Today is a milestone for the humble ramblings. This is post number 500 in the brief history of this site. A lot has happened in the two and a half years that I have been blogging. Who knew that I would be publicly chronically a very personal journey that Joni and I traveled with her breast cancer? Yet your encouragement, prayers and care were a great help. Many of you have been blessed by her faithfullness and courage. I have lost several dear friends in the brief amount of time I have been writing this blog. An amazing number of readers kindly responded when my Mom died. This blogging is an odd thing. You feel a connectedness to many you have never met because of our mutual connectedness to Jesus.

I reviewed the “bad Christian” archives to see which articles impacted the most readers over the first 500. I have to offer full disclosure here. I am throwing out the most read article. I have to be careful because this situation draws out the drive-by posters in record numbers. I will try to put it in terms that the googlers can’t find me hiding here under my cyber desk. The most read post was an article written about a person who was involved with a dispute while on board public air transportation. This person is involved in a venti church in a Southern city so it was very public. I asked some questions about what the correct response should be for a visible representative of Christ. You would have thought I had called for capital punishment by the responses of some of the posters. Others attacked the ministry and person. The actual point of the article was largely ignored so I removed the post. Having thrown out that article I give you the most read posts from the dusty archives. You can click on any of the blog titles to read the article.

Number 5:

What Sins Do I Hide Away?: 

This was a piece written after the sad revelations about Pastor Ted Haggard. Here is a snippet of that story.

Regular readers of this site know that I try to keep my little engine chugging down the parallel tracks of truth and grace. This is a tough one. The sin of Ted Haggard made me angry. His initial denials frustrated me after more of the truth began to be revealed. But as I have reflected and prayed for Ted Haggard (I highly suggest that) I have focused on some positives in this sad story.

Number 4:

Confessing My Agenda to Rosie O’Donnell:

After Rosie made an inflammatory statement about Christians on that chatty TV show the response was swift and often less than graceful. So I decided to come clean with my subversive agenda for America.

When I became aware that word of my Evangelical Christianity was out on the streets I went to the secret underground bunker where we all meet to plan how to advance our agenda.
“I have been Valerie Plumed!” I told the group.
“They know?”, they asked.
“I’m afraid so. Should I come clean?”
They looked horrified. “You mean tell them your agenda?”
“Yes,” I said boldly. “I am going to lay out my entire agenda so there will be no doubt.”

So here it is.

Number 3:

Forgive? I don’t wanna…

This article was written in response to the pain of a wounded traveler. Do we have to forgive when we have been deliberately hurt? The answer is clear in Scripture but certainly not easy to implement.

One of the things that really struck me from the movie “End of the Spear” was that in the Waodani language, there is no word for forgiveness. The concept was so foreign to that culture that no word had ever been coined. In our Christian culture we have the word but we too often lack the ability to apply it.

Number 2:

Sentences That Change Your Life:

This article was written right after Joni’s diagnosis. One of the blessings of blogging is that I could go back and review from earlier articles how God was preparing us for what we would now be facing. He was and is and will always be faithful.

Most of life’s sentences are blissfully mundane. I can’t find my keys. Take out the garbage. Please feed the dog. I can’t find my keys. ADD readers will relate to that string of comments. But sometimes a single sentence will change your life. My bride of nearly thirty years dropped one of those sentences on me earlier this week.

“My spot was cancerous.”

Number 1:

I Thought I Was Tough:

The most read article is a post about a song sung by Craig Morgan. The song is called “Tough” and it seemed like the songwriter was watching my bride as he composed the lyrics. I am posting the updated version here.

Joni’s strength and dignity have humbled me. There was a time before she was mine when I thought I was tough. No more. But there is one other thing I have learned during this difficult year.

There you have it. The top 5. Thanks for enduring my often long winded ramblings and sharing the journey with me. Your comments bless me and fill my bucket.

Blessings in His Amazing Grace,

Dave