In everything give thanks... how often we voice this well-known passage of Scripture, but fail to apply it when the going gets tough... Yesterday I was reminded of the gracious gifts of God and my own need to be more thankful...

I was waiting in the old tire shop to get my truck inspected when an old black man coasted in on his bike... He came for air in his tires. As he rolled to a stop, I suddenly realized he had only one leg... the other being amputated at the hip. I began to wonder how in the world he was going to get out of there as the drive ascends a steep slop right out of the shop with no room to get a run for it.

With the tires aired up, he turned around, and nonchalantly continued his journey through a series of pedal maneuvers: peddle down, then lift with the toe and peddle down again... He continued his cruise.

As I hopped into my comfy vehicle and thought about some of my aches and pains... I had to think of maybe how ungrateful I am for the blessings I enjoy - sometimes with even a thought for thankfulness.

Fellowship: Honesty and Humility

As believers, we are challenged to impact the world around us not only in words and actions, but also in character. The world certainly needs some impacting! When we focus on trying to meet those expectations, we fail miserably and even in success, we fret that maybe we weren't successful enough. There never is enough "doing" to satisfy our self-imposed expectations.

However, when we seek "to be" we will discover that the grace of God will begin to flow through us to the people around us and far more will be accomplished with far less angst. Psalm 37:4 says, "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart."

WOW... I will have all my desires fulfilled! Of course, that means there is a priority here... (1) as we delight in the Lord...He becomes the thrill and total focus of our lives, our thoughts will become more and more conformed to His and as our thoughts are conformed to His, then (2) He will obviously allow us to enjoy the fulfillment of our desires... His desires. There is no need to focus on "doing" because "being" like Christ will have a natural outflow of His character to those around us.

Where does this humility and honesty thing come into play? Let me share a definition found in the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia: " ... the habitual frame of mind of a child of God is that of one who feels not only that he owes all his natural gifts, etc., to God, but that he has been the object of undeserved redeeming love, and who regards himself as being not his own, but God’s in Christ. He cannot exalt himself, for he knows that he has nothing of himself. The humble mind is thus at the root of all other graces and virtues.

What counts?

As I sit here in a comfortable chair waiting for my kids and grandkids to get out of youth group... news of the terrible earthquake in Haiti is swirling around.

I spent a few minutes looking at Facebook and see all the entries about games, sports, food, who did what to whom, movies being reviewed... and I'm thinking what, in the few years we get to spend on this earth is really of value?

When my life on earth is over, will people remember the movies I watched, the teams i cheered for, the food I ate, the books I read, the places I went... or might they remember the character I demonstrated whether good or bad....

I think that only what's done for Christ will last... that's what counts. I want to spend my time and my mind investing in things that will last. How can I know Him better, I can I better reflect the character of Christ in my life?

Want to join me?