Give What Matters

As we enter the season of gift-giving, it's so easy to get caught up in the material aspect of it all. Here it is: the time of year we celebrate the greatest Gift we've ever been given, freedom from trying to find peace and happiness through acquiring more and more things so that we can find deep joy and healing in Christ--and what do we do? Stampede into stores at 3 a.m., elbowing each other out of the way; cut each other off in parking lots; get depressed because we have gone into debt to get the newest latest things.

George Macdonald had it right when he wrote, "If instead of a gem or even a flower, we should cast the gift of a loving thought into the heart of a friend, that would be giving as the angels give." The presents and parties are nice, and I hope you have plenty of them, but the greatest gift you have to give your family and friends is the gift of your time. The best present is your presence. Give what matters this year!

What's Going On?

When some life event takes us by surprise, and we ask ourselves, What's going on?, what we answer back can say a lot about our perspective on ourselves and on life. We might interpret many things that happen to us in the same way, and feel defeated or victimized by this pattern we see. But the pattern of events in our lives might be nothing more than our seeing what we expect to see--our interpretations, and nothing more. That's one reason it's a good idea to talk about our perspective with someone we respect, someone who will tell us what they really think. Life is too short to get stuck! Let's talk.

Honor Your Own Heart

When disaster strikes, the damage can be far-reaching. We look around and count one loss after another, until it feels as if we have lost everything. We have a tendency to tell each other "chin up" messages at these times. If you've ever been in the middle of complete devastation, you know what it feels like to be told some variation of, "It's probably for the best," or "It could be worse." It's interesting to me that God doesn't respond to us this way. In Joel 1:8, when swarms of locusts had destroyed every crop, God told his people to mourn as if someone had died. We are expected to grieve when bad things happen to us. We need to grieve. Grieving is painful, and when you're in the middle of it, it seems to go on forever. In order to stop grieving, though, we have to go ahead and admit how horrible things are, how hurt we are: grieve. Don't let anyone tell you anything different. Honor your own heart by admitting how much you've lost. Your pain matters to God, and it will matter to those who know how to be true friends.

Welcome to the Cafe!

Hey, traveler, turn in here. This is a virtual meeting place for anyone on the journey who needs to sit down, listen, think and talk. Stop in often. Here you can slow down, reflect, share. We all need that. So take some time to notice the simple beauty of the breeze waving the leaves on a tree, or the music of a child's laughter. Think a kind thought about someone. Find something to be grateful for. These moments feed the health of our souls and spirits, widen our hearts and allow our bodies to repair themselves. Then take another moment to post your comments here. Hoping to hear from you.