Being Thankful

It is common practice as families gather at the Thanksgiving table, to at some point,  name at least one thing for which each person is thankful. Being thankful, however, should never be something we do only at special times of the year. We are told to give thanks in everything (which would then become at all times) because this is the will of God in Christ for us.

As we stand at the threshold of April and thoughts of Easter surface, surely being thankful comes effortlessly. Date aside, this is the time of year we commemorate the death, burial, and glorious resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

But before we get to Easter, as this weekends, what are you thankful for today? Remember, an attitude of gratitude keeps us humble and makes us glad recipients of grace.

So today let's not forget to give thanks to the LORD for he is good and his mercy, steadfast love, endures forever.

Being Fearless

Fear often creates an "elephant in the room ." It may be fear of upsetting someone, of not being popular, of being misunderstood, or of being thought of as judgemental. Whatever the reason, what results is usually a thundering echo of words left unsaid.

The Bible never advocates covering truth and suffering through an uneasy "peace." Rather, we are told to speak the truth in love. Yes, we may ruffle feathers sometimes but the God whose command we follow, is big enough to handle the results of our obedience.

Remember, perfect love casts out fear (and a whole herd of elephants in the process). Let's choose to walk in love and be honest in our speech to those around us. 

Gentleness

Weekly Word from the Wisdom Walk
Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. What in the world? Why is there association between gentleness and Christ's return? I'm sitting on the beach in Jamaica doing this post so I don't have the benefit of a concordance. But from what I understand, arrogance is the killer of gentleness. Other negative emotions opposed to gentleness include anger, pride, selfishness, and impatience. None of these reflect the mind of Christ.
What fosters gentleness? Meekness, peace, a quiet spirit, humility, and all that is commonly referred to as the Fruit of the Spirit. Is it then any wonder gentleness is used as an indicator of our readiness for Christ's  second coming?
Lord, make gentleness a part of who I am.
The pictures are of Saturday morning walk with the Laurens and Company, and a stretch of Seven Mile Beach Negril, before it awakens for the day.

Don't Stop ...

What does it mean to pray and not lose heart?

It means taking a position by faith and staying put. We pray and remain undeterred by circumstances, by moods,  and by everything coming up opposites to the request we are making.

Not losing heart means throwing out time and camping out for the duration until God answers ... in whatever way he chooses to answer.

The hardest thing to remember is that not all prayers are answered or will be answered within our lifetime. Still pray. Some prayers establish territory, some clear the land,  others sow seeds. Then there are prayers that nurture and cause seeds to bud and the one we most anticipate, prayers that yield a harvest.

Only God knows where we are in the process so don't be discouraged. Take your position by faith and stay put. God is faithful.

Planted or Leaning?

It's not good enough to lean on a strong church or strong believers. We each need to be firmly PLANTED in the faith if we hope to thrive as people of God. 

For over a year I have been watching a pine tree that was partially uprooted during the hurricane of 2017.

A mighty oak broke it's fall and so it remained not dead exactly but with none of the vibrancy one saw in the other trees.

This morning I was several yards down the road when it suddenly dawned on me what was different. On the way back I walked over to where the tree once stood. And there was a stump cut level with the grass. The tree not quite dead, but not really alive, was no longer there.

The oak deeply rooted stood totally unaffected by what must have been a huge commotion just below it's branches. It's roots were in the right place.

The storms of life can unseat and uproot the best of us. Don't just lean ... get replanted. God does not need a backhoe and a gang of gardeners to do this. It's simply a matter of you ask, he speaks,  it's done. Psalm 1.