THANKFUL THURSDAY...Do it continually!

Hello friends. I want to greet you with special Thanksgiving greetings. All year long, we meet here or over at my friend Iris's place to express our thanks and gratitude. Whether we do it once a week or just on this special day set aside, I must ask myself and ask you...Is it enough?

Giving praise to God is one of the best ways to express our thanks to God for all of His blessings but yet so many of us do not take the time to do it on a regular basis. I know, I know, I am preaching to the choir as most of you reading this today are regular Thankful Thursday readers and supporters. But I seriously have been pondering this thought, what kind of "thanking Him" routine do we have?

Is saying "grace" before we eat enough?
Is saying a bedtime ritual enough?
Is even expressing our top ten list at Thanksgiving enough?

In Hebrews 13:15, it says this...

"By Him therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name."

Continually, you say? That does not mean just once a year or even once a day! It is implying that we offer thanks repeatedly, without interruption. David sums it up well in Psalms...

"His praise shall continually be in my  mouth. At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto Thee because of Thy righteous judgements." (Psalm 119:62)

When is the last time you or I found ourselves up giving God praise at midnight? I can barely open my eyes to see the way to the bathroom, let alone, open my lips.

God is desiring for His children to develop a lifestyle of praise, offering thanks and praise for all He is and all He does, at ALL times. Continually.

Today is Thankful Thursday and I have had the privilege of hosting with my friend Iris for several years now. Due to some health issues going on within my family, this will be my last time to host TT  for a short while. I will be back and until then, I will continually be thanking Him!

THANKFUL THURSDAY...it is not about a day!

Dear Friends,

I wanted to speak to you from my heart today.

 I am late getting my TT post up today as I just spent the past two days at hospitals, labs and doctor offices with our 18 year old daughter. To be honest with you I am drained physically from what this week has brought.

 I woke up on Monday morning as usual, got dressed like usual, went to work like usual. Nothing out of the ordinary. But by late morning, everything about my ordinary day became un-ordinary and confused and scary and unsure.

My daughter's skin turned a strange green color and her fingers and toes went numb. She couldn't feel them. Within a short time she had difficulty breathing and had chest pains. My ordinary prayer now became an urgent prayer, as doctor after doctor looked at her in wonderment and confusion.

Today, as we still await test results on my daughter, I am reminded that even though this time next week we will all be celebrating Thanksgiving Day with our families, that Thanksgiving is not a day...it is a condition of our heart.

Even in times of the un-ordinary...we CAN have an attitude of thanksgiving. I choose this day to give God praise and thanksgiving for EVERYTHING...the good, the bad, the ugly - the everything!

1 Thessalonians 5:18 "Give thanks in ALL circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

Today I am hosting THANKFUL THURSDAY and today of all days, I have so much to give thanks for. I have been blessed with one more day to give Him praise and nothing will keep the praise due Him from my lips. Not sickness. Not bad doctor reports. NOTHING!

How about you...what are you thanking Him for today?

 

THANKFUL THURSDAY...lingering in His presence

One of my favorite things of coming together with my church family is before or after service, lingering around the hallways fellowshipping with each other. It is the one time of the week that I can catch up with my brothers and sisters in Christ and receive encouragement from them.

I have noticed that sometimes it is easier to linger in the presence of our fellow believers than it is to linger in the presence of the One Who died for us.

Oh how I love (and long for) worship, enjoying His fresh touch. But often times, we are consumed with our time restraints and rush right out of our time with Him. Instead of just lingering in His presence, we brush right past and lose out on that special fellowship time with Him.

What I am thankful for today is that we have the freedom and liberty to worship Him anywhere, anytime. A freedom that not all countries experience. While I am thankful for it, it is my prayer today that I will stop, drop and roll .. stop what I am doing, drop to my knees and keep my praises rolling! May His fire consume me!

