Happy Thanksgiving

Psalm 100:4 (ESV)

Enter his gates with thanksgiving,

    and his courts with praise!

    Give thanks to him; bless his name!

All across our nation, Thanksgiving is a day that we set aside in order to do one thing.

Be thankful.

And usually what goes along with it, is lots of food, family and friends, laughter and fun, times of giving to others in need, maybe some football, or traditions that you’ve recognized through long years.

And sometimes too, there is also loneliness. And struggle. Or deep loss. Feelings of hurt and painful circumstances that you’re still trying to hurdle over.

Whatever you’re facing this Thanksgiving Day, in the midst of all of it, may we remember again that God gives us the opportunity each and every day, to give worship and thanks to Him. Every morning He gives us breath, is His invitation to come joyfully into His Presence. He reminds us that He alone is God and we belong to Him. He assures us that His plans in our lives are for good, that his love covers us securely, and His faithfulness extends from generation to generation.

No matter what, He’s given us so many reasons to choose thankfulness and joy this day. Let’s do what the Psalmist of this great chapter says:

- Shout for joy.

- Worship the Lord with gladness.

- Come before Him with joyful songs.

- Know that He is God.

- Enter His gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise.

- Give thanks to Him and praise His name.

- Recognize His goodness, love, and faithfulness, through all the generations of our family.

Dear Lord, thank You for Your goodness and for Your blessings over our lives. Forgive us for when we don't thank you enough, for who You are, for all that You do, for all that You've given. Thank You that You are always with us and will never leave us, even through loss and the most difficult of times. Thank You for Your incredible sacrifice so that we might have freedom and life. Renew our spirits, fill us with Your peace and joy, this Thanksgiving Day and every day. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Thankful for prayer

Philippians 4:6(ESV) 

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

The great hymn “Amazing Grace” summarizes biblical faith well: “Grace hath brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.” If grace reveals that joy is a gift, then prayer is the Lord’s gracious means through which he daily sustains that joy.

We sometimes believe we are independent, self-sufficient people. Our tired minds, aching backs, and callous hands that produced a successful career and a comfortable home seem to affirm that myth. But what if corporate restructuring takes away the paycheck, or terminal illness robs our strength and vitality? Anxiety, worry, and fear set in, taking the place of our pride.

Life comes from the Lord, and so does daily help. We come to the Lord through prayer, and the fruit of prayer is peace. Yet prayer is not a mantra, and we can’t use it to try to manipulate God. Prayer is a divine gift to strengthen the bonds of love between us and God. The act of prayer itself affirms our dependence on him for peace and joy.

Peace is knowing that death is overcome by resurrection, falsehood by truth, confusion by wisdom, hatred by love. This is the joyful fruit of believers who seek the Lord! Then, when all else has failed, we can still say, “I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior” (Habakkuk 3:18).

Dear Lord, we rejoice in you. We will be joyful in God our Savior. Thank you for this gift of prayer, for listening to our heart, for speaking to us of your grace. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Thankful for the small things

Psalm 147:3, 7 (ESV)

3 He heals the brokenhearted

    and binds up their wounds.

7 Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;

    make melody to our God on the lyre!

When young children scrape a knee or elbow, they cry for a bandage—whether they needed one or not. It is surprising how much comfort can come from a small adhesive strip. That’s probably because the tiny bandage represented much more than a wound covering, it is put in place by hands with a history of showing love and tender kindness.

Throughout the Bible we can see that God also uses small things to bring hope and healing to the world. God chose the small nation of Israel and charged them to be a blessing to all other nations. Through this group of people, preserved and cared for by God’s faithful hands, the Savior, Jesus Christ, came into the world. And the Savior himself came in a tiny package: a baby born of a teenage peasant girl. Who would imagine that such a child would heal the brokenhearted and bind up their wounds?

Psalm 147 uses words that echo throughout the Bible and were made visible as Jesus went about his compassionate healing ministry. What’s more, Jesus promises to forgive all our sins and to be with us always to bring comfort and hope far beyond words printed on a page.

Today let us give thanks that God works in small ways. Ask him to help you see today how his faithful hands are tending your wounded heart.

Dear Lord, we want to thank You that You came in a small way to change everything with the forgiveness and hope that You brought. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

In ALL things

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (ESV)

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

To be honest, sometimes it's the "all" in that verse that gets me. Most of us can be thankful, for lots of things, at lots of times, but in "all" circumstances? That can be tough.

