As I was doing my Bible study and prayer time this morning, I came across a verse that caused me to pause and think. This is not a new occurrence, many verses cause me to reflect. But this one made me reflect to the point that I have to write my thoughts out and share them with others. I am sure I have read the verse many times in the past, but for some reason, today, the words really hit home. The verse is Mark 8:38, "If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels." (NIV)

There were two thoughts that jumped into my mind as I read that verse. First, that these words of Jesus are just as relevant today, as they were 2000 years ago. We live in "an adulterous and sinful generation." Anyone who would deny this fact does not understand the definition of sin. Just watch the news, or television, or go to Wal-Mart, you see the depravity of this world all around us. From our commercials to our lifestyle, our world is fallen. As Christians we are commissioned by Christ to be a light in the darkness, but our light is fading. We are allowing the world to silence our voice. Our country was founded upon the principles of Christianity, and yet Christians are seen as hypocrites, hate-mongers, and irrelevant.

Which brings me to my second thought from the passage at hand. Am I ashamed of Jesus? Jesus says that anyone who is ashamed of Him in this generation, He will be ashamed of when He returns in his Father's glory. I had to search my soul long and hard to find the answer to this question. Am I ashamed of Jesus? After some soul searching and prayer, I am happy to say that my answer is "no". There have been many times when I am ashamed of myself for choices I have made, especially in light of my relationship with Jesus. Yet, when push comes to shove, I know that I am doing my best to be a light in this dark world. It is difficult in today's society to live your faith out loud. We can't pray in schools, we can proselytize at work for fear of a lawsuit of being fired, and we don't want to be labeled a religious nut, so we stay silent. In doing so, we have lost our voice in society. Churches used to be the cornerstone of the community, have become just another event on our social calendar.

My friends and coworkers know that I am a Christian, and some of them have even come to me for council because of my faith. During my annual review last year I was reprimanded by my boss for sharing too much of my Christian beliefs during a work presentation. I will not say I am perfect, far from it. I am a sinner made whole by the precious blood of Jesus. And there have been times in the past when I should have spoken up, but held my tongue. For this I am ashamed. Yet, I am confident that my faith is evident to all. "I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes." (Romans 1:16 NIV)

So, there is an obvious question for you, dear reader, and hopefully you have already asked it.

Peace.

Bill

It's the most wonderful time of the year.

I haven't written for a couple of weeks, for which I apologize. I have been somewhat busy with life, but I am back! So, my loyal readers (all 6 of you), enjoy!

I know that many people do not enjoy winter. And here in the Midwest, Winter pretty much is miserable. It is cold, snowy, wet, dank, and just not pleasant. Yet, as Winter draws itself to a close, we are also given a new hope. Hope that spring is just around the corner and bringing warmer weather. Hope that the drab, dreary days filled with depression will so be gone. Hope that comes with the simple phrase, "pitchers and catchers have reported." Yes, it is true! BASEBALL IS BACK! And while real games are still a month and a half away, the opening of spring training camp gives us a subtle reminder that the days of Winter are declining. Spring will be returning along with the singing of birds, the cracking of bats, and the popping of gloves.

There is also one other glimmer of hope that this time of year provides. The hope that your team will win their division, and better yet the World Series. I am a lifelong Cincinnati Reds fan. And for the past 15 years we have not had much to celebrate. But, this spring (as with every spring) I am hopeful that the Reds can actually contend for a title this year. I am a realist and understand that for the Reds to win the National League or the World series, they will have to make some major improvements to their line-up. However, I do believe that they can contend for their division. Scoff, if you wish but that is the beauty of Spring. Until the games start to count in the standings, every team has an equal chance.

So to the return of baseball I say, "welcome!" You have been missed. We welcome you back with open arms and know that your return means that warmer weather is on its way. And with warmer weather comes golf, but that's another story.

Peace.

