Stronger 2008

Happy New Year! I can't believe we are almost through the first month of 2008. Wow! Things have been busy around here! I'm excited to see what 2008 will bring. I love how we get a fresh start every new year. I've just been promoted at work to be a Shift Supervisor. So now I'm training and learning more new things. The girls are back into the swing of things at school. And Gene is getting over a cold with a very bad sore throat. Poor guy!
Yesterday in Sunday School we were talking about Justin: Martyr and Apologist. He was condemned to death at about age 65 because he refused to sacrifice to the Roman idols. Before his death he wrote several letters call "apologetics." These were an attempt to argue against persecutions of the Christians by writing directly to the emperor. If you think about it, this was an amazing! What I thought was great is that he took a huge risk to try to tear down the walls of misunderstandings that people believed about Christians and tried to listen to what the defense was and tried to find some common ground to be able to open up some communication and ultimately build a bridge between the two sides so that the real story of Jesus and His love can shine through. The question was asked; Are most Christians dedicated enough to die for their faith?. And dare I ask, am I dedicated enough in my faith to live for what I believe? Those questions really sunk in. I've been thinking and praying about this every since the class. I want God to be able to help me build bridges and not tear down walls. I want to be strong enough in my faith, and what I believe that if I have to someday die for them, may God's will be done. I would encourage you to review the Apostle's Creed with me and become stronger in our faith in God the Father Almighty. May you all be truly blessed in 2008.
Happy bridge building, Tina