His Grace is Enough: Resurrection Sunday 2017

His grace is enough.  

When I heard the gospel message that saved me back in 2010, I couldn't believe it. 

In my denomination I knew Jesus died on the cross to pay for the world's sin but the teaching and preaching I heard never taught me that the work that Jesus on the cross was enough to cover all my personal sins.  I was convinced that I was a sinner. They were good at teaching that.  I thought I had to be good to get in Heaven and I knew that I wasn't good so I followed my own selfish desires and forgot about the God who was powerless to do anything but send me to hell.  It was a hard dark road for a long time.  

But then I heard that Jesus did in fact die for my sin, sins past, present, and even future.  I was relieved and immediately said the prayer that saved me.  

His grace was enough!  

After I got saved I resolved to follow the Lord as much as possible even though I was still a drunk and sinner.  I started to read the Bible and saw that Christians were not supposed to get drunk... I was confused.  I thought I was forgiven.  

Well I was and God's grace would cover my sins til the day I died but I Am God's child now.  The Holy Spirit was in me and the same old drunkenness and sin wasn't as much fun. I felt I was doing wrong!  I drank for 25+ years and never had a desire to quit.  But  now I did.   Even though I knew God wanted better things for me I thought it was impossible to change. In 2015, my church started a Recovery ministry, I knew it was for me. I signed up and the rest is history. I'm over Two years sober today.  

When I saw that God was willing to do the impossible in my life, I said "What's next?"

Now I'm close to completing a book I have been writing based on the preaching of a local pastor.  God has healed me in more than one way. I'm out of debt. Life is good.  I am living the new life that is promised to believers in the Bible, a life of hope and victory over sin and death. 

On this Resurrection Sunday, I just want to thank God for what he is doing in my life and I want all who should read this to know that God loves you and He is willing to do the impossible in your life too.

Believe and Christ and follow Him.  

Reasons I didn't. Suicide: Personal History.

Reasons I didn't. Suicide: Personal History.

            This weekend my teenage children marathon watched the Netfilx series, 13 Reasons Why, which focuses on the reasons that surround a teenage girl’s decision to end her own life.  The series is really well down and I recommend parents watch it with their kids and to talk to their kids about suicide and what’s going on in their lives so they can express the reasons that we live.  The series has some graphic depictions of violence, sex, and drug use and in recommending it I wasn’t sure at what age it would be appropriate.  The series reminded me of my own life and the conversations I have had with my own kids about suicide.  I try to be an open book so they can know what life is like.  Sometimes I don’t realize the impact what I’m saying to them has until one of my stories is repeated to me.  At those moments I have an odd mix of shame and pride as I try to re-qualify what it is I said and how “it wasn’t like it sounded” when in fact it most likely was.  

At age 13, I was a mess. I wasn’t athletically skilled.  Whatever moments of glory I had on the baseball field in my youth were not translating after age 12. I had some real moments of failure and embarrassment on the ball field that made any desire to play baseball totally disappear. I found comfort in food and had bottomless hunger at times.  So I was chubby or just plain fat.

I liked to play football and spent a lot of time playing it in the neighborhood. I liked it enough that I decided I would try to play pop warner.  I signed up but back then I was over the weight limit.  It was highly embarrassing because my older brother managed to make it but I didn’t.  So that ended any desire I had to play any sports ever.  

I think it was the summer before middle school that I and a friend in the neighborhood were so dissatisfied with our home lives that we both had the idea to just run away from home. I had ideas about jumping on a freight train and just leaving it all behind.   My friend ended up moving away and we lost touch pretty quickly.  Neither of us ran away as far as I know, not geographically anyway. 

I was at that transitional stage in life between elementary school and high school where hormones and emotions are running wild, where you’re no longer a little kid but you haven’t gotten past puberty entirely.  It also was a time where the friends in the neighborhood had all but disappeared.  A few had moved away and others were lost in childhood vendettas.   We also all went to a new school where I either got separated from the few friends I had, or we grew apart.

