Do Good

Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act. 

Proverbs 3:27

This is sound advice no matter what your particular religious beliefs might be. In a more simplistic perspective, we should do what's right to help people when we are able. There might be some debate about there always being people in need and how our resources won't stretch that far. I don't know that it always has to be about money either though. I think it's counsel encouraging us to look for ways to do good and how not to withhold it when we are able to make a difference in a life.

What is within your power to do? What do you have that will help others? Perhaps it is an encouraging word for a family member when they need their spirits lifted. It might be a home cooked meal for someone who is sick or asking a neighbor's family over for dinner. Sometimes it's as simple as a smile and a good tip for a stressed restaurant employee. Our engaged presence can be the good thing our family needs instead of being preoccupied with our work and hobbies.

We've all got good things we can offer to people in need around us--some of whom are in close proximity on a daily basis. Why don't we offer what we have to them? We would certainly want the same thing done for us. 

Be a Blessing

Our church has a phrase that we use quite often: we are blessed to be a blessing. We believe that God has given us the resources we possess so that they can be shared with others. It's a reflection of our gratitude for God's generosity and a desire to make an impact in our community. This can be exhibited through financial means, physical energy, emotional support, and prayers. The key is in recognizing how much we've been given and being intentional about investing in others. It's not just a principle for the holiday season, but should be a year-round mentality.

Full

Today has been full. Not just full from a schedule perspective (although that is certainly true) but full from a spiritual view. I have had the tremendous pleasure & responsibility of teaching God's Word and I have prayed with several people. I was honored to baptize three people into Christ and talk with another about her future partnership with our church. I have been encouraged by the words of good friends and challenged by God's powerful reminders of my weakness. I was incredibly proud to witness the initial message of a God-honoring man and to share in moments of worship with brothers & sisters from another local church. I now have the incredible privilege of wrapping up my day with my beautiful daughters, our energetic puppy, and my devoted wife.

I think it's going to simply be enough to say that today was full in some of the very best ways. Even though it may seem that I am the central character in most of the good things about today, I recognize that it is far more about God and His generosity.

I am grateful for the gift of this Sunday. Selah.

Step It Up

No matter what you've gone through, you can still do a lot with what you have. 

Veronika Scott

Regardless of your past, you can still make a significant difference in this world. Are we able to take our experiences and let them motivate us to do something substantial? Are we willing to carve out a legacy of positive impact? Let's see what happens if we commit our lives to adding value in innovative ways.

Almost Perfect

We have just returned from our annual family vacation to the beach and have unpacked and started to think about jumping back into the flow of things tomorrow. We took a different approach this year and spent the entire week together as a family while fasting from technology. As much as we enjoy seeing our friends we chose to hang out together instead. We simply wanted to focus on the five of us as we start to see that time together dwindling as our kids get older.

While nothing is ever completely perfect, this week away with my four lovely ladies was about as close as it can get. It was a wonderful blend of fun activities, good food, laughter, sunrises, sunsets, salt air, and reading as many fiction books as possible. I am grateful for the vacation time, good friends who watch our dogs, and the continued blessing of generous friends who allow us to use their condo each year. This is an important week of refreshing for me, but it is even more important in the life of our family to have this time together.

Unexpected Generosity

I'm not an avid follower of NASCAR, but do read a bit more about it online during my hometown's Daytona 500. I was checking the web version of the newspaper this morning and ran across a story involving driver Kevin Harvick. He was flying into Daytona Beach and saw a fan on Twitter named Louise Groomer. While he doesn't normally engage fans via social media he chose to talk to her & her husband while traveling. By the time he landed he decided to treat the Groomers to an all expense paid trip to the 500. This include their flights, accommodations, and luxury suite tickets to the event today. Needless to say, it was an incredible act of unexpected generosity.

I can't match that level of giving and don't know that many people could do so on a whim. I also believe that we don't have to give thousands of dollars away to practice generosity either. We can do so in many simple ways whether it is anonymously paying for someones meal, donating to their mission trip, or paying for for the car behind you in the drive through. It just requires that we have an open attitude towards people, resources to share (no matter how small they might be), the willingness to take a risk, and the commitment to making it happen. 

Unexpected generosity has the opportunity to immediately change people--the one who receives as well as the giver.

Christmas Blessing

I love stories of generosity and being a blessing to other people-especially when I can be part of it. It feeds me spiritually to witness the deliberate kindness of others and to see the interaction of people genuinely caring for each other. The holidays (Thanksgiving & Christmas both) provide ample opportunities to be that kind of community blessing and we should adopt that philosophy as part of our lifestyle each year.

The video below is from WestJet Airlines and is a prime example of ridiculous generosity and over-the-top customer service. It is a reflection of a company that wants to care for people in a deep way and was able to pull it off as an unexpected and much appreciated blessing.

Generous Spirit

"If this is going to be a Christian nation that doesn't help the poor, either we have to pretend that Jesus was just as selfish as we are, or we've got to acknowledge that He commanded us to love the poor and serve the needy without condition and then admit that we just don't want to do it." Stephen Colbert



It seems to be natural inclination to look to be a benefit to people during the holidays. This isn't a negative thing, but I am certain we are called to be a blessing on a more consistent basis. It should be a reflection of our regular life mission to seek ways to share what we have with the people around us. I don't believe it's a burden-in fact, I haven't met anyone who regretted making this a regular practice. We simply choose to make a habit and then daily look for ways to make it a reality. It's the life of generosity that is capable of creating change in the community around us even if the scope of our impact doesn't seem that large.

