As a young pastor, I went to see a long-time parishioner. She lived in a nursing facility in a “memory-care unit” At that time, I do not recall having any experience with people suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s. This lady was sitting by herself in a chair, staring off into the distance. In my ignorant exuberance, I asked her, “do you know who I am?” She looked at me, intently…
Read MoreNew Every Morning… Great is your faithfulness
Regardless of what happened yesterday, you and I get a new day today. If you are going through a hard place that may not sound like a good thing, but it really is incredibly good news. The writer of Lamentations gives us a wonderful inspired reminder: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end;they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22-23) In these two verse…
Read MoreA Life of Gratitude
A few days ago Susanne and I went on a cruise to celebrate her health journey this past year. While on the trip we met a unique individual. I was sitting in the hot tub and this elderly man came in and sat next to me. He immediately told me he was 95 years old. He was a World War 2 Veteran and had taken part in the Battle of…
Read MoreIs It Appropriate to Give Thanks?
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus”. 1 Thessalonians 5:18. Thanksgiving Day is a beautiful pit stop on the road of remembrance. Paul inspired by the Holy Spirit says that giving thanks is vital for the believer. When is it appropriate and when is it time to give thanks? All the time! There are times when things are not…
Read MoreThanksgiving: A Holiday of Thanks
It is Thanksgiving week! For the United States, it is a national holiday. What began with Pilgrim and native Americans in the 1600’s, then progressed to a Presidential Proclamation (Lincoln) to congressional action declaring it a national day of thanksgiving. Today it is mostly a secular holiday. Parades, turkey dinners, football, Christmas shopping, family, pumpkin pie, and napping. Many homes will not even offer a prayer of grace…
Read MoreThanking our way into Advent
We have just come through the season of Thanksgiving. This national holiday that lasts for one day seems to many to be nothing more than a gathering of our families to eat a huge meal and prepare to go shopping for Christmas presents. Someone came up with the idea of taking the 30 days of November and remembering a different blessing each day. This exercise reminds us that blessings…
Read MoreWhat Are You Thankful For?
Thanksgiving is a time when counting our blessings and being thankful are the order of the day. So in honor of the holiday I thought I would get us all started by counting my blessings. Here are a few of the things I am thankful for today: God’s love My wife My son My Indianapolis district family good friends (you know who you are) critics. They are the…
Read MoreFive Habits of Highly Grateful People
We are moving into the season in the United States where we set a day aside to give thanks. It is an honorable thing for the entire nation to count its blessings. As beautiful as it is to have a national day of Thanksgiving, for the believer every day is a time to offer thanks. You have noticed that some people seem thankful and others less grateful with…
Read MoreGive Thanks With A Grateful Heart
Several times in the Bible we find the word ‘thanks’ as well as thankfulness, thanksgiving, thanked, and thanking used numerous times. Most of us were trained to say ‘please’ and ‘thank-you’. Is it just a matter of common courtesy, or is gratitude to be a way of life? I remember singing the happy song “Count your blessings!” 1 When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed, When you are discouraged,…
Read MoreThanksgiving Living
Thanksgiving day in the United States is the day where there is usually more around and more on our tables than any other day of the year. What a great holiday Thanksgiving is, a day to stop and gather with family and friends and count our blessings. Thanksgiving and gratitude seem to be in short supply in our world. So it is appropriate to dedicate a day to the idea of being thankful…
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