Give Thanks

 Thanksgiving is always a fun day, and this year was no exception.  Eighteen people gathered in to give thanks and feast!!   

We have so much to be thankful for that we try to intentionally live each day focusing on what we have, and who we love, rather than what we don’t have, or who drives us crazy!! 

Birthday revelry

For Emma’s birthday this year, she opted to take a few friends to see the new Nutcracker movie.  Then they came to the house for pizza and cake!  We are so thankful for the friends that Emma has outside of school.  It’s great to have friends in school, but so much more to have caring, sweet, friends who you can trust. 

You might notice her one friend Abby, they’ve been friends literally since they were babies!!  And although they live in different states, they consider each other besties!

11 years old, and counting!!

then cake #2 with the family!! (In her Wasp superhero costume!)

Three gifts

This morning I was pondering over my schedule for December - full as it is!!  Lots of celebrations and gatherings.  Fun stuff.  Good stuff.

However, in the back of my mind I wonder how to somehow celebrate the reason for the season, to fix my eyes on why we have Christmas.  And then I had a thought about the gifts Jesus received.

The Magi (aka wise men, aka kings!), they traveled to find Jesus.  And when they found him they offered gifts.  They weren't Jewish, they were from distant lands.  And the newborn "King of the Jews" had come only to redeem his people, right?

I wonder if God had revealed to them that, in fact, Jesus was " good news that will cause great joy for all the people." (Luke 2:10)  And they came with gifts of reverence and thanksgiving.  They offered the Lord of Lords the best they had to offer, not because he needed it, but because true worship requires our sacrifice, and offering our gifts (talents) to God.

Jesus came for all mankind, that whoever believes Him to be the Son of God, the incarnate representation of God Almighty, who chose to come down to our level, and live among us, so that He could present himself at the appointed time, a perfect, sinless sacrifice to settle the debt of our sin.

We have all sinned, and fallen short of God's holiness.  He knew that we would.  But he is just, and so payment had to be made to satisfy the law. Knowing that not one of us could redeem ourselves, much less everyone else, God set in motion a plan to restore the broken relationship between himself, and us.

We should all celebrate that Jesus has come, and more so that he is coming back!!  When he left Earth after his crucifixion and resurrection, he told his followers to eagerly anticipate and prepare for his return.  At an unknown date and time, Christ will return to collect those who are ready and waiting for him.  We can not afford to take our eyes off the skies!

Like a slumbering commuter who falls asleep at the station, unaware that the train has arrived and departed without him, when we live our lives in self-absorption and self-sufficiency, we will miss the arrival of Jesus Christ.  And just as significant, we will miss his purpose during the wait.

Patience, dear one

Time.  It's the great equalizer.  It waits for no man, cannot be bought, hoarded, returned, or increased.

Among us, I think, gardeners are the most able to understand the concept of God's timing.  They plant, water, tend and prune, but they cannot cause the flowers to grow or seeds to take root. 

And so it is in our lives.  We can toil, plan, act, and even worry, about the future, but it is not our place.  We are given today, and today alone.  We should not dwell on time wasted yesterday, nor worry about time being short tomorrow.

I look at this picture of Emma and see a flower, so fragile and delicate to begin with.  As we gently tended and cared for her, heaping good soil for her to take root in, I marvel at the strength and grace she now demonstrates.  People will often try and give us the full credit for her light, but we know that we did not cause her to grow into this young woman.  We prayed, hoped, labored and even worried, but it is God, living in her and through her that shows His great plan and perfect timing!!

As you wait or fret, take it to God.  His word is clear, that he can be trusted, and is never late!!

Habakkuk 2:3 ESV 

For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.

Isaiah 40:31 ESV 

But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 ESV 

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

Psalm 27:14 ESV 

Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!

Ecclesiastes 8:6 ESV 

For there is a time and a way for everything, although man's trouble lies heavy on him.

Galatians 6:9 ESV

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 ESV

He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.

