Joel Osteen

I've been watching Joel Osteen on ABC Family Television for several months every week on Sunday night or when I get around to watching it during the week. I like him because he's positive and he smiles. He inspires, and uplifts. He should be on daily, in my opinion. He always says at the end that those who watch should join a good Bible based church but it is hard to duplicate the enthusiasm of Joel and his positive messages. He's rare. I'll continue watching him. I'd love to live in Houston and have the opportunity to go to his church every Sunday but I don't have the money to do that.

Here's his website: http://www.joelosteen.com/

I do think he needs to have someone work on his website. It doesn't fit him. It should be filled with streaming videos of his positive message clips that changes at least weekly. There should be a way to find all the archive of messages he has given in the past. It should have colors other than a somber brown.

Most ministers in church look as though it is the last place they want to be with their serious and ominous faces. I remember thinking just this when I went to the Episcopal Church in Corvallis and wondered why no one was smiling. I thought if it were me, I would be smiling with a huge grin because I was in God's House and doing his work. I was thinking that it's like the spiritual Disneyland for ministers to be in church. Most of the ministers I have seen through the years act as if it is the last place on earth they want to be. I've also been disappointed to see in the examples of many who seem to care more about the money coming in than making sure that the people who walk through the door are treated with kindness and friendship. I remember discussing this issue with my Aunt in Montana who has passed away. She said that many ministers are "mama made preachers." I had never heard that before and asked her about it. She said that not all ministers are there on Sunday because they chose to be but were pressured by their mothers to go into the ministry.

Maybe that is what happened to a minister who recently committed suicide. Maybe he was pressured into a life that he didn't want. If you make this kind of choice, obviously the religion didn't have the meaning for him that it should have had. It also says that the community in which he lived and all who knew him ignored his unhappiness and sadness. I guess it is rare these days for people to reach out in kindness to others. Sometimes it is the simple acts of kindness that help get others through the day. A smile here and there can heal hearts and make a day easier for others.

My husband, Leslie says that religion takes advantage of people's fear and enslaves the mind and spirit. He says that religion encourages people to follow in lock step and obey. Les is anti-religion after our experience with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and I don't blame him. In many ways I agree after seeing the poor example of many leaders in churches. Maybe he's right that religion is just a big lie to control people.