Pastor Steve's Blog

THINGS I LOVE
(in NO particular order)

Jesus

Melanie

The Michigan Wolverines

Big John’s Steak & Onion Sandwiches (#6, whole, please)

Mallory, Caleb & Isaac

Coffee

Zane Gray books

John Wayne movies

The Detroit Tigers

My parents

A good nap

Ice Cream (especially Mackinac Island Fudge)

the city of Chicago

Fender guitars

Christmas morning with my children

Faith United Church

"The Magnificent Seven"

Springtime in Michigan

fishing

Superman comics

Sports Center

Whoppers

The Detroit Red Wings

Tetris

"Ferris Beuhler’s Day Off"

the Blues

Books by Max Lucado

Vacation Bible School

Koegel hotdogs
(with the skins ON)

Lynard Skynard

Our dogs, Lassie and Newton
(in spite of themselves)

Playing music with my family

a ballgame at Comerica Park

Quiet Time with God

Famous Dave’s (sweetwater catfish is my favorite)

NASCAR Racing

My brother, sister, nieces & nephews

studying for a sermon

football

XM Radio
(especially Laugh USA)

Starbuck’s

Scrabble

The writings of C.S. Lewis

music of almost any kind

my In-Laws

Worship

Melanie’s cooking

Sleeping in on Saturday

My Utmost for His Highest

Seeing people grow in their faith

My extended family

Batman comics

electronic gadgets

my old, gray sweatshirt

Ninja Warrior

Jet’s Pizza

Sundays

Have you ever made a list like this one (to the left)? I made this one a couple weeks ago for a sermon and I learned two things from it:
1. Lists like this are never complete.
2. LOVE is a really, really B-I-I-I-I-I-G word!

As I write this blog piece, it is nine days until pitchers and catchers report to the Tigers' Spring Training home in Lakeland, Florida ...and it is snowing like crazy here in Michigan. It's early in the afternoon and all the schools in our area are canceling all their evening activities. Some are even sending their students home early. We've gotten about 4 inches of snow and the forecast is calling for 6-10 inches more before the night is out.

Yes, you read correctly. I know it's probably going cause some of the folks at Faith United to scratch their heads and wonder if I haven't managed to lose what few brain cells I had left, but I've found something else to add to my list of THINGS I LOVE...

SNOW STORMS!
I know, I know, it's sick isn't it? If you're in the Flint area you know that aren't any of us who would admit to loving snow storms. We start grumbling about snow and cold weather in November and we don't stop muttering until April. Still, as I look out the window of my office, I have to say the snow is kinda pretty (c'mon, admit it, it IS). Later this evening we'll let the dogs romp around in it, the boys might have a snowball fight, and I'll get out the snow blower, not because I have anywhere I have to go, but because it's FUN. Hey, even big boys like to play in the snow!

GOD OF THE NON-SPIRITUAL
Have you ever consider how COOL God is? That's not a word we usually use to describe Him, is it? He's AWESOME, He's OMNIPOTENT, He's AMAZING, He's INFINITE ...but COOL?

As a teenager in the 1970's, "cool" was a word used to describe a lot of things, but most often it described things that were exceptional in every day life. Passing a test was cool; Camaro Z-28's were cool; bell-bottom jeans were cool, the music of REO Speedwagon and Journey was cool. "Cool" described things that, although very, very good, were part of our everyday lives. They were accessible.

See what I mean? God is COOL! He IS awesome, omnipotent, amazing and infinite, but He loves us and wants to be in EVERY detail of our everyday lives. He is our loving Father and He delights in every aspect of the lives He has given us. He has even given us the wholesome, NON-SPIRITUAL things that we enjoy. We make a mistake when we try separating "spiritual" things from "secular" things. If it is good and wholesome, it is from God, whether it is in the church or not!

James 1:17 (NLT) "Whatever is good and perfect comes to us from God above, who created all heaven's lights."

Of course, this does NOT include sinful things, but did you know the same, loving God who delights in a Sunday Morning Worship Celebration and teaching His children through Bible study, also loves watching us play Scrabble, or root, root, root for the home team? Isn't that GREAT?! He gave us those things and He gave us the capacity to enjoy them. That's why a list of the things we love can include such a wide variety of things and activities. That's why I can say, "I love Jesus," "I love Melanie, "I love NASCAR racing," and "I love Koegel hotdogs." The degree and kind of love is different, of course, but God enjoys it when we enjoy the life He has given us.

MAKE YOUR OWN LIST
Go ahead, I double-dog dare 'ya. Make your own list of the things you love. Don't try to rank them, just write them down. If there are things on your list that a sinful, according to God's Word, the your affections are in the wrong place and you'll have to deal with that before God. But, if you list is made up of the wholesome, uplifting things that most of us really enjoy, thank God for those things.

       Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (NLT) There is a time for everything, a season for every activity under heaven.
                    A time to be born and a time to die.
                        A time to plant and a time to harvest.
                             A time to kill and a time to heal.
                                A time to tear down and a time to rebuild.
                                    A time to cry and a time to laugh.
                                        A time to grieve and a time to dance.
                                            A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
                                                A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
                                                    A time to search and a time to lose.
                                                        A time to keep and a time to throw away.
                                                            A time to tear and a time to mend.
                                                                A time to be quiet and a time to speak up.
                                                                    A time to love and a time to hate.
                                                                        A time for war and a time for peace.

When it is time to Worship, Worship God with everything that you have. When it is time to study the Bible, prayerfully do it with the Holy Spirit as your teacher. It is always time to pray, so keep a conversation going with your loving, Heavenly Father all the time. When it is time to be with your family, be with them completely. When it is time to enjoy a good meal, thank God for it and enjoy it. When it is time to watch a ballgame, or play a board game, or read a good book, or watch a movie, do so with a thankful heart to the God who has given you such a wonderful life.