Doing the Word

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. – James 1:22 (NIV)

How can someone deceive himself or herself by only listening to the word? Do you feel you have ever deceived yourself? What does it mean to “do” what the word says? What is an example of doing what the word says that you can think of right now?

My sister called me up the other day and told me about a little boy around 7 or 8 years old. He earned money throughout the year either because of gifts given or doing the odd job around the house. There was always the promise that as he earned the money he would be able to buy something with it, so the little boy kept earning money.
Toward the beginning of December his mother asked him if he wanted to use his money. Excited the little boy shook his head yes. “Do you know what you want to buy?” asked his mother. The little boy shook his head yes. “What do you want to use your money for?” his mother prodded. The boy looked at his mother and said, “I want to give half of it to Toys for Tots, and half to the Veterans Relief Fund.” Understandably his mother was shocked, “Are you sure?” “Yes, yes mom, I am sure.”
The boy’s mother told people about how her son wanted to spend his money and it inspired a couple of people who heard. These inspired people said that they would match the little boy’s gift. Several days later the boy walked into a Toy’s for Tots donation center and gave them half of his money and half of the matched gifts. Then he went to the place to donate for the Veterans Relief Fund and did the same. All total the little boy gave almost $500. What awesome work done by someone so young!

Jesus said, “From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and from the one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded.” There is no doubt that little boy did what that word says! What word is it time to do that we have heard? As we approach the New Year let us make a resolution to do the word we have heard; we may be amazed at what occurs!

With hope and joy,
Garrett

The Grace and Truth Within

And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. – John 1:14 (NRSV)

What does it mean to you that the Word became flesh? How have you witnessed Jesus live among you? Where have you seen his glory? Where is his grace and truth still on full display? How do you celebrate this event?

I once heard a story of a woman in her early 30s who went to a soup kitchen with some friends to serve the needy. It was Christmas time and they all felt the spirit of the season and knew they needed to do something to help others. The group of them arrived and began to help cook, and set up the coats that were to be given away, and prepare the tables for the people who were about to arrive.
The woman had taken off her coat and set it on a chair as she helped set things up. Eventually the needy people arrived and they were served a hot meal prepared with love, they were able to look through coats and take what they needed, it all went off well. As the afternoon kept going on, one of the woman’s friends came up to her and said, “I just saw someone go off with your coat! She must have thought it was being given away.” “Oh no that is my best coat, and it goes so well with my scarf.” “Well you should go run after her and get it back.”
The woman grabbed her scarf and ran off after the lady who had mistakenly taken her coat. A couple of minutes later she returned. Her friend asked, “Where is your coat? Was she unwilling to give it back?” “No, no, I didn’t ask for it back.” “Why not?” “I was running after her and then realized I can get a new coat. So I decided to give her the scarf too, because it goes so well with the coat.”

Jesus still lives among us. Jesus lives in every kind act, in every loving heart, in every joy filled laugh, and in every moment that is full of grace and truth. That woman was full of grace and truth when she made it back to the soup kitchen. Christmas is approaching. Let us pray that this Christmas is the one where we accept Jesus into our hearts so that he lives in us not just at this time of year, but all year every year. Then people might see his glory through us!

With hope and joy,
Garrett

Minister's Minute from December Issue of the Journal of Hope and Joy

A couple of weeks ago I drove to Tifton. It was a beautiful day. After two years in this place I am still surprised by the beautiful days. The perfect blue sky was lined with clouds as though some grand painter had made lines of clouds and lines of sky in a pattern that seemed to go on in every direction forever. Gentle suggestions of the arrival of fall peppered some of the trees. The yellows, the oranges, the reds, the purples, the browns, all of those colors that are at one end of the spectrum and announce the arrival of cooler weather and shorter days were on display, but just as a beginning. By now the colors must even be more glorious than they were then. The sun in her orbit played with the trees creating shadows that danced on the hood of my car as I moved in the direction of my destination.
I made it to the little hospital in Tifton finding a parking space and rejoicing that I could leave my car and let the breeze blow through my hair and bathe in the sunlight. Walking toward the entrance of the hospital I could not help but sing gently to myself some hymn. I do not remember now if it was a hymn I knew, or some other hymn of my creation that was inspired in the moment. Into the hospital I went and after a brief amount of confusion as to how to get to the room for which I was searching I arrived. For some reason or another every time I go to a new hospital I get lost within its walls; part of me laughed when I finally got to the door of the room I wanted, that I always get lost.
I knocked on the door and then walked into a miracle. There is nothing better in the world than experiencing the miracle of creation in all its grandeur, seeing things that still inspire poets to write, prophets to prophesy, and painters to paint, and then walking into the miracle of life. Inside the room I entered was a newborn baby held in her mother’s arms, a father who had been a father for no more than 10 hours, and two grandmothers smiling with a joy I have only seen in a grandmother’s smile. From the holy event of a beautiful day that each of us is invited to partake of, I was then invited into the holy event of this beautiful moment. I stayed for awhile and then prayed with them and left.
My footsteps felt light, but it was only the joy surging through my spirit that kept me from noticing my steps at all. I pushed the button for the elevator and waited. A janitor came by and we started a conversation. Within a minute we were quoting scripture to each other and sharing our love of God. I missed the elevator once or twice, but it was worth it to hear this man share his testimonies, his joys and his hopes. After five minutes I said, “I am having a great day and you somehow made my day better, thank you.” He responded, “All for the glory of God!” And so it was I suppose, because I glorified God all the more as I walked back into the beauty that was occurring outside that day.
I surely did not believe I could experience another thing that would make my day better… and then I heard a woman singing. I looked around to find the voice, and there a large, older African-American woman was gently singing to herself a hymn of her own creation. To a melody I have never heard, but I now imagine choirs of angels use, she repeated the phrase, “Hallelujah Jesus, Hallelujah Jesus.” I went up to her and said, “Amen!” She smiled at me and she got louder. We walked for a while together, her singing, me praying silently, but I believe she knew I was praying.
As I got into my car I was excited for the drive back so I could shower in the beauty again, but a part of me could not help but believe I had just encountered angels. An angel as a newborn sleeping perfectly in her mother’s arms. An angel as a father looking proudly on. An angel as a mother pouring out love for the little creation that is hers. An angel found in the smiles of grandmothers. An angel as a janitor who just happened to make my day better all for the glory of God. And finally an angel as a woman who I walked with for only a couple of minutes, the only word we exchanged was “Amen,” and yet it was so much more. Maybe angels are everywhere offering us peace, and maybe we are angels for others and thereby need to offer peace. I don’t know, but it is something to think about during the Christmas season.
Riding the Wave of the Holy Spirit,
Garrett

A Time For Fellowship

When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home. – John 19:26-27 (NRSV)

Why do you think Jesus wanted to make sure these two had someone to care for them before he died? What may have been going through his mother’s mind? What about the beloved disciple’s mind? This is one of the last words Jesus spoke, what does it say about how we should live?

The following is a story about Marian Anderson that I have heard a couple of times.
Marian Anderson, an African-American singer who helped break down the walls of race, made her debut at Carnegie Hall, demonstrating to all a voice that is still considered one of the best ever today. At the end of the concert she sang “Ave Maria,” and people called her back for an encore, and then another, and then another, and she finally ended by singing, “Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen.” Her mother was sitting in the audience weeping. The person next to her asked her why she was crying when her daughter was doing so well, and she responded, “I’m crying for joy.”
She then recalled a moment when Marian was a girl saying, “I was working in a kitchen, my hands were burned, my face scalded, it was hard, but I did it so my daughter could get an education. I remember one day Marian came to me and said, ‘Mother, I don’t want you working like this.’ And I looked down at her and said, ‘Honey I don’t mind, I’m doing it for you and I expect great things from you.’”
Years later someone asked Marian Anderson what the happiest moment of her life was. “Was it when you made that debut in Carnegie Hall?” “No it wasn’t then.” “Was it the time you stood before the kings and queens of Europe?” “No it wasn’t then.” “Was it the moment in Finland when it was declared that the roof was too low for a voice such as yours?” “No it wasn’t then.” “Was it when Toscanini said that a voice like yours comes only once in a century?” “No it wasn’t then.” “What was it then Miss Anderson?” “The happiest moment in my life was the moment that I could say, ‘Mother, you can stop working now.’”

Jesus knew that no one could get anywhere by himself or herself. Each one of us has made it as far as we have because of hundreds, maybe even thousands of other people who have helped us along the way. People were not meant to be alone and cannot go through life alone. Knowing that people need fellowship, Jesus made sure that his mother and his beloved disciple received fellowship in each other. We now must become fellows to each other, and discover friends in others; it is the only way we can make it all!

With hope and joy,
Garrett

Turning Lives Loose

“In the same way, the Son of Man did not come to be served. He came to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many people.” – Mark 10:45 (NCV)

How do you believe Jesus has served you? Have you seen him still serving today? What does it mean to you that Jesus gave his life to you? What is the proper response to this gift?

The following story is by Fred Craddock as found in “Craddock Stories” ed. Mike Graves and Richard F. Ward, Chalice Press, 2001, pg. 46.
You don’t just turn loose of life. Life is a very tenacious thing and will not give itself up easily. First time I ever realized that was while chopping cotton on a farm. I don’t know if you know what chopping cotton is, but you’re chopping everything but the cotton. You’re chopping the weeds and all. But there was a snake, which I killed, but then I had to keep chopping the snake, calling my father and saying, “I’ve killed the snake, but it won’t stop wiggling.”
He said, “Well, son, a snake won’t die until sundown.” I didn’t know that. He said, “You hang it on a fence,” so I picked it up with a hoe and put it over a fence. Every once in a while I’d look over at the fence, and there was just the tail of that snake moving just like that, until sundown. I learned for the first time that it’s hard to give up life, just turn it loose.
And Jesus said, “I’m going to turn it loose.” But it was not a decision that was determined by his friends – they tried to oppose it – and it was not a decision determined by his enemies. He looked at them with a level gaze and said, “You’re not taking my life; I’m giving my life.” He was free.

Jesus freely gave up life in order that we may have life! There is a lot of celebration going on this time of year. Most of it is momentary celebration however, it will be forgotten as soon as we pack up the decorations and begin the drudgery of life again. That is why this free gift is important, because it is the reason we can celebrate forever and ever! There is something else though. Rejoicing in Jesus giving up his life is not the full extent of our celebration. Our joy becomes complete when we give up our lives in response, turning them loose to Jesus. Now that will be a celebration!

With hope and joy,
Garrett

Pure Hearts and a Good Night Sleep

Create in me a pure heart, God, and make my spirit right again. – Psalm 51:10 (NCV)

What is a pure heart like? Do you have a pure heart? How can you receive a pure heart? Why does the psalm writer need to ask God to make his “spirit right again”? Do you ever need to ask this? Do you ask for such a thing when you need it?

I have heard a story a couple of times that goes something like this:
A farmer in the Midwest once put out an ad for a farmhand. He had a couple of people who were interested, but they did not seem well suited for what he needed. After a couple of months another man answered his ad. This man had abundant experience and excellent references. However he ended the interview in an odd way telling the farmer he could count on him, because he could sleep during storms. The farmer was confused by the statement but was so impressed by the man’s credentials that he hired him.
After a while, late one night, a fierce storm came bearing down upon the farm. It was shortly past midnight when the farmer arose in a panic. He got dressed and went outside to try to secure everything before the storm caused severe damage. First he checked the barn. The doors were closed, the shutters were locked, and the animals were all tethered and safe. He checked the hay, but it was secure and covered with tarps. He checked the springhouse, the storage shed, the tractors and the trucks. Everything was secured. He kept running around to make sure that he didn’t miss a thing, but alas it seemed as though everything was taken care of. Finally he went into the bunkhouse and saw the farmhand sleeping soundly. It was then he remembered what the man had said during the interview, “I can sleep during storms.” The farmer thought to himself, “Yes, he is at peace and has done everything well. He can sleep during storms.”

A pure heart and a right spirit prepare us for whatever arrives, and can help those around us when the storms of life inevitably come up. There is a peace that surpasses all understanding available to all within the gift of grace that is Jesus Christ. Today pray for a pure heart and a right spirit and perhaps we will also be people who can sleep during storms confident in ourselves and in our God.

With hope and joy,
Garrett

A Devilish Tongue

We use our tongues to praise our Lord and Father, but then we curse people, whom God made like himself. Praises and curses come from the same mouth! My brothers and sisters, this should not happen. – James 3:9-10 (NCV)

How do you praise God with your tongue? How have you cursed other people with that same tongue? Why does James say this “should not happen”? How have you felt when you have been cursed? Why have you cursed others?

The following is from — Sam O’Neal, “Tasmanian Devils Spread Cancer with Their Mouths,” PreachingToday.com
In January 2006, Australian scientists discovered the cause of a mysterious disease that had killed thousands of Tasmanian devils on the island state of Tasmania, off the coast of Australia. The scientists initially believed the deaths were caused by a virus; however, their research ultimately uncovered a rare, fatal cancer. They named it Devil Facial Tumor Disease, or DFTD.
What is strange, according to cytogeneticist Anne-Marie Pearse, is that the abnormalities in the chromosomes of the cancer cells were the same in every tumor. That means the disease began in the mouth of a single sick devil. The ferocious little animal facilitated the spread of DFTD by biting its neighbors when squabbling for food, which, according to Pearse, is a natural behavior of Tasmanian devils. “Devils jaw--wrestle and bite each other a lot, usually in the face and around the mouth, and bits of tumor break off one devil and stick in the wounds of another,” Pearse said.
Over the course of several years, infected devils continued to inflict deadly wounds with their mouths. Consequently, DFTD spread at an alarming rate, ultimately wiping out over 40 percent of the devil population.
A similar fate threatens the church if its members persist in the devilish behavior of wounding their neighbors with their mouths.

Isaac could not take back the blessing he had been tricked into giving Jacob, a blessing that was reserved for Esau, because words cannot be taken back. Once they are uttered they are out, and they can cause deep and horrible anguish. Too often we have used words to cause pain. Those who proclaim Christ as Lord never should use words in such horrible ways! Instead we must use our tongues to proclaim the glory of God and to bless our neighbors with love. The cancer of hate will stop spreading the moment we decide to stop spreading it, today let us stop!

With hope and joy,
Garrett

Keeping the Sabbath Holy

"Remember to keep the Sabbath holy. Work and get everything done during six days each week, but the seventh day is a day of rest to honor the Lord your God. On that day no one may do any work: not you, your son or daughter, your male or female slaves, your animals, or the foreigners living in your cities. The reason is that in six days the Lord made everything—the sky, the earth, the sea, and everything in them. On the seventh day he rested. So the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” – Exodus 20:8-11 (NCV)

What does it mean to keep the Sabbath holy? Do you keep the Sabbath holy? Is there a day you stop working? Why do you think God wanted us to rest one day a week? How does resting honor God?

We exist in stressful times. Many people judge their success based off how busy they are, how many meetings they attend, how many boards they are on, and so on. In all of our busyness we do not have time to rest, and the idea of resting seems to be wrong to us. When we rest we wonder what we should be doing and we think about what we have to be doing, “If I don’t get this stuff done it will never get done.” And because there never seems to be an end to it we stop resting in order to work.
I once spoke with a young man after his father died, and died too young to die in our day and time. I asked him how he was holding up, and he told me he was fine. “My dad worked all the time. Always told us kids that it was to give us the life he never had. I guess we had that life, but I am not sure I ever had a father.”

If God could take a day off to rest and knew that the universe was not going to fall apart without him for a day, I think we can be assured that we are not so important that things will fall apart if we take a day off. In fact if we don’t take a day off things do fall apart. Our lives, our relationships, our inner peace, our joy, everything that makes us real (because what we do is not who we are) falls apart when we don’t keep the Sabbath holy. Keeping it holy means that we get some rest, that we honor God by enjoying the creation of which we are a part, that we drink from the wellspring of life that is communion with our Savior, that we spend time with friends and family, that we stop worrying about work and doing things just long enough to remember that Jesus said, “Come unto me all you who are weary and heavy-laden and I will give you rest.” Since we are made in the image of a Creator who rests, I suppose it is in our DNA to rest. Resting is part of who we are, resting honors the One who made us because it acknowledges who we are, and it bring us closer to our Maker. Starting now let us grow closer to God and his creation by keeping the Sabbath holy. It will make life more worth living!

With hope and joy,
Garrett

Minister's Minute from November Issue of the Journal of Hope and Joy

Last night I watched a miracle. Some say that miracles do not occur any more, that they were special things that occurred at a different time or, as the cynic says, maybe at no time at all. I do not believe that however, instead I believe we need eyes for miracles. It is easy to be blind to the miraculous all around us when we do not believe the miraculous is possible. It is impossible to be blind to the miraculous when looking through the lenses of faith, and sometimes God graces us with enough faith that we cannot help but see miracles.
I see miracles often, and I praise my God that I may be blessed to be a witness to such miracles. There are those who consider me foolish for believing what I have witnessed to be a miracle, in which case I praise my God that I am foolish enough to believe in miracles, for it has made life so much more worth living! I have seen the miracle of people who believed that they were worthless discover within themselves the image of God in which they were made and thereby the inherent and infinite worth they posses. I have seen people change their lives, often times quite suddenly and unexpectedly, as they felt the call of God upon their lives to not only change themselves but act as examples of love. I have seen a church left for dead resurrected through the power of the name of Jesus. I have seen hope given to the homeless and hungry. I have seen children blessed through the work of people who never knew their work could be a blessing. I have seen the miracle of birth and romantic love. I have seen the miracle of couples married for longer than I may ever live still in love. I have seen the miracle of hardened hearts melt into compassion. I have seen the miracle of “tree line” at 10,000 feet of elevation where it looks like God put the divine hand upon the mountain and commanded that no more trees grow. I have seen so many miracles that I feel a sincere pity for those who tell me they have never seen a miracle.
The miracle I saw last night was wonderful. At the Fall Festival this church did with the Salvation Army I walked through our education building and discovered that every room within its walls was in use. It is the first time since I have been here where every room has been in use at the same time… it is the first time I have ever seen some rooms in the building used at all! Children of different races and economic levels were playing games together and having fun together. I saw a miracle when we gathered in the Bible Study room and sung songs to our God together, a diverse group of children who generations ago would never have been in the same room together, worshipping their God who must have been smiling while observing the awesome spectacle, the incredible miracle!
Many of you who consider this church your home came together with the love of Christ pouring from you to ensure that this miracle occurred. I was even told that two youth have asked to know more about Jesus because of it! Can you believe that, because of something you did with Christ’s love children created by God are coming to know the God who loves them?!! What a miracle!
As we enter the holiday season and begin to consider things for which we are thankful, consider the wealth of miracles that we are blessed to have witnessed as more than enough reason to give thanks. What miracle will next occur that will cause us to overflow with thanksgiving? How will we see the love of Jesus pour out tomorrow? Where will the lenses of faith give us sight to see a miracle where others see nothing? Where will this wave of the Holy Spirit carry us next, and who will be blessed by the miracles taking place within us and outside of us wherever we are carried? I do not know, but it is with thanksgiving I wait to find out.
Riding the Wave of the Holy Spirit,
Garrett

The Way to Become Great

“But it should not be that way among you. Whoever wants to become great among you must serve the rest of you like a servant. Whoever wants to become the first among you must serve all of you like a slave. In the same way, the Son of Man did not come to be served. He came to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many people.” – Mark 10:43-45 (NCV)

What does it mean to serve others? How has Jesus served you? How did Jesus serve people when he walked on earth? Do you know people who are great because they serve? What are they like? Do you serve others?

The following story is from Todd Urick, a member of First Presbyterian. Currently he and his family are serving as missionaries on the island of Eleuthera:
When moving to Eleuthera I carried with me the attitude of going to help the people of this 3rd world country. “I have so much, they have so little.” It is my job to help these impoverished people. At the beginning of every week the staff of Bahamas Habitat are given a list of things to get done by weeks end. It was a Wednesday evening when I was reviewing my list of things that still needed to be completed within the next two days when one of our new long term volunteers handed me a paper to read on the differences of fixing, helping and serving. This paper focused on not how can I help, but how can I serve. That next morning around 8am, I was getting started on my list of to-do’s that needed finished by the next day when one our staff members quickly found me and asked if I could go to the north part of the island, about 1hr 30 min. away and pick up a group of high school students and bring them back south past our settlement, which would be another 2 hours to attend a music workshop. Here’s the catch, they needed to be picked up by 10am. The first thing that crossed my mind was, I have so much to get done here at camp, neither these kids nor this workshop has anything to do with Bahamas Habitat and after calculating driving time for the morning and driving time to get these kids back home, over 6 hours of my day would be spent behind the wheel our giant green school bus hauling kids back and forth. After about a minute of deliberating and wondering why I had to be the one to do this, I was suddenly reminded by this little voice, “you are here to serve.” The receipts can be entered into quickbooks later, the bush waiting to be cleared will be here when I get back, the new screen doors aren’t going anywhere and can be hung tomorrow, but this opportunity to serve 32 high school students by getting them to this music workshop in which they could get instruction on playing guitar, drums, dance, etc... may never come again. So for the next 2 days I spent around 3 hours in the morning and 3 hours in the evening serving these students. I began relationships with some of these students that I guarantee will last a lifetime.
From this point on, anything that comes up that’s not on my daily to do list, whether it be building a desk for Emma’s teacher or repairing Ms. Whyte’s toilet, I willingly do with no hesitation knowing I am here on this earth to serve. Serving is different from helping. Helping is based on inequality; it is not a relationship between equals.
When you help, you use your own strength to help those of lesser strength. But to serve, we draw from all of our experiences. Our limitations serve, our wounds serve, even our darkness can serve. The wholeness in us serves the wholeness in others and the wholeness in life. The wholeness in you is the same as the wholeness in me. Service is a relationship between equals. No longer am I on Eleuthera to help these people, but to serve my brothers and sisters in Christ. We are all equal in our Father’s eyes. – Todd

For those who are disciples of Jesus Christ it can be no other way! We are children of God not to be served but to serve others. Pray today that you become great and you will soon discover where you can be of service.

With hope and joy,
Garrett

Running Toward the "God-light"

"This is the crisis we're in: God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness. They went for the darkness because they were not really interested in pleasing God. Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil, addicted to denial and illusion, hates God-light and won't come near it, fearing a painful exposure. But anyone working and living in truth and reality welcomes God-light so the work can be seen for the God-work it is." – John 3:19-21 (The Message)

Have you ever felt that you ran for the darkness? What is it like to run for the darkness? Are there evil things you do in secrecy? Would you do some things if others knew that you did them? What is it like to please God? What does it mean to live in truth? What “God-work” is being done through your life?

Yesterday my son kept climbing up onto the fireplace in our house. At 11 months old it is not a safe place for him with all the sharp bricks, so we tell him to get down. My wife kept saying, “Langston, get down!” However he just turned and smiled. “Langston, feet on the ground,” she would say to his smiling face as he kept right on.
Knowing that sometimes a stern voice works better, I stopped what I was doing and looked at him and with a stern, loud voice said, “Langston get down NOW!” His face turned upside down in sadness and he got down. As I started back with what I was doing, he moved back toward the fireplace, looking at me to make sure I wasn’t watching. He thought if I wasn’t watching he could climb up. I looked back at him and he stopped, waiting for me to look away. With no eyes to watch him he believed he could do wrong.

When we do things we know are wrong, we often forget that God is always watching. Many people try to hide from God (see Adam and Eve after they ate the forbidden fruit) after doing wrong. When we do things in secret believing no one sees we are in fact running from the God-light, from Jesus, since we fear the painful exposure of our sins. Today let us run toward God and work and live in truth so that others can see God in us, and the light pour from us! No more secrets to hide, nothing more to be ashamed of, only the pleasing life of one who wants to follow Christ.

With hope and joy,
Garrett

A Unescapable Love

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 8:38-39 (NRSV)

Why do you think Paul was convinced like he was? What is life like when you are convinced this is true? Have you been unconvinced before? Why? What was happening? Where was God’s love?

A question that has been asked of me several times goes something like this, “Can God still love me after everything I’ve done?” It seems like a simple “yes” cannot solve the actual quandary going on within the individual asking the question however. Perhaps the question arrives from the inability to love one’s self when we collapse under the weight of our own sin. Those moments of self-realization that enable us to discover we are not the people we should be sometimes become moments when we cease to love ourselves and thereby wonder if God can actually love us if we cannot love ourselves.
I once had a conversation with a mother about an unruly child. Her child had been in and out of jail, did not treat her particularly well, and had broken her heart several times. I asked her why she kept him in her life and she responded, “Because I love him, he is my son, there is nothing he can do to make me stop loving him.” I think I only understood this after I first held my son.
If this is a mother’s love for her son how much greater is God’s love for us? There is no answer to such a question, but it does seem that when we ask the question, “Can God still love me after everything I’ve done?” the only way we can respond is with a simple “yes.” There is no explanation about why God would still love; it is just how God is.

When Paul thought of the cross of his Christ he could not help but write those words of conviction about how nothing can separate us from the love of God. There displayed upon an instrument of torture was God’s love willing to suffer for the beloved, for you, for us, no matter how unlovable we think we are. For no matter who we are, in God’s eyes we are still the most precious bundle of joy ever created, and nothing can separate us from that!

With hope and joy,
Garrett

Minister's Minute from the October Issue of the Journal of Hope and Joy

“Wherever you go Jesus is already there, and wherever Jesus is you are already home,” a friend and mentor told me before Melinda and I left to come to Georgia. And maybe she was right, maybe wherever Jesus is I am already home, and maybe Jesus is everywhere, it is something he claimed to his disciples after all. You know the place he makes the claim, there at the end of Matthew after Easter telling the disciples before he leaves for good that he will be with them until the end of time… or the end of the ages, or something similar depending on the translation you prefer.
I was not sure I believed her though, my friend and mentor that is, when she told me that. It is not that I did not believe her with my mind, that part of me that tells me things are a certain way and I should believe them. I believed it that way, which is to say I said that I believed it, and maybe even convinced myself that I believed it, but did not necessarily live like I believed such an incredible statement, “Wherever you go Jesus is already there, and wherever Jesus is you are already home.” There is a difference between claiming to “believe” something, and living like that belief is foundational, true, absolute, and thereby and finally freeing. And the thing is while she told me this and I said I believed it I did not live like I believed it, which is to say her words did not comfort me the way they could have, because I did not discover the freedom in them. It is easy to say “I believe,” it is completely different to believe.
However nearly two years later in this little thing I like to call an experiment of faith, I have grown to believe her words and in believing them I have been freed by them. Like any belief though it was something I had to grow into, something I had to discover for myself, something that blossomed within me, and we all know that flowers take time to blossom. I discovered her words to be true when just recently Melinda and Langston were both sick and not in church on one Sunday and two people came over with food later in the day (vegetarian for Melinda of course). In the hearts of those people Jesus burned bright and I knew with them and because of them I was at a place called home. I discovered her words to be true when our first Christmas here after we had only been in town for 3 weeks and still had no furniture in our house, we had invitations to Christmas Eve with one family, and Christmas day with another. At both places we were able to be ourselves, which is to say like no “normal” minister and chaplain, and felt loved with a love that came from Christ burning in the hearts of those around us. With them and because of them I was at a place called home. I discover her words to be true when people come into my study and share with me how their lives are changing because they feel God in their lives. I discover her words to be true when people invite me into their lives, not because I am anyone very special, but because in me they have discovered Jesus or so I am told. If that is true then thanks be to God! To hear such things allows me to know that with me others have found a place called home, much as I have found a place called home with them. That is a blessing I can live into, that is a freedom I now enjoy.
As I write this I am in California. Yesterday Melinda and I took Langston to a chapel service at the seminary we attended. We saw old friends who were surprised to see us but as always delighted to see us as well. The chaplain of the seminary came up to me and hugged me. I told him I was sorry for showing up unannounced, and he told me, “Never be sorry for coming home.” He was right, Jesus was there, and wherever Jesus is I am already home. Jesus is within me and so many others I meet, so yes it is true I am home wherever I am. What blessed assurance is such a truth. Later in the day I had coffee with my friend who told me these words, and I thanked her that finally they bless me as they do. With her I was at a place called home. I hope and pray that I may continue to become a person who others might find a place called home when they are around… I hope you who read this may become such a person for someone who is looking for a home, who is looking for Jesus, who is looking for you.
Riding the wave of the Holy Spirit,
Garrett

Asking For What We Need

“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you…” – Matthew 7:7 (KJV)

Have you asked for anything recently? If so, what was it? Did you get it? What are you seeking for in this life? What doors are you knocking on and why? Are these doors opening?

The following comes from Tim Sanders at www.sanderssays.typepad.com (August 25, 2006)
Take your life and all the things that you think are important, and put them in one of three categories, represented by three items: glass, metal, and rubber.
Things of rubber, when you drop them, will bounce back. No harm is done when these things get dropped. So for instance, if I miss a Seahawks’ game, my life will bounce along just fine. Missing a game or a season of football will not alter my marriage or my spiritual life. I can take ‘em or leave ‘em.
Things of metal, when dropped, create a lot of noise. But you can recover from the drop. If you miss a meeting at work, you can the get the CliffNotes. If you don’t balance the checkbook and lose track of how much you have in your account, and the bank notifies you of an overdraft—that will create some noise in your life, but you can recover from it.
Things of glass, when dropped, shatter into pieces and will never be the same again. They can be glued back together, but they are altered forever. They may be missing some pieces, and the probably can’t hold water again without leaking. The consequences of this brokenness will forever affect how the glass is used.
You’re the only person who knows what those things are that you can’t afford to drop. More than likely, they have a lot to do with your relationships with spouse, children, family, and friends.

Too often when we ask things of God we are asking for the rubber things or the metal things to work out. We wonder why our prayers are not answered, why the doors we want opened do not open, and maybe it is because we are not asking the right questions. God wants us to be concerned with the glass things, the precious things, the wonderful things, and those things and people that we often take for granted without ever realizing it, generally until it is too late, after we dropped them forever altering our lives. The most important things in life are relationships with others, and with God. If we asked that our relationships get better, we would soon discover we spent more time worrying about the glass things, and then less about the rubber, and soon less about the metal too, and yes… life would be better, the door of what we truly want would be opened, love!

With hope and joy,
Garrett

More Than Enough

Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and he divided the two fish among them all. And all ate and were filled; and they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. Those who had eaten the loaves numbered five thousand men. – Mark 6:41-44 (NRSV)

How many loaves and fish were there again? How many people were fed? Do you know how that happened? What does this make you think about Jesus? What is possible with God?

Recently First Presbyterian Church helped a man who had been homeless get a home to call his own. People came together and donated items with which to fill the new home. Over 25 people worked in various capacities painting, fixing, moving, and loving, pouring the love of Christ into a situation that seemed hopeless only months before. It was incredible!
Today I received a call from a man who had donated some items who is a member of a different church. He told me that the recent economy had been hard on him, and for a while he had been wondering what he could do. Finding little work available was making him discouraged, then he saw pictures of the joy pour out of the simple place for which he donated items to help make a home. In seeing those pictures he felt called by God to use his talents to help the poor and needy have homes that are more beautiful. “I have talents God has given me, and here I am wondering how to use them. Then when I saw that picture it hit me. I can give the love of Christ by using my talents to help people who could never afford what I do.”

The thing about Jesus feeding all those people is that it demonstrates that a little can become a lot in the hands of Jesus. Some people decided to help a homeless person when they only had a little with which to help, but they put it in Jesus’ hands. Now by the grace of God he has a home and the fact that he has a home has caused someone else to decide to pour out the love of Christ upon others. Often times we do not have much to give to those in need, especially when we seem to be in need ourselves. However, we must give, because when we put what we have in the hands of Jesus there is no telling how many people will be fed!

With hope and joy,
Garrett

Our Need for Community

Then the LORD God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone…” – Genesis 2:18 (NRSV)

What does it mean to you that God wanted Adam to have company? Why do you think God wanted that? What is life like for someone who is alone? Why is good not to be alone?

As I drove toward the church earlier today I saw a massive flock of birds flying together. There must have been several hundred flying in a formation that resembled a school of fish in the sky. They flew as birds often fly, together changing direction instantaneously toward some goal of which they alone are aware.
While watching this dance take place I noticed a solitary bird flying aimlessly across the horizon. Not quite sure where to go, not quite sure what to do, she was alone and I was sad for the bird. But soon the solitary bird encountered the flock, and somehow immediately entered into the magical dance with the others. Her flight no longer bore the uncertainty of her loneliness, but exemplified the triumph that can only be awarded to one who knows that community is needed to make one whole.

Perhaps that is why God said it is not good that man should be alone. We need to be with others to be whole. When we are happy we have to share our joy. Where do you share your joy? When we are in despair and need we have to have others who can love us and help us. Where do you find such wonderful people? God says of each of us, “It is not good that you should be alone,” and God is right because we were created to be in community. If you do not have a community where you can feel whole go find one. There are many churches that might just be that place where you are embraced with love. If you already have such a community go find those who are flying alone. There are many people that might just need your embrace of love so they know they are not alone.

With hope and joy,
Garrett

A Creation to Enjoy

God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good… And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done. – Genesis 1:31, 2:2 (NRSV)

What does it mean to you that everything God has made is “very good”? What do you think of all the work that God has done? Why do you think God rested from the work? Do you rest from your work, and if so why?

Last week my family and I went down to the Florida coast to celebrate my birthday with my very good friend and his family. Before we left I was a bit stressed out. There was so much to do, and I didn’t feel like I had enough time to do it. I was also concerned about driving 6 hours south to spend two nights and then drive 6 hours back. Would the trip be worth it? When would I have time to prepare a sermon? How would Langston (my 9 month old) handle being in a car for so long? What about that meeting I am going to miss… so many questions.
When we got down there I felt better, and then I felt great. I stopped thinking about everything I “had” to do, and started to relax. The second night we ate out at an open-air restaurant right on the beach. My wife and my friend were having a great conversation, and I found myself staring at the clouds over the ocean as the sun set behind us. The clouds were beautiful colors of oranges mixed with purples mixed with colors no human has yet named, and amazing shapes billowing for what seemed to be miles and miles into the sky. One group of clouds had lightning flashing in its midst far at sea, while below others I could tell that rain was falling into the ocean. It captured my attention with its majesty.
As I looked at the wonder all around me I noticed someone else who seemed to also be captured by it. I walked over to him and asked him what he saw when he looked at it all. He told me his wife is an artist and explained to me the lines that he saw in it, and how he wished she was there to paint it. Then he stopped talking for a moment and turned to me, “It’s beautiful, and I am just glad I am here to see it.” He was right, it was beautiful, and thanks be to God I took the rest I needed to enjoy it.

I am sure that God rested after it all just to take it in, to enjoy the very good universe that he created. Jesus was right when he said that the Sabbath was made for us humans. We experience things as worthless as stress and thereby fail to recognize that a very good creation surrounds us. It is time to take a break, to rest, to observe the Sabbath and just take in the creation that God could not help but sit back and enjoy. I know we will see beauty and miracle, and realize that we are blessed just to be here and witness it. God wants us to enjoy life, and there is so much to enjoy right here! Do you see it?

With hope and joy,
Garrett

Approaching God with Boldness

Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. – Hebrews 4:16 (NRSV)

What does it mean to “approach the throne of grace?” How is it done? What does it mean to approach with boldness? Have you found mercy and grace at this throne? What do you normally do at your time of need?

I was recently told this true story.
There were two families in the same church praying for different things. The first family prayed that they would find some way to help someone else. They believed themselves to be blessed and wanted to live into the idea that they must then be a blessing to others. One night before bed they prayed together with the mother leading them in prayer, “God please open our hearts to ways we can help others, and open our eyes so we know who needs your help.”
The next Sunday morning while going into church they saw another family going in too. The other family was a mother and father and two young children, the parents looked a bit stressed. A wave of purpose washed over the mother and father of the first family, and they agreed together to go give a $1000 check to the family they saw with the two children. With a simple greeting and a pass of an envelope containing the check and a letter that said, “We think you may need this,” the deed was done.
At one point in the service people were invited to give testimonies and the stressed looking mother approached the front of the church. She began speaking, “Last night my husband and I had no idea how we were going to buy food for our kids. We don’t even have enough to pay the bills right now. We looked at our budget and realized that if we could get $960 we would be able to make it until the next pay check in a couple of weeks and be alright. So we did the only thing we could think of, we prayed together. We got on our knees and asked God that somehow we received enough money to make it so our kids wouldn’t go hungry. When we got to church this morning, someone gave us a check for a $1000 and a letter that said they thought we might need it… thank you Lord,” she said through tears.

Two families approached the throne of grace with boldness, asking that their needs be met, and in each other they found mercy and grace. Too often we go to God with fear or laziness, believing that nothing will be accomplished in our prayers, and then nothing is. Other times we never even go to God, giving up before we ever begin. With boldness let us approach the God of promise! Jesus offers life and life abundant to all who seek him. If we do nothing, nothing will happen. If we boldly seek Jesus we might just experience the grace of God!

With hope and joy,
Garrett

September's Minister's Minutes in The Journal of Hope and Joy

It has been awhile since I used one of these Minister’s Minutes to talk specifically about our church, but I am so excited about it right now I cannot help myself! Do you have any idea how much this church has grown in less than 2 years? Our membership has grown by 156%! The number is staggering and it testifies to the Spirit’s work in this place. Our Wednesday Night Suppers and Bible Studies are now averaging over 70 people. Can you believe it?! I remember the first bible study I led and we had 7 people including me. This year alone we have added 33 new members, and we have another 4 months before the year ends. And that does not include all of the people who are family in this church, but have not joined!
But the numbers are only a part of the story. Children’s church now exists as a wonderful children’s ministry setting the foundations for our children’s faith. You will discover later in this newsletter that the Second Saturday Snack Sack has become the Saturday Samaritan Missions… in fact the life of one man has been forever changed by the work of God being done on Saturdays. He now has a job, transportation, and best of all hope and joy exemplified by the wonderful news that he has decided to join this church! We are volunteering weekly at the Salvation Army helping serve dinners and raise funds to buy food. We have members working weekly with Meals-on-Wheels. We went into the one of the “worst” places in Albany with school supplies and declared to those who would keep it bad we will fight evil with love. We have a family that has left us for a year to do mission work abroad – and I am told that we are forming a team that will go work with them for a week. We have another individual who is headed to Africa for several weeks to do God’s work. This is just a sample because new ministries are in the works. God’s work is being done outside the walls of this church to ensure that hope and joy is planted where we step foot. And in following and believing in that vision we are changing lives through the power of and for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus the Christ!
I have had people come up to me after services and say, “I cannot leave church without feeling like God is calling me to make my community better.” Someone else came up to me after a bible study and said, “For the first time in my life, I felt the love of God tonight.” Numerous people have told me that when they visited our church they felt accepted, invited, excited, and best of all welcomed as though they were family. A fellow minister stopped by the other day and walked with me around the church explaining, “I cannot believe what has happened here… God is good.” I responded the only way I could, “All of the time.”
The wave of the Holy Spirit has swept this place into frenzy of hope and joy and many are riding it! If you do not feel as if you are riding this wave yet, I invite to stand in the way of it. Finally make it to that bible study for which you claim there is no time, because that is nonsense we all need that time with God’s Word to mature in our faith. Join a ministry team or committee and use the gifts God has given you, and soon you will find more gifts you never knew you had. Begin a new ministry or mission because your heart tells you it must be done. Do not sit back and wait for the Spirit to take you, jump into the wave and let the God take you where you are suppose to be. If you do I know you will be filled with an excitement that will make God smile… well, and you smile too!
Riding the Wave of the Holy Spirit,
Garrett

When Stress Melts Away

Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:6-7 (NRSV)

What do you worry about? Have you tried giving those worries to God? Have you experienced the peace of God? Does it surpass all understanding? Who have you met who lives with this peace? What does it mean to have a heart and mind guarded in Christ Jesus?

I read that recent studies have demonstrated stress changes our brain chemistry and our behavior. Those who are “always” stressed are prone to habitat formation. By forming routines and habits we attempt to put ourselves on automatic pilot, and in that way the hope is that we can better focus on the crisis at hand. However, what is actually happening is our brain is rewired in ways that keep us stressed. The automatic pilot does not help stress go away, it keeps us stressed out. Constant stress has also shown to hurt our immune systems, raise blood pressure, stiffen arteries, and make us miserable among other things.
Thankfully, according to the study, such changes in the brain are reversible. What does it take to change it back to normal? Relaxing.

One of the finest gifts of prayer is its ability to help us relax, to exist in the moment with our God who is in control. When we are on autopilot we are always trying to stay one step ahead, to figure out what comes next, and the consequence of that is stress and worry. Also it seems autopilot has no room for prayer. Jesus said, “You cannot add anytime to your life by worrying about it,” and maybe it is time we start believing him! Life is a precious gift. By living we get to experience love and beauty, friendship and nature, sunrises and thunder storms, the feel of water hitting our bare skin and a well needed hug, even in the midst of pain and strife. Think of all the reasons to pray to God with thanksgiving right now. Now pray with that thanksgiving, and perhaps you may feel the peace which surpasses all understanding as the stress melts away.

With hope and joy,
Garrett

What A Friend!

I love the LORD, because he has heard my voice and my supplications. – Psalm 116:1 (NRSV)

Do you love God? If you do, why? How does that love show in your life? Have you called to God? Has God heard you when you called? How do you know? Do you live with the hope imbedded in the words of the psalmist? Read the rest of Psalm 116 and find out.

The following story is from – John C. Maxwell and Dan Reiland, The Treasure of a Friend (J. Countryman, 1999).
Jim and Phillip did everything together when they were kids. They even went to high school and college together. After college they joined the marines together. They were both sent to Germany, where they fought side by side in one of history’s ugliest wars.
During a fierce battle, they were given the command to retreat. As the men were running back, Jim noticed that Phillip hadn’t returned with the others. Jim begged his commanding officer to let him go after his friend, but the officer forbade the request, saying it would be suicide.
Jim disobeyed and went after Phillip. His heart pounding, he ran into the gunfire, calling out for Phillip. A short time later, his platoon saw him hobbling across the field carrying a limp body in his arms. The commanding officer shouted at Jim for his outrageous risk. “Your friend is dead,” he said. “There was nothing you could do.”
“No sir,” Jim replied. “I got there just in time. Before Phillip died, he said, ‘I knew you would come.’”

With God no matter how bad the situation, if we call out, we can be assured that God will come! Why would God come into any situation with us? Because God loves us! That is why we can love God, and talk to God all of the time. Too many of us claim we do not know how to pray, or worse yet do not have time to pray. The great old hymn, “What A Friend We Have In Jesus,” says it best, “O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.” We must pray to our God, talking and sharing, because then we will be in a relationship and together all of the time. That same hymn needs to be quoted again, “Are we weak and heavy-laden, cumbered with a load of care? Precious Savior, still our Refuge—Take it to the Lord in prayer! Do thy friends despise, forsake thee? Take it to the Lord in prayer! In His arms He’ll take and shield thee, Thou wilt find a solace there.” If we are in any need, call to God, and when we discover God arrive we can with faith in our friend proclaim, “I knew you would come.”

With hope and joy,
Garrett

Always Praising God

I will praise the LORD at all times; his praise is always on my lips. My whole being praises the LORD. The poor will hear and be glad. Glorify the LORD with me, and let us praise his name together. – Psalm 34:1-3 (NCV)

How do you praise God? Have you ever thought about what praising God at all times would be like? What would it be like? Are the poor glad when they are around you? How will you glorify the LORD today? Who will praise his name with you?

The following story is from Leslie Boling a member of First Pres Albany.
My Mama was diabetic and suffered from congestive heart failure. In the early part of 1996 she had gotten to the point that she could not remember if she had tested her blood sugar or if she had given herself insulin. Her mind was sometimes foggy. My Daddy would not learn to administer the insulin so we came to a point that we had to put her in a nursing home so that she would receive proper medical care. When the time came to tell her, she was in the hospital and my brother, my parents’ pastor, Harold and I went to tell her. She did not want to leave her home or her husband and was shaken about it at first but then she said, “This will be an opportunity for me to be a witness to someone who doesn’t know Jesus”. While she was there she befriended many people who were alone, and always poured forth the love of Christ. She died 7 months later, but those were 7 months well spent praising God!

No matter who we are, what we do, how old we are, how young we are, our inexperience or anything else we can praise the Lord at all times, and we must! It is easy to praise God because God is so great, and because God is with us no matter what we can discover reason for joy even in pain. Let us make the world better by praising God at all times, glorifying Jesus by how we live, and watch others rejoice as they see us living in praise and then come to praise Jesus’ name with us!

With hope and joy,
Garrett

What Compassion Really Is

As he [Jesus] went ashore he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like a sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. – Mark 6:34 (NRSV)

What does compassion mean to you? Who has had compassion for you when you needed it? For whom have you had compassion? Have you ever felt like a sheep without a shepherd? What have you been taught in your moments of need?

My wife meets many interesting characters. Recently she met a woman who is 100 years old. Like anyone who is at the century mark or over, this woman was a treasure cove filled with stories of times, places and people that seem almost foreign. They shared a long and wonderful conversation.
After sometime, my wife asked the woman, “With all your experiences is there one thing that happened in your life that you consider the most special?”
“Oh there are things that I definitely consider more special than the rest,” she responded. “One of the best things that ever happened to me was being able to take care of my husband when he was dying.” She then proceeded to share the story of her husband’s illness and the ways that love poured from her to ensure his comfort and to allow him to know he was not alone at the end. Next she shared more stories of being with people during other illnesses, rough times in life, or times of sincere suffering. She spoke about other people asking her to go into places where people were in pain, because I imagine they hoped she would somehow bring a smile, bring at least a portion of joy, and share a bit of the love of Christ. As this woman recounted the times of her life she considered to be the best times, each was a story of how she was able to be with someone else in their suffering and need, and how she discovered in each of those moments the sacred.
My wife called it one of her favorite conversations of all time!

The word “compassion” comes from the Latin which means “to suffer with.” When Jesus had compassion for anyone that means he wanted and felt the need to suffer with him or her, not necessarily suffering too, but making sure no one was suffering alone. Each of us has suffered and will suffer, and we have all witnessed suffering. I wonder what the world would be like if when we encountered suffering we were like that 100-year-old woman or we were like Jesus, and went to go be with those who suffer? I bet it would be a better place, and I also imagine we would have incredible stories to share about the best times in our lives, those times we were able to bring others hope, joy, peace and love when there seemed to be none.

With hope and joy,
Garrett

Minister's Minute from the August Issue of the Journal of Hope and Joy

A Tappist monk by the name of Thomas Merton once penned the words, “There are two things which men can do about the pain of disunion with other men. They can love or they can hate.” When I read the words they stung me and somehow stick with me. You know when you hear or read something that somehow wedges itself into your mind and ends up being remembered at strange times, or perhaps not so strange times, coming up when God knows that you need to remember such things.
These words came to me just recently when a homeless man asked if there might be some way I could assist him. I had seen him before, and have reason not to trust him, but as I was about to turn him away I could hear the words recited to me deep in confines of my heart, “They can love or they can hate.” It was then I realized that this man and I were of a broken relationship, we were at disunion with one another. And in the midst of our disunion I had consciously decided that the best option to choose was hate, but the voice spoke to me of a better choice, the best choice, the choice to love.
Some of you are already suggesting that I made the wrong choice, what to be wronged again and all, giving anything to someone whom may not have used whatever I gave with the intention in which I gave. However, I am dissuaded from agreeing simply because of faith. The aforementioned Father Merton says it well, “The root of Christian love is not the will to love, but the faith that one is loved.” We are Christians, and as Christians we posses the most beautiful thing of all, faith! What is our faith that it is so special? At the root of faith is the belief that God loves us for no other reason than that God is love. There is nothing that we can do which makes us worthy of such a precious gift as the love of God. When we are quite honest with ourselves we discover how unworthy we truly are of God’s love, but alas it is not for us to dwell on the question of worth, for the truth of the matter is we are loved. Only when possessing the faith that God loves us just because God loves, might we be able to choose to love others, because then we do not have to ponder whether or not they are worthy of our love, for they are also loved by God.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a Lutheran theologian, pastor, and martyr, said, “Unless he obeys, a man cannot believe.” I believe that he probably had in mind the words from the epistle of James which say, “Faith without works is dead.” Upon remembering all of these other quotes that stick with me and of which I am reminded at strange times, it is then that I hear also these words from Matthew’s Gospel, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” In this quote from Jesus the word “did” haunts me. It haunts me because it demonstrates one of the most important qualities of love, and one that our culture has either chosen to forget or ignore. Love is not about what we mean when we say, “being in love.” Instead love is qualified and made real when we talk about what we do in love. The commandment of Jesus to love each other as he loves us is not a flowery concept of being able to say easily, “I love you.” Instead it is the notion that when I encounter your need, whatever that need may be, I discover with myself the faith that because God was willing to sacrifice His very self for me, that I have no choice but to love the same way, and to sacrifice myself to one whom I can love simply because that is what love is.
I wonder sometimes when I go through more idealistic phases, what the world would be like if we believed that God truly loved us. Sure we all say we believe that, but alas our actions prove the opposite is often true. We bicker with each other, we talk behind each other’s backs, we give reasons why we cannot help a neighbor or worse yet why we should not help, and all the while our disunion with other human beings continues because we often choose to hate.
But we are not without hope, for even now I see love conquering all. I see it when I realize that now every day of the week there is a meal provided to the hungry in the downtown. I see it when I get to meet with people like Lee Don, of Covenant Presbyterian, and talk about churches beginning Whiz Kids tutoring programs throughout our city. I see it when in those special moments I am given love from someone who has no reason to love me, and in those miraculous moments when somehow I act and do in love. It is in those moments when I do in love that I most assuredly believe that Christ dwells within me, and can thank my God that someday I may be a better person than I am right now. Someone who may be blessed enough to hear at the culmination of time, “Well done good and faithful servant, come into the joy of your master.” Let us pray that we begin living lives where we do everything in love, and soon our community will be an example of hope and joy to all.
Riding the Wave of the Holy Spirit,
Garrett

Pleasing God and Making Heaven

Do not forget to do good to others, and share with them, because such sacrifices please God. – Hebrews 13:16 (NCV)

Do you do good to others? If so what have you done? What do you share? How has good been done to you? Who have you witnessed sacrifice much? Why do you think all of this pleases God?

I have heard a story many times that goes like this:
A man spoke with the Lord about heaven and hell. The Lord said to the man, "Come, I will show you hell."
They entered a room where a group of people sat around a huge pot of stew. Everyone was famished, desperate and starving. Each had a spoon attached to their hands that reached the pot, but each spoon had a handle so much longer than their arms that it could not be used to get the stew into their mouths. The suffering was terrible.
"Come, now I will show you heaven," the Lord said after a while. They entered another room, identical to the first – the pot of stew, the group of people, the same long-handled spoons attached to their hands. But there everyone was happy and well nourished. "I don't understand," said the man. "Why are they happy here when they were miserable in the other room and everything was the same?"
The Lord smiled, "Ah, it is simple," he said. "Here they have learned to feed each other."

If we all did good to others we would have heaven here on earth! In these times when we worry about what might come next, and how we might cope with the little we have sometimes we need the reminder, “Do not forget to do good to others…” Such sacrifice pleases God simply because then we become more like the truest human being there ever was, Jesus Christ. Life easily becomes hellish when we decide to hoard things we have leaving others in need because then suffering is everywhere. That first church in the book of Acts was a place where “there was no need among them.” Let us not only believe that such beauty can still be true today, but also act like it can as well by doing good, sharing, and sacrificing what we have in the name of love and Jesus. We might just discover that life is heavenly!

With hope and joy,
Garrett

Missing The Glory of God

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the skies announce what his hands have made. Day after day they tell the story; night after night they tell it again. – Psalm 19:1-2 (NCV)

How have you seen the glory of the God? What declares this glory? Can you see it before day after day? Do you hear the proclamation night after night? Have you met anyone who lives into this story? What are they like?

The following story was e-mailed to me:
It's the Washington DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approximately 2,000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After three minutes a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule.
Four minutes later:
the violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the till and, without stopping, continued to walk.
Six minutes:
A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.
10 minutes:
A three-year-old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly, as the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced them to move on.
45 minutes:
The musician played. Only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32.
1 hour:
He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition. No one knew that the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.
This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities. The questions raised: in a common place environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?
One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be:
If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments .....
How many other things are we missing?

Everywhere the glory of God is declared! Thomas Carlyle said, “The tragedy of life is not so much what men suffer, but rather what they miss.” God created a world where not only does beauty abound, but also more beauty is to be discovered everyday! Let us with eyes of wonder discover the beauty of God’s glory in all areas of life, otherwise we may never know what we miss.

With hope and joy,
Garrett

Our God, Our Protection

God is our protection and our strength. He always helps in times of trouble. So we will not be afraid even if the earth shakes, or the mountains fall into the sea, even if the oceans roar and foam, or the mountains shake at the raging sea. Selah – Psalm 46:1-3 (NCV)

Do you believe God is your protection and strength? How have you witnessed God help in times of trouble? Who have you seen God help in their times of trouble? Can you hold on just a little while longer?

The following story is found at: http://www.rogerknapp.com/inspire/burninghut.htm
The only survivor of a shipwreck washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements, and to store his few possessions. But then one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky. The worst had happened; everything was lost. He was stung with grief and anger. "God, how could you do this to me!" he cried.
Early the next day, however, he was awakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him. "How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers. "We saw your smoke signal," they replied.

I do not know about you, but often times it was only in hindsight I discovered how God was working, and God is always at work! No matter the troubles in our lives, God is our protection and our strength. An old African-American spiritual says it best, “Hold on just a little while longer. Hold on just a little while longer. Hold on just a little while longer, ‘cause everything is going to be alright.” So no matter what we are going through, we must not forget that there is nothing that is not temporary for God. With such faith let us hold on a little while longer because our protection and strength, our God is at work. And God is good all of the time!

Check out the blog to listen to the spiritual http://firstpresalbany.blogspot.com

With hope and joy,
Garrett

When We Are Strong

I begged the Lord three times to take this problem away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is enough for you. When you are weak, my power is made perfect in you.” So I am very happy to brag about my weaknesses. Then Christ’s power can live in me… Because when I am weak, then I am truly strong. – 2 Corinthians 12:8-10 (NCV)

In what ways are you weak? What problems do you have? Have you seen Christ in your weakness? If so, in what way? How do you believe God’s power is made perfect in your weakness? Who have you met who is weak, but is somehow strong?

The following story is found at: http://www.wow4u.com/weakness/index.html
This is a story of one 10-year-old boy who decided to study judo despite the fact that he had lost his left arm in a devastating car accident.
The boy began lessons with an old Japanese judo master. The boy was doing well, so he couldn't understand why, after three months of training, the master had taught him only one move. "Sensei," the boy finally said, "Shouldn't I be learning more moves?"
"This is the only move you know, but this is the only move you'll ever need to know," the Sensei replied. Not quite understanding, but believing in his teacher, the boy kept training.
Several months later, the Sensei took the boy to his first tournament. Surprising himself, the boy easily won his first two matches. The third match proved to be more difficult, but after some time, his opponent became impatient and charged; the boy deftly used his one move to win the match. Still amazed by his success, the boy was now in the finals.
This time, his opponent was bigger, stronger, and more experienced. For a while, the boy appeared to be overmatched. Concerned that the boy might get hurt, the referee called a time-out. He was about to stop the match when the Sensei intervened. "No," the Sensei insisted, "Let him continue."
Soon after the match resumed, his opponent made a critical mistake: he dropped his guard. Instantly, the boy used his move to pin him. The boy had won the match and the tournament. He was the champion.
On the way home, the boy and Sensei reviewed every move in each and every match. Then the boy summoned the courage to ask what was really on his mind. "Sensei, how did I win the tournament with only one move?" "You won for two reasons," the Sensei answered. "First, you've almost mastered one of the most difficult throws in all of judo. And second, the only known defense for that move is for your opponent to grab your left arm."
The boy’s greatest weakness had become his greatest strength!

Often times we are weak when we try to be strong on our own. Those moments where our own strength is not enough, when we cannot keep on going another day, those are the times God steps in and we discover God’s timeless truth, “little ones to him belong, they are weak, but he is strong!” Let us take heart while we are weak, when we cannot figure out how to continue, and when it all seems wrong, for when we rely on the Lord it is only then we are truly strong!

With hope and joy,
Garrett

July's Minister's Minute, in The Journal of Hope and Joy

Upon the first time I sat at a keyboard prepared to type out some Minister’s Minute for the simple monthly newsletter this church put out, I considered bible verses which might be appropriate for such an occasion. There I was, the new pastor of a tiny church. I was far from home and had little idea of what I was doing. You know those times you find yourself in a situation and you wonder, “What just happened? How did I get here? What the heck I am suppose to do?” or something very similar? That is where I was. I will not say I was nervous, because I did not feel nervous. It was more like I was in shock. I hate to disappoint those who were concerned I was going to experience some type of cultural shock on a scale of grand proportions, because I did not. It was a different type of shock. For the first time I sat down to write this as someone granted the title “Reverend.” Considering it even now is somewhat of a shock, I am hardly to be revered and am often times discovered to be irreverent. How did I ever get this title? How did I ever get into a situation where some might consider me a pastor of a church? I mean I had some friends in college who said they would become religious if I ever actually became a minister. And there I was, writing a Minister’s Minute.
There was a second element of shock that when coupled with the first did cause me to question my sanity. Did I really just choose to move my whole life, wife and all, across the country to a dying church? “Not only am I am the irreverent reverend, I am the stupid irreverent reverend,” I thought to myself. So I prayed for some bible verse I might find which would be appropriate for the moment, a bible verse that would provide direction and make some sense of the incredible situation.
As God is always good, after such a prayer something popped into my head about God doing a new thing. With the aid of Google I discovered it was Isaiah 43:19, “I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” So I began by sharing that passage, saying that God is about to do a new thing at First Presbyterian Church…
Much has changed since that moment I felt God declare to me, “I am about to do a new thing!” The church has become a home to many more people, our bible studies now average three times more people than the services were averaging (thank you Elaine), we are coming up with new ministries, working with more churches, doing new outreach, and much more. Much has also changed with me too. I no longer feel like I am far from home, but believe at this time in my life, I am home. I have a child… a native of Georgia, poor kid. I think my sermons are a little better. I still have no idea what I am doing, but at least I am more comfortable not knowing. And I finally figured out how I got that “Reverend” title, God’s grace.
But there is one thing that has not changed. I can still feel the declaration of God proclaiming to me and to our church, “Behold, I am about to do a new thing!” Monty Cox said something during my interview I shall never forget. I asked the committee why they even bothered staying at the church when things seemed to be going so poorly. I expected the normal answers that come from members of dying churches like, my family has been going here forever, my children were baptized here, I was married here, this is the only place they will give me power, or something similar. Monty, however, spoke with a truth that came from the Spirit of God when he said, “Because I don’t believe God is done with us yet.”
He is still right! God is not done with us yet! The reason I can still feel God proclaiming the new things that are about to happen is because there is much left to do. What is your part going to be? How are you going to get involved? What new mission will you begin? How will you change this church for the glory of God? In what way will you move this place toward becoming God’s hope and joy? It is springing forth now, this newness of God, can you perceive it yet?

Riding the wave of the Holy Spirit,
Garrett

Grieving the Holy Spirit

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. – Ephesians 4:30 (NIV)

What do you think it means to grieve the Holy Spirit? Is there something about you that might grieve God? Do you believe yourself to have been sealed by the Holy Spirit?

Once as a chaplain I was called to be with someone who “needed support.” When I arrived I was told the woman in the room had just watched her husband die in front of her. She was morbidly obese and had been bed ridden for several years. Earlier that day her husband arrived home and had a heart attack, falling to the ground. There was no phone within her reach and as she struggled to reach the phone to call for help her husband passed away only feet from her.
She was brought to us, and I was called to be with her, to make sure she wasn’t alone. I entered the room and the first thing that hit me was the smell. This poor woman had not bathed for years and the smell of years of neglect saturated each corner of the tiny room she in which she lay. Parts of her body were caked with layers of dirt and filth. I attempted some words of comfort, but they were inauthentic as I tried to situate myself as far as possible from her, as I tried to save myself.
For perhaps 20 minutes or so I stood far from her in this room. She a grieving widow, and me fairly useless, unwilling to even hold her hand. It was then I heard footsteps approaching the room, and I turned to the door in time to see a little girl, maybe 7 or 8 years of age run into that sad room. She ran right to the bed and jumped onto the woman. The girl threw her tiny arms around the woman’s neck, kissed her cheek and said, “I love you grandma. Don’t worry I’m here now and it will be all right.”
I wonder how much I grieved the Holy Spirit before that girl entered and taught me how to love.

When we do not live the lives to which we have been called and for which we have been saved, should we ever add to the misery of another living soul, and at those times we abandon Christian charity for selfish ambition of any sort, we grieve the Holy Spirit. However when we live into the reality of our redemption, the places we go become the places Christ can be found because he lives in us. Then there is no grieving the Holy Spirit, for the Spirit is celebrating that we have become the joy with which God created us!

With hope and joy,
Garrett

Prayer and Gratitude

Do not worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks. – Philippians 4:6 (NCV)

What do you worry about? Do you worry about things you need or things you want? When did you pray to God last for everything you need? Why is it important to give thanks while asking for what you need?

