PickL

I don't know if I had mentioned it or not, but this base is fairly conducive to home sickness. Or to get you pumped up for a football game...depending your mood. One of the main roads on this installation is called Nebraska. We drive on it everyday a lot. It's the road to everywhere! Most of the street names are states, but Nebraska isn't hidden in some subdivision, it's right there in the open. We pass Michigan on our way home as well. So if we're talking about football, we drive by Michigan St. and kinda of laugh (maybe they'll be better next year...uhhh maybe not)...then we get to Nebraska and get really excited to watch the next game...unless it's on pay per view then we get excited to refresh ESPN Gamecast. Or stare at the ticker on the bottom of a game actually on TV. Josh and I love football. We have to be careful not to spend our entire Saturday (starting with GameDay at 9am) in the best seats in the stadium. Lets just say we haven't been too careful lately. Usually we will put some soup on the stove, I'll grab some puzzle books or laundry or something, and Josh will try to do some work at the same time (he's not so great at multi-tasking). It's one of our favorite family times. :) Anyhoo, if there isn't a game coming up that we can watch, then both Nebraska and Michigan streets remind us that we are 7ish hours away. Boo. But then we laugh when we pull onto our street because somewhere in the weather the sign changed from Pick Pl, to Pick l. We live on Pickl. Sick. I hate pickles. But hey, it's funny.

We've been trying out new churches lately and I think we've found both a church and a Sunday school and a Bible study (through the base) that we like. We got it handed to us in church on Sunday regarding the apathy among believers. Anywhere actually, but especially in the military, you are admonished not to speak your faith views. Our culture says faith is individual and private, and you believe what you believe, and I'll believe what I believe then we'll be all one big happy family, getting alone and being unified. Knowingly or not, we all as believers have bought into this in some way, shape, or form. Believers are being quiet, the church is in hiding. But- talking about Jesus at work could risk your job! Or- I just don't have the right words- I dont' know what to say. Or how about- it's just not my spiritual gift. Or- the right opportunity hasn't come up yet. Maybe waiting for just the right moment or conversation doesn't cut it with God. I had some believers tell me the other day that they don't pray for their food at restaurants any more because it's too awkward for the waiters. Are you serious? That's 'tolerance' brainwashing at it's finest. That's not even confrontational and we don't want to do it! When's the last time you said something for Jesus, in public, to a non believer...etc. Last week? Last month? I was convicted big time of that. We all know how to steer conversation towards or away from Christ. We can talk in 'safe zones' for a very long time! Here's three of the many verses we talked about Sunday morning:

Isaiah 62: 1
For Zion's sake I will not keep silent,
for Jerusalem's sake I will not remain quiet,
till her righteousness shines out like the dawn,
her salvation like a blazing torch.

Esther 4:14
For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?

Romans 1:16
I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes:

I'm not saying be on a street corner with huge signs preaching sermons to passersby, but I am saying that we all have people we are in contact with. Our paths have crossed because of classes, children, churches, gym memberships, etc. And they are people we need to reach...for such a time as this. Don't assume someone else will do it. You don't know who they know.

One of the main points was that if we keep quiet, not making the most of every opportunity, then God's work will be done through another means. We are not stopping Him, BUT we will face the consequences of disobedience when we stand face to face with God. Just like parenting...we want to be characterized by first time obedience.

Yup, it was good for me to hear that.