One Thousand

As I opened up my Dr Ds Chaplain Chat page, I was greeted with the notation "previous blogs available, all 999."  That makes this blog # 1000.  When I began this back in 2013, I couldn't imagine I had 1000 thoughts in my head, let alone articles.  And, of course, I didn't - not original thoughts at least.

I have a firm belief that an original thought is the sign of a poor memory.  None of our thoughts are original.  Every thought in our heads comes from an outside source to begin with.  We don't create thoughts, we cogitate on, mull over or chew on ideas.  In the end, we have perhaps branded a thought with our research, experiences, personality and reflection.

What I have to say comes from a lifetime of experiences, countless discussions, a parade of college and graduate classes, scores of seminars and enough books to have required a small forest to produce.  But, the ultimate Source and the final stamp of my thought come from my relationship with God.  He is the foundation of all I know as "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights" (Js 1:17).

True, my education and experiences have shaped my thinking process and content, but those along with the ability to think come from God who gave me life, opportunities and the ability to think.  But at the end of the day, all I know comes from God "in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Col 2:3).  Every other source is secondary, pointing me back to the Creator of everything there is to be known.

So, the only credit I can honestly take for the 1000 blogs over the last three years is that I have been willing to take what God has given me, shaped by the very gifts that come from Him, and pass them on to you.  Perhaps there is some application of the parable of the talents found in Matthew 25:14-30 (take a moment to read it sometime).  Hopefully I have been faithful in taking what God has given me and put it to work in the Kingdom.

Thank you for taking the time to read my musings and thanks be to God for gifting me with the ability and opportunity to share what I have been afforded.  Jus' Say'n for the 1000th time.