Small Things Matter

Small things matter. How we respond to the small things determines how we respond to the big things.

The Song of Songs says, "Catch the little foxes".

Jesus said, "He who is faithful with little will be faithful with much".

"If you mind your pennies, your dollars will take care of themselves."

But, what are the small things? Well, for me, it's a small thing to wash the dishes for my wife. It's a small thing to spend some time playing with my sons. And yet, these are the things that I often feel like are interruptions to the more important things, like watching a movie, reading the bible, or praying.

Henri Nouwen once said, "I used to get upset and frustrated at interruptions to my work; then, one day, I realized that the interruptions were my work."

Thank you, Lord. Forgive me for refusing the small things, for not seeing your divine provision and will therein. Make me like you...a Lover obsessed with the small things.

Wisdom from the Fathers

St. Augustine, speaking of a martyr: "And as many sufferings as he endured before he died for Christ, so many offerings did he make of himself unto Christ".

My sufferings are silly when compared to torture and martyrdom; and yet, for one so weak in faith and love, they are true sufferings. Sadly, however, I fail even in such small things. When my sons clamor incessantly for my undivided attention; when someone is on "my last nerve"; when my wife gets irritated at me and throws me that look; when things simply do not go the way I want them to - I fail to make an offering of myself unto Christ. Instead, I scream and kick, scratch and claw, bitch and moan, all for the sake of keeping my own "life"; and in so doing, I forfeit the glory that Jesus wants to give me within the trial, the suffering, the ordinary.
May the Lord forgive me, create in me a clean heart, and renew a right spirit within me. And He will - for even when I am faithless, He remains faithful. Amen.

Christmas Day

This is the most amazing day. On this day, millions celebrate the Incarnation: Almighty, Uncreate God takes on human form, beginning on the most minute level, and journeys among us. Although He was God and never less than God, He chose to live as man, as if He were never more than man. He became as we are, so that we may be as He is. The Incarnation is Holy God taking fallen, scarred humanity into a passionate, love embrace, and saying to us, "I LOVE YOU! Marry Me. Be My bride."


Say yes.

Merry Christmas!

Could It Be...?

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes...for in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith" (Romans 1:16-17, NASB).

Could it be that the reason we experience so little of the power of God is because we've embraced so little of His gospel? Or, could it be because we've not recognized what the power of God is given for? I'm not talking about "miracles, signs and wonders" power; I'm referring to the power to just live the gospel in the daily, mundane routine of life. However, perhaps the reason we see so little of the "signs and wonders" is for the same reason: we've embraced so little of the gospel.

The Good News of God, according to the verses above, is: 1) for salvation - not just getting man out of hell and into heaven (although that's wonderfully true), but in getting God out of Heaven and back into man; and 2) the righteousness of God being revealed. Where? In us. Through us. How? By faith; "from faith to faith".

The power of God is given primarily for the purpose of revealing His righteousness in us and through us, enabling us to live the gospel of the Kingdom here and now, to walk in the very likeness of Christ. May we all embrace all of the gospel and walk as He walks, revealing His righteousness. Amen.