Happy New Year!

from Life Discovery Ministries

Dear Friends,   For many of us it seems like the New Year is a time of reflection. We go back over our past year to re-live the highlights...and often the low points, too. Either way, we strive to make sense of the events of our lives and put them in the proper perspective. I have found that an "attitude of gratitude" helps in times like these. I recently read an article about Rabbi Henry Glazer. Rabbi Glazer always knew something was missing in his relationship with God. One day, while lifting his prayer shawl over his head, he just began sobbing. He says he felt the overwhelming need to say to God, "Thank you, thank you, thank you. I wanted to say 'thank you' for just being alive." It was a turning point in his life. Shortly after that experience Rabbi Glazer launched an online blog about gratefulness and wrote a book titled I Thank, Therefore I Am: Gateways to Gratefulness. He says his journey toward developing a grateful heart has given him a greater calm and a sense of security, optimism and hopefulness. "Gratitude," he writes, "allows you to say, 'Life is a gift.'" Research backs that up. Experts say that gratitude is a powerful emotion that makes us feel more connected to the people we love. It helps us maintain a positive outlook; it can transform our lives because it causes us to takes the focus off ourselves. The good news is that to be grateful is a choice we get to make every day, and it is not based on what is going on around us. The apostle Paul says to the Thessalonians, "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." I Thes. 5:16 No, gratitude has little to do with our circumstances; it is a mindset - a way of viewing the world. Gratitude is a prerequisite for joy. It creates a heart that is open, generous, and free to love. And it is the will of our Father that we are grateful. Why not make a conscious decision this year to practice gratitude? (Now that is a good New Years Resolution.) My friend, Paul, told me today that he encourages people to put gratefulness into action so it doesn't just stay inside us. He thinks we should write a note or card to express gratitude to those who have touched our lives. It makes the gratitude "live." I think that's cool. So I say to you, Thank You for being a part of this Life Discovery community! Your love, participation, support and prayers mean so much. You are my community, and I am enriched through having the chance to serve you and to work alongside you as we serve others.

With gratitude & thanks,

Greg

Life Discovery

Generosity of Heart

"Thanks be to God for his Indescribable Gift!"   ~Paul~ II Corinthians 9:15

We talk a lot about gifts this time of year. We all know people who love to give. If we're lucky we are on their Christmas list! (Just kidding.) It's more than the gifts they give. I think people who love to give have a generosity of heart and spirit that we can see and feel. There's something joyous about them, whether their gifts are big or small. There's a feeling of openness and freedom, like they're not holding on so tightly. A generous heart is not just for some, however; it is what God longs to create in each of us. We're all supposed to be givers. Yes, I'm talking about money; I'm also talking about our spiritual gifts, our time, our talents. And there's more. "Give, and it will be given to you..." (Luke 6:38) is not a dangling carrot or a coercion on God's part as some would have us believe. It is a powerful statement of what happens inside of us when we give generously without regret or expectation. It is meant to open up our hearts. It puts us on a path to live larger with our arms open wider. It is a work of God in us, and it is good. The apostle Paul said, "God loves a cheerful giver." (II Cor. 9:7) But which comes first, the giving or the cheerfulness? And how can we be expected to have a giving heart when finances are tight and we're barely holding on as it is? One way to start is by practicing gratitude. You see, a generous heart is a grateful heart. They go hand in hand. We'll talk about that next time. God - at work in us,  Greg

Rekindling the Light

Sympathy sees and says, "I'm sorry." Compassion sees and says, "I'll help." ~unknown~

This week we had our annual "thank you" Christmas luncheon for our spiritual care volunteers at the hospital. The room was packed as I watched an elderly gentleman head for the buffet. He was bent over and could barely stay standing as he made his way through the crowd. And he was one of the dedicated volunteers! I found myself overwhelmed by this huge roomful of generous, compassionate people - all of whom have their own inner and outer handicaps -  who have chosen to give of themselves so that a stay in the hospital can be a little more comfortable for others. Surely they have other concerns: other things to do and other places to go. But they come, week after week, bringing small acts of service with a big heart, shining their light into dark places, and that is creating something extraordinary. We, in this small ministry called Life Discovery, have hearts that desire to serve. We cannot do everything; but we can all do something. We can all be a light for someone when we choose to hear and obey that still, small whisper from God that says, "Call. Go. Reach out." The famous Albert Schweitzer once said, "Sometimes our light goes out, but is blown into flame by another human being. Each of us owes deepest thanks to those who have rekindled this light." This holiday season, why not thank someone whose kindness has rekindled your light and hope? It may be the very best Christmas gift you could ever give. Peace & Light, Greg

Experiencing Transformation

"And the LIGHT shines on in the darkness, And the darkness has NEVER overcome it."  John 1:5

Friends, With the holidays fast approaching it seems like we all have too much to do! But no matter how busy Jesus was, he always took time to leave the crowds and be with his father. Wouldn't it be good for us to do the same? I want to take a minute to mention a couple of things we talked about Monday night about studying scripture. As I said, the purpose of studying the Bible is not to amass information, but to experience inner transformation. There are four steps involved when studying scripture: Repetition - bringing our attention repeatedly to the subject matter Concentration - centering and focusing our minds to learn Comprehension - understanding what we are studying Reflection - making what we learned an inner reality None of these elements are enough when operating alone. Repetition changes our habits; concentration centers our attention; comprehension leads to insight and discernment; reflection defines the significance of what we are learning as it is applies to us. When we commit ourselves to studying the Bible we see things in a new way. Jesus spoke about "he who has eyes to see." When we  pray that God will open our eyes a strange thing happens: instead of centering on our own opinions we begin to see things from God's perspective. And that, good people, is transforming! Greg