The speaker shared how he was looking back on the manuscripts of some of his old sermons and discovered something about himself. The way that he spoke of his times spent with God during the early years of his ministry was filled with intimacy and urgency. He asked himself the question, “Is it possible that I  could have enjoyed Jesus more then than I do now!?”

The speaker then began to challenge the room full of pastors and ministers to recall the joy that was present at the beginning of their ministries. He talked about how criticism and hard days of ministry had stolen the smiles and laughter from so many serving the Lord in vocational ministry. You could just feel the connection of the men and women in the room to the words that the speaker was sharing. He talked about how so often, we recall how thankful we are that we are not the same person that we used to be before Christ redeemed our lives. But sometimes, we lose sight of some of the good things that were there in our earlier years. Maybe we were more willing to speak the truth candidly without shying away in fear of judgement or criticism. Maybe we dedicated more time to study of the word and prayer than completing tasks and just being busy.

As I was remembering his words today, I thought it might be helpful to share them with you. Maybe you are experiencing the reality of this in your life and ministry. Maybe you’re recognizing that you need to pray to the Lord to “restore the joy of your salvation.” There is joy in His presence. There is peace and rest there. The gospel satisfies and our work doesn’t earn His favor. If it’s not you, maybe you know someone that needs to be encouraged by these words today!

Because I love to stay connected through the blog, let me attempt to explain my 2 week hiatus from writing. The past couple of weeks have been challenging, exciting and full! Both my wife and I were hit with a serious flu bug that knocked us down for a few days. In the midst of that, I was doing some traveling and speaking. On top of serving in Richmond, I really had to focus on some other writing to meet a goal that was set before me. This leads me to what I’m thankful for today…

I’m thankful for my first published work!

I think that anyone that knows me knows I love to chat with people about Jesus. One of the things that has been in my heart and mind for a while has been the way evangelism has become so formulaic. It just seemed to me that as I studied the scriptures and looked at the instruction given to us by Jesus and the apostles, that it was time for me to look at the call to “go and tell” through fresh lenses. I had been developing some thoughts on sharing the gospel to talk about with the folks at Living Hope in Richmond when I reconnected with the folks from Abingdon Press. We had been chatting for a while about the prospect of working together in some capacity. Turned out, they were developing a bible study curriculum and the work on sharing the gospel would fit with what they were looking for!

I, by no means, find myself to be an authority on the subject. I am extremely humbled by the opportunity to share my thoughts through this medium. I have been developing a passion for writing and I love to simply be a part of the conversation. I never, EVER, thought that I’d have something that was published and for sale on Amazon! I will use this encouragement to continue to write and see what the Lord wants to do with it!

What are you thankful for today?

This week, I’m thankful for the bible.

Life can get pretty intense at times. There are seasons when it is hard to feel settled and solidified in direction. So much may be happening that it feels chaotic. These times may be good or bad, but in the midst of them we long for a sense of connection, to feel as though we know how to move forward. These seasons of life have amplified my appreciation for the word of God. I feel as though I’m wandering when I’m not connected to the scriptures.

I love the imagery used to describe God’s word in Psalm 119:104-105 which says:

Through your precepts I get understanding;
therefore I hate every false way.
Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.
(Psalm 119:104-105 ESV)

The benefit of having a lamp by your feet is that it will show you what you will possibly trip over en route to your destination. It is also a huge blessing to have a light to your path to show you where to go and to help you to navigate the twists and turns. The bible provides both for us!

What are you thankful for today?

There is a very insightful article on Relevant‘s website that speaks to the danger in the approach many of us take to documenting our lives through social media outlets. Obviously, I’m not against social media (It’s probably the venue that led you to reading these words) but I love the insights many people have toward “redeeming the medium”.

