The Oxford Dictionary classifies “Faith” as a noun, as a complete trust or confidence in someone or something.  Specifically “Faith” is recognized as a strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof.

That’s how most/all of us view Faith. That’s why we can say we’ve lost faith or gained it…we view it as a noun, because that’s how we were conditioned.

Today, I listened to Bryce, from EveryHeart ministry telling us to “Go”…because”Faith Is An Action”… that statement though, well, my twisted non-neuro typical brain started firing on all cylinders because, well… that doesn’t sount right. Of course I first checked the Latin root of the word, still a noun.  Converting the nature of “Faith” from thing to action is no simple task. Yet, as dogs barked, cars drove by, kids yelled, music blasted and Bryce remained unyielding in his preaching…well…he acted. Like so many others he understands that Faith is an Action.

Because, like Jacques Derrida, Bryce doesn’t care about the nature of the word, he lives in the action of The Word. He wasn’t reading from the Oxford, or the watered down Webster…his point of reference sounded like the ESV or NLT translation of the Holy Bible. Even there, not a direct quote. He, like so many others extrapolated meaning from text to give us a powerful lesson.

A year ago today I approved the cover art for my book, and from there…well…a lot. I have been invited to speak at over a dozen churches, did several podcasts and have spoke at a few colleges…all about evangelism not being an activity but rather a state of being.

“Faith Is An Action” doesn’t mean you change the nature of the word, it mean you change your nature to the meaning. OK…what I mean is that “Faith Is An Action” is an invitation to live by faith.  We have faith in such shallow things.  Politicians lie, yet, so many put their faith in them. You’re reading this right now because you put your faith in wifi, your cellular carrier, your phone, your tablet, etc. Don’t get me started on money, we have faith that the governemt puts value in cotton woven paper…sheer madness.

We live lives of faith regularly, why then when we put our faith in Christ is it suddenly scoffed. Well, the answer is simple, because when you truly put your faith in Him…it changes you, actively, people see it, you walk it out, you challenge norms and save souls… you…take…action.

“Faith Is An Action” is not a statement absent knowledge of the nature of the word…it is a statement that shows a deeper understanding of the word, through The Word. Not by definition, but by experience.

There’s a Country Song (calm down you don’t have to click the link if you hate Country music, although if you do hate Country music and you’re marrying a Texan you should really prepare yourself…looking at you Dina) that shifts the idea of “love” and I think that we should similarly shift our concept of faith.

https://youtu.be/b82WnQp8ll0

In the NIV “faith” is mentioned approximately 270 times.

Matthew 6:30
Matthew 8:6-9
Matthew 15:22-28

My personal favorite, Matthew 17:20…and that’s just a small selection, of just Matthew.

Isaiah 42:16 outlines the difference between belief and faith. It shows that faith comes after the test. So, take the test. Pray boldly, confess your transgressions, ask questions, faithing is important. I’m not known as soft and cuddly…I am known as a Christian, I do not hide my faith, I always used to describe it as a part of me…and meant that proudly. Yet, if Faith Is An Action…it is not part of me…it must be what I make a conscious choice to do. Faith is not an appendage…it is the action of using my appendages to lift others up. Relationships all take work… the relationship with God requires faith, that’s the action.

Faith is not something we have. It is what we should be doing…helping your neighbors, forgiving those who’ve wronged you, spreading the good news, praising God and living a life worthy of His sacrifice is how we faith.

So, linguists cringe because as archaic as it may be to use “faith” as a transitive verb…

Have you faithed today?
Go faith right now.
It is important that we faith regularly.
I plan on faithing a lot more.

The story of the Prodigal Son is very well known. That kid who squandered, was selfish and was arguably dismissive of the love given to him. His father never gave up on him and welcomed him with open arms, a feast, jewelry, robes, etc…but… there was the other brother.

That brother who went to college, bought a house, raised kids, started a career, went to law school, didn’t do heroin and yet felt as if he was the unappreciated one…OK…I may be projecting a little…lol.

For years I was that other brother, and it created a rift between my brother Jason and I. I’ll never not be sorry for that, and I thank Christ that He was the brother to Jason I failed to be. It has been seven years since The Father embraced him, and seven years since my parents have been able to. The truth is that losing my brother revived my faith. I always had faith but it got awakened when I lost my brother.

