I'm hitting a wall and a New Resolve.......again for the first time

This will probably be the last SossBlog of 2011 and will have implications on 2012.
Year (or last few months) in Review......  The stress of the last several months have taken a toll on me (as I am only speaking for myself, because my family has their own stories of impact and ways of handling it).  As many of you know my parents both have been pretty sick starting about a year ago with my mom's lung cancer surgery.  My dad had continued to worsen in health with some pains causing him to take nitro glycerin and shortness of breath.  He went in for a stint and ended up with emergency by-pass.  A few months after that, he has the same cancer procedure as my mom.  This is all less than the Readers Digest version of these stories but you get a picture,  things just weren't very fun.  Then you add into the mix the friends that I have that are battling cancer as I type and it's just been a whole lot to deal with.  Then to bring the focus back to me, I am currently battling a kidney stone and have been for the past week!  So for the second week I have been hurting at times that has felt like a life threatening situation (which it's not, it just feels that way).  The kicker of the situation is I have medicine to help with the pain, and it does but I spend the next day with stomach cramps, head aches, and cob webs that I just can shake.  The truth is I have had 2 other stones and I feel I have handled them better (with the second on being in question as to whether or not I did).  I don't remember the pain medication ever making me feel this bad before.  Personally I can only figure out one clear difference between this stone and the others......  When I had the others, I was in much better physical condition. 

This is where I need some serious prayer help!
I never make New Years Resolutions, but here is one I have to keep.  I have got to get into better physical condition, point blank!  No beating around the bush, no joking, no laughs here!  I absolutely have got to do this.  I weigh more, and have less energy than I ever have in my life.  I need your prayers to be working with mine on this. 

So here is my list for 2012:

Use my Nikon more
LIVE
Lose the excess weight
Gain Energy

I know some of you have similar needs.  The needs may not all be the same, but if you contact me maybe we can all get together in a support based group or maybe even an exercise group.  It's all just out there right now but the key is it is Out and not cooped up inside anymore.  This is basically a need I have to better serve my God and by doing so, better serving my family and friends. 

I just keep thinking of one of my friends right now that is in the battle of their life.  I keep reflecting how I have felt over the last while and keep realizing "if I feel this bad, how bad do they really feel"....
I also have reflected on the suffering of Jesus and the "thorn in the flesh" of the Apostle Paul....  mine is nothing compared to theirs, but it has taken its toll.....and I can't help but think it wouldn't be as bad if I was in better shape.  Any takers give me a Holla!

If I'm not on before the New Year, have a great Celebration! and if I don't see you before Jesus returns, I'll see you in Glory!

Christopher Hitchens, Forest Trees Can't see etc. It doesn't require an Oxford education to know Truth in Christ

Well it has happened to Christopher Hitchens just as it will happen to all those reading (or typing) this right now....We are all going to die.  I read on Friday December 16th that Hitchens had passed at the age of  62.  Many of you are thinking what makes Hitchens a notable character that would require me to take notice of his death.  Hitchens was a self proclaimed "Enemy of God".  He was a non-believer.
Hitchens wasn't your average everyday Atheist, he was against more than just Christian belief.  Hitchens was also against Islamic and Jewish belief as well.  Hitchens also had also been someone that basically said don't believe the hype about "Islam being peaceful".  Most Atheist lean more toward anti Christian than completely anti theist.  Many other atheist come across as being intelligent but continually regurgitate a shallow barrage of one liners that question the Christian faith, but when truly engaged they continue their shallow arrogant one liners and won't or can't defend their position with any fact or personal intellectual thought.  It was often said that Hitchens was a challenging debater that would make you angry during the debate but had a personality that made you want to be his friend afterward.  Regardless of his earthly intelligence, he missed one thing. He didn't accept Jesus Christ as his savior. Now he had reasons to back up his lack of belief, but it wouldn't hold water as a defense when he was receiving judgement at his death.  That little bit of info in the last two sentences has been breaking my heart since I read the news on Friday. The thing is that just because someone may not accept God as being real, God doesn't change He remains real.  God will continue to reach out to that person and will continue to put people in their paths.

John 14:6 clearly says, " 6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Then Jesus followed it up with, "7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him."
Many arguments state that because it's so old that it has been changed and is no longer relevant.  If we look at the different translations and compare them to the oldest available version of the same and that argument becomes irrelevant.  Or how about the argument of "the Bible is full of Contradictions".  There are stories that are the same but told differently but they are the same story, this doesn't necessarily mean it's a contradiction.  
Now I will add that many of these schools of atheistic thought are not unintelligent.  They have been well thought out and I can understand, but they are just wrong.     So I guess what I'm trying to say is, don't count out the Bible as Truth.  Before spouting off the same old rhetoric, actually read the Bible.  This World has made our focus on things that are over thought, and take away from the Bible and its content that needs more consideration.  
It's too late for Christopher Hitchens, but it's not too late for you.  
If you truly have questions and aren't just trying to pick a fight, please get in touch with me!  I have some answers, can find more and have some I don't knows but we can work through them.  I don't have all the answers (had to say it again in a different way).  If you're just wanting to change the mind of "the Christian", don't waste your time doing that either....you won't.  I do understand that there is so much that is the hardest, easy stuff to believe and I'm hoping I can help you through some of it.  
* Ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins and ask Him into your life as your Lord and Savior
 This is the easiest yet the hardest thing to do, but it brings so much peace.  I hope you have a great day and will contact me.
Lee