In "Other" Words - Thanks Living

God doesn't want our thanksgiving to be limited to one Thursday in November. He wants us to continually thank Him. He wants us to live a life of thankfulness and Thanks Living.


When we choose to give thanks to the Lord, we're paying our debt. We owe God thanksgiving. We owe him everything. But when we give Him thanks, we're paying our debts to God. When we thank Him, we're recognizing that God is the source of every good and perfect gift in our lives.


Being thankful means a conscious choice to live a life that is God-centered rather than self-centered. We choose not to focus on ourselves, our wants, our desires, our needs. We choose to live a life that is totally centered in God. When we give thanks we exalt God. We glorify Him. When we do that we fulfill the purpose for which we were created. We exist to put a spotlight on God, to glorify Him.


The fact that God expects us to thank Him for His blessings in our lives, is evident in the words of Jesus, to the one lone ex-leper who returned to thank Him.


Luke 17:15 "One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed" Where are the other nine?"


God not only deserves our thanks, but He also desires them. He wants us to be grateful for His goodness and not to take it for granted.


1 Thessalonians 5:18 "give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." The apostle Paul made it clear that our giving of thanks is to be continual and not contingent. That it is to be ongoing in spite of our circumstances, not just because everything is going well. Paul was able to maintain an attitude of gratitude even though he faced some very devastating circumstances, because he held onto a proper perspective of both God and His circumstances.


Knowing that God expects us to live a life of thanksgiving rather than offering limited thanks, and knowing that we must never lose sight of God's goodness, and God's hand at work in everything we face is crucial in our Christian life. When our circumstances turn from good to bad, when the flow of God's blessings seem to be temporarily turned off in our lives, what we tend to forget is that in these moments, the world is most likely to be watching our lives. Suffering provides you and I the greatest opportunity to demonstrate the validity of Christianity at work in our lives.


I can prove my gratitude by "Thanks Living". John 14:15 "If you love me, obey me; John 14:21 The one who obeys me is the one who loves me; and because he loves me, my Father will love him; and I will too, and I will reveal myself to him. Jesus said that his followers show their love by obeying God. Love is more than lovely words. It is commitment and conduct. If we love Christ, then prove it by obeying what he says in his Word.


Christians should offer continual thanks, because the enemy is listening and watching. 1 Peter 5:8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kine of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.


Lions attack sick, young, or straggling animals, they choose victims who are alone or not alert. Peter warns us to watch out for Satan when we are suffering or persecuted. Feeling alone, weak, helpless, and cut off from other believers, so focused on our troubles that we forget to watch for danger, we are especially vulnerable to Satan's attacks. During times of suffering, seek other Christians for support. Keep your eyes on Christ, and resist the devil. Then, says James, "he will flee from you" (James 4:7)


Philippians 4:4, 5 Always be full of joy in the Lord; I say it again, rejoice! Let everyone see that you are unselfish and considerate in all you do. It seems strange that a man in prison would be telling a church to be joyful. But Paul's attitude serves to teach us an important lesson. We have a choice to demonstrate Thanks Living even when our circumstances are everything but ideal. Paul was full of thankfulness and joy because he knew that no matter what happened to him, Jesus Christ was with him. Several times in this letter, Paul urges the Philippians to be joyful, probably because they needed to hear this. It's easy to get discouraged about unpleasant circumstances or to take unimportant events too seriously. If you haven't been joyful lately, or if you haven't been demonstrating Thanks Living lately, you may not be looking at life from the right perspective.


So let me ask on this Thanksgiving Week. What has God done for you this past year? As you reflect on your life this year, have you remembered to thank God for all that He has done in your life and family? Is your life demonstrating Thanks Living today? If not, it isn't too late to make some positive changes.


Happy Thanksgiving and blessings to you and your family!

Bless Others

Thank you so much for your prayers. After 8 weeks of bronchitis and laryngitis I am finally beginning to feel like myself again. God is so good. I even led worship Sunday because I was determined not to be defeated by the enemy! Still taking my meds but honestly can see improvement.