Recently I’ve seen a lot of posts from my fellow Chistians about “revival”…I’ve seen them be cautionary, I’ve seen them be judgmental, I’ve seen them be excited, I’ve seen them be welcoming…I haven’t seen many of them be aware. I’m no preacher…but I’m self aware enough to know that I have been “The Other Brother”… truth is all of us have been and we need to recognize that in order to really experience revival.

Revival is defined as “an improvement in the condition or strength of something.” Biblically, the Greek translation would be “awakening.” That’s why the story of the Prodigal resonates…its not about finding a relationship with God, it is not about discovering faith…it is about Resurrecting it.

You have that relationship.

You have always had that relationship; maybe…just maybe it is time to awaken it…and if it is then yes be cloaked in the robes, adorned with the jewelry and welcomed with a feast…it should be celebrated.

Tent worship is not revival…speaking in tongues is not revival…mass healings is not revival…mass healings can happen at revivals…tongues may be spoken at revivals…revivals may happen in tent worship. Revival is a very personal experience that is experienced on a mass scale.

The best description for revival was written approximately 700 years before Christ was even born…see Isaiah 43:19

Seven years ago today my brother left this earth, and I’m still filled with anger, hurt and regret…but those feelings are shrouded in an indescribable peace because while I may have been The Other Brother, God IS The Father…and the glory of that is immeasurable.

The loss my parents feel daily. The void my family feels even in times of pure joy. These things are real and ever present.

I know this was long winded…but I guess my point is this: if your brother is being embraced…focus on his return, celebrate it… and wait to embrace him yourself because you never know if that will be your last chance to do so.

Superbowl LI (51 because for some reason we Americans use Roman numerals for a bastardized version of rugby that we stole from our Imperilist Brittish past)…Anyway, Superbowl LI was February 5th in 2017. Pats won. Lady Gaga killed it at halftime. At the time it almost seemed insignificant…I didnt care for either team…I rooted for the Falcons just to try and keep Jake at bay. That didn’t work out. Jake and I picked Jason up from the train station, we had a few laughs on our way to watch the Big Game.

I can’t tell you what we laughed about. I can’t tell you most of the details. I can tell you that I never expected that to be the last time Jason would be in my car. I did not know that Superbowl 51; a game of 2 teams I couldn’t care less about would be burned into my mind as the last time I saw my brother Jason alive.

Now that you’re sufficiently bummed out, I promise this isn’t a melodramatic “poor me” diatribe…I try to avoid those…I’ve been asked how I can possibly still have my faith after all I’ve experienced.

I have dealt with a sexual assault victim, who is 18 months old.

I eulogized my nephew, who never saw six years of life.

I lost my brother to heroin after a polarizing relationship filled with heartache, anger and discord.

But, my faith not only remains in spite of these “losses”…it grows.

How?

Well…it just makes sense really.

You see, there are like 8 billion people on earth, and it is widely accepted that humans have walked this earth for approximately 200,000 years…so yeah, how can I not have faith?

Sure, I’ve “lost” people I love, but how could I not have faith? Look at the odds, what are the odds that I would have had these people in my life in first place? You see, my mother had complications having children, and I got two brothers, one who didnt plan on staying long, so he came a little early….and one who eats weird things and gets punched for fun.

I am married to a woman I have absolutely no business being with…seriously, my Queen Esther lives up to her name with a wisdom and faith that has changed my life.

I have an Aurora and a Ziggy who have given me a purpose beyond what I can imagine.

I am blessed with a beautiful niece with the most Souther Belle name ever who has the most Northern thinking Southerner parents ever.

I have the most amazing Godchildren I could ever dream of.

I have parents, family and friends that give me more support than whatever witchcraft is keeping the Leaning Tower of Pisa up.

I’ve “lost” loved ones, but…out of 8 billion people alive right now and over the span of 200,000 years of human life, I was called “Uncle Joe”… out of 8 billion people alive right now over the span of 200,000 years of human life my younger brother (little brother would be a lie) Jason loved and annoyed me for over 27 of them. I see miracles in that.

Yeah, Superbowl 51 was the last time I saw Jason alive…but… playing the odds, the fact that I had over 20 Superbowls with him is miraculous in the grand scheme of things.

