Lord, we thank you that we can come to you just as we are. But remind us that we dare not leave just as we came.
02995 – The Discipline of Gratitude
In the past I always thought of gratitude as a spontaneous response to the awareness of gifts received, but now I realize that gratitude can also be lived as a discipline. The discipline of gratitude is the explicit effort to acknowledge that all I am and have is...
02814 – Giving Thanks Today…
Giving thanks today for the compassionate people; the lovers, helpers, givers, and healers, who see more than just themselves, who move through the world with open hands and not closed fists. Thank you. Keep going. It matters.
02213 – Giving Thanks: Act of Defiance
Giving thanks is a powerful act of defiance in a culture steeped in selfishness. Gratitude forces us to face the darkness and disarm the demons of discontentment and complaint.
01768 – Praying
It doesn't have to be the blue iris, it could be weeds in a vacant lot, or a few small stones; just pay attention, then patch a few words together and don't try to make them elaborate, this isn't a contest but the doorway into thanks, and a silence in which another...
01750 – Anger Can be Positive or Negative
Anger is an organic, living thing, and so is love. If we know how to handle our anger it can turn into love, just as when we know how to take care of our compost, we can transform it into a beautiful rose. Is garbage negative or positive? It can be positive, if we...
01147 – The Deepest Level of Worship
The deepest level of worship is praising God in spite of the pain, thanking God during the trials, trusting Him when we're tempted to lose hope, and loving Him when He seems so distant and far away. At my lowest, God is my hope. At my darkest, God is my light. At my...
00573 – Learning to Wait on God’s Timing
Our sense of urgency is balanced by the requirement to wait—to wait on the timing of God, which we can neither predict nor force. And the poor of the world have much to teach us about waiting—waiting with hope, purpose, and active preparation for change; waiting...
00233 – Kindness is Paying Debts
As to the kindness you mention, I wish I could have been of more service to you than I have been, but if I had the only thanks that I should desire are that you would always be ready to serve any other person that may need your assistance, and so let good offices go...