Thankful Thursday

yesterday was Christmas day

a day many use to celebrate Jesus' birth

for some it's just another day to endure

and for others it's all about accumulation

but I'm thankful for focused time with my family

remembering the sacrifices God made to bring reconciliation with fallen man

Scripture tells us Jesus was chosen long before time on earth began to be the Sacrificial Lanb

I'm thankful He was willing to give up His glory in heaven and take on human form

I'm thankful Jesus lived an exemplary life 

I'm thankful He is Immanuel, God with us

thankful for music and Christmas carols that remind us of so many wonderful truths about Jesus coming

thankful for a holiday that gathers family together

it's been great to have most of our family here

and a special blessing to get to hang out with my grandson

also thankful we got to hang with Abigail and Rick via modern technology

I remember a TV program from my days as a much younger fellow where they portrayed people seeing the person they were talking to on the phone and thinking at the time that was impossible.

now we have multiple opportunities for that form of communication 

time with family is just another reminder of the relationship God desires with each one of us

thankful He is a loving Father

thankful He is patient with me as I stumble along in this life

thankful God is good, and ready to forgive

thankful He invites me to communicate with Him personally

and thankful for the confidence that He responds when I cry out to Him

I don't know what the year ahead my hold;

wouldn't it be great if Jesus returned?

Thankful Thursday

I've been memorizing Ps. 86

It's been a while since I committed to memorizing more than a verse or two

I'm thankful for impact God's word has on my life when I make that effort to hide it in my heart

I'm also thankful for the shift in focus when I'm memorizing

there are so many distractions the enemy uses to keep me from walking the path of obedience

thankful for the truth of Ps. 119:9

"How can a young man keep his way pure?  By keeping it according to Your word."

I'm not sure I fit the description of a young man anymore, but that truth is timeless

I'm thankful for the way God uses His word to instruct, chasten, and encourage me

some of the encouragement I've been getting as I've meditated on Ps. 86:

thankful God hears my prayers

thankful He is good, and ready to forgive

thankful I can worship Him and glorify His name

thankful God is a teacher

there is no one who compares with God.  He alone is worthy of my praise

thankful for His lovingkindness toward me

today was a bitter cold day; I'm really thankful I had inside work!

my current job involves quite a bit of commute time

one of the blessings of that is it gives me an opportunity to connect with friends

I'm thankful for the relationships God has blessed me with

and thankful for people who help me stay awake and alert when I'm driving after a long hard day of work

it also provides time for prayer; which sometimes helps me not get frustrated with other drivers

3/5 of my kids and my grandson will be joining us here in PA for Christmas

I'm thankful for time to gather as family and share together

we have so much to be grateful for

thankful Jesus came and lived among men

thankful He obeyed the Father by going to the cross

thankful He offers redemption and reconciliation to all who put their trust in Him

Thankful Thursday

It has been a few weeks since I wrote a Thankful Thursday blog

I even missed last week, Thanksgiving Thursday

But not because I haven't had much to be thankful for

Circumstances hindered me from sitting down and putting my thoughts in writing

But I've given a lot of thought about gratitude

and last week, as I sat around the dinner table with all of my kids and my grandson, I had the opportunity to express verbally some of that gratitude

my wife and I had the chance to spend Thanksgiving out in Missouri, where our family gathered to celebrate

one of the things we were celebrating was our younger daughter's marriage, so I'm thankful I now have two sons-in-law

the family God has blessed me with is growing!

I'm thankful for time

I recently heard a story about a father who when asked by his daughter how to spell love, responded "Love is spelled T-I-M-E

and getting to spend time with my family last week was definitely an expression of love, in both directions

my son-in-law Carl was telling me about a professor who asked his class what they were thankful for about Jesus

As I think about that question, I want that to be the focus of this post

I'm thankful Jesus is alive; He conquered death and the grave

I'm thankful Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father, making intercession for me

I'm thankful Jesus came to earth and lived as the God-man

I'm thankful that although He was tempted in every way I am, Jesus resisted temptation and lived a perfect life

I'm thankful Jesus was an acceptable sacrifice, once and for all paying the penalty for sin

I'm thankful for His submission to the Father's will in going to the cross and experiencing separation from the Father

I'm thankful Jesus gave me an example of love to follow

I'm thankful Jesus is full of compassion, thankful He expresses emotion

it gives me permission to also express emotion without any sense of shame

I'm thankful Jesus is the Bread of life, satisfying my hunger, meeting my needs

I'm thankful Jesus is a gentle shepherd, caring diligently for His flock

I'm thankful Jesus knows me fully; He is intimately acquainted with all my ways

I'm thankful Jesus promises to always be with me

I'm thankful Jesus will one day return; thankful I will see Him face to face and bow before Him acknowledging that He is Lord and King

I'm thankful Jesus shines through others; as I gaze at Him, He is reflected in my words and actions

I'm thankful Jesus understands my fears and my weaknesses

I'm thankful Jesus still says, "Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid!"