There was a lot of stress in going to middle school. Not only did I have to adjust to new people in class, back in my time, being bullied or beaten up was a real concern.  Fights were not common place but certainly not unheard of.  I was a fat kid so I wasn’t necessarily safe from insults or teasing.  I got my fair share in the neighborhood and at home.  I remember, early on in 6^th grade, a kid giving me crap while we were in the boy’s room, in front of other kids.  I was bigger so I grabbed him and put him is a wrestling hold I had seen on T.V. until he begged to be let go.  The other kids saw it and after that I was never really bothered again. 

From that and other squabbles in the neighborhood, I guess you could say I am not innocent in terms of being a bully.  After that episode in the boys room though, I never put my hands on anybody again.  I like to think that I didn’t like the way it made me feel.      

            I was lucky in that I wasn’t picked on but I didn’t really have anything going for me so I didn’t really have any close friends.  So I know what it’s like to be lonely and frankly, when the alternative is to be an object of negative attention, loneliness can be okay. 

            So that’s the picture of me between 5^th and 8^th grade.  Somewhere in that time frame, probably around the time I was thinking about running away, I thought about killing myself.  The turmoil of life seemed to be too much and I figured I would get my Dad’s gun that he kept in his top dresser drawer and shoot myself in the head. 

            I remember one time, I think I was 13, going into my parents room and taking the revolver out of his dresser drawer, holding it in my hands.  He had a mirror on his dresser and I saw my reflection holding a gun with an anguished look on my face.  I don’t know if it was loaded, 99.9% sure it wasn’t, I never pointed it to my head, I don’t think.  Contemplating ending my life scared the daylights out of me.  So I put the gun back and I don’t think I ever touched it again. 

            I was in a state of turmoil in those days and I remember making threats to kill myself and my parents getting angry and they were very adamant that I was not to kill myself or even talk about it.  I think they may have said something close to “We’ll kill you if you kill yourself!”  Or “We don’t want to hear any of that stupid talk!” 

            As silly as it seems, I think I needed to hear that.  No matter how they said it they conveyed the fact that suicide was something that I was not to do.  So if it was the fear of death, subsiding hormones, or my parents’ warnings, I obviously didn’t kill myself. 

            I’ve told my teenage kids these stories to show them I know how hard it can be growing up. They have shared that the kids can be just as mean as they were in my day and have both felt like they were made fun of and had times where they felt isolated without any friends. 

            A few years ago my son Brennan, was in middle school (the wonderful years for all of us I guess) when he decided that homework was just something that he wasn’t going to do and sitting at his desk in class didn’t appeal to him either.  So he bad grades, and was getting detention for disobedience, and had even walked off the school grounds a few times. 

            On one occasion he told the faculty at his school that he wanted to die.  The school did the right thing. They called the cops and sent him to the local hospital for a psychological evaluation.   Brennan had no actual plans to kill himself.  He was being an angsty teen with issues with authority. The staff was required to keep him for a certain amount of time and his mother had to pick him up.  So he had lots of time to think about what he had said and what he was doing. 

            I took the door to his bedroom off of its hinges after that because we couldn’t “trust” him to be alone.  We talked about it, a lot. The troubles with the homework and discipline didn’t go away immediately but the next school year Brennan changed his ways.  He says that he decided for himself that what he was doing was stupid and hurting himself.  Since then he’s gotten good grades and has started participating in drama and has a decent sized role in the next musical production at the end of the month. 

I realize there is a lot to respond to in reading this. Lessons to be learned:

Lock up your guns.  Kids know where they are and they might know where the keys are too. Just saying, kids are smart. 

Talk to you kids.  Share your experiences so you’re not just a “parental unit” from the planet “Boring”. 

As dumb as it may sound, Tell them suicide is punishable by death!  Just kidding, express to them you love them and that they are not to take their own lives.    

Discuss that choices and actions have consequences that may have a farther impact than they think. 

Basically, we have to be there for our kids and treat them as human beings who may be going through the toughest times of their lives, human beings that need to know there is hope and love for them at home, and human beings that need to know there is reason to live and a future where things get better. 

13 Reasons Why

I had seen a few posts on Facebook about the Netflix show “13 Reasons Why”  and it was in the back of my head that I should tell my kids about it when my daughter, Haley,16, mentioned it to me.  So this weekend my son Brennan (15), Haley, and I all sat down to watch it. 

