Positively Thankful!

Have you ever noticed how easy it has become to complain, and to be negative, critical, and pessimistic?

LOTS of people in our culture today have adopted that mindset...and this week...perhaps more than any other week for Americans...is when it needs to STOP!

I want to stop it--at least for myself! I want to be POSITIVE!
How about you?

This week, we take time to consider the Blessings that Almighty God has given us--from LIFE, to LIBERTY, and all our everyday blessings (family; job; food, clothing, shelter); Most importantly, He's given us the possibility of a relationship with Himself, through Jesus Christ!

He IS the source of all blessings... "Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens." (James 1:17)

So it only makes sense that, in all our 'Thankfulness' this week, we take time to thank that Loving, Wise SOURCE of all blessings.

We used to do that...all the time!
It used to be part of our culture to acknowledge and thank our Great God for His blessings and involvement in our lives, and in our country.

For Example, below is the entire text of President George Washington's Thanksgiving Proclamation back in 1789:

"WHEREAS it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me "to recommend to the people of the United States a DAY OF PUBLIC THANKSGIVING and PRAYER, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:"

NOW THEREFORE, I do recommend and assign THURSDAY, the TWENTY-SIXTH DAY of NOVEMBER next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish Constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted;- for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge;- and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.

And also, that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; - to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness unto us); and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

GIVEN under my hand, at the city of New York, the third day of October, in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-nine.

Signed: George Washington
Source: The Massachusetts Centinel, Wednesday, October 14, 1789

We need people to talk that way again...WE need to talk that way again...and we can--IF we start to THINK that way again!

Happy Thanksgiving, all!

Generosity...the Better Way!

If you read my blog yesterday , You know that I believe it's possible to be self-centered from both sides of the 'have vs have-not' spectrum.

Selfishness leads us to excuse our own bad behavior while seeing others' quite clearly. We can justify our selfishness by saying we 'deserve' what we can get...but if we are followers of Jesus Christ, He calls us to a much Better Way!

He calls us to be generous!
To be willing to give away our money...but also our time, our talents, and so on.

He calls us to rise to new heights of behavior, motivated by a new kind of love...God's love...for others.

Remember that Jesus, when challenged about the 'Greatest of the Commandments', said "You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind"--this is the first and greatest commandment; and the second is like it: "You must love your neigbor as yourself"." (Matthew 22:37-39)

He said that the "Entire Law and the (teaching of the) prophets are fulfilled in these 2 commandments" (Matthew 22:40)

In other words, if we want to please God, then our Top Priorities are to love Him above all else, and love others as ourselves.

That means (among many other things), being generous!

Generosity is not only the opposite of selfishness, it's also the antidote to it!

If we can rise above our self-centeredness and learn to give--even when times are tough; even when it seems as though others are getting ahead (even if by unfair practises); even when we feel justified in making demands--we can experience that blessing of God working through us!

If we will focus on being God's "conduit of love" in practical ways--such as generosity--I believe He will notice. What's more, I believe He will bless us for doing so!

Jesus said "Seek first His Kingdom, and His righeousness, and all these things (ie, your needs) will be given to you." (Matthew 6:34).

We also read in the Scripture that "You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others." (2 Corinthians 9:7-8)

How cool would it be if God's people...Christ followers...would live this out consistently! How amazed would the rest of this world be if we rose above the clamor of the current 'I want what you have' mindset and became generous agents of blessing in this world!

God could do something pretty powerful in our hearts...and through our lives...if we were willing to do that. That's what He did in the early Church (see Acts 2, 4), and that's part of the reason that it changed the world--through love, faith...and generosity!

May God give us that spirit again today!

May the "song" of our lives sing--for HIS glory!

Selfishness has NOTHING TO DO with how much MONEY you have!

It's no secret, the world is in financial turmoil.

In Europe, they've got a few countries (Britain, France and Germany) propping up other countries (Greece, Ireland, Portugal and Spain) in order to keep the Euro going.

In America, we've got Occupy Wall Street (or Oakland, or Houston, or Washington D.C....) movement that is calling for a more "fair" distribution of wealth. On the other end of the Spectrum, we've got politicians who are getting donations from corporations, which then get loopholes, contracts, and (especially) bailouts from the politicians. These corporations often turn around and use those bailouts for themselves--their own "corporate greed"--more than to help the people and customers.

What's a Christian to think?
What is a follower of Jesus Christ supposed to do in these times?

Let me suggest that the FIRST thing we need to do is pray. Seek the Lord. HE is our hope and our provider!

" I look up to the mountains—
does my help come from there?
My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth!" (Psalm 121:1-2)



Our only REAL hope is not in our currency, in our goverment, in the United Nations, or anything else...our hope is in the Lord!

The SECOND thing to do, I would suggest, is to commit ourselves--again--to following Him, NO MATTER WHAT our circumstances are, and NO MATTER WHAT our circumstances become!

