My Office

On November 14th, a female employee walked in my office, sat down and proceeded to tell me how and why her family was about to be evicted from their home.  It's a sad story and one where satan's attacks are all to evident.  The attempt to destroy and tear down is hard to hear, harder to watch. 

I'm thankful for the opportunity to sit in an office for an employer where people can walk in, sit down, pour out their hearts and I can often get them help that they need in some form.  Ministry happens in all sorts of places and I thank God for using me in unusual circumstances to be a part of his kingdom.

Grace and peace to you.

Silence is Golden

When I speak, God can hear me.

When I am silent, I can hear God.

Grace and peace to you.

Surrender

Today I am thankful for surrender. 

Sunday, I spoke for our communion focus at church and shared the idea of surrender as seen through my eyes. 

It's not a word most people use often or like very much.  The idea of turning power, control and authority over to another isn't something that naturally appeals to most people, certainly not me.  Most of my life has been in battle, my will versus God's desire for me, my control of my life or his control of my life.  I fought valiantly and always thought I could win the battle, retain control, have the power...but I lost.  I finally gave in, I finally waved the white flag, I finally submitted to a force that was greater than me. 

In Matthew's account of Jesus' death, I find these words in chapter 27, verses 50-52:
⁵⁰ And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.
 ⁵¹ At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split ⁵² and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. [emphasis mine]

I remember when I gave up my spirit.  I felt the foundation underneath me shake and I knew something greater than me was in control and I have felt it time and again after going back into battle for my will.  Oh, I surrender much faster now because I know the battle won't be won and the power of God is greater and stronger and more steadfast than anything I would muster...or hope to.

My victory has been found in my surrender.  My triumph is evident when I lay my battle down and submit to the Lord, the creator and the savior.  I became a victor when I surrendered to the power of the sacrifice on the cross and the resurrection from the dead by Jesus Christ. 

Today, I am thankful for surrender.  Thankful that Jesus gave up his spirit, thankful that I made the decision to give up mine too.

Grace and peace to you.

Keeping Christ in Christmas?

The new Target ads for Black Friday are a beating and, for me, illuminate all the negative about what Christmas has become for so many in this country.  The commercial depicts a lady in hysterics about the opening of Target at 4:00 AM or whatever crazy time they throw the doors open.  Now, full disclosure requires me to tell you that I make a living in the retail industry and that Black Friday is a BIG day for my company but it doesn't mean I like what drives it.  I suppose it's not really all the shopping and ridiculous spending that I have been a part of in my life as much as it's the spirit of which I hear things and see things, in others and in myself, that irritate me.

On Facebook and so many other places, I will begin to see people writing "Keep Christ in Christmas".  Now, I'm all for it if they are all keeping Christ in Christmas and this is what it would look like to me.  Money being spent lavishly on the hurting, homeless, drug-addicted, porn fueled broken people that are so easy to find all around us.  Money being spent lavishly on people in third-world countries (another term I'd like to find a better replacement for), being sent to Christian Relief Fund, Charity Water, Mision Para Cristo and other worthy organizations. 

How many toys can I have?  Heaven knows I have asked for and gladly accepted more than I could ever use or need and I have done the same thing with my kids at times.  I thank God I and they are in a place now where a couple of gifts is enough (still more than we need) and I can send money to help others...or better yet, I can keep Christ in Christmas by serving with my time and with my heart. 

Grace and peace to you.

MANA

I was watching World News Tonight Sunday evening and they did a story on the peanut butter meals provided by organizations like MANA and UNICEF.  I like MANA because I believe they are trying to do more than simply feed the physical but it where they start and something that is urgently needed in parts of the world.

I was blessed recently to be asked by a friend to speak at her business periodically to some of her managers.  It's something I love doing and I told her I would do it and didn't want to be paid.  This friend can be insistent so I told her I would do it if she made a donation to a charity I would suggest each time we met and she agreed.  Cool deal all the way around.  So, my first charity was MANA and I hope she and I can work together to help fund many more good efforts in the future.  

I'd encourage you to donate also.  MANA

Grace and peace to you.

JoePa's Condemnation

One guy is alleged to have assaulted multiple kids and another guy is getting all the publicity as the bad guy.  It's just wrong.

First, let me say it doesn't seem Joe Paterno did the right thing from what I have heard.  That's something he'll have to live with the rest of his days.

Second, Jerry Sandusky is the guy in the wrong here and the one that authorities need to focus on to find out what he did and how they can help the victims.  

I was listening to sports radio Friday and a caller came on saying that JoePa should burn in a special place in hell for what he didn't do.  Really?  The condemnation in the caller's voice and words ware harsh and I can't help but wonder how often one person condemns another when the first person isn't even following the greatest command - to love the Lord their God with all their heart, mind and soul.

It's easy to condemn and never look in the mirror.  Is not loving God as bad as someone assaulting a young child?  Sandusky is in the wrong but he's still a child of God.  Paterno is in the wrong but he's still a child of God.  I hope the radio caller remembers Jesus' words about who should cast the first stone.  

Come to think of it, I hope I'll remember it.

Grace and peace to you.

I've Lost That Blogging Feeling

My energy and passion for writing my blog is being sucked lifeless by the rest of my life.  

Right now, I'm sitting in the Las Vegas airport wondering if I'll ever get home.  It's been one of those days. I overslept 30 minutes and got to the airport to find out a) my flight was leaving 40 minutes earlier than what I thought and b) the Las Vegas American Airlines people give up your seat 30 minutes before boarding if you're on a free flight and the flight is oversold.  So, they give me a ticket on the next flight out and I proceed to the security area where the TSA agent asks me what name I go by.  I said "Jeff" and he said "so who's Gregory?"  The gate agent issued me the wrong ticket.  I head back to the gate and find out I can't get on that flight but I can get out on the next flight.  Now that flights been delayed for over 2 hours. So, I was supposed to leave at 9:00 and now I'm leaving at 3:20.  The bad part is that I'm missing time with my son which is a killer.

The good part is that I'm getting some school work done on Identity and Culture.  I take a break to look at Yahoo News and see that Wal-Mart is opening at 10:00pm on Thanksgiving night and I immediately wonder what that says about our culture.  We are a people thankful for cheap deals?  I make my living working for a company who gets paid to sell people stuff and it's our job to figure out how to make it easy for them to spend more money with us but I'm very frustrated by retailers doing some of the holiday stuff they do.  Of course, they wouldn't do it if the consumer didn't eat it up so in the end I know where to put the blame which leads me back to the question of who we are.  

And who's we are.

Grace and peace to you.