Matthew 10:8 – Freely you have received, freely give.

Is there a crazier juxtaposition in the world than Thanksgiving and Black Friday?  On the former day, we are encouraged to reflect on what we are thankful for, to enjoy what we have, and to develop an attitude of gratitude.  And then, millions of people set their alarms for some ridiculous hour so that they can push through the crowds the next morning in order to get the best deals on toys and goods for the holiday season.  In the blink of an eye, gratitude turns to covetousness; thanksgiving to full-blown consumerism. 

Now, I’m not saying that it’s necessarily a bad thing to go out this Friday and save money on gifts for the loved ones in your life.  I am saying, of course, what most of us know to be true, that the Christmas season has the frightening ability to inspire the worst in us – greed, the lust for that which we do not have, impatience with the traffic and crowds, and a general stress with the busyness of the season.  Thanksgiving may last for a day, but the feelings of gratitude can fade quickly in the bright lights of the holiday season.

So why not decide to take a different path this year?  Read more »

One of my favorite authors is a man named Donald Miller, who is best known for his 2003 book Blue Like Jazz.  Miller writes with wit, creativity, and disarming honesty in the style of a memoir, reflecting on his life and what he has learned about God and himself through his experiences.  Blue Like Jazz is currently in the process of being made into a movie, and Miller’s most recent book, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, is about what he learned about his life and God’s grand story while the screenwriters “edited his life” for the big screen.  His reflections on the boring, uninspired story he was living and the grand story of risk and adventure that God was calling him to live were fascinating to read, and really challenged me to reflect on the story I find myself in and to walk with faith and courage.  Let me share a few quotes from the book that really spoke to me:
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Today’s Pulse of NewLife is written by guest writer Anthony Varesio.  Anthony and his wife Carrie live in Glastonbury, and have been attending NewLife for about eight months.

Testimony of Gratitude

This past week I found myself in the hospital with a rather disconcerting medical situation.  As I lay in my cardboard hospital bed, attached to a rat’s nest of tubes and wires, I awaited for the revolving parade of various medical professionals to poke, prod, scan, and otherwise find ways to make my stay a “spa of discomfort”.   The spaces in-between offered time for me to sip on a brew of my family woes, financial challenges, the haunting of tasks and responsibilities that I inevitably must face and a myriad of other troubles that have been gnawing at me for some time.  I craftily created a cozy little hot tub of self-pity in which to bathe in.  Then my first hospital meal was served……. Read more »