Cultivate Thankfulness

Good morning, Loved Ones,

Welcome to Wednesday. Your passage for the day . . .

Colossians 3:12-17 (The Message)

^12-14So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It's your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.

^15-17Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.

The thankfulness I cultivate today . . .

. . . the canceling of a political rally at a local Christian University. The rally was not consistent with the values of the passage above and the president of the University changed his mind and canceled an event that would have brought dissension and hate to our community. Thanks be to God for an administrator who listens.

. . . the opportunity for training which will come to our elders this Saturday and over the next 3 months. This training should help us to be in tune and in step with each other.

. . . three beautiful days of day camp. This tradition of 30+ years has not grown old or stale. For Lone Pine shelter, circles of songs, stories and prayers, swimmers and keep away games, smores and hot dogs and watermelon, soccer and kickball, hikes and buses . . .

. . . the last 4 weeks of a church bursting at the seams with activity, children and youth.

. . . the perfect storm of rainy day + work at home + Tour de France in the morning + World Cup Germany v France in the afternoon + prayer group at Pastor Alfonso's in the evening = "Happy, happy, joy, joy!"

Gimme cinco!
Pastor Rick