yahoo Thanksgiving is around the corner and I thought it would be a good idea to list some things that I’m thankful to God for. I don’t know why I thought I should do it now when I should have been doing it all year, but better late than never.
I do find it amazing that the ancient Hebrews had a thanksgiving festival that lasted seven days and the first thanksgiving celebration in North America lasted three days, yet we can only set aside one day. Hmmm, maybe we should make every day a day of thanksgiving. We’d probably be a more pleasant culture. I think I’ll start to work on that.
Happy Thanksgiving!
1 Jesus: He has given me a purpose and reason for my existence. From the moment I met Him my life changed. Thank you Lord!
2 Jody: Our marriage has been rocky at times and sometimes it got downright rough, but we came through it all better off, and through all of it, I never doubted her love for me. Our marriage has endured and we’ll celebrate 20 years this March.
3 Aaron: He’s a young man with a heart of gold. He’s a kind and considerate boy who makes friends easily. His sense of humor has developed lately to where he’s our dinnertime entertainment. He’s doing well in school and plays the trumpet in band.
4 Hope: My little princess is growing up fast. She’s an intelligent and thoughtful girl. There’s never a dull moment with her around. She’s now taking piano lessons and is going to do well with anything she puts her mind to. She gives excellent hugs.
5 My Salvation: A gift from God! This was the beginning point of my Journey not the end. From the moment I said yes to Jesus my life was transformed and is being transformed.
6 Access to God through Prayer: Because of my salvation I’ve been adopted into the family of God and now can speak to Him as his child. What a privilege to enter into the Throne room of Heaven and speak with my Father.
7 The Word: The Holy Bible is rich with stories about God and our response to God. I know that some folks don’t want to read it because they think it’s archaic and not relevant to today, but I’ve found that it is timeless. It’s full of wisdom and insight on human nature and the heart of God.
8 Church: My extended family. I have no idea where I would be without my brothers and sisters in Christ. They help me to stay focused on what’s important as well as encourage me on the way. I also rely on them to tell me when I’m being a knucklehead. As I was writing this I received a call from my brother Bill. He was checking up on me because he knew I’m laid off from work. I love these folks and they prove to me daily that they love me too.
9 Pastors: I have been very fortunate to have close relationships with the pastors that I’ve served with. Dr. Karl Kraft baptized me and became a mentor. He’s a dear friend and brother. Pastor Gene Wilkins has taken on the continued mentoring. The knowledge and experience that he possesses is very helpful in my walk. I worked with Rev. David Wehrle for a short but very beneficial time. I’ll always be grateful for his willingness to use someone that wasn’t a member of his congregation to lead and build a team. My new pastor Dr. Doug Baitinger is becoming very important to my journey. His excitement on releasing the saints to minister and willingness to hear and implement new ideas is refreshing.
10 Health: The Lord has blessed me and my family with good health. It’s another gift that I’m thankful for.
11 More than 10 things/reasons: I’m thankful that I have way more than 10 reasons to be thankful. Here are just a few more.
12 My house: Shelter is a basic human need and there are people all around the world who struggle to find someplace that they can call home. I’m fortunate that my family has a nice home.
13 Nation/liberties: Yeah we got our problems, but there is no other country in the world that compares. Stable government, just laws and the ability to express faith freely is actually the exception and not the rule on this planet.
14 Music: I’m thankful that I’m able to appreciate and express myself though music. Music is a universal language that speaks to us on another level. Music can express joy, excitement, awe, sadness, majesty, etc, etc.
I could go on, but you get the idea. I encourage you to begin to write down the many reasons that you are thankful. It’s a nice exercise that will brighten your outlook. May your Thanksgiving be exactly that, a time of giving thanks to God for your many, many blessings!
Peace!
Greg <><
I do find it amazing that the ancient Hebrews had a thanksgiving festival that lasted seven days and the first thanksgiving celebration in North America lasted three days, yet we can only set aside one day. Hmmm, maybe we should make every day a day of thanksgiving. We’d probably be a more pleasant culture. I think I’ll start to work on that.
Happy Thanksgiving!
1 Jesus: He has given me a purpose and reason for my existence. From the moment I met Him my life changed. Thank you Lord!
2 Jody: Our marriage has been rocky at times and sometimes it got downright rough, but we came through it all better off, and through all of it, I never doubted her love for me. Our marriage has endured and we’ll celebrate 20 years this March.
3 Aaron: He’s a young man with a heart of gold. He’s a kind and considerate boy who makes friends easily. His sense of humor has developed lately to where he’s our dinnertime entertainment. He’s doing well in school and plays the trumpet in band.
4 Hope: My little princess is growing up fast. She’s an intelligent and thoughtful girl. There’s never a dull moment with her around. She’s now taking piano lessons and is going to do well with anything she puts her mind to. She gives excellent hugs.
5 My Salvation: A gift from God! This was the beginning point of my Journey not the end. From the moment I said yes to Jesus my life was transformed and is being transformed.
6 Access to God through Prayer: Because of my salvation I’ve been adopted into the family of God and now can speak to Him as his child. What a privilege to enter into the Throne room of Heaven and speak with my Father.
7 The Word: The Holy Bible is rich with stories about God and our response to God. I know that some folks don’t want to read it because they think it’s archaic and not relevant to today, but I’ve found that it is timeless. It’s full of wisdom and insight on human nature and the heart of God.
8 Church: My extended family. I have no idea where I would be without my brothers and sisters in Christ. They help me to stay focused on what’s important as well as encourage me on the way. I also rely on them to tell me when I’m being a knucklehead. As I was writing this I received a call from my brother Bill. He was checking up on me because he knew I’m laid off from work. I love these folks and they prove to me daily that they love me too.
9 Pastors: I have been very fortunate to have close relationships with the pastors that I’ve served with. Dr. Karl Kraft baptized me and became a mentor. He’s a dear friend and brother. Pastor Gene Wilkins has taken on the continued mentoring. The knowledge and experience that he possesses is very helpful in my walk. I worked with Rev. David Wehrle for a short but very beneficial time. I’ll always be grateful for his willingness to use someone that wasn’t a member of his congregation to lead and build a team. My new pastor Dr. Doug Baitinger is becoming very important to my journey. His excitement on releasing the saints to minister and willingness to hear and implement new ideas is refreshing.
10 Health: The Lord has blessed me and my family with good health. It’s another gift that I’m thankful for.
11 More than 10 things/reasons: I’m thankful that I have way more than 10 reasons to be thankful. Here are just a few more.
12 My house: Shelter is a basic human need and there are people all around the world who struggle to find someplace that they can call home. I’m fortunate that my family has a nice home.
13 Nation/liberties: Yeah we got our problems, but there is no other country in the world that compares. Stable government, just laws and the ability to express faith freely is actually the exception and not the rule on this planet.
14 Music: I’m thankful that I’m able to appreciate and express myself though music. Music is a universal language that speaks to us on another level. Music can express joy, excitement, awe, sadness, majesty, etc, etc.
I could go on, but you get the idea. I encourage you to begin to write down the many reasons that you are thankful. It’s a nice exercise that will brighten your outlook. May your Thanksgiving be exactly that, a time of giving thanks to God for your many, many blessings!
Peace!
Greg <><