Dottie - You Were A Good Dog!

You never realize how attached you are to a pet until they are gone. This past week has been very dramatic for the Conner family as we watched our 12 year old dalmatian go from her normal energetic self on Sunday to paralyzed and helpless in less than one hour. The Vet says she could have slipped a disc, had a blood clot, or possibly a tumor. They gave her some drugs and 5 days later there was no improvement. Friday we had to make a tough decision and put her down. It was a sad day for me. I'm not going to lie to you - I cried like a baby. Dottie left this world doing the one thing she loved to do - eating a Scooby Snack. Dottie was a great dog. She was an amazing friend. I will miss my spotted friend tremendously.

This is a Powerful Video

It has been a long time since I blogged. I really need to get back into the habit of blogging. I was checking out Brock Gill's site and found this video. It's a very powerful video. I would encourage you to check it out and let me know what you think.

Bored...

It's 10pm at my house, Emma is asleep, Amy's scrap booking and I am bored! It's too quiet. I don't know what to do...so I have spent the last two hours playing with a really cool Internet browser called flock. It's a really cool browser for you networking folks. It keeps track of Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and others. I'm digging it and thought I would share it with you! You can check it out for yourself at flock.com! Have fun!

A Really Cool Video

Stop & Smell the Roses...

I was in one of the local coffee shops with my daughter Emma yesterday. We go there at least once-a-week after school to get an ice cream sundae (don't ask why we get one at a coffee shop). While sitting there with Emma I couldn't help but over hear the conversation that the owner and some of the patrons were having. They were talking about how grateful they were. Grateful for being able to see the sunrise each morning. Grateful for being able to smell the flowers. Grateful for being able to walk and see and live life. I got to be honest, it was refreshing to hear a conversation of gratitude rather then what I usually hear - grumbling. Grumbling about gas prices, jobs, bosses, spouses, and whatever else you can think of.

I left the coffee shop in a better mood than I went in. It's amazing how when we think on the good things that God has blessed us with how are outlook on life can change from half-empty to half-full! I really appreciate that coffee shop! I really appreciate the attitude of those folks. I really appreciate God for allowing me the opportunity to be an innocent bystander - I needed to stop and smell the roses myself yesterday!

Paul was on to something in his letter to the Philippians when he said, "Rejoice in the Lord always...and the God of peace will be with you." (Philippians 4:4-9, NIV) May the God of peace be with you today, tomorrow and forever!

Artwork

Daddy, What's Hell?

My six year old daughter, Emma and I were having a conversation the other night on the way home from church. The topic of discussion on this particular ride home was Hell. Emma wanted to know where Hell was, what it was like, and who went there. After we had a pretty detailed conversation about Hell she finished our conversation with these words as we pulled into the driveway: "Daddy, I gotta tell my friends about Jesus so that they don't go to Hell!"

The amazing thing was not just that my six year old daughter realized the consequences of a life without Jesus but the truly amazing thing that hit me was her genuine concern over the lostness of her friends. There was such conviction and compassion in her voice. She didn't just say this half-heartedly - there was a lot of "umpphh" behind what she said!

That night I was faced with my own lack of concern over the spiritual condition of those that live around me. I was confronted with my own lack of fervor over the lost in my community. In one single sentence from a six year old God reminded me of my responsibility as a believer - to tell others about Jesus. I have resolved to not let my daughter's enthusiasm to share Jesus surpass mine again - but to be more active in sharing Jesus with others. I am reminded of what John said in 1 John 4:10-11:

“This is love: not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” 1 John 4:10-11

If we love others we ought to share the gospel with them. If you would like to hear more about Jesus I would be happy to share with you all about His love, compassion, mercy and grace for you. If you want to know more about how to live a life eternally secure in the Salvation of Jesus Christ I would be honored to tell you. If you need encouragment to share the Gospel with your neighbor - I am praying for you!