I love my kids and most of the television I watch is with them in my presence.  We have similar tastes and often go to the movies together.  I work, don’t get home until 5:30pm most nights, and am active with my church and my recovery ministry a couple nights a week. So the time I have at home is spent with them in our living room, watching T.V., or just hanging out.  I try to be there for my kids as someone to confide in. I often inquire about their lives but I also try to give them their space.  I am probably too transparent with my past because, since going into recovery two years ago, I am trying to educate them about life by sharing stories of my past and the pitfalls and traps that this world has to offer.  I often engage them in discussions about the different aspects of life and try to show them the contrasts in what the world tells them will make them happy and what really matters.  I advise them that the greatest wisdom is to follow Jesus and His advice by doing what is righteous.  It’s not an easy sell but since finding the peace that comes from being in relationship with Him and because I love them and want what is best for them, it’s hard not to proclaim it.  

I often proclaim it on Facebook too.  If this annoys you, good.  If it annoys you, it means you may need to make peace with God, because if you had peace with God, it wouldn’t annoy you.  Or if it did annoy you and you had peace with God, you would forgive me.    I only proclaim the Christian faith because I know, from experience, that it is true and I know if you embrace it you will find hope, peace, and a new life.  Don’t trust me?  Well, Jesus said:

John 5:24 (NLT)
²⁴ “I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.

Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.  Sorry, not sorry. Forgive me. 

Anyway, my kids and I watched “13 Reasons Why”, this weekend.   The show revolves around the events of a teenage suicide and her reasons for ending her life.  The show is told in flashbacks and it is thoroughly engaging and keeps you in suspense. 

My children and I watch the CW show, "Riverdale", which is a teenage suspense drama using the Archie comics as a character basis, and "13 Reasons Why" had a similar feel to that show (in it being a high school drama with elements of suspense and mystery), at first. 

“13 Reasons Why’ is a show all about the high school experience and its sometime darker aspects.  High school is the time where you make the transition from children to adults and that transition is filled with angst and confusion as everyone is coming to grips with who they are, where they’re going, and how life works.  So, 13 Reasons covers the familiar ground of high school cliques, alcohol and drug use, dating relationships, and sex.   

      

What sets “13 Reasons Why” apart from others shows is the way it progressively unfolds and reveals the how the events of one girl’s life lead to her ending it. The show is masterful in the way it slowly reveals the cast of characters and the part they each played in this girl ending her life.  The questions of truth, consequences, and accountability all come to the forefront as the viewer learns about each character’s actions and tries to determine just “how responsible” each person was in the perfect storm that ended a young girl’s life. So as the story unfolds we judge each character, including the victim, to try to make sense of it all.  Through the process the viewer will take sides, assigning blame and offering absolution. You may be surprised that your attitudes toward some characters are colored by your own history. You may be even more surprised that your attitudes toward some characters have the potential to make us another “reason”.   

 I am purposely giving no details of the specifics of the show but I would urge every school administrator, teacher, and parent to watch it with their teenage kids.  There are graphic situations with sex, violence, and drugs, so beware.    

All of these “reasons” that add up to tragedy, could be avoided through friendship.  As Christians, we are told to love our enemies. Sometimes the evil and dysfunction that repels us the most is fueled by ignorance, hurt, and loneliness.  If someone is “messed up”, “weird” or “stupid” there is probably a reason.  The challenge for us is to offer love and friendship to those who may seem the most unworthy of it, in hopes that we can give them hope and a way to change, a reason to live.     

God Can Heal: It ain’t Planter’s peanuts!

God Can Heal: It ain’t Planter’s peanuts!  

I’m somewhat of an introvert by nature and like to think of myself as someone who doesn’t complain about or share my personal problems with the world at large.   (I like to think that but who knows, depending on who you are maybe I have complained about my burdens to you. Feel privileged you’re in the inner circle!)   

As a Christian, the rule is to bear our burdens with patience and to trust in the Lord.  Our attitudes are to be of gratitude and the Old Testament example of the complaining Israelites, condemned to the dessert for 40 years never to see the promise land, teaches us to try to keep a positive outlook on life knowing that the Lord is in control. 

