30+ Days of Giving Thanks, Day 61: The Season Finale

I made it to the finish line! I set out on November 1 to mention one thing each day for which I am thankful. Once into the assignment, I realized that I would need more than 30 days to adequately (by my estimation) express thanks for the various blessings in my life. So I decided to extend the period of thanksgiving to the end of 2011, and today, I am gratified to see that I have met my goal (this one, at least!) of having something to be thankful for every day for the rest of the year.

So today, I am thankful for thankfulness. No, that’s not “double-speak” or an attempt at cleverness. I am thankful for the paradigm shift I have experienced over the past two months—going to some effort every day to think about, and express gratitude to God for, at least one way in which God has and is blessing me. A skeptic, agnostic or atheist might make a case, in reading my various posts, that God has had little if anything to do with most of the things I have written about. What does God care about a library, or system of libraries? Is He responsible for that? And so on. To that hypothetical person (who probably isn’t reading my posts anyway!) I answer: I choose to acknowledge God as the Sovereign Authority, under Whom all things, whether sacred and spiritual or secular and natural, mysterious and mundane alike, exist and flourish. Consider how the British speak of “the Queen’s this” or “the Queen’s that” when the Queen hardly has had any direct influence over everything in British society. Nevertheless, all things British exist under the sovereignty of the crowned monarch.

As I was saying, I am thankful for how being thankful for everything in my life, or at least, learning to be thankful for everything, has helped me to see more clearly how God has blessed me—and how He has blessed me over the long-term, the entire course of my life, as well as the short-term, the immediate needs in my life. It has been a distinctly transformative experience for me to deliberately, and with thought and occasionally with mighty effort, identify things, people, events, and systems in my life that bear witness to the Sovereignty of God and His Divine Providence acting in my behalf to provide for me physically, emotionally, mentally, intellectually, socially and spiritually to constantly nurture me and nudge me toward maturity—toward the Image of Christ to which God has intended for me to be conformed.

Thank You, Heavenly Father, for this lesson in thankfulness. I will try not to forget what I have learned under Your instruction, but rather, to continue to practice being thankful in all things.

30+ Days of Giving Thanks, Day 60: Temple of Praise Church of God

About 18 months ago, the First Baptist Church in Newburgh acquired a Friend: the Temple of Praise Church of God in Newburgh. Pastor Luklen Simpson and his congregation came to us looking for a place to be. God had been preparing our hearts for some time and was getting us ready for an opportunity to say “Yes,” where formerly we would have quickly said “No,” but of course we would have said, very kindly,  “go, we wish you well; keep warm and well fed” (James 2:16).

Since July of 2010, the Temple of Praise has shared our space. We have learned that the building is not truly ours at all—it is God’s House, and He has entrusted it to us as His stewards. It has been a good partnership, I think. Last Sunday, on Christmas Day, we joined our two congregations in worship as we celebrated the Birth of the King of Kings.

Of course, we have differences—different styles of worship; different ways of understanding certain points of our faith; different cultural backgrounds and traditions. These differences, though not divisive, can make shared worship times awkward and prickly. Even so, when one takes the time and patiently works through the awkwardness and overlooks the prickliness, these shared moments of celebration are priceless!

Thank You, Heavenly Father, for our Sister, the Temple of Praise Church of God. May You bless them, and especially bless their Pastor.

30+ Days of Giving Thanks, Day 58: the Library

Today I want to express my thanks for my local library, the Josephine-Louise Public Library, and the library system it belongs to, the Ramapo-Catskill Library System. When I want a book to read, or a recorded book to listen to, I can log on from home, reserve or request the material that I want, and, when my requested material arrives, I get an e-mail and/or a telephone call informing me that I can come in to the library and check out my materials.

If I find myself looking for a movie or a music selection, or even if I just want a place to “kill” some time, I can duck into a library—my home library or another one in the RCLS, and lose myself looking through the stacks and shelves.

I have always loved the library—whether the elementary school library in Afton Central School, then the High School library, the Afton Village Library, or any of the libraries I have held cards from over all these years. Thank You, Heavenly Father, for my library! Thank You also for the wonderful people who staff libraries everywhere!

30+ Days of Giving Thanks, Day 57: the Mid-Hudson/Union Association

Today I am expressing thanks for the Mid-Hudson/Union Association of American Baptist Churches of New York State (phew! that’s a mouthful!). This association of approximately 30 churches in our Hudson River valley area is a networked collection of local churches with some important points of common interest. In this association are several pastors who actively participate in monthly breakfast meetings. We gather to share concerns, opportunities, and just to encourage one another and be encouraged.

Not all of our member churches actively participate nor support the association, for which I am somewhat sad. Even so, in the nearly six years of my association with this group, we have seen more of our churches and individual members become more involved. I am thankful for the growth of our association, for the friends I have made here, and for the future that we share.

