I'm thankful for Joy because it's not always the norm:

2 Corinthians 1:3-4
³ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, ⁴ who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 

The day before Thanksgiving is always a unique day because it marks the start of the holiday season.  Magical Magical decorations, joyous Christmas music, sparkling lights and the aroma of delicious food fill the air and bring an indescribable happiness to people all around. 

The delight of the holidays is contagious.  Looking around you see a sparkle in the eyes of the people around you and feel an unexplainable connection to humanity.  It's as though we were made to be joyful, and this holiday season is a reminder to stop and feel the joy.

I'm thankful for that.  I'm thankful for the fact that I have a reason to feel joy that supersedes the lights and the decorations and the food.  I am so aware as I look at my life that it is filled with blessings, and the clear hand of God as the giver of those blessings.

But this holiday season, I am also aware that for many...this is not norm.


For some, this holiday season brings with it a different feeling.  Depression, loneliness and isolation.  A painful reminder of things that have been long awaited for but have never arrived, or of precious things that have been lost.  The truth is we never really know what someone else is going through until we take the time to notice.  But sadly, so many of us are so distracted by our own blessings that we miss the opportunity to bless others.   

Enjoy your holiday season, enjoy your friends, loved ones, and the joy of this season.  But please, have an awareness that you are blessed, and reach out a hand to someone who might not be feeling so blessed this holiday season.  A hand of comfort, of friendship, and of love.  A hand that says I see you, I feel your pain, and you don't have to be alone.

Because one of these holidays, that someone could be you.  Thank you Lord for joy this holiday season.  Help me to not only be the recipient of that joy, but the giver of comfort as well.

I'm Thankful that Mercy is not for Pansies...

Luke 1:50
He shows mercy from generation to generation to all who fear him.

Matthew 5:7
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

A few weeks ago I attended my brother's church in Philly: Circle of Hope.  He spoke about the topic of mercy that day, and God has been bringing it to my mind ever since.   

What's the difference between grace and mercy someone might ask?  In my mind, grace is being given what we do not deserve, while mercy is being spared what we did deserve.  So many times in the Christian life we focus on what we have been given, but sacrifice the awareness of what we have been spared.

I've been camping out on these thoughts the past few weeks.  One of my favorite illustrations that my brother referred to was looking at the game of Mercy.  I'm sure we've all played it at one point or another as children.  Wikipedia defines it as this:

Two players face each other, holding their opponent's hands...On the word "go", each player attempts to bend back their opponent's hand and inflict pain by straining their wrist. When a player can no longer stand the pain they declare defeat by shouting "Mercy!"
The very fact that a game such as this was named "Mercy", reflects that we have an incredibly skewed idea of what it really means to be shown mercy.  The truth of the matter is the idea of Mercy is seen as something undesirable.  It's for the fragile and the weak, the those who can't handle the pain anymore.  Asking for mercy is taking a step down into the dark abode of shame and confessing that we don't have what it takes because at the end of the day, Mercy is for pansies.  

And sadly, for so many of us, we have taken that view of mercy into our own spirituality and allowed it to effect our relationship with God.  If mercy is for the weak, then who really wants it? 


It's time that we redefine what it really means to receive mercy.  

I think one of the reasons so many of us have a hard time really appreciating mercy is the fact that we really forget where we have come from.  Just like the parable of the man who was pardoned a huge debt and immediately went and tortured someone who owed him just a little bit.  He forgot where he had come from, and the mercy that had been granted him.  It makes me wonder if he ever REALLY accepted the mercy that was granted to him...because he walked away, and failed to live it out.  True mercy breeds mercy. 

For you see, it may take strength to show mercy....but it takes wisdom to accept it.  It takes a wise man to understand his need to be pardoned and make the choice to walk into that undeserved reward.  And for those who will take that risk, it will inevitably transform every part of who they are.

