Trail Life USA Troop Michigan-1009

09/06/2024

Priorities. Could someone know what you declared were your priorities of they looked at your calendar, your checkbook, your web history or your conversations?

At different points in my life I have expressed my priorities or loyalties with such declarations as:
God, Corps and Country
Unit, Country, God and Corp
God, Family and Country.

These statements sound honorable and duty driven but have I ever really lived them?

I want to be defined by selfless duty but I fear that all too often my priorities could be defined just as a loyalty to self. Understanding what laudable duty would be has always been easy. PThe challenge has always been to live out the duty once it is understood.

Today, my duty is first to God and then all other relationships flow from there. Were I to declare in in a way similar to my earlier declarations of duty, it might go something like:
God, Church, Family, Corps (defined as military/Vet/First Responder Community), Community, Country.
There might always be an intellectual debate as to the correct ordering of the list. That is for another time.

What I am wondering today is if I live in such a way that others would guess that these were my priorities?

06/27/2024

Small groups at Ember are made up of people just like you. Group members provide weekly support, study the Bible, and pray for one another.

06/10/2024

02/05/2024

Be Warned!!!

Many of you, my Facebook friends met me as I served as your chaplain pastor.

I confess that on occasion I browse your status updates (and sneak in a prayer to my Boss upstairs for your wellbeing). I thought you should know.

01/09/2024

I am exploring the idea of a series of 5-10 minute web-videos addressing various topics or questions. Any suggestions for topics or questions that you would like to see addressed?

11/25/2023

Hyperventilating paradoxically occurs when someone breathes so fast that their body does not have enough time to absorb the oxygen from the air. This is a great analogy to what an overload schedule can do to our lives.

So often people are so busy seeking to find purpose or fulfillment that they fail to take the “deep breaths” that they need. Or, worse still, they are simply busy because everyone else seems to be. We need to slow down and breathe.

Here’s 3 things I suggest:

1. We must prioritize going to church every week. We are created to be in community and to worship. Corporate worship helps us experience our purpose. If you do not have a home church, seek one out.If you are traveling, visit a church wherever you go.

2. Prioritize meeting we a smaller group of believers. It can be anything from an organized Bible study to a couple friends meeting for coffee. In smaller groups all the “one-another’s” of the Bible can be practiced and experienced.

3. Prioritize a daily time of walking with God. Regular prayer, bible reading or just time spent thinking about or thanking God helps reorient our lives.

11/14/2023

We are still looking for Christian men to volunteer as officers to recharger.

09/01/2023

Starting September 6! If you’re in your teens or 20’s, are pregnant, not married and looking for encouragement and support, check out Embrace Grace! This is in Petoskey with an additional location in Indian River as an option.

08/08/2023

True North Community Church mission trip to Clarks Mills, PA provided an opportunity for some of our scouting families to get involved in a mission a few states away. Going On Mission USA!

08/08/2023