Aaron in Real Life

I hate computer viruses. I also hate that Norton Antivirus didn't protect my computer. I had to re-format my harddrive and reinstall everything. I think I'm finally done.

I found that Windows Live OneCare work pretty good (assuming your running Windows). This blog is pretty lame, but it's all I have time for right now. Life is definitely busy. October is already gone!

I wanted to post an email that my wife sent me. She is pregnant and recently has been tested for gestational diabetes. Her first test results were high, so they had her come back last Friday for addtional testing. The test involved fasting (difficult for any pregnant woman to do) and a lot of blood being drawn. Here is the results:

Guess who passed their glucose test with flying colors??...... ME! Dr. Abbey said that my levels were great on all 4 tests. Amazing. What is even more amazing is that I was talking to my mom… and she said that her mom, and she both had Gestational Diabetes (which I knew) but on top of that Grandpa Q’s mom had it… and actually ended up with full blown diabetes, and Grandpa Q has diabetes. And then my Dad has diabetes too. But I don’t!! I totally dodged the bullet with this one. I’m amazed with all that family history that I didn’t get it. God’s got his plan!

God is amazing!!! Miracles still happen!!!

I have recently been offered something pretty profound and challenging. I can't mention what it is yet, but it is something that is very close to my heart. It is something that I'm not sure that I am qualified for to be quite honest. But, the people that have offered it to me believe that I can and that is a very encouraging thing.

I will blog more about it as soon as I am able. All I ask is that you pray for direction and God's will to supersede any presuppositions that there might be.

Today, Pastor Shawn preached the 2nd sermon on UnChristian. It was quite biting and challenging. He dealt with the issue of hypocrisy.

This is one of the major "image" issues that the church has today. We as Christians have cast an image to the world around as not doing what we say everyone else should do. We tell the world that marriage is sacred and divorce is ungodly, yet the divorce reate of "christians" is higher than the world's. We lie, cheat, and steal yet tell everyone the Ten Commandments are not suggestions.


The only way to combat the image the church world has on "outsiders" is to change our image. One person, one church at a time. Check out Pastor Shawn's sermon here and tell me what you think.


http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/780741

As for the book. I have read some more and it's quite interesting. I'll blog more about it later.

My wife and I just went and saw the new movie Fireproof on Tuesday. The movie is from the same people and church that made Facing the Giants.

Aside from the obvious bad acting in some of the scenes (most of the actors are not "professional" actors) the movie was very good. It brought together aspects and teachings from the Bible and also from 2 other books that I've read, Love and Respect and The 5 Love Languages. The latter 2 books are great reads and useful for any married couple or couple looking to get married.


The movie tells the story of a young couples struggle in marriage. The husband is a firefighter who is addicted to internet porn, expects his wife to do everything around the house, and is verbally abusive. The wife works in public relations at a local hospital, expects her husband to be a help around the house, and looks for love and quality time with other people outside of her marriage.

The husband (by the way, played by none other than Kirk Cameron) is challenged by his father to a love dare. He must do what is told to him by a hand-written book his father gave him everyday for 40 days. At the end of the 40 days, the marriage may be saved. But only through the acceptence of Jesus as his savior and through God's forgiveness can the marriage be saved. The husband must do all he can to save the marriage and make it "fireproof."



The movie has an outstanding message, especially for a world so quick to divorce at the first signs of marital strife. Check out the movie for yourself and find out. Take someone with you.


Fireproof = B+

This week, my pastor began a sermon series entitled and based upon the book Unchristian. I have yet to start reading the book, but plan to this week. Basically what I have understood so far is that we as Christians, evangelicals in particular, have an extreme image problem. The world hates us because we essentially have hated them. The world distrusts us because we have not given them anything to trust. The world see us an homophobic, hypocritical, judgemental, too political, and users of people and resources because that is the exact image we have given them to see. Instead of being united in faith, we divide ourselves and wage war against other local churches in the name of "numbers." We're seen as seekers of converts and money instead of loving and genuine people who want to share our lives with one another.



A Christian is a "Christ follower" or someone who is "Christ-like." Christians should be "Jesus with skin on." Instead, we are no different than those whom we condemn, look down upon, cast aside, or disregard. The truth is that we are guilty on all charges. Maybe not every single individual christian, but Christians as a whole are guilty of pushing away the very world that we are mandated to reach with the gospel of Jesus Christ. We have relegated the "good news" of Jesus to a simple conversion experience when God specifically commanded us to make disciples. We have relegated the "good news" of Jesus to a message that is either shunned, disheartening, guilt ridden, too lofty to attain, offensive, or all of the above.



The sad part is, most Christians are shocked to hear that this is what the world thinks of us. It's also sad because most Christans probably don't even recognize the very thing we have become. The Bible says to love the Lord and to love others and that the world will recognize us because of our love for each other. To quote the Black Eyed Peas, "where is the love?" Where is the love that Jesus tells us we should have when we go to work everyday and see the same people everyday and have the same meaningless conversations everyday and yet say nothing about the love that Christ has for them. Most of us don't care because our "ticket" is already punched. Is it really?



Our actions speak much louder than our words. Our actions as Christians is one of the most undermining aspects of our movement. The world sees us a hypocritical because our words say one thing, but we live another. Who have you and I given Christianity a bad name to because of how we acted? Who have I turned away from God in the name of being "right" instead of "righteous?"



This is simply food for thought. You can agree or disagree. I will post more after I read more, but it's definitely something to think about.

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/780976

• Is this bailout really going to affect any change? My sister-in-law still lost her job along with 159,000 others. Michigan is in it's worst financial state ever. The bailout raises my taxes and millions of others just so we can pay for the mistakes of greedy corporations that took advantage of millions of people who many unwittingly overextended themselves. I have no doubt that our courts are going to be flooded with more and more bankruptcy filings in the next couple years.


• Is anyone else as confused as I am over who to vote for as President this November? McCain/Palin or Obama/Biden? Both have pros and cons. Both promise change and reformation in Washington and how this country is run. I'm not generally Democrat or Republican. All I ask of myself and others is that we pray and truly seek the wisodm of God. This election is huge for all of us. Check this out.


• What would chairs look like if our knees bent the other way?


• Since baseball is played outside, why is it segmented into 9 "innings" and not 9 "outings?" I guess in any pro sport, no athlete wants to be involved in an "outing."


• Was O.J. Simpson convicted on the current charges against him or did the jury really have an agenda? The jury deliberated 13 hours and found him guilty on 12 charges which could land him in prison for life. He was found guilty exactly 13 years to the day of his being acquitted in the murder trail of his wife and her friend. Coincidence?