What am I thankful for?

I have a few friends that have posted a Thanksgiving Challenge of naming something you are thankful for each day, totaling to 30 things in the month of November. I like this idea, but I am horrible about making it a scheduled thing so I decided I would try and do that challenge here right now. I cannot promise that there will be 30....it may be more. I am going to write the things (people) I am thankful for and then describe a little about why.

I am thankful for.....
  My Lord and Savior - He saved me!! He gave me life that I didn't deserve and more abundantly!!
  The Bible - I can read what God has for me at a particular moment in my life.
  Prayer - I can go to God at ANY TIME!
  My wife - She has been a sounding board, a CONSTANT ENCOURAGER! She helps balance me.
  My parents - They have raised and trained me up to be a good, godly man and husband.
  My grandmother - She is my steady rock, letting me know things will be okay.
  My sister - She has challenged me in so many ways; she has made me grow.
  My in-laws - They have given me love that only a child of their own should get. They have been great role models.
  A place to worship - I am blessed to have that freedom; to show my love for God in public.
  Ability to read - I want to learn and understand so much more than what I have stored in my mind.
  Ability to write - I want to share what's on my mind and get thoughts out, whether people respond or not.
  My job - I get to impact others through OUR LORD!
  Food - I need to eat!! I have had a great cook all my life and now I have two!
  My youth minister friends - They have been a great support in good times and bad.
  Our Danville friends - They took me in as one of their own.
  My hometown church family - They "grew me up" in the ways of God.
  Phone - I can talk (or text) my family and friends and any time.
  Our dogs, Olive and Gibbs - They give me so playtime.
  Our home - It protects me and my family.
  Our car - It gets me from place to place.
  Our neighbors - They have welcomed us in so quickly.
  Our computer - I can communicate so much more easily and keep up with news.
  Our indoor plumbing - I don't have to go out in the cold to answer nature's call
  My "man cave" - Gives me a place to study and prepare messages.
  Our washer/dryer - We can have clean clothes whenever.
  Our dishwasher - I don't have to stand and wash!
  Sports - Takes my mind of the stresses of life and puts them on the stresses of "Monday morning quarterbacking."
  Yard work (within reason) - Makes it welcoming to visitors.
  Roofers and Plumbers - They keep the house from flooding.
  Radio - Makes trips fun and love hearing people share their thoughts and ideas.
  Smiles - They let me know everything's gonna be alright.

God bless you and Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving

Well.....
     Today starts the week of Thanksgiving. The week of Thanksgiving? The "week" of Thanksgiving? I am posing this question and emphasizing the word week for two reasons; 1) Do we give a week to being thankful? and 2) Why would we give a week?
     Thanksgiving is so important, yet it seems we have diminished it to a one day event full of food, football, parades and the unofficial kickoff to Christmas.
     Why can we not be thankful, truly thankful beyond the week of Thanksgiving? Is it because the more we say thanks, the less meaning it has? Is it because we are too busy to stop and say "Thank you." God has blessed me in so many ways. I have forgotten that! I am trying to focus on THANKSgiving this week, but I am already in prayer that I will continue to give thanks beyond this week. I challenged the congregation of my church at the end of the service to begin counting their blessings yesterday and do it everyday for 365 days so that we will get even a better picture of Thanksgiving next year. So, I challenge you, whoever you are to do the same thing. As the hymn goes, "Count your blessings, name them one by one. Count your many blessings and SEE what God has done."
     Enjoy this week and be thankful! Tell of your blessings! God bless.

Leaking Roof

Some of you know that I just recently had to get a new roof on our house. It looks beautiful and it works!!! I just couldn't help but step into our kitchen (as it was raining) and marveled at what a little bit of work could prevent. The guys that put our roof on worked three days and not only shingled the entire house but also replaced boards and weatherstripped the valleys. Now, I should have a roof that will protect from leaking for 25 or so years.....done by 3 guys in 3 days!!! What if we parallel that to our lives. WHAT IF we work on our lives, spiritually speaking, for more than 3 days (say everyday!)....what will we prevent? The next time you are outside your home, look at the roof and when you go in, look at your ceilings....can you prevent leaking in your "home" (in your soul/heart)?

Poker Chips

Have you ever taken a poker chip and just looked at it? I mean just look at it and think what it's purpose. I'm not suggesting that you go out and begin betting or playing poker. I'm just asking if you have ever looked at it? What does that chip stand for? To me, I see money. In order to get a chip you have to give the banker (I guess that's what you call them) whatever that chip is "worth." It is a symbol of money, something you got in return so that you can join in a game.

I had the privilege of meeting a church staff from N.C. about a month ago that talked about putting in your chips....you built up your chip count and now it was time to spend them. Now, they weren't at a poker table playing the card game, BUT they had the concept of "buying in" to the program(s) that they needed to be a part of that would turn their church around so that it might serve God in a way that it never had. They "bought in" to God's plan. They "bought in" to each other. They "bought in" to their church. They were invested in there God-given ministries.

I've seen and felt poker chips before, but I have never thought of them in that light. So, are you "buying in" to you church?