Ministry in Motion

Friendsgiving  is a mashup of the word “friend” and “thanksgiving” referring to a shared meal among friends, during the Thanksgiving season. The word is said to have first appeared around 2007 as an informal replacement for the holiday typically spent with family. Traditions change. Maybe friends are the new extended family.   The topic of authentic relationships deserves much more attention than it gets, or than I'm giving it today. Our social connections can have a huge impact on our ability to navigate life’s journey and challenges. Truth be told and over the years, if you’re like me, you’ve known and met oodles of people. However, a few may have, and continue to have, a profound impact on your story. So now, as I clear my throat, let the sentimentality commence: Dear friends, This isn’t going to be a really long thank you note. It’s length and order says nothing about my depth of appreciation for you. But during this season of thankfulness I wanted to say publicl

Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.  Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires.  Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on  their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. Sincerely,  The Apostle James  (1 : 19, 20 & 26) Fiery Speech You probably know the pain of regretting words you have spoken. A slip of the tongue can cause problems   — why did I just say that? No matter how religious we think you are, one true litmus test of our spirituality is whether we bridle our tongues or not. If we’re breathing out fiery hurtful words, and we aren’t controlling our tongues, we are not operating at a mature Godly level. Our words indicate what’s in our hearts. May only blessings come from your mouth, birthed from a pure heart and a kind tongue — tamed by prayer and by the very presence of the Holy Ghost, Amen… #Pkes

Quiet, Pipe down, Put a sock in it   Silence belongs to an earlier age. Ours is an age of noise. To listen is very hard. For many, me included if I’m not careful, it takes an concerted effort to listen more and speak less. Attentiveness asks that we still ourselves and aggressively practice an inner stability that says I no longer need to prove myself by words, speeches or arguments; by making accurate or even a profound statements. True listeners don’t have to verbally make their presence known. Accomplished listeners are free to receive, welcome and accept. God’s Silence Is Biblical, Personal, Common, and Not Always a Bad Thing Sometimes God is confidently and auspiciously quiet. The Psalmist penned: O God of my praise, Do not be silent! Often the Eternal doesn't give us more explanations or verbiage. He knows we don't need more words of instruction. Rather His silence is deafening and intimate at the same time. "When you cannot hear God," say

Think of a situation as an adult when you felt afraid,  yet chose to face your fear. I have a habit of engaging people I don't know. Weird. I’m far from being an extrovert. Just the opposite. As an Enneagram four with a five wing I’m more of a deep-thinker with a desire for personal autonomy and self-expression. Regardless, Tony was sitting next to me at the auto repair shop. We got to chatting and I asked his opinion about a sermon I was writing on courage. He shared his definition of courage with me: “The bravery to do something you know you ought to do” How would you define courage?   Courage , it’s an interesting thing. Courage isn’t something you ‘have’ or even what you ‘are.’ It’s what you choose to practice. Courage doesn’t always look just like bravery and fearlessness. It often looks like sweaty palms, wobbling knees and a quavering voice. It can look like second guessing yourself, battling anxiety and feeling the overwhelming urge to hide back in the shado

"No one showed me what I ought to do,” wrote St Francis. Towards the end of his life of devotion and insight he said, “I have done what is mine to do; may Christ teach you what is yours!”   What permission, freedom, and space Francis gave; so much to take advantage of; so little time to ponder and lament; so little time to act. Sometimes, it feels as if the world is calling on us to do way too much. What’s ours to do? There’s an old adage that says something along the lines of: you can do anything you put your mind to—but it doesn’t mean that we should.   Discernment is the ability to obtain and sometimes make sharp perceptions; to judge well; the quality of being able to grasp and comprehend what is obscure.This astuteness can be  psychological  or  moral , even spiritual in nature. The New Testament (NT) Greek defines discernment as   Diakrisis .  The meaning describes being able to distinguish, judge or appraise a person, statement, situation, or environment.