So about a year ago, I noticed me right big toe was swollen in the lower “knuckle?” area.  I thought that maybe it was just a callous at first but after examining it I realized that there was something inside the flesh that didn’t go away no matter how much dead skin I filed off with a pumice stone or massaged it.  I had lost some weight so I surmised maybe it was fat?  You know the old saying “a moment on the lips. a life time on the….big toe?   I know. It didn’t make sense to me either.  Then I thought that I had run a bunch of 5k’s in 2015, so maybe it was damage caused by running?   Wouldn’t that just be the way!  That’s what you get for exercising!     

But it didn’t hurt…really… not too much anyway.  So not wanting to complain or to burden others with my problems, like most people, I think, I ignored it.  I had a couple of other weird hard bumps in my feet that I had been ignoring so I would just ignore the toe as well. 

Like I said that was over a year ago.  I am good at ignoring things.  I ignored my alcoholism for 25 years or so what’s a year, right?  

Anyway, I decide to go for a run one day a few months ago and noticed my running shoe on the right foot was really uncomfortable.  Also I started to notice that after working all day, as a lineman, the big toe and those other bumps were giving me occasional pain.  It was harder to ignore. So I showed my wife and she told me to get it checked out because it obviously wasn’t normal. 

So I made an appointment and I was diagnosed with plantar fibromatosis, which is the more advanced form of plantar fibroma.    

What is plantar fibroma? 

         A plantar fibroma is a benign nodule that grows on the bottom of the foot and usually appears in the second through sixth decade of life. It is usually slow growing and measures less than an inch in size. More invasive, rapid-growing and multi-planar fibromas are considered plantar fibromatosis. Both of them are benign tumors made up of cells found in ligaments.

    The good news is that my doctor, Dr. Daniel Longo, of Hudson Valley Foot Associates had me in surgery in Monday April 3^rd to remove these invasive tumors.  If you have feet issues, go see Dr. Longo.  He has done right by me.  So now I am recovering and something that goes beyond medicine has happened to me overnight. 

     With sickness and injury, Christians are encouraged to pray for healing. And I know from my own and others testimony that healing can come.  I prayed over my lumps to just melt away miraculously but that didn’t happen.  So I saw a doctor. Good idea.  Dr. Longo took out the tumors. 

       After surgery I was in a great deal of pain, and couldn’t get around without crutches because every time I moved my foot or put weight on it I felt like I stepped on a nail.  This was the state I was in last night when I dragged myself to Celebrate Freedom, my Christian Recovery ministry at Rock Solid Church.  

At the end of the night, the guys in my group prayed over me, and before I went to bed last night I said a prayer for healing to take the pain away.  I prayed specifically for the pain to subside, for the blood to flow in a manner to relieve the pressure, and for whatever was causing the pain to be healed.  I prayed over it my foot in the name of Jesus. 

I went to bed with throbbing pain but upon awakening I noticed it was gone. I stepped on it and the sharp shooting pain was gone. I rose and walked around the house praising the name of Jesus.  I ‘m telling you God can heal and He will heal.  You have to trust Him. You may have to be persistent in your prayers but if it is according to His will you will receive healing. I testified to my daughter, Haley, that I had prayed for healing and I have received it.  I’m not 100% and won’t be for some time but I don’t need the crutches anymore and the sharp shooting pain is gone. 

           My mentor, sponsor, and friend Bob has called God “the midnight surgeon”, that we can pray for an issue or struggle with a hard heart for a long time but if we are faithful to pray and trust in God, He can and will come and heal us, literally, overnight.  

I have experienced this “phenomenon” time and time again.  

God answers prayers according to His will.  In order to have God in your life you have to be in relationship with Him. 

Say a prayer of repentance, tell God that you are sorry for your sins and that you are going to go forward and live your life according to His Will. 

You have to surrender yourself to Him. 

You have to show Him you’re for real. 

That means you worship Him.

That means church.  Go to a church that teaches the Bible as the word of God. 

That means you read the Bible daily, as a form of worship and a way to learn about and grow closer to God. If your starting out for the first time reading the Bible,  \focus on the New Testament and the work of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

That means you talk to God through prayer.  You can use traditional prayers, and make requests for His intercession, but you also should talk to Him like you would talk to a best friend or a trusted counselor. 

