I’ve discovered a website dedicated to thanksgiving . . . not Thanksgiving, the holiday, but thanksgiving, the practice of expressing gratitude. Thanking of You provides a platform for people to say “thank you” to a wide variety of people for a wide variety of blessings. Here are a couple of examples: Thanks for a Teaching in Virginia Beach, Virgina Mrs Smith You are an amazing teacher Thanks for all your hard work, dedication and patience Here’s to you and for... Read more
Part 7 of series: Thanksgiving: Not Just a Day, But a Season Want a Happier, Healthier Life? Then Be Thankful! Now, I know this sounds like pop psychobabble. But, in fact, serious research suggests that expressing gratitude for your blessings will, indeed, help you to be both happier and healthier. Among the studies that demonstrate this connection, one is described in an article from the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. In “Counting Blessings Versus Burdens: An Experimental Investigation of... Read more
Make a Joyful Symphony to Christ the King Psalm 98:1-9 Sing your praise to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and melodious song, with trumpets and the sound of the ram’s horn. Make a joyful symphony before the LORD, the King! Psalm 98:5-6 Today is a special holiday in the Christian year (sometimes called the liturgical year or the church year). It is Christ the King Sunday. This holiday is not as well-known as other celebrations such as... Read more
The Los Angeles Times reports that, after months of rumors and lots of battles in bankruptcy court, it has now been decided that the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange will purchase the Crystal Cathedral for a tidy sum of $57.5 million. This sale is the result of the financial failure of the Crystal Cathedral and Robert Schuller’s Hour of Power television program. Just over a year ago, the Crystal Cathedral filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, acknowledging that it was... Read more
Part 6 of series: Thanksgiving: Not Just a Day, But a Season Thankful for the Beauty of Nature in Autumn On a recent trip to New York City, I joined my son, Nathan, for a walk/hike through Van Cortland Park. This park of more than 1,000 acres is in the northwest Bronx. It’s accessible from Manhattan by subway. And, though it isn’t far away from civilization, Van Cortland Park offers some restful, beautiful woodland paths. Today, I’m thankful for the... Read more
During a recent sojourn to New York, I noticed this sign in Terminal 3 of JFK airport. I don’t know about you, but I fear there’s a bit of ambiguity here. I’m pretty sure the sign actually means: “Pet Relief Area: go downstairs and outside of the building.” But it seems to me that someone might take the sign to say: “Pet Relief Area: Right down here on the floor.” I was glad to see that no pets had actually... Read more
Part 5 of series: Thanksgiving: Not Just a Day, But a Season In Your Celebration of Thanksgiving, Don’t Miss Jesus In today’s blog post, I want to share with you a short, online meditation, a little sermon, if you will. It is based on one of the more familiar and beloved passages of Scripture, the story of the healing of the lepers in Luke 17:11-19. Scripture Passage: Luke 17:11-19 On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region... Read more
Part 4 of series: Thanksgiving: Not Just a Day, But a Season A Season of Thanksgiving: Be Sure to Thank People Too! I’ll never forget something I heard at the baccalaureate service that was part of my graduation from college. As I sat in the Memorial Church of Harvard University, the President of Radcliffe College (part of Harvard) said something like, “The baccalaureate service is a traditional ceremony of thanks and praise.” Wow, I thought, that’s surprisingly good! But then... Read more
Discovering Advent: How to Experience the Power of Waiting on God at Christmastime tells the story of my personal discovery of Advent, something Christians have been celebrating for centuries, but which has been a relatively new addition to my life. As I share my story, I explain the meaning, traditions, and purpose of Advent. I suggest ways you can grow closer to God in Advent as you wait upon him. I also deal with specific questions such as: Is Advent... Read more
Mark D. Roberts
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In
Before You Think Too Highly of Yourself . . . Think Again!
The news has been buzzing recently with sad scandals. Presidential hopeful Herman Cain has been accused by several women of sexually inappropriate advances. Beloved football coach, Joe Paterno, believed to be a bastion of integrity in the ethically-compromised world of college football, appears not to have responded adequately when one of his coaches was alleged to have engaged in sex abuse of a child. Admittedly, Cain and Paterno look pretty bad, not to mention many of the authorities at Penn... Read more