"Be still and rest in the Lord; wait for Him and patiently lean yourself upon Him." -Psalm 37:7

Today, I am hosting THANKFUL THURSDAY and I invite you to share what is on your grateful heart.

*I apologize that my TT post did not go thru last week. I just noticed that it didn't upload. Computers are great until they get glitzes in them. Glad you made your way back this week!

THANKFUL THURSDAY...courage

It is hard to believe that we are closing out yet another month ofTHANKFUL THURSDAY. As always, it is a joy and honor to be your host. Be sure to link up next week over at my friend, Iris for TT.

I want to close out the month by encouraging you to have great courage and keep doing what God has called you to do. This past week, I have encountered many people who feel discouraged, weary and burnt out. Ministry is hard work. In fact, the other day I read a most incredible statement by a pastor friend…

 

"To serve successfully, you must love like God, serve like Martha, and have skin like a rhino."

 

As a lay person and now a full time pastors wife, I can say AMEN and AMEN to that statement. Ministry can be draining but yet so fullfilling at the same time!

“Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.” –Psalms 31:4

Life is full of risks. In fact, just getting up and getting behind the wheel of a car is a tremendous risk. But taking risks as believers is necessary sometimes. Often times, we avoid opportunities that God makes available to us because we fear that things won’t go the way we had hoped. Or we are fearful of failing. But God wants us to go forth boldly, sometimes taking a risk or two, so that we can accomplish great things for Him!

Today I am giving God praise for the courage that He has placed within each of us. May we all go out with boldness and do all that we can for Him. Please do not become weary of doing things for the Kingdom of God. No doubt, serving in ministry takes great boldness and courage.

Now that you have the boldness and courage that you need…what will you do with it?

THANKFUL THURSDAY...a listening ear

I have been praying about a particular situation in our family and to be honest with you, it was much bigger than me or my husband. We were dependent upon God to hear our cry and perform a miracle.

We received a negative report from the doctor, but once we gave it to God, peace just surrounded us. Somehow, I knew that God had heard our cry.

He listens. He really does.

Not all of us listen. Face it, we live in a loud world. In fact, just try to get someones attention - not easy. But when we speak - God listens. Our voice matters in heaven, He takes every petition and request seriously. He does not take our prayer need lightly, He doesn't say "I'll pray about it" and then forget it. He is standing in on our behalf at the throne.

I once heard an Evangelist say, "Our prayers is what activates God's power in heaven." He doesn't need our prayers, but He desires them. Many blessings begin with a prayer.

Matthew 6:10 "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."

This week, as I host THANKFUL THURSDAY, I would like to give praise and gratitude to a loving God Who hears our cry. He not only cares about us but He LISTENS to us. THANK YOU GOD!

What has God done for you this week? Share your TT post with us by linking up below. Thank you for sharing your grateful heart with us today.

THANKFUL THURSDAY...Freedom and Faith

As I think about this weeks THANKFUL THURSDAY, I would be greatly amiss if I did not reflect on what this week in history represents.

FREEDOM and FAITH.

September 11, 2001 marks in history how America changed, forever. Until this date, we only read of such attacks in other countries. For us here in the US, we never really lived such fear, such terror. It was the day that a foreign enemy entered our homeland and attacked from within, shattering the confidence of many residents and destroying the lives of countless people.

I, like you, will always remember where I was and what I was doing when I heard of the twin towers being attacked. Honestly, as I drove down the highway and heard the report over the radio, I literally had to pull over to listen more intently. I was in complete shock of what I was hearing.

After shock, I felt fear. My mind racing to remember the phone number to my children's school. Even though terror hit miles and miles away, I had to be reassured that my babies were safe.

Safe? Would we ever be able to feel safe again in our country? After all, there had been a breach in security. Who would have thought that an opposing country would even consider coming against such a great country. But they did. And they caught us off guard.

So many lives lost that day. Such a tragedy. I often think of those families. But I also think about the men who were involved. These men did not consider themselves terrorists, sadly, they were simply following their god and standing firm in what they considered their belief.

