Month: September 2018

This is a true story of a man and his dogs and cat. I have mentioned Eric Dodge in previous posts. I have shared a bit about his sweet Anna and his cat Bart. I want to share this story from Erics own mouth. It is a story of unconditional love, loss and renewal .  Have some Kleenexes close by because you will need them. But, this story is true and inspirational. I will share the first paragraph and then click on Read Next for the rest.

 

I used to think cremation was weird. I couldn’t fathom burning a loved one to ashes. It was so final, so blunt, the end, game over. I was lucky not to have been present to see my furbaby die. I was in the middle of a Christmas concert as my Anna took her final breaths at that emergency room on a cold December night. A vehicle in a complete freak accident hit her in front of my house. The animal hospital gave me some options and cremation was one of them. I decided to give this a try. This night my world stopped turning. I had recently turned 40. My relationships were struggling, my health was struggling, I was about to lose a long time career that provided me with a comfortable living, and all of these things came crashing down on me at the same time. I was handed that little wooden box with all that was left of my beloved Labrador Anna and I had a complete and utter meltdown. How do you fit eleven years of companionship full of love, adventures, and life, into a small wooden box with a paw print on it? It was hard to believe this was my baby? My Anna was in a box and was never coming home. Read More…

I have been thinking about how there are many Christians who want to hear the feel good sermons and when it is a sermon on the hard stuff they don’t want to hear. Thankfully Pastor Ray Schroeder at my church which is St. George Community Church preaches the whole Gospel of Christ aka The Bible Only messages. I seen this post on a friends status that is a retired pastor from New Covenant Community Church in St. George.  He  is now living in Arkansas and Pastor Bernie said what I was thinking and I wanted to share it with you all.

Re-post from Bernie Larson 

Do Christians really want milk? Some do , but most do not. Most want to hear the truth and nothing but the whole truth.Too many preachers are just tickling itching ears. Watering down the Gospel and giving only what sounds good, bypassing the Cross and neither calling for sacrifice or service.
Most people want to hear the truth without compromise. Most want their pastors to address cultural issues. Plenty of God’s people are sick and tired of the status quo. Shepherds of the flocks need to equip and sometimes that means to warn- be watchmen on the wall. People are waiting for faithful leaders to take a stand.
According to recent surveys: When Pastors are asked about key issues of the day- 90% say: ” The Bible speaks to the issues of the day,but when asked how many are teaching on those issues- only 10% are. Most people in congregations want pastors to address the major issues of the day.
Bottom line is: God’s people are hungry for all the truth of God’s Word. They are hungry for holiness. They are eager to apply to the gospel to every area of life.It is time to preach the truth in love! Bernie