Bill

Golf is cruel game

As many of you are aware, I am an avid golfer. I love to play golf. Golf is more than just a hobby, it is a passion. If I could figure out a way to make money in the golf business, I would. But I am not good enough to play on the tour, and many other golf jobs do not allow much time for actually playing golf. So, alas, I maintain my current level of employment solely for the purpose of supporting my golf habit.

One of the cruel aspects of the game however, is that it is a rather expensive hobby. It costs to play, you have to have proper equipment, which can be expensive, and the clothing is not cheap either. This can present a problem, especially if you work for a non-profit organization, as I do. I have found ways around the cost through coupons and getting others to pay for greens fees, but it is still not cheap.

Several years ago, my wife and I came to an agreement that we would set a budget for the year as to how much I could spend on golf. When the money is gone, I am done for the year. I have ended up with a surplus the past three years, that I carry over, or blow on guitar equipment, but that is another entry. Part of the surplus in 2006 and 2007 was because I was in pain most of the time and did not play a lot of golf. The surplus last year was because Michal Beth was playing with me, so my wife upped the budget to include her golf as well.

The past couple of years, I have been hoping for a new set of clubs with which I can further enjoy my game. However, a good set of irons alone can cost upwards of $600. And, as is the agreement, golf equipment, balls, grips, shoes, and yes, clubs must also come out of the pre-determined golf budget. So, I could go out this year and get a new set of shiny, game-improvement clubs, but I wouldn't have any money left to play golf. So my new game-improvement clubs would only deteriorate my game, because you have to actually play golf to get better at golf. Thus, if I want to play I have to keep the old clubs.

The truth is, my current set of golf clubs are good clubs. They are not the latest and greatest that are available. I have had my irons for about 8 years. They were a birthday/Father's Day gift from my wife prior to the budget agreement. I have a nice set of Titleist clubs that were custom fit for me. Part of the reason I have not made a bigger push for new irons is that I like my irons and have not really found anything that hits the ball any better. Yet, they are 8 years old, and are starting to show it. The shafts are rusting on the inside, there are some dents and dings on the heads, and the faces are worn. But, they still work.

You see, the golf industry spends a lot of money on research and advertising. The main purpose of golf advertising is to try to get golfers to believe that their current equipment is inferior to the latest and greatest clubs available. Tuthfully, there are some benefits to new technology in golf equipment. However, with the advancements in golf equipment and balls over the last 20 years, the average handicap has remained the same. There is an old saying, "a good craftsman never blames his tools". But golfers love to blame their equipment for a bad round.

I will turn 40 this year in May. So maybe my wife will have pity on me and hook me up for my birthday...but not likely. So, alas, another Summer will come and go and I will be schlepping my bag full of old clubs around seeking the ever elusive birdie. Golf is a cruel game, even when you aren't playing.

Peace.

Bill

Children's books are fun!

For as long as I can remember, my mother-in-law has been trying to get me to write a children's book. I must admit that I am not opposed to the idea. I would love to write a children's book. I have story ideas and believe that I could write a very nice children's book. My only problem is that I have no idea where to begin.

There are a myriad of celebrities out there that have published children's books, so if they can do it, why can't I? Seriously, if Madonna and Jamie Lee Curtis can publish books, there must be hope for a creative genius like me. The big difference is celebrities have their name and wallets to put behind a book. I have my mother-in-law's endorsement. Which is super when I would like another piece of pie, I am not sure it would get me very far with a company like HarperCollins.

"I would like to have you publish my book," I ask politely.
"And who are you?" Replies the man behind the big mahogany desk.
"Why, my name is William A. Hobstetter, and I have a dandy book that children the world over will love."
The executive replies, "That's nice. I have never heard of you, and don't know who you are. Why should I invest our company's money in your book?"
And I would reply with all the strength I can muster, "Because my mother-in-law said so, that's why. And if you don't she is going to come down here and go all Chuck Norris on your face."

I could be wrong, but I do not believe that is the best method of getting your book into the hands of children. If my mother-in-law could drop a roundhouse kick like Chuck Norris, I might have a better chance. But for now, if my dream of being published is to come to fruition, then I am going to have to have a better plan.

