Truly Thankful

Thanksgiving comes like clockwork year after year after year. We can become so comfortable with the holiday that we forget what it is really all about. Why do we press the pause button each year? What is the big deal? Is it just an excuse to have a day or two off from work? Is it all about the football...food...or frantic shopping? Has it become so routine and so hectic that we don't take time for personal reflection? If it has...we are missing out on so much.

Before this Thanksgiving is over, I plan to take time to look at my life and make a list of all the things I have to be thankful for. My list will probably look a lot like yours:

1. Salvation
2. Family
3. Friends
4. My Church
5. My Job
6. A Beautiful Home

These are all true...and all things I am deeply thankful for. But I realized that if I'm not careful, I will "phone-in" my list. If we really want to fill our gratitude tanks we need to take time to elaborate on each of the things on our list. 

Why am I thankful for Salvation?

Without it...there is no hope...no peace and no future. What Christ did was not easy...it cost His life....He endured the cross for me. Sure I put Him at the top of my list...but He deserves more than that. He deserves to be first in my life each and every day. Without Him....I am nothing...with Him....I am a child of the Most High God. Reflecting on His sacrifice motivates me to live for Him and grow in Him. 

Why am I thankful for family and friends?

I realize they are a precious treasure, and those we sit around the table with year after year are not promised to be there the next time we gather together. We take it for granted and need to cherish each of the relationships we have been blessed with not just on Thanksgiving but throughout the year. Thanksgiving is a great time to put those relationships in perspective and remember what makes each person in my life so dear to me.

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Why am I thankful for my church?

My church is more than just a building or a place I go on Sunday. I don't know what I would do without the men, women, students and kids God has put in our lives that make up His church. They are family. It is a place where I am accepted, loved and challenged. I get to make a difference by being a part of something so much bigger than me. I am thankful for the spiritual journey God has me on. I love the groups of women I meet with every week and the women I have shared life with throughout the years. We have laughed, cried, prayed, cheered, encouraged, challenged and supported one another over the years...doing life together.

Being truly grateful is more than a list...it's a lifestyle! Thanksgiving isn't just a day...it should be a way of life for each of us. 

Give thanks to the Lord for He is good. His love endures forever!

Giving Thanks for each of You today and always!

Thankful, Grateful, Blessed

Thankful…Grateful…Blessed. You see it everywhere. It is hanging in our homes, in our offices,  we see it posted on social media…we are even wearing the t-shirts. It’s sounds really great, but do we really know what it means? Do we believe these words enough to live them out or is it just a cute trendy thing to say? As we approach Thanksgiving, it is a perfect time to take a moment to sit back and reflect on what these words really mean.  

We are thankful. We are grateful. We are blessed. If we truly believe these things then it should affect how we live our everyday lives. Moment by moment with a heart filled with gratitude, with a spirit of thankfulness knowing we are truly blessed by God.  

I thought I knew what it meant to be thankful…grateful…blessed until I traveled to India. As we drove from the airport to the hotel I was overwhelmed by the poverty. The streets were filled with chaos, and everywhere I looked there was trash and filth. Then I visited the slums. In the midst of the most deplorable conditions, I met the most precious children. They were so thankful for the opportunity to go to school. Grateful for the chance to have an education. Blessed to have people in their lives to care for them, clothe them and teach them about God.

We went to bless them, yet we walked away the ones who were blessed. Hearing the laughter. Seeing the smiles and listening as these children sang, “My hope is in you Lord. My strength is in you Lord,” was a reminder of how blessed we are to have a Heavenly Father that can bring contentment and joy in any situation. To say these kids have a hard life is a gross understatement. They are defying the odds every single day. They are an inspiration of what it means to be thankful in all things.  

Pastor Ken always says, "We have been blessed in order to be a blessing." How can we be more of a blessing to others? First, we have to get our focus off of ourselves. We must look at the world around us. When we do, we see the abundance that we have in our lives, and we can’t help but turn around and share it with others.  

We have been blessed in order to be a blessing.

The ultimate blessing we have is salvation through Jesus. What an amazing gift God has given us. Words can’t describe it, and there is nothing we can do to earn it. All we can do is accept it. When we have the gift of Jesus and the Holy Spirit is living and active in our lives then we can wear the shirt…Thankful, Grateful, Blessed…and realize the depth of what that means.

We are thankful for a God who loves us. We are grateful for a Savior who gave his life, and we are blessed beyond measure. Let’s take Thankful, Grateful, Blessed to a deeper meaning. Let’s not make it our focus one day a year or use it as trendy decor. Instead, let’s impact the world around us by living Thankful, Grateful, Blessed lives 365 days a year.