Young Guns and Huskers

Happy Saturday to you all.  My Saturday was actually a great day.  I woke up about 10:30 and went to our seminary's field day at 11.  They were just finishing Ultimate Frisbee which I am ok with because I don't really get into Frisbee.  I was just excited to play softball.  Well turns out we weren't playing that until 1.  So I went to lunch with some friends I knew and some new people I met.  It was a blast, and then when we got back we played softball.  The second and fourth year guys asked how many first years there were and so we all went and stood in a group.  Then they told us it was all of us versus all of them.  We agreed to take them on and so it was nine first years and then Dr. Saleska (Dean of basically everything) on one team and then nine second and fourth year guys and Dr. Mars on the other team.  We named ourselves Young Guns and played ball.  They made us be away which in the end was our ultimate down fall.  However we did have quite the lead most of the game until the last inning when they let us walk a few of their guys and then came back to win.  It was just a great day, a fun game that didn't matter who won, and ended in prayer as everything in life should.  I was impressed to see eighteen guys and two doctors just all come together for a fun day of pick up softball.  It was hot, we were all sweating, but it didn't matter it was just plain fun.  I thank the Good Lord for those types of activities in life when His children can all get together and just enjoy each others company.  Then it made me think of the twelve disciples.  I mean they spent a lot of time together, traveling together, eating together, they had to have some close relationships with each other.  I just wonder if they ever pulled pranks on each other or sat around the evening over a glass of wine telling embarrassing stories and just laughing.  The best memories I have in life that I will never forget all have to do with friends and family just sitting around laughing and enjoying being together.  I don't know, I mean we never really hear about Andrew pushing his brother Peter off the boat into the water.  Or if those two ever had contests to see who could catch the biggest fish or who could clean the fish the fastest?  I wonder if John and James, if one brother knew the other brother was afraid of something and would surprise him just to watch him scream and jump while the other one laughed.  I have pulled these pranks with my friends, and they have pulled them back on me. Every time every one ends up laughing, even if you were the one at the expense of the joke.  It is certainly not theologically important, but it's fun to think about how far back great memories of fun and laughter with our brothers and sisters in Christ go.    

The second part of my day was watching HUSKER FOOTBALL!!!!!  GO BIG RED!  Now that I have that out of the way, I do have to say I was not overly impressed with our offense.  Our defense other than one play did quite well.  However, I do think it might have been good for us to not just completely blow Chattanooga Mock's (Mockingbirds) out of the water.  Last year we started out destroying all of our easy games and then look at how we did against the real competition.  So maybe if we start out not so good, we will have to humble ourselves a little bit and then realize we still have a lot to work on.  I am glad to join the Big 10, and hope we do well this year.  There were like ten or so of us guys who are Husker fans who went to this bar not to far from campus because we were told it's where all the Husker fans go.  They weren't kidding.  It was literally so full of all red by the time we got there late due to our softball game, we had to join two random tables that weren't completely full.  Then we ended up making pretty good friends with the people who were sitting there and hope to go back another game and see them there again.  It is good to find friendly Nebraskans away from home who are still just as friendly.  

Nothing of real theological importance happened today, other than just the fact that God does indeed bless us each and every day with so many blessings we could never stop to count them.  I mean looking at yesterdays post back to Dr. Meyer's story, every heart beat is a blessing.  So to look back on it, I did meet new people and establish new relationships with fellow children of God.  I got to talk more with those friends I have already made and strengthen those relationships.  I got to play and watch sports and enjoy the gift of friendly competition.  And at the end of the day I am still healthy, happy, and just can't not imagine a life that does not know all wonderful things come from God.  Actually on that note, I just finished reading the book Dinner with a Perfect Stranger.  I was supposed to have read it in college, but I got about half way through it and realized I didn't need to read it to get the assignment done so I just quit.  Well while I had some free time I went back and read it.  I am actually starting Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis after I am done typing this.  But anyways, in that book it has Jesus describing Hell as life on earth just without anything good because with the lack of God, all good things He gives us will be gone.  So I had to stop and ponder on that.  It would be just like life on Earth, except absolutely not one good thing will be possible.  Now keep in mind this is a fictional book written by just a human, so it doesn't mean that's what Hell is actually going to be like, but it makes you think.  Think about starting your day not waking up because even though you are so tired you can barely move, sleep is probably not even possible. You're in a hundred percent of pain.  Every interaction with another person is probably them trying to bite you (gnashing of teeth-Bible reference for those of you who don't get that) or physically hurt you in some way.  So basically instead of trying to find someone to have companionship, you are avoiding them at all costs.  You are probably starving and thirsty with no food or water in sight.  Just absolutely 200% miserable because there will be nothing good.  I mean the slightest cool breeze to cool the heat off your forehead will not happen.  Now again, not exactly sure that is what Hell is going to be like.  However, it could be way worse than anything we could ever even imagine.  I sometimes hear people say, "Well I already know I am going to Hell."  Then most the time they laugh about it after they say that.  I just want to yell at them that if they think there is going to be anything to laugh at once they are in Hell, they will be surprised.  I don't think our human minds are even capable of even imagining how awful, horrible, terrifying Hell is going to be, and yet they laugh about it.  This is the perfect time to witness that it is never too late, there is nothing terrible enough they could have ever done on this Earth to not turn their ways around, repent and be saved.  I have tried several times even using the story of the criminal on the cross, and yet to my knowledge it doesn't seem to change their mind.  However all I can do is tell them the Words of Christ, then trust the Holy Spirit to work in them.  (Actually I want to write a whole post on the idea of planting the seed and never knowing if it grows or not, but maybe tomorrow I can continue with that miniseries)  So I know I kind of went off track there talking about how wonderful my day was, to trying to describe Hell, to witnessing our faith to those who struggle to find it.  However, it is a great example about how every conversation can be turned into a witnessing opportunity, even if it's with another Christian.  We need to talk to each other to stay strong and secure in our faith.  So yes my day was a great day, but only because we have such an awesome God who gives us every good we have in our lives.  And yes, Hell is absolutely the worst place possible for us to go.  So why would you ever want anyone to go there or be in danger of going there yourself.  I love the phrase: It is better to believe your whole life and find out there wasn't a God and just be dead, then to not believe your whole life and find out there was a God and now you're in Hell.  Great line to use on people who aren't quite sure if there is a God.  And my final thought I will leave you with after this very lengthy post, never drop the ball, never miss a single opportunity to witness to anyone.  You could be the one who saves their soul and brings them to eternal life with even the simplest, smallest comment or gesture.  We must live our faith, if we want to truly share it. Amen, Amen and again I say truly Amen.  

Dear Heavenly Father, 

Thank you for the wonderful day You blessed us all with.  We certainly do not deserve all the great things and people You put in our life.  Yet out of Your love and mercy for us, Your sinful children, You continue to bless us each and everyday.  Lord we thank you for the gift of Your Son.  For it is by His death and resurrection alone that we are spared from the gates of Hell, but rather promised the joy of eternal life.  We ask that You be with us, strengthen our own faith, so that we may live it and share it.  Help us to truly be witnesses of Your love and truth and always share it with everyone we can.  We, Your faithful children, pray in the name of our only hope and peace, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, three wonderful persons in one absolutely amazing God.  Amen.