Latest / The Daily Ripples Podcast / May 25 - Gratitude in Action

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May 25 - Gratitude in Action · The Daily Ripples Podcast

• 0:03
  Hey guys, this is the Daily Ripple and I'm with me, it's Corey and Pastor Mike.
• 0:10
  We just had Pastor Mike's wife on.
• 0:12
  She's not going to be joining us today, but it was cool having her on.
• 0:17
  Today is May 25th.
• 0:20
  Gratitude in action.
• 0:22
  The stone.
• 0:23
  Gratitude is more than remembering.
• 0:25
  It is responding.
• 0:27
  I like that part.
• 0:28
  What I am thankful for should shape how I live today.
• 0:32
  Ripple One: Practical.
• 0:34
  Today I will express gratitude through action.
• 0:37
  I will not rely on past growth or past effort.
• 0:40
  I will serve, encourage, and act with intention in the present moment.
• 0:45
  Gratitude becomes real when it moves me to do something.
• 0:49
  Ripple Two: Spiritual.
• 0:51
  As I thank the Father for what He has done, the Holy Spirit leads me to live it out.
• 0:57
  Following Christ, who turned love into action, I learn that gratitude is not passive.
• 1:03
  Over time, it becomes a way of life that reflects God's goodness to others.
• 1:10
  You know, it's kind of like Alcoholics Anonymous or any anonymous person that's went through the steps, you know, and got to a spiritual experience.
• 1:18
  Well, in my point of view, right?
• 1:20
  In my point of view, I went through this process, and I don't think I could ever repay it.
• 1:27
  I could never repay the 12 steps and the people in those rooms gave to me.
• 1:34
  So, you know, it's kind of like I'm always trying to, you know,
• 1:38
  give back in a sense of gratitude to the program and to those people
• 1:43
  and to the people that come in.
• 1:44
  And, you know, also for the people that aren't there yet.
• 1:50
  And that's the most important people, right?
• 1:53
  Those are the people.
• 1:54
  me and Bill were talking about our group, you know,
• 1:58
  and we were talking about, you know,
• 1:59
  because, you know, we're pretty big book thumpers.
• 2:03
  You know, I like the word big book mechanic.
• 2:05
  But we were talking about, you know,
• 2:08
  how this is going to work.
• 2:10
  And, you know, we'll have a discussion meeting,
• 2:12
  this meeting, this meeting.
• 2:14
  And, you know, he was kind of,
• 2:15
  he was kind of, you know, on this fence of this, right?
• 2:19
  He was like, nobody in the Memphis area are,
• 2:22
  you know, they just like discussion meetings
• 2:24
  And I sent him a text message.
• 2:27
  It was the coolest thing.
• 2:28
  And I hope he listens to this.
• 2:29
  But it was the coolest flip.
• 2:32
  Because all I sent him a text message and said was, it's not about them.
• 2:38
  It's about the person that's not there yet.
• 2:41
  And then he sent me a text message back.
• 2:44
  He said, the first meeting will be on July 8th.
• 2:48
  Well, there you go.
• 2:48
  Basically, kick-started him into some action there, it sounds like.
• 2:53
  But I was just thinking about, because when I was reading this, I was thinking about, well, what's your thought, bud?
• 2:58
  Well, related to what you just said, I thought back to, you know, when we were kicking off this project, you know, because we started this podcast at the beginning of March.
• 3:09
  And, you know, we didn't have any idea about, you know, would people even care?
• 3:13
  Would they listen?
• 3:14
  Would they tune in?
• 3:15
  You know, all those things.
• 3:17
  But at the end of the day, whenever you and I sit down and talk about these things and, you know, record these episodes, we're staying sober that day, you know, because we could be out there because we are alcoholics by nature.
• 3:31
  You know, we could be out there active in our disease and instead we're active in doing this act of service.
• 3:37
  And this is, I mean, this whole thing is gratitude in action.
• 3:40
  And I was thinking about, you know, as you were reading and sharing that, and it especially
• 3:47
  jumped out to me again, the line, you know, the last line that I'd written in the practical
• 3:50
  ripple, you know, it says gratitude becomes real when it moves me to do something.