I’m not known for being overly positive or optimistic. People tend not to come to me for help finding their silver lining. I’m pragmatic…to a fault, this is just ratios and common sense…I have my faith because to me, it’s just obvious that I’m blessed, what others see as loss and hardship in my life are just times that I cashed in, and that’s a win.

I share this (very long blog…sorry) because it is fresh, in prayer I was told, in no uncertain terms that I’ve lost nothing and that I must remind others that neither have they… what others see as a loss I count as a blessing, and it resonates right now since…well… you just read it…prayer plus timing… that’s kinda HIS thing…people need to know that “loss” only counts if you don’t keep playing…and if you live in faith, you never stop playing…and, considering I am no preacher, this will have to do as my attempt to share.

Anyway, go Taylor Swift…or whoever is playing.

It is a New Year, and many have undoubtedly made “resolutions” for the upcoming year that the overwhelming majority will be broken by March. “New Year, New Me”…I cannot be the only person who cringes at these words, love the sentiment but… come on, really?.  The calendar is an arbitrary temporal marker as established by Ancient Romans…a culture of substance abuse and incest.  You are the same person today, that you were yesterday unless you actively change yourself at the core.  Yet, if we use a little bit of perspective we may be able to salvage these outdated exercises in futility.


WORKING OUT: You are not going to save money by getting the annual membership at the gym.  You are going to go religiously for, let’s say four months, and then you are going to wake up and not feel like going for one reason or another and then you’re done.  Yet, you can maintain this resolution in your yoga pants (despite you never doing yoga).  You can get stronger, you can improve your endurance, and need not break a sweat. Colossians 1:11 tells us that by being faithful to God that we are “being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have endurance and patience.”  Do you think Samson had a gym membership? No he had faith, and God “roided” him up with the strength he needed.  I’m not saying that prayer alone will give you abs; I am saying that prayer will help you lift things far heavier than anything a no necked muscled beast can lift.  With faith, you can lift up your troubles, your pain, your fear…with Faith you can work out  your life.  On top of that, if you’re physically unhealthy, go ahead and exercise a bit I guess… that is a good goal too.


LOSING WEIGHT: Diet food companies most likely claim the majority of their profits in the first few months of the year.  Turkey, stuffing, ham, pasta, bread, cake, cookies and pies, that has been your daily dietary regimen for the past month and you’re now wondering why all your pants have elastic waists.  So you buy something that says “slim” or “trim” or “fat burn” on the label…you are losing weight because it tastes horrible and you stopped eating like a Raccoon.  You want to lose weight?  OK, then “cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you, He shall never permit the righteous to be moved” (Psalm 55:22).  What’s heavier, you or your problems?  For most of us it is the latter, and if we simply allow God to happily carry our burdens for us, think of all the weight we lose in our lives. Then again, eating healthier is not the worst thing in the world.


TRAVEL MORE: Being worldly does not require a massive bank account nor a passport.  Being worldly involves understanding and respecting your fellow man.  Granted, some of our neighbors are not all that respectable, but, at least try.  However, if you want to travel more I suggest that every week you find a place where your spirit is lifted, your soul is replenished and you feel a sense of peace…every week take the journey to Church.  Yet, not just any Church.  If they are ritualistic and cult like…you should probably avoid it, and don’t drink the punch. Find a Church that is centered around improving your relationship with Christ.  Another great way to travel is by locking yourself in your house with quiet reflection.  In prayer you go further than any jet setter can go. I know it is corny and cliche…but that does not make it less true.


You get the point, there are so many resolutions that I can turn into my point.  You want to be more organized, 1 Corinthians 14:33 tells us that “God is not a God of confusion but of peace” so you should organize your thoughts around him.  Maybe you want to be more economically conservative, OK, that sounds good since Proverbs 21:20 teaches us that “the wise store up choice food and olive oil, but fools gulp their down.”  My personal favorite though is for those who want to drink less and are shown Proverbs 31:6-7 that reminds us that we should “let beer be for those who are perishing, wine for those in anguish! Let them drink and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more.”  That’s a resolution I can get behind!