Don’t do too much at once.  God will work with whatever you bring Him but you need to give it to Him voluntarily and willingly. 

Search your heart and the Holy Spirit will show you what needs to change. It’s not rocket science. We know what’s wrong in our lives. 

Find help.  Find community.  Invest yourself in your local church to build heathy friendships of trust and common purpose in Christ.  Join a “celebrate recovery” type of group where Christ is the center where you can learn what it means to live a life that is in relationship with God.  

It’s not about being good, nobody’s good.  It’s about being His and following Him.   

That means trying to be holy.  Don’t go nuts. 

If you need a church, in New York State in:  these are churches of whom I am familiar with the Pastor and know that they can be trusted to teach Biblical truth. 

 Columbia County:   Rock Solid Church 334 Union Street, Hudson NY 12534. 

 Greene County:  Light House Church, 18 North Franklin St, Athens, NY 12015  

Albany County:   City Harvest Church, 585 Central Ave, Albany NY 12206

Delaware County: Catskill Mountain Christian Center 629 Main St, Margaretville NY 12445

Ulster County: King’s Fire Church 865 Neighborhood Rd, Lake Katrine, NY 12449

Where you go to church doesn’t matter (It should be a Bible believing, Bible teaching church), what matters is that you are seeking a relationship with God. 

Matthew 6:33 (NKJV)
³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Psalm 37:3-6 (NKJV)
³ Trust in the LORD, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
⁴ Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
⁵ Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.
⁶ He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday.

Will you receiving healing?  I don't know. That's for God to decide.  However, I do know that if you give your self to seeking the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and make Jesus your Lord and Savior, you will not regret it.   Through the power of the Holy Spirit, you will be set free from sin and death.  If you invest in your relationship with God, you will know a peace that goes beyond understanding and will receive His blessings.  

IF you Found this, I think the Holy Spirit Found You!

TODAY: This morning during my morning prayers the Holy Spirit has been pulling on my heart to call people to come to Him.  I don’t who this message is for so if your heart moves you please share this message. 

As we pass from February to March, from a time of darkness to a time of light, the Lord is reminding you of what He has brought you through and He wants to restore you or to bring you to life. 

Galatians 5:22-25 (NLT)
²² But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
²³ gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
²⁴ Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there.
²⁵ Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.

Faith in Jesus Christ gives you peace and hope. Faith in Christ brings assurance of salvation, freedom from death and sin, healing, and a new life that begins with a small act of faith where you place your trust in Him. 

Anyone in the Columbia/Greene County area who’s looking for peace with God or to be restored in the relationship you once had, The Holy Spirit is calling you to Rock Solid Church 334 Union Street, Hudson NY 12534 TONIGHT at 7 pm. If this message is touching you, don’t ignore it, don’t harden your heart: Come. 

For those in other parts of the world, new life begins with a simple prayer to trust in Jesus.  Say the prayer shown here to begin the journey of hope, peace, meaning, and purpose that God has called you to. 

Being a Christian isn’t about being good or following a political ideology, it is about admitting that even though we aren’t good, we believe that God loves us, and sent His Son Jesus Christ, to live a sinless life, and to die on the cross to pay for our sins and to reconcile us to God. 

John 3:16 (NLT)
¹⁶  “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

The Holy Spirit has put it on my heart to share this message today.  If it speaks to you: respond.  If you feel it is meant for someone within your sphere of influence, share it. 

Netflix offers The Nightmare. Sleep disorders or spiritual forces?

What to do with a long holiday weekend?  

Black Friday shopping perhaps? I've been there and I've done that and I think never again  most aptly describes my attitude towards that experience.  

Decorate for Christmas..... Soon but not yet. 

Work on a paper for Bible college or the book I'm writing?  I'm proud to say I did do some work on both but maybe I was suffering the effects of tryptophan from the turkey consumed because i didn't write much.

Be it tryptophan or the fact that I was  paying off a sleep debt but this weekend was spent in my chair in front of the television in varying states of consciousness.  

Seated in my chair I decided to be productive and started to eliminate items from my Netflix watch list.  One of the movies I  decided to try was a documentary called "The Nightmare".  

I know what is a Christian doing watching something with a macabre title like that?  Shouldn't I be watching Highway to Heaven or Vegitales?  

