Are you struggling?

"A good and devout man arranges in his mind the things he has to do, not according to the whims of evil inclination but according to the dictates of right reason. Who is forced to struggle more than he who tries to master himself? This ought to be our purpose, then: to conquer self, to become stronger each day, to advance in virtue." - from "The Imitation of Christ" by Thomas A Kempis

My pastor recommended that I read The Imitation of Christ by Thomas A Kempis.  It was written sometime around 1400 AD.  So far, it is one of the most thought-provoking devotionals that I have ever read.  I'm taking a slow, meditative approach to reading it, and I am really enjoying it.  I try to read a section each day and then meditate on it.  That's meditate, as in think deeply about, not "ooohhmmmm" meditate.  I thought that I'd share some of it with you as I go.

Enjoy! and God Bless

God Bless You and Merry Christmas

I wish you all a Merry Christmas, and I pray that God will bring you and your family, and our nation, many blessings in the new year.  Please take a moment to pray for our service men and women who are overseas fighting to defend our freedoms.  Pray for their families, too.  There are a lot of folks out there who aren't able to celebrate Christmas with their families.  Don't take their sacrifice for granted.

In God We Trust


Scott A. Baker