The point is to resolve to be a better person, every day.  You will fall short.  You will probably stop going to the gym.  You will most likely eat that bacon covered doughnut.  You may end up having that drink.  You might puff that cigarette.  You will fall short…until you don’t.  Most of these resolutions are built on vapid foundations of selfishness.  Yet, a mother who wants to be around for her grandkids graduations…she stops smoking.  A man who wants to play with his son…he stays on the treadmill.  So, this year focus on the life you want rather than how you get there and extend your hand for God to drag you there kicking and screaming, and by this time next year you will be one of those obnoxiously happy people who are glowing with peace and contentment.


Happy New Year!

“A BLESSING FOR YOU, BECAUSE THE LORD YOUR GOD LOVES YOU.”  1 Chronicles 16:8.

I’ve spent the past few weeks in preparation for Christmas. A holiday that some of the Christian faith celebrate through the beginning of January. A holiday, that for many has become a secular celebration. More snowmen and Snoopy decor is sold than mangers and wisemen. Yet, Luke 2 is one of the most renown stories in all the world, in fact you’d be hard pressed to find a more famous story. Still, some reading this don’t know what Luke 2 is, but they in fact do, everyone knows the story, but the source is what so many avoid.

So, what is the story about? Really? I once heard “A Preacher” rattle off an inpressive list of adjectives in an attempt to describe the indescribable. And it got me to thinking back to Advent. Names, what is Christmas it all about.

I suppose its easiest to start in the beginning. In the beginning there was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. – John 1:1. The Word. The Word of God created existence. That’s unfathomable to our primitive and logically driven 2 pound brains. Yet, to a child, the miraculous is commonplace, and we are called to have childlike wonder. In John 1:14 the spirit of Christmas is revealed, not through the narrative of Mary and Joseph, but succinctly. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. – John 1:14. If He is the Word, and The Word was there in the beginning, and then became flesh through Him… then shouldn’t we take the time to get to know The Word. Afterall, we all know that “the book is always better than the movie.” So, just read the book.

The Word is just the beginning. One of my personal favorite parts of scripture is Exodus 3:14. God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you. Other translations say “I AM THAT I AM.” Either way this is a great moment. Moses, stuttering and afraid asks what he should tell people when he returns, who sent him? God then drops the mic with “I AM.” In reality, no other description could do because God is indescribable. This definition is expanded upon, once again in John. Jesus said unto them, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.” – John 8:58. The permanency and infinite nature of a man who is more than a man, a man born of a virgin, sinless, perfect…a man who…just is. We define ourselves by career, relationship, title, etc. Only He could say “I Am” and it make sense.

So He is The Word, He is “I Am”, yet we just spent exorbitant amounts of money for gifts wrapped in printed paper to be ripped up and thrown away, adorned dead trees in our houses with lights and ornaments to celebrate the Son of God. And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. – Luke 1:35. As inconceivable as it is, this baby had lived long before He was born. As He later explained, “before Abraham was, I am.” As The Word, He was there in the beginning. It is His nature as the Son of God that makes Him accessible. God flooded the earth, turned cities to ash, women to pillars of salt, rained fire and brimstone, destroyed the tower of Babel. His son however, well, healed the sick, raised the dead, loved the sinners and sacrificed himself for all mankind. It is human nature to believe that generations are built upon. As mortal minds we expect the next generation to be better than the last, we want our children to surpass us and do better. God knows our minds, hence He gave us the Son of God to restore our faith and save us from ourselves.

Isaiah 59:20 says The Redeemer will come to Zion. Redemption is such an appealing concept to us. Mainly because we are beyond redemption when left to your own devices. Apologizing and being contrite is like attempting to smooth out a crumpled piece of paper, once its crumpled, its crumpled. To be redeemed is not only to be rescued, it is to be restored. When the jews fled Egypt, they were rescued, but it qas kore than that, they were restored as the Chosen of God’s people, they were redeemed. Jerusalem sits on top of Mount Zion. Long before Mary gave birth in a stable, in the city of David, a prophet said that a Redeemer would come to Zion. Jesus went to Jerusalem to be sacrificed, He went there to die there, this sacrifice, a perfect sacrifice to God would restore our relationship with God, it would rescue us from our sin, it would redeem us.

I could keep going…I could go on and on with different titles and names.

