I heard someone say that church is the fuel that gets him through the week. That seems so wrong. Is that what church is? Is it a simple drive-in and fuel-up, so you can get from point to point until you run out again? I commute to Decorah from Waukon, and as every day goes by, I watch my fuel gauge drop until I need to go fill it. I hope my life with Christ is nothing like this. Think of it this way; What good does gas do for your car, if you don't use the gas to go places that are important? What happens if you fill your tank at the end of every week, but you never use that gas to take your car to the mechanic or the car wash? It does nothing for your car.

This is why church shouldn't be a fuel pump. People go get energized and happy, in hopes that it will fill them with enough strength to make it to the next Sunday, without dying along side the road somewhere. On top of that, why should you have to have church to get through your week? Is church nothing more than your source of courage or perseverance to keep going? If so, you are missing the point of church. God wants to use your church experience to get you motivated to affect the world you live in, not just navigate it safely and efficiently. Church was never intended to be anyone's gas station, God wants more out of us than to “make it through” our weeks.

So here it is: Church is not the fuel to get you from place to place, but the vehicle in which you are traveling in. You need to take church with you everywhere you go. The church God wants to create, is the one that goes where God has plans to affect peoples lives. Just like going to the mechanic or car wash, you need to get tuned up and washed clean so you can start over and be in the world with a passion for the masses. Sunday morning church is a tool to use in your drive with God, but not the only source of your faith. We need to stop longing for Sunday to come so we can feel better about our struggles and start knowing God is always there, all week long. We have to stop living up to the stereotype that Christianity is a crutch, by showing we can live in confidence day to day and not just on Sunday morning.

Sometimes, you just gotta dance...

After a dentist trip and a little too much happy gas...

After having a talk with a friend recently, I finally realized the power of being alone. The conversation was heated at times. It was geared towards trying to enlighten the opposite person on what is the right spiritual choice. As we went back and forth it became apparent to me that we weren’t getting anywhere. Then a question flashed through my mind that brought things back into perspective. It was, “All semantics aside, why is it important to you, that this guy believes what you believe?” After thinking through my life’s struggles in my own journey, I realized why believing in God was so important to me.

I couldn’t offer any heart felt story of how God turned me away from drugs or how my life was spared on the brink of death. There were no visions of Jesus or prophecies that that were told to me and then came true. In this thinking I almost lost my own grasp on why I believe there is a God, but before it was too late, it dawned on me. I have never felt truly alone.

Sure there were times when I felt alone. For years I longed for a relationship with a woman, someone I could love and call my own. Night after night I walked into my room alone, but laying in bed, in the dark, talking to God, I always knew it wasn't just me here. It took a long time to get that person, but I knew God was looking out for me. Now I have the most amazing woman in my life, who I couldn't be more satisfied with. Currently my car is falling apart around me as I drive it to work and the bills are starting to pile up. $200 for tires, $120 for a new battery I didn't actually need, and now my starter needs replacement. So now, I have to plot and equate just how much money I have and how to get all this payed off. For a little while in this tornado, I feel alone, but when I tell him what my problems are, I know I'm not alone and they don't feel like problems anymore. I'm going to get through this like I have so many times before.

There in lies the answer. When I relinquish my need to take ownership of my shortcomings, it allows room for God to work. That is when I feel alone the least. I never want to be alone and because of that desire, I know I can't live without God in my life. I know that the void that has been filled by him can only be filled by him and I won't let anyone rob me of that relationship.

There are too many people who have to feel like it's there problem to fix. I've seen so many of my friends depressed over the fact that they know they are the only ones that can solve their problems. We as humans love to take on the burdens of situations with the idea that we can do it and nothing can stop us. It only then takes failure to bruise our pride and show us how alone we really are. No amount of planning will ever prepare you for whats going to happen next in life and we need to get over that obsession of being in control.

This is a clip from my favorite movie of all time: Signs.

So What kind of person are you?? Do you feel alone when life throws you a curve ball or do you live with a hope?? A hope that someone is watching over you and not leaving your life to chance, will help you abandon the loneliness you are feeling, through life's struggles. I know I'm a miracle man.

I was recently thinking back and I stumbled upon a story that made me laugh again. So I just have to share this story to anyone that cares, because I find it hilarious. A while back, I was at a cookout with friends and family when this little girl comes up to me. She says that her friend wasn't invited, but was wondering if she could have some lemonade. So I said sure and went to get her a glass.

I walked it over to the girl and said "Here you go!". She was so excited to get the drink that she started talking to me like I was her best friend. She said "Oh hey thanks, Gee I'm thirsty, ha ha! I've just been masturbating around the park!"

O_o

Excuse me what?

I don't know what word she was trying to say, but it was certainly not what she meant.

So I walked over to my dad and told him about it. He kinda smiled and then said, "Well you probably just heard her wrong." Just like that a buddy walked up behind us and said "Hey guys, you'll never guess what this little girl just said to me."

We both laughed until we cried! The timing was worthy of a sitcom! Anyway... Be careful the next time you go to the park, who knows what goes on in those places.