What about when you find yourself suffering illness, or defeat, or you're walking through huge loss...what about when a loved one leaves this world too soon and you still can't see past your tears...or when you've been praying for your prodigal loved one to come home and it seems like the prayers are unanswered...what about when you're discouraged, disillusioned, and struggling with disbelief...or when you're overwhelmed, overextended, and just fighting being over-stressed...what about when the needs mount high and the way doesn't look clear...or when people are cruel, life seems unfair, and the enemy's breathing down your back...what about when the storms come, and the car breaks down, or the air conditioner stops working?

Yes, these are the "all" things that can be hard to find gratitude in, whether it's huge losses or just life irritations. But God's word never changes to fit our circumstances. His Truth rises above our circumstance, so that we can too. He doesn't say give thanks "for it", but "in it all," for He knows He's building more deeply into our lives and character than He could ever build without the hard times.

We're gaining strength. We're gaining perseverance. We're being reminded that true joy is never based on how we feel or our outside situations. We understand that God's ways are bigger, His thoughts are higher, and we can be assured that He holds us in His hands.

No matter what you might be facing, the good news is this, you woke up. He's given us today. And if we're still here, living and breathing, may our every breath bring honor to Him.

Dear Lord, we thank You that we never fight the battles in life alone. Help us to stay strong, choose joy and be grateful in  "all." In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Corrie Ten Boom thankful

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (ESV)

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

In the classic autobiography, The Hiding Place, Corrie ten Boom tells of her sufferings at the hands of the Nazis during the evil reign of Adolph Hitler. Corrie and her sister, Betsie, were incarcerated at the Nazi concentration camp, Ravensbruck, and experienced terrible atrocities there. On one occasion, they were forced to disrobe before the German soldiers. In that awful, humiliating moment, an amazing discovery came to Corrie's mind: "They took Jesus' clothes too. He hung naked for me." When she relayed that wondrous thought to Betsie, she gasped and said, "Oh, Corrie, and I never thanked Him for it."

One of the things that made Corrie and Betsie such dynamic Christians was the fact that the chose to see life from God's perspective. In the worst of situations, they found new insights to praise and thank God.

The Bible tells us that we are to give thanks in everything, the good things AND the bad things. In Psalm 50:23, God says, "He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me." In the hard times, thanksgiving is difficult. It is definitely a sacrifice to thank God in a Nazi concentration camp, but it is so very necessary. Thanksgiving honors God, and when you and I honor God, He honors us.

Dear Lord, help us to always be thankful for everything that comes our way in life.  In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

We have so much to be thankful for

Psalm 100:4 (ESV)

Enter his gates with thanksgiving,

    and his courts with praise!

    Give thanks to him; bless his name!

Most of you know the story an Indian named Squanto and his first thanksgiving celebration with the Pilgrims. However, you might not know that over a decade before the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock, English traders were trading with the Indians throughout the region. Squanto’s amazing story really originated then.

An Englishman named Captain Hunter had kidnapped several Indians and sold them into slavery, one of whom was Squanto, sold into slavery in Malaga, Spain. There, Squanto was bought by a Spanish monk, who treated him well, freed him from slavery, and taught him about Christianity. Eventually, Squanto made it back to England, and worked in the stables of a man named John Slaney. It was there that Squanto learned English.

Upon Squanto’s return home in 1618, he learned that his tribe had been wiped out from an epidemic, probably smallpox brought by early English colonists. As you might imagine, he was devastated and couldn’t understand how God could allow this to happen.

Shortly afterward, a friend named Samoset introduced him to the Pilgrims. Because of Squanto’s history and understanding of English, Squanto was able to communicate with them. He also taught them how to survive there, how to fish, hunt, and how to plant corn. As a result, Governor William Bradford asked him to serve as his ambassador to the Indian tribes. Bradford accredited Squanto for the survival of the Pilgrim colony and saw that without God's providential hand in providing Squanto -- the colony would not have survived.

If you think about the story of Squanto, it can remind us of the story of Joseph and the providence of God, even in the worst of situations. Joseph was sold into slavery, thrown into prison, accused and abused…. but all of these things were worked out for the purpose of saving the Jewish people. The story of the survival of the Plymouth colony rested on an Indian who was kidnapped, sold into slavery, returned home to see his tribe wiped out, and yet through these events was used by God to preserve the Pilgrims who came to America with this purpose, "for the glory of God, and advancement of the Christian faith". (Mayflower Compact, November 11, 1620)

We have so much to be thankful for even despite the tough times in which we live.  While times are hard, we’re thankful to be alive for such a time as this! So we’re entering His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise today, knowing that our God is providentially in control of everything that is going on around us.

