Thankful

On this thanksgiving eve I sit here surrounded by my kids (minus the oldest) in a beautiful house at what I believe to be one of the most beautiful places on earth, Seabrook Island, SC, and I can't help but be thankful.

It has become our tradition to be here for six years now.  Unfortunately it takes me away from my parents and my side of my family for this holiday.  However, its my real only chance to get a full vacation.

As I reflect on how great God has been to me over the years, I begin with my wonderful parents.  Raised me to be loving, taught me how to be ready for life, and helped make me into a productive citizen.  They provided me everything I needed throughout my life.  They have been there every time throughout my life that I have needed them.  My pops showed me that it is possible to be a father, work full time, while still working on your education, because of his example I was able to pull off the same feat.  My mom has always showed compassion and caring, mom taught me to laugh and to not take myself so seriously sometimes.  I am truly thankful for my parents.

I am thankful for my bride of 14 years.  What a ride we have had.  14 years of laughter, love, and also some hardships.  Through it all she has stuck to me.  My bride is the only one who as seen me at my worst and at my best, and yet loved me anyway.  Has been so supportive, is the model wife, and a rock solid mother for our three children.

I am thankful for my sisters.  I don't see them as often as I would like, nor talk to them as much as I should.  But I know I can  count on them.  I know that when we do talk, our relationship is such that we can pick back up where we left off.

I am thankful for my children.  From my oldest to my youngest, they are all so special to me.  I am the proud father of four beautiful young ladies.  Never would I have imagined someone as much as I do my children.  There is something different about a love for your children.  I always wondered what kind of parent I would be, sometimes I think I epically fail, other times I think I rock at it.  There is nothing more awesome than getting home and your children being so excited to see you, and to wrap their arms around you and say "I love you daddy" or "I missed you".

I am thankful for my career and my calling.  Never would I have imagined having two college degrees and trying to get the third.  Never would I have imagined the opportunity I have to be able to work with youth and children.  To truly have a career, and to LOVE what I do, and to be able to help change the lives of students is a wonderful privilege and not one I take lightly.

I am thankful for my extended family.  I have the best in laws around.  I have the best extended family.  Every side I look between my extended family and my wife's family I see encouragement, and I am loved for who I am, my flaws and all.  We all don't see eye to eye on everything, but the love helps give us a mutual respect for one another.

I am thankful for my friends.  I have some of the best friends a person could ever had.  We can sit around and laugh for hours.  I know that many of them I could call on day or night.  I know I can shared my deepest hurts and worries.  I know I can be real, and not be judged.  I can be me.  I don't have to try to be someone else.  I can let the mask down and don't have to pretend "its ok" when its not.  I thank all of you that I call friends.  I have discovered over the last 5 years who my friends really are, which has made me appreciate them even more.

I am thankful for those who help me in ministry.  God has blessed me with talented help in working with students from childhood to youth.  Because of you, makes my job so much easier, and you are impacting more lives than you will ever know.

I am thankful for my church.  Finding a great church to minister in is hard.  I am thankful for the opportunity to "dream" and to go after the dreams God has placed in front of me.  I am thankful for the "encouragers" God has placed around me.  We are not a perfect church, because there is none.  However, it's the closest one to it.....

I am thankful for my pastor.  If you think finding a great church is hard, finding a great pastor is even harder.  Its even harder if you are an associate pastor.  I am so thankful for the man God has teamed me up with.  He treats me as a partner, a co-laborer, in ministry.  Someone who God has blessed with so many gifts, the biggest one is being my friend.  Someone who is the earthly "role model" for me.  If God ever places me back as being a senior pastor, I would want to be as good as mine.

I am thankful for my Lord.  On November 30 1997 Jesus changed my life, and I've never been the same.  He gave me a new life, a new chance.  He changed me from the inside out.  I am who I am because of Jesus.

For these things and more I AM thankful.

Chris

To those who wear a badge

Today I would like to give a shout out to the men and women of law enforcement.  Those who truly have a "thankless" job.  I have learned over the last several years how unappreciated this branch of service is.

I have a habit now of when I run into a license check or if I see an officer out somewhere I try to take a moment and just thank them.  The looks I get are like "what did you say" or "is this guy loony" or even the "wonder what he is up to". 

This is such a shame.  The men and women of law enforcement work as hard as our military at keeping us safe.  Try and think of our neighborhoods without law enforcement.  Unfortunately most people look at our law enforcement in a negative way.

I have made an effort to have my kids and our kids at church more exposed to our local law enforcement in a "positive" atmosphere and not just a negative one.    I love that an officer goes to the school to read to my elementary age children, and they love it too.  Law enforcement are here to help as public servants, and not just to "arrest the bad guy", and our local agencies are making a positive effort to improve that area of public relations.

Thank you very much to the men and women of law enforcement for your efforts to keep our neighborhoods safe, my family and I appreciate it.

My challenge to you is:  thank a person of law enforcement today....

Have a great Friday,

Chris

Veteran's Day

Several years ago I was talking to a friend of mine about his time that he served with the US Marines in Vietnam.  I had always heard stories about how our troops where treated when the arrived back home, but now here I was sitting in front of someone who was describing to me what He saw in Vietnam and how he was treated upon return.  Some of the things he saw on the ground in warfare I don't know how you recover, and then to my shock to hear details about how when he arrived back on American soil that instead of people holding signs saying "welcome home"; he was spit at, cursed at, and had objects thrown at him.

