Good morning loved ones,
I haven't written for awhile for a couple of reasons:

#1 - When your taking classes for your Master's degree you don't have a lot of free time to write that isn't consumed by assigned papers.

#2 - I have been feeling a bit frustrated at the Fat Lazy Cat Syndrome of disciples of Jesus in general.

Let me define the FLCS - this is when as a disciple of Jesus I slowly but deliberately allow my life to become the standard by which I judge everything spiritual. It slowly but surely develops into I'm tired, I'm offended, I'm too busy, I'm not interested. I'm ...you fill in the blank. It proceeds to " I just need to take care of me, my family, my interests, My....again you fill in the blank. Then it slowly begins to find sympathetic ears and little groups form and slowly conversations of subtle criticism form, not overtly but in the form of " well if I were going to do it I would, or I've heard a lot of people say that.... or, "We really should do this or that but I'm not sure I can help". There is more subtle wall building and distancing in these disciples lives till the fire of a life saved by grace fueled by the throne of heaven itself, and encouraged by the Almighty King of Kings, Jesus, Himself slowly peters down to a flickering flame on a match head struggling not to go out by a gentle breeze and starving for more fuel that that found on the head of a match. This then reveals a disciple that in most forms looks like a Fat Lazy Cat that has found its contentment in lying in the window looking for its pleasure selfishly only when it pleases and enjoying the fact that its food + water dish is never empty and when they get good and ready they will meander over and paw around in the food and eat what they want but they are in no hurry because they know it will always be there. Hence, my Fat Lazy Cat Syndrome found in disciples of Jesus.

I could become very discouraged and disgruntled about this. To be honest, as a Pastor in New Hampshire one of the greatest mission fields of our modern world, I have, and even thought; "why bother keep trying nobody cares not even my leaders? Why work so hard why why why?"

Let me tell you why I can't stop and why every disciple of Jesus needs to stop today and reevaluate how they are following after Jesus.

14 Now after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God,
15 and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel."
16 As He was going along by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon, casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen.
17 And Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men."
18 Immediately they left their nets and followed Him.
19 Going on a little farther, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who were also in the boat mending the nets.
20 Immediately He called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went away to follow Him. (Mar 1:14-20 NAU)

The number 1 reason I can't stop is that Jesus has called me. When Jesus called me He transformed me. My life was worthless and and wasted time. I had a list of excuses about plans that were never fulfilled and dreams that disappeared in to the vastness of each night. Each morning I rose to what should have been, what I hadn't done, Where I could have gone. I was so frustrated with what I, I, I had done with my life that when Jesus transformed me I CANT EVER GO BACK! I have met the purpose, the power, the presence, the passion, and my perspective for the rest of my life for eternity and I want more of Jesus. He has given me such an insatiable thirst for Him and His service and greatness that for me to go back the FLCS I would die. I don't want to die, I have life now and more abundantly than I have ever had it before. If you are offended by my comments because you think I am speaking about you as a FLC then GOOD! Maybe just maybe this will be the wake up call you need to get off the couch, outside your door, out of your yard and LIVE. Remember I never mentioned anyone's names so maybe this is the Holy Spirit's conviction that what I said is true of you.

Reason number 2 I can't Stop - When Jesus transformed me He gave me love for people I never had. A FAT LAZY CAT has love only for them-self and their own pleasures. A love like Jesus is so great, so huge my heart and life can't contain it all it MUST be given away to those who need it. The more I give away the more I know God loves me and the more I know other people love me. What I find Ironic is that Fat Lazy Cats complain about feeling unloved, unwanted, ill treated, but their the ones that never leave their window seats, their homes, their lives to love anyone but themselves. What is more truth is that the more I love myself the more I find I feel unloved. Crazy how Jesus designed love the more we give it away and invest in other people the more we experience and feel and know we are loved.

Reason #3 I can't stop - Jesus gave a command in these verses. He said follow me and I will make you fishers of men. He didn't say hey if you would like to come to church once a month or when its convenient we can go fishing for already disinterested full sel-fish in a 5 gallon tank that never gets changed. NO - following Jesus is an adventure that demands perseverance, courage, stamina, strength, passion, and creativity. Every single day is like being on Safari in the Kilimanjaro or fishing the Amazon River for piranha. No two days are ever alike and not day ever goes by with out seeing the hand of Almighty God my savior Jesus Christ moving in and through me in such powerful ways to touch other peoples lives so they they too can experience what real life is truly like the way God the Father created it to be.

NO - you can have your FLCSyndrome. I would rather lay my head on my pillow each and every night completely exhausted because I served the Lord with my whole heart than to ever lay it down weary because of a wasted day again. Don't think that I get to do this just because I am a pastor and get paid to do this. No, I haven't always been a pastor, this adventure started for me when I was 18, I've been an EMT, a Mental Health Worker in the state hospital on emergency admissions units and child psychiatric units, I've worked at SEARS selling tools, I've worked at A+B lumber as a yard worker, sales associate in the showroom, and even as the Paint guy, I have not always been a pastor but since I met Jesus like these disciples did I've never had a boring day. I've had some tough days to be a disciple is a call that transforms us from Fat Lazy Cats to passionate fully devoted followers of Christ who never give up, never go back, and never stop loving this adventure of Grace we are on.

I hope I have encouraged some, offended others, and possibly pushed more to one of those two positions, because if you are not moving at all you are actually going backwards.

God Bless you folks I really do love you or I wouldn't have shared this.

Pastor G