Although their act is heinous, one cannot help but consider their commitment. They were willing to die for their faith, even though radically wrong. It seemed like the enemy had won that day, but I do not believe the enemy can win the war.

I would like to challenge each of you to always remember the sacrifice. Not only the sacrifice of those who gave their lives that day, but I would also like to challenge you to remember the sacrifice that these terrorists were willing to give ... they gave their lives for a cause that they firmly believed in.

Makes me wonder...would we give our lives for what we believe in?

I know that Jesus gave His life for what and who He believed in. Now that is a sacrifice none of us can ever forget.

Today, I give God my utmost thanks for His sacrifice, and I give the men, women and children who lost their lives at the hand of evil on 9/11 my utmost remembrance and praise.

 

Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT)
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

May we always hold onto what we believe and be willing to stand upon our faith, no matter the cost.

What are you thankful for today? Please join your grateful heart with ours by linking up below.

THANKFUL THURSDAY...can't say it enough!

Hello Friends.

It is that time again...THANKFUL THURSDAY! I am honored and blessed to be hosting this month. I can't remember how long it has been since I have been hosting this great meme with Iris, but I know it has been several years.

I was thinking this morning about all of the great TT posts over the years and it struck me that no matter how much time has passed, we never run out of things to give God thanks for.

I dont know about you, but my heart is so full of appreciation to a great God who bestows such wonderful blessings upon His children. I know as a Mom, I want nothing but the best for my kids. And when my children show appreciation for the things that I do for them, it causes me to want to do even MORE for them.

God wants to hear our appreciation as well.

"Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise--the fruit of lips that openly profess his name." -Hebrews 13:15

What are you praising God for today? Please join us by sharing your grateful heart today by linking up below. Thank you for being a part of THANKFUL THURSDAY!

THANKFUL THURSDAY...what's your temperature?

Revelation 3:16 "So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold - I am about to spit you out of My mouth."

God said that He would spit us out of His mouth if we are lukewarm, that is because He doesn’t want any “whisy washy”children. He would rather we are sold out totally for Him or be away from Him with the hopes that we will turn to Him. One that sits on the fence,  who straddles is often difficult to be obedient.

Have you ever known someone who changed their mind with the wind? One day they are one way, then the next day they are something else.

This happens a lot with sports fans. Many sports fans root for the winning team, and when their team goes on a losing streak, they get off their bandwagon real quick and switch teams. They are what I call “wish washy fans”. Jesus Christ has some “wishy washy” fans too. They call themselves Christians as long as everything is going good, but the minute trouble brews, they jump off the bandwagon and remove themselves from God and all that He stands for.

Today is THANKFUL THURSDAY and I am grateful for all the strong men and women who have led the way by example of how they live their lives. Lives that don't straddle the fence, but lives that walk the walk not just talk the talk.

May we all find ourselves today with the right temperature in our spiritual walk with God. May He find us HOT and boiling over as we grow in Him.

Its been a pleasure to be your hostess this month for TT. Please join us over at GRACE ALONE for August where Iris will be hosting on Thursdays.

THANKFUL THURSDAY...I am a mentor!

When I mention the word "mentor", alot of people automatically think of someone who is older. Mentoring seems to be something that most of us think we are not old enough or wise enough to do.

But I disagree with that thinking. When you think about it, no matter what age you find yourself, all of us, yes, all of us I say, are older (and wiser) than someone. Whether you are 80 or 18, everyone has someone younger than them that needs a good role model to follow after.

I have had many godly role models in my life. Former pastor wives, Sunday school teachers and godly women like my grandmother. And likewise, my young daughter at the age of 17 also is a role model to many of the young girls at church and also to her little neice at age 2. All of us can pour into someone and we all need to know that someone is watching and learning from us. One way or another, either in a negative way or a positive way, we all have people following us.

