Greetings!
My name is Nathan, it is very nice to meet you
Why This Site Exists
This site is meant to be a reflection of my relationship with God, and an exploration into Christianity that is not weighed down by a judgmental attitude or the “hellfire and damnation for the sinners” brand of teaching people tend to associate with Christianity
However, in just the same way, I am not here to present God as a giant teddy bear in the sky who showers all believers with blessings, salvation, and intimacy regardless of whether they sincerely follow him or not
My intent is to share a scripturally sound message of love, mixed with the firmness the OT and NT authors spoke with and lived by, as Christianity has lost touch with what it means to know and honor God in a way that inspires us to live righteously, and love others as if our eternities depended on it
What You Can Find Here
One of the main goals of the site is to present the Bible’s teachings in easy to understand, readily applicable, but challenging ways that are designed to encourage us all, including me, toward greater intimacy with God
The articles are split up into sections that focus on presenting general Bible teachings, insights into God’s character, reviewing tips on how to evangelize, as well as discuss that small detail in life called “Love and Relationships”
There is something for everyone, so I welcome you to sift through the various sections to see what stands out
The writing style is a bit all over the place, as sometimes I try to be funny, sometimes I try to be serious, but mostly, whatever comes out, just comes out
A Little Bit About Me
Here are some funny facts about my life in point form!
- I have been filled with the Holy Spirit since I was three, but that did not guarantee a life without personal choices and consequences!
- I never graduated high school, but I managed to get great marks in biology, chemistry, physics, and English
- I got kicked out of theological college because I never turned my assignments in (yay self-esteem issues), even though I had theological conversations with my professors late into the night that we grew tremendously through
- I have been a Web Producer since I was seventeen
- I like heart-felt, spirit filled praise music
- I recently lost my favorite sunglasses
- I cannot stand sleeping, it drives me crazy, and I typically sleep only a few hours a day then crash like a burnt out light bulb at random times
- I leave periods off of my trailing sentences, you should try it!
I play World of Warcraft, and am a human priest (the irony!) and hunter on Shadowmoon- I met my wife Rachel, on ChristianMingle.com
- I smell my food before I eat it, much to the chagrin of my French friends who think it is crass
- I play piano, bass, guitar, and sing
- I study the Bible constantly, and am always searching for something new and exciting that is close to God’s heart
I hope you enjoy the site, as it is my intent is to engage directly with everyone as personally as I can
I welcome any feedback within a polite context, as I enjoy level-headed conversations, even if people disagree with what is written, though I advise detractors to speak like they want to be spoken to, and in a manner they would not be ashamed of before God
No question is too weird, and no comment too challenging, as I look forward to any and all opportunities to speak with you, and I hope you feel the same way
1 John 3:18
Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth
Titus 1:9
He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it
Wow, Nathan!! What an awesome transformation of your blog!! My only problem with it was my unfamiliarty with the new links. But that’s just me; new things frighten me, but I eventually embrace the changes that come in life.
Kudos to you and Amy as well as you embark on an exciting future together. You give me hope that God has wonderful things in store for me as well. “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither has it entered into the heart of man, what God has in store for those who love him…” Stay focussed and stay blessed. You can’t even imagine how many lives you’ve touched through this conduit of communication.
Hello!
i am glad that you are working through the new format, it is a little more complex but I am hoping it makes more of the content accessible
Amy and I are incredibly excited to get married, and I am glad that we are pursuing a chaste, buy accelerated wedding schedule
Thank you for the encouragement about the writing, I am thinking of different ways to get more people to interact and participate in the discussions as well!
May God bless you
Hey Nat pretty cool stuff. I find most christian blogs super-duper spiritual and that’s fine if that’s what you are looking for. I think you’re on to something. Keep up the good work. I’ll check back soon.
Keeping it real for Jesus
Liz
Hi Liz!
Thank you for the kind words
I think Christianity should be reflected in every area of our lives as godly wisdom and character, it doesn’t always come down to being “spiritual” or boring!
I hope you become a regular visitor!
Very nice! I like it.
Jocelyn!
Fancy meeting you here
Dun dun dunnn…
The writings here are so calm, simple, and right on. Our walk with God does not need to be complicated and formal. He never expected that from us. i say to keep things simple and make Jesus the number one priority in our lives. i am a bit rebellious myself, but I do it with love. Not like in the old days when I was rebellious out of anger and hurt. God Bless
Hi Betsy
I am glad you enjoy the writing style, it is a fun expression and I definitely enjoy the things God inspires me to write as I learn new things as they come out!
I used to be very rebellious, to the point of self-detriment in almost every area of my life
As I got more mature, notice I didn’t say “older”, I have still maintained that spirit of steadfast commitment to something I want, but am directing it towards things that are much more healthy
Life with God is definitely not boring, complicated or formal–he challenges us in amazing, life changing ways all the time!
I am blogging as well..please tell me how you got started. how often you blog, what inspires your topics, etc I really do love your style….so simple and easy to follow
Hi Betsy
Thank you for the encouragement!
I try to write as often as possible, and it requires a lot of effort unless you make it part of your lifestyle and force yourself to really dig in
Is your blog your URL or do you write somewhere else as well?
yup…soberfreeandlovingme.com is my blog. I am trying to write as much as I can. I aim for 3 times a week. I need to get a schedule and theme each week so it is consistant. Blogging full time is on the top of my prayer list as well as starting a ministry. It is very hard to keep it up when I work as well..
I would like to add a link to your site on my blog..You write so simple and to the point.
ummm… how do i have mii own blog?
Thank You for this encouraging blog!
Hi Cameron!
I am glad you enjoy reading everything, I am so happy you dropped by!
Let me know if there are any topics you are interested in hearing about
I recall an article about people who are ashamed of expressing their feelings about God and their faith in him. Did you write on a topic similar to that? I looked through your archive and couldn’t find the article I read somewhere. Regardless, I enjoy your comments. Thank you!
Hi Mark,
I am glad you enjoyed reading, it is great to have the feedback
There is an article written here regarding feeling ashamed to talk about things we have overcome in our past:
http://www.godandstuff.com/?p=1201
This talks about the sense negative, shame-driven shyness that we sometimes experience when reflecting on our pasts rather than being bold and courageous about sharing the things that God has helped us overcome