Whether you or I are working or not, rolling in money or not, or securely in our homes or not, we MUST stand up and follow the Lord!

That means that you and I--as followers of Jesus--must not allow ourselves to slip into (among other things) selfishness.

Selfishness is anti-Christian.

If there is one person in history who was unselfish, it was Jesus. He denied Himself, took on the form of a human, with all its limitations, then died at the hands of those humans He came to save!

It doesn't take much thought to realize that this idea is radical, compared to what we normally see and hear about on the news.

The "Fat-cat CEO's"--selfish? Yup!

The Occupy Wall Street "Protestors"--selfish? You Bet your student loan, they are!

BOTH groups are putting 'self' first--and blaming the other for doing precisely the same thing!

'Selfishness' has NOTHING TO DO with the amount of money you have! It has EVERYTHING TO DO with the kind of person you allow yourself to be, the kind of focus and motivation you choose to have, and the goals you have in your life.

We have probably all known wealthy (or at least 'well-to-do') people who are very generous. I've known some very wealthy people who are kind, generous, and sacrificial.

...but you may not have thought about how 'selfish' many of the people you've known who do NOT have much money are being!

Anyone who seems to say "I want more money, I deserve more money, I demand more money", and (especially) "I want YOUR money" is being selfish, period. We can excuse it all we want, but for a follower of Jesus Christ, there is NO EXCUSE!

We MUST rise above the current "us vs. them" mindset and set a new tone!
We MUST seek to follow Jesus--in word and in deed--no matter what others are doing.

The truth is that Europe may collapse...and if it does, America may do so as well--and then, if that happens, you and I are going to need to determine--are we going to be Christ followers who help each other, or are we going to be selfish people who only look out for our own interests?

It has NOTHING to do with how much money you have!

"Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

Though he was God,
he did not think of equality with God
as something to cling to.
Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
he took the humble position of a slave
and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross." (Philippians 2:3-8)

http://youtu.be/-mS0SKY5cck

If only I had THAT...

It's one thing we all--rich, poor; white, black (or otherwise); educated or not, deal with:

The desire for more.

The desire for a life that's better than my own.

Contentment seems elusive for many of us. We look at other people's lives--their relationships, their financial situation, their job, their house, car, tv, and other material possessions, and we think "If only I had what they have,then I could be content".

It's a trap that many fall into.

...and honestly, I think it's what's behind the Occupy Wall Street (and other cities) movement. If only I had part/half/all of what 'those people' have, I could be happy.

But, whether it's the rich dudes on Wall Street, or the family in the nicest house of your neighborhood, the truth is this:

It's NOT about Them!
It IS about you!

What you do with your life--how you look at it, the messages you give yourself every day, the things you focus on and the goals you set for yourself--that's on YOU!

(Should we, as a country, make the opportunities for upward mobility available for all? YES! Should we take others down in order to lift some up? I don't think so!)

Here's the thing: God writes each of the 'stories' of our lives in ways which are unique to US! I will go through things in my life that you'll never go through (in fact, I'm pretty sure I already have!), and you'll go through things that I will never experience. Sometimes the private wars and battles that your neighbors in that nice house are facing would make your trials seem insignificant...but the key is this:

God wants to engage you in your life--not in someone else's!

Will you open yourself up to engaging with the Lord in your current circumstances, or will you continue to buy the cultural lie that, if you can't have it as good as someone else, you can never possibly be content?

6 "Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. 7 After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. 8 So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.

9 But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows." (1 Timothy 6:6-10)


The Lord has blessed you--in many ways. Do you have food? Do you have clothing? Do you have shelter?

Do you have liberty and freedom? Do you have the ability to worship God freely, or to choose the kind of work you do, or to marry the person you want?

Chances are good that, if you and I had 'eyes to see', we'd be able to list HUNDREDS of everyday blessings that we experience.

...and yet, we fall into that trap: "If only I had that..."

Don't do it!
Don't let yourself go there!

Focus instead on the Lord, and on the place you're at right now (including your blessings), then focus on how YOU can move forward! Focus on how YOU can walk in step with the Lord's plans for you...and then--only then--will you find contentment!

Blessings on you,

Dave

Rise Above the Fray!

It's so easy to get sucked in! It's so easy to let the gossip, the negativity, the criticism get to us. When our coworkers, classmates, family members...even our fellow churchgoers become negative, the easiest thing in the world is to go along with them...and, like a whirlpool, we get gradually sucked in and dragged down!

Unfortunately, in our society, this happens all the time!

It is rare, in fact, to find a person who is positive, one who chooses not to gossip or criticize others. One who chooses to 'believe the best' (ala 1st Corinthians 13:7)

If you are blessed to know someone like that, I'm sure they stand out in your life and experience.

They're like a breath of fresh air!

Isn't that what Jesus called us to be, though?