Dear Lord, we want to be thankful for the many things that we have. Help us not focus on the negative things but look to the positive. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Thankful for the fleas

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (ESV)

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 

In her book “The Hiding Place” Corrie ten Boom relates an incident that taught her always to be thankful. She and her sister Betsy had just been transferred to the worst German prison camp they had seen yet, called Ravensbruck. The barracks were extremely overcrowded and horribly flea-infested.

After their scripture reading in 1st Thessalonians that morning, where the Lord reminded them to rejoice always, pray constantly, and give thanks in all circumstances.

Betsy suggested they stop and thank the Lord for every detail of their new living quarters. At first, Corrie was appalled by the idea. She flatly refused to give thanks for that smelly, dirty, flea-ridden place. But Betsy persisted -- and Corrie finally succumbed to her pleadings.

It was by a miracle of God that Corrie and Betsy were able to smuggle their Bible into the camp. If the guards found out that the women were holding nightly Bible studies in their barracks, they surely would have been punished harshly, maybe even killed. During the months they spent at that camp, however, no guard ever said one word.

It was not until several months later that they learned the reason why the guards would hardly ever come into their barracks. They wouldn't enter the barracks because of the fleas!!

Perhaps you're dealing with some difficult circumstances today. But who knows? There may be a purpose beyond our understanding! Let's choose trust the Lord and maintain an attitude of thankfulness in every situation, no matter how hard it may be!

Dear Lord, we want to thank You for the difficult things that are happening around us. Help us look to the good in each of them. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Be one out of ten

Luke 17:15-16 (ESV)

15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; 16 and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan.

In ancient times, lepers were social outcasts because of their highly contagious disease. In this passage, ten lepers came to Jesus begging for mercy and He graciously healed them.

Can you imagine? These lepers had an awful disease. Their bodies were slowly deteriorating -- and worse, they were shunned from their friends and family and forced to live in a community of only those who were too withering away. Suddenly merciful Jesus comes along and "poof!" the sickness leaves them! How life changing! These people must have been overjoyed! Now they could go back to their families, their homes, their communities and live normal lives!

Something that has always struck me. Only one of them returned to thank the Lord! But how often do we do the same? We get so focused on our blessing and forget about the One who gave it!

Just as the Samaritan returned to Jesus to thank and worship Him who had redeemed his life, we too must thank God -- for every good and perfect gift comes from Him and He deserves all the honor and the glory! And as a matter of fact, one of the cornerstones of effective prayer is entering His gates with thanksgiving and praise. Let's start thanking God for all His goodness toward us!

It's easy to get caught up in the blessing -- God has given us so much! But let’s be sure that we make daily habit of thanking God first!

Dear Lord, help us to not forget to come back to You and thank You for all the things You have done for us no matter how small. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

You can be king

Revelation 1:5-6 (ESV)

5 and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood 6 and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

One day a passerby saw a homeless man on the roadside. He stopped for a moment to hand him some loose change and casually said "God bless you, my friend".

"I thank God," said the homeless man, "I am never unhappy."

"What do you mean?" the passerby asked.

"Well," he said, "when the sun is out, I thank God -- when it rains, I thank God. When I am full, I thank God and when I am hungry, I thank God. And, since God's will is my will, and whatever pleases Him pleases me, why should I say I am unhappy when I am not?"

The man looked at him in astonishment and asked, "Who are you?"

"I am a King," said he.

"Where, then, is your Kingdom?" asked the man.

"In my heart." The homeless man replied.

Yes, we can have nothing, yet have it all. So often, we focus on what we have and forget who we are! The two are not related at all -- what we have (or don't have) has nothing to do with who we are! The Word says that we are kings and priests and so it is!

Let's give all our concerns to the Lord and see ourselves as He does -- Kings and Priests! Thank God in every circumstance and there, we will find our victory.

Dear Lord, we pray that we will be thankful no matter what circumstance we find our self in. Thank You that You give us victory. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

God sent a Savior

1 John 4:9 (ESV)

In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.

I came across this quote and although the author is not known he or she is surely wise.

"If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent us an educator. If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist. If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist. If our greatest need had been pleasure, God would have sent us an entertainer..... but our greatest need was forgiveness, so God sent us a Savior."

Yes, God sent us a Savior -- that we might know His forgiveness. But not only that we might know it. God sent us a Savior so that we, who have been given the privilege of this knowledge, might go and share the good news of His forgiveness with all the world!

