Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.- Ephesians 4:32

There’s a story about a grandmother, celebrating her golden wedding anniversary, who told the secret of her long and happy marriage. She said, “On my wedding day, I decided to make a list of ten of my husband’s faults which, for the sake of marriage, I would overlook.”

A guest asked the woman what some of the faults she’d chosen to overlook were. The grandmother replied, “To tell you the truth, my dear, I never did get around to writing the list down. But whenever my husband did something that made me hopping mad, I’d say to myself, luckily for him that’s one of the ten!”

At some point, you’ll need to forgive virtually every person you know. Forgiveness is absolutely essential for the health and growth of any relationship. Jesus paid a price for our forgiveness, and He was clear in His teaching that we are to forgive others; that’s the price we pay to receive His forgiveness.

To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you. – C.S. Lewis

Blessings,

Chaplain Rob

“Each of you has received a gift to use to serve others. Be good servants of God’s various gifts of grace” (1 Peter 4:10 NCV).

To experience significance in life, you must serve with others in ministry. Ministry just means doing good to other people.

Significance does not come from status or a hood ornament on your car or a logo on your shirt. Significance does not come from a bigger salary.
Significance does not come from sex.

Significance comes from service. Significance comes when you start thinking about other people more than yourself and you give your life away. You cannot be selfish and significant at the same time.

The Bible says in 1 Peter 4:10, “Each of you has received a gift to use to serve others” (NCV).

The talents you were given are not for your benefit. God gave them to you for the benefit of the people around you. You are shaped for significance, and you find that significance by using your gifts and talents and abilities to serve other people.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 says, “Two people are better than one, because they get more done by working together. If one falls down, the other can help him up. But it is bad for the person who is alone and falls, because no one is there to help. If two lie down together, they will be warm, but a person alone will not be warm. An enemy might defeat one person, but two people together can defend themselves; a rope that is woven of three strings is hard to break” (NCV).

You’re not meant to serve God by yourself. You’re meant to serve God on a team. You’re meant to serve God in a family, in a small group, in a church. You’re meant to serve God in relationship.

We’re better together!

Blessings,

Chaplin Rob

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.  – 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Recently I have been dealing with a number of disappointments. Nothing huge just everyday issues that have come up. With these in mind I wrote today’s thought for the day. I hope it helps you reading it as much as it has helped me writing it.

Sometimes, in the crush of everyday living, we simply don’t stop long enough to pause and thank our Creator for the countless blessings He has bestowed upon us. We go from one project to another with little time to stop. We are always on to the next project, the next thing, the next moment.

It is only when we slow down and express our gratitude to the One who made us, we enrich our own lives and the lives of those around us.
Thanksgiving should become a habit, a regular part of our daily routines. God has blessed us beyond measure, and we owe Him everything, including our eternal praise.

As Christians we are called to give thanks in all the things. Not just the good things, not just some things but ALL things.

Are you a thankful person?

Do you appreciate the gifts that God has given you? And, do you demonstrate your gratitude by being a faithful steward of the gifts and talents that you have received from your Creator?

You most certainly should be thankful. After all, when you stop to think about it, God has given you more blessings than you can count. So the question of the day is this: will you thank your Heavenly Father . . . or will you spend your time and energy doing other things that seem important today but maybe not eternally?

We ought to give thanks for all fortune: if it is good, because it is good, if bad, because it works in us patience, humility, and the contempt of this world along with the hope of our eternal country. – C. S. Lewis

Blessings,

Chaplin Rob