Thanksgiving And Black Friday

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It's an interesting phenomenon: Families gather, some traveling many miles. Great feasts are prepared. Family members share what they are thankful for. Heartfelt prayers of thanks are offered. It's Thanksgiving Day!

Another interesting phenomenon: People gather early, some traveling many miles. Great pains are taken in preparation. Selfish people elbow their way down the aisles. Heartfelt shouts of anger are offered. It's Black Friday!

What binds these two days together? People.

Many times it's the same people who offer prayers to God on Thursday thanking Him for what they have, are taking great pains (sometimes to others) on Friday to get more stuff.

Think about that...

Question: What will you do this Black Friday to demonstrate that you are still thankful from Thursday? Share your thoughts below in 'comments'.

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From Dreaming To A Dream

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From Today's Word devotional:

It doesn’t take much effort to let your mind drift and dream. But it takes great effort to set your mind to the task of developing a clear goal, of having a clear and compelling dream.

One leader says: For me the whole process begins with questions I must ask myself. The dream is always rooted in the dreamer, in his or her experiences, circumstances, talents, and opportunities. I ask:

• What am I feeling - what are my emotions telling me?
• What am I sensing? - what is my intuition telling me?
• What am I seeing? - what is happening around me?
• What am I hearing? - what are others saying?
• What am I thinking? - what do my intellect and common sense say?

A clear picture may come to you all at once, in lightning-bolt fashion, but for most people it doesn’t work that way. Most people need to keep working at it, clarifying it, redrawing it. If the process is difficult, that’s no reason to give up. In fact, if it’s too easy, maybe you’re not dreaming big enough.

Just keep working on it because a clear dream is worth fighting for. If you can get a clear sense of where you are, what you know, and what you want, you’re well on your way to understanding and embracing the thing God put you on earth to do.

Moses spent the first two-thirds of his life working out what God wanted him to do, trying to do things his own way, only to fail. But he had a heart for God, and a vision from God, and eventually he succeeded.

And you will too!

Question: What moves you from dreaming to a Dream? Share your thoughts below in 'comments'.

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I've Got Nothing

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I'm sure you have heard that statement: I've got nothing. Usually it's delivered when there is no witty comeback, or not having an answer when asked a question.

As I have been preparing to write this post, that's the way I have been feeling: I've got nothing.

I'm not feeling any creativity. I'm not generating any ideas. Right now I'm feeling pretty void.

Call it dealing with some personal/professional challenges. Call it burnout. Whatever I call it, the bottom line is: I've got nothing.

The conversation at the dinner table on Monday evening moved to the devastation in the Philippines as a result of Typhoon Haiyan. I informed my family that at least 10,000 people have been killed by the typhoon, known locally as Yolanda, with hundreds of thousands of more left homeless.

Here are some of the headlines I found:

Typhoon 'Yolanda' Haiyan: Half a Million Left Homeless in the Philippines

Typhoon 'Yolanda' Haiyan: Eye-witnesses Describe Survivors 'Foraging Like Zombies'

Typhoon Haiyan Kills at least 10,000 in Philippine Provence Leyete

Super Typhoon Haiyan Tears Philippines Apart

When considering the unmeasurable destruction, the lack of water, food and shelter, and the bodies laying in the middle of streets because cleanup efforts have not begun, I realize that the Filipino people are the ones who have nothing.

 

Can't come up with a salient idea for a Blog post? Far be it from me that I use the phrase I've got nothing.

 

Question: When you feel empty or lacking, who do you compare yourself to? Share your thoughts below in 'comments'.

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Small Steps, Big Impact

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I am doing it again: I am finding myself drawn to a collection of Psalms in the Bible that have played a significant role in my spiritual/character building.

I read a book in the early 1980's called "A Long Obedience in the Same Direction" authored by Eugene Petersen, who also authored "The Message" translation of the Bible. Since my first reading of the book (I have since read it multiple times), I have become a fan of Petersen's work.

In A Long Obedience, Petersen looks at the Songs of the Ascents, Psalms 120 - 134. His basic premise (as identified by the title) is that life is about small, daily practices that order our steps and define our lives.

Lately I have been meditating on these Psalms and the concept of daily disciplines, and how they affect me. I realize that it's not the big events that cause my growth as a person, but the regular disciplines that I incorporate into my lifestyle that shape my character and transform my nature.

Too often we look for the route that's quick and easy, when the slow and tedious is the path that will take us to our desired destination. As my wife reminds me in her subtle way when we are traveling in the car: It's not the destination, but rather the journey to get there that makes the trip interesting.

Question: Are you ready to walk on the path of a long obedience in the same direction? Share your thoughts below in 'comments'.

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