It is my prayer that I can pour into someone that would make a difference for eternity. It isn't enough to just be "older" or even "wiser", we must all be led by the Spirit.

“I thought, ‘Age should speak; advanced years should teach wisdom.’ But it is the spirit in a person, the breath of the Almighty, that gives them understanding.” -Job 32:7-9

It is the Holy Spirit that gives us wisdom and discernment. May we all lead by the Spirit, for without it, nothing we say, nothing we do will be worth following.

Today is THANKFUL THURSDAY and I am grateful not only for the great mentors who have molded my life, but I am also grateful for the opportunities that God has given me to invest in others. What are you thankful for today, please link up with us below....

THANKFUL THURSDAY...becoming a person of peace

Lately, I have heard story after story of great hardships people are going thru. My heart hurts for all those around me dealing with sickness, and death, and financial hardships and struggles in relationships. Life is hard, isn't it?

But even when things get hard, living a life of peace is a choice. Nothing, and noone can rob you of your peace, however, sometimes we relinquish our peace when we allow our circumstances to cloud our vision. God desires for His peace to encompass every part of our lives. Even when we can't trace His steps, we most definetly can trust His heart.

Psalm 31:5 says "My times are in Your hands." Your life is under God's watchful eye and no matter what circumstance comes your way, peace is available. All we have to do is accept it.

Today is THANKFUL THURSDAY and I am so thankful for the peace that passes all understanding...the peace of God! Please join your grateful heart with ours by linking up below for TT!

THANKFUL THURSDAY...Independence!

 HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!

Today is a day of great celebration across the USA. Fireworks, picnics, swimming, pretty much whatever we feel led to do. It is a great thing to be an American. Something that I am very proud to be. And celebrating our freedom is a wonderful way to celebrate today.

Not just our freedom here in this land of the free ... but we should all be celebrating and remembering our freedom in the Lord. I have traveled too many countries where such freedom is not allowed. Bibles must be hidden. Saying you are a "Christian" will land you in jail. Missionaries spreading God's truth must be done secretly.

When I think of the word "Independence", I often think of what the world tells us. The leadership team of Burger King bought into this independent theme we have ..."Have it your way!" Having things our way goes all the way back to Adam and Eve though. Instead of doing things God's way, they wanted their Independence, Adam and Eve wanted things "their way".

In Matthew 18:3, it says,"I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven."

Those are not the words of our Forefathers. They are the words of Jesus.

The world tells us we can do anything, we are free to do as we please. But Jesus is saying that we must be dependent upon Him, His way is higher than our way. Without Him, we cannot be free. Rather than seeking and celebrating independence, I suggest that it is actually dependence that is worth celebrating. May we never forget the greatest sacrifice ever given for our freedom...the blood of Jesus!

Aren't you thankful for all the privileges and blessings that we have? Not just as Americans, but as heirs of the King!!!

I am happy to be your THANKFUL THURSDAY  host for the month of July. I look forward to hear your grateful hearts all month long!

THANKFUL THURSDAY...forgiveness and mercy

I remember watching Sesame Street with my children when they were young. Often, they sang a song on the TV show that went something like this...

"One of these things is not like the others, one of these things doesn't belong." "Cake - Pie - Pudding - Motor Oil"

It was always fun to watch my kids pick out what they thought did not belong. If we as Christians could play that game, it might sound something like this:

"Mercy - Kindness - Compassion - Unforgiveness" "One of these things is not like the others, one of these things doesn't belong."

It is difficult to forgive others without mercy. Today, what I am giving God thanks for is His forgiveness and His mercy. And praying that I could have such mercy towards others.

"Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven." Luke 6:36-37

PRAYER: Dear Lord, give me the ability to forgive others. Even when others hurt me or do me wrong, may I extend mercy to them just as You have extended to me. May Your love shine not only upon me but thru me. AMEN.

I am so blessed to have been your host for THANKFUL THURSDAY this month, next month you can find us over at Iris's place. Won't you join your grateful heart with ours today?

