Day 7 - Necessities

Day 7:

16Rejoice always, 17pray without ceasing, 18give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

​1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Give thanks in all circumstances. Sometimes this is a hard one for me to do. It is so easy to not always give thanks, but rather, to dwell on the bad things that happen in life. But I have also learned that if I dwell on these things, if ignore the blessings, then my life starts down a negative cycle that I really want not part of.

So this morning, I am focusing on the blessings of life no matter what, and as soon as I got up, I was challenged with it.

I was huling out some stinky garbage before the girls got up, and as soon as I opened the door I was blasted with a breath of cold air. The past few days have been quite chilly, and the coldness this morning was a temptation to not give thanks and see the blessings of the morning.

But as I hauled the garbage out and then quickly moved back to the house, I was reminded of the blessings of heat and warm clothing. Not everyone has what they need, and I have extras.

So today I am celebrating the blessings of the necessities of life – necessities like heat and clothing. I am blessed to have what I do have, and need to look at ways I can share my extras with others.

What are some of the basic things in life that you take for granted?

Day 6: Children

Day 6:

¹¹Light dawns for the righteous,
and joy for the upright in heart.
¹²Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous,
and give thanks to his holy name!

                                                Psalm 97:11-12

I remember riding in the back of the car as a child, peppering my mom and dad with questions as we drove around town or went out on our family vacations. Back then, no questions was too silly to ask and every answer was longed for. Part of the fun was trying to stump my parents and see how they would respond if I happened to ask them that tricky question.

Now the tables have been turned.

Earlier this week, the girls were riding in the back of the truck and started asking me all sorts of questions – the kind of questions I used to ask my parents, the kind of questions that as adults we tend to pass right over and silly. But as I answered all of their questions the best that I could, I was taken back to those innocent and care-free days of life. To have the freedom to ask any question, and not think it was silly. To have the trust that asking a question would not elicit a laugh, but rather a thoughtful answer, and to have the ability to see the world as an overall good place. With just a few questions, my mind flashed back to what it was like to live in that innocent child world once again.

So I am thankful to see the world through my daughters’ eyes. I am thankful to have my eyes opened to their world and the beauty that resides there.  I am thankful that silly questions can be asked and answered, and that the innocence of children can inspire others.

In what ways have children blessed and inspired you over the years?

Day 5 - Worship

Day 5: Worship

¹⁰Then David blessed the LORD in the presence of all the assembly; David said: "Blessed are you, O LORD, the God of our ancestor Israel, forever and ever… ¹³And now, our God, we give thanks to you and praise your glorious name.

                                                                        1 Chronicles 29:10,13

On a typical Sunday, I am the first one up at our house. I get ready and then head into the office around 5:45 am. When I get here I go through my morning rituals - making coffee, prayers, drinking coffee, getting the worship space set up, drinking more coffee, and the list goes on. Then the rest of the family comes in and the girls have breakfast in my office before their sitter shows up, and then we are off and running for the three morning services.

I love the routine of Sunday. I love being able to come in early and spend some time silently in the building before worship starts. I love having the girls in my office as they eat and get ready for a long morning at church. I love the people who come and care for Sierra and Scarlett, who make time on Sunday morning to get up early and play with two little girls. And I love worship.

And so, today I am reflection on the blessings of worship - with its wonderful variety and different styles. I am thankful to have the opportunity to gather with brothers and sisters, friends and strangers, and sing and pray and hear the life-giving word. Yes, worship is a true blessing and I am thankful for that blessing this morning.

How does worship speak to you and what blessings do you received from this gathering?

Day 4 - Creation

Day 4:

¹⁵I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason ¹⁶I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers.

                                                                        Ephesians 1:15-16

I like to walk. Back when I lived in Montana I take walks with my two dogs and wander through the countryside. Walking is a way for me to escape the pressures of the day and get back to the root of life – creation.

I remember a walk I took earlier this fall. It was a beautiful morning so I walked down by a little stream that runs through town. As I walked the dirt path I looked around at the trees, listening to the stream as it ran beside me, and felt the rush of the air against my face. It was one of those moments when all of civilization seems to disappear and all that is left is the beauty of creation, untouched by human hands.

In this moment I was overcome with thankfulness for blessings of this gift of creation. To get back into nature, to be with the birds and the deer and the frogs jumping in the stream – it is overwhelming at times. I took a moment and sat on a dirt-covered rock, taking it all in. Yes, today I celebrate the blessings of creation, for its beauty, its power, and the gift it is to all of us.

Is there a place or part of creation that speaks to you? What does it say and mean to you?

Day 3 - Church

 

Day 3: Church

¹¹You will be enriched in every way for your great generosity, which will produce thanksgiving to God through us; ¹²for the rendering of this ministry not only supplies the needs of the saints but also overflows with many thanksgivings to God.

                                                                                    2 Corinthians 9:11-12

The past year I was re-diagnosed with lung cancer and had to undergo radiation and start a new medication. Once again this congregation showered us with prayers and support that was amazing. Thinking back to all they have done still brings tears to my eyes.