Light of The World; Jesus said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’ – John 8:12

Lamb of God; John saw Jesus coming towards him and said, ‘Look the Lamb
of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’ – John 1: 29

Another favorite of mine, Mediator; For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people. – 1 Timothy 2:5-6

Immanuel; The Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. – Isaiah 7:14 or, if you want New Testament…they will call him Immanuel’ (which means ‘God with us’) – Matthew 1:23.

If you have kids, you have legos, if you don’t have kids, you can afford to go places with fancy architecture. If you have both…well…nice for you. Either way, the significance of a Cornerstone is only something I recently related to Him. This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation. – Isaiah 28:16 (God’s people are) built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets,
with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. – Ephesians 2:20.

Bread of Life; I am the bread of life….I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. – John 6:48 & 51

The Vine; I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener…..I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit. – John 15:1 & 5

Glory of the Lord; The glory of the Lord will be revealed – Isaiah 40:5

One title that He holds is one we often overlook, because we are called to be apostles, we are called to do His work, we are called to carry the gospel and we are called to build His kingdom… yet, if we are “called” to do that then we have to acknowledge that in our natural state, we arent doing that. In our natural state, we stand in the crowd shouting “crucify Him.” He is the Man of Sorrows; He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of sorrows, and familiar with pain. – Isaiah 53:3

Alpha and Omega; I am the Alpha and the Omega, who is, and who was, and who is
to come, the Almighty. – Revelation 1:8

Prince of Peace; For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given …and he shall be called… Prince of Peace. – Isaiah 9:6

Of course a pop culturally timely title is The Way; Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’ – John 14:6


Another favorite of mine, to the point, Lord; Let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah. – Acts 2:36

Some of you who like the flowery symbolism and metaphorical passages may be fond of The Morning Star; I, Jesus… am… the bright Morning Star. Revelation 22:16

Good Shepherd; I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. – John 10:11. If you like this one google “parable of the lost sheep” and thank me later.

Messiah; Then Jesus ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah. – Matthew 16:20

Son of Man; The Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. – Matthew 12:40. This is even more explored in Daniel 7:13-14, but I don’t do Bible studies at my Church, so, read it on your own. Point is, He is both divinity and humanity.

Christ; The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (that is, the Christ). – John 1:41. “Messiah” is a Hebrew word, and “Christ” comes from the Greek “Christos” which means that someone is annointed. He was called Christ because He was not just here for Jews, He was God’s king, annointed for the world.

At this point, this one is pretty self explantory, but at this point, why not, Saviour/Savior; ‘Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord’. – Luke 2:11.

And definitely my favorite, Jesus; Mary will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. – Matthew 1:21. The name Jesus means “The Lord Saves.” His dad picked that name for Him, knowing how the story ends, or begins, time is all relative to the Creator of the cosmos. Point is, that’s His name, not a title, His name…and that’s what it is all about.

I know this was a tad longer than you’d like, but I was influenced by a preacher a tad more verbose than usual, so, it pans out just fine. Point is that in a few weeks Christmas will be over, and as you drag the tree to the curb, as you box your lights, as you undecorate, don’t stop celebrating all that He is, was and will forever be. He is not just the “reason for the season”…He is everything.

I promise it is not as self serving as the title insinuates.

It is December 1st, so everyone has one thing on their mind: Christmas…it is the time we celebrate the birth of Jesus. Cards, songs, movies, sermons…everywhere you turn this time of year seems to focus on the arrival of Christ. The very air seems to echo the Good News that God’s Son came to earth. Everyone will celebrate the miracle of Christ’s birth from the Virgin Mary. Cliche sayings like “wise men still seek him” will permeate the atmosphere and artistic renderings of Mary holding the infant Jesus will adorn cards, blankets, shirts and ties.

Yet, I’m not interested in telling that story. We have all heard how an Angel told Mary she was to have God’s child. We have read the tales of the Magi traveling far from the east. We know the carols and the scripture. Yet, when the Christmas lights dim, the mangers are put away, the trees line the streets and the wrapping papers turns to ash in a landfill…what remains?

Well, after the Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh…after the shepherds came to give their praise….after the star turned down the spotlight…what was left? That’s the real story of faith. When Christmas really was just a birthday party for a child… that’s what I want to talk about.

