Mike Sechler's Blog

  This is a response to my friend Tim who claims that the events of January 6, 2021 were the worst thing that has ever happened in this country. I believe he used those exact words, but if I am wrong or if he does not believe that now, then I am willing to be corrected. He claimed that I could not make a determination on this point if I had not watched the January 6th hearings. I want to narrowly argue that while I did not watch any but a few clips of the Jan. 6th hearings, I can and should still have an opinion about those events and what they say about our country and culture. My two main points are: I did not think the hearings would inform me of anything substantial that I did not know before, and therefore would not change my mind. The people primarily responsible for producing the hearings (Dem. House leadership) are hypocrites who have, are, and will encourage the breaking of the law for their own political gain in much if not exactly the same way that Donald Trump has....

I am sharing  this article  with the view of giving a different and I think important perspective. A couple of points about it. * It is a professional article reviewing actual studies to inform people in the medical field. * It was written before Covid-19, but includes data from Sars 1 and Mers and tests against other flus. * One of the main points is that there is no evidence that masks add protection for the wearer or the dental patient, and that the guidelines for dental workers are based on old assumptions that do not include the most recent understanding of disease spread. * A second point is that masks in dental situations give a false sense of security that is not justified by the data.  * One of my main conclusions from this article and many like it that I have read is that cloth and surgical masks don't provide much protection from viral infection. If you are in an enclosed space with someone who is infectious for any length time or very near someone who is infec...

Heb 10:24 — Heb 10:25 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. We will be limited to a 6 foot rule (either by govt "suggestion," common sense, or sensitivity to our Brothers/Sisters.)   Please use the main door. Signs will be on the other doors directing people to the main doors. Main doors will be propped open until the service starts and after the service ends.  Coffee will be not provided (it is fine to bring in your own coffee mug, but please keep it with you). Water bottles will be available on the way into the building. NURSERY - CHILDREN's gatherings will be ON HOLD until further notice. Encourage parents to keep their children with them at their seats (no children running around in the building.)   We want to encourage those who want to wear face masks and/or glov...

Resources and Links below. Church Facebook Page Zoom Church Website Rightnow Media - If you don't have access, Email me at pastormike@oaklandefc.com and I will send you a sign up. Lifeway has some free resources for kids here . Call or text Pastor Mike for prayer at 402-936-1002. Nebraska government page

Earlier today we learned that a case of coronavirus was discovered in the Fremont area, and while it is not yet in the Oakland area, it is likely that it will come here in the near future and may have an impact on the area for several weeks if not months. I am going to use my personal blog to repeat public announcements for the Evangelical Free Church in Oakland regarding this issue. We will not be canceling church this Sunday, March 8, but we will update you if we need to cancel future events. We will be live streaming on our Facebook page, which you can reach here. https://m.facebook.com/pg/northeastnebraskaefree We have already decided that there will be no Super Supper this Wednesday, March 11. While we cannot control the virus, its spread, or the impact it has on our church, we are listening to proper authorities and suggesting the best practices to mitigate the risk and make our church gatherings as safe and clean as possible. We appreciate your cooperation and commi...

Gerald Brand I am not sure it is true that consensus at high percentages is unusual in science. In fact, I would counter that consensus is often the norm and that social factors often help maintain consensus and put down dissent. In this case, I have listened to a number of high level weather, climate, and economic experts who examine that data and disagree with the consensus at a number of levels, but who are routinely called deniers or unscientific because they don't go along lockstep with the supposed consensus. There may be political, financial, or social reasons to doubt global warming, but there are certainly just as many if not more reasons not to question the consensus. You can pay a heavy toll even questioning it. Here are some questions that I think remain up in the air. Do we have a good enough global record for long enough to understand a global average temperature and compare it to anything accurate in the past? Do we have an accurate ...

My 11-year-old son, Micah, died 5 years ago of complications from kidney failure. I wrote this just 5 months after he died, and only changed it a little to share it now. If some these comments seem stark or harsh at times remember they were written from the perspective of someone who recently lost his son, and that if you are talking to a grieving parent they may have similar raw emotions. The other grieving parents that I have met sure did. Here are some things that people said that helped and some that didn't. 1. Say you are sorry for their loss. This is almost certainly true, because almost everyone is really sorry to hear of a child dying, so you can say it sincerely and it is received sincerely. Also, you can stop here if you want. Unless you really want to go deeper and enter into the grief, you don't have to go any further. That is enough. 2. Ask about their child (or any loved one who has died). What was he or she like? I love talking about Micah. I don...