The Thankful Challenge

My salvation.  My relationship with God.  My wife.  My children.  My family.  Ministering for God.  You.  I am thankful.  I am grateful.  I am overwhelmed at how good God is to me.

What about you?

For what and for whom are you thankful?

We live in a world that seems to forget how important gratitude is.  Though we’ve been blessed in more ways than we could ever list or recognize, people seem to focus FAR more on what isn’t right – on what isn’t up to expectations – on disappointments.

Could that be a large part of the discontent and anger we see?  Could that be feeding the division and anger we see?  Could that be eating us alive?

What would our world look like if we looked for the good more than we look for the bad?  What would our world look like if we pointed out the good more than the bad?  What would our world look like if Christians pointed others to our good God more than to what we don’t like?

What could Thanksgiving really do if it was more than a date on the calendar?

I’ll tell you what… Let’s make a pact.  Even though November 25 is the day we call Thanksgiving this year, let’s make a point to point out things for which we are thankful every day of November this year.  Tell someone what you are thankful for – post online what you are thankful for – write some notes to express what you are thankful for – find a way a day to be thankful and share your thankfulness.  I have a strong suspicion that it will help our own attitudes as well as those who hear or read about it.

Remember – the news about Jesus (what He did, what He does, what He will do, and who He is) is Good News.  Let’s spread more of that than the bad news we can scrape up.

Let’s be a Thanksgiving People.

“Hallelujah!  Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his faithful love endures forever.” (Psalm 106:1)

“I will thank the LORD with all my heart; I will declare all your wondrous works.  I will rejoice and boast about you; I will sing about your name, Most High.” (Psalm 9:1-2)

And always remember that you are loved!

Let’s Get Real

I recently shared similar sentiments to my church family, but this is for ALL of us!

At the beginning of a typical year, you might expect me to write about resolutions, goals, or something to inspire. But – as we all well know – we had a MOST unusual year in 2020.

Perhaps it’s time to step back – and ponder.

2021
Continue reading

I Don’t Want a Fake Thanksgiving

You get to sleep in a little.  There are great parades on TV this morning (and we even know some people in them).  Some of the greatest football rivalries face off later.  The sales begin in a few hours.  Family is gathering.  And the food – oh, the food!

But is that really Thanksgiving?

What about those who don’t “feel” thankful?  Continue reading

When Africa Pierced My Heart (Part 5)

First, for those who followed the previous entries – my apologies.  This final post was supposed to be published months ago, but it was saved instead of published.  Oops.  Here is the post…

2017-05-02 12.43.18While I was in Uganda, I had the blessing and opportunity to spend one day ministering in several mountain villages Continue reading

When Africa Pierced My Heart (Part 4)

What can an American pastor do for pastors who are serving faithfully in conditions that most of us cannot begin to imagine?  That was the question that plagued my heart in the weeks leading up to my trip to Uganda.

What I didn’t know (but should have) was that I probably got more out of my time with them than they did. Continue reading

By the Creator

monarchf          Summer is definitely upon us.  And that got me thinking about something I recently read about.

It isn’t uncommon to see butterflies migrating in late summer.  Some people get to see hundreds of them (at one time) clinging to tree limbs as they rest on their journey.

Some scientists reported finding 16 sites in central Mexico (ranging from 1-10 acres each) where millions and millions of monarch butterflies from North America spend the winter.  Continue reading