• 3:54
  And really what I'm thinking about, you know, when I'm saying that is the difference between
• 4:00
  gratitude and thanksgiving, because I can be thankful just by saying, Corey, thank you for
• 4:07
  that. Thank you for being here with me and doing this. I really appreciate it. But when I start
• 4:12
  showing that I'm thankful, then it becomes gratitude. So to me, you know, thankfulness or
• 4:18
  thanksgiving is more a feeling or in terms of, you know, thanksgiving to God, sometimes it's an
• 4:25
  act of worship or what have you. But gratitude is when it really becomes real because it gets
• 4:30
  hands and feet on it, you know. And I was thinking about in the Bible, you know, the prophet Isaiah,
• 4:38
  which we've talked about quite a bit in here, because we've talked about how, you know, in the
• 4:42
  gospel of Luke, you know, Jesus read from the prophet Isaiah, you know, in his first public act
• 4:47
  of ministry. But in Isaiah, the 58th chapter in verse 10, it says, if you spend yourselves in behalf
• 4:52
  of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness and your
• 4:58
  night will become like the noon day. And that's funny because I think it was, you know, when
• 5:05
  Cristi was on here yesterday, she was just saying that joy comes in the morning. And it says right
• 5:11
  here, you know, and the prophet Isaiah is affirming that, that the way that the night, and she mentioned
• 5:18
  that that morning could be any time. You know, it could be tomorrow morning, it could be two days from
• 5:22
  now, it could be in the middle of the day. And that's the same concept that this is getting to,
• 5:26
  is that if I'm going about and my gratitude leads me to act out in service to, with, and toward
• 5:33
  others, then I am walking in the light, no matter what time of day it is. And sometimes I need that
• 5:40
  reminder because, as we've also talked about on here quite a bit, sometimes the mental health
• 5:45
  struggles come in. Our demons start attacking us, and I can start to think that it's all for nothing.
• 5:50
  But if I'm out there being a service to somebody else, it quickly becomes apparent that I'm doing
• 5:55
  God's will and not my own.
• 5:57
  Yeah.
• 5:58
  You know,
• 5:59
  I was,
• 6:00
  I got,
• 6:01
  man,
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  I read this really cool piece
• 6:04
  in the first theologians.
• 6:06
  Theologians?
• 6:07
  Is that how you say it?
• 6:08
  Uh,
• 6:09
  Thessalonians.
• 6:11
  Thessalonians.
• 6:11
  Yes.
• 6:12
  Theologians are what people are
• 6:14
  who study the faith.
• 6:16
  Oh,
• 6:16
  yeah,
• 6:17
  that makes sense.
• 6:17
  And then,
• 6:18
  you know,
• 6:18
  so I was reading that
• 6:19
  and then I wanted to connect it
• 6:21
  to this.
• 6:22
  And,
• 6:22
  well,
• 6:23
  I,
• 6:25
  if I have tension in my life, you know, I, I think it's hard to, you know, when we talked about this a little bit, you know, people, you know, people tell people to write gratitude lists. And I think that's across the board, you know, and any, probably in churches do that and any of those things. And, you know, I like how, I really like how you made the flip. You know what I mean? Cause you, I, I enjoy seeing that because, you know, it's like, how can I give back? You know, what can I do?
• 6:55
  when your wife was on, you know, I definitely had some thoughts running around, like, you know,
• 7:00
  because I was going to, you know, because like, you know, you know, in those meetings, in those
• 7:04
  places, that's not the first place I practice this. First place I do practice this is my home.
• 7:11
  And sometimes, you know, sometimes I can get that confused and flipped, right? Because I get
• 7:16
  joy. All right, I get a lot of joy out of helping my significant other. But, you know,
• 7:22
  man, how cool it is sometimes to see the lights come on
• 7:26
  in somebody that's been struggling in their whole life, right?
• 7:29
  That's what I love.
• 7:30
  But, you know, I've got to remember, you know,
• 7:33
  where I first got to practice this gratitude to service is in my home.
• 7:41
  But this in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5,
• 7:51
  Starting in on verse 13, well, we could start on 12.
• 7:57
  It says, now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you.
• 8:02
  And that's kind of like respecting those people around me that are working hard,
• 8:08
  like my significant other, like my kids, like even the little one,
• 8:14
  who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you.
