Serve by Design

I have had some unexpected blessings this week! It’s had me thinking, “I wonder if these people have been listening to my pastor’s messages?” Just this past Sunday, Pastor Roger was encouraging the congregation to identify a person or group that we could bless this week. Then, he asked us to get specific with a plan of how to bless them with our time, expressions of comfort or encouragement, or in some monetary way. A Welcoming Spirit! image credit: vecteezy.com My blessings started when a young adult lady insisted that she hold the door open for me to enter the coffee shop. I am usually accustomed to holding doors for others! I was delighted later when this same young lady helped me interpret what the barista was saying about my order. A day later, a second blessing involved Ms. Lori, the lady in charge of the laundromat. She grabbed my comforter and large blanket from the oversized dryers and insisted that she do the folding! And a final blessing was given by Bob, a casual friend, ...

A national troupe of award-winning actors is visiting our local university this month with a wildly popular musical, Pretty Woman ! While some macho-types might deny having ever seen the movie, in truth, many have seen it several times since its debut in 1990! It’s a date-night standard with its Cinderella-themed plot about the unlikely romance between a wealthy businessman and a woman of lesser means. Springfield First is Debt-Free! One of the unforgettably funny moments of the movie is when Richard Gere presents Julia Roberts with a diamond broach securely incased in the presentation box. The moment she reaches into the box, Gere snaps it shut. She immediately draws her hand back as if bitten by a mini monster. We, viewers, laugh aloud every time we see this clip, but our laughter is drowned out by Robert’s uproarious laughing response! Thanks to Monique, we have had similar occasions of playful shenanigans from time to time. You’d think I would learn to anticipate these, but I am ...

After moving back to central Illinois at the end of 1991, I immediately began asking about where I could get a good donut and coffee. One of our church secretaries, Polly Jones, advised that I try out the small shop down the street called Mel-O-Cream Donuts.  While I had never heard of this local and family-owned company, I did have some considerable experience with Shipley Do-Nuts in Texas (over 300 locations!).😉 I told her I’d give the new shop a try but had a strong feeling that it would be hard to beat the familiar  products of my past when I had a hankering for a good blueberry cake, sausage roll or fruit-filled kolache. Kelly Grant Jr., Owner CCO  (1954-2020) Well, that was then, and this is now, some thirty years later. Polly was right, Mel-O-Cream’s chocolate Long Johns, apple fritters, and even the plain old-fashioned donuts are so tasty with a good cup of Joe! Mel-O-Cream has been baking their products (over 100 varieties!) since 1932 right here in Springfield,...

Many years ago, I remember promoting a special offering in our church to raise funds to build a modest educational stand-alone building. This would provide additional space for our young adult Bible study department. During the campaign leading up to the project, we utilized a giving chart, printed on five by seven card stock, that included an appeal letter in the mailing. This is a common approach used by many churches for short and long-term fund raising. Image credit: friendlyfriendshipchurch.com One day while walking down the hallway at church, I was met by an exuberant custodian waving her campaign giving chart. She blurted out her gratitude, “Bro. Mike, thank you so much for telling us what to give!” I was taken aback by her compliment and quickly replied, “Minnie, I wasn’t trying to tell you how much to give. I was only giving you some ideas that if you gave this much over the next months that at the end of the year you would have given this sum total. I expect that you and Jimm...

I have made an observation based upon a study of the spiritual gifts and the related areas of the spiritual disciplines in the Bible. Simply stated: caring people care, teachers and preachers teach and preach, prayer "warriors" pray, the merciful show mercy, encouragers encourage, and so on down the list of possible categories for service. My conclusion in the matter is that you can identify a believer's spiritual gift mix and the spiritual disciplines that define development in the faith by observing the actions and outcomes of their life in Christ.  When this is applied to giving and generosity, I can declare with sincerity that "givers have to give!" Recently, it was reported in the news that two individuals I do not know personally gave large monetary gifts away. It's what they do! Scott Kolbrenner donated all of his $145,000 winnings as a contestant on Wheel of Fortune to two local charities in Los Angeles. Verda Tetteh, a high school senior with a full...