Okay, here we go...

Hello everyone,
Well I set the new blog up it is still under construction though. Feel free to stop by and take a look, here is the address http://sdsims.wordpress.com/ . I do want to keep in touch with everyone that stops in here so please come over and see me. I will keep this blog open for anyone that comes through later. Eventually I will get all of this content transfered over as well.

Stay tuned...

Okay, for the very few people that read this blog. I am going to switch over to another blog site. I opened the blog but do not have it set up yet. I will let everyone know exactly when everything will be over there. It is going to be over at Wordpress. Some friends of mine are over there and I really like the look and features available.

How far should we go?

How far is too much? I realize that, as a Christian, I am not to think of myself, to place myself last and serve others first. I do this because our example on the life we are to live, Jesus, told us that this is how we are supposed to live and modeled that way of life for us while He was here on Earth.

But, does there come a time when serving others becomes presenting myself as a welcome mat for others to walk on? Is there a difference? I mean Jesus served with all He had, including His life, for all of us. There were also times when He expressed indignation and anger (think confronting Pharisees and overturning tables in the temple courts).

Now, I enjoy serving people around me. But, when those same loved ones and friends do not acknowledge that service for what it is and only see my actions as being a pushover, is that counter-productive? I know all of the thoughts that our way of addressing the world will be seen as weak to begin with because we have different ways of viewing life and our reason for being here and what we have to look forward to at a later time. I have no issue with that expectation, but, is there a line that is too far?

Just some random musings and thoughts, but I would like to hear feedback on this one.

I'm back...

It was actually quite the disappointing week!  I spent my entire time away from home as sick as a dog!  I actually missed some of the events at the conference I went to for work because of how miserable I felt.  Then, once I made it home, we received a phone call from the ski area that we were going to inform us that the mountain would be closed for the majority of our trip!  Well, that was cancelled and my wife and I and my in-laws ended up going to their beach house a little further north in Connecticut.  It ended up being exactly what I needed to recuperate, I spent some major down time with chicken noodle soup and a good book.  

The main thing that I was hoping for over this week never even materialized.  I didn't have the chance to speak even once on anything about Christianity.  I guess it wasn't the right time for me or for any of my companions over the past week.  The good thing about being sick was being able to have some really break-through quiet times.

In preperation for being away for an entire week...

I am sitting here at my desk, working on a Saturday. Actually, as you can tell, I am not actually working, but, I have been working when I really wish that I was home packing. I am going to be gone next week. I am leaving tomorrow at noon to head down to Ephrata, Pennsylvania for a Kitchen Cabinet conference. I will be down there until 3:30 on Tuesday, then I drive back home. I am really looking forward to this trip, I will be driving down with one of my co-workers, a co-worker who has had a lot of questions about Spiritual things recently. I really hope that God would see fit to give me the chance to introduce this kid to Jesus. Or at least to help him along a little further towards him. I don't know, I just want to be available.
Then, on Wed. I will be going up to Canada with my wife and in-laws for a long weekend of skiing. I am looking forward to that as well, because of the temperate winter we had in the Northeast last year, I only got to ski once last year. As far as the Spiritual side of things I wouldn't mind a break-through on this front as well. My wife, still tired of my 'religious stuff'. My father-in-law, thinks that my views, because they are counter to his competitive business side, are the most niave ideas he has ever heard. And my mother-in-law? She was raised catholic and because of different edicts sent out by the Vatican, is vehemently against anything that has to do with organized religion. Tough crowd!
So, here I am with fear in my heart before we even start out. Who do I represent? Some timid false idealogy that is not worth anyone's time? No, I am a follower of the One, True God. The Creator of everything! If He is for me, who can stand against me? God is at work all the time, whether I be worshiping with a crowd of believers or alone in the car with some sceptics. Come on, Seanie boy! Buck up! Pray and more praying!

I wish I could help...

I was driving home from gathering in the materials necessary to satisfy my wife's pregnant ice cream craving.  Across the speakers in my car comes, Stephen Curtis Chapman's "All I Really Want For Christmas".  It is a song set in the recitation of an orphan child's letter to Santa stating that all he wanted for Christmas was a home and family.  It was not the first time that I had heard this song, I have even seen the video, but, for some reason, tonight, while on the 5 minute drive from Baskin Robbins to my house I burst into tears.  It actually came to the point of needing to pull over and stop the car.  My heart was breaking over the thought of all of those children that celebrated Christmas this year away from a family or not having a home.

I was overwhelmed with the desire to take each and every one of those children into my home and my heart.  I pray that God would use me to help at least one of these children at some time.  We try so hard to stop the death of the unborn, ask that they be given a chance, whether it be in their home or someone else's, but do we work just as hard at making sure that those children given a chance at life, then have a chance at the Real Life?  I know I don't.  I stand on my soapbox and preach a good message when given the opportunity but then what have I done for those little ones?  I am not asking everyone to go out and adopt 10 children this moment (unless you really want to :) ) but what can each of us do to help, there must be something.

I would like to adopt someday.  My wife and I are expecting our first right now.  After that I do not know what the Lord has in store for us, I am excited to find out though.  In the meantime, can I be a Big Brother, can I offer my time to a home, can I share a meal?  Will I be a sheep or a goat some day when we are divided?  When have I done for the least of these?

I love everyone who reads and pray for each of us, may the Lord put each of us into a position to help the least of these. Amen.