The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands. Psalm 138:8

 What are you thankful for on this annual day of celebration, Thanksgiving? You might be thankful for friends, family, the freedom you have to worship, your home, job, or health. These are all great things to be thankful for, but digging deeper, brining it closer to your life, can you think of times when God has perfected something that was heavy on your heart?

 For me, I can think of many times in my life when I literally faced a brick wall and there appeared to be no way around the obstacle I faced. Taking it to God was the only solution, and today I can tell you He made a way better than I could have ever imagined. And because of those answered prayers, I am thankful for the abundant blessings He’s provided me throughout my life.

 I encourage you to take a few minutes to recall those times when God was faithful when you called upon Him for help, and think about how He perfected what seemed impossible to make a way for you to come out on the other side with a blessing. After a few minutes, I’m sure your attitude of thankfulness will be more heart-felt, in the acknowledgement of those blessings, so you can rejoice and give thanks to God who loves you! God bless!

 

 Psalms 103:8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.

If you could count the days you did things right, would they outnumber the days you messed up? Unless you are living in a bubble, you probably can count your mistakes for this week needing 2 hands. How many times have you battled with a sin, an addiction, or a bad habit, and said to yourself, “I'll get it right one day”? My hand is raised for sure. 

Thankfully, we have a God who is patient, full of grace and mercy, always forgiving when we mess up. He knows your struggles, temptations that haunt you, He even knows the attacks Satan has planned with the hope of making you feel unworthy of God's love. Don't believe those lies, because they are just that, lies of the enemy. 

God knows you try, and He is always available to help strengthen you at your weakest moments. Seek Him out daily, sometimes by the minute, to give you the power to make right choices. Yeah, there will be days when you will need to start over, that's ok, God loves you, forgives you, and desires to heal your brokenness. You might not get it right this side of Heaven, but the day will come when everything you fought against will be put aside to rejoice in the perfect life eternity holds for those who are God's chosen. 

 For God so loved the world John 3:16a

 I was reminded of a trip back home, years ago, during this time of year, leading up to Thanksgiving. While looking for a snack in the kitchen, I noticed my mom’s calendar book and it had the dates marked out of my stay with her and noted “Dave home for the holiday” with several hearts. Her excitement about my time home was well noted as she showered me with much love and devoted time to talk and catch up on things. Looking back now, I regret the times I wasn’t fully engaged with her love, and wish I could relive some of those moments when she needed my attention.

 While sitting in church yesterday, these thoughts came to mind and aligned with today’s verse. God loves each one of us as His creation. He longs to have a personal relationship with every living human on planet earth. Maybe you are one of His children, a follower of Jesus Christ, and assured a home in Heaven when you pass.

 Let me ask you, are you giving God your very best?

 He gave you Jesus Christ, His Son, to make a way for you to freely commune with Him and receive His unconditional love and forgiveness. Nothing matters more to Him than your devotion and love in return. When you live a life of honor and respect towards Him, He blesses you with much wisdom, strength in the tough times, and wraps you in His loving arms when no one else shows you love. He is the answer to every issue you’ll face in life. Nothing compares to a personal relationship with Him. And if you stay engaged, you’ll have no regrets this side of Heaven and even more when you pass through the golden gates of your eternal home. Let God know you are thankful for Jesus Christ and show Him love through your obedience and commitment to serve Him as a child of the living God!

 

 Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you so, do all to the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31

 Many of you are probably dieting this week, leading up to Thanksgiving so you can indulge in the delicious feast. If you have food to eat, you are blessed and should be grateful to God for His provisions in your life. So often I think we take for granted the food we have in our fridge and the pantry stuffed with canned goods, boxes of cereal and crackers. Today, there are so many suffering from hunger that they’d give anything just to eat a few crumbs from your surplus. This is true of people around the world in others countries, and even right here in the blessed USA, there might even be some within walking distance of your home too!