Spend Wisely

As I wrote here earlier this week, I believe most of us understand that we have limited resources. We

recognize that we can't do everything we want to do or have everything that we desire either. No matter how much we may attempt to manipulate the clock we all have the same amount of time each day. Even if we are in excellent physical condition there will be a limit to our physical energy. We are only able to process so many things mentally. We possess a finite amount of emotional currency to invest in our relationships and can only truly connect to a certain number of people. What this means for each of us is that there are choices that must be made as we decide where we will put our daily emphasis.

How will we spend what we have? What areas of our life will we give more to than others? Will we spend generously with what we've been given or we will be miserly in our time and energy with other people? Our answers to these questions will determine our overall health, our rate of maturity, and the health of our relationships with those that are important to us. 

Kindness

My family and I have just returned from our annual vacation to the beach. It is a trip that we look forward to all year and wish that we could make more often, but time and resources inhibit the fulfillment of that desire.The trip actually isn't even possible without the incredibly generous kindness of good friends who allow us to stay in their condo each year. They bless us more than they know with the use of their home and their desire to share with us. It had me reflecting on the many people in our lives who show us incredibly generous love. I couldn't even begin to list all of them from just this calendar year. Suffice it say, I am blown away by how people care for us and their desire to show it in so many ways.

It's a good, good feeling to know that in spite of your many flaws we are loved deeply by the people around us--those in close proximity and those that will always be close to our hearts.

Failure of Nerve: Money Talk

This is part four of a series of blogs on failure of nerve. Click here to read the introduction blog.)

I love being generous. I enjoy treating my family and friends to meals, events, and gifts and watching their reactions and pleasure. We didn't have any expendable income when I was growing up so I'm sure that contributes to my desire to spoil those that I care about. My wife and I also love to be generous for the sake of God's Kingdom. We want to support missionaries, sponsor children, and contribute to the growth of our local church. It's a way to feel that our God-given resources are being used in a way that makes a difference that is bigger than we are. 

This wasn't always our mindset. Early in our marriage we were consumed with the next best thing and how we could enjoy something now by paying for it later. It led us down a nasty road of debt and poor financial management and constrained the freedom of our resources. We were also a one-income family after children arrived and had limited earning potential working in the school system. In the midst of an unbalanced checkbook we couldn't even see the possibility of giving generously for the cause of Christ. It was easier to put a $20 bill in the offering plate to appease temporary guilt than doing more and trusting God to cover the gap. 

It isn't an easy transition in the beginning, but a failure of nerve in our finances will never lead to a balanced budget. As difficult as it may seem at the start, we have to prayerfully commit to taking the first step of faith and giving to God's Kingdom work first. It might mean saying no to the newest outfit, car, dining experience or road trip, but it will bring deeper satisfaction when we see the impact we are having in lives beyond our own. Start trusting God with the management of your resources first instead of doing what we think is best and then asking Him to bless the decisions we made without His input in the first place. 

Doorkeeper

Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper 

in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. Psalm 84:10

Even though the action required to open a door may not seem like much, it takes a special spirit to do it right. It involves a genuine sense of humility that is reflected in the willingness to faithfully serve without seeking higher honor. This position requires a passion for people and for making them feel welcome. It takes devotion and a dedicated heart that is willing to do even the smallest task for the sake of a bigger cause. Most importantly, it reveals an intense love for God and a deep desire to share that truth with everyone who passes through that door.

I have had the tremendous pleasure of serving with a man who not only understood this calling, but lived it out through his generous spirit. Even as we celebrated his life today and grieved for our loss, we recognized how many lives were impacted by his simple yet intense desire to hold the door. Thank you for humbly leading the way my good friend. I'll look for you at the door in God's house when that time comes.

*The flowers pictured were placed at Henry Sheppard's door this weekend in honor of his incredible service & life model.*

Glimpse of Promise

As part of my whirlwind visit to Florida I stopped at Mainland High School today to visit friends & hopefully bring some encouragement. It never fails that as I intend to be a blessing to other people God finds a way to bless me.


In my friend Jamie's class he sells cookies for 50 cents to help raise money for the athletic training program. One of his freshman students came in and bought two as class began. About ten minutes later, he bought eight more and polished them all off. The appetite of a 14 year old freshman doesn't surprise me nor does the lack of spending awareness. It was his simple gesture at the end of the class period that touched me.


He came up and bought the last remaining cookie (after having eaten nine of them already) but he didn't intend to eat this one himself. I watched as he walked to the back of the room and handed it to a young man that I hadn't really noticed up to that point. There was no fanfare associated with it-just a simple gesture of compassion and sharing between two classmates.

It was genuinely heartwarming to watch this simple exchange. I was reminded again of how God works to shape hearts and reveal His love even through homemade chocolate chip cookies & the generosity of 14 year old classmates.

Living Generously

I've been blessed by the generosity of so many people in my life. I couldn't even begin to name all of them and would have a hard time just giving honor to those from this past year. Our lives have been drastically improved and blessed by friends, family, and strangers who have shown us kindness.

True generous living is more than just an act or an infrequent occurrence, it's a philosophy of existence. Most people tend to think of giving generously and how it applies to their finances. While this is an important part of it, a truly benevolent lifestyle involves other aspects of our lives. When we truly are motivated by the desire to bless others we will do so with our time, prayers, compassion, energy, and service as well. It is marked by a genuine concern for others and the realization that all of our resources, tangible and intangible, are given to us by God and intended to be used for His glory.

With that realization in mind, I question myself frequently about how I am stewarding what God has given to me. I believe that He strategically positions us where we are to make the most impact with our gifts. The willingness to be generous in our current time & place is a mark of obedience and a revealing of God's will for our lives.