Well it has been awhile since my last blog I'm still trying to get in the habit of posting everyday or at least every other day so I am here this morning with the hope of building a habit.

As I am writing this a gentle cool Fall breeze is blowing through an open door bringing with it nostalgic memories of Fall. My mind fills with images and smells of cooler days, changing colors, falling leafs, the first fire in the fireplace, and the smell of burning fireplaces throughout the neighborhood. As these images begin to fade my mind fills with Courier And Ives imgaes. Sights and smells of Thanksgiving meals with family and the coming holidays intoxicate my senses with all their wonderful aromas, decorations and activities and of course the familiar growing expectation of Christmas with its lights, Christmas trees, nativities, presents and the Christmas story of the gift of Jesus.

Fall, for me, marks a time of transition each year. It is a time of significant transition and transformation. As a child the transtions and transformations that would take place during the Fall and Winter season always seemed to take forever, except for the start of school which came way to soon. But as I get older the transtions to Fall and then Winter seem to take place so quickly I am unable to get ready for them resulting in the inability to fully live in them.

Change in science, technology, society and culture takes place so quickly today and not just on micro levels but on macro levels as well. Today macro changes take place every 4 to 6 years. All change is hard, macro level changes are life altering all at once. The older I get the more resistant to change I become and the harder it is to change. Change, transition and transformation is needed for a healthy life, for growth on an individual level and on a corporate level. Jesus said, we cannot put new wine in old wineskins for the skins will break and the wine will be lost. We need to keep learning, keep stretching and keep open to embracing change. God desires to bring a macro level transformation in all our lives.

Embrace change, learn to live in today, look for what's coming tomorrow and invite God's Spirit to keep you pliable and flexible. We will either be molded or broken by change it is our choice.

I've been thinking about next month's message series entitled "Supernatural." We have seen, in our cultural, a growing fascination with all things "supernatural." Teen reading is on the rise predominantly due to the growing number of teens picking up books dealing with supernatural themes. This began to show up with the introduction of Harry Potter then Twilight and it continues with Vampire Diaries, TV series like Heroes, Supernatural, Ghost Whisperer, Ghost Hunters, etc.
Is the fascination that humanity has always had with the supernatural an indication that we are wired with the knowledge that life is more than the physical world and that there is a missing part that we need? I say "Yes" but the answer has been so muddied by all the myths, misconceptions, false beliefs and intentional deceptions we end up filling ourselves with spiritual opiates that addict and lead us to destructive ends.
Is the supernatural really something above, beyond or outside the natural? Or is the supernatural really natural but something we have lost most of our ability to see, understand and experience in the right way? Well I do have definite thoughts about these questions and I believe there is clarity that we can have. The difficulty we have in seeing with greater clarity is compounded by books and shows like the ones I have mentioned. They are like looking through a very dirt window which faces the wrong way leaving us with the wrong focus and conclusion.
Just some thoughts for today. If they interest you follow my blog posts next month as I reflect on the message series "Supernatural" you can listen to the series at the HCC website www.hopechristian.com after October 4.

Welcome

This is my first attempt at blogging I hope you will find some interesting thoughts, views, ideas, humor, insight and random information once in awhile. My blog and thoughts are intimately connected to the faith community that I am apart of. HCC is a wonderful group of Christ-followers.