Connie!

Not sure if this has found it's way on to your Facebook account or into your email inbox, but no matter a man or woman you have to know that God only send us these every once in a long while.

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Champions!

Celebration Church, 6080 Foreland Garth, Columbia, MD 21045www.wininlife.com
(410) 997-2088
I had the absolute honor of visiting Celebration Church, in Columbia, Maryland, on Sunday, Jan. 25. Let me tell you from firsthand account, this is a busy church community. When Pastor Robbie Davis, senior pastor of the faithful, ran down all the activities/ministries within Celebration Church, I couldn’t help myself but think of comedian and actor Steve Harvey on the Kings of Comedy tour and how he ran down all of the weekday ministries at the church he attended as a child with his parents. If you have not seen this routine – it’s a must see.

I attended the 10:30 a.m. service, the love and reverence in the “church” was impressive. The message of the day was the finale of a four-part series called, Lifestyles of the Rich and Faithful. Pr. Robbie skillfully guided the congregation through a study of select scriptures that explained “what belongs to God.”

So many Christians have problems with giving [tithing] to the Church. But what they fail to understand is they are only returning to God (the church) what already belongs to our Lord, said Robbie.

Now I don’t make it a habit of quoting bible scripture/passages to look up, but I assure you that what the pastor’s teaching is in the good book, plain and simple, and not taken out of context.

God wants us to tithe with joy and enthusiasm, said Robbie.

During a stage play presented and acted by church members during the service, one of the characters upon receiving the news that he was awarded a monetarily lucrative contract, shouted out, “I can’t wait to tithe at church this Sunday!” During the same play, couples attending a celebration dinner discussed their passions for giving onto the Lord and the abundance of Grace they receive in return for their passion. It “is” a very powerful message.

I have visited many churches in my lifetime. As a Christian in the Catholic faith I am very attracted to the number three, as in Trinity.

Towards the end of the Celebration service I was witness to an absolutely beautiful moment. Many churches have Alter Calls as a part of their service. I have noted that most Alter Calls [I’ve seen] are best described as a uncontrolled praying chaos. I’ve mostly seen a mass of praying individuals with the church pastor and seniors attempting to minister and guide the faithful during this pandemonium. Not so at Celebration.

The pastor (1) called all the senior ministers forward to the front of the Alter (not on the Alter but rather to the front edge). He then (2) invited those with heavy-hearts in need of prayer to come forward to the Alter and pray “together” with "a" minister. The pastor (3) remained on the Alter watching over the flock of prayerful church members, and calling on other ministers if someone needed someone to pray with them. He never left the Alter. As I stood in prayer watching from the pews, the image of people praying one-on-one with ministers, and the pastor overlooking was truly a powerful one.

Why was this so powerful an image to me?

It was powerful because as a Christian in the Catholic faith I believe in the sacrament of confession - confession with a priest. The priest is simply the pastor, there solely to listen and pray together with the confessor to seek to ensure forgiveness of sin and guidance to sin no more. There is nothing more powerful than two human beings praying together for forgiveness of sins and guidance. Present at all confessions are “three,” the sinner, the pastor, and Christ. As it was with the powerful scene set at Celebration Church, the sinner – the ministers –and Christ. Pr. Robbie remaining on the Alter during this portion of the service reminded me of the priest in the Confessional, not there to interfere with the prayers for forgiveness, but rather overseeing it, ensuring that the faithful receives the fullness of the faith.

If I am not explaining this well enough for you to truly understand what I witnessed, well let me just write, you had to be there to really appreciate what I’m writing about.

It was such a reverent and beautiful service and Alter Call -- one I will not soon forget.

Glory be to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. Amen!

Thanks for visiting, thanks for reading.

Celebration Churchwww.wininlife.com
6080 Foreland Garth
Columbia, MD 21045
(410) 997-2088

Why am I a Christian?

"GRACE! I am so overwhelmed and thankful that I am Christian in the Catholic fold and can enjoy all the Church offers: A Holy Mass every day, the Holy Eucharist (Source and Summit of the faith), Confession, five other Sacraments, a Pope and Magisterium for magnificent authority and teaching, Sacred Tradition (the life of the Holy Spirit in the Church), Mary our Blessed Mother who Christ gave to us at the foot of the cross, the Rosary to meditate on the life of Christ, the Saints as intercessors and role models, the Early Church Fathers, phenomenal and peaceful prayers, devotions and novenas, indulgences and last, but not least, guaranteed solid ground on the teaching of faith and morals in these difficult times. I am so blessed. Why? I don't know... God's Riches At Christ's Expense: G-R-A-C-E"

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Plungapalooza - the 2009 Polar Bear Plunge

http://www.plungemd.com/


Why would I decide to expose myself to sub-zero degree temperature water in the Chesapeake Bay? Well, in refection the "20/20 hindsight rule" seem not to apply. Because if I were offered the opportunity to do it again, the answer would be, "Thanks, but no thanks." Unless! Hold on... if the cause is worthy I am there.

Over this past weekend I attended the Maryland State Police Polar Bear Plunge. It was truly an awesome experience. I must toot my own horn here and write that I did not "dip," I "plunged!" The temperature on Saturday was in the 20's, somewhat overcast with medium winds. It was freaking COLD! Least I forget to mention that the water temperature was 31.

My friend and I decided to brave these elements and support the Special Olympics athletes by attending and most importantly plunging.

I have to express that I was very impressed with the organization of this event. This was the 13th year that folks from around the Chesapeake Bay, Md. area supported the cause by jumping, running, easing, or volunteering to be dragged into the frigged bay. Over 11,000 people showed up and the transportation, registration and orchestration of the masses was truly impressive. I would guess it's to ensure that no one changes their mind.

