Today is the day for change, one way or the other.  This is the most historic election in my lifetime and I am anxious to see how it turns out.  We have the privilege to vote, so make sure you vote.

The theme of both campaigns has focused on change.  America needs change.  Our government needs change.  Our society needs change.  The change our nation needs most, however, is to turn their hearts toward Christ.  Changed men can change a nation.  Changed leaders can lead change.  Let us pray for our leaders to turn their hearts to Christ and to seek Him for His wisdom of how to lead our nation.  God Bless America!

Sunday morning we set our clocks back one hour.  The great part of that is that we had an extra hour to sleep.  It is the one day of the year that it actually seems that we get 25 hours in a day.  The bad part of falling back an hour is that it gets dark earlier.

This evening, it felt like it was about 7:00pm but it was only 5:30pm.  I needed some more time to get things done but it got dark too early.  With dark coming early it makes the evening drag by.  With it being dark so long it makes you feel like you should be going to bed in moments.  For the next few months, we will have less time to get things done outside because of the darkness.  The tendency during winter is that we will have to do more on Saturdays because it there is not enough time after work.

There is an interesting parallel between losing time and the return of the Lord.  Jesus said that we must work while it is day, for night will come and no work can be done.  As a child of God we must be busy doing the Lord’s work while it is still day.  Jesus will return again and we must be busy until He comes.  We must be working during the day to bring people to Him, so that night will not fall on them.  We must make the most of every opportunity to share Christ.  Night is coming, let us work while it is still the day.

We had a great day at church today.  God was present in our service. 

On the minds of many Americans today is the upcoming election.  If you haven’t voted make sure you get out and vote.  There is a great video by Dr. George Wood that explains how to vote with a conscience.  We were going to show it this morning but I wasn’t able to hook up the sound to the computer. 

Here is the link to the video.  Try to take five minutes to watch it before you vote.

This morning we woke up at 5:00am for our first deer hunt.  It is youth hunt weekend and Josh was ready to bag a deer. 

There is something about a man putting on camo that makes him feel like a real man.  Knowing that you are going to track down a deer with camo on, makes the testosterone come alive.  At the end of the day though, we didn’t bag a deer, but it was fun.

Josh only had one chance to shoot on a deer but it was too far.  He missed as they ran away.  He was excited to be out there and to actually see something.  Hopefully the next time we put on the camo we can come home with a Man Sized Trophy.

I just uploaded the first run of the RFA website. www.rogersag.com

Check it out and let me now what you think.  It is a work in progress. There will be more to come in the next few days and weeks.

“The devil does not sleep, nor is the flesh yet dead; therefore, you must never cease your preparation for battle, because on the right and the left are enemies who never rest. ”
-Thomas Kempis-

Since we have moved, we have noticed how much there is to do after we unloaded our last box.  It is not just unloading the truck and the boxes and we are done.  Now comes the business part of it.  You have to change bank accounts, change your address with all those you know and don’t know, change your insurance and driver’s license and the list goes on.  The easy part is moving.  It is the business aspect that consumes time and energy.  It is alot of work.

There is a move all of us are going to make that is going to be the easiest move ever made.  The move to Heaven.  There will be no chore to changing our address to 101 River of Life Lane.  There will  be no hassle changing to the bank of Heaven, they already have all of your info on file (Book of Life).  You will not need to change your ID, because our identication will be written on us and God does the writing.  This kind of move sounds good to me.  There will be no getting readjusted or learning new faces.  Who has to readjust to the perfect place? It will only be natural!

Heaven is a real place.  We must make sure that we are ready to go there and the only way to go there is through Jesus Christ.  Accept Christ’s love for you today!

Last night, Josh and I went to an area fast food restaurant.  We walked in, picked out our items and paid for them.  From the time we walked in, set our items on the counter and walked out, not a word was spoken to us.  I mean, not one word.  They did not even tell me what my total was, I had to look at the register display to know how much to pay.  I was disappointed in the service and even considered never going back BUT, it is my favorite fast food chain.

I left there last night wondering if this ever happens in church.  Do guests come into the church and never get spoken to?  Do they have to find their own way around, even though they have never been there before?  Do they feel out of place because the only ones we talk to are the ones we know? 

The truth is, in churches all around our nation, guests come in and leave dissatisfied customers.  In our church, we must make sure that our customers are satisfied with our service (our welcoming atmosphere and friendliness).  It is intimidating enough to go to a new church where they do not know anyone.  When they are not greeted and received, they feel out of place and will possibly never return.  We must be intentional to welcome, encourage and speak to everyone we see, whether we know them or not.

A couple of years ago, Sonya and I visited a church in Norman, Oklahoma where we had an experience like this.  We arrived 15 minutes early and sat in a seat while people fellowshipped all around us but no one spoke to us or greeted us.  Not a word was spoken to us from the time we arrived until the time we left (an hour and a half).  We left there and agreed that as long as we could help it, this would never happen in any church we pastored.  I am thankful that in the churches we have pastored there has been a welcoming spirit.  At RFA, there is a great effort made to make everyone feel welcome.  Keep up the good work!

Be friendly, reach out to guests, welcome everyone and make an effort to ensure that they come back.  Who knows if that will be the most meaningful contact that guest has this week.