Monthly Archives: November 2019

Today is C. S. Lewis’s birthday.

He was born in 1898 in Belfast and named Clive Staples. He didn’t like Clive and took the nickname Jack when he was a boy.

No one since Paul has informed me more than this thinker and writer. I’m so grateful to God for what he did through Lewis.

I don’t have a favorite quote, I have about a hundred of ’em.

But near the top of my list would be “aim at heaven, get earth thrown in, aim at earth, and get neither” it’s from memory and from _Mere Christianity_ but may not be exactly right. That book, by the way, is the most influential non-biblical book written, in my opinion.

Thanks be to God for creating and using this man.

Today is Thanksgiving in the US. Two thoughts: 1) there are many out there who cannot celebrate today as most of us will. They are abroad because they have chosen to serve. Not just those stationed overseas in the military, I missed four Thanksgivings in the 70s while in the Air Force, two in Okinawa and two in Korea. Our Thanksgiving consisted of turkey and fixin’s in the chow hall. That was pretty much it for those four, so thank God today for those men and women who are in harm’s way as they are overseas today in the military. BUT, those servants are not all that I have in mind. For there are myriad servants who have followed a calling to serve abroad as, what we have always called, missionaries. Today, the vast majority of them will think of Thanksgiving but because they are abroad, they will go to work and school as usual because once outside the US, today is, well, it’s just Thursday. Many of them will celebrate on Saturday, either this coming or last. Because where they serve today is, it’s just Thursday. But that brings me to my next point. 2) It’s Thursday, and like every day of the week, of every week, of every month, we need to cultivate gratitude. Let’s be thankful y’all. Every day.

Everyone is interesting if you will ask good questions about their story.

Recently a teacher gave a sketch of his development as a praying person: helpless, work and love. Here’s how I illustrate them:

Helpless – “Oh God help me!”

Work – “O Lord, I obediently come to you.”

Love – “Compassionate, merciful and loving Father, I thank you for your presence when I sit, as I go, and when I stumble. I praise you for you kindness in bringing me to yourself. May I love you more and more so that as you fill me I may serve you with a full heart.”

Certainly, we are often helpless. Sometimes prayer is a duty. But through duty we can find delight, and a growing love for the Father. May our love grow so that we agree with the psalmist:

Here’s the sermon by Tim Keller.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/timothy-keller-sermons-podcast-by-gospel-in-life/id352660924?i=1000452163967