Kiera Lynn...

Photo by Rick Mouer

My beautiful niece...just one of the many things for which I am thankful. In fact, the blessings in my life surpass the ability of my brain the remember them all. My prayer today is that I would be a better steward of every good thing the Lord has given, including all the intangibles -- my buying power and the choices I make concerning the origin of goods that I purchase, my ability to create change, my ability to positively influence others and the choices I make concerning the use of my time.

Will you join me?

Help Maria Ruiz become a CNN Hero

Update: Voting has now closed. Tune into CNN at 9 ET/PT Thanksgiving night to see who America chose as CNN Hero of the Year.

Suffrage

I live in America
In strange ideas
In stranger times
I've no idea
What's right sometimes

-Sufjan Stevens, The Upper Peninsula [mp3]

I've come to believe in my short 33 years on this earth that the fate of our world lies less in the decision we make on a day such as this, and more in the decisions we make on a daily basis about how we choose to live our lives. And I'm not a model of a person making these daily decisions, but at least my eyes have been opened and I'm striving to make some necessary changes. So, "choose today whom you will serve...but as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord."

Related: How Shall We Then Vote?

"It's nothing. It's not even art."

The very first piece of original artwork that I ever purchased was a mixed media piece from Aaron Kraten titled Basic Facts. It's still one of my favorites -- it's just like the perfect mix of everything. Anyway...in this video he discusses, in the most humble way, his art and relays a great story about the first piece he ever sold.

Much Gratitude

Photo by Trey Ratcliff

When I moved into the Hershey area some 6 years ago to take my first job out of law school, I arrived with no local ties, save a suggestion that I try out the Hershey Free church. The church had a lot going for it at the time, but it was the sincere, Christ-centered sermons of its Senior Pastor, Dave Martin, that kept me there. To this day it is my home church.

Over the years I have been blessed to interact with Pastor Dave in a number of different situations, enough so that I was able to see his heart for the Lord in action and make an informed decision to trust his leading of the church. Even when I was called to serve in a Sunday evening service of the church's under the teaching of a different pastor, I was occassionally known to "sneak" into one of the morning services to hear the words given by the Lord to Pastor Dave that particular week.

This past Sunday, Pastor Dave stood before his sheep and delivered God's word to us for the last time as our Senior Pastor, after ministring for nearly 37 years in that role. Following the Lord's leading, he is moving on to explore various non-pastoral teaching and related work. Below are the final four sermons from a man after God's own heart; each of which presents the good news of our Saviour and lends further insight into the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven. "He who has ears, let him hear."

September 21, 2008 . Live In The Truth
September 28, 2008 . In Christ, With The Spirit
October 5, 2008 . Love Says It All
October 12, 2008 . In Everything, Gratitude

You can also download the sermons here. And by all means, if you are unable to download the sermons or access MP3 files, drop me an email or a comment with your name and address and I'll mail them out to you on CD at no cost. And I truly mean that.

For a friend

I was blessed by a friend yesterday as that person simply shared with me about their current life situation -- the hardships, struggles, glimpses of hope and a desire to honor God in the process. This person has no idea that I was so blessed. And how could they, for it was really the work of the Spirit in my own heart responding to their sharing. Nor does this person realize that they are actually "in chains for Christ" (as Paul described it in his letter to the followers of Jesus in Philippi).

My prayer today is that this child of God would hear the Father's call.

That they would know the Spirit's voice.

Audio«»Visual

Photo by Trey Ratcliff [Stuck in Customs, Flickr]

TV On The Radio . Halfway Home [follow link to mp3]

Deck of Jack

I had to post this...I just had to! A day in the life of a band so indie that no one even cares to blog about them." -Jim Shearer, Lead Singer/Guitarist of Deck of Jack

Lest we forget

Galveston Bible Church

PRAY.

GIVE.

SERVE.

GET INVOLVED

Aftermath

Floodwaters from Hurricane Ike in Orange, TX (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, Pool)

Words just escape me at the moment.

My heart is pulled in so many directions.

I sit here in my office on a beautiful Fall day reading an email about a sale at an online store I frequent and thinking about renovations to my own house, while other folks are just beginning the long process of rebuilding their lives some 1,400 miles away in hurricane-stricken parts of Texas and the Gulf Coast.

I've never really gotten involved in the politics that are a church denomination, but I must say that I see the work of God being done in the ministry of the EFCA's Crisis Response. The members of this ministry are sharing on-the-ground updates on their blog.

We must read these stories of basic survival in the aftermath of a storm like this.

We must come alongside and share the burden of these people.

We must be moved to action.