P.R.

So I know this isn't a good post, and I would have emailed it to you guys, but I figured this blog is read by more than those I will email and alot of prayer is needed...

My brother lives in a house that has a chimney that is occupied by racoons. A cute story of these racoons is that a baby racoon fell and was in his fireplace. He is a gentle man so he kept the baby in a cage, hoping he could nurse it back to health. His neighbor had run the 'mama' racoon off into the woods. Days went by and this baby ate nothing and only stayed huddled in a corner. He was told by friends to let the baby go or it will die, but he was afraid an owl or some beast would take it and eat it.

So that eve, he releases the baby and the mama racoon appears out from behind a tree and the two run off together. She was waiting for her baby the whole time...

Well, the racoons came back. At some point when they left to find food, my brother decided to get on the roof and cover the chimey top... so as to avoid another falling of the 'coon.

Well, he fell off and broke many ribs and punctured his lung and is in ICU.

So please, say a prayer for him and the doctors and nurse staff.

Thanks, love you all.

Prayers and Blessings

Probably the biggest compliment I’ve every received was a recent one. “I like it when Chuck prays. He’s talks to God like he was a friend.” Though mine is the reverse, it reminds me of Exodus 33:11 when “The LORD would speak to Moses personally, as a man speaks to his friend.” It seems to me that God wants that kind of a relationship. Even though the compliment was a meant to encourage me, it got me to thinking of my depravity. You see, though I may speak to God as a friend it’s because He’s been more of a friend to me than I have ever been to Him. Sometimes I feel like one of those friends that always come to you with his problems, needing to borrow something (and maybe never return it), looking for a favor, or asking for money. God keeps on giving to me, but what have I done to make him want to give to me so freely? Another verse comes to mind: Luke 11:13 “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?". (I understand this more now that I have a child of my own.)

We in the U.S.A. are very blessed already. We keep asking God for more, and because of His nature he wants to give (just like I want to give to my child). Yet, when He decides not to answer us for a while or says "no" we get all pouty. Like the Israelites who were blessed beyond measure, more blessings tend to make us “Expect” certain things from God rather than realize what we really have. Again, I am reminded of a verse: Luke 12:48 “For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required;” Consider this more of a reflection than a sermon, because it will take a lot of faith to actually take these words to heart…even though that’s where they originated.