Month: November 2019

No matter what happens, always be thankful for this is God’s will to you who belong to Christ Jesus.                            I Thessalonians 5:18 

Piglet noticed that even though he had a very small heart, it could hold a rather large amount of gratitude.          Winnie the Pooh

Thanksgiving week is here, and it’s once again time to gather our family and friends around the table to celebrate and give thanks to God for all His blessings to us this past year.  As in 1620 when the Pilgrims gathered with grateful hearts and shared their meal with the Wampanoag Native Americans, we, all these hundreds of years later, gather to do the same.

There are so many blessings that I could list from the past year, but I’ll just say that I am filled with gratitude and that gratitude brings so much joy to my life.  There are big blessings, little blessings and important blessings, but sometimes blessings become so omnipresent that they can escape our notice on a daily basis.  Things like fingers that move, eyes that see, ears that sorta hear, seasons, air, water, friends, family, laughter, health,and so many other things can go unnoticed on a daily basis.

The major difference between the Thanksgiving of today and that in 1620 is that the Pilgrims held God as the center of their thankfulness. Their gratitude filled them with so much joy that their celebration was a reflection of both.  In today’s America we have lost much of that respect, joy and gratitude.  Frances Schaeffer says that “the beginning of man’s rebellion against God was and is the lack of a thankful heart”.  In this world of turmoil, uncertainty, hate, war, and a general lack of respect for God, His word, and His world, Thanksgiving provides a respite from the ordinary day to day and forces us to take a good look at our blessings.  God doesn’t bless us to provide for our own needs, but rather so we can be a blessing to others.

Giving thanks and having a grateful heart shouldn’t be limited to one day a year, but rather, giving thanks should be an ongoing action.

As we celebrate together, be sure to take time to thank God for all His blessings and celebrate the joy that a grateful heart can bring!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Cast all your anxiety on Him for He cares for you.                I Peter 5:7

One of my favorite movies is The Divine Secrets of the YaYa Sisterhood.  It’s such a tender story sprinkled with laughter, love and drama.  I love all the characters of the YaYa’s, but I especially identify with Vivian’s explanation of how she handles worry and problems.  She says, I take a problem and chew on it until all the flavor’s gone, then I stick it in my hair.  

Worry is defined as a state of anxiety or uncertainty over actual or potential problems.  The key word here is potential..  Almost 97% of the things we worry about don’t happen, yet, we tend to dwell on things that haven’t happened, probably couldn’t happen, and will probably never happen. A friend of mine calls this strategy watering your worries because once you enhance the worries, they grow.

I understand worry because it’s hard for me to feel at peace with things unless I have everything worked out, everything on the list crossed off, and know that all those I love are safe and secure.  In short, I water the worry.  

When an elderly man was asked what robbed him of joy in his life, he replied, “Things that never happened.”  This hit home with me because I  keep a journal, and when I look back over the worries of years ago, I find that the most troubling things never happened.  Instead of watering my faith, I watered my worry.

William Ward wrote, “Worry is faith in the negative, trust in the unpleasant, assurance of disaster and belief in defeat.  It’s a magnet that attracts negative conditions.  Faith is a more powerful force that creates positive circumstances.”  In short, faith and worry can’t co exist.

We as mortals can’t possibly run our own lives because we just don’t have what it takes.  We need to stop trying to control every situation, water every worry, and maneuver every possible outcome.  Life can only get better when we decide to stand on God’s promises and let Him take care of us.

Worry is wasting today’s time, and cluttering up tomorrow’s opportunities with yesterday’s troubles.  William Ward

I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.  Philippians 4:13

Different people use different tactics to help them remember important events, celebrations, or every day chores.  Some people work from a list, some people keep calendars handy, and some people even tie a string around their finger to help them remember.

Randy and I just returned from a weekend get away to San Antonio, and as it would happen, the Air Force Basic Training at Lackland AFB was having its graduation.  As we walked around the city, there were groups of uniformed air force graduates lunching and celebrating with proud parents, spouses, children, and friends.  As we congratulated them, thanked them for their service, and watched the pride they feel, my mind skipped ahead to what lies in their future.  Young men and women who have made the decision to serve their country.

Every generation, thankfully, has those who have that heart and pride for their country.  My parents lived through WWII when some of the greatest and bravest men and women died to keep our country free.  We lived through the Viet Nam war, and we lost many friends and relatives who might not have believed whole heartedly in the war, but none the less, fought bravely to defend our country.  The War in Iraq called soldiers to once again step up to defend the freedom we enjoy, and the list goes on even today.

What does it take to remember all the brave soldiers who have served, suffered, and died to protect our country?  Is it only one day a year set aside to honor them, or should they be in our thoughts and prayers every single day?  I would chose the later option.

I can’t even begin to imagine the things those who have fought have seen, heard, and lived both during and after their years of service.  Although most of them don’t share a lot of details, it’s always obvious to me the many ways they must deal with their memories.

I attended a celebration of life service for a Naval officer a few weeks ago, and the tribute moved me to tears.  In total silence, two members of the Naval Honor Guard processed down the aisle in perfect cadence carrying a folded flag.  Once they reached their comrade, the flag was precisely unfurled and held up while Taps was played.  Then, just as meticulously, the flag was folded once again, and the officer knelt before the widow to present the colors.  What a tribute!

Each day these veterans live with their memories of their service to our country.  If they can give all they had to keep our country safe and free, the least we can do is remember each day to remember their sacrifice.

Thank you for your service and sacrifice.

The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people.  All the believers used to meet in Solomon’s Colonnade. No one else dared join them even though they were highly regarded by the people. Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number.  As a result, people brought the sick into the street and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall upon them as he passed by.  Acts 5:12-15

What child hasn’t been fascinated with their shadow at one time or the other?  I guess we’ve all played games where we create different animals, shapes, or fun objects using our shadows.  As teachers, Groundhog Day was the day casting a shadow became a perfect lesson.  Whether we think about it or not, our shadow is always with us, and we can’t separate ourselves from it.

Randy and I had the opportunity to visit the Alamo in San Antonio last week with friends.  There’s such history there, and it’s hard to believe that less than 200 frontiersmen fought there against over 1500 Mexican soldiers to claim this for the Republic of Texas.  The frontiersmen lost the battle, but the inspiration of that battle lives on.  The history is so important to Texans that they have made the Alamo a sacred shrine, and the government has decreed that no building may cast a shadow upon the Alamo.

Casting a shadow is not something we think about unless someone draws our attention to it, but the idea gave me reason to ponder its importance.  Our shadow is a part of us, and maybe we should think about how we cast our shadow  might influence others.  Will it be a positive way or a negative way?  Will it work for good or for bad?

In the scripture above, the shadow refers to Peter and the tremendous influence he had on the lives of others.  He was so influential that people longed just to have him cast a shadow on them.  He cast a shadow for good.

Contrast Peter with Adolph Hitler.  Germany lives even to this day under the negative shadow he cast so many years ago.  He cast a shadow of evil and hatred.

Who can argue the impact the shadow of the cross has had on our world?  The cross is a reminder of God’s love and sacrifice for all of mankind, and its influence is always positive.  Jesus cast a shadow for love, forgiveness and acceptance.

Each day presents a new opportunity to cast a shadow for good.  It affords us an opportunity to leave the world a little bit better than we found it, impart Christian thoughts and habits to our children and grandchildren, be the person God would have us be, love our neighbor, forgive those who have wronged us, and live each day for Jesus.

Frank Lloyd Wright puts it this way, The present is the moving shadow that divides yesterday from tomorrow.  In that lies hope.

We can’t separate ourselves from the shadow we cast.