Filled with Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope that you are all feeling extra blessed and thankful today-and everyday for that matter! Thanksgiving is more than a day of food and football. It is a day of backing up to see the bigger picture of everything you have to be thankful for.

Last night I was watching "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving." These little cartoons by Charles Schultz are a Thanksgiving tradition in my house. Personally, my favorite is the cartoon talking about the first Thanksgiving.

The first Thanksgiving was celebrated by the Pilgrims from England and the Native Americans. The Pilgrims had spent three rough months out at sea, crossing from England to the New World. The King of England had given a handful of people, the Pilgrims, permission to do so in order to escape religious persecution.

These people had complete faith in God; they packed up their lives, left their families, and set out to sea for a place they had never seen so that they could worship God. I don't know about you, but I think that is truly amazing.

Their path was anything but smooth, and they faced many challenges and hardships,  but they finally reached America. These brave Pilgrims changed the course of history. When they arrived,  they still had to overcome struggles, but with the help of the Native Americans, by the following year the Pilgrims were flourishing.  With invitations in hand, the Natives joined the Pilgrims in thanksgiving for the bounty that God had provided.

The Pilgrims lifted up their thanks to God for everything He had provided them: religious freedom, a bountiful harvest, the Native Americans, and so much more. They put their complete trust in God, even when the situation looked grim, and it really paid off for them. Not only does the history teach us to be thankful, but to trust in God above all things.

"Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and a thank offering and into His courts with praise! Be thankful and say so to Him, bless and affectionately praise His name!"       Psalm 100:4
"Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding."      Proverbs 3:5

Have a very happy and thankful Thanksgiving! God's Blessings to each and every one of you! Remember that even if you feel that you have nothing to be thankful for, you have God, who is worth more than any other jewel or stone! So, lift up your thanks and have a wonderful day!
                                                            


Photo 1 Source: Click Here
Photo 2 Source: Click Here

Vienna

Have you ever heard the song, "Vienna" by Billy Joel? It is one of my favorites. The lyrics ring with wisdom and truth.  If you haven't heard it,  I recommend at least looking up the lyrics. Here's a bit of a teaser, but trust me, the music is awesome!

  "Slow down you crazy child, 

You're so ambitious for a juvenile.

But then if you're so smart tell me, 

Why are you still so afraid?"

Basically, it is a song about stopping and smelling the roses and enjoying life instead of planning out your every move. This song is powerful; the very first note and I am already deeply touched. (That piano intro!:)) Anyway, I am getting off topic...

So, what in the world does this have to do with anything, you wonder? I am so glad that you asked! Listening to this song always make me think long and hard. I have college creeping up my back and grades, scholarships, ACTS, SATS, homework, studying, and, well, you get the point. A long list of life. This long list really freaks me out sometimes. It's not just kids though, nearly everyone can relate to this song. We humans like to put things in fast gear, zipping and zooming about, thinking that our plans and busyness should earn us some sort of medal, but God has a different plan for us. God has already has our plans planned inside and out for us since long before our great grandparents were even born. We don't have to worry about how we will turn out...God already knows, and it is perfect.

These plans that God has for us, they can takes years and years to grow into. My guiding verses for this post are Ecclesiastes 3:11 and Proverbs 19:21.

   "He makes all things beautiful in His time." Ecclesiastes 3:11

"You can make many plans, but the Lord's purpose will prevail." Proverbs 19:21

These verses are perfect reminders that we can plan and plan until we have plans coming out of our ears, but they will do no good because unless God feels that we can and will fulfill that purpose, those plans seem quite useless. Am I saying that we should not plan at all? Not a chance, but we should ask God to show us the life he has designed us to lead, and ask Him to prepare us to do so. Coming up with a plan too fast and without guidance is like a caterpillar hatching from its chrysalis before it has turned into a butterfly. 

Like Billy Joel said in his touching lyrics, "Vienna waits for you." So slow down, enjoy the journey, and ask God to guide you to where He wants you to go! 

Click Here to Listen to 'Vienna'

With Love for Paris

It has been a little over a week since the terrorist attacks in Paris. I know that I speak for everyone when I say that I was shocked and devastated. I could not believe what had happened. It was the oddest feeling, like all of the air had been sucked out of me and my heart, it actually hurt. I felt connected to people that I had never met nor seen. I thought that it was so very beautiful how countries flocked in their support; even if their presence was not there, their hearts were.

   

I don't know why this as happened or what will come out of it, but I do know that God has a plan. God has everything planned out for us, so we do not need to worry, no matter what happens. God will always be there for us, and now especially, for Paris. I think that Ecclesiastes 3: 1-15 perfectly sums up that with God, there is a reason for everything, even though we may not see it. 

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

  2       a time to be born, and a time to die;

           a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;

  3       a time to kill, and a time to heal,

           a time to break down, and a time to build up;

  4       a time to weep, and a time to laugh;

           a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

  5      a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;

          a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

  6      a time to seek, and a time to lose;

          a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

  7      a time to tear, and a time to sew;

          a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

  8      a time for love, and a time to hate; 

          a time for war, and a time for peace;

  9      What gain has the worker from his toil? 10  I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be bus with. 11  He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. 12  I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live, 13  also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil- this is God's gift to man. 14  I perceived that whatever Gd does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him. 15  That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away. 

Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand." John 13:7

God Only Does Us Good

As I sit here on the edge of my coffee table writing this, I look around at the state of the house. Let me just say that it is not good. Today has not been good. Right now, I would actually rather be anywhere else. Today did not start out well, and let me tell you, letting that happen was my first mistake. Right then and there I should have decided to be positive and cheerful, but I wasn't and now here I am pondering all of the different ways my day could've gone instead. Lately, I have been in a sort of "Lazy Day Blues" kinda mood and I can't seem to shake it. The thought has came to me several times over the course of a week or two-"Ugh, God, seriously, why me? Can't I ever have a good day without being embarrassed, frustrated, or grouchy?" I have been fussy, lonesome, and less than my usual self. I am in a SLUMP.

The house is a mess and I am in no mood to clean it. Prior to writing this I was cleaning in the bathroom. I bent down and a bottle clattered on top of my head. "Ugh!" I growled and then I let my thoughts slip-"Seriously, God. Why'd you have to let that happen." I didn't even think twice about it until now. How could I have said that? First of all, I was the one who knocked the bottle down when reaching for it. Secondly, God doesn't let bad things happen to us-that, my friends, is the devil. You see, the Devil is super sneaky. He winds his way into our lives when we don't realize it and he takes hold. He wants to take hold of you and me both. There he was in the bathroom with me, capturing my thoughts and my attitude. A day that could have been super sweet was super sour because I let it be.

As I sit down and write this, two Bible verses come to mind:

"Every good gift, every perfect gift, comes from above. These gifts come down from the Father, the creator of heavenly lights, in whose character there is no change at all"        James 1:17

"If you do the right things, won't you be accepted? But if you don't do the right thing, sin will be waiting at the door, ready to strike! It will entice you, but you must rule over it."   Genesis 4:7

These two verses are perfect reminders of what we should remember everyday: God only wants good for us, and if we forget Him, the devil is going to take hold of us and never let go. We have to remember each and every day no matter how things are going, God is always on our side, rooting for us, and the devil is the one tearing us down, if we let him. 

When we put our life into perspective, it can narrow our troubles down for us. I may of had a bad day, but I do NOT have a bad life. Tomorrow will be better! :) I hope that you think so too! And as for my slump, I am working on it, but I know that just writing this has made me in a much better mood. As I grow more as a daughter of Christ I know that I will stumble and fall, but God is there to pick me up.