Well, honestly I do enjoy a good scare and I like to remind myself that even though I live in the relative safety of Middle class America there are dark forces to be aware of either in the evil that men do or in the spiritual realm.  

With that said although I was a huge horror fan before becoming born again I am noticing that I don't have the stomach for the macabre as Much as I did before, especially when  a film is violent or gory just for the sake of violence and goriness with little or no story.  I recently said good bye for ever to AMC's the Walking Dead as a case in point.  

Anyway so I sat down to watch the Nightmare.  To be honest I didn't know it was a documentary before I started watching it but was somewhat relieved because watching a documentary is educational right? 

The  Nightmare is about people who suffer from a sleep disorder called sleep paralysis.  It was really quite interesting and honestly a little creepy and unnerving.  I won't give any spoilers here really but a common thread through the victim's of sleep paralysis is the presence of malevolent "shadow men".  

The film does a good job of taking a wide view of the experiences of the sufferers of sleep paralysis and theories of what is happening.   The explanations range from the scientific to the spiritual and even the extra-terrestrial.  It is definitely worth the watch and could actually help a Christian's worldview, that we are in an "open system" where God, and good and malevolent spiritual forces can and do interact in our lives.  One of the suffers came to faith in Christ as a result of her experience and another admitted that they were no longer an atheist because of what they had experienced.  

I have had a spiritual experience, the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and I now know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God is real and cares about us.  To quote the x-files, there's something out there but I think that the something is not extra-terrestrial in the sense of aliens but are most likely beings in the spirit realm.

I often quote Matthew 6:33,

33  But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. , 

Because in my experience I have sought Him and the truth has been revealed, and continues to be revealed to me.   

So enjoy the film and considered the questions of life death, and the unseen realm of the spirit.   

Of course, I would be remiss if I didn't tell you the only way through to God and an afterlife of peace and joy is through Jesus Christ.  John 14:6 says 

6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. 

Happy Thanksgiving! A Year of Blessings to be Thankful for

It's Thanksgiving eve, and once again I will be going out for dinner with my brothers and their wives (And fiancé,  Tommy still is yet to close the deal as the last holdout but like tomorrow's Turkey his goose is cooked!)  We're going for Mexican and a few laughs.  I won't be drinking.  I'm happy to report I've been sober sine 03/22/15 and I ain't going back! I am truly blessed because God has freed me from the prison I created for myself. Alcohol's lies have been exposed and I will remain vigilant to steer clear of the drink that consumes you.  Hey man to each their own I just know how I am and I am happier to leave it behind forever.  

Sobriety is enough to be Thankful for all by itself every single day of my life but God has given me so much more.  

The year in review of thanks! 

January, I was happy and thankful that a transition to a new foreman in the Schenectady line crew went off without any problems.  After some doubt and last minute changes, I ended up in a situation I was content with.

This January had virtually zero snow and I was extremely thankful for that because I work outside and I pay to have my driveway plowed.  I don't ski or snowmobile so I'll take all the snowless winters I can get! 

February- I went on a mission trip to Zimbabwe and Zambia. I also went on a safari in Botswana and saw Victoria Falls.  I honestly felt I was my ideal self on Mission, all my thoughts and actions were directed to the service of my Lord and Savior. 

As fate would have it while I was away. My wife Michele suffered a recurrence of a kidney infection/ stones. She was in a great deal of pain and terrible health.  I am thankful for the doctors and my parents for helping her  in my absence.  And I thank God that she has been healed. 

March - I was thankful that my eldest brother Matthew finally got married at 47 years old!  Kat Flynn is a wonderful person for taking this burden upon herself, welcome to the party Kat! 

April- I'm thankful for Easter where we celebrate the fact that Jesus is alive!  It's no zombie movie,  Jesus was risen to show that He is the Son of God and that through His work on the cross all who put their faith in Him will be forgiven of their sins and live forever with Him in paradise! 

May - Verizon went on strike, so I am thankful for my Union brothers and sisters that took a stand for the middle class by sacrificing income to insure we there could be good jobs in this country.   In the face of corporate greed who make billions in profit there is no reason they can't pay a wage where their employees can prosper.  I pray for other workers to band together to insure good jobs and dignity for all Americans.  

