Happy Thanksgiving!!

"Oh, give thanks to the LORD,

for He is good!

For His mercy endures forever."

Psalm 118:1

A Note of Thanks: Part III

On this third day of thanks, I want to thank the Lord for my friends. Have you ever stopped to consider that God brought your friends to you? I don’t think I seriously thought about this until I became a Christian and I started developing friendships with other godly women. There is such a unique bonding that goes beyond words.

The other day one of my friends gave me a very warm hug and thanked me for my friendship. This was very special to me since just four years ago I almost lost her as a friend because of something really dumb I did. God chose to rebuke me, change my heart, and now my friend and I are the best of friends. This could only have happened because of God’s love and intervention.

So I am thankful to God for the friends He has given me; for knowing those who would stand by me, counsel me, encourage me, and love me.

A Note of Thanks: Part II

On this second day of thanks, I want to thank the Lord for my family. Nothing is by accident with God. He handpicked our parents and relatives. He knew who our spouse would be and how many children we would have. Although sometimes we are tempted to question His choices, there is a distinct reason why these people are in our lives, and we need to love them, cherish them, and care for them because God gave them to us. I love my family, and I am thankful for all they have done in my life to help me turn into the person I am today.

A Note of Thanks: Part I

Doesn’t it seem that we are rushed this Thanksgiving? The stores want to squish this very precious holiday between a bagful of Halloween candy and Season Greeting gift wrap. Thanksgiving, after all, isn’t as commercially successful as selling costumes or assorted socks and slippers in all shapes and sizes.

But I want to put the brakes on. I want to say, “Hey! Let’s be thankful!” So I’m devoting the next few days to say how thankful I am for the blessings God has given me.

All my thanks, of course, flows from the love of God. It is He who has given me everything that I’m thankful for. It is because of God’s unfathomable love that He sent His Son Jesus down to earth to die so that we can experience God’s love, forgiveness, and redemption. Isn’t that amazing?! Even if you were the only one on this planet, Jesus would have come down to die for you. I can’t understand how people fail to be thankful for that!

I am thankful that God is longsuffering; that He wooed my heart day after day, year after year, until I was ready to accept Him into my life as Lord and Savior. And I continue to be thankful that He is longsuffering with my development as a Christian, since I constantly make mistakes and need lots of grace and mercy.

Home for the Holidays

My kids are off from school starting today for Thanksgiving vacation. We will visit a local theme park, go to a couple of orthodontist appointments, and try our hand at some early Christmas shopping. We don’t have a huge amount of plans (besides, of course, Thanksgiving Day). It just will be nice taking a break from the normal daily routines.

I will try to get some writing done, but I’m not putting any pressure on myself for the next week. I want to be able to enjoy my kids’ time off, too. But I will keep thinking of ideas for a few deadlines I have in the weeks ahead. Jotting down notes is a lot easier and less time consuming than actually composing articles.

If you have young kids still at home, try to make good use of your holiday time with them. They grow up so fast. Treasure the moments and be thankful when they are home for the holidays.

Dealing With Doubt

Do you doubt? Do you worry? Many people have this misconception that Christians shouldn’t have any misgivings or struggles. We are supposed to always be happy and joyful and goody-two-shoes.

Yet when we read our Bibles we see that even the giants of Scripture, Daniel, Moses, Joshua, and David, struggled with doubts in their hearts. Where is God in all this? Am I really called to be here? How can I handle this multitude? When is it time for God’s promises to be fulfilled?

Christians are human. We doubt; but we aren’t supposed to stay in that state. We are to look for the One who gives us hope and cling to His promises. We are to hold out our hand, knowing God will lift us up in His timing.

Psalm 94:19 speaks volumes to my heart: “In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul.” Loosely translated it means in the numerous disquieting thoughts I have, God’s mercy smoothes my soul.

Do doubts fill your mind? Seek God’s comfort and consolations. Read about the struggles the Bible heroes went through. Then find hope as He smoothes your soul.

Mid-Week Reflection

"So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives,

and humbly accept the message

God has planted in your hearts,

for it is strong enough to save your souls."

James 1:21 NLT