Remember, He said "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden; neither do people light a lamp and cover it up. Rather, they put it in a prominent place, that it may give light to the whole house. In the same way, let your light so shine before men that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:14-16).

What if one of those 'good deeds' had to do with our speech? What if we asked God to enable us to think and speak well of others, and to be positive, helpful, and optimistic--because God is at work!

I guarantee we'd stand out!

I was reading Romans recently, and came across these verses that I haven't been able to get out of my mind:
"Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

Romans 12:17-21


How refreshing it would be if we lived this out!

If we applied this to our world, in our workplace, our classrooms, and even in our homes and churches!

Instead of keeping score, choosing to be negative, and gossiping about it, we chose instead to be 'the one' who chooses to rise above it. How cool would that be? Others might look at you crosseyed at first...

...but I'll bet they'd want to be around you more!
...and I'll bet they'd want to know why you're so positive...

...and God would recieve the glory!

You Never Know What's Going to Hit you!...but you can RISE!

So...I heard on the news that a satellite the size of a schoolbus is headed for Earth in the next day or two.

Might break apart into several 250 pound chunks, plus many small ones...but might not; Might hit over water...over the US...over Michigan...but might not.

So far, I haven't seen 'wall to wall' media coverage, but I've got to assume that this will actually become pretty serious when it starts entering the atmosphere (anyone seen 'Transformers'?)

So, the real question is: What should we DO about this? Should you stay in your basement? Should you wear a helmet all day? Carry an umbrella?

Seriously, I'm sure some people will be pretty concerned about this. Some might even be scared. (Don't get me wrong: If I look up and see a large object hurling toward me in flames, I'm gonna be a bit perplexed...might even run!).

Now, the odds of any specific piece of land getting hit by this stuff is miniscule. The odds against any specific person getting hit is incredibly small...but someone probably will!

...and that brings us to the serious question:

What SHOULD be our strategy for handling impending doom? What SHOULD we do when we think something might cause our death?

Here's a quick thought: Live in such a way as to be 'prepared' for death at any time!

Think about it: the odds of 'space junk' killing you or I is pretty slim...but the odds of us dying (at a time we don't know) is pretty much 100%!

What can we do to be 'prepared' for death?

Give our lives to Jesus Christ and let Him give us Eternal Life...then Live Like It!

Jesus said “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die." (John 11:25-26)

That's the secret: We will all experience death, but some of us (by God's grace) will experience eternal LIFE, by faith in Jesus!

So, how about it? You may not get hit by space junk...but you DO need to be prepared for the inevitable. Are you living your own life, ignoring eternity, or are you living with belief in Jesus as your Savior and Lord, following Him to a triumphant end, no matter how it come!

Begging at My Father's Table

I LOVE being a dad!

Sure, I get tired at times, and at times I don't quite know how to 'get through' to various kids, but... I LOVE being a dad!

Start asking me what I love about each one of my kids, and I'll have no problem bragging on them...love each one!

With all that in mind, do you know how much it would actually HURT me if I thought that any of my kids didn't know that? It would rip my heart out if they thought that they had to BEG me for my love, or my blessing.

Bottom line: I love 'em so much that I WANT to bless them! They don't have to pry it out of me, or talk me into it. I ENJOY blessing my kids.

In fact, it sometimes pains me to say 'no'--because I know what's best for them, and, in that particular moment in that particular situation, it would not be best for them to have 'it' (whatever 'it' might be).

...but I DO NOT want them to ever feel like they have to beg me for needs like water, food, shelter, nor do I want them feeling like they need to beg me for blessings of any kind.

I am their father. I love them. I want to bless them.

It is amazing to me, though, how often I still treat my Heavenly Father as though I need to 'beg Him for blessings'. He is THE Perfect Father. He loves me (as He does each one of His children), and that means it is natural in His heart to want to bless me. (Not to spoil me...not to be my 'sugar daddy', and not to satiate my lusts and demands...but to bless me with good things.)

I find myself asking God--my perfect, loving Heavenly Father--for 'scraps from His table' when He wants to bless me with the seat right next to Him at the banquet!

“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.
“You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not!
So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.



I guess the question I have to ask myself is, "Do I really BELIEVE that God loves me as His child, and that He wants to bless me?"

If I don't...why not?
Could it be that I've bought into a lie about God?
Could it be that I've been deceived?

I think so!

...and, as a dad, I think of how it must hurt My Father to know that I don't believe in His love--not really.

"So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children." (Romans 8:15-16)

Lord...Father in Heaven...Dad...teach us to really understand, and to KNOW that you are Good, you are Loving, and that you really do WANT to bless us.

Help us to stop the begging, and to have the confidence to come to you, our loving Father, as your true children.

You are my Father...you love me and I love you. Help me to rest in that love! I want to soak it up, enjoy it and learn to be confident in it!

I want to so 'delight' in Him that we become really 'close' again...like a daddy to his child.

May God help me to believe!