A couple of things about...

...not much in general, but I did want to try my hand at the ability of this thing to allow me to type an email and it publish it to my blog. However, since I am here I think I will pontificate...

I've been thinking (I know a dangerous thing where nothing good can come out of) recently about how each generation kind of stops listening to the generations that precede it for a time before they realize that the previous generations might have some information that might help them. I came on the realization over time, but examples of this have been popping up as of late. More than likely it has to do with my involvement with the youth groups. The latest case was from someone who has been going through a rough time in college. I wonder why they don't try to contact one of us adult types that they used to seem to trust and confide in while in high school. The impression is that they forget that many of us adults have gone through similar situations or have the impression that we have always had it "all together."

A case in point, over the summer I asked one former student if they would like to have a Bible study and if they would consider helping me run it. They said that they felt that they would bring shame to His name if they would help lead it. Replied to them basically, with where I had been during college. My vices and actions then would probably, by some peoples standards even preclude me from serving now. But god doesn't care as much for the past, if you have given up the sin that separated you from Him in the first place. In the case of the former student, that if you are earnestly seeking God and trying to quit doing what you are ashamed of (i.e. repent), then he will forgive the sin. I still have things that I struggle with which some would be surprised about and I have found peace in God and know that as I keep trying (the song "Pressing On" by Reliant K comes to mind) that he will bless me, though the blessing is probably being limited to a certain extent by the fact that I still give into the sin that I am trying to stop doing (Don't read into this too much, everybody has something that they struggle with spiritually). The apostle Paul's thorn in the flesh analogy is a good example of what I am trying to say.

Now let's see what got all of this started again? Oh yeah, the fact that we are all kind of self centered and it isn't until later in life that we realize that there are more of us out there with similar struggles that we can draw strength from to help us find out what God wants us to do. Enough for now.