 I heard on the news a few days ago an interview with a father who resides in the Gaza strip. It’s winter there and he and his family are sheltering in a tent because their home was destroyed during the war between Israel and Hamas. He stated one night it rained so hard that their tent was flooded, and their children were shivering from the cold, wet conditions. The place where they normally sat to eat had over 1 foot of water in that space. It’s a sad story, and I know there are many more just like this one. Although it’s tough to hear this kind of news, I believe it’s necessary for us to understand just how blessed we truly are in this country.

 I encourage you to do what you can to support local ministries who help feed the needy and pray for those who are at risk of starvation. They need our prayers to ensure proper resources help fill their needs. I also encourage you to thank God before each meal, even if it’s a simple snack. Give God all the glory HE deserves, because He’s truly blessed you with the essentials of life.

 

 In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:18

 I’ve been following a family I know, whose husband had surgery and developed complications that has left him paralyzed on one side of his body. In his healing process, it is necessary for him to receive special therapy to regain mobility and live a normal life. Over the past month, they’ve endured many challenging setbacks, but at the same time God has come through with answered prayers and God answered a big prayer through the insurance approval process of his rehabilitation. Even in the midst of struggles, this beautiful family has found time to express thankfulness for God’s provisions along their journey to recovery.

 You might not be going through a rough patch right now, and things are running smoothly, but can you still find things to be thankful for? God has a special love for His creation, you and me, and He longs to be the center of our lives. Having an attitude of thankfulness opens your eyes to the good things God does in your everyday life. I’ve tested this in the past and it’s so true, when you find things to be thankful for, you discover so much of what God does in and through your life. From the red light that changes green, to a door held open for you while carrying bags of groceries, to an unexpected check that helps pay the bills and so many other little things that otherwise would go unnoticed, God is in all of those blessings.

 Start today with an attitude of thankfulness, so your heart will be full of gratitude when Thanksgiving gets here and you’ll have plenty to thank God for His love and daily provisions in your life and the lives of those you cherish. God bless!

 Then Jesus said to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life”. John 8:12

 This summer the flies were terrible. Anytime we opened the door to our house it seemed they were ready to fly in and make their home in ours. And nothing is more frustrating and annoying than a fly, buzzing around you, landing on your food or dive into your favorite beverage.

 There’s one thing I’ve learned over the years in my Christian journey, that when I sin, I open the door for more evil to come into my life, causing me frustration and temptations to live in a way that counters God’s standards.

 Sin causes friction between a Holy God and ourselves. The destructive power of sin can tarnish our witness, and tempt us to partake in other sins in attempts to completely isolate ourselves from God. Once birth is given to sin, Satan will speak lies, trying to convince you that you are unworthy of God’s forgiveness and love. Sadly, some people live a lifetime believing these lies and miss out on the true blessings of God’s forgiveness.

 How can you put an end to this cycle of madness? Keep the door of your heart closed to sin. Only by the power of God’s Holy Spirit, living inside you, can you turn from sin’s grip and walk in a manner worthy of God. It takes constant prayer and complete surrender of yourself, your desires, and avoidance of things that will lure you in…all of these things will work to help you fight against turning off the narrow path. God knows your heart and wants to help you every day. Trust Him to help you walk in the light of life so you won’t be bothered by the burdens that sin brings when you allow it to enter your heart. God bless!

 

 Psalms 36:6 Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the ocean depths. You care for people and animals alike, O Lord.

My sweet mother had a fondness of Cardinals (red birds) and squirrels. Every day she would feed them with peanuts and birdseed. They were well fed, especially the squirrels, as they were huge in size. Every time I see one of them, I'm reminded of my mother. 

This morning, while sitting on the balcony of our hotel in the Smoky Mountains, a squirrel ran up and down a tree and stayed within my view. I've got to say, a few tears came from my eyes as I was reminded of her love for the animals that resided on her property and under her care. That's why I continue the tradition of keeping critters fed in my corner of the world. 

God created us and animals for His pleasure and to love. He keeps all of His creations well fed and loved continually. I encourage you today, and every day, to look upon all He's created as reminders of His unconditional love and have comfort in knowing He will take care of your every need. God bless.