Many individuals that I’ve spoken to have expressed the “freedom” and “stress-free” feelings that have come with giving up certain social media ties. One of the things that people have expressed to me as a difficulty when engaging in Twitter, Facebook or Instagram is that it doesn’t seem like real life. People have expressed that as others put their “best foot forward” on these sites, it creates animosity, jealousy and depression in their hearts.

I’ve found that social media has been a fun and healthy supplement for me since I’ve taken the approach of treating it like a journal, of sorts. As we know, a journal doesn’t only contain the beautiful but the broken as well. A journal is where the exceptional and the average converge as a part of one life. I love to take photos with my iPhone so Instagram is probably my favorite social site to use to do this. One really fun and honest way that I’ve found to document my life in a technology-based social way is through an app call One Second Everyday. It allows you to select one second of every day and create a compilation of those instances that cause you to remember that day going forward. Here’s an example from the last two weeks…

I just wanted to encourage you to be honest with yourself about the place social media has in your life. If it is causing more stress or harm in your life than good, maybe it is best to disconnect and assess your engagement with it. There are, though, some great ways we can allow it to be a fun supplement to our lives!

There is no question that over the course of my life, I have acted in ways and made decisions that have required the forgiveness of others. As I look back and think through some of the major areas of my life that required this type of grace, it was granted to me. I think we all have life situations that we think back on and wish that we had operated differently in. I’m thankful for friends, coworkers, teammates and others that have looked back and granted forgiveness.

In particular, I am continually humbled by the forgiveness granted to me by my mother and father. As a child, into my teen years, I had a lot of pent up anger, hurt and sadness as a result of my life circumstances. I allowed those emotions to affect my relationships with others, especially my mom and dad. I was short, disobedient and disrespectful to them both on many occasions, mainly because I didn’t know how to properly deal with the hurt I experienced. As I got older and realized the ultimate grace and forgiveness that was granted me by Jesus, I realized the err of my ways. I asked their forgiveness, and they gave it to me. I don’t deserve it, but they gave it. What a picture of love.

Grace and forgiveness is available. This led me to the ability to forgive others, as well. Maybe you’re needing forgiveness today. It’s available. Maybe you need to forgive someone today. You can do it.

Any great stories of forgiveness come to mind for you?

Due to both circumstances beyond my control and questionable decisions I made, I had an interesting family life while growing up. I didn’t experience a great amount of connectivity with my family.

As a result of God’s grace, He has redeemed that experience for me. He has provided men and women in my life that have been spiritual mothers and fathers for me. He has provided countless younger and older brothers and sisters that have loved and encouraged me unconditionally.

He provided a HUGE, loving family for me when I married my bride. He has restored my relationship with my beautiful mother, and has increased my loved for my father. I continually pray for my brother and his children.

God is a redeemer. He has redeemed family for me. If you are in a situation in which your family life isn’t exactly one that causes you to feel thankful, trust that God can indeed restore it.

Are you thankful today?

Derived from the Latin word mandatum, meaning “commandment,” Maundy refers to the commands Jesus gave his disciples at the Last Supper: to love with humility by serving one another and to remember his sacrifice. This is certainly what I’m thankful for today. I pray that I can obey these commands and be salt and light on earth.

Are you thankful during this Holy Week?

What’s inspiring you these days?

Keas Keasler – Pastor. Theologian. DJ.

Miami Beach.

Rhythm Church – Public Worship.

Wynwood. Miami Vice status.

A tree in South Miami. Romans 1:20

Wynwood. The colors are rediculous!

I’m thankful for the beauty of nature and outdoor environments. For a long time, I feel like I didn’t properly appreciate nature and it’s beauty. Growing up in more of an urban setting, I didn’t really enjoy the outdoors. I had always been more relaxed walking around a city for a day than spending time in a cabin in the woods. As I have continued to grow, my appreciation for outdoor spaces has grown immensely. I’ve been able to find rest and a reflection of God’s glory in His creation on earth. Seeing the beauty in the diversity of landscapes around the country as I have traveled has been amazing.

What are you thankful for today?