Growin' Up Gregory

How's your faith?  I'm willing to bet that if most of us are truly honest, our faith is often times "iffy" at best.  We make statements like: -  God, if you'll give me a child, I promise I'll dedicate him/her to you. -  God, if you give me good job or a raise, I'll be more generous with my giving. -  God, if you give me a prominent position, I'll talk about you more with people. And while we've all probably made "deals" like these with God before, they are not how our faith should operate.  God listens, but He doesn't negotiate.  I believe that He hears our prayers and that He is compassionate to our concerns and our hearts, but I also know that ultimately His will will be done. Rather than having if, or iffy, faith, perhaps we should focus on having EVEN IF faith: -  Will you trust God EVEN IF your child becomes deathly ill, develops some severe condition, or worse dies?  Will you still trust His purposes for that child in y...

I count myself one of the lucky ones.  I have been given an opportunity in my life to grow up in a great town, get an education both locally and in a neighboring small town, and then be given an opportunity to pursue a rewarding career in my hometown.  Yes, I consider being "stuck" or "left behind" in Union to make me lucky. Nearly 13 years ago, a local company took a chance and hired a 22 year old kid not long out of college with no experience who was looking for a job primarily because I was too lazy and unmotivated to go back to school to become an accountant.  When asked why I wanted to get into banking my response was literally this, "I don't know, I just heard it's a good career to get into."  Looking back, I don't even think there was a need for the position I was hired into, but for whatever reason it happened.  And I believe that it has worked out well for both the company I work with and myself. My message to young people, and pot...

There are many foods that require one main ingredient that if it's missing, the entire entrée is just lacking.  It requires each ingredient to make it special and to set it off, but there's typically that one ingredient that truly makes it.  And leaving that main ingredient out can sometimes be disastrous.  Take the morning I turned my coffee pot on after attending a concert and as I poured from our stainless steel pot, I noticed that there one major thing lacking - COFFEE!  That hot water just didn't have the same kick. When we try to play sports without the right equipment, some things can be substituted while others simply cannot.  Thomas and I have propped up old wooden pallets in the yard to substitute as soccer goals, but we have to have a ball (the main ingredient) to kick.  And when businesses or companies are evaluating potential employees, they are reviewing resumes for certain requirements.  They want to see your education, your experience...