Joy in the Journey

Here is an old Thanksgiving hymn that you might not know, but you should. Enjoy and listen to "Sing to the Lord of Harvest".

Where is all the Thanksgiving Music? Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday!  It has avoided commercialization, at least to this point.  It reminds us to be thankful for what we have instead of wishing for what we do not. We begin to see Christmas decorations going up before Thanksgiving.  The selling season of Christmas pushes and overruns Thanksgiving in so many ways.  We begin to hear Christmas music a month or more before that Celebration, but where is the Thanksgiving Music? I will be sharing some of my favorite Thanksgiving music here as we move toward Thanksgiving.  I hope and pray that it reminds you to not miss the opportunity this special day has in our lives. Here is a newer song that I found:

The follow was originally written in 2007 for an employee newsletter where I worked at the time. “ Work like you don’t need the money, love like you've never been hurt, and dance like no one is watching. ”  [1] Fall is here.  The leaves have changed, the air has finally cooled, and those events of summer have started to fade in our memories.  As we approach the end of November, we look forward to celebrations, family gatherings, new seasons of hunting, great college and pro football games, and the holiday shopping season.  Well, we don’t all look forward to all of those things, but I imagine that there is something in that list for everyone. I really enjoy looking forward to new experiences, new opportunities, and new challenges.  And although I enjoy studying history, I don’t enjoy looking back at the events in my life. At least not most of the time, but there is one time when looking back is not only necessary, it is essential...

Another favorite that always makes me smile.  Enjoy! I have always enjoyed the music ministry of Chris Rice.  He can be funny, thought provoking and worshipful. His lyrics are often so smart and challenging.  He often hits me right where I need to be hit..

It had been a busy weekend for me.  Most of my weekends are busy. As Pastor of two churches who works a full time job with an hour and fifteen minute commute each way during the week.  Friday night and Saturday are the days that I put the finishing touches on the Sunday message, put together a PowerPoint presentation to go with the message, create the order of worship for the next Sunday and try to do some work around the yard and house.  Sunday’s are, hopefully, the positive culmination of all the busyness throughout the week. This past weekend was one of the busiest of my pastoral career.  My schedule for the weekend included a wedding rehearsal on Friday, the wedding on Saturday, and two baptisms on Sunday.  In order to have everything done, I spent Wednesday and Thursday evenings completing the Sunday Sermon and worship preparation for the next week. So Friday and Saturday, I was able to concentrate on the needs of the wedding party.  The wedding was be...

Think about how many people have had such a negative effect on the events of their world that their names have become so synonymous with betrayal or destruction.  Few would consider naming a child with their names.  The names are used to insult others.  How many can you think of?   The name that most would put at or near the top of this list is Judas, the betrayer of Jesus.  The man who followed Jesus for around three years as one of the band of friends identified as the disciples and sold out his leader for a bag of money. There are a number of speculations about how Judas got to the point of betrayal.   Theories about Judas’ motives and hoped for results continue to be hazarded by theologians and lay people.  But no matter what the motives Judas was working under, the results were not positive.  Jesus would suffer humiliation, beatings and crucifixion.  While Judas would commit suicide and forever be known as the chief of histories betrayer...

I finished “Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln” by Doris Kerns Goodwin the other day.  Goodwin does a good job of showing the political wisdom of Abraham Lincoln.  As you probably already know, Abraham Lincoln is one of my heroes and this book points out that he could find ways to work through adversity and build relationships with rivals and political enemies. One of Lincoln’s most amazing attributes was his ability to forgive past affronts and continue to work with those who insulted and at times even betrayed him.  Some of these affronts took place years before Lincoln’s rise to national prominence while others took place while he was president.  In both cases, Lincoln chose to overlook them and continue to work with these individuals to get the job done. In the end, many of those rivals that he chose to be closest to him in his White House years would become the closest and most trusted of friends. Lincoln’s special abili...

Now that I have your attention, you should know that I have a different translation for the meaning of "WTF!"   If you have ever heard a Christian individual, Christian leader, or Church board make an excuse for doing something different, you might have sensed my version of "WTF". “We have never done that before!” “We can’t afford that!” “We don’t have enough people to do that!” “We are not trained to do that!” “We are too old to do that!” “We are too young to do that!” Add your own favorite excuse here… I hear these excuses and think “WTF”…  Where’s the Faith!

A couple of evenings ago, feeling down, I posted on Facebook that I was discouraged; which led to several people responding with surprise and wonderment. Now I understand that as a pastor and church leader, people may see me as one who has great faith and optimism.   My discouragement and the response to my post reminded me of another favorite song from the 1980’s, “Warrior is a Child” by Twila Paris. It is a powerful song that spoke to me then and continues to speak to me today. “They don’t know that I run home when I fall down. They don’t know who picks me up when no one is around.   I drop my sword and cry for just a while, cause deep inside this armor, the warrior is a child.” Listen to it hear on YouTube and be blessed.

In the late 1970's as a teenager, I discovered what was then called Contemporary Christian Music(CCM).  One of the first 8-tracks, ( yes I said 8-tracks) that I purchased was by David Meece and it included this song. The Holy Spirit spoke to me through this and so many other songs over the years by artists like Amy Grant, DeGarmo and Key, Mylon, Petra, and so many others. In those days there was no Christian Radio to speak of.   Music was only available at Christian Bookstores and at concerts.  Discovering new music was an experience and a great joy.  The music was evangelical, often in-your-face, and frightening to the established church where many declared anything with a modern beat and instruments as satanic. I am considering starting a podcast to look back on the music, the musicians, and the message of the CCM scene from the Jesus Music days of the 60's and 70's to today's Praise and Worship phenomenon. Anyone interested in helping, please contact me. ...