God is so good and I am so thankful for His continued blessings upon my life. I know there are days when I get so distracted trying to manage the many responsibilities on my plate that I forget how blessed I really am. This is the season of thankfulness but why do we wait for that special day in November each year to remember all the blessings in our lives?

God pours out His blessings upon you and I daily.

2 Corinthians 9:15 says, Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! God is incredible. He is the ultimate giver. Do you believe that He expects us to follow His example? Maybe you are hesitant to give to others for fear of having nothing left for yourself, but as we give to others as God leads, soon you will receive so much that you will have to figure out where to put it all!

I heard on the radio this morning where folks in various states are paying for the order of the person behind them in the drive-thru at Starbucks. Isn't that awesome! They have no idea who those people are but they are blessing them. Giving so others can be blessed. Wow!

God gives so we can bless others. Pray and ask God to show you how He wants you to bless someone today.

Blessings and many hugs!

More meds

Went back to the doctor today for my 4th antibiotic! I have been dealing with bronchitis and laryngitis for 7 weeks. Had blood work and chest x-rays today. The diagnosis again is bronchitis! Yippee!

JUMP!

Do you minister outside the box or are you perfectly content to continue doing business as usual?

I want to share an article with you that I received today via email.

Coaching Outside the Box by David Krueger MDExecutive Mentor Coach

Ben Fletcher at the University of Hertfordshire in the United Kingdom devised a study to get people to break their usual habits. Each day the subjects picked a different option from poles of contrasting behaviors -- lively/quiet, introvert/extrovert, reactive/proactive -- and behaved according to this assignment.

So an introverted person, for example, would act as an extrovert for an entire day. Additionally, twice weekly, they had to stretch to behave in a way outside their usual life pattern – eating or reading something they would never have done. What do you think was the biggest change in the group?

The remarkable finding was that after four months, the subjects had lost an average of eleven pounds. And six months later, almost all had kept the weight off; some continued to lose weight. This was not a diet, but a study focusing on change and its impact.

The Underlying Principle Requiring people to change routine behavior makes them actually think about decisions rather than habitually choosing a default mode without consideration. In having to actually process decisions actively, they exercised their choice and decision-making abilities, extending to other choices such as what to eat, and what not to. Once becoming aware of actively making choices, they could decide what’s in their best interest.

“The box” most of us are in is the result of programming and conditioning. And it is self-created in adulthood. Recognizing yourself as the author, the creator of your story challenges an assumed model and leads to the deeper question, “How do I create something else instead?” And, “What will the ‘something else’ be?” Coach outside the box and watch your clients flourish!

David Krueger MD is is CEO of MentorPath, an executive coaching firm tailored to the needs of professionals, and author of The Sage and Scholar's Guide to Coaching Professionals.

Isn't this interesting stuff? "The box" most of us are in is the result of programming and conditioning and self-created. Now I am going to take this a step further. Look at this concept from the Christian view. My thoughts are this - we are comfortable in the box and many of us cannot fulfill God's purpose for our lives because we refuse to step out of the box! We are what we do. Amazing! We are what we practice. Amazing again! If we do the same thing we get the same results. And again Amazing!

Our comfort zone or "box" if you will, tends to cultivate feelings that are warm and fuzzy but our prolonged time in that box is stagnating our gifts and abilities for the Kingdom of God. I believe that in order for you and I to be productive for the Kingdom it is time that we JUMP out of our boxes and aggressively go after what God has for us! Stop listening to the lies of the enemy trying to convince you that you don't have what it takes to accomplish what you know God has commanded you to do. Embrace God's Word and His promises for your life.

So, if you find yourself in a box today - GET OUT! Little can be accomplished in a box. It is too confining and way too restricted and the scenry is incredibly boring! We limit what God wants to do with us when we choose to remain in the box. I know God has great plans for you and I and there isn't a box in those plans. Are you ready to jump? Let's go - 1, 2, 3, JUMP!!!! Now go do great things for the Kingdom!

Blessings and hugs!

WOW!

