"It is impossible to win the race unless you venture to run, impossible to win the victory unless you dare to battle."

-Richard M. DeVos

Dishes

My Dad is a really great dad. He plays with us, loves us, listens to us, helps around the house, takes care of the yard & pool and more. One job that he does not like to do is washing the dishes, but you would never guess this. If it needs to be done, he does it. Never complaining, never hinting that he doesn't like it. How many of us are willing to do the "dishes" is our life? The job we dread, the thing we really do not want to do. How many of us, while we are doing the job, never complain or hint that we absolutely despise it? Not many. How many of us roll up our sleeves, get our hands dirty, and scrub? Spiritually, do we do the dishes? Clean off our plate (heart & life) with leftover food (sin) and wash till it's clean? Let's pray a prayer and roll up our sleeves, get our hands dirty, and scrub.

a moment to reflect...

It is November, the month of turkey, chilly weather, and Christmas shopping. At the end of the month we get out our thankful lists, maybe add a few items, and then put them back at the bottom of our dresser drawer until next year. It is the month of colorful leaves and warm scarves. It is an excuse to go to Starbucks more often with a friend and hang out. Knitting needles are taken back out and we are motivated to read more. It is all fun, but let me take you back to the second sentence: At the end of the month we get out our thankful lists, maybe add a few items, and then put them back at the bottom of our dresser drawer until next year. Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks, a time to eat good food and get together with friends and family. But is this the only time we give thanks? Let me say that again: Is Thanksgiving the only time we give thanks? Mostly. While churches and revivalists are focused on the "big" things in Christianity, many things are lost through the gaps. Why? Because people don't read the bible for themselves. It is very sad actually. When a girl receives a love letter, she reads it over and over and over again. It is still very special every time. She knows it by heart before very much time has passed. And then we have the world, so desperate for love, so broken, so hurting, and God has written this love letter to us, and we never even look to see who it is addressed to. God used Paul to write a big section of the NewTestament, Paul was really big on thanksgiving. David, the Psalm writer, was a worshiper. He wrote many many Psalms about thanksgiving and praise. These are two men of the bible, they knew what strength there is in thanksgiving. They had lived it. To name a few: thanksgiving renews your mind. It speaks truth to the lies of the enemy. Where there is thanksgiving, there cannot be resentment. To be truly thankful is to be satisfied. There was a girl who could have everything in the whole world except for one thing, and she wan't satisfied. That girl was Eve. And look at what happened out of her response to her dissatisfaction. You think we would have gotten it by now! Thankfulness, true thankfulness is humble and not selfish and prideful. Out of that humble heart we give.

"In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive!"

So, if thanksgiving reaps so many good things, why do we only do it once a year, and even then, not fully? Let me change that: If thanksgiving reaps so many good things, why do you only do it once a year?...

"Be joyful always; pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."
Philippians 4:6

"Give thanks to the LORD, call upon his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always."
Psalm 105:1-4

"Praise the LORD
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever."
Psalm 106:1

I encourage to to take a few minutes to reflect on thanksgiving, I encourage you to go and read other scriptures about it yourself, and then talk to the Lord about it.

He is good!

Precious Words...

"Katy, come up on the trampoline and fly with me."
-Ana

(and you know I couldn't resist)

The Artist