Category Archives: Thanksgiving

From Thirst to Abundance: The Thanksgiving Journey

Thanksgiving, , , ,

It’s time to celebrate Thanksgiving. It isn’t meant to be one day, but a lifestyle! It changes my life!

Thanksgiving's Stream

This stream in the desert
delivers from thirst,
from drought that confounds
when we face the worst,

transforms us from takers
to givers to show
those lost in the desert
the stream that will flow,

to turn their dry desert
to a garden of life.
A heart of thanksgiving
deals blows to our strife.
Merry Christmas greeting

Give thanks always

Christmas, Thanksgiving, , ,

Thanksgiving Day is over, but thanksgiving never should be.  I posted this picture of Christmas in lights to remind us:  the most wonderful reason to be thankful is that God Himself came down to earth and took on human form. Because of Jesus coming to earth, suffering, and dying, we have access to God through Him. That is the greatest reason to give thanks that I can ever think of!

CHRISTMAS IS
A story of life
A story of death
A story of earth
A story of heaven
A story of hope
A story of life
God’s story to us
The story of Jesus
Christmas is
(2018)

ANOTHER BIRTHDAY

birthday, blessing, Thanksgiving, , ,

Today, we in the United States celebrated the 242nd birthday of our great nation. I am so thankful that He has blessed us and I can worship Him freely. What a gift from our Creator! As I view events in many parts of Africa and Asia and watch Christians suffer, losing everything and even their lives for their faith, I pray for them, wondering why it is so for them and we are so blessed. But I realize that God does not ask me to always understand, but to be thankful for His blessings.

IS THANKSGIVING PAST?

God, Thanksgiving, Uncategorized, , , ,

Thanksgiving Day is over. Is thanksgiving over?

I ask myself, am I continuing to be thankful? Scripture tells me to be thankful at all times! One of my favorite verses is 1 Thessalonians 5:18: “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

What? In all circumstances? When I tear my meniscus and have pain no matter what I do? When I get strep throat and then a cold? When my finances don’t seem to be what they should?

But then I am reminded that God’s will is that I be thankful. And for that, He gives me peace and joy. Oh, things don’t automatically become better (though they may), but I know that He is listening to me and I can trust Him. He is in charge. After all, He is not my personal servant boy, waiting on hand to give me whatever I ask, or my Aladdan with a magic lamp. He is the Creator of the Universe who showed His love and care about 2000 years ago when He came to earth to die for me!  Through that, He has opened heaven’s door to me. This life is so short (though in suffering it doesn’t seem so!) and ahead of me lies heaven since I have embraced Jesus as God eternal and my Savior.

So I ask myself, am I continuing to be thankful? I must admit, too often I am not. But when I come back to God’s will for me and express thanks for the marvelous gift of coming as man to earth (an event we are soon to celebrate), plus the gifts He has given me, He gives joy and peace. This life with all its sorrows and pain will soon come to an end and then the decision I have made about Jesus will bring joy and peace forever.

SAYING THANKS

saying thanks, Thanksgiving, , , ,

Light from the candle
Light shining through the rocks in the candle

God has given me so many things! Saying thanks to Him for His gifts of the gentle wind, the beautiful blue sky, my warm house, a hot shower, food, etc., doesn’t take my eyes off Him, it focuses me on what is truly important—He is the source of everything; I can trust His goodness in the choices He makes in my life. I find I rejoice as I walk in Him; as I do, He fills me with joy and peace. As I give Him for all the gifts, great and small that He gives, I begin to release my life to His hands and live without fear of what the future holds. I can trust someone who delights to give me gifts. And when He chooses to withhold His gifts, I can still be thankful because He is changing me so I am less about me and more about Him. As that happens, I walk in more peace and joy, for that is who He is. I can be content with whatever lot He gives me because He is with me and has great things in store for me in the next life as I spend eternity with Jesus

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