All I can say is , "WOW"! The Equipping Conference Saturday was outstanding. There were 51 workshops offered and the keynote speaker was Doug Clay, General Treasurer of The General Council of the AG. What else could you possibly ask for? The attendance was awesome and the day was just incredible. I facilitated two workshops for Pastor's Wives, "I'm New Here" and "I Wish I'd Known". My presenters were phenomenal! They were transparent and shared from their hearts. It was definitely a "kudos" moment!

I am so excited about what God is doing in our district with our pastor's wives and credentialed women. The Lord continues to open doors of opportunity for me to minister to lonely and discouraged pastor's wives. Our goal is to cultivate a "safe" place for these women. A place where women can be real with one another and not be afraid of being criticized or judged. God is definitely on the move!

One of the presenters stressed the importance of needing close friends in our lives. Do you have a close friend or several close friends who you feel comfortable enough with to share your heart? Do you have someone who you regularly meet for lunch or coffee? Like me, maybe your hubby is your best friend, but we still need another woman in our lives that we can talk to. Maybe for you it is your sister, or your daughter, or maybe it is your pastor's wife. If you don't have that particular someone I encourage you today to make every effort to find someone who you can call your close friend. Ministry can be a very lonely and discouraging journey and when we choose not to cultivate friendships, we tend to isolate ourselves which is everything but healthy. Jesus had 12 friends. Three of those 12 were very close to Him. And then there was 1 who was His very best friend.

If you are in a lonely place today I encourage you to pray and ask God to send you a friend. Maybe that sounds silly to you but the Bible tells us that we don't receive because we don't ask. If God cares about the little sparrow who falls from the sky He certainly cares more about you and I. He never intended for you or I to experience this journey alone.

Blessings to you!

Missed Blogging

I really miss blogging this week but in addition to this being a very hectic week I have been sick. Ugh! I have been dealing with bronchitis for six weeks. Three antibiotics later and I still have the wheezing and an annoying cough. On top of that I somehow was blessed with a 24 hour flu this week. I went home after work last evening and went to bed at 5:30 pm. I slept until 5am this morning! For me that is unheard of. My hubby had to direct the choir at practice last night because I was just too wiped out to go to church. For those of you who know me well you also know I never miss services unless I am very ill. Anyway, I am feeling better today.


My credential interview went well on Tuesday. The board of presbyter's must approve all candidates and then it is forwarded to headquarters in Springfield, MO for final approval. Hopefully I will know something by January.


This weekend our district is hosting the annual Equipping Conference. Doug Clay, General Treasurer of the AG is the keynote speaker. There are over 50 workshops being offered for local church leaders. I am co-facilitating two workshops for pastor's wives. Still prepping.


I pray you are having a very blessed week!

A Great Weekend and Busy Week

It was a great weekend. After living in Garrett County Maryland for 5 1/2 years it is almost imaginable to believe that we are experiencing temperatures in the 60's in Virginia. I am loving it! Only a few of my flowers have actually bit the dust from the frost. I am trying desperately to hold on to our green lawn, flowers and warm weather for as long as possible. I definitely am not a fan of winter.

We had a great day in the house yesterday. Bobby began a four week series on Heaven and Hell and his sermon yesterday was definitely off the charts! Really good stuff. My Sunday School lesson was also extremely challenging. We are going through the book by Jerry Bridges, The Practice of Godliness. Our Christian walk is a process. A daily process that cultivates a deep and rooted relationship with Christ. More good stuff. Pick up a copy of the book and read for yourself. You won't be disappointed.

Praise and Worship was anointed and I finally had a full voice and made it completely through the morning service. I was even able to sing with the choir as I directed them. I have been struggling with something in my lungs for 6 weeks and 3 antibiotics. I am praying that I am finally on the mend.

This is a very busy week. We have prayer tonight at church. Of course we all must get out tomorrow and VOTE. Remember, you cannot complain about the election results if you choose not to participate. I am scheduled for my credential interview tomorrow with three of the presbyter's in Fairfax. Thursday evening we have a leadership meeting and Friday there are doctor appointments. Saturday is the Equipping Conference in our district. Our church will be participating along with approximately 325 other people from the district churches. I am c0-facilitating two workshops for pastor's wives. Doug Clay is the Keynote Speaker and will also facilitate the pastor workshops. It will be a great day.

Blessings!