4October2014 Eid Al Adha

A very common scene this week:  trucks loaded with sheep heading into the city.  Most of them will not make it through the weekend but will instead be sacrificed for Eid Al Adha. 

Some of the key indicators that Eid Al Adha is being observed this weekend.  There are sheep everywhere.  It's very reminiscent of Christmas tree lots springing up everywhere in the States the month before Christmas.  Two, there is a pronounced increase in the number of beggars asking for money at stoplights.  This is a time for charity so those in need are giving folks plenty of opportunities to give.  Three, the smell of blood is in the air.   Whenever you pass by a sheep pen you can literally smell the unmaskable ordor of blood.
As our neighbors commemorate Abraham's willingness to sacrifice "his son" and God's provision of a substitute, we pray they will come to know the Perfect Sacrifice, the Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world.

For more info about Eid Al Adha checkout this Wikipedia page and this article from Turkey. 

3October2014 Too Good Not to Share: Bitterness vs Thankfulness

Our friend, Maurice Ahern, posted this earlier in the week and it is just too good not to share:

"The primary way we grieve the Spirit in our lives is by fostering bitterness in our hearts." (R.T. Kendall, Total Forgiveness)

I read this tonight and was reminded of a good friend, Mike Pueppke, who lost his battle a while back to cancer. In the midst of his horrible suffering, Mike shared words with me that I will never forget. He said, "Maurice, I have learned the key to not being bitter is to be thankful." When he initially said that, I thought, "How could he be thankful, with all that is going on in his life?" But as I listened to him talk more, I realized the truth in his statement.

I believe we as human beings have a tendency to focus on the negative, on the things which seem unfair or hurtful. We tend to dwell on those things, and before we know it, those things begin to dominate our thought life. When someone has wronged us, we want to hurt them back. When something bad happens in our life, we want to blame others and even God. However, when we learn to truly forgive, when we learn to truly be thankful, something amazing starts to happens. Those areas of oppression begin to break down and the peace of God begins to fill our hearts and minds. We see the many things in our life and all around us with which we have been blessed. We see the person who has wronged us, as a person in need of mercy, just as we are.
As I write these words, I don't want to give off the impression that I practice this habitually. The brutal truth is that many times I fail in this area. But I can testify, that when I do practice forgiveness, and when I do focus on being thankful, my life is in much better state because it is being driven by a different heart and mind. If you also struggle in this area, stop focusing on the Why and begin focusing on the Who and What. Focus on Who God is and on What he has done for you in Christ and all that is promised you in Christ.