Recently, I had a chance to take an extended vacation (hard to pull off for pastors) and drive to the Cooperstown Dreams Park National Invitational Tournament in Cooperstown, NY.

Much like the National Baseball Hall of Fame for Major League baseball players, each participant, upon induction, receives the coveted American Youth Baseball Hall of Fame ring and officially becomes one of the Cooperstown Dreams Park Little Majors.  The Kodak photo of each player with his teammates is affixed to the Commemorative Induction Plaque for future enshrinement on the walls of the American Youth Baseball Hall of Fame.  Our family will cherish this moment for the rest of our lives!

(Congratulations to Indians for finishing 10th out of 104 teams)

While away, I had a chance to reflect on life in general and the Lord revealed several foundational shattering truths that I plan to share in subsequent blog posts.  These truths challenged me to think about life in a different way and challenged long held beliefs that have become TRADITIONS.

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AM I THE ONLY ONE COMPLETELY FRUSTRATED RIGHT NOW?

According to Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, the chief proponent of the big bank bailout, flooding the banks with taxpayers’ money was supposed to get them to start lending freely again. And that, in turn, was supposed to stabilize the markets and prevent the downturn from being worse than it otherwise would be.

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I believe we are in a period of economic uncertainty and churches would be wise to watch the economic indicators around them.  Our church is in an area that is undergoing tremendous economic change. Lost jobs, lost wages translate into fewer contributions, plus some members have moved to other states to find better paying jobs.

The national economy, battered by the mortgage housing crisis and sky-high fuel costs, is starting to take its toll on all houses of worship.  As wallets get thinner, people face increasingly difficult choices between paying the bills and supporting their congregation.  In short, this downturn is hurting everybody.  I crafted a short survey to get your input on this important matter. Thanks for participating!