What the Season means to me...

Hello Everyone and Merry Christmas!

I love this time of year, being a larger person (haha), I handle the cold a little better then others and enjoy it that much more. More importantly then that, I love Christmas! The music, the gathering of family, the lights and presents under the tree. The most important part of it of all is the real reason for the season. 2000+ years ago, God thought we were worth coming to the Earth as one of us. Now, whether we celebrate on the wrong day or whatever the situation may be, or whatever the origins of some of our traditions, we are celebrating the birth of Jesus. Now, what makes that even more important is the plan that event began, the time, 33 years later, when that same precious baby hung on a Cross to enable us each to have a relationship with Him. Thank You Jesus for giving that awesome gift to us.

Now look at us, so many years later. We are fighting over whether it should be Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays that we great each other with as we interact everyday. I read Randy Alcorn's blog on a regular basis ( I would definitely suggest it, he is a great thinker as well as a wonderful author of Christian books. Here is the link http://www.randyalcorn.blogspot.com/ ) and he is regularly attacked by proclaimed believers for his THOUGHTS and COMMENTARY. Come on Church, is this bickering what we want to show the world that we are supposed to be trying to save? We believe that Jesus is part of the Trinity... God is the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. God the Father, out of Love for us, sent His Son, Jesus, down to Earth, to become One of us and to die for our sins, then, after Jesus went to be with the Father, They sent the Spirit to be our Conscience and Councilor. Through those actions, by God, we are enabled to be with Him in Heaven by acknowledging that we are sinners and accepting His sacrifice for us and inviting the Spirit to dwell in us. EVERYTHING else are matters of doctrine (invented by man and the Earthly church)! The Bible, being the Written Word of God, gives us the wayposts to follow along with the whisperings of the Spirit. The world around us sees our differences that we are so willing to argue and bicker over and laughs at us, with every right. And while they are laughing they are dieing and we continue to argue. We will be held accountable for that some day. Wake up! It is more important 'to be seeing to the least of these' then it is for us to be right or wrong about whether the Rapture has happened, will happen first or last or whenever it will happen. What about the homeless person that you pass on the street? Or are you too wrapped up in whether the government should take care of that demographic group or the church, Just Do It! Maybe Nike has it right! Is Heaven weaping over the unsaved going to Hell or the Saved church arguing about how to go about approaching the unsaved world? I think it is both and our Father is saying to us, "Come on Church, get it together!"

Meanwhile, please remember the real Reason for the season. That little Baby in Bethlehem so long ago and what awaited Him 33 years later. I love you all and hope that you have a blessed Christmas, this is my hope and my prayer. Amen.

Love,
Your Brother in Christ,
Sean

And here is the what is to be part...

My wife and I are expecting our first.  We actually just found out yesterday that he/she is going to be a he!  Mark Gavin Sims... Mark, after the writer of the Gospel and probably Peter's letters and possibly even the boy in the Garden who's clothing was lost while climbing the wall.  And Gavin?  I have no clue, it just popped up in conversation one day and we both like it.  My problem now is that I have several months of constant day-dreaming.  I know I may be premature but I want to write my son a letter...

My dearest Mark,

     As I ponder the writing of this letter before you are even born, so many images race through my mind.  I see the two of us napping on the couch on a Sunday afternoon watching football.  I see us both down on the floor playing with blocks and cars as I did when I was a little boy.

     I already know that my heart will break at every hurt that you suffer while learning about the world around you and it will leap for joy at every wonderful discover made at the same time.  I treasure the times that we will have reading a book together or even a simple game of rolling down a hill.

     Then when you are first off to school, I will be as scared of you leaving for your fist day of school as you are but I can not show it.  I will look forward to you sharing each evening the new things that you have learned and the new friends made.

     Next we will have to deal with your years of asserting your individuality.  If you give me as much trouble as I gave your grandparents I will need all the strength that God gives me!  But I hope you do well with sports and with your mind.

     And then comes the man that started as my little boy.  Making a life for himself, starting his own family, whatever the future holds.

     

     But throughout all of these stages, I hope to be faithful.  Faithful to my Lord in teaching you His love for you and all that that means.  Teaching you throughout every step of your life to conduct yourself and seek after being a Christ follower.  Then no matter into what direction you may go, you go into the world being Known as a man after God's own heart.          

