Gratitude

Miracles of Men in Relationship (David Grizzle – 9/9/22 – NCS New Canaan)

September 9, 2022 by NCS New Canaan Leave a Comment

With tremendous NCS transparency, David Grizzle shares how he has experienced and witnessed the miracles that can happen when men are in deep, grace-filled and accountable relationships with each other.

On the eve of the Memorial Service for NCS brudder BJ Weber, Grizzle explains the very special relationship he had with BJ, going back to the first day BJ arrived in New York City. David talks about how, with BJ’s help, he learned compassion through “borrowed suffering”.

David vulnerably describes the irrational anxiety and panic attacks he felt and suffered during the COVID pandemic, not because of the pandemic but because of the devastating impact it had on markets, financial portfolios and businesses he was overseeing as a Board member. He shares how he began to recognize the power of idols in his life, and how he was able to find peace by finally forgiving himself.

Finally, David explains why he believes that men need other men–not only to help pull each other out of the “holes” we dig ourselves into but also to help each other reach all that God intends for us.

Holy Spirit Nudges (Edward Mahoney – 5/13/22 – NCS New Canaan)

May 13, 2022 by NCS New Canaan Leave a Comment

Edward Mahoney humbly shares the amazing story of how God transformed him from being “Wall Street Centered” to “Jesus Centered” and how he came to understand and boldly respond to “nudges” from the Holy Spirit.

Mahoney transparently tells the story of spending two years in a hospital as a child during which he received last rites twice. He also explains how that experience began to unlock his gift of relating to people.

Ed talks about his successful Wall Street career and then vulnerably reveals the personal toll of falling from the top. He explains the two events that began the transformation from “Wall Street Centered” to “Jesus Centered”, one of which was showing up for the first time at the New Canaan Society. Ed also shares the importance of his NCS Energy Group that has been “showing up” for each other for over 10 years.

In his words, our gifts and talents are gifts from God to be used to bless others for God’s glory. “Nudges” are when we sense we are meant to do something for someone else–those sometimes uncomfortable opportunities to love our neighbor.

Sharing a few anecdotes from his book Tales from the Bright Side: The Holy Spirit Adventures of Edward Peter Mahoney, Ed tells the incredible story of how he came to write a book about his “Holy Spirit” experiences following “nudges” and emphasizes that his book was written as an encouragement and a challenge to all of us to boldly step out when the Holy Spirit nudges.

Finally, Ed shows a “nudge” in action. He explains that as he was walking through the door and greeted one of the staff in the restaurant, he sensed that he was meant to give all the proceeds from book sales that morning to the restaurant staff serving the group. And he does.

The Path of Faithfulness and Dangerous Questions (Pastor Alfred Watts – 2/18/22 – NCS New Canaan)

February 19, 2022 by NCS New Canaan 1 Comment

Pastor Alfred Watts shares the amazing journey of faith and faithfulness that took a kid from inner city New Haven to the elite boarding school Choate Rosemary Hall to Cornell University to Howard University Law School to a Federal Court clerkship to some of the most prestigious law firms on Wall Street to becoming the senior pastor of a vibrant church in Milford, CT.

Pastor Watts explains that the most important lesson his father taught him was to remember God’s command, challenge and promise in Malachi 3:10-12 (NLT):

Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test! Your crops will be abundant, for I will guard them from insects and disease.^[a] Your grapes will not fall from the vine before they are ripe,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “Then all nations will call you blessed, for your land will be such a delight,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

He shares how he faithfully gave “a penny from every dime, a dime from every dollar“, from his first job earning $150/week to his career as a Wall Street corporate lawyer and beyond.

Pastor Watts tells about the amazing blessing and provision that has come into this life. He describes how God guided him along the path, even transparently admitting the times he strayed from trusting God’s provision or delayed in his obedience and the way his heavenly Father guided him back.

He also explains how he was able to balance the demands of A Wall Street legal career with serving in his church and prioritizing his family. He talks about the boundaries he established and how he knew it was time to change jobs.

Watts also reveals how he asked God one of those “dangerous questions”. In October 2000, he cried out to the Lord, “I want to know what you can do with one man completely sold out to you!” One month later, he was asked to become the Senior Pastor of Cornerstone Church. Pastor Watts left the legal profession and was officially installed as Senior Pastor on June 17, 2001.

It is an amazing story of one man’s faithfulness to God’s commands and directions and God’s faithfulness to His word and a faithful man.

Think About Noble Things (Kevin Mackay – 10/8/21 – NCS New Canaan)

October 8, 2021 by NCS New Canaan Leave a Comment

Kevin Mackay served as a Corporal in the U.S. Marine Corps and for 17 years as a Stamford Police officer. With tremendous humility and vulnerability, he shares about the “moral injury” he experienced and the miraculous healing that came through his new-found faith in Jesus.

Kevin explains that the most debilitating “moral injury” came when he was a computer forensic expert with the Stamford Police investigating cases of child pornography. With amazing transparency, he reveals how having to examine unspeakable images and incomprehensible search terms drove him to a mental break. Although he began self-medicating, Kevin shares how he turned to the Stamford Police Chaplain for support. Kevin explains that he was an atheist not interested in hearing about God or Jesus, but he believed he could trust the Chaplain (NCS brudder John Revell of Life Line Chaplaincy) to listen confidentially.

Mackay explains how Revell shared with him Philippians 4, particularly verse 4:8: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” He describes how shifting his mind to the “noble” took his focus off the images of evil he had experienced. It also led Kevin to begin exploring the idea of God in various faiths. Ultimately, applying his analytical mind to Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis and The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel, Mackay knew that what was missing from his life was Jesus Christ.

Although a reluctant convert just like C.S. Lewis, Kevin goes on to share how his new-found faith has both healed him and given him a new perspective on life. It has transformed him from someone always trying to control his circumstances to someone able to look through circumstances and see the hand of a loving God with a wonderful plan. He tells how anxiety and anxiety drugs have been replaced by the healing peace promised in Philippians.

Philippians 4:6-7: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Living Life in the Midst of Storms (P. D. – 9/24/21 – NCS New Canaan)

September 24, 2021 by NCS New Canaan 1 Comment

With remarkable transparency and humility and unbelievable gratitude and faith, NCS brudder P. D. shares the extraordinary “storms” that have descended on his journey and the more extraordinary ways in which he has persevered and even given thanks, maintaining his ever-present smile.

He talks openly about losing his father in a tragic accident, losing a child to cancer, charitably taking in three children from one of the poorest countries in Europe, losing all his savings in a bad investment and having to sell his home, losing his marriage (and practically all his material possessions) in a divorce, going through several career transitions that required “starting over”, and battling and beating cancer twice.

Although even a few of his “storms” could lead some people to abandon hope and their faith in God, he explains how he has weathered them and not allowed them to define his life, shake his faith or rob his hope.

Faith, family and friends have been his rocks. He talks about the three sons he adores, his first NCS retreat and the impact of having NCS brothers who just “show up”.
He shares that no matter how bad things got, he reminded himself that there are people who have it worse and gave thanks for all he had been given.
He explains how he stopped asking “Why?” and focused on how he could use his remaining days, however many there are, to live fully–serving others to the glory of God.

His story is not a story of “storms”–it is a story of the power of faith, family, friendship and gratitude to bring resilience, hope and purpose.

The Bible says God does not allow us to face storms without adequately equipping us. His inspiring resilience and courageous testimony may be part of his calling–helping prepare us for storms we are in or those just down the road. God made him to be a resilient warrior–for the benefit of others who take the time to listen.

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