Thank You, Heavenly Father, for the people, the churches and the pastors of the Mid-Hudson/Union Association.

30+ Days of Giving Thanks, Day 56: Toby

One year ago today, we picked up our new “child,” Tobias Maximillian Rudolph Ashley, the First. Toby, as we call him, is a mutt: part Golden Retriever, part Yellow Labrador Retriever. He’s a dog who believes he is a people. He has front paws that he believes are hands. He’s a big dog who thinks he is a lap dog.

Toby is a miracle in our family. Some would say that the miracle happened first in the heart of his “adopted mother”, Kelly (but please don’t tell Toby that he’s adopted!) We expected, after we said goodbye to Blackjack, never to have another canine child in the house, except maybe as “grandparents.” Imagine my surprise when Kelly announced, without warning, that we ought to get a new puppy for Christmas!

One year ago today, we went to select our new “baby.” Thinking it best to let Kelly be the first to connect with the puppy, I quietly suggested to Ryan and Matt that we should hang back, and let Kelly take the lead. From that first day, Kelly and Toby bonded in a way that Kelly and Blackjack never did. So we have a dog again. He likes the water…so much so that he learned how to climb the ladder to jump into the swimming pool. He loves to run, especially with a stick in his mouth, and the bigger the stick, the better he likes it. He sometimes runs, and sometimes prances around the yard.

I cannot explain what changed Kelly’s mind, but whatever it was, I’m glad it happened. There have been moments, and not just a few, that we have wondered if we lost our minds that day. For sure, we’ve lost our hearts to this crazy canine.

Video of Toby the WonderDog

Thank You, Heavenly Father, for giving us a new life to nurture and to love. Thank You for Toby.

30+ Days of Giving Thanks, Day #55: My Most Valuable Christmas Present

Years ago, Kelly and I began a Christmas tradition: each year (or at least, most years) we have given a gift to ourselves—a “Family Christmas present.” The first was a stereo system we purchased while in Germany in 1988—I wrote about that in an earlier post (click HERE to read that post). Other gifts through the years have included a Foosball table, a trampoline, and many more that I cannot remember at the moment. One of our boys’ friends was heard to comment about the trampoline: “That’s my favorite your Christmas present!” That comment has stuck and has traveled with us all the years since.

Thinking about my “favorite” Christmas present is a short thought process. I have received many, many gifts from many people who have loved be, and whom I have loved, well. These gifts have been thoughtful, humorous, practical, frivolous, and more. Some have been handmade or homemade. Others have been purchased at considerable expense. I have and do appreciate each one of them, both for the gift itself and even more so for the giver and the love demonstrated toward me in the act of selecting, making or purchasing, wrapping, addressing, and presenting the gift to me.

The greatest of them all, however, is the first of them all, and the inspiration for every gift since. It’s described beautifully in the words found in the Gospel according to John, chapter 3 and verse 16: “For God so loved the world [including Dennis Ashley] that He gave His Only Begotten Son, that whosoever [still including Dennis Ashley] believeth in Him [I do! I do!] should not perish [yay!] but have everlasting life [hallelujah!].”

Thank You, Loving Heavenly Father, for this Gift of love, freely given to and for me, and to and for the whole world. Oh, that everyone would believe, and have everlasting life as Your gift, freely given and freely received.

To you, reader, if there are any, I say: please, if you have not already, accept the gift God is presenting to you. It is not yours until you receive it, but it does have your name on it!
Merry Christmas!

30+ Days of Giving Thanks, Day 54 (Christmas Eve): the Incarnation

Christmas Eve…those words carry a special thrill and meaning all of their own. As a child, of course, they meant mainly one thing…”Santa Claus Is Comin’ Tonight!” Last minute shopping, wrapping, baking…these things were all part of my Christmas Eve experiences, whether personally or watching my parents and others frantically working to get everything done.

In my adult years, while all of those things still fill my Christmas Eve experiences, the most important feature of my Christmas Eve is the church service. The candlelight, the music, the full sanctuary, the “passing the light” candle ceremony, singing “Silent Night”—these are the things that mean the most to me now.

On this Christmas Eve, I want to say “Thank You” to God for this miracle: the Incarnation. “The Word [God the Son] was made Flesh [Jesus the infant] and dwelt among us. And we beheld His glory, the glory as of the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14, Authorized Version, with emphasis and clarifications added.) It was unexpected. It was unheard of and unlooked for. It was a complete surprise, and some people are just now getting it. It was perfect.

30+ Days of Giving Thanks, Day #53: the Ministers Council

Today I am thankful for a special group of colleagues in ministry: the members of the Ministers Council. This is a professional organization that has a National component (professional ministers or “clergy” of American Baptist Churches across the United States) and a Regional component (professional ministers from around the New York state “Region”). Though the potential membership in our region is well over 300, less than 20% of our ministers are members in the Ministers Council.

