THANKFUL

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!               2 Corinthians 9:15 NIV

My husband blogged today (www.geneoden@blogspot.com) about the top 10 things he's grateful for, and invited his readers to weigh in.  Here's my two cents:

1.The grace, mercy, and salvation of my beautiful Savior.

2. A husband who loves me, leads me, nurtures me, and blesses me beyond anything I deserve.

3. My children.  I watch in wonder as they become who they will be: Christ followers.  Heart followers.

4. The staff and attenders of Crossroads Community Church....you inspire me! I can't wait to see what happens next!

5. Our extended families for their love, support, and powerful examples.

6. God's word.  Sharp, bright, wise, fresh.  What else is like that???

7. I get to live in America. 

8. Good health.

9. Books.  I aspire to be a lifelong learner.

10. Redbull, Starbucks, and other legal, addictive stimulants.  For staying awake to enjoy all of the above!

On this Thanksgiving Day, I hope you find a few minutes in your pie baking, turkey basting, table setting day to thank the God of Everything for everything.

Prayer for today:  Father, everything I have came from You, and I am so thankful.  You bless me beyond all I can ask or imagine.  Thank You most of all for the Gift of Your Son, Jesus.   In His Name I pray, Amen.

CHRISTMAS PUMPKINS

Always give thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.    Ephesians 5:20 NCV

I love everything about Christmas time.  The sparkle of holiday lights, the smiles on people’s faces, even the cold weather seems festive to me.   But not on the day after Halloween!  On November 1^st, I walked into my local Stuff Mart, and right in the front of the store was a giant Christmas tree next to carts overflowing with marked-down candy corn and costumes.  When did we start going from retail holiday to retail holiday without ever stopping to give thanks?   I distinctly remember a time when displays of ghosts and goblins were replaced by cornucopias and turkey basters.  What happened to Thanksgiving?

I understand the reasons.  Thanksgiving doesn’t generate revenue like Halloween or Christmas.  We buy a turkey and a pumpkin pie, and we’re pretty much done with our Turkey Time spending.  So fearful retailers, desperate for their portion of our discretionary dollar, try to convince us Christmas is here, hoping we’ll fall under their yuletide spell and start spending.  Sorry, guys.  It was 80 degrees here on November 1^st, and no Musak renditions of “Joy to the World” could convince me Christmas had arrived!

As I write this, Thanksgiving is still a week away.  We have a tradition in our house I want to pass on to you.  When we all sit down to our Thanksgiving feast, we go around the table, asking every person to share something they’re thankful for.   By the time we finish, not only are we reminded of all God has done for us in the previous year, but we’re also thankful for His bounty in the lives of others.  Why not try it at your holiday table?  Stuff Mart might skip Thanksgiving, but that doesn’t mean we must.

Prayer for today:  Father, in every season, You are God, and worthy of our praise and thanks.  Let this year be different for those who are called by Your Name.  Let us keep the “thanks” in Thanksgiving, mindful of our many blessings, and joyfully sharing with those in need.   Amen.

 

SHARE!

Acts 4:32, “All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had.” (NIV)

When we think of sharing, what comes to mind first? Our stuff, right? We teach our children to share their cookies and their toys. We share carpools, books, and cups of sugar. And especially during the holidays, we share with those less fortunate. But is that where God intended for the sharing to stop? Can I tell you that I think the kind of sharing closest to the heart of God has nothing to do with stuff?

I don’t know about you, but I am a hopelessly flawed person, in need of God’s grace every hour of every day. I’m pretty sure you’re not perfect either, so why does everyone act perfect in church? Don’t look at me in that tone of voice, you know exactly what I mean! You roll into the parking lot of the church with an epic battle raging in the SUV. But by the time you reach the front door, you’re Mr. & Mrs. Bliss and the darling Bliss children. “Good morning!” says the greeter in the Lobby. “How are you today?” After a rousing chorus of “Good”s and “Fine”s, you make your way to the sanctuary where you spend the entire service extinguishing fiery darts being shot at you by your offended spouse. Sound familiar? Most of us, if we're honest, go to great lengths to hide what life really looks like at our house.

One of our fondest hopes for the community at Crossroads is that we will be able to be transparent, so we can give and receive each other’s help. This is the kind of sharing God intended. How can I receive help for the things in my life that are broken if I think you’re perfect, and can’t relate to me? In almost 20 years of following Christ, I’ve found that my biggest weaknesses and most dismal failures are the very things God uses to bring freedom and healing to others! If you’re struggling in your marriage, battling depression or addiction, how will you receive help if you never share your need, and I never share my story? God never intended for us to have it all figured out, to live life alone. Galations 6:2 says “Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ”. (NLT, emphasis mine)

Let’s make our church face our real face. Share your story. Bear a burden. Let’s start Sunday.

Prayer for Today: Help me to share my struggles, and bear the burdens of others. Help me not to hide my flaws and failures, so You may use them to bring hope and freedom to others. In Jesus name, Amen.

DON'T MISS IT!

Don't miss the opportunity afforded to us as citizens of this great country!  Make your voice heard!  Go.......

UNITY

BEHOLD, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! Psalm 133:1 Amplified (emphasis mine)

It absolutely thrills me when I'm reading the Bible, and a verse I've read dozens of times suddenly seems to leap off the page and I see something brand new. To me, that's a compelling reason for having a daily quiet time that includes prayer and Bible study. We never know what treasure God will show us as we spend that time with Him. Today was that kind of day for me. We had a beautiful communion service last night, so I was thinking about the unity of the believers who had gathered to share the Lord's supper. And as I reflected on the verse above, the word BEHOLD stood out to me like never before. The word translated behold is the Hebrew word "hinneh" which means "see". Keeping that in mind then, and reading the verse again, I saw that unity among the "brethren" (believers) is not only good and pleasant, but visible!

Why is that important? Why does it matter that unity among Christ-followers is visible? The answer is found, at least in part, in John 13:35 "This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they SEE the love you have for each other." (The Message, emphasis mine) They will know we're His disciples when? Not when they see our cool facilities. Not when they hear our great worship band. Not when they hear our relevant messages. But when they see us (Christ followers) loving each other, and living in unity with each other, the Bible says that's when they will believe we really are His.

Does that mