Gratitude

The Gift of Provision

“While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.“ – Luke 2:6,7 Today, as we draw closer to Christmas, I have a thought I want to share — God always provides sanctuary for us. Even our beautiful church building here at Shepherd’s Grove is a place of rest and divine provision when we come to worship. Like shelter on a rainy day, a sanctuary reminds us that we have a safe home in the Lord. Interestingly, as we ponder the arrival of Jesus, we see that part of the miracle was God providing protection and a safe place for His Son to be born. Though His birthplace was less than glamorous, the manger in which our Lord

December 23, 2022 1 Comment

Who Am I?

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.” – Ephesians 1:3-6 Happy Thanksgiving from the Hour of Power and Shepherds Grove family! We can each take an opportunity to pause and simply practice gratitude. We can be thankful to God for His generous mercy, compassion, glory, and, most importantly, His amazing love. The more we thank Him, the more we will naturally thank and bless those around us. A few days ago, we shared

November 24, 2022 No Comments

Storms Lead to Reason to Rest

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” – Matthew 11:28-30 I want to inform you that you can be a peaceful person right now! Even if you’re busy preparing the Thanksgiving turkey or getting your home ready for guests, your soul needs to relax. Amid a storm, you may have peace of mind while still growing smarter, sharper, and closer to your friends and family — the key is knowing that you will get through! Today, I want to argue that it’s the storms of life that will lead you to serenity. The more time you spend with God, the more faith and confidence you gain in

November 23, 2021 No Comments

Leprosy of the Soul

“For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.” – Ephesians 5:5 If I were to ask you, “What’s the opposite of gratitude?” — what would you say? If you answered ingratitude, you wouldn’t be wrong, but I think there’s a more accurate way to describe it, and that’s entitlement. Unfortunately, we live in a society that’s filled with people who feel they deserve instant gratification, free stuff, endless entertainment, and a hassle-free life. However, I want to submit to you that the greed underlying this outlook is actually a kind of leprosy of the soul. Just as the disease eats away at the flesh of its victims until there’s little left, so a person who feels as if the world owes them is being destroyed from the inside out by

September 26, 2021 1 Comment

A Magnet For Miracles

“I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus.” – 1 Corinthians 1:14 Years ago, I wrote a book in which I said, “A grateful heart is a magnet for miracles.” And now, having lived even longer, I’m more convinced of this truth than ever! When we give someone a gift — perhaps we go to a store to invest a good amount of time picking out just the right item — and our efforts are met with an enthusiastic response, it stokes our desire to keep giving. In fact, knowing that blessing another person brings them joy, we’re inspired to do more of the same. And if this is true for us, how much truer is it for the Lord? He owns the cattle on a thousand hills, and every resource is at His disposal. When we live from a place of

September 24, 2021 No Comments

Don’t Forget To Say Thanks

“Jesus asked, ‘Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?’” – Luke 17:17,18 Yesterday, we learned about a special ceremony that was held in honor of those who were healed from leprosy. However, even after this ritual cleansing, any leper seeking to be reintroduced into society had to stay on the outskirts of town for another eight days, just to be sure. In the interest of not infecting anyone else, they slept outside, and before they showed themselves to the priest one last time, they were required to shave off every bit of their hair — from head to toe. Once they had been thoroughly examined and finally declared clean, they took a bath, offered a sacrifice, and received fresh clothes. After that, they were allowed to go home to their families and communities. And this

September 23, 2021 No Comments

It’s a Matter of Gratitude

“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:18 We talked yesterday about being a more enthusiastic and outgoing person and how it can lead us to good things in life. Today, I want to delve deeper into the manner in which this happens, and I believe it boils down to one word — gratitude. The more thankful we are, the more we develop the qualities that make us successful, since all good fruit grows from within. We can’t really “will” ourselves into attitudes and behaviors, because unless they are rooted in genuine love for Jesus, they won’t last. The measure to which we enjoy life correlates directly to the amount of genuine gratitude we have for who our Savior is and what He has done. This is why, when we begin to understand how perfectly He cares for us,

September 16, 2021 No Comments

Words Have Power

“Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” – Proverbs 16:24 Words have power! This is something I think each of us inherently understands, but it’s easy to lose sight of it in the day-to-day. In our electronic world, we’re bombarded by messages from morning to night. Social media posts, memes, headlines, and texts feed our minds an abundance of words to process — many of them less than uplifting — and if we’re not careful, we end up parroting the negative things that we hear. However, since what we habitually say forges our future, it’s wise to wake up each morning and make a commitment to taming our tongues. Though we don’t want to become legalistic in such matters, as much as possible, we should use our words to speak life by way of Scriptural encouragement, affirmation, and gratitude. When we do this,

March 25, 2021 No Comments

The God of Seasons

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot.” – Ecclesiastes 3:1,2 Today is the first day of spring, and if you’re like me, you’re joyfully anticipating the new life that it brings. Especially after the extended impact of COVID-19 and the unprecedented challenges we’ve faced over the past year, we’re ready for a page to turn. However, to put things into perspective, it’s important to remember that springtime is only possible because of the falling leaves of autumn and the barren cold of winter. We serve a God of seasons, and no matter how difficult each one is, they all have distinct beauty and a divinely-appointed purpose. Today, we see evidence of vibrancy and hope, but the fruits of this time have only come

March 20, 2021 1 Comment

Embrace Joy!

“You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” – Psalm 16:11 Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a joyful person, and I get told that…a lot. I tend to go around whistling; in fact, someone said that I come with an announcement because I always seem to be chirping a tune. I don’t hear myself doing it, but when I enter a building or a room, people know I’m there. I’m also a smiling and silly person — I enjoy living, and it’s not uncommon to hear comments (sometimes sideways) about my happiness. While some may feel that it’s superficial or “over-the-top,” I can say for certain that it’s not, because I have a reason to be glad! Every day, I wake up overwhelmed by the goodness of God and by what

March 12, 2021 No Comments

The Gift of Provision

Who Am I?

Storms Lead to Reason to Rest

Leprosy of the Soul

A Magnet For Miracles

Don’t Forget To Say Thanks

It’s a Matter of Gratitude

The God of Seasons

Embrace Joy!

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