Today I am thankful for the blessings of the church, especially this part of the Body of Christ, this congregation. We have seen the best of the church over and over again. I am truly grateful and thankful for this part of the body, the church, and for all that you mean to me.  Being who they are and doing what they do, this congregation has demonstrated the love and compassion that is at the heart of what it means to be a Christian. I pray all people may experience this in their lives, and I am thankful that I have.

Is there a part of the Body of Christ that has blessed you? If so, in what way?

31 Days of Blessing

This is a series I wanted to start yesterday, but didn't get to it, so I have the first two days today.

Erik 

Day 1:

We give thanks to you, O God;
we give thanks; your name is near.
People tell of your wondrous deeds.

                                                Psalm 75:1

What would happen if we started our year by focusing on the amazing blessings we have been given in our lives. That was a thought I had one afternoon as I reflected back on a conversation with someone who was filled with negativity. If I was to look at every meeting, every encounter, every event of the day, no matter how joyful or difficult it may be, through the eyes of blessing, then what would my life be like?

Our lives are filled with blessings, and something we fail to see them because of the busyness and distraction of life. So I wanted to start this year out on the right foot, and I invite you to join me,, as we enter into 31 days of blessing. Over the next month we will look a the wide range of blessings we have been given and see how those blessings can help us to grow in our lives of faith.

So in starting on this journey, I start with who has blessed me the most - God.

I am thankful for the God who has claimed me, loves me, forgives me, and empowers me to share his grace and love with others. I am thankful for all that God has blessed me with and for all of the relationships in my life. I am thankful that God continually shows me his face as I have gone through the various struggles over the past year. I am thankful for his hand of healing and compassion. I am thankful for the people he put in my life to encourage me and help me along the way. Yes, the only place I can start this journey is with my God and the many and wonderful blessings he gives to all of us.

What blessings has God showered upon you lately?

Day 2:

O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever.

                                                            Psalm 136:1

As I reflect on the reading for today, my eyes are drawn to the word “love.” Love is a powerful emotion, and it has enhanced my life in mind-boggling ways. Thinking about love pulls me to my family – my wife Jennifer and our girls, Sierra and Scarlett. They give me life. They shower me with love and hugs and kisses every day. It is near impossible to have a bad day when a little girl climbs on my lap, kisses me on the cheek, and asks to have a book read to her. Yes, love is powerful and I experience it in this gift of family.

So today I look at the blessings my family. I am thankful for the blessings they have given me, for the support and nurture that I need. I am thankful for the difficult days that I have with them, because in the struggles the bonds of love grow stronger and the celebration are all that more joyful. I am truly blessed with this family.

Who is in your family (if they are related by blood or just close friends that you consider family), and what blessings have they given to you?

Hope

 

Last week I was up to see my ophthalmologist and got the spot on the back of my eye checked. The spot is still there, and about the same size, but it is not growing and the fluid behind it is dissipating. All of this is good news because it means that whatever is back there is not getting any worse and may even be getting a little better.

Then, yesterday I got the results of my latest PET scan, and all is looking good. The scan was clean, which means that there is no sign of cancer in my bones, or anywhere else right now.

Results like this always bring me a large amount of hope - hope in the prayers of so many of you, hope in the doctors and the medicines I am taking, hope in this great God who continues to amaze me with his hands of grace and healing in my life.

I also spent some time talking with my doctor about the future. If there comes a time when this drug stops working, what else is out there. He described cancer as a box. For years the medical field tried to smash the box of cancer to pieces, now they have opened the box up. In opening it up they have found new ways to treat cancer, like my new drug, and they have high hopes for these treatments because they are going after the specific source of each specific cancer.  He said there are a number of drugs in trial stages for my kind of cancer, all of which have a lot of hope tied to them.

A few weeks ago my radiation oncologist said that if the drug I was taking now continued to work for the next five years, then there is a good chance that the next drug I were to take would make my cancer chronic rather than terminal.

Talk about hope.

In going through all of this for the past three years, one thing that I have been reminded of over and over again is the power of hope. 

Hope can open our eyes in the darkest of times.

Hope can be the arm we need to support us as we walk the rocky road.

Hope can be the strength we need to look at the day and say, yes, right now things look pretty awful, but this is not the last word. There is a word of hope, a word of promise, a word that joins with the psalmist and says, "Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning." (Ps. 30:5).

Sometimes that night may linger for quite awhile, but the sun will rise, the morning will come, and it is the hope of that joy that holds onto us in the darkest of times.

Over the past three years I have had my eyes opened to hope in a number of ways - from the clean test results, to the hopeful future for medications, to the loving embrace of family when it was not good news, to the strength of others survivors who helped me to move forward, to the work of hope I heard from God in scripture and embodied in my brothers and sisters, to the ..... Well, the list can go on forever.

Today I live with in the reality of knowing that in three months I will be taking another PET scan and seeing what is going on inside me. I live in the reality of knowing that there will be some tough days ahead, because it is life and life is not easy all the time. 

And I also live in the reality of knowing that I have hope. I have hope in my family, my friends, my doctors and nurses, my brothers and sisters, and the God who claimed me and loves me. And it is this hope that will continue to move me forward and have my eyes opened to that joy that comes in the morning.

Today I pray that your eyes may be opened to the blessing of hope in your life.