for this and he thinks he’s at practice. We all laughed so hard!
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Ok, here’s some-not so fluffy talk, more like a Hot Topic…
Our evenings have opened the door for some good “talking” around here lately. The conversation so often comes around to the Lord which is so cool. But, I have to tell you, I’m really grieved about something. I can’t tell you how often, and it happened again yesterday, that the conversations takes this turn…. “I used to go to church and really loved it but I got so tired of them talking about and asking for my money.”
I’m not kidding, I think it is at least half of my conversations with people not in church.
This is a great guy. Good honest person, loves his kids and family…and loved his church. UNTIL it seemed to become all about money.
How about you, have you experienced this also? I have. Maybe that’s why it bothers me so.
I know churches need money to operate, we have helped plant one church and then planted a second with my husband being senior pastor. Thankfully, we were in a position to pastor without taking a paycheck and thereby relieving a lot of the financial pressure of the church. But, I think we all know that this problem is generally not related to necessary operating expenses.
Let me step up on my soapbox now and tell you, I don’t think it will be tolerated much longer. I believe a shift is coming in the body of Christ. Forget the bells and whistles, give me what’s REAL.
People are leaving churches because of the greed…this should NOT be.
James 1:27 27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. NIV
And what about this one… James 2:2-4 2 Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. 3 If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” 4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? NIV
You know what I love about being out here? It is that, nobody pretends. It is what it is. They are real. Give me a real sinner over or fake Christian anyday.
On the other side of this…most of them leave those churches because they realize that it is not what it is supposed to be. They see the counterfeit for what it is. They know that Jesus is not like that. So, we may not be able to change all that, but we can start with ourselves…let’s live real, and let’s pray. 2 Chron 7:14 14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. NIV
Our hope is in Him!
