TRIALS EQUAL PURE JOY? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

 

     It's the day after Thanksgiving so as we digest the amazing food we enjoyed, we return to our normal lives. Maybe you have to work today or maybe you are enjoying time away. I pray you are all blessed and will always be grateful for what you have!

     I remember being 17 years old and reading the book of James in the Bible. The second verse in the first chapter says "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds. WHAT? Consider it joy? Be happy that you are struggling? When you face struggles, you should have a big old smile on your face?" I was young and I thought to myself, "No! Not me! I don't want to be happy during a trial or struggle. Why can't life just be easy, simple and with no worries or difficulties?"

     Have you ever met someone who has a perfect life? Their job is perfect, their kids are perfect, their car is perfect and they dress perfect. In your flesh, you just wat to mess up their hair! You realize later on that they hate their line of work, their kids are not very nice and spoiled, and they are having issues with their perfect car. In the long run they are not perfect, and neither is their life.

     Since mid-September, I have gone through several trials. I don't want to explain each one in detail but let's just say it has been trying. I do want to say that I have survived it all, but it was and has been difficult. I have had nights where I wake up at 3 am with anxiety, and I have had moments of doubt, worry and fear during the difficult season in my life. I am not perfect, and I stress out just like everyone else. I am reminded of what the second part of the verse in James 1:2,3 says. It doesn't just end with "Consider it pure joy", it also says in the second part of that verse ...  "Because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance." Perseverance? Yes! Perseverance. We have to and need to persevere. It has never said in the Bible that the Christian life was going to be easy. We can't give up! The trials we face make us better people who depend on God and put their trust, faith and hope in Him!

     So, if you are going through a huge trial ... fear not! God knows what you are going through and God knows when you struggle and when you are in pain. He will pull you through so trust Him 100%!

HAVE A BLESSED THANKSGIVING WEEKEND!!   

      

BEING THANKFUL EVERY DAY

 

     I always loved sharing this Bible story with the kids at church around Thanksgiving time. It's the story of the 10 Lepers. As Jesus was going into a village, he was met by ten men who had leprosy. Leprosy is an extremely contagious skin disease. Back in Bible times if you had this disease, you were sent away to a Leprosy Camp where you had to live with people who all had this same dreaded disease. As these ten men saw Jesus, from a far distance they called out to Jesus in a loud voice, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us." Jesus then told them to go and show yourselves to the priests." All ten went to the priests and all ten were cleansed and healed! Only one out of the ten returned to Jesus to give him thanks and praise as he threw himself at Jesus feet. Jesus asked that same man, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?" Jesus then looked at the one man who gave him praise and told him, "Rise and go, your faith has made you well."

     In working in the food industry for several years, I can tell you that I rarely hear the words "Thank you" from people. I hear "Give me" and "I want" and even after I tell people to have a nice day, they will either say "Okay" or mumble "Hmm Hmm." No "Thank you" is a part of their everyday vocabulary. Don't get me wrong, I do hear "Thank you" on occasion and there are nice people in this world. I am always shocked how ungrateful people are. It seems as though a spirit of entitlement has slammed into America unfortunately. 

     I have been to third world countries on mission trips. I have been in homes where the place you go to the bathroom is a hole in the ground. I have seen homes in Mexico where they have holes in their roof and dirt floors. No hardwood or carpeted floors in their homes. I went to one church service where the seats were planks of wood, the worship leader played his guitar, and it was missing strings, and the drummer played his drum set that had holes in them. The church service was out in the open air and if it rained, they didn't care because they were happy to be giving God thanks and praise. When you look around America, you see spoiled people who throw food away at home and at restaurants, who complain they have no Wi-Fi service on their laptops and phones, and who disrespect authority and have no guilt doing it. What ever happened to being grateful? Whatever happened to giving thanks to God? What ever happened to telling God you are thankful for the roof over your head or the clothes you wear and the food He provides for you? 

     I get very annoyed when I see Christmas decorations on display at retail stores IN OCTOBER! Next to the Halloween decorations you see Buddy the Elf and Rudolph the red nosed reindeer items all on display in October? This was in our local Walmart. It seems as though here in America we want to skip Thanksgiving, a day we give thanks to God, and we shoot right to Christmas where we preach about peace, joy, love, a lot of presents and that old "Spirit of Christmas." How about we all have a heart of thanks not just at Thanksgiving time but every single day? When we all sit at our Thanksgiving tables to eat turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and "all the fixings," We need to be thankful and to remember that clear across our world there are millions of people who don't have what we have been blessed with. We can't be like the nine lepers who were healed and never thanked Jesus for cleansing hem. We need to be that one who did thank Jesus. He was cleansed and he was very thankful. Let's be the thankful one not just on Thanksgiving Day 2025 but every day! I Thessalonians 5:18 tells us in the Bible, " give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." Let's have a thankful and grateful heart always!

TAKING A SABBATICAL

 

     You have read that correctly. I am taking a sabbatical. If you know me well, you know that is not my true personality. I admit it. I don't know when to stop sometimes. Some people call me "The Energizer Bunny." I even had a Chiropractor say to me "Well, the grass certainly doesn't grow under your feet!" I have worked 3 jobs. I have worked seven days a week and I have been doing children's ministry for over 40 years. I have always given 100% in everything I do. Not only in church but also at every job I have ever had. My parents taught me how to have an amazing work ethic. However, I have to constantly remind myself that I am 61 years old not 21! That is why I am taking something we call a sabbatical. I need a break!

     Just to let you all know, I am NOT quitting my job and I am NOT selling Grandpa Lou and his cast of characters, I am simply taking a breather. A sabbatical is when you take a leave of absence or a rest for a certain period of time. I believe every pastor should take a sabbatical. The demands of ministry are very intense, and the demands of every pastor are "through the roof." I know not every church can do this for their pastor, but I do believe it is important for that pastor. Even those of us who are not in ministry, it is important that we go on vacations and take time for ourselves. 

     I have not done any kind of ministry in over a month. I am taking this time to pray, make plans for what I want to do next and also visit several churches in my area. I have plans of possibly going into libraries to do programs and also writing a book called "Building a ministry from the ground up." Even if the book takes me 5 years to write I will take my time to make it happen. To be honest, I am enjoying the rest, but I will admit I do miss doing Grandpa Lou and Shelton the Shark. I have been making improvements on certain puppet characters, and I have been writing programs I want to do with kids in the future. Many times, when you do the same thing over and over without a break it can be tiresome. It is important for all of us to take time for ourselves. I have realized also that there are others in this world who have the same gifts I have. I can't do it all! But what I can do is take a break so that I can be refreshed. After that I will be energized to do what I love...but just not for right now...down the road when it's the right time.