At my age I never thought I would be hosting a blog site about our Lord Jesus Christ. Blog. That's funny. That word was not even in my vocabulary until a few weeks ago. I didn't even know what blogging meant until my daughter Lauren told me.

Boy, I really feel old and out of touch sometimes. Life seems to be passing by at a record pass and I am simply forced to watch in dismay. Isn't life like that sometimes? As you reflect upon your life you remember a simpler time and pace. When your child was small and so very innocent, now has grown so fast you can hardly keep pace. When once you were so eager and steadfast in your work . . . now seems to spiral into an endless array of deadlines, appointments, and higher quotas. Your faith too seems to lag behind. Oh, you've heard the Message several, maybe even hundreds of times, but you can't muster up enough faith even to pray . . . and another day goes by . . .

As a minister of the Gospel, I hear these and countless other "expressions" about people's lives. I have had many questions about my own faith, about the struggles of life on this side of heaven, about the many "whys" of life. This blog will be an attempt, through the working of the Holy Spirit, to point people and their lives back to God by looking at His Son Jesus the Messiah. We will look at how Jesus "dealt" with others in His lifetime . . . how He dealt with temptation . . . with sin and unbelief . . . with sorrow and pain . . . with joy and blessing.

My prayer is that you will join us on this spiritual journey together. There is no hidden agenda here for you to "pay" for something . . . to ask you to contribute money . . . to put you down and cut the knees out from you with some spiritual tongue lashing. NO . . . Good Shepherd Ministries is based on the belief that all people need Jesus Christ in their lives. Because we all go through the very same experiences and human emotions, we desperately seek Hope for our lives. That Hope is found in Christ.

If we are honest, we all still have questions about our faith . . . about our life. Through this blog, we will raise some of those questions and, together with other "guest" writers, attempt to provide answers to matters of faith. Together, we will look at Holy Scripture, read it, and allow the Holy Spirit to make sense of what is being revealed to us. We will do this together - as fellow believers . . . followers . . . disciples of Jesus Christ. For through Him and only through Him do we find The Answer to our life. Christ tells us He will "never leave us, never abandon us, never forsake us" -- that is a Promise! So, today and for all eternity, let us rest on His blessed assurance to us . . .

Your brother in Christ,

Jeff

" . . .But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened. But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander." 1 Peter 3:14-16 NIV