Let's cherish His forgiveness today. Let's revel in it and let all who don't know that they can have the same!

Dear Lord, we thank You that You sent Your Son so we may be forgiven for the many sins we are guilty of. Help us to always be thankful for that. 

Accustomed to our blessings

Numbers 11:6 (ESV)

But now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at.

I am a big Keith Green fan. He sang a great song about the children of Israel in the wilderness complaining to Moses that they "Wannna go back to Egypt".

In our verse, God had been sending Manna from heaven to feed them. You would think that the Israelites would remain in awe of how God kept raining down this special heavenly delicacy that was able to feed thousands and thousands of people. But after a while it just became commonplace, even boring. Every morning they would witness God's miraculous provision right before their very eyes, yet they wanted something else, something better!

At times, even we can get accustomed to our blessings so quickly, can't we?!

Emerson said that if the stars came out only once a year, everybody would stay up all night to behold them. But we have seen the stars so often that we don't even bother to look anymore!

Let's be sure not to take God's provisions lightly though we see them on a daily basis!

Let's examine our hearts today, and purpose to appreciate the goodness of God's provision upon our lives. Truly, we are blessed and we thank you Lord for your goodness!

Dear Lord, help us not get accustom to the things around us. Help us always be thankful for the things You have done for us. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

"What is it?"

Exodus 16:15 (ESV)

When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat.

When Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt I'm sure several million people were wondering, "How am I going to be fed? How am I going to survive in this wilderness?" Imagine the logistical nightmare. An incalculable quantity of food and water were needed to survive in the desert. Where would it come from? Yet, in this seemingly impossible situation, God provided!

He provided Manna from heaven. When the people first saw the Manna on the ground, they wondered in amazement saying to each other, "What is this?” which is exactly what "Manna" means in Hebrew -- "What is it?" They were receiving the food of angels, which sustained them the entire time in the desert.

But we know what happened as time passed...the people got used to this miraculous provision, began to take it for granted, and even got bored with it, and, of course...the wonder of God's supernatural provision evaporated. Israel lost sight of the miracle that God was doing in their lives each and every day.

Each and every day is a miracle from God. Each day of our lives we walk through a world filled with the wonders and glory of the Lord. But we, too, can become dull and lose the wonder of all that He has done and provided for us, even our very salvation. We need to awaken to the daily miracles of life, and to the never ending opportunities the Lord is opening, to pour His love into us, and through us.

Dear Lord, we want to remember to thank You for all You do for us. Help us not grow accustom to it and forget to be thankful. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Is thanksgiving part of your prayer life?

1 Chronicles 16:8 (ESV)

Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name;

    make known his deeds among the peoples!

Many years ago, as the story is told, a devout king was disturbed by the ingratitude of his royal court. He prepared a large banquet for them. When the king and his royal guests were seated, by prearrangement, a beggar shuffled into the hall, sat down at the king's table, and gorged himself with food. Without saying a word, he then left the room. The guests were furious and asked permission to seize the tramp and tear him limb from limb for his ingratitude.

The king replied, "That beggar has done only once to an earthly king what each of you does three times each day to God. You sit there at the table and eat until you are satisfied. Then you walk away without recognizing God, or expressing one word of thanks to Him."

How often do we neglect to thank God for the goodness He so graciously bestows upon us? We have so much!

So often we’re asking and asking and asking for the things we want of God. Let’s make thanks giving a regular part, even a greater part of our prayer life!

Take the time and be grateful for what you have and what God has given to you.

Dear Lord, we thank You today for the many things You have given to us and done for us. Help us to be grateful every day for these things and not take them for granted. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Thank you for my hurting

Romans 5:3-5  (ESV)

3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

David, a 2-year old with leukemia, was taken by his mother, Deborah, to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, to see Dr. John Truman who specializes in treating children with cancer and various blood diseases. Dr. Truman's prognosis was devastating: "He has a 50-50 chance." The countless clinic visits, the blood tests, the intravenous drugs, the fear and pain--the mother's ordeal can be almost as bad as the child's because she must stand by, unable to bear the pain herself. David never cried in the waiting room, and although his friends in the clinic had to hurt him and stick needles in him, he hustled in ahead of his mother with a smile, sure of the welcome he always got. When he was three, David had to have a spinal tap--a painful procedure at any age. It was explained to him that, because he was sick, Dr. Truman had to do something to make him better. "If it hurts, remember it's because he loves you," Deborah said. The procedure was horrendous. It took three nurses to hold David still, while he yelled and sobbed and struggled. When it was almost over, the tiny boy, soaked in sweat and tears, looked up at the doctor and gasped, "Thank you, Dr. Tooman, for my hurting."