THANKFUL THURSDAY...Cleaning up the dust!

Dust mites love dead skin and some of the best places they feast on are pillows, bed covers, and blankets. This is not meant to freak you out, (but it may have). It is more to share the spiritual analogy between “dust” and “sleepy Christianity”.

Isaiah 52 says, “Awake, awake! Shake yourself from the dust, arise!”

I suppose we could say that sometimes we become sleepy Christians or dusty ones.

For the past 11 years I have operated a cleaning service business and one thing that I attack is DUST!  One thing that I have come to learn about dust is this.... it only comes from one thing - neglect! If we neglect our daily/weekly cleaning routine,  a build up of dust is inevitable.

As Christians, we must not neglect our clean up routine, otherwise our neglect will result in...

  * A dusty Bible, A dusty Prayer Closet and dusty, nasty Attitudes.

I am so thankful for the power of God's cleansing pledge, the cleaning power that wipes away every particle of unwanted dust in our hearts and minds. So friends, lets get on board with Isaiah and ARISE!

Today is THANKFUL THURSDAY and I am glad for Gods cleansing power! How about you? What are you grateful for today?

THANKFUL THURSDAY...one day at a time!

Well, here I am, embarking on the one weekend that nine months ago I was dreading. My baby girl is graduating on Friday night from High School and my son is graduating from college Saturday morning. Two life changing, thrilling, exciting, and bittersweet memories, all wrapped up in less than 24 hours of each other.

This weekend begins my empty nest. All my babies are now completely grown up, making their own decisions and flying, the best they know how to.

I thought that I would be really sad about this turn in my life, but strangely enough, I have a peace in my spirit and in my heart. Sadness is replaced with a joy of the time that I have been blessed with four great kids who now are making their own mark in their world. This momma is so proud and blessed.

I know that as both Anna ventures off to college and Jeremy ventures off into the work world, both of them, along with our two other grown children will make a difference wherever they go, whatever they do. For they have the Lord on their side. Placing each decision, each step and each adventure in Gods hands. I can't think of any other possible wish a momma could wish for.

"Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6

For me, as the house becomes silent, and the all I have is memories of days gone by, I will take one day at a time, remembering all that was and looking ahead for all that will become.

Aren't you thankful for the memories that God has given you? I am. Today is THANKFUL THURSDAY and I am glad that you have joined us.

THANKFUL THURSDAY...a tribute to all Mothers

Today on THANKFUL THURSDAY, I have to take time out to say a HUGE thank you to all of you Mothers out there. What a joyful, but yet stressful job at times. But worth every sweat, every tear, and every giggle.

The first Mother’s Day was celebrated in West Virginia in 1912. Mothers were to be recognized as an important part of our culture and lives. The heart of a mother is like a rare jewel. They love their children during the worst and best of times.

Yet, all mothers are not the same. In a women's conference, I heard Author and speaker Patsy Clairmont say,

“Normal is just a setting on your clothes dryer.”

 So true. We are all different. She shared that as women we may “struggle, fail, start over, and celebrate.” But we are mothers who can love unlike any other person.

God created families and He gave mothers a very unique place. We can love, we give of ourselves, we cook, clean, wash clothes, put Band-Aids on scrapes … we are often the first one up in the morning and the last one to bed at night. We juggle a lot of things including raising children, working jobs, managing a home, and sometimes (rarely)  finding time for ourselves.

Each day is a new beginning. We have a destiny, purpose, and the power to do and be all that we are called to be. Nothing can stop us except ourselves. If you are a mother, be encouraged to know that no matter what stage of life you are in, that God loves you and in Him is where you find your strength.

If I had to pick a scripture that best describes mothers, it would be Philippians 2:1-4:

“If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others."
 

