I had a conversation just the other day with some friends (see their blogshere and here) about Thanksgiving. It seems crazy that Thanksgiving Day is next week! It has been about 80 degrees here in Fort Worth the last few days!
My wife and I were out Christmas shopping (she likes to get it done early) last weekend. We went into several stores and to a local mall. Many of these places were already decorated for Christmas. Soon some men dressed as Santa will take their places at the local mall. One local station has already started playing all Christmas music, all the time. (Yikes!)
Amidst all this Christmas holiday marketeering, where has Thanksgiving gone? It seems that our culture today has forgotten to stop and be thankful for the blessings that God has given us. It seems that we have become so enthralled with what we expect to get for Christmas that we lose sight of what we already have. Sadly, too often our greed and desire for more stuff drives us. Instead of thanking God for what we have, we ignore it and lust after more!
I realize this, and I am stopping now to say "Thank you" to God. He has blessed me with far more than I deserve. This season, perhaps I will be able to focus on His blessings, and then maybe I can be a blessing to others.
Let us not overlook Thanksgiving this year, but rather stop and give thanks, remembering that all we have comes from God.
Showing posts with label thankfulness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label thankfulness. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Being Thankful a Little Early This Year
I just read another great post from Kevin Bussey and thankfulness. His post is about the SBC, but I want to expand upon it just a little.
It's now November, and Thanksgiving is still 22 days away (which means my 24th birthday is 24 days away), but it's never too early to be thankful. I cannot recall all the blessings God has bestowed upon me in just the last few years, much less throughout my whole life, but that won't stop me for trying. I'll spare those of you who are reading and just post a few things I am thankful for.
First, I'm thankful that God, who created everything that is from nothing, and who is so powerful, intelligent, and righteous, also loves me. I'm thankful that His love, like His other attributes, is so great that He sent His one and only Son to come and die so that I can have a relationship with Him. In short, I'm thankful for Jesus.
Second, I'm thankful that I have been born in a nation where we can worship God freely, and that we are free to worship, free to govern ourselves, and blessed with an abundance to have and to share. We have it good.
I'm thankful for my family. For parents and grandparents who gave me a heritage of faith and taught me the lessons that will continue to help me to live wisely and successfully, and for a wife who is truly a gift from God and whom I love very much.
I'm thankful for the education I've received: For Jerry Falwell and Liberty University who furnished me with a strong conservative Christian college education; and for the SBC, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and Paige Patterson who all contribute to my continuing education as I'm here in seminary.
I'm thankful for the church family that I've had, and the people who've ministered to me and allowed me to minister to them: for Morrison Heights Baptist Church in Clinton, Mississippi where my family and so many dear ones worship together--they've meant more than I can say; for First Baptist Church Smyrna, Tennessee where the staff loved me and gave me so many learning opportunities as an intern; for North Richland Hills Baptist Church where I now serve and am growing to love the people more and more.
I'm not just thankful for the spiritual blessings in my life, but for friends, for loved ones, and for material blessings also. There's too much to be thankful for to tell it all in one sitting. Perhaps we should treat Thanksgiving like some other Christian holidays (Christmas and Easter), counting down to it and preparing ourselves as many do by celebrating Lent or Advent (no, they don't have to be just for Catholics). Here's hoping for 365 days of Thanksgiving!
It's now November, and Thanksgiving is still 22 days away (which means my 24th birthday is 24 days away), but it's never too early to be thankful. I cannot recall all the blessings God has bestowed upon me in just the last few years, much less throughout my whole life, but that won't stop me for trying. I'll spare those of you who are reading and just post a few things I am thankful for.
First, I'm thankful that God, who created everything that is from nothing, and who is so powerful, intelligent, and righteous, also loves me. I'm thankful that His love, like His other attributes, is so great that He sent His one and only Son to come and die so that I can have a relationship with Him. In short, I'm thankful for Jesus.
Second, I'm thankful that I have been born in a nation where we can worship God freely, and that we are free to worship, free to govern ourselves, and blessed with an abundance to have and to share. We have it good.
I'm thankful for my family. For parents and grandparents who gave me a heritage of faith and taught me the lessons that will continue to help me to live wisely and successfully, and for a wife who is truly a gift from God and whom I love very much.
I'm thankful for the education I've received: For Jerry Falwell and Liberty University who furnished me with a strong conservative Christian college education; and for the SBC, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and Paige Patterson who all contribute to my continuing education as I'm here in seminary.
I'm thankful for the church family that I've had, and the people who've ministered to me and allowed me to minister to them: for Morrison Heights Baptist Church in Clinton, Mississippi where my family and so many dear ones worship together--they've meant more than I can say; for First Baptist Church Smyrna, Tennessee where the staff loved me and gave me so many learning opportunities as an intern; for North Richland Hills Baptist Church where I now serve and am growing to love the people more and more.
I'm not just thankful for the spiritual blessings in my life, but for friends, for loved ones, and for material blessings also. There's too much to be thankful for to tell it all in one sitting. Perhaps we should treat Thanksgiving like some other Christian holidays (Christmas and Easter), counting down to it and preparing ourselves as many do by celebrating Lent or Advent (no, they don't have to be just for Catholics). Here's hoping for 365 days of Thanksgiving!
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