WHAT ARE YOU THANKFUL FOR?
In America, Thanksgiving Day kicks off the holiday season. But, whether you’re American or not, it is always the right season for us to give thanks.“Give thanks to the Lord,” 1 Chron. 16:8“Give thanks to Him and praise His name,” Ps.100“Give thanks in all circumstances,” 1 Thess. 5:18[Tweet "What are you thankful for this #Thanksgiving?"]Thinking back over this past week I was struck by so many things to give thanks for. Here are a few:
- I’m thankful for attending a huge global health missions’ conference in Louisville. With close to 3,000 predominantly younger men and women training to be docs, dentists, nurses and every other kind of health care providers, it thrilled me to see God raising up a new generation of serious followers of Christ.
- I’m thankful I could educate and encourage young moms at a MOPS group to recognize the power of their MOMMYTALK—both to harm and build up their precious children. (And also to check and maybe change their tone, volume, and posture :) )
- I’m thankful for being invited to teach on God’s Omnipresence at my weekly Bible study. It thrilled me again, to talk about the Living God who sees, knows, cares, and acts for good toward us.
WHAT ABOUT YOU?
WHAT DO YOU SEE GOD DOING AROUND YOU?
HOW IS HE BLESSING YOU?
Reflect on how God has been present in your life this past year. Take a few moments, even while you’re looking at your computer or smart phone, and thank Him for all that He is and what He has done for you.Here are some memory joggers that help me:I thank you Lord because:
- You gave me hope when …………….
- You gave me strength when ………....
- You comforted me when …………….
- You helped me when ……………….
- You understood me when …………..
- You loved me when …………………
Have you experienced God’s presence in the situations you’ve encountered in your life?I hope so—and that this simple exercise has reminded you He is alive. He loves you. He wants you to know and love Him on a deeper level than you’ve experienced so far.In 2 Timothy 4:17 the Apostle Paul said
“The Lord stood at my side and gave me strength.”
I want to recognize, more and more, the presence of Christ in every circumstance of my life, whether I understand what’s going on or not :) Knowing He is present thrills me, and fills me with joy and thanksgiving. I hope this is true for you, also.
Did you know you’re like a PUMPKIN?
A woman was asked by a coworker, “What is it like to be a Christian?” She replied, “It’s kind of like being a pumpkin. God picks you from the patch, brings you in, and washes all the dirt off of you. Then He cuts off the top and scoops out all the yucky stuff. He removes the seeds of doubt, hate, greed, lies we tell ourselves, etc. and then He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside of you to shine for all the world to see.Happy Thanksgiving,Poppy[Tweet "It's Thanksgiving! Whether you’re American or not, it is always the season to give thanks."]Fall leaves and woman praising photo credits: DollarPhoto ClubPumpkin photo