All of us ladies are really mothers, you know, no matter if you bore your own child or not, we are ALL called to nurture, love and mentor, especially the children. Who can you impact today with the love of Christ? May we all do what this passage says and love others with such a motherly tenderness and compassion.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

We are so happy you joined us for THANKFUL THURSDAY today, please link your heart with ours by linking your post up below.

THANKFUL THURSDAY ... Like a good neighbor

State Farm Insurance isn't the only one who knows about being neighborly. Years ago, when my husband and I first were married, our neighborhood always had a annual block cookout. It was the highlight of our summer, but not only that, as neighbors, we always looked out for one another all year long.

Isn't that the way it use to be?

Having block parties, neighbors checking on neighbors, helping your neighbor out with things, baking a cake when your neighbor was sick, etc.

I just don't think it is still like this in our neighborhoods, but I know it should be. I recently paused to consider what kind of neighbor I am.

My family recently moved out of our home where we lived for 20 years to live in the parsonage where my husband is pastoring. Our old neighborhood over the years has changed so much. New families moving in, and everyone is busy, busy, busy and they keep to themselves. I ran into my long time neighbor today and told her that we had moved a month ago. She had no idea.

If we were neighbors like State Farm suggests, than I would expect that somehow my neighbor would have known that we had moved out. Not to slight her, or put blame on her for not noticing, but shame on me for not telling. After all, isn't that what neighbors do?

With the fast pace life that we live, social media taking over our communication process, slowly but surely we are getting away from being neighborly. I don't like that. And I know God doesn't either.

" And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.  And the second is likewise, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these." Mark 12:30,31

Being neighborly isn't just about knowing your neighbors name. To be a neighbor like the Bible suggests, we must love and love unconditionally.

I will be hosting THANKFUL THURSDAY this month and today I am giving thanks for my neighbors, the ones from my old neighborhood and the ones from my new neighborhood. May I strive to be a State Farm neighbor and like a good neighbor .... be there for them!

Join your grateful heart with ours this week by linking up below. God bless you in all that you do.

THANKFUL THURSDAY...trust

We took our granddaughter to the park. It was fun to watch her face as she came twirling down the slide, mixed with excitement and fear, all at the same time. The look of fear only lasted a minute, once she realized that Grandma was waiting at the bottom to catch her, the fear was gone and her face lit up with excitement and she was ready to go again.

I was thinking about my granddaughters reaction and thought how much we as Christians are much like her. Often times we find ourselves spinning and twirling thru life, hoping that someone will be there to catch us before we fall.

I am so thankful that at every slippery slope of life, God waits with open arms to catch His children. Some things may seem scary, but when we learn to trust God like my granddaughter learned to trust me, we will not hesitate to get back up and do it all over again.

Today is THANKFUL THURSDAY and I am happy to be hosting for the month of March. Have you learned to trust God for even the things that seem twisted? Share with us your grateful heart of how God has caught you time after time.

Happy TT!

THANKFUL THURSDAY...waiting in line

It has been awhile since I have been to a concert, but this past weekend, I went with our church youth group to see Winter Jam. The concert was great, but the wait beforehand took alot of patience.

We arrived at the door 3 hours ahead of time, the wait time outside, in the cold, was 1 hour and 45 minutes. And as the time ticked on, the more compact we all became, as we crowded around the entry doors. I had forgotten how much I hate waiting.

But just like most things, good things come to those who wait. And soon the wait was over and by the end of the night, the wait was worth it. We were able to get good seats. As I sat there, I noticed the seats way up at the top, the place that most of us call the "nose bleed" section. I thought about the poor person who was last in line who had no choice but to sit way at top, far from everything.

Isn't it just like our fast paced society to tell us to be quick, to hurry up and to strive to arrive early and get to the front of the line. But Jesus tells us something quite opposite...

"To be first, we must be last." (Mark 9:35)

Jesus gave us many examples of how He, Himself, placed Himself below others. Whenever I find myself waiting in a long line, for a long time, I need to remember that being frustrated, impatient and counting the minutes is not a good attitude. Instead, may I be more like Christ, and may I put my selfish ways down and look around to see if someone else needs to go before me instead.