This voluntary association of pastors serves a number of important functions for me. It offers a collegial network of pastors who can encourage one another, commiserate with one another, and counsel one another, when a pastor has no one in his or her own church to whom he or she can confide (which is almost always the case). The Ministers Council offers a forum for sharing ideas—especially those that have been somewhat successful elsewhere. It is a place for refining the pastor’s skills, for sharpening the pastor’s tools, and for maintaining the pastor’s spiritual vitality.

Since coming to First Baptist Church in Newburgh and becoming a part of the American Baptist family of ministries, the Ministers Council has become very valuable to me. Among the constellation of agencies and ministries associated with American Baptist Churches generally, the Ministers Council is unique in that it has the pastors as its sole focus. Oh, the Ministers Council is a crucial resource for our churches, because the Ministers Council exists to serve and to support the pastors. Improving and enhancing pastoral ministry is a particularly important piece of the puzzle of how to help our churches grow and thrive.

I thank God for the Ministers Council!

30+ Days of Giving Thanks, Day 52: The Dunnemans

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about the singing group GoodNews. Today, I am thankful for another music ministry, also friends of mine: Reg and Gretchen Dunneman, The Dunnemans. I was introduced to this unique duo for the first time by my father (yes, my father!) Reg and Gretchen quickly became good friends, and have become part of the Ashley family. They even joined us for the Ashley Family Camping Trip at Westcott Beach on Lake Ontario a few years ago! 

Reg and Gretchen worked with us at Montrose Bible Conference for several years, leading worship, teaching music workshops, and producing our variety show for Teen Camp in those summers that they were with us. Reg routinely beat me in tennis, though he was always gracious in victory. They have sung in our church several times, and we are due for another Dunnemans concert in the coming year, the Lord willing.

The Dunnemans tour up and down the East Coast, from Canada to Florida, and also travel to the Midwest often. Check their website for their current itinerary. They regularly tour in Florida during the winter months (good planning there!) and will stop and sing at retirement centers, community events, fairs, picnics, conferences and retreats in addition to the traditional church concert. Their music is great, and their message is always uplifting and encouraging. If you’ve never heard them, visit their website where you can hear samples of their music and order their recordings. If they are singing near you, drop everything and go hear them. Tell them Dennis sent you!

Thank You, Heavenly Father, for The Dunnemans. May you continue to watch over them, and may they continue to minister for you, bringing Your message of hope and reconciliation through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

30+ Days of Giving Thanks, Day 50: Word of Life

Yesterday I wrote about the Montrose Bible Conference and its role in my life and in the lives of my family. Today I am thankful for another place where ministry has taken place that is very special to me. The Word of Life Inn in Schroon Lake, New York, is a beautiful setting in the Adirondacks of northern New York. The facilities there are comfortable and modern (at least the ones I have seen are modern!) and the dining room is marvelous.

I have attended a number of pastors’ conferences there over the years—sometimes with Kelly, and sometimes alone. The drive up in October is spectacular, and the scenery is breathtaking. I hope that all of my friends have the opportunity, at some time, to visit.

Though my connections are not as deep as those I have made at Montrose Bible Conference, I would enthusiastically recommend the Word of Life Inn and Conference Center to any church or group looking for a great location for a retreat or conference. They also have a great Bible Institute and great camps, both summer camps and winter retreats, for teens and children.

Thank You, Heavenly Father, for the ministry and the facilities of Word of Life International.

30+ Days of Giving Thanks, Day #49: Montrose Bible Conference

Today I am thankful for the Montrose Bible Conference (Click on the name to go to the Montrose Bible Conference website). Since 1994, when I was invited to fill in on short notice as the director of Teen Camp week when the person scheduled had to cancel, my family and I have been connected with the Conference in a number of ways. Seven years of Teen Camp, a couple of additional years as Bible teacher for Teen Camp, Snow Camps, Men’s Retreats, Ladies’ Retreats (okay, I have never actually attended a Ladies’ Retreat, but Kelly has, and I have benefitted indirectly from that!) and for the past several years, a place on the Board of Directors has forged a strong and enduring bond between this place of ministry and my family and me.

The Torrey Home, on the grounds of the Montrose
Bible Conference

Whether I am thinking about the place itself, with its buildings and grounds, or the programs that I have participated in there, or the people who staff the conference, or the friendships that I have forged there, Montrose Bible Conference is one of my very favorite places. For over 100 years, people have been “getting out of their routine and experiencing God” through this ministry. I thank God for the Montrose Bible Conference and I ask God to continue to bless and grow this ministry so that many hundreds and thousands of people like me can encounter God in His Creation and in His people.