Faith on a Sticky Note
Published:
4/2/2010
Format:
E-Book (available as ePub and Mobi files)
Pages:
100
ISBN:
978-1-61507-555-3
Print Type:
B/W
Do you ever doubt your faith in God, because you never had that one defining “salvation moment” that other Christians talk about—you know, the one where you drop to your knees, plead to be saved, then receive a feeling, vision, or some other heavenly sign of confirmation? This is exactly how author Mark McKinney felt, until he faced the daunting task of going public with his Christian testimony. Enter: the sticky note. Over the last several decades, the sticky note has become a hallmark of modern life. Reminders, schedules, even love notes have been relegated to these small paper squares, which we tack onto the computer monitor, the refrigerator, or the dashboard. Little do we know that in posting them, we leave veritable paper trails—mini-documentaries of what we do, what is important to us, and what defines us as people. In Faith on a Sticky Note, McKinney uses this idea to relay how he discovered his faith, tracking down the “spiritual sticky notes” of his life, then piecing them together like a puzzle. “I never had my moment . . .” he writes. “I had many moments.” Through heartwarming, personal accounts of his father’s alcoholism and eventual death, McKinney reminds us that faith, like life, is not made in a single defining moment, but rather in everyday situations attuned to God’s perfect timing.
I am sitting in church thinking, “You are broken. Something is wrong with your inner workings if everyone sitting around you has had the “event” and seen the light, felt the shuddering, been overcome with joy, peace, or heard a voice…” This inner dialogue (talking to myself) is all about the moment “it” happens … being saved. Asking Christ to come into your life to lead you. My dilemma? I never saw, felt, or heard any of that stuff people talk about, even though I had asked Christ into my life. I had heard testimonies about it in Bible studies and sermons and got the idea that you should ‘feel’ the event, that you will know when it happens, and recognize it as a defining moment in your life – a true Damascus road experience. So, I immediately thought, “I must not be saved, and I am sitting here amongst a bunch of haves, when I am a have-not. Surely, I cannot speak up and say anything lest I be judged for not being on the team, or worse yet, unworthy of being saved.” I struggled with that for quite some time in my recent years – afraid to ask in fear of being exposed. Always nodding and saying, “Oh, yeeeeaah,” when someone asked if I were saved, even though I did not have the ticket stub, so to speak, in the way of a story to tell about my moment of salvation. I soon came to realize, though, with unquestionable clarity, that I am on the team, and that I am not the lone ranger when it comes to questioning one’s own salvation. This epiphany came about through a series of events and circumstances that I share in this book. It is one man’s testimony, mine, paved with pieces of God’s puzzle, including an alcoholic father, a career in sales, defining what “one in twenty” and “DNR” really mean, learning when to draw to an inside straight, Ronnie Milsap, banjos and a stand-up bass, flight attendant call bells, recruiters, freaks and weirdoes, red corvettes, and a legendary football coach. My purpose in writing this book is to put forth what I have learned from all of the above and the theme that ties them all together, which I believe will resonate with you long after you turn the last page. My goal is to have an impact on your faith and your Christian walk. Even more so, it is to share with you my “Sticky note of faith” - what I believe is the single most important piece of paper that you can reference each day of your spiritual walk. I am not a pastor, preacher, or reverend and have never been to the seminary. I am an individual living life just like you. In my everyday life, I am a software salesman traveling about 30,000 air-miles a year (rookie stuff to you million-milers out there – my hat’s off to you) and getting the opportunity to meet many people and see many great places. I am the husband of one, father of two, and blessed to be a friend of many. In addition to being a quota-carrying salesman, I am someone who is excited about what I have come to understand about Christ and my salvation. I feel strongly that this message can have a positive impact on anyone who is concerned about his salvation and can provide the clarity which I have come to appreciate. This book will not teach you how to interpret carbon dating samples, how to be a better singer of hymns, or even the difference between Methodists and Baptists; what it will do is provide you with a foundation to understand your faith, to embrace that faith, and to utilize it to impact every single aspect of your life and the lives around you, period. My prayer is that this true story - this testimony - will impact you as much as it has impacted me in living it. I have cried, laughed, and learned countless things in this process, and if even one person starts or strengthens a relationship with Christ as a result of this effort, it is all worth it. God bless and enjoy! Mark McKinney
Following the death of his father in 2006, Mark McKinney took a head-on look at his faith. Having accepted Christ on a head level as a child, Mark now strives to apply his faith, on a heart level, to every aspect of his life. A fifteen-year veteran in the software industry, Mark currently resides in L i n c olnton, G e o r g i a < / s t 1 : c o u n t r y - r e gion>, with his wife and two children.
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