Communion of the Community

I was at the Messiah Lutheran Church and School Dinner Dance with Carol when I realized that there is a growing lack of emphasis placed on the church family. As we were having a good time with the other couples from the church I remembered how refreshing and reinvigorating just socializing with others can be. Laughing at nothing, looking foolish and being unconditionally accepted really allows (for a time)to dwell in the good of life.

This is the church that is associated with my son's and daughter's school and they really understand that the church is more than a building you regularly attend, rather it is a support group and a haven. The church we regularly attend is a mega-Church that we have truly enjoyed being a part of. Its teaching and events are excellent but it is not a family and really with its size I do not know if it ever could be. You do not see the same people twice nor do you feel all the comfortable just coming to an 'event' unless you are a part of the planning or affiliated with it in some way. We are not one body of believers but rather a loose affiliation of believers and seeing the joy of the small gathering at Messiah really drove that point home. Jesus intended for us to be a tight-knit group that sacrifices for and enjoys each other. Where everyone has a place to go and enjoy being in the presence of the Lord and singing Johnny Cash songs at the top of their lungs without fear of forcible removal.

John 2
Jesus Changes Water to Wine
1On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there, 2and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no more wine."
4"Dear woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied, "My time has not yet come."

5His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."

6Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.[a]

7Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water"; so they filled them to the brim.

8Then he told them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet."

They did so, 9and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside

Acts 2
The Fellowship of the Believers

42They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Safe Schools (Sorry for the delay)

Normally I try for a minimum of two posts a week, but we have been very busy (Officers and Agents), on projects, anyway I will be more consistent in the future.

I, like most people, was saddened by the actions of another deranged and immoral gunman at Northern Illinois University. However when I start to hear the people around me start to say how at risk school children are to violence then ever before, I have to stop them. There are more children attending school in American then ever before in our history. Further the actual rates of violent acts against them in a per capita break down suggest for the vast majority of crimes they have never been safer.

For example in Illinois alone there are 2,362,718 public and nonpublic children enrolled in school. (Source http://www.isbe.state.il.us/research/pdfs/imun00.pdf). We should attempt to make the schools as safe as possible but I also think we need to acknowledge all the good work the teachers, school administrators and law enforcement have made in improving safety and will be making in the future.

I know that something good will come of this evil because:

Luke 1:37 "For nothing is impossible with God."

First Week

Well I finished my first week in my new position. It seems everything I had hoped and prayed it would be, it is, which means it is basically illicit drugs and guns and little else.

These are some pictures of an area around one of my surveillance sites and this was not the worst crime ridden area, just one of the few times there were not a lot of people around.

Dorothy, you and Toto are not in Kansas any more.





And yes I know; someone I know will see this and say, "Hey, wait a minute. That's My HOUSE!!!!"


***Obviously Pictures are not of nor near the target location, and of another major city not in the area, they just a flavor of the areas that I find myself working in***