There is another reason I have not really pursued the idea of getting my book published; I don't deal well with rejection. I have known a few people that had books published or signed record deals. You hear "no" a whole lot more than you hear "yes". There are a lucky few who get published on their first try, but that is rare. I have had my fair share of rejection letters from job hunts and I take them personally. I don't know if I could handle someone who has never met me telling me that something I put my heart and soul into is not good.

Who knows, one day I may get the courage to pull out my stories and give it a go. I have a friend from college that just recently published a book and she has also encouraged me to try. But, for now my story of Grace the Bunny and Lizzy the Platypus, will stay tucked neatly away in my mind. Yet, a story about a Kung-fu fighting granny might not be bad...

Peace.

Bill

The purple bracelet

On Thursday night I had the opportunity to take my daughter, Michal Beth and her friend Hannah to a big concert event called "Winter Jam". I have attached a picture of Michal Beth and Hannah with one of the artists performing, Francesca Battistelli. The concert was at Cincinnati Gardens, an old building that is primarily used for hockey these days. The stage was at one end of the arena, with seating on the floor and in the regular stands. However, to get one of the floor seats, we had to get there early and wait outside in the freezing cold (wind chills of 10 degrees).Once inside, we waited in another line to get a bracelet that allowed access to the floor seating. If you didn't have a bracelet you could not even enter the floor seat section.

This is the 4th year that Michal Beth and I have gone to Winter Jam, and until this year, floor seats were only a dream. In fact, last year we sat near the top looking down on the stage from the side, which are not so good seats. This year, however, we got there early, were near the front and were able to get floor seats. We felt so good as the usher slapped the royal purple bracelet on our wrists. We were a part of the "Kingdom of the Purple Bracelet". All throughout the night as we entered in and out, we had to show the usher our purple bracelet to get into the seating area. I found myself feeling somewhat superior to those sitting in the "common" seats. I wanted to waive my wrist in the air and yell, "I have a purple bracelet! Yo-o-o-u-u do-o-o-n't!" But the humble side of me decided that would be too much.

However, as I looked around, there was an interesting phenomenon happening. There were people who were in line in front of us, that rushed in and rather than sitting in the floor seats, they sat up in the stands on the sides. Why would you wait in line, in the freezing cold for hours, only to rush in and get an inferior seat? Could it be that they don't believe their seat is inferior? If that is true, then my perceived "special-ness" of the purple bracelet is diminished. If my seats are not more special than other seats, then my boasting is futile.

There is one other thing you should know about this particular concert. Cincinnati was hit by a major winter "event" this week. We got about 6 inches of snow and an inch of ice, followed by frigid temperatures. Traveling on the main roads was dicey, many of the side streets were down right impassible. Thus, the attendance at this particular concert was extremely low compared to past events. There were only about 4100 people at the show, in an arena that holds twice that many. There were quite a few empty seats even in the floor section. Thus, anyone who wanted to sit on the floor, really could have. Yet, most were content to sit on the side of the arena or in the nose-bleed section.

As I thought about this, my mind began to form an analogy. Everyone has the opportunity to join the "Kingdom of the Purple Bracelet" known as followers of Jesus. We are all given the opportunity to waive our purple bracelet and enter into the floor seats in heaven. Yet, many people, for whatever reason, reject this chance and choose instead to sit in the regular seats without the promise of eternal life. All they have to do is accept the free gift that Christ has so freely given. I have not been "preachy" in this blog before, so please allow me a little leeway. This is so important. If you do not know Christ as Lord of your life, please look into receiving his gift of eternal life. There is no better decision you could ever make. The steps are so simple. 1) Repent of your sins. 2) Confess that Jesus is Lord. 3) Be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins and the gift of eternal life.

This life is temporary and the things of this world will pass away. Do not lose your soul for the pleasures this of this life. Place your hope in Jesus. You will not be sorry. You don't have to get there early or stand in line. Christ's call is open at anytime and at any stage in life. You only need to accept it. If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail me and I will be glad to help.

Peace.

Bill