God has provided an absolutely beautiful day so I must start my day by saying “Thanks be to God”. The sun is shining brilliantly this morning and the temperature has a bit to climb yet but is on its way up to around fifty five degrees. For a January 5th morning, I couldn’t ask for anything better. Yesterday was such a miserable cold and rainy day and I’m glad it is done.

I also offer up my thanks because Ms. Kate appears to be doing so much better today. While I’m hearing her do some coughing, it isn’t that deep-lung, can’t breathe coughing like she has been having fits of for the past eleven days. I hope this is a good sign that she is on the mend. I know she has been miserable.

I’m glad to report that I finished my sermon and bulletin for next Sunday, the 13th. I told you yesterday that I had started on it but was deeply dissatisfied with it. So, I hit “delete” on the computer and started over. I still think my original idea was a good idea but I just couldn’t pull it together without it being a history lesson. May God was telling me that it waasn’t as good of an idea as I thought it was. The benefit of it was that I did some research to write the sermon and that means I learned something new. So nothing was lost in the process, it just wasn’t right for this particular occasion. I can live with that. Who knows —- some day someone may ask me about that particular subject and I’ll be able to expound and sound like a smart guy. It could happen!! LOL

Last night I read a book by a fellow named Ken Ham, called “Gospel Reset”. It was a short read but interesting. I disagree with some of his theology and he would certainly disagree with mine but his basic premise of his book was correct I think. His point was that our country and our society is rapidly losing its claim that we are a Christian nation. Our society has banned God from the schools, from public display, from open teaching because it might offend somebody. He says we have become much like the Greeks when the Apostle Paul went there to preach, They had many gods and when he began to preach about Christ, they had no idea what he was taking about because their faith and religious foundations were totally different than his. And the basic Bible foundation starting with Genesis, is what he says we are losing rapidly in this country. Like I said, I agree with some of his writing and disagree with other parts but I think I found value in the book and can use some of it in my own preaching.

I think now I’m going to just sit here and watch my guests in the Backyard Buffet. I hope you have a wonderful weekend. Peace.