While at my day job, a computer programmer, a power hick-up knock down the computer system on which I work.  Everything else was still running.  We had lights, air conditioning, and PC’s.  But without the system that runs the business, there was not much that could be done. We rely on electricity to power all our stuff.  Everything now needs power, either by plugging in, batteries, or both.  And when we do not have access to that power, look out.  We are lost without our gadgets to entertain, or instruct, or direct us.  We will scream at our supplier and expect to find discounts in our bill for the lack of service.  We lose our tempers with our family and neighbors.  And we will spend small fortunes on generators to provide emergency power for our home to power the essentials, freezers, refrigerators; and the non-essentials like TV’s and computers.   We count on having power and are lost without it. As Christians, we do re...

Five years ago, my Mom passed away suddenly, unexpectedly, in her sleep.  Five years later and I still feel the pain of loss.   I miss her deeply. One year ago, my mother-in-law, who had lived with my wife, Tammy, and I for over 30 years, passed away at home after being placed on hospice care three weeks earlier.  She was a friend and inspiration.  We picked on each other and I miss her presence in my life. At the same time, I was informed that I would no longer be the Executive Director of the local Red Cross chapter, but would be placed in another position, that left me out of contact with the people that I had grown to love and cherish my co-workers and the volunteers as friends; working together daily to assist victims and prepare for future disasters.   I miss being part of a team that was making a difference in the organization and in the local community.   I am sure there are other things that I have missed over the years....

Endings and Beginnings It is the last day of the month of February and that got me to thinking about endings.    We face endings every day and in a myriad of ways.   Today is the end of month; the end of a winter month that heralds the coming spring. We may celebrate the end of a sporting event if our team is victorious.   We may be illuminated by the end of a phone call with a loved one.   We may drop into bed at the end of a long day.   Yes we do face endings every day.   But then there are the endings that we do not face on a daily basis and we find it harder to deal with.   The end of a long relationship of any kind or the ending of a job that you have become accustomed to and good at are some of the bigger changes that we may face from time to time.   The biggest ending we must face is the ending that involves the death of a loved one.   In these larger cases of endings, we need more than just ourselves to get through the depre...

As we anxiously await the arrival of our third grandchild, I am filled with thoughts of the people who are watching all of us from heaven’s gate: my mother, Tammy’s mother, and Tammy’s Grandmother.   These three would be so excited to hold, love, and spoil one more grandchild.   I know they are watching over my daughter Holly and her husband Nick with great joy and anticipation.   And I can hear them explaining to others in heaven how proud they are of their children, grandchildren, great and great-great grandchildren.   I can see them tugging on an angels wing with orders to watch over all of us.   I can see them winch every time one of us messes up or causes another pain.   Knowing they are watching makes the difficult times more bearable.   Knowing they are watching makes mistakes and missteps more painful.   As a parent and grandparent, I know the kinds of dreams and hopes they had for us.   I know how often I crushed those dreams ...

Sacred Effort "Neither party expected for the war the magnitude or the duration which it has already attained. Neither anticipated that the cause of the conflict might cease with or even before the conflict itself should cease. Each looked for an easier triumph, and a result less fundamental and astounding. Both read the same Bible and pray to the same God, and each invokes His aid against the other. It may seem strange that any men should dare to ask a just God's assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat of other men's faces, but let us judge not, that we be not judged. The prayers of both could not be answered. That of neither has been answered fully." "The Almighty has His own purposes. 'Woe unto the world because of offenses; for it must needs be that offenses come, but woe to that man by whom the offense cometh.' If we shall suppose that American slavery is one of those offenses which, in the providence of God, must needs come, but whic...

I noted earlier that I was listening to the audiobook, A. Lincoln, A Biography.  As I was listening this week, the author was explaning Lincoln's second inauguarl address.  He told a story about a meeting between Fredick Douglass and Lincoln in which Lincoln asked Douglass what he thought of the speech.  Douglass responded, "Mr. President, it was a sacred effort." From that moment, the phrase, "Sacred Effort" has been bouncing around in my head.  I am sure that those who attend either St. Peter's or St. Luke's will hear about this before long.  Perhaps even by next Sunday.  If you run into me, you too may hear about it.  Although I am not fully sure where this inspiration will lead, I don't think that it is going away anytime soon.  So Stay Tunes.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 says “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.” NIV. Perhaps our biggest problem is our desire to control the seasons; to make some seasons last longer and to race through others.     Of course, we want those seasons of success, happiness and abundance to last while we want to quickly pass through times of difficulty, sadness and scarcity.    Every day is a blessing from God filled with opportunities to grow in faith and discipleship.   Don’t let chance or circumstance blind you to the presence of God in every season.

During my commute I am listening to Ron C White's excellent biography of Abraham Lincoln.  Having always been a Lincoln fan, this is the first full treatment of him that I have attempted.  Thank God for audio books.

Part of my New Year's resolutions had to do with creating a blog to share whatever was on my mind. This is it.  Please feel free to share your thoughts on my thoughts.  I look forward to sharing something on a regular basis.  I know it might be a lot to ask, but at least I am starting out with good intentions.