The psalms are filled with praise and thanksgiving – but also despair. Psalm 118:1-29 is a prayer of thanksgiving for victory in David’s life, however in between the lines of the first to the twenty-ninth verses there are things that didn’t always echo victory. It's the same in-between the lines of our lives. David … [Read more...]
Thanks but No Thanks
Giving thanks when it makes no sense makes no sense. Actually, it does. Scripture tells us to give thanks in every circumstance. Even in the rough and raw places that get scarred by too much life. I ask a wounded friend what she’s thankful for. And so she says the usual, “husband, kids, roof over my head.” What if the … [Read more...]
At The Table
Thanksgiving is a time when we take mental inventory of our blessings. The familiar refrain of over the meadow and through the woods creates a heartwarming Rockwell-esque image at this time of year but for many the holiday may be less than picture perfect. During a season of thanksgiving when we are focusing on gratitude, … [Read more...]
Gratitude Day
The American tradition of giving thanks for a day . . . Thanksgiving shouldn’t be about one day on the calendar that gets lost in the shadow of feasts and football. You may have noticed that somehow our holiday got hijacked to become the forerunner to a shopper–stampede the following day. Don’t let it. Giving thanks is … [Read more...]
Cardinals and Crutches
Countless Pennsylvania snowstorms, power outages, lost work, and accidents brought me low this morning. But, I wasn’t seeing the big picture at the moment. I was busy looking at the small picture of me.After all, it seemed there was nothing more limiting than snowdrifts a few feet high except one foot adorned with cast and … [Read more...]