Day 66: Remembering

Maia Grandpa and I (1 of 1) — My daughter and I take a picture with my stepfather shortly before his passing

Day 66: Remembering

³²“You shall stand up before the gray head and honor the face of an old man, and you shall fear your God: I am the Lord.

Leviticus 19:32

On today as people across the world reflect on the birth of Jesus I remember those who sought to teach me about Him by their example. Having a stepfather at an older stage of life is a bit different than growing up with one. But I fondly recall how my stepfather would constantly remind me to stop stressing and remember that God has everything under control. He would tell me stories about how things worked out in answer to prayer.

My daughter and I in this picture just finished playing with grandpa. He may not have had much energy but he was able to tickle even in his final weeks-he loved bringing joy to others. We will miss him.

So today, I remember what he tried to teach me most, to trust in God.

Merry Christmas! Although scholars have taught us that Jesus wasn’t born at this time of the year I still want to take a moment to acknowledge that I trust in the God who sent His only Son to die for my sins.

December 23, 2019December 23, 2019

Day 65: Sorrel

Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.
Proverbs 22:28

As I begin a week of rejuvenation following a bout with what appears to have been the flu and as I enjoy the 8 days of vacation away from the middle schoolers that are my daily life I happen to smell something beautiful. My mother has made some of her legendary Sorrel and now my heart is glad and my mouth satisfied.

Although you may read on the internet of the medicinal value of Sorrel the healing properties I speak of are it’s familiarity and deliciousness. It reminds me that my parents come from the Carribean. My father was born in Cuba. My mother was born in Jamaica. These two cultures have been the backdrop of my life story blended in the experience of growing up in the USA, where many cultures co-exist and mutual admiration thrives.

There’s something restoring about eating homemade food or drinking a special homemade drink that you recall looking forward to on special holidays of your childhood. Visit the landmarks. They will remind you of what’s important.

Today I will build upon the wisdom of my ancestors. I will enjoy the taste’s that they have treasured, like Sorrel, and the paths that they found firm.

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December 14, 2019

Day 64: Stir Them Up

^{Day 64: Stir Them Up}

⁵when I call to remembrance the ^[b]genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also. ⁶Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. ⁷For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

2 Timothy 1:5-7

I get excited when I see someone using their gifts. There is nothing like watching a preacher who rightly divides the Word, or hearing a skillful singer sing a song. I love watching those who can paint fill up a blank canvas with strokes that lead to a masterpiece. I admire those who understand how to take money and make it grow. I enjoy watching in the kitchen when delicious food is being made by those who make it best.

And when I am watching someone do something that I have a passion for it pokes me. It taps me and asks the question, “David, what are you doing with your gifts?” I remember going to Georgetown University many years ago to a concert. The opening artist was someone I had never heard of. It was just him and his guitar…but he captured the attention of the room. He made us laugh and tear up. He was amazing. He didn’t have the best voice I’ve ever heard, but the songs he wrote, played and sang and the way he shared them drew us into his orbit, making us all become his fans.

While I was sitting there I felt persuaded that I had to use my gifts that were similar. I had a similar experience last weekend. I want you to have the same experience as well. So promise me you will not only read God’s word and pray, but that you will use the gifts He has given you. Stir them up. When you use them as God intended when He gave them to you you will make the world a better place and bring glory to your Creator.

Today, I will watch, read, and listen to that which inspires me to use my gifts!

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December 14, 2019

Day 63: Counting Blessings

atholton christmas program 2019 (1 of 1)-3 — Self portrait to remind myself I can still smile and have so much to be grateful for

Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.2Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits–3who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,4who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,5who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.6The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.7He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel:8The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.9He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever;10he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.11For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;12as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.13As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;14for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.

Psalm 103:1-14

Day 63: Counting Blessings

When I look at my problems I become overwhelmed. When I look at ways that I am fortunate then gratitude starts to well up inside. I may have had some hard problems to deal with but I am here to deal with them. God has kept me. I may struggle to make ends meet but I have a job, a roof over my head, and a way to get to and from work and the store. I may not be my ideal weight but I am able to walk and do push ups. I am able to go to different locations and take pictures. I may have had things stolen from me but I have been able to give so much more than others tried to take away.

Counting my blessings helps me to heal. It lets me know I have so much to give.

