I'm Thankful for...Part Five

I'm Thankful for the Church:

• It is the Body of Christ

• It is the Bride of Christ

• It is the Family of God

• It is a group of believers who share everything

• It is a group of people who have common purpose
  

• It worships God together

• It gives sacrificially together

• It is an example of what can happen through unity

• It is all about helping each other
  

• It is all about love

• It is all about generosity

• We connect together

• We grow together
  

• We serve together

I am thankful for the big "C" church, as well as my little "c" church.

ACC, you are an awesome church and I cannot wait to see what greater things God will bring through you!

I'm Thankful for...Part Four

I'm Thankful for God's Word:

• God's Word awakens faith, the source of all obedience

• God's Word convicts us of our sin through the Holy Spirit

• God's Word gives us the knowledge that we have overcome the enemy

• God's Word frees us from corruption

• God's Word empowers godliness

• God's Word serves love

• God's Word gives joy

• God's Word reveals the Lord

• God's Word teaches the purpose of the Lord

• God's Word is truth

Tomorrow, I'm thankful for the Church

I'm Thankful for...Part Three

I'm thankful for the Holy Spirit:

• He teaches me what to say

• He gives me boldness to talk about Jesus

• He encourages me

• He gives me courage

• He is evidence of God's love for me

• He helps me in my weakness

• He enables me to live a life of goodness, peace, and joy

• He gives me love for my brothers and sisters in Christ

• He marks me as identified of God

• He is a guarantee of God's promises to me
  

• He produces good fruit in my life

• He gives me the power to pray

Tomorrow, I'm thankful for God's Word

I'm Thankful for...Part Two

I'm thankful for Jesus:

• He is God's Son
  

• He is the truth
  

• He is the life

• He is the only way to the Father.

• He is the Word of God

• Jesus did not leave us as orphans in this world but gave us the Holy Spirit, the Helper.

• He is my Savior
  

• He is my Lord
  

• He is my Healer
  

• He is my Provider
  

• He is the Glory and the Lifter of my head
  

• He is my King
  

• He is my Master
  

• He is my Friend
  

• He is the lover of my soul
  

• He is the Prince of Peace
  

• He is the Counselor
  

• He is the Creator of Heaven and Earth
  

• He is the Only True Giver of Joy and Peace in our Lives on this earth and forever

Tomorrow, I'm thankful for the Holy Spirit

I'm Thankful for...Part One

This week we'll journey through a few things that we can stop and be thankful for. My hope is that you can find some new things to praise God for. And where better to start than to be thankful for God. Here's a few things for which I am thankful to God for:

• God's righteousness and holiness
  

• All God's marvelous creations

• God's guidance and instruction to us

• The hope God has given us

• Salvation
  

• The joy God gives us in His presence

• God is great and worthy of praise

• When you were in trouble, God hears your cries for help
  

• Deliverance
  

• Mercy and kindness
  

• For not staying angry with us and not giving up on us

• God's blessings and benefits

• God's laws and commands

• God's judgments and the warning they have provided to us

• God's power
  

• Faithfulness

• For the strength and confidence God gives us

• For listening to our prayers

• God's Word

• For being truthful

• For filling the earth with His love and goodness

• God's thoughts, many and deep

Tomorrow, I'm Thankful for Jesus.

Remembering

U.S. President Woodrow Wilson first proclaimed an Armistice Day for November 11, 1919. The United States Congress passed a concurrent resolution seven years later on June 4, 1926, requesting the President issue another proclamation to observe November 11 with appropriate ceremonies. An Act approved May 13, 1938, made the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday; "a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as Armistice Day.

In 1953, an Emporia, Kansas shoe store owner named Al King had the idea to expand Armistice Day to celebrate all veterans, not just those who served in World War I. King had been actively involved with the American War Dads during World War II.

He began a campaign to turn Armistice Day into "All" Veterans Day. The Emporia Chamber of Commerce took up the cause after determining that 90% of Emporia merchants as well as the Board of Education supported closing their doors on November 11, 1953, to honor veterans. With the help of then-U.S. Rep. Ed Rees, also from Emporia, a bill for the holiday was pushed through Congress. President Dwight Eisenhower signed it into law on May 26, 1954.

Congress amended this act on November 8, 1954, replacing "Armistice" with Veterans, and it has been known as Veterans Day since.

A huge thank-you to those of you who are Veterans or who know someone who is a Veteran.

I am so thankful for my freedom, for all who made it possible, and those who are serving now to keep it that way.

God Bless Each and every one of You.

Tattletale

When I was younger, I used to tease my brother a whole lot.

I can remember a time when I held him down on the floor and made him shout out my name over and over again and I still didn't get off of him because I was just mean that way sometimes. I'll never forget what he said after I got off of him though:

"I'm telling dad on you."

Those words struck fear in me because I knew what my dad would do if what I had done was ever discovered and brought to light, so I would usually bribe my brother with something good such as a signed baseball card or some such trinket that he greatly desired. That way, my rear end would remain safely intact, away from dad's belt.

Fast forward to last night with my seven-year old.

After a wrestling match ensued, (no, I did not hold him down on the floor and make him shout my name), I grabbed a hold of his foot and he tried to get away unsuccessfully. After a minute of this, he wriggled his way free, turned defiantly toward me and said,

"I'm telling God what you did."

There's no bribing my way out of that one.....

Timeless Advice

Carlos Whittaker posted this picture on his blog this morning.

Having already contracted and survived the epidemic formerly known as the swine flu, I find things like this extremely humorous.

However, I know several people who still fear this disease hitting home.

Here's my counsel to those of you who are in that boat:

No matter what happens, God will still be God, and he is bigger than anything life can throw at you.

Now go and have a pork chop for dinner in honor of our friend P..P..P..Piglet.