Dear Lord, thank You for the times we hurt. Thank You that You use those times to help us grow. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Thanksgiving Day

Psalm 100:4-5 (New International Version)

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving

    and his courts with praise;

    give thanks to him and praise his name.

5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;

    his faithfulness continues through all generations.

It is commonly believed that the first Thanksgiving celebration took place in 1621.  This feast was attended by both Pilgrims and Indians who joined together to thank God for their bountiful harvest of the previous year.  This celebration was continued by the first American colonies, and later by the United States, as a time of thanksgiving for the blessings that God had bestowed upon the American people.

The official Thanksgiving Day holiday was started in 1863 when Abraham Lincoln, at the end of the Civil War, asked Americans to set aside the last Thursday of November as a day of thanksgiving to God for the blessings He had shown to America (one of which was an end to the Civil War).

In 1939 FDR moved the holiday to the prior week.  He did this to help businesses by giving them a longer holiday shopping period.  Finally, in 1941 the fourth Thursday in November was declared by Congress to be the official holiday of Thanksgiving.

Clearly, the Thanksgiving holiday began, and was continued, as a time to give thanks to God for the blessings He has bestowed upon our country and its individual citizens.  Most presidents in their Thanksgiving Day proclamation clearly declare that the day is set aside to give thanks to God for the blessings He has given to us. One example of this is George Bush’s Thanksgiving Day proclamation of 1990…

“Now, therefore, I, George Bush, president of the United States of America, do hereby call upon the American people to observe Thursday, November 22, 1990, as a National Day of Thanksgiving and to gather together in homes and places of worship on that day of thanks to affirm by their prayers and their gratitude the many blessings God has bestowed upon us.”

There can be no doubt, historically, Thanksgiving is a day set aside for giving thanks to God Almighty for His many blessings He has given to us.  On this Thanksgiving Day let us be sure that we have a true thankful attitude towards our God for all His manifold gifts of grace He has given to each of us.

Happy Thanksgiving to each of you, May we never forget to give thanks to God for all that He has given each one of us.

Dear Lord We give You thanks for all You've done especially for the gift of Jesus, Your Son. We thank You for the beauty of nature, our health, our friends and family. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Labor Day - Thanks

Colossians 3:23 (New International Version)

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,

There's a holiday coming tomorrow, isn't there? That's right, tomorrow we celebrate Labor Day.

Labor Day was first proposed in 1882 and celebrated with a demonstration and picnic on Tuesday, September 5. In 1884, the Knights of Labor held a large New York parade on the first Monday in September to celebrate a "workingmen's holiday." The group then passed a resolution to hold all future parades on the same day, calling the event Labor Day. Within a few years, other labor organizations began to lobby state legislatures for recognition of Labor Day as an official state holiday. In 1894, Congress passed a law recognizing Labor Day as an official national holiday.

Today, Labor Day has come to be recognized in the U.S. as the unofficial end of the summer season.

That's the day we celebrate all those people who work so hard at their jobs to support their families and to help all of us live a little better. And what better way to celebrate working than by taking a day off!

Many of you have a Dad or Mom --or maybe both -- who go off to work each day. They work hard at their jobs so that we can have food and shelter and the important things in life. And sometimes we have a parent who stays home with us and works hard there, too.

Labor Day would be a good time to say "thank you" to parents who love and care for us; who work hard to provide for us.

It is also a good time to remember our Heavenly Father, who provides so much for us. He gives a world in which to live, air to breathe, food to eat. He loves us more than we will ever know, and we don't thank Him and praise Him often enough, do we?

So on Labor Day tomorrow, let's show our thanks to those who care so much for us -- both our earthly parents and our Heavenly Father.

Dear Lord we thank You for giving us the strength to do the jobs that are before us. We thank You for our parents who went before us to provide for us. But most of all we thank You for the work You did on the cross for us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Are You Thankful For Your Hidden Blessings ?

Ephesians 3:20-21 (New International Version)

 20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

In the early years of the 1900s, a couple moved from North Carolina to Oklahoma. There they farmed a small piece of land.

Truth be told, they lived mighty poorly for a good number of years. That all changed when a stranger drove up on their property and took a sample of their water. I'm not sure what he found, but it wasn't too much later that another stranger showed up and offered to buy their farm at an unbelievable price

.