A friend asked me once why we should pray if God knows everything. It is a question I imagine we have all asked at some point. Maybe one of the reasons we do not pray more is the belief that if God knows everything we do not need to pray. God knows I am happy; I do not need to pray. God knows I am angry; I do not need to pray. God knows I am in pain; I do not need to pray. God knows what I need; I do not need to pray.
Maybe God does know all of these things, but do we? Do we truly know what makes us happy? Are the things that make us angry things that should make us angry? What is the root of our pain? Do we have any idea what we actually need? The problem with my friend’s question as to our need for prayer is that it centers on us as individuals and is by nature selfish. Prayer opens us to God the eternal forever, the Word, the alpha and omega. Prayer moves us beyond ourselves to discover our God in whose image we are made. Prayer is not done out of God’s need to be communicated with, but of our need to communicate with God, discover who God desires us to be and what we truly need!
Maybe that is why we are told to pray while always giving thanks. There is something about people who are grateful. Grateful for the moment regardless of circumstance. Grateful for a kind smile from a stranger. Grateful for another day with breath flowing through the lungs. Grateful for a merciful God who is by God’s very nature love. Such people always seem to have what they need.

Meister Eckhart once said, “If the only prayer you ever said in your whole life is ‘thank you,’ that would suffice.” Amen to that! Let us pray for everything we need, always giving thanks and perhaps all of our worry will disappear when we discover that somehow, we have everything we need!

With hope and joy,
Garrett

Shining Light

“No one after lighting a lamp covers it with a bowl or hides it under a bed. Instead, the person puts it on a lampstand so that those who come in will see the light.” – Luke 8:16 (NCV)

Is your lamp lit? Is it hidden? Did you hide it? What does it mean to let your light shine? Do people see your light? Have you seen the light of others? Where have you seen the light?

Part of the blessing of my job is how often I get to encounter incredible people. I meet people who live life in such a way that I discover myself living a better life than before just because I was around these beautiful people for a moment or two. The truth with which they live their lives, allows me to live into the truth of my life, becoming who I was created to be.
Yesterday I attended the funeral of a man whose life was too short. During my interactions with him, I only remember joys, laughter, and many encouraging words. To laugh was his way, to spread joy was his job, and to let his light shine was his life, at least it seemed so to me. His funeral provided me comfort, as all good funerals can, because I discovered that the man I knew was well known to many. I heard stories shared of how his joy brightened the lives of others. I heard stories about how his love saved others from despair. I heard more than once, in various descriptions, about how his light allowed the lights of others to shine brighter.
Too often we hide our lights for reasons we consider pragmatic. I have heard people say, “O I will do the things that provide me joy when I retire.” Or, “I can’t wait spend more time with my family, but I have to work.” Our lights shine when we are among people and love, living well because we can wherever we are right now. They must shine now for we never know when they shall be extinguished forever!
My friend died at 56 suddenly and surprisingly. His life was too short, but no one can say that it did not burn bright! He lived well and in the moment, and thank God he did for many live better because he lived at all.

Hiding our lights in the tomorrows of life may mean that we never let them shine. Let us pray that we live into the truth of who we were created to be, shining bright for all to see. We never know who might see us bright and joyous, and thereby take their lights from under the bed and let them shine bright too!

With hope and joy,
Garrett

Minister's Minute in June's Journal of Hope and Joy

I remember the days of summer as a child. They always arrived with a Christmas-like anticipation. No school, lots of friends, trips, pools, fun, summer. I could always tell it was coming as the days got longer; the sun taking longer to set to ensure my day, my special day, could go on for as long as possible. I enjoyed the evening hours the best because I think that is when it was suppose to be dark. But summer knowing how restful and special it is, made sure that the sun maintained its course just a little longer so I could continue to frolic in its light.
My memories are like a kaleidoscope of images, all changing and melding together. Rolling down a hill at one of my favorite parks. The hill seemed so long and so steep, but I am sure if I were to see it now I would be surprised how tame it is, oh but what fun. I remember myself swinging as dusk turned the sky arrangements of oranges, pinks, reds and purples, even then I smiled at its beauty. I think no matter our age we appreciate the beauty of nature, as it speaks to that piece of divinity inside each of us, that handprint of God referred to as the imagine of God. The creative impulse of God in the universe seeing the creative impulse of God within us, and in seeing one another smile to each other, that evening sky smiles to me even now as I smile back. There was one time I swam all day long in the ocean, battered by the waves, imagining I was some superhero that had to battle these awful waves to the point of exhaustion. I remember that night as I tried to go sleep I still felt pulled and pushed by waves now miles from where soon I slept. Times with friends, the sleepovers, the ease, the joy, the carefree mentality of youth and relative innocence. All of these images and thoughts pour across my memory not quite separate from one another, but a mess of memories that form one large memory entitled, summer.
I once read somewhere that memories are special because they represent the past, and the past is the only thing that cannot change. Perhaps our memories do not correspond to actual events. Maybe they are formed by our imagination, but they cannot be touched. Our present is happening and will change at a moment’s notice, our future is beyond our grasp, but our past is always our past and is unchangeable. There is no wonder we tell stories to one another, for those stories are unique to us and incredibly precious. Summer is such a past for me, and I am delighted to sense summer’s arrival once more so that I may recall such a past.
My delight is made all the more real in that now I can share my summer with my son. It is with great joy and anticipation I look forward to being able to share a summer with him. While he will not remember this one, I will, and this summer – while not yet here – shall become a unique memory, a past truly my own, untouchable and unchangeable. I pray that the moments when I push him in the swing, mold with my moments of being pushed in the swing by my father, and my kaleidoscopic memory becomes even grander.
We live in moments, but those moments become memories, and each of us has memories of joy and strife, of love and heartbreak, of hope and despair. How we use these memories says a lot about us as people. I hope I may find myself using memories to give me a smile when there seems to be no reason to smile in the moment, because no matter how bad the moment is, a memory of joy cannot be touched by it. However that memory of joy can affect the moment in a positive way.
I remember many stories my parents shared with me of their summers. Their memories of such summers exist in times long before God blessed me with life, but I remember the joy they conveyed, and I can see in my own memory my mother swimming in a pool as girl, my father riding bikes and setting bushes on fire. They have combined with my memory and my joy expands. Hopefully one day Langston has an impossible memory of his father laughing while rolling down a hill in a park. If he does I am sure he can have a memory of an empty tomb and know the joy of our Christ. May God grant us all the ability to share the joys of our past so that others can experience such joy and have it as their own!
Riding the wave of the Holy Spirit,
Garrett

The Joy of Jesus

“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.” – John 15:11 (NIV)

What has God told you of God’s joy? How does God’s joy make your joy complete? Do you believe Jesus’ joy is in you? If Jesus’ joy is in you, how do you live life? Have you met anyone who had Jesus’ joy inside? What about that person was joyful?

The following story is found at: http://www.inspirationpeak.com/shortstories/sevenwonders.html
Junior high school students in Chicago were studying the Seven Wonders of the World. At the end of the lesson, the students were asked to list what they considered to be the Seven Wonders of the World. Though there was some disagreement, the following received the most votes:
1. Egypt's Great Pyramids
2. The Taj Mahal in India
3. The Grand Canyon in Arizona
4. The Panama Canal
5. The Empire State Building
6. St. Peter's Basilica
7. China's Great Wall
While gathering the votes, the teacher noted that one student, a quiet girl, hadn't turned in her paper yet. So she asked the girl if she was having trouble with her list. The quiet girl replied, "Yes, a little. I couldn't quite make up my mind because there were so many." The teacher said, "Well, tell us what you have, and maybe we can help."
The girl hesitated, then read, "I think the Seven Wonders of the World are:
1. to touch...
2. to taste...
3. to see...
4. to hear... (She hesitated a little, and then added...)
5. to feel...
6. to laugh...
7. and to love.”
The room was so quiet, you could have heard a pin drop.

Now that girl had some joy of Jesus! Our joy is complete when we can with hearts of faith discover the miraculous that is all around us. God created each of us unique and special. As individuals, each of us is a miracle! Jesus’ joy is in us when we see ourselves the way he sees us, as the most precious thing he has ever created, his finest miracle and the love of his life! Today pray that we are filled with the joy of Jesus, and that our joy is complete!

With hope and JOY,
Garrett

Using God's Gift

This is why I remind you to keep using the gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. Now let it grow, as a small flame grows into a fire. – 2 Timothy 1:6 (NCV)

What gift has God given you? How have you nurtured that gift? Is your gift a small flame or is it a large fire, or maybe on the way to becoming a large fire? What can you do to make that flame bigger?

Right after my son was born I stopped going to the gym. I found every excuse not to go; exhaustion, not wanting to miss moments with him, exhaustion, work I needed to do, exhaustion…
Finally, two months later, I decided it was time to go back to the gym. I started to do the same workout I did before. I couldn’t finish the first set of anything. I didn’t even finish half of the workout. The next day I could barely move.
Two months away from the gym and I had lost most of my strength. The only reason I did not go was because I found excuses not to go when I had all the opportunities.
My mother use to say to me, “If you don’t use it you will lose it.” This is true of the gym evidently, I can’t speak Spanish anymore, and I’ve forgotten more chemistry than most will ever learn. This is the same of God’s gifts to us, if we don’t use them we lose them!

In the parable of the talents, Jesus said that the master took away the talent of the servant who buried it and did not use it. We have to use our talents and our gifts and let them grow into a mighty flame! Pray that today we discover our gift and keep using it so that we might hear Jesus say to us, “Well done good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your master!”

With hope and joy,
Garrett