Wednesday, November 25, 2015

SO MUCH TO BE THANKFUL FOR ON THIS THANKSGIVING SEASON




This week many families will be getting together to celebrate the upcoming Thanksgiving Day holiday.  No matter what we have experience this year, how joyous or traumatic the case maybe the fact is we are still here with our loved ones.  It is a testimony of our strength, character, and for some of us our faith in God as Christians.  We can be thankful that God has kept us through the many gains or losses we may have experienced in our life.  You may have experience a relational gain as a newlywed marrying a new spouse, received a financial gain through a promotional on your, or received an emotional gain through the restoration of a relationship between your children or a friend.  On the other hand you may have suffered a loss in your life this year.  Maybe you have suffered the loss of a marital relationship because of a divorce, a financial loss because of being laid off of a job, or possibly an emotional loss due to the death of a loved one.  Whatever the situation in your life that caused you to experience an emotional pain or joy, hopefully you were able to go through it with your family and friends.




As a child growing up in my home, my parents taught me the value of giving thanks to God.  In fact it was a biblical principle that we practiced as a family.  Whether the situation that happened to us was either good or bad, the attitude was to always find a way that we could give God thanks.  If the situation was bad we could be thankful that it wasn’t worse, and if the circumstance was good we could be grateful for God blessings.  In Psalms 100:4-5 it says, “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise.  Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.  For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.”  In other words, no matter what’s happening to us in life good or bad, we can come to God with a thankful heart giving Him praise for His goodness and mercy.  No matter what situation you might be facing in life, as a married couple or family members having attitude of thanksgiving can help us stay connected together.

As for me I have a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving holiday season.  Let me share them with you:
·      First – I am thankful for God blessing me to celebrate my 57th birthday, and my 31st wedding anniversary to my wonderful wife Donna this year.  I am thankful fort being a part of a wonderful Ministry Team at Zion Church, where we can impact the lives of many people fort God.
·      Second – I am thankful for my wife being at the place in life where she can make a difference in people’s lives.  At the end of last year she felt the need of making a big move in her life by leaving her job, because her desire was to be in full time ministry working for a church.   As a result God rewarded her leap of faith, and blessed her to become the Director of our Children’s Ministry and head Administrator for our church.
·      Third – I am thankful for God blessing my oldest daughter Danielle this May to graduate from Grad School to get her Master’s this year.  God eventually blessed her with the job of her dreams where she can make a difference in people’s lives.
·      Fourth – I am thankful for my youngest daughter Danae working hard at her trade school she is attending.  She is doing real well in her studies at her schooling.
·      Fifth – I am thankful for my son David working and doing well on his new job.  God also blessed him with a car this year.






Whether we experience gains or losses in our life, we still can have an attitude of thanksgiving toward God.  My children have seen me go through some good and bad times in the home, all the while being able to give God thanks.  Every day when we can go out to the various places we need to travel too, and come back home safely I am thankful to God for watching over us.  I don’t take anything for granted.  The question I want to ask you is “Can you be thankful in the good and bad situations in your life?”  I encourage you to write down one or two things you can be thankful for this year, and as you are spending time with family and friends this Thanksgiving holiday share it with them.  Just remember we do have a lot to be thankful for today.  Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!

Would love to hear your thoughts, questions, or feedback.




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