1 out of 10 People
September 1, 2010
1 out of 10 PeopleGratitude can change your life. An attitude of gratitude has been linked to many positive side-effects, including emotional and physical health improvement. Yet, for something that potentially can make such a difference, gratitude is unusually rare. Take, for example, the story of Jesus and the 10 lepers in Luke 17. Rather than take a detour around Samaria, as most devout Jews did (Samaritans were considered inferior by devout Jews because they were ethnically mixed), Jesus went due south - right through it - on His way to Jerusalem. As if He weren't already breaking enough cultural norms, Jesus also did the unthinkable by engaging a group of lepers seeking to be healed. According to the law of Moses, lepers were unclean. They were outcasts that were to be kept in isolation from the rest of society. If you had contact them, you too, would become "unclean" (Leviticus 13). According to their united plea "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!," Jesus healed all 10 of the lepers that day. Ten terminal cases of leprosy became 10 amazing stories of unheard of, miraculous recovery. Each of those men received a new lease on life and were able to re-enter the society that had ostracized them. Finally, they would be to embrace their wives again, and play with their children. No longer would they have to endure the humiliation of shouting "unclean" to warn people of their presence. They had asked for mercy and had received it abundantly. Yet, only one of the former-lepers returned to say thanks. Only one of them, a Samaritan, expressed gratitude to Jesus for what He had done. He "with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks." (v. 15-16). Why only him? Maybe the rest were eager to get on with their lives and didn't have time. Maybe they had an attitude of entitlement, thinking Jesus was supposed to heal them. Maybe it just never occured to them to say thanks. I find at aleast a couple of points to this story. One, gratitude is a good thing. Two, gratitude is an exceptional attitude and seldomly found. They say that when a feeling is expressed, it is amplified. If you express anger, you get angrier. If you express gratitude, you become more grateful. Today I am reminded of the power of expressing gratitude...of saying thanks to God for all that He is and has done and thanks to the people in my life for being who they are and doing what they do. There are some "1 out of 10 persons" statistics that I don't want to be a part of, like "1 out of 10 people is allergic to peanut butter." I do, however, want to be 1 out of 10 people who says "Thank you" when "Thank you" is due. So, thank God. And, thank you. Dave They
Team World Vision
August 27, 2010
Join my Team!It has been a full summer for my family. Due to a busy travel schedule and lots of life events, we have been on the move. In the midst of all this activity, I have been training for the Chicago Marathon - a running 26.2 mile tour of the Windy City! Running a marathon has been on my list of things to do for a couple of years, since the black day that I turned 40. I signed up back in the springtime and my training has been coming along pretty well, so there's no turning back now. I'm actually having a lot of fun - in a painful sort of way. I will do an 18 mile training run on Monday...thank the Lord for ibuprofen! Rather than just running a marathon to say that I did, I thought it would add meaning if I ran for a worthy cause. So, I have hooked up with Team World Vision and will attempt to raise $500 in partnership with them. World Vision is an outstanding organization that has been ministering to the poor and needy around the world in Jesus' Name for a long time. I'm sure you have heard of them. The proceeds that I help raise will go toward providing clean water and other basic necessities for children in Africa. No one does this better than World Vision. You can check them out at http://www.worldvision.org/#/home/main/disastrous-flooding-pakistan-1-1221 My desire to contribute was accentuated by my recent trip to Ethiopia, where I got to spend several days at an orphanage. Getting to meet children like Tariku (see pic on my TeamWorld Vision page) marked me for life. I know World Vision is making a difference. Our hostess in Ethiopia was a woman by the name of Birtukan. Several years ago she founded a non-profit ministry called Yezelalem Minch, which feeds hundreds of orphans in Addis Ababa every week. The amazing thing is that when Birtukan was a little girl, she was a sponsored child - through World Vision. She says her life was forever changed when she received a letter from her sponsor which read "I am a crippled man and I do not have much money. However I have a strong love for you and that is why I intend to help you. This is my pleasure." Because of this man's compassion, Birtukan was inspired to do something in return. Today she is a beautiful example of the potential of one simple gift. So, on little Tariku's behalf, I am running the Chicago Marathon as part of Team World Vision. Will you join me? Don't worry, I'll do the running. You can pray. You can donate a gift if possible. And we'll do this as a team. To donate or learn more, go to the Team World Vision link at the bottom of our church homepage, just below the blog section. "Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit the orphans and widows in their trouble..." James 1.27 Running with you, Dave
The Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony
August 12, 2010
 Tawnia and I recently had the opportunity to visit Ethiopia with our dear friends, Ray and Natalie Bridwell, who are adopting a lovely Ethiopian baby, Malah. Although Ethiopia is a land of “extreme poverty,” our lives were extremely enriched as a result of our experience there. It’s true, we in the west have much more than they do in terms of material things, but in other ways they are the wealthy ones.
While there we learned that one of Ethiopia’s most precious commodities is coffee. Coffee is a vital part of the Ethiopian culture – economically and socially - and as a dedicated drinker of java, that made me feel right at home! Due to a great mix of environmental conditions, they grow tons of wonderfully tasting coffee, which is exported all over the world (look for it next time you are at Starbucks). But by no means is coffee Ethiopia’s only commodity. There is something else that they have of great value that I wish they could export. It is called community. Ethiopians do life together. For example, in what they call “the coffee ceremony” they get together as family/friends every day over coffee, sometimes as often as three times. While everyone gathers in a circle talking and listening about what’s going on in their lives, one designated woman carefully prepares the coffee. This barista does it all, from roasting the raw beans over coals, to grinding, boiling, and then pouring it in the little cups. Meanwhile, each person takes in the sensuous experience as the coffee is prepared – the “pops” of the beans as they roast, the color of the bean changing from green to dark brown, and, of course, the very strong aroma of freshly-roasted coffee beans. It is awesome! Our hostess told us that there is virtually no mental anguish in Ethiopia, because of the time they spend together. They cannot afford medications for depression or anxiety, but they don’t need them. If someone has a problem, they share it with others. It seems to be a great example of Galatians 6:2 - "Bear one anther's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ." I could not help but think of the contrast that this is to the rugged individualism of our country. Rather than taking the risk of living in close community with others, we often isolate ourselves, to our own detriment. God said right up front “It is not good for man to be alone.” (Genesis 2.18) Just as He lives in the community of the Holy Trinity – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – God intends for us to live in close communion with others. I love Ethiopian coffee. I brought some home in a bag. But I loved the coffee ceremony and what it represents even more. If only you put that in a bag… Blessings, Dave
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