After working all day, my husband and I went out to dinner at a nice Italian restaurant and then we went to the grocery store. After we got home and put up our purchases. We thought that we wanted to do something fun and be amongst people. We don’t get invited to parties because we don’t drink alcohol or so I have been told. But, we wanted to do something to celebrate the coming of the new year 2026.
Earlier in the day I had seen on Facebook that the radio station was doing a live show at the casino. So I mentioned to my husband that we go. As we were driving there my husband sneezed and commented. “Did you put on perfume?” He has never been effected by that before so I just answered “yes.” I do admit that the perfume I used is a little strong, A woman had come to Bible study with it on and I thought it smelled good. Although it did fill the room, I bought some. As we walked into the casino my husband said “Ugh, that smell.” The smell is like cigarette smoke, beer and bad body odor all combined. We sell insurance and casino employees who have come in to pay their bill, during the transaction they have mentioned people will wear diapers to sit at a machine hours upon hours hoping the machine will pay out. I told my husband “I guess it doesn’t matter that I tried to cover up the stale of the day on me, you surely can’t smell it in here.” The people look clean on the outside but upon looking at them closely there is something a lot deeper going on, on the inside.
I saw people walking around in circles, going from the pop machine to the restroom to the lighted casino machines. Not joyous partying like you see in the commercials. In the movie “A bugs life” one bug says to the other “Don’t go into the light!” The other replies “I can’t help myself!” The light people are searching for is Jesus.
“Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.””
John 8:12 NASB1995
On our way to the bar to listen to the live show and get some dessert. We were quickly ushered to a table which I was surprised there was one available. But, I have found God gives us favor no matter where we go. I saw many lonely souls staring blankly at the tv screens that had football games on them. We didn’t stay but an hour, as we left I saw many races. Black, white, Native American, Hispanic and Asian. All doing basically the same thing in the same area. Small mixed groups talking to each other, no hatred for the other races seen. A unity that is almost holy but for the wrong reasons.
I have been in churches that because I am white I have felt unwelcome and I have been in predominately white churches with a sprinkle of other races that they too feel unwelcome. There is a world wide movement called The Gathering, a time for Christians from around the world to pray. The pictures of those gatherings are beautiful! A melting pot of people praying for all the people of the world. I am sure this greatly pleases the Lord.
How do we reach the lost in an area like the casino? Do we stand outside and hand out Christian tracks? We would probably be ushered off of the grounds. Do we walk in and shout “Repent, for the Lord is coming!” Again we would be escorted out. These people are our neighbors and co-workers. They are hungry for companionship. We need to ask them to come to church with us on a daily basis. “As we go” as the Holy Bible says.
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,”
Matthew 28:19 NASB1995
And our churches need to be welcoming to the hurting. Many of these people are as the song says “Looking for love in all the wrong places”
2026 is the year of the “Fire Horse” If you know me you know horses are in my blood. Each year our church picks a word for us to focus on. I have seen other statements on Facebook of people who do the same thing. I think I will pick “FIRE” as my word this year. There is a song that says, speaking to God, “start a fire in me!”
We probably won’t go to the casino for a New Year’s celebration again. We didn’t see any celebratory actions there besides hats and horns. I mentioned to a former pastor that the church should have something for people to do to celebrate the new year. He thought that was an interesting idea. We went to the casino because it was close to our home. I think we will drive a little farther to a church in Finley, Oklahoma or the cowboy church in Clarksville, Texas (many of the cars in the parking lot of the casino were from Texas) that does celebrate the bringing in of the new year.
We wanted to go out and have some “fun” instead of staying home and watching it happen on tv but the Bible has this interesting statement.
“and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you,”
1 Thessalonians 4:11 NASB1995
Rhinestone Cowgirl 