• 8:18
  What does admonish mean?
• 8:20
  Do you know?
• 8:21
  I don't have it pulled up right in front of me.
• 8:24
  Spell it.
• 8:24
  I can edit this out, but spell the word.
• 8:27
  A-D-M-O-N-I-S-H.
• 8:31
  Oh, admonished.
• 8:33
  What does that mean?
• 8:34
  Admonished is like corrected or like you correct somebody.
• 8:37
  Like if I were to correct, like when you say, you know, first theologians and I say, no, no, no, Corey, it's Thessalonians.
• 8:45
  Well, I'm admonishing you on getting it wrong.
• 8:48
  Okay.
• 8:48
  It's kind of how that word goes.
• 8:50
  Okay.
• 8:51
  All right.
• 8:52
  So we'll just go with admonish you.
• 8:55
  Hold them in the highest regard and love because of their work.
• 8:59
  Live in peace with each other.
• 9:01
  And that's important, right?
• 9:02
  Because like with each other, we're just talking about people that we're walking this earth with,
• 9:06
  not just the people that, you know, are in our home, right?
• 9:09
  It's everyone.
• 9:12
  Well, and I think about, too, how that made me think of kind of the sick man prayer, you know, in the big book.
• 9:18
  Because the people that offend us, the people that we have resentments toward, you know, we treat them as a sick man.
• 9:24
  And it's the same thing that that verse you're talking about saying.
• 9:26
  If somebody admonishes or corrects us, we still hold them in, you know, high esteem.
• 9:32
  And then it says, and this is important, you know, for people like you and my wife.
• 9:37
  And, you know, I think there's like a spiritual consent I have with guys that I'm friends with that I don't care what they say to me.
• 9:46
  I want them to do this.
• 9:47
  And this is kind of what it says right here.
• 9:49
  And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak,
• 9:55
  be patient with everyone.
• 9:57
  Then it goes on to say, make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to
• 10:02
  be kind to each other and to everyone.
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  Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will
• 10:12
  for you in Christ Jesus.
• 10:14
  Man, I liked all that.
• 10:16
  Like every piece of that.
• 10:19
  But yeah, man.
• 10:22
  But remembering that I'm just, other people in my life, I've been spiritually sick, very spiritually sick before at a high level.
• 10:31
  Same.
• 10:32
  Absolutely the same here.
• 10:34
  And Doug, my old sponsor, used to talk a lot about the seven deadlies.
• 10:39
  And I used to say something in the rooms on this, and I kind of don't agree with it, but I still agree with it kind of.
• 10:47
  Because when I was out there running and doing all the things I was doing, I practiced the seven deadly sins at a very high level.
• 10:54
  Right?
• 10:56
  Yeah.
• 10:57
  But now, today I practice them at not as high of a level, because I still have pride.
• 11:03
  Of course.
• 11:04
  I have all of that.
• 11:05
  But I'm not at the level I was.
• 11:10
  But I used to say something of this effect, and I don't agree with it today.
• 11:14
  I used to say, but I know I have these things I can work on.
• 11:19
  I don't believe I work on those things anymore today, Michael.
• 11:22
  I believe God works on them.
• 11:24
  Oh, yeah.
• 11:25
  I've tried to work on, because I've even gone as far as, because there's seven heavenly virtues.
• 11:30
  Well, I'll try to practice the seven heavenly virtues to offset the seven deadly sins, and it doesn't go anywhere.
• 11:39
  Well, and it also made me think of going back to you were talking about the difference between, you know, showing gratitude at home versus showing gratitude out in the world.
• 11:48
  And sometimes it's easier to show that gratitude out in the world than it is at home, you know, to act out or be of service to others who we are grateful toward or for.
• 11:58
  And I think part of that is because it's still that vestige of one of those, you know, like you said, some of those shortcomings that still remain in us at times, one of the big ones being ego.
• 12:10
  Because my ego can be protected when I'm out doing good things in the world because everybody can see it and they can say, oh, yeah, thank you for doing that.
• 12:18
  And, you know, am I doing it for the praise and the applause or am I doing it because I just need to do it?
• 12:23
  Because if you do it at home with a significant other, nine times out of 10, you're not getting a whole lot of praise and applause.