Mercy is not for pansies....it's for wise men.  It's for those who understand the miserable place that they were, and recognize the love of a God who chose to bring them into something greater.  Those who see the utter despair that God has pardoned them, and seek to live a life that pardons those around them. 

Today, I am thankful for Mercy.  I am reminded every so clearly of where I have come from and where I should have been...but here I am today.  Thank you Lord for your unrelenting mercy, give me the wisdom and the strength to live in such a way. Have mercy on me again, and again, and again. 

*What has God pardoned in your life?  Where might you have been otherwise?  Thank Him for his mercies today. 

Glimpses of Heaven:

Matthew 6:10
May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.

My friend Z (Steve) recently came back from a mission trip to Honduras.  This is one of many trips that he and his wife have taken in a desire to heed the calling on their life to do greater things for the Kingdom.

In his most recent blog post he described so deeply of the hell that exists in the lives of many of the poor and broken, who live in some of the most forgotten places.  He went on to explain the devastation that effects so many of the Honduran people- dire living conditions, extreme poverty, broken relationships.  It is true that many times we look around us and sure enough see glimpses of pure hell.  Sometimes in our lives.  Sometimes in the lives of others.

But then, he went on to describe something even more amazing that he saw in Honduras.  Glimpses of heaven.  Laughter in the midst of sorrow.  Love in the midst of brokenness.

To be sure, this beautiful post was a reminder to me of the glimpses of heaven that I see all around me...and frankly, many times fail to see.  It's so easy to fixate on the hell in our lives, the brokenness in this world, the tragedy and pain that effects our world.  But if we look a little harder...we will surely glimpse heaven, because no matter the circumstance, God is there.

I am challenged to be mindful of the glimpses of "heaven" that exist in my world.  I am challenged to be grateful for these moments of light that may times go unnoticed in the darkness.    The joy of being in a committed loving relationship.  The beauty of my daughter's smile.  The fellowship of dear friends.  Shelter.  Food.  Comfort.  Peace.  Joy.  Glimpses of heaven all around me.  Glimpses of Love.  Glimpses of my God.

May we be challenged to see the glimpses of heaven here on our earth.  And may we heed the call to allow those glimpses of heaven to invade hell.    Thanks, Z, for the challenging reminder. 


Lord, Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. 

Why I'm Thanking God- And Why You Should Too...

Ephesians 5:20
And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

A few days ago a friend of mine shared a quote by Max Lucado that said something to the extent of:

"What if you woke up today with only the things you thanked God for yesterday?"

I had never heard that quote before, and to be honest -  it stirred a really deep place inside my heart.  A place that hasn't been stirred in a very long time.  

It hit a cord of gratitude within me that had been silenced by the noise of a world of entitlement, materialism and false productivity.  A word that glorifies so much the paradigm of a do-it-yourself mentality that at the end of the day, you start believing the lie that the things that you have are because of the work that you have done.  Your hard work, your sweat, your tears, your labor. 

What a scary place to be. 


Slipping into that mentality scares me, because if I got myself here...then I have to keep myself here.  And if I got myself here, then I have to get myself to the next place.  To be completely honest- I don't have the energy to live that kind of life. 

I want to slip back into the place of dependency and trust.  An awareness of my great need for a loving God to have His way in my life, in my family, and in my future.  I want to rest in the truth that He is in control, and this world is what it is for me because of His grace.  

For me, that place comes only with gratitude.  The acknowledgment that all I am and all I have is because of Him.  Everyday.  In everything. 

The next few posts will be focused on this concept, because I want to take the time to really think through and be grateful for the things God has given me- and even more so, for the things He's chosen not to give me.   I want to revive my dead soul from the grips of self-sufficiency and practice a heart of thanksgiving, humility and reverence- because God knows I have wandered far from that place. 

Join me this Thanksgiving Season in reclaiming our rightful place of gratitude and restoring our dependency on a loving God. 

An Eeyore Day:

Psalm 107:1
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.