June - Verizon and the union came to an agreement.  It was back to work and I thank God Almighty because I was able to work again and to grab enough overtime to meet all my financial needs after being out of work for six weeks. At times I didn't think I would make it but God was with me.  

When I say that I really mean it.  One Sunday one of the women at my church that I did not even know was led by the Holy Spirit to give me a financial donation at a time when every penny counted.  I hadn't told anybody that I was in need and I didn't know this woman.  She told me that during her morning prayers the Lord directed her to give to me.  The money was appreciated but the thought that God moved this women to give to me, that God was thinking about me, and sending help is a blessing that I will always be thankful for.  He is real. He is alive. Salvation is through Christ alone. Please believe me and put your faith in Him! 

July - I took my family on a vacation to Niagara Falls Canada.  It was fun, even with the two angsty teens although it may be their last trip! Lol.   So In retrospect in 2016, I beheld the glory of God's creation by seeing 2 of the most magnificent waterfalls on the planet, Victoria & Niagara Falls! God is awesome. 

August- Michele and I celebrated our 18th wedding anniversary by going to the Rhode Island ocean and had all you can eat lobster at the world famous Nordic Lodge. The weather was sunny but not too hot. It was a nice weekend away. Recalling this I am reminded that through all my insanity and the wrong I've done, life's tragedies, the good times and the bad, Michele has continued to love me.  We've lived together since 96, so I am truly thankful for the 20 years of Michele's love and life that she has given me. She hosting my family for Thanksgiving so that proves she loves me! 

September - This was the month my Son Brennan,who had been a slacker for the past two years by not doing his homework and getting in trouble at school, decided to change his life.  He decided that a life of irresponsibility and the chaos that came with it wasn't the way he wanted to live anymore.  He started doing his work unprompted and has a real desire to succeed.  

My daughter, Haley, who had made that decision a few years ago after being a slacker, continues to do her work.  

So both my kids are staying out of trouble, they do their school work, they don't fight one another and they do whatever is asked of them.  They may be a little obsessed with video games and watching you tube but they haven't bugged me for cellphones...yet.  They talk to me and we are endlessly joking around. I am so proud and thankful because I honestly couldn't be happier with them. 

October - Autumn in upstate New York is a sight to behold.  Fall Foliage!  Also I got assigned to the double wood crew in Albany,  right where I wanted to be at the beginning of the year. It's a shorter commute and it's just in time before winter starts roaring.  

The kids both decided to sign up for drama, both getting small parts in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.   Like I said before, very proud.   

The kids had a Halloween party with their at the house to end the month! 

November- The election happened and the world didn't end.  I don't comment on politics, other than to declare that Jesus is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

I took the kids to see Julius Caesar in Chatham and it was really good. The kids of course sat with there theater friends but I'm cool like that.  

A day later I had the pleasure of seeing my kids in Romeo and Juliet. They were great and I think they really found what they are good at.  I wonder how they became so dramatic? 

The same weekend, Michele and I had the pleasure of attending Matt & Kats Wendy reception, 8 months later? It was a great venue and it was good time for all (even with Matt's tribute to all things Heavy Metal).  

And tomorrow is the big feast! 

All through the year I have had the honor of attending rock solid church, I am so thankful Pastors Jaron Halsted, Chris Romano, Mike Lambert, and Ethan Thomlinson, who has taken the reigns  as youth pastor this year.  I am thankful for the worship team and all those who serve and attend.  

I am thankful for Celebrate Freedom, my sponsor and mentor Bob Costello and the opportunity to teach. I am thankful for Paula williams, Cheryl Manchuck for leading the women's group. I also extremely thankful to Chris Manchuck for picking up leading worship.  Guitar hero I am not! 

I am thankful for Pastor Bob Engelhardt's preaching that has inspired me to write a book about Spirit-filled Christianity.  It's his work that will be the basis of the book and I pray my efforts will bring more people to the Lord.  The work is rewarding and challenging and I hope to have it completed soon.  That's why there's been no blog entries for months.  I've been working almost ever morning since the strike.  

I am so thankful for all of this and of course God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit who are responsible for it all!  

To all my friends and family, trust in Jesus and Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

It really is a wonderful life!