Today I am counting what I have and feeling more and more blessed by the minute!

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December 7, 2019

Day 62: Connection

Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

I Corinthians 12:27

My son, mother and I went to a concert yesterday evening. It was a wonderful time of beautiful music. However, what was most wonderful for my mom was the moments of connection. Seeing members of her church family she hadn’t seen for a while was priceless. I could see how happy she was.

For me it was a moment to reflect. It is so important to have a place where you feel connected. My connections were many as well. I teach at Washington Adventist University. I saw six of my students performing. A featured soloist was a young lady I met outside the voice studio who I had heard and invited to sing on a concert I produced a year ago. Her voice was beautiful then but it has grown so much!

One of the conductors, Brian Liu told me the other day we had performed together many years ago when I was a guest soloist for a performance of Handel’s Messiah at his alma mater Southern Adventist University. Moments of the past and hopes for the future came together to make the musical performance have a greater impact than just the dynamics of the chorus or the swiftness of the strings.

I am grateful for the connections my church experience has brought over the years. It can bring mental healing and in seasons of hardship. It’s my hope that my son will see how much joy his grandma and father get from our moments of connectedness and seek to foster the same for himself and his children should he choose to have them.

We are the body of Christ. Today I honor and cherish the body I belong to.

December 6, 2019

Day 61: Animals

bear at zoo (1 of 1) — A bear I met one day at the Zoo

Day 61: Animals

¹⁹Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. ²⁰So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals.

Genesis 2:19-20

God created animals for man to watch over and enjoy. And as we look for ways to become physically and mentally healthy we should make sure we spend time with the animals. According to the CDC there are many benefits to having pets:

“Studies have shown that the bond between people and their pets can increase fitness, lower stress, and bring happiness to their owners. Some of the health benefits of having a pet include:

Decreased blood pressure
Decreased cholesterol levels
Decreased triglyceride levels
Decreased feelings of loneliness
Increased opportunities for exercise and outdoor activities
Increased opportunities for socialization”

If God designed me to have regular interaction with the animals he created then today I will consider ways I can spend more time with them. Why don’t you take a trip to the zoo? Maybe a pet should be in your future.

Thank you for joining me on this journey to wellness. Please share and subscribe.

December 1, 2019

Day 60: Gifts

Jamaica Shirt (1 of 1)

Day 60: Gifts

I don’t know which feels better: getting or giving a gift. What do you think? My mother recently returned from a trip to Jamaica. She thought of me and purchased a shirt (I am wearing it in the photo above). It made me really happy. When my father was living he travelled a lot as part of his job. He would always bring me t-shirts from the different places he visited. It made me feel part of what he was doing. And even now that he is gone I still remember this act of giving and it makes me smile, confident that my father loved me.

On the other hand, I have so many memories of the joy of giving. Often in recent years that gift has been the gift of song. I have a good friend who is from Korea. A few years ago I wrote a musical inspired by my time in Korea and presented it at The Nineteenth Street Baptist Church in Washington DC. I invited him to attend because he loves music (He is the founder of a Korean choir that performs on many prestigious occasions) and I thought he would enjoy a musical that seeks to share Korean culture.

I wasn’t prepared for how much he loved the experience. He ended up writing an editorial about it and how it moved him deeply.

While I may have thought of composing a musical as a gift to my community I didn’t realize it could have such a powerful effect. Successful marketing expert, author, teacher and businessman Seth Godin talks about how giving a gift creates an imbalance. If we exchange a product for money we are even. But the giving of a gift creates a shift that warrants a response. That response might be strong words of gratitude or tears. It maybe another gift. One time my glasses broke and my good friend who had come to my musical fixed them for free. I now was the one overwhelmed by his gift of generosity.

Jesus spoke of the power of giving without hope of recognition.

“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. ³But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Matthew 6:1-4

Jesus said that when we give a gift in secret we will receive a reward from our Father in Heaven. I want to be rewarded by gifts from my Father in Heaven. I want Him to be pleased with me. I want his favor.

When we live a life of service to others, not looking for recognition from man, but looking to make our Heavenly Father proud we receive a sense of joy and peace. This may be what we have been missing that has kept us from feeling our best.

Today I will focus on giving gifts in the way that pleases my Father.