There's a lot to be thankful for.  It's easy to focus on everything else though, isn't it? After a particularly difficult day, I'm having to remind myself of this truth.  To be completely honest, I was having a bit of an Eeyore day yesterday. 

In my counseling sessions, sometimes I will ask my client to write out two different versions of their life story- one including all the good, and one maximizing on all the negatives.  Then I ask them to consider the two stories and ask themselves which one they choose to live in the most. 

The reality is, we all have two stories that we can live in.  One: thankful, the other: miserable.  We have the choice of which story we decide to star in, to savor, and to express. 

Both stories are equally true.  The reality is, even when we choose to be grateful, we aren't protected from the negative things in life.  But our response and perspective about those things is what leads us to the ending. God knows this to be true, and He challenges us to be thankful at all times.  He knows the influence that this kind of attitude can have in our lives. 


Choose to see something positive in your story today, choose to give thanks- no matter where you have come from, where you are, or where you might be going.  Because at the end of the day, your perspective has the power to change your heart, and in turn, your life. 

What's the Point of Unused Freedom?: On Egypt, Freedom, and God's Grace

Matthew 5:11
God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers.

Many of you have heard about the tragic events and injustice that has recently happened in the country of Egypt, a country very close to my heart.  October 10th brought devastation to Christian Egyptians as they were attacked during a peaceful protest, in defense of a church that was recklessly burned down prior to this protest.

Though injustice like this occurs every day around the world, and Christian persecution is a common part of many cultures- this tragedy rings even closer to my heart because in the back of my mind I always remember that this could have been me. 

I'm thankful that God willed for my parents to immigrate to the States long before I was conceived.  I had the privilege to be born into freedom and religious rights never imagined by my parents and grandparents.

When I hear about this tragedy, I'm reminded of the freedom that I fail to take advantage of...a freedom that get's taken for granted nearly every day.  My purpose is not to write a post about my American blessings...because though I am blessed to live in a country that offers freedom- I owe every bit of that to the grace of God.

My purpose, though, is deeper than merely giving thanks for freedom.  Because at the end of the day, what is freedom if it is not used?  Why would a chained prisoner rejoice just because he has the key to his chains- if he doesn't have the strength to throw off those chains and be free?

Sometimes I feel like that prisoner.  Given all the freedom I could ever need...and no motivation to use it.

My prayers are weak.  My worship is lacking.  My intimacy with God is limited...not by persecution (that would be an honor), but by the chains of laziness, busyness, and arrogance. 

I forget how much I need Him, and I forget how much He wants me.

It's sad that it takes the death of brothers and sisters in Christ to remind me to take hold of the freedom that I have to worship.  May it never be so again.  

Steve Jobs and the Image of God:

Genesis 1:27
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Wednesday, October 5th, Steve Jobs-  founder of Apple, said goodbye to this world and journeyed into the next.  It's always a sobering reminder when someone dies, bringing into awareness the reality that this life is not all there is.

But what was even more devastating to me about the death of this man?  The reaction of our society.

With regard to his death I heard someone say, "It's a shame...now who is going to come up with the next iphone?"

As flippant as that comment was, I think it's a sad reflection of our society and it's priorities.  We have grown so accustomed to seeing people for what they have to offer rather than who they are.  We interact with people around us as though they were a commodity, making sure to tap into the resources they have available.

Brains, beauty, wealth.  Business, advice, help. 

In the interpersonal communications class I teach, there was a section in the text devoted to "networking" and the principle of making sure to see everyone we come into contact with as a potential person with whom we can "network".

Really?  Is this all that our humanity has boiled down to?

The answer is yes.

I don't know about you, but I want to do my best to fight this vicious paradigm.  I want to be a person who fights the temptation to treat the world around me as a commodity, but rather, see each individual as one who bears the image of God- highly loved, highly valued, highly honored- simply because of their Creator.