2009 was an interesting year.
I’ve been grateful, depressed, angry, humbled, bitter, joyful, and everything in between it seems. At the end of it all, however, the sense of joy and gratefulness is what stands out the most. We’ve withstood the economic slump (thus far) while making some pretty significant decisions.
How was 2009 for you?
Some things to note for ‘09 for me would be… (more…)
“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’” – Jesus
About a year ago, we had a guest speaker come to a staff chapel where I work. The speaker is actively involved in ministry and outreach in Africa. He told us a few stories, one of which particularly resonated with me. He explained how he had been in Tanzania with a group of nuns that were a part of Mother Teresa’s “Sisters of Charity.” He had brought some men from his church, along with his teenage daughter and a few other ministry partners. They were there to observe the situation in Tanzania, as well as to serve in the orphanages.
While there, one of the men noticed a group of Muslim men standing off in the distance at the location they were at, and asked one of the Sisters what they were doing there. She replied, “Oooohhh, they just had a big prayer festival/celebration last week! We got the ceremonial hats, learned the dances and found out how to make the dishes they eat during the festival.” Even more puzzled than when he asked who they were, the man just stood there scratching his head.
She apparently noticed that the wheels were turning and said to him, “It is an honor and privilege to serve the Jesus that I see in my Muslim brothers and sisters.” (more…)
I’ve grown weary of all of the negative media. I know you’re thinking, “hey man, where have you been?” I know, I know. But you see, my wife and I just got cable for the first time in our marriage (6 yrs) about six months ago. So, we’re all sorts of exposed to things we had no idea about. It seems like every channel is chocked full of negativity, death, infidelity, horror, injustice and manipulation.
It reminds me of two truths: (1) Food Network is quite possibly from Jesus, and (2) this world is messed up, y’all. It seems as if there’s a better chance of Paula Dean not using butter in a dish over something good actually happening in the world these days.
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Perhaps you know someone who is deployed as I type this…
Or, perhaps your grandfather is still living and served in a previous war. Regardless, I’m sure there are not too many people that separate all of us from someone who is currently in harm’s way or has been in the past.
If this is the case, could you (and I) take the time at some point today to simply say, “thank you”? I’m pretty sure it would mean a lot. Also, if you do know someone currently deployed somewhere and would like to request prayer, post a comment with their name and location and I can pray for all of them this afternoon. I think we can all find at least a little time to stop and pray for these folks.
Happy Veteran’s Day
“Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus…” -Philippians 1:1
You know, we all really treasure freedom. Each and every person in the U.S. loves their freedom, and you can bet that those in other areas of the world who don’t have freedom certainly long for it. We know from scripture that Christ has freed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us (Galatians 3:13).
However, scripture also reveals to us that we are all slaves as well. Romans 6:16 states, “Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?”
Read more, por favor…. (more…)
