It is ironic that my first blog post will be on a Sunday. This first post will be a little about me and why I am starting this Blog.

My core beliefs are based on all that I have learned up until this point in my life:

1. The Bible is not a scientific work, and much of it is completely and totally illogical.
2. Belief in the God of the Bible requires faith that the words contained within the Bible are God’s holy words.
3. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is the only true God, and this God exists in three persons, Father, Son (Jesus), and Holy Spirit.
4. Jesus was and is the Christ spoken of in the Old Testament of the Bible, and his death was the ultimate sacrifice for sin. He rose again in three days, and he is in heaven with our father God preparing a place where his people will live in God’s presence for all of eternity.
5. After Christ’s death and resurrection, Christians were given the gift of the Holy Spirit.
6. The Holy Spirit exists within us as a powerful intercessor between the God of the universe, and a forgiven people who are joint-heirs with Jesus in the Kingdom of God.
7. It is beyond human capability to fully understand the Holy Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as one God in three persons.
8. The Bible is the written word of God, and it is meant to be interpreted in the language that it was originally spoken.
9. Nearly all of the Bible can be interpreted in the translated form, yet when settling scriptural disputes or preaching, it is essential that the Greek and/or Hebrew versions of the scripture be considered.
10. It is ok to say, “I don’t know” when you have received questions about the Bible.
11. Humans are fallible, and throughout history, evil, atrocious things have been done in the name of Jesus and Christianity. I am human, please; forgive me when I make mistakes. I will admit them eventually.
12. It is my mission in this life to love the people who have been hurt by the incorrect interpretation of the word of God.
13. I will never know all there is to know about the Word of God, but I freely give you what I know:
1. God loves you despite your sin.
2. It is already forgiven.
3. To experience God’s salvation:
1. All you have to do is acknowledge that you are not perfect (a sinner).
2. Acknowledge that Jesus died for your imperfections (sins).
3. Turn from your sin.
4. It is ok to feel like there are sins that you will never turn from.  
1. It is ok to be scared of turning from those sins.
2. Just ask God to help you turn from the sins that you feel that you are incapable of giving up in your humanity. It may take a lifetime, and you may die without feeling completely free of those sins, yet you can rest assured that they are forgiven.
3. Feelings of insecurity and un-forgiveness are not of God.
5. Commit your life to Christ.
6. This can either be both the most joyful and scariest thing that you will ever do, but please trust me when I say, you will love intimately knowing the God of the universe.
14. We as humans were created in God’s image. As his creation, he gave us free will. We can either accept the word of God, or we can reject the word of God.
15. If you reject the word of God, there will be consequences, but I cannot tell you what they will be. Only you and God will know.
16. If you accept the word of God, there will be consequences, and I can only tell you what the consequences have been in my life and those who have chosen to share their stories about how God has acted in their lives.
17. If you don’t believe a word of what I say, that is ok, I will still love you.
18. It is ok to not be a Christian. If you are not a Christian, I do not, and will never believe that you should be held liable to any law, rule, or regulation that is in the Bible. I believe that there are many principles in the Bible that non-Christians can utilize in order to have very fulfilled lives, yet I will never tell someone that they should utilize these principles if they are not a Christian.
19. I love and respect the perspectives of all people, and I believe that it is ok to use literature from all people to educate and instruct.
20. I have the right and ability to add to or change any of my core beliefs, but  1-8 & 13 will only change slightly, if at all. 

1)     I have been a Christian since the age of seven or so.  I can remember sitting at home and all of a sudden wondering, “How can I know that I am going to heaven?” As a kid that had been spoken to like an adult since I was old enough to talk, I was able to articulate my question to my mother quite well. She took me into her office area, read me the verses associated with salvation, and asked me if I wanted to trust Jesus as my Lord and Savior.  I said yes, and we prayed together.  Ever since then, I have had a great peace in knowing that I was part of a greater family known as the family of God.   As I have gotten older and wiser, I have found that my personal belief system doesn’t quite mesh with any specific theology that I have come across.
 I could be described as a non-denominational Christian.  My hope is that this Blog will be both an outlet for my own personal ministry and a medium in which to develop, change, and purify my own personal theology.

I believe in the Socratic method of learning. I recognize that I know almost nothing for sure, yet I must try to understand the people and things in the world so that I can better serve them.   I have chosen the Bible as my compass for navigating this wild chunk of earth, and I have found the truths contained within it to be some of the must thought provoking, frustrating, and spiritually satisfying things that I have encountered to date.  I want to share this leg of my journey with you, and I hope that you will join me. Whenever I write something that you disagree with, please, in the spirit of love, tell me why you disagree.  I will consider it, and I will pray for answers. 
I offer only a bit of wisdom today. If you have been running from God for any reason. Stop. Embrace whatever it is that you are running from, even if it is scary. Once you do, you will have the most amazing peace.