There are certain things in life that I just can't

understand. For instance, I have no idea what it's like to be

pregnant (for which we are ALL grateful). I have no idea what it's

like to be raised in a third-world country. I have no idea what

it's like to be a Cardinals fan. For most of my life, I have lived,

worked, and gone to school in places where the majority of people

shared my race. It's very hard for me to understand what it's like

to be a minority. There are just certain barriers that make it

impossible to understand or relate to someone else. Sometimes, we

know that those barriers need to be torn down. But, many times,

those barriers feel insurmountable. If we are honest, I think many

of us would agree that, often, it feels as if there is some sort of

barrier between us and God. We have all felt, at one time or

another, like there is a great chasm between God and us. A barrier

that keeps us from knowing and understanding Him. The great thing

about Jesus is that He LOVES to rip down barriers. In the last

verses of John 16, we see how Jesus rips down barriers between us

and God. And, when we understand these barriers that are toppled,

it opens us up to a whole new world -- the world of God the Father.

As always, I can't wait to see you on Sunday! P.

Dave