The event raised over $2.5 million, according to local newspapers.

I'm a California man so any temperature below 68 degrees is tough for me to bare. But nonetheless I did it. I ran into the icy water until it was waist high and then I jump up and in head first to complete my first ever plunge. "What a blast"

I was so cold when I popped up and out the water.

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Intro: Who am I?

Before getting to the "Whoness" of me, let me begin with the "Whatness." I'd like to share with you "what" I want in life. Have you seen the movie "The Bucket List"? This was my inspiration for developing this list. As you will note, some items are complete, but I have a long ways to go.
(The list is in no particular order.)
 









100 things to do before I leave this life:

1. Attend at least one major sporting event: the Super Bowl, the Olympics, the U.S. Open.
2. Throw a huge party and invite every one of my friends.
3. Swim with a dolphin. (Done)
4. Skydive.
5. Have my portrait painted.
6. Learn to speak a foreign language and make sure I use it.
7. Go skinny-dipping at midnight in the South of France.
8. Watch in person the launch of the space shuttle.
9. Spend a whole day eating junk food without feeling guilty.
10. Be an extra in a film.
11. Tell someone the story of my life, sparing no details.
12. Make love on a forest floor.
13. Make love on a train.
14. Learn to rollerblade.
15. Own a room with a view. (Done)
16. Brew my own beer.
17. Learn how to take a compliment.
18. Buy a round-the-world air ticket and a rucksack, and run away.
19. Grow a beard and leave it for at least a month.
20. Give my mother a dozen red roses and tell her I love her. (Done)
21. Be a member of the audience in a TV show. (Done)
22. Put my name down to be a passenger on the first tourist shuttle to the moon.
23. Send a message in a bottle. (Done)
24. Ride a camel into the desert. (Done)
25. Get to know my neighbors. (Done)
26. Plant a tree. (Done)
27. Learn not to say yes when I really mean no. (Done)
28. Write a fan letter to my all-time favorite hero or heroine.
29. Visit the Senate and the House of Representatives to see how Congress really works. (Done)
30. Learn to ballroom dance properly.
31. Eat jellied eels from a stall in London.
32. Be the boss. (Done)
33. Fall deeply in love -- helplessly and unconditionally. (Done)
34. Ride the Trans-Siberian Express across Asia.
35. Sit on a jury.
36. Write the novel I know I have inside of me.
37. Go to Walden Pond and read Thoreau while drifting in a canoe.
38. Stay out all night dancing and go to work the next day without having gone home (just once). (Done)
39. Drink beer at Oktoberfest in Munich.
40. Be someone's mentor. (Done)
41. Shower in a waterfall. (Done)
42. Ask for a raise. (Done)
43. Learn to play a musical instrument with some degree of skill.
44. Teach someone illiterate to read.
45. Take a flight on the new Airbus A380.

46. Spend a night in a haunted house -- by myself.
47. Write down my personal mission statement, follow it, and revise it from time to time. (Done)
48. See a lunar eclipse. (Done)
49. Spend New Year's in an exotic location. (Done)
50. Get passionate about a cause and spend time helping it, instead of just thinking about it.
51. Experience weightlessness.
52. Sing a great song in front of an audience.
53. Ask someone I've only just met to go on a date. (Done)
54. Drive across America from coast to coast.
55. Make a complete and utter fool of myself. (Done)
56. Own one very expensive but absolutely wonderful business suit.
57. Write my will. (Done)
58. Sleep under the stars. (Done)
59. Take a ride on the highest roller coaster in the country.
60. Learn how to complain effectively -- and do it! (Done)
61. Go wild in Rio during Carnival.
62. Spend a whole day reading a great novel. (Done)
63. Forgive my parents. (Done)
64. Learn to juggle with three balls.
65. Drive the Autobahn.
66. Find a job I love. (Done)
67. Spend Christmas on the beach drinking pina coladas.
68. Overcome my fear of failure.
69. Raft through the Grand Canyon.
70. Donate money and put my name on something: a college scholarship, a bench in the park.
71. Buy my own house and then spend time making it into exactly what I want.
72. Grow a garden.
73. Spend three months getting my body into optimum shape.
74. Drive a convertible with the top down and music blaring. (Done)
75. Accept myself for who I am. (Done)
76. Learn to use a microphone and give a speech in public. (Done)
77. Scuba dive off Australia's Great Barrier Reef.
78. Go up in a hot-air balloon.
79. Have the honor of yelling out “THANK YOU!” into the microphone at a really huge rock concert.
80. Kiss someone I've just met on a blind date. (Done)
81. Be able to handle: my tax forms, Jehovah's Witnesses, my banker, telephone solicitors. (Done)
82. Give unselfessly to a charity -- anonymously. (Done)
83. Lose more money than I can afford at roulette in Vegas.
84. Let someone feed me peeled, seedless grapes.
85. Kiss the Blarney stone and develop the gift of gab. (Half-way there)
86. Fart in a crowded space. (Done) (Done) (Done) (Excuse me.)
87. Make love on the kitchen floor.
88. Go deep sea fishing and eat my catch. (Done)
89. Create my own web site.
90. Visit the Holy Land.
91. Visit all 50 States in America.
92. Run to the top of the Statue of Liberty.
93. Create my Family Tree.
94. Catch a ball in the stands of a major league baseball stadium. (Done)
95. Make a hole-in-one.
96. Ski a double-black diamond run.
97. Learn to bartend.
98. Run a marathon. (Almost.)
99. Look into my child's eyes, see myself, and smile. (Done) Love you Logan.
100. Reflect on my greatest weakness, and realize how it is my greatest strength. (Done everyday)
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