Thank you, Lord for your immense grace to us all... and to me personally.

While I've devoted today's "feature" at IndyChristian.com to "Thankfulness" on a wider-group basis, I'd also like to quickly add a personal note of thanks to my personal roots in Christ.... going back to a little country church in the heartland of Illinois...

Back-log: (circa 1950's & 60's) It was here that our extended family worshipped together, and taught future generations to know how much Jesus loves us and offers us a tremendous plan for our lives.... "an offer too good to refuse". We have so much to be eternally thankful for, including God working significantly through my family & their community church.

Da Bears! Da Colts! Win alike

We were there (at Memorial Stadium in Champaign). What an awesome comeback at the proverbial 'eleventh hour' of regulation time -- and then a spectacular finish in OT!

Isn't the Christian life like that sometimes? Just when things look really tough, God calls for us to just continue being faithful & persevere. And who knows what He has in store. Maybe a fantastic 'eye-spy' of God in action. Be there. Don't leave 'the game' too early. **smile**

"Transform Indiana"... This past Thursday was really encouraging. This visionary/planning group met, now for the 7th time, and continues to hang in there against all odds. Their bright hope is to actually see a "paradigm shift" (and I'm not talking about the www, you netizens...LOL) in the way we live our daily lives in our communities. They're praying, planning, and working toward the day that Christians lay self-interest on the altar -- even churches laying self-interest aside -- for the good of our neighbors & whole communities, by modeling & sharing the Good News and its abundant life application.

And "as iron sharpens iron, so one city sharpeneth another" (forgive my modifications) -- this Indianapolis group is greatly encouraged by Chicagoland pastors & leaders involved in their "One Great City" initiative. In fact, we spent a good portion of our meeting, going through a PowerPoint presentation that they have on their website... a good example of how the web does help us "spur one another on toward love & good deeds".

We're also greatly heartened by the Mission America Coalition (Lighthouse Movement) and their thrust toward city-reaching. Yesterday, on their national teleconference call with city-reps, they invited George S. Gallup, Jr. to address issues & answers. What a terrific resource. And as all Christian coalitions, it comes as a result of us putting aside a certain amount of self-interest, and working primarily toward the glory of the name of Christ.

Another great encouragement? These "Transforming Indiana" folks were willing -- in fact inspired -- to continue meeting at the emerging "Urban Collaborative Center". It's hardly because of the facilities at this early stage of its life.... but rather because of their hearts for any and all peoples of Indiana. I call these types of leaders "Driven Christians in the Racing Capital of the World". **smile**

Back-log: (Circa 1970) -- My personal story....

Btw, this story and the personal stories of others, are now being collected & posted, city by city, at... DoYouKnowForSure.com . [Please pass the word among your friends who might be willing to venture to post their testimony of God's grace... which could be meaningful to someone in your city.]

Dare we read "alternative" Christian views? ...
Do we really want to change? If so, perhaps there are times we need to deliberately venture a little time in reading & discussing alternative points of view... which, if we end up accepting them, turn out to no longer be an alternative point of view for us. **smile**

Such is the case of a great article I picked up yesterday -- thanks to a tip from "blogs4God".... "The Call of the Wild", by Trygve Johnson.

Voters Change the Senate...
Any way you slice it, it appears that the people have spoken, and President Bush has been blessed with an ability now to get solid court nominees acted upon. Even assuming God is not necessarily a Republican, we do know that He himself is perfect justice and desires that we "act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with our God". So my hat is off to voters nationwide who essentially voted against the unprecedented injustice of Democrats stymying conservative appointees. Allow me to praise God for this change.

Btw, who could have guessed, that having only narrowly won election himself two years ago, that his personal influence would defy the normal off-year trend and effectively carry the day yesterday? May we as Christians continue to hold him (and all our elected leaders) up in prayer every single day.

And now, for the lighter side...
Rudy has picked up this tidbit -- Florida voters again disgruntled over the voting apparatus. LOL.

It gives me a chance to run one of my favorite pix.... Florida voting machine for 2004...

Sometimes No Amount of Logic Can Help...

I thank our syndicated blogging friend, Rudy Carassco at UrbanOnramps.com, for pointing out a funny statistic cited in a Miami Herald article this week, about a poll they cited which claimed that 11% of Americans believe the NASA moon landing was a fake. Pardon me for LOLLLLLLLL.

Suddenly though it didn't seem so funny as I remembered Barna research which indicates that now only appx 5% of Americans would fall into a belief category we would call "evangelicals"...

...who say their faith is very important in their life today; believe they have a personal responsibility to share their religious beliefs about Christ with non-Christians; believe that Satan exists; believe that the eternal salvation is possible only through grace, not works; believe that Jesus Christ lived a sinless life on earth; and describe God as the all-knowing , all-powerful, perfect deity who created the universe and still rules it today.
(definitions & stats from Barna.org)

Shall we then conclude that it is apparently TWICE as easy to convince Americans that the moon landing didn't happen, than to convince them of the core body of truth taught in our Bible-believing churches today?

At the very least, these polls simply bear out what we perhaps already knew... When people don't want to believe something, no amount of logic or evidence will convince them otherwise. It first takes an act of God's Spirit... just as the Bible says. The logic of it all becomes obvious once we get over the hurdle of pride and stop being god.

How can I change? How can anyone change? Step One... pray, repent of our former beliefs & actions, acknowledge Truth. The rest may be easy.