When is the last time you gave up your position so that you could be last? To have a servants heart, we must be willing to take the last seat, fix our plate at the fellowship dinner last, park in the last parking place far from the building, we must be willing to give our good seat up and sit in the nose bleed of life. If we want to make Christ first in our life, we may need to be last in a thing or two.

I'm thankful that God showed us the true spirit of sacrifice. May each of us this week look for ways that we can serve others by being last.

What are you thankful for today? I am happy to be hosting THANKFUL THURSDAY this month, won't you share your grateful heart with us by linking up below?

THANKFUL THURSDAY...Generosity 101

Have you ever dreamed of what you would do with a million dollars?

If you are like most people, this kind of money leaves us dreaming about all of the possibilities that this kind of cash would open to us. Bigger cars, nicer houses, fantastic vacations. The possibilities are endless. Most likely, giving the money away probably is not at the top of our list of possibilities though.

"Giving to God's work is not a habit that starts when we're experiencing material success. It's a habit best cultivated and nurtured in seasons of depending on God through lean times." - Joe Stowell

In the Bible, Paul very concisely points out that generosity is an attitude of the heart and not the condition of our circumstances. As clearly seen from the Macedonian church...

"Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity." 2 Corinthians 8:2

Generosity does not stem from wealth. Indeed it rises up out of our heart, no matter what our circumstances may be. Before we can give out of plenty, we must exercise having a giving heart in the difficult, trying times. If you are willing to give a bag of groceries to someone in need when you yourself are in need, giving selflessly probably will not change according to your financial standing.

Giving generously starts now. Right where you are, with whatever you have.

Today is THANKFUL THURSDAY and I am not only grateful for the times people have been generous to me, but I am also thankful for the opportunities that God has given me to be generous with what I have. May I never forget that it isn't the amount, its my attitude.


How about you ...what are you thankful for today? Please join us for THANKFUL THURSDAY by linking up your TT post below. I'm so honored to have been your host this month, next week my friend Iris will be hosting, hope to see you then!

 

THANKFUL THURSDAY...for by grace

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one can boast."

                                               EPHESIANS 2:8,9
 

Today's culture is not far different than the time that this passage was written. There appears to be a fundamental misunderstanding of what God's grace is towards mankind, especially in relation to salvation. All across America, I see a prevalent attitude that the more good you do, the more you get. All I have to do is pick up a tabloid and see that the more "good" one does, it brings "good" in your life, and doing "bad" only brings more "bad" into your life.

Often, after hearing of good things going on, I have heard people say to someone that they are being blessed by God for doing good things. Even though I believe that God blesses and rewards His faithful servants, I do not believe that His goodness is based upon our works.

However, this "good/good - bad/bad" thinking goes all the way back to our childhood. It starts when we all fret over whether or not we make the naughty or nice list. That's right. At Christmas, we tell our children that if they want to get presents, they must be good. And if they are found to be on the "naughty" list, they will receive nothing but coal!

This thinking carries over into our religious beliefs as well, especially when it comes to our salvation. When it comes to our salvation, there is no "naughty or nice" list. There is NOTHING that any of us can do to earn salvation. Jesus presents His gift of life to all ...and we all, at one time or another, have been on the naughty list. For the Bible says that "We have all sinned and come short of the glory of God." (Ephesians 3:23)

So when it comes to understanding what His Grace is, and how it applies to the naughty or nice list, remember this:

1. You can NEVER be good enough to earn salvation, it is a gift of God's grace.
2. You can NEVER be bad enough to be ineligible for salvation, His grace is for everyone.


Today is THANKFUL THURSDAY and I am ever so thankful for His grace! I don't know where or what I would be without it. How about you? Have you accepted the gift of the grace of God yet? It doesn't matter what you have done, it only matters what you accept and believe. Won't you accept God's gift of eternal life today?

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