The power in thank you

I have traveled all over the world and have logged 1000's of miles on airlines. I have witnessed some of the poorest conditions known to mankind up close. I once landed in an airport in Saigon Vietnam and was greeted by a small handwritten sign with the name Brown on it by a taxi driver. I have stood in lines to obtain Visas for many countries.

I have had flight attendants say hello and goodbye in many different languages. I have been greeted by people of all races and religions. I have been invited to a wedding in the middle of a jungle and have been blessed by meals served by widows on a farm in Thailand. I have eaten Chicken that was one hour old in a hut in Vietnam. I even had a rat enjoy the same breakfast cereal , from the box I chose on a cool Cambodian morning.

I have been welcomed by guests from all over the world. Yet, you can always tell when someone is genuinely grateful and thankful that you are there.

A few weeks back we landed in Chiangmai Thailand and we were greeted by our Thailand Children and the Director of Asia's Hope. Her name is Tutu Bee, she is truly the present Mother Teresa in our World. She has given her life to rescue orphans. As you can see she dressed for the occasion in an American Flag Shirt. It was her way to say thank-you to our team for rescuing orphans.

This picture will never find it's way in Newsweek nor for that matter will Tutu. But in the darkness of a warm night in the middle of nowhere, while most Americans were fast asleep, an expression of thanks was a warm gesture for some weary travelers. Work hard today to show someone you appreciate them with a genuine thank-you!

Thank you

I was completely wiped out Sunday Evening. My body was wasted emotionally, physically and spiritually, I had nothing left to give. Yet it felt so good to give it all with so many others.

I am so grateful for all the volunteers who gave everything they had to pull off this weekend too. We had hundreds of people that poured their lives into Communion, The Worship Service, and the Easter Egg Hunt.

As a the lead pastor of Grace Community Church I am so very blessed to have a church that just steps up and serves. Your efforts this past week helped so many others to find Jesus. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Take time right now and rejoice that this week will be so very different for many people because they flipped the switch from darkness into light!

Thank You

A Thank-you goes a long way in our world today. They only take a few seconds of your time each day. They don't cost you anything. They leave the other party feeling much better about themselves. They acknowledge how much you appreciate each other, and the list goes on.

Yet, we often don't take the extra 4 seconds in our daily routine to just say thanks. We rush from appointment to appointment, and neglect to ponder all the ways someone has done something for us.

I wonder what the world might look like if we just said thanks; through a card, an email, a blog, a spoken word. I wonder if depression would be lifted, if worker's efficiency would improve, if marriages would be transformed, if the lost would be saved, if boldness and confidence would flourish?

So today, I say thanks to every person who reads this blog, thanks for your investment in my life, in the world, thanks for giving yourself to others, for being there in time of need, for making the world a better place.

In the photo above these precious kids, our new family in Thailand, that was rescued, are saying thanks by the folding of their hands.

Tell the person nearest you right now, thank you, and tell everyone in your path tomorrow, thank you. Then watch what unfolds!

Thank you

Sometimes a thank-you is assumed. Sometimes it goes without saying that you are grateful, for the ways that others show you that they care. Sometimes it is an unspoken smile, or a warm handshake. Sometimes it comes in the form of a prayer. Sometimes you tell others how grateful you are for a person, but not the actual individual.

Well, today I want to say thanks to my family, friends, elders, staff, and Grace Community attendees. You have been such an encouragement to me and my life. Even though I probably don't tell you often or enough. I love you and praise the Lord that he has given me 13 years with you, at Grace Community. The world is a better place because of you.

Thanks for your kind and warm applause on Sunday as I shared my plans for the summer. I was moved deeply by your actions. The photo above was snapped during that time. So if you are reading this today, know that I just prayed and thanked the Lord for you. THANKS!

Take time today and thank those closest to you, it will move them deeply.