    That is all I can do, that is my measure, my yardstick held against the wall to check off my worth as a Dad.  Did I take care of a family and raise a son that is a man of God?  This is my prayer for you Mark and the blessing I give you...  I pray that you will fully know the love of Christ and what He did for you.  Amen

And never forget that though your care has only been lent to me by our Father above, I will always love you.

Your Earthly Father

The world and what is to be...

There are two things I want to talk about tonight.  I will put one of them in this post and the next item so that whoever looks at this can choose which item they would like to read...

The first is an article I read tonight.  Usually, I keep myself out of the whole political arena.  I vote for whomever I want to vote for and then I do not make outside comments about it.  In preparation for 2008, I need to take a stand.  Now the stand that I take may not be popular and I may here about it for this but here I go.

My vote is for Mike Huckabee.  My reasons are simple, I believe that I will one day answer to God for choices that I make.  I already have much that will be paraded before me but will be washed away by Jesus' sacrifice.  This puts me in the position of now being responsible for choices versus being ignorant before.  I can not support a brazen adulterer, or a murderer of children, or someone that was, until politically expedient, a murderer of children, or someone that believes in their own cultish version of 'christianity' (commas and lower case c intentional).  This conscience that guides me shows me a man that, though not perfect, also believes in giving God the control over our daily lives that He deserves.

Now, tonight, online I read an article that could be potentially damaging.  'Huckabee supports the submission of wives!'.  I feel so sorry for the world sometimes.  Yes, I am sure that Huck and his wife believe in this.  If they did not, I would not feel the same about him.  I can hear it now...

'I am not only a religious bigot, now I am a religious bigot AND sexist/chauvinistic!'

What the world has done to one of the most beautiful passages in scripture is ridiculous.  Yes, the passage calls for wives to submit to their husbands, but, and the next part is so often left out of politically correct conversations, those same husbands are called to love their wives AS Christ loves the Church!  This is not a love that abuses or beats or takes advantage of the other person.  This is a love that serves and respects and cherishes the other person.  A love that serves even to the point of offering His own life for the good of the other!  This is the submission and love that the Bible talks about, a relationship of mutual respect and sacrifice for each other, and there is no belittling, how can there be when TOGETHER, the two of you are growing TOWARDS Christ!

But, what will the world do with this message?  Who knows, if they keep the same track record, this will be devastating.  But, if somehow a voice cries out for the good of all, maybe the Governor will pull it out.  I can only pray!

So, look at this. I am managing to write a second time within seven days... I'm on a roll!!!

I look around at all the people living in the little town that I live in.  These people sadden me immensely.  The majority of them have no light shining from them.  They are so wrapped in their pursuit of the next dollar or keeping up with the rest of the socialites or making sure that they exceed the expectations of their class.  See I live in a moneyed area of the country and they all wander around with no idea that building up these false walls will gain them nothing in the end.  I am told that my ideals and goals are foolish and immature.  I need to take my focus off of others and focus only on me.  Make sure I'm looking out for myself first and trust no one.  

How can all these people live like that?  What warmth does a pile of money give off?  Where is the loyalty and trust and love between people that will throw each other to the wolves at the first sign of wavering?

I am so thankful that God blessed me with the surrounding that He did, but, it gets lonely in the wilderness as well.  Daily I need to lean on the Lord for my support and strength.

And now for round two... ha, ha!

Hello everyone out there on the other side of my Mac! I have decided that I would try again.  I know it took me forever to do this post after my first one, but I am going to try harder this time!

So, what is on my mind today? I guess I am trying my best to be patient.  If anyone took the time to read my last book... er, I mean blog, you would see that I have a situation that I put myself in. I pray always for my wife, I want so much for us to be on even ground and for both of us to be Christ followers.  I worry so much, especially with a baby on the way.  With two totally different viewpoints on the world around us, what is this child going to be able to figure out as far as what they believe.  

Don't get me wrong, the Spirit has been speaking to Margaret's heart and I am so happy when I see the Truth starting to glimmer in her eyes.  Then, all of the sudden, she is running the other way at a hundred miles per hour!  God's timing is not my timing I know this.  In my humanness though, I find myself pushing my foot through the floorboard trying to pump in more fuel.

It is those times that I need to step back.

It is those times that I need to take a deep breath.

It is those times that I need to look at Creation around me.

It is those times I need to remember Who is in control of everything.

And, it is those times that I need to fall to my knees and give up the reigns, once again!