Warfare hasn't changed much.  I was talking to a soldier this past summer who had just returned from Afghanistan, much of what he described to me was the same as what my friend the Marine described to me about what he saw during warfare.  Seeing more blood than you could ever imagine, friends being wounded or killed right in front of you (or even in your arms), constantly hearing gunfire or bombs going off, and never knowing what the next day, hour, or minute may hold.

Our men and women in the military are true patriots.  Serving their country, our country, and my country with no regards to their own welfare.  Leaving their families, friends, and lively hood to help protect this freedom that we enjoy everyday.  You and I have the freedom to question and protest where are military goes and what they do, however our military doesn't.  They are following orders. 

No warfare hasn't changed much, but how the American people respond has.  I am so proud of the way that we honor our military now.  We have made huge strides in making sure our men and women are welcomed when they arrive back home. 

Saturday I was at the University of Georgia for a football game.  In honor of Veterans day throughout the game they where honoring current and former students who had served or are serving in the military.  A mom and dad (one of them may have been an instructor at the school) where on the field in honor of their son currently serving in Afghanistan.  They had their sons picture up on the screen, and people where clapping, then the announcer broadcasts that they have a special surprise for the parents and asked them to turn around.  There is their son, walking across the field.... home from Afghanistan, it was an unbelievable moment.  We where no longer just fans of college football, we were all fans of America.  Fans from both sides that had once been chanting "bulldogs" or "App State" where now chanting together "USA USA". 

Yes, I would definitely say we as a country do our best to honor our men and women who serve.  Do we still have room for improvement?  Absolutely.  I believe no Veteran should be homeless, I believe all Veterans need emotional and psychological (better than what they are receiving) assistance upon arrival back home, and I believe a lot of the VA Hospitals need improvement.  However, to hear about where we were and where we are now, makes me proud.

I am sitting at home today enjoying time with my children in freedom because of the service of people like my dad, my father in law, my brother in law, my friends, my cousins, my uncles, and men and women I don't even know, and they all deserve Honor for serving their Country.

So thank you to all of you for what you have done and continue to do to provide the freedom that me and my family enjoy.

God bless you, and God bless America

Sincerely yours,

A thankful Citizen, Chris L. Reese

Where are you God?

Emotionally sometimes we can find ourselves at the end of our rope, to a point where we feel empty, lonely, and broken.  There are so many things that happen in our lives to get us there.  To some it's relationships, to some its our children, to some its our careers, to some its finances, and list could go on and on.  We all have our breaking point.

Sometimes the tears flow and we don't even know why, and we can't stop them.  Our bodies react to what we are feeling inside, the tears flow and we cant stop.  We hurt, not so much physically as emotionally.  We try to hold them back, we try to put a smile on.  Someone asks "hey are you OK" all we can muster is "I will be", while on the inside we are saying "I don't know if I CAN be".

We search for answers and there are none, and we sink deeper and deeper into despair.  The ones you can usually depend on the pull us out of this darkness are not working.  You try to smile and convince yourself that It will all be OK, while on the inside you don't believe it to be true.

We find ourselves overcome with disappointment in ourselves and others.  We find ourselves carrying so much guilt and blame, and as many times as we pray, plead, and beg we can't shake the feeling.  We feel like isolating ourselves from the world, friends, and families.

We fall to our knees and pour our hearts out to the one who created all things, tears are flowing uncontrollably and before we even realize it these words come across our lips:

"Where are you God?"

"God did this so that men would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us."  (Acts 17:27, NIV)

In the flood of disappointment, guilt, shame, brokenness, and tears a small still voice comes:

"I am here"

Give peace a chance

"If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone."  (Romans 12:18, NIV)

No I'm not going hippy on you...


However imagine a world at peace.  Almost inconceivable, isn't it.  To not have a grudge, to no be arguing with anyone, anytime, over anything.  It's God's idea.

He wants us to work as hard as possible (it depends on you) to live at peace, not just with believers but with everyone.  Hard to do when you are so different sometimes.

How do you live at peace with someone that is against you morally?  How do you live at peace with someone who is against you politically?  How do you live at peace with someone who is against you spiritually?

The Same way Jesus did:  love them.

It works, by golly it works.....

I find myself surrounded by those who disagree to the top of their lungs to which things I stand for, but yet at the same time they have no ill towards me and I have no ill will towards them.

This my friends is what makes America great, it's what makes being a Christian great.  That we can appreciate each others differences and yet still love and keep peace with each other. 

I long for those days in our country, I long for those days in our state, and I long for those days in our County and City.

Sad thing is the more that we fight with each other and the larger the gap is between both sides of political arena, is that America is the one who loses.....

Chris

We need each other

"As it is there are many parts, but one body.  The eye cannot say to the hand, "I Don't need you!" and the head cannot say to the feet, "I Don't need you!"" (1 Corinthians 12:20-21, NIV)

Sometimes I think we forget that we need each other.

Your different than me, I'm different than you.  I have different likes and you may dislike my likes.  You have likes, and I may dislike your likes. 

But when its all said and done.....

We need each other.

Diversity is good.

Reality is none of us are any better than the other, we are part of the same body.  The body of Christ.  God will use you and I regardless of our likes (or dislikes), the catch is you and I have to realize that we do need each other.

I will reach a generation for Christ that a different generation can't, and that generation will reach a generation that I can't.  Its amazing how it works. 

In the end, I'm no better than anyone else and they are no better than me, we are equally important to God in the grand scheme of things.

So, I need you.... and you need me..... we need each other.

and what a team we will be

Chris