• 12:29
  And that's not the reason why you're doing it.
• 12:31
  And it also doesn't have that same kind of dopamine rush because the people that we live with that we're closest to, they see us both the good and the bad.
• 12:39
  So we can go out in the world and just be the good, and we can pretend that the bad doesn't exist.
• 12:44
  But, you know, true gratitude comes from being grateful to the people around us that know every aspect of us.
• 12:51
  And for me, that starts with my gratitude to God, because like I said, God knows every aspect of me.
• 12:56
  You know, I was in a meeting just last week and, you know, the higher power was the topic.
• 13:01
  And it was off of page 12, you know, out of the big book.
• 13:03
  And you may know the passage more than I do without thinking about it.
• 13:08
  But it's talking about choosing a higher power of our own understanding.
• 13:12
  And, you know, one of the points that I made was that even as someone who is a, you might say, a professional theologian,
• 13:18
  someone who has studied and is paid to know some things about God.
• 13:23
  But I'm still very grateful that I do not and probably never will fully understand God
• 13:31
  because God's ways are above my ways.
• 13:34
  But I have so much gratitude for the fact that even knowing all the things that I've done in the past,
• 13:40
  my God, my higher power, fully knows and understands me.
• 13:45
  And that's good enough for me.
• 13:46
  I don't have to understand God as long as God understands me and, more importantly, forgives me anyway when I mess up.
• 13:53
  And, you know, we're pretty close to the end of this one, but I'm going to finish, you know, because what you were talking about was it was only a matter of being willing to believe in a power greater than myself.
• 14:06
  Right.
• 14:06
  Nothing more was required of me to make my beginning.
• 14:10
  And so this is where it goes right here, and this is cool because this is the foundation.
• 14:14
  I saw that growth could start at that point upon a foundation of complete willingness.
• 14:20
  I might build what I saw in my friend.
• 14:22
  Would I have it?
• 14:23
  Of course I would.
• 14:26
  You know, that's perfect.
• 14:27
  And that leads us right into tomorrow's episode, too.
• 14:30
  So everybody pay attention tomorrow, because tomorrow we're going to talk about the fact that even with that keystone in place, or was it a keystone?
• 14:37
  Is that what it was?
• 14:38
  Foundation stone.
• 14:39
  Foundation.
• 14:40
  It's got the foundation, and then you got, and people will hear this, and they can go find it, because we're not going to get it on all the page numbers, but the foundation is right here, right?
• 14:51
  And then you have the cornerstone, and the cornerstone is important in a building, Michael.
• 14:55
  You know why?
• 14:56
  They even put the date when the cornerstone was put into a building, and the keystones, like if you think about the top of the arch.
• 15:05
  The top of the arch.
• 15:06
  And if you look at the book way, the book kind of puts it together.
• 15:11
  You've got morals on one side of the arch and philosophical convictions on the other.
• 15:16
  And that kind of, when you put that piece at the top of the arch, they come together as one.
• 15:21
  Absolutely.
• 15:22
  And I was thinking about with that foundation stone, you know, even after we lay that foundation stone and we start that process of growth, there's still going to be some setbacks.
• 15:31
  And that's exactly what we'll be talking about tomorrow with tomorrow's daily ripple, growth through setbacks.
• 15:37
  So with that, Corey, if you would take us out with our prayer for the day.
• 15:42
  Prayer.
• 15:44
  Father, help me live out my gratitude today.
• 15:47
  Through Your Spirit, guide my actions so they reflect the love and grace I have received through Your Son.
• 15:53
  Amen.
• 15:54
  Amen.
• 15:58
  That was a really in-depth.
• 16:01
  Yeah, but this first [Thessalonians] thing, I really like that.
• 16:09
  Anyways.
• 16:09
  Yeah, there was a church at Thessaloniki, which I believe was one of the cities in Greece.
• 16:17
  And so it was a writing of, I believe, Paul or his followers to the church at Thessaloniki.
• 16:23
  And that's why it's called Thessalonians.
• 16:25
  Oh.
• 16:27
  Yeah.
• 16:27
  Another nerd out moment for the day.
• 16:30
  Yeah, no, I like it.
• 16:31
  Because I like the whole history.
• 16:35
  Yeah.