2 Peter 3:8 ESV

But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

Lamentations 3:25-26 ESV 

The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.

Psalm 31:15 ESV 

My times are in your hand; rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!

Acts 1:7 ESV / 281 helpful votes

He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.

Trust & Obey

I heard Rev. Charles Stanley in a TV interview this week, and he expressed that he would like his legacy to be that he obeyed God and left the consequences up to God.  So simple, but not always easy.  Here's a more detailed look at that...

Obedience can be a challenge, especially when we feel tempted to believe that we stand to lose more through our obedience than we might gain. However, obeying God is essential to pleasing Him—not just in times of temptation, but at all times.

When God commands us to obey Him, He is giving us a principle by which to live. He is also setting a framework around our lives that forms a hedge of protection from evil.

Can you remember the last time you felt tempted to do the opposite of what you knew God desired for you to do? Most likely, a struggle erupted within your heart. The questions arose: Will obeying God cost me more than disobeying Him? Can I experience greater happiness by committing this sin than I would by obeying God?

When we choose to obey God, we take the way of wisdom. His promises of blessing for obedience far outweigh any possible consequences. He asks us to submit ourselves to Him and leave whatever happens to His loving care.

When we obey Him, He pulls us closer to Himself and teaches us more about His precepts and His love.

As we grow in our walks with the Lord, obedience becomes the avenue by which we know Him better. When we obey Him, He pulls us closer to Himself and teaches us more about His precepts and His love.

Disobedience sends a message to the Lord, declaring that we know better than He does when it comes to our lives and the circumstances surrounding them.

God loves us and is committed to us. He commands our obedience, not because He is a strict taskmaster, but because He knows the devastating effects disobedience and sin will have on our lives.

Satan, however, has another goal in mind. He seeks to tempt believers to disobey God, usually by telling them the Lord's promises cannot be trusted and that we can enjoy life more if we ignore His commands.

Remember, disobedience always has fierce repercussions—feelings of guilt, shame, and worthlessness, broken lives, destroyed marriages, and bitter disputes, among them. While sin can never change God's eternal love for His children, it certainly disrupts our fellowship with the Savior and alienates us from His blessings. In times of disobedience, we become spiritually weak and unable to discern right from wrong. We sink deeper into sin's grasp and find it impossible to reverse our sinfulness on our own.

As we apply the following principles to our lives, we will begin to obey God with confidence and joy, knowing that He can be fully trusted to keep all of His promises:

• Trust God with your life and all that concerns you.

There is no way to go wrong if you place your hope and trust in God. He created you and He loves you with an eternal love. Therefore, He will always lead you in the very best way possible.

• Wait on the Lord for an answer to your problem or situation.

When in doubt, refuse to move ahead unless you know God is leading you.

• Meditate on God's Word.

When you saturate your mind with the Word of God, you gain His viewpoint. When a temptation comes, you will know right from wrong and can act accordingly.

• Listen to the Holy Spirit.

God continues to speak to His people today. He speaks to us through His Word, the Holy Spirit, and through the words of a pastor or trusted Christian friend. We become sensitive to the Spirit of God by spending time with Him—praying and studying the principles in Scripture.

• Be willing to wait or walk away when the way before you is unclear.

If you desire to please God above all others, obedience to Him will require you to remain firm. If you do not sense clear guidance in your situation, ask God to confirm His will to you in His Word. He will never contradict Scripture. His will for your life always lines up perfectly with what the Bible says.

• Be willing to endure conflict.

When the nation of Israel entered the Promised Land at God's direction, she had to face strong enemy opposition. God rarely empties our lives of trouble and conflict. If He did, we would not have any reason to depend upon Him. He allows enough difficulty to keep us turned toward Him.

• Leave the consequences to God.

Obedience may not be easy—you may receive criticism from others or face fierce obstacles and opposition—but it will always put you in a favorable position before God. He will take care of all that concerns you. Stay on the path of obedience and leave the rest to Him.

Adapted from The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, © 2009