Month: November 2015

Thanks Giving

/ Greg Asimakoupoulos

What’s in a name?

Giving has a first name.
It’s the reason why we give.
A grateful heart has eyes for those in need.
Thanks Giving is a way of life
(not just a holiday)
since giving follows where our blessings lead.

What motivates our giving
is the knowledge God’s been good.
A grateful heart just tends to overflow.
When we’re thankful for God’s goodness,
we are overwhelmed with joy.
And then giving is the way we let it show.

Yes, Thanks Giving calls attention
to the action that’s required
when our grateful hearts acknowledge we are blessed.
First names tend to pose no problem.
They roll off the tongue with ease.
But the second name can often be a test.

Saying thanks is pretty easy
but the proof of what we say
is seen when grateful hearts reach out and give.
Thankfulness may be a feeling,
but the essence of that joy
is the generosity by which we live.

We Give You Thanks

/ Greg Asimakoupoulos

A new Thanksgiving hymn

Lord, we’re grateful for Your goodness.
We give You thanks.
For Your grace and loving kindness,
we give you thanks.
For protection while we slumber
and for blessings without number,
autumn, winter, spring and summer,
we give You thanks.

Lord, we’re grateful for our nation.
We give You thanks.
For the beauty of creation,
we give You thanks.
For Your church and for our parish,
family, friends and those we cherish,
and Your love that cannot perish,
we give You thanks.

Lord, we’re grateful You’re forgiving.
We give You thanks.
For our lives well worth the living,
we give You thanks.
For the promise of forever
and a bond that none can sever.
Knowing You will fail us never,
we give You thanks.

*The above lyrics can be sung to the tune for “All Through the Night.”

With Gratitude for Little Red Cups

/ Greg Asimakoupoulos

How Christians should respond to Starbucks

St. Arbucks is no humbug.
His red cup kindles joy.
His cup of cheer is served up with a smile.
The absence of some sentiment is no conspiracy.
This saint who serves all faiths is hardly vile.

We have to be more gracious
when it comes to this dear Saint.
After all his Christmas cup IS red and green.
Our reactions (as believers)
to what others do or don’t
reflect our Lord to others (kind or mean).

We don’t need a cup with captions
to announce what we all know.
A plain red Starbucks cup is fine with me.
It is OUR jobs as Christians
to convey what Christmas means
as our culture toes the line to be PC.

The Gospel According to Paul

/ Greg Asimakoupoulos

Celebrating the legacy of Paul Harris and Rotary International

What goes around soon comes around.
We reap the things we sow.
We lead by serving others in their need.
A guy named Paul inspired
self-denial just like Christ.
And “service above self” became his creed.

Paul and his band of brothers
circled up for lunch each week.
That’s how (what we call) Rotary was born.
Paul Harris clothed integrity
in business suits and found
that “service above self” became the norm.

The Four Way Test soon followed.
Will it benefit the group?
Is it true? Will it build goodwill? Is it fair?
Rotarians all over
use that test to prove the point 
that “service above self” reveals you care.

Yes, Paul Harris birthed a movement
that is helping change the world.
Men and women of all ages lead the way.
We’re a family of servants
quite convinced we offer hope
and that “service above self’ will win the day.

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_P._Harris