Chris Burkmenn's Blog

Did you know that is ocean is blue because it’s the color that’s least absorbed by seawater. Most of the time the ocean appears to be blue because this is the color our eyes see. But the ocean can be many other colors depending upon particles in the water, the depth of the water, and the amount of skylight. As well as 71% of the Earth's surface is made up of water. This past weekend I was fortunate enough to spend my vacation at the beach. It inspired me because of it's beauty. There something about the ocean that is majestic. I could stare at the ocean for hours and not grow tired of the sound or the crashing waves. It became hypnotic. My entire visit I kept thinking how amazing it was that the Lord created it. How in awe I was when I sat there and tried to comprehend it. I couldn't help but think of the song "How He Loves us." If Gods grace is an ocean were all sinking. If we truly think deeper into that statement it can be quite intense to think of the ...

Welcome to another Encouragement Wednesday! God is so amazing, the way he tests our faith. They are often a setup to something great! God is testing our faith constantly. He wants to grow our faith so that we can endure long. Whatever attack comes against us from the enemy God wants us to lean on him and trust him. Not all the time can we accuse the enemy often God is wanting to use the struggle for his glory.  Today I want to focus on Jesus sending his disciples out into the storm in Matthew 14. He sent them out knowing that there was a storm coming. Funny that God would send them out into a storm, it says in scripture that Jesus made them get in the boat. Today I want to focus on Peter's faith in that story. We often look at Peter with the attitude that he had no faith. We must think about this though, he had to have some kind of faith for him to have gotten out of the boat. He was the only disciple to step out of the boat. All the other disciples sat in the boat and watche...

Young Tony Buuck from from Fort Wayne, Indiana, saves his sister when falling into an icy pond. The young boy raced in the pond to save his 8 year old sister. Now a local hero is getting attention that he doesn't necessarily want.  "…I think a lot of people wouldn't have done it. I don't want to have all the glory and stuff," Tony said. The 12 year was playing basketball in the driveway, when his sister Sammy fell into the pond in their backyard on Saturday. Hearing his little sisters scream, he ran to her rescue. The ice was so thin that it cause young Tony to fall into the pond as well.  "I began by taking my arms and sort of just putting it under her shoulders. I realized that wasn't going to work so I grabbed her coat hood," Tony said. Their father Dale came to save them, but the ice again gave in causing him to fall in as well. The Dad was able to break some of the ice and bring Tony to safety while he tightly help on to young Sammy....