Before long, a high-producing oil well was located between the house and the barn. Reminiscing, the old farmer said, "To think that we slaved here for all those years and all that time we had a fortune under our doorstep and we didn't know about it."

Now, I'm not going to suggest we all ought to go out and dig in our backyard for oil. Life doesn't work that way -- at least not very often.

But I do suggest that the Lord, who gave His Son to save us, may have also given unrecognized fortunes to many of us.

Perhaps your unrecognized fortune is a spouse who has given faithfully without getting much in return. Perhaps your unrecognized fortune is an unexpectedly kind place of employment. Maybe it is in the form of children who respect you, or a church that appreciates you.

Most of us have fortunes right outside our back doors or under our roofs. That is why we should take the time to be thankful for those hidden fortunes we have in our life.

Dear Lord we pray that we would always be thankful for the things that we have. Help us not take them for granted. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Look At All My Valentines!

Ephesians 5:20 (New International Version)
Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.




First-graders were nervous as the teacher called on them to pass out their valentines that February day several years ago. Some of the students received many valentines. Others, who had received only a few, huddled low in their chairs.


The teacher noticed one girl in particular. Her name was Serena. She was shy and awkward, came to school only sporadically, and did not seem to have any friends among her classmates. Serena had only a few valentines on her desk, and tears were running down her cheeks, so the teacher knelt beside her to comfort her. But to her astonishment, Serena was crying for joy!


"Look at all my valentines!" she exclaimed. "I never thought I'd get even one, and look! I got six!"


Whether the cup is half empty or half full depends on your point of view. Like Serena, all of us need to modify the negative so we can look at the positive.


Dear Lord we pray that we will be thankful in all things. Thanks for all you do for us. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Do We Give Credit to God

11 Yours, LORD, is the greatness and the power

and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,

for everything in heaven and earth is yours.

Yours, LORD, is the kingdom;

you are exalted as head over all.

12 Wealth and honor come from you;

you are the ruler of all things.

In your hands are strength and power

to exalt and give strength to all.

-1 Chronicles 29:11-12 (New International Version)

One day a woman was rushing home from a doctor’s appointment. The doctor had been somewhat delayed at the hospital, and the lab work took a little longer than usual so by the time she left the clinic she was running quite a bit behind schedule. She still had to pick up her prescription, pick up the children from the baby-sitter, and get home and make supper, all in time to make it to the prayer meeting at her church that evening. As she began to circle the busy Wal-Mart parking lot, looking for a space, the windows of heaven were opened, as it says in Genesis, and a downpour began. While she wasn’t usually the type to bother God with small problems, she began to pray as she turned down the row closest to the front door. "Lord, you know what kind of a day I’ve had, and there’s still an awful lot to do. Could you please grant me a parking space right away, oh, and close to the building so I don’t get soaked." The words weren’t even completely out of her mouth when she saw the backup lights of a car come on at the end of the row. It was the best space in the whole parking lot, right next to the handicap spots and straight out from the front door. She made straight for it and as she pulled in, she said, "never mind God, something just opened up."

Dear Lord we are so thankful for all you do for us. We pray that we will not give the credit to things around us but that we will be thankful to the author of everything. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Lesson learned from a Hamster.

One of my pets was a hamster. As I thought about Hammy our pet hamster I wondered what lesson could we learn from him? Below are a few we could learn from a hamster.



1. Hammy was thrilled when we gave him a small carrot stick or a grape as a treat. It's a reminder to appreciate small gifts and favors.


2. Hammy use to shred ordinary cotton balls, transforming them into a comfortable bed. Get creative with what you already have instead of wishing for more.


3. Hammy would run in his wheel for hours not going anywhere -- but every morning he woke up wiggling his little nose ready for another day. Work, family and friends will occasionally run you ragged. Sometimes all you can do is put up with what is going on around you, get a good night's sleep and make tomorrow better.


4. Hammy lived alone in his cage and kept himself busy most of the time, but he always allowed us to pick him up and take him places. Be open to new people and opportunities.


5. Hammy rarely made a noise not even squeaked, because he was so quite we had to listened carefully when he made a noise. remember to listen more carefully to those around you before opening your mouth. Make an effort to chose your words more carefully.


There you have it a few lesson you can learn from that little ball of fluff we call a hamster.


19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.


-1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (New International Version)






Dear Lord we pray that we would learn these lessons from a hamster. We pray that we would appreciate the small things in life, and that we would watch the things we say. We pray that we would have words of blessing for those around us. In Jesus' name, Amen