Mary was visited by an Angel of God…she’s just going about her day and an Angel of God appears to tell her that she is pregnant and just Who it was she was carrying in her womb. It was an affirmative message of knowledge for Mary. She knew she was a virgin, she was there when an Angel spoke to her. Her strength came from personal knowledge.

But…Joseph…his wife told him she was pregnant with the Son of God and he had a dream where an Angel visited him. Why didn’t God send the Angel to Joseph while he was awake? Why not give Joseph that same knowledge? I opine, for us. Mary walked with knowledge…Joseph walked with intention.

I have always found Joseph to be one of the more relatable people in the Bible (him and Nicodemus, but that’s a whole other discussion) because his story is one of faith. As a stepfather myself I can tell you that job is one of love and faith…and my stepdaughter’s father is most definitely not God (no offense). My wife is a phenomenal stepmother, or as our son calls her “a bonus mom”…and again neither me or my ex are anywhere close to being God. The doubt and apprehension that comes with being a parent is coupled with insecurity and fear when raising a child that isn’t yours. Now add in that child being the King of Kings, Prince of Peace, Son of God…talk about stress… that whole “you’re not my real Dad” thing really gets amped up.
As we move into the Christmas holiday I suggest we strive to have the faith of Joseph. A man who was of the world, a carpenter, a simple man. Matthew 1:19 says “Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.” Joseph, a man who had been shamed and embarrassed by the fact that his wife was pregnant…long before the boy he would raise would give a new commandment, Joseph lived by it. John 13:34 says “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”

Joseph loved Mary, and that love led him to Faith. Anybody can believe when a large winged and glowing figure appears and tells them what to believe. That is not faith, it is knowledge. It is a knowledge that is rewarded by faith, but, a knowledge all the same. Joseph loved and raised Jesus; he cared for the Messiah, he nurtured Him, taught and loved Our Lord and Savior. He did not have to accept and love Christ…in fact the law was fine with him casting Christ aside, but, Joseph, our unsung hero, is the disciple that sadly just doesn’t make it to the table. He chose to love Christ, long before water became wine, before storms were calmed, before bread and fish multiplied, before the deaf could hear and blind could see, before lepers were healed and the dead were raised. Joseph chose to love Jesus before His Spirit gave us the capacity for love that we know today
I don’t know about you but I have my doubts and fears, I question and I hide (or attempt to)…it is faith that silences these fears and doubts, not knowledge. Knowledge comes from the mind, Faith comes from the Spirit. Joseph had doubt, fear and apprehension…but he was filled with love.

Joseph welcomed Christ knowing it was not a popular choice. Joseph loved Jesus and accepted Him without the grace and knowledge that we all enjoy today. Joseph held Jesus and loved Him long before He washed away the sins of the world and brought salvation. Joseph’s love for Jesus was unselfish, genuine and true. That is what we should strive for this Christmas season.

I told my stepdaughter years ago that the Bible teaches us that guys named Joseph are the best Stepfathers in the history of the world…a sentiment that I humbly submit as literally “Gospel.”

Joseph chose to accept and love Jesus long before the gravity of such a choice was known. His faith was intentional and his love was pure. It is generally accepted that this time of year is one where the Spirit of Giving captures our hearts. God gave us Jesus for Christmas…but God is perfection and I can’t relate. Mary gave us Jesus for Christmas…but Mary had a personal knowledge for her obedience. Joseph gave us intentional love for Jesus for Christmas…now that is something I can do, and give to others. I cannot be perfect, I cannot give other knowledge, but I can intentionally love.

The simple truth is that Jesus was not Joseph’s, but Joseph was definitely Jesus’s…and THAT is relatable…remember that this Holiday Season?

Welcome. My name is Joe Johnson, author of Praying With An Atheist. I’m so happy to have you as a visitor to my blog about Praying With An Atheist. This project is very special to me, and I hope to share some of that excitement with you here.

I’ll be using this blog to interact with you about Praying With An Atheist, expanding on some of the topics in it and posting on some of the ideas related to my book. This is a great place for you to get to know me, and I’m looking forward to getting to know you, too. What did you think of Praying With An Atheist? What questions do you have for me? How do you relate to my book?

I’ll be returning here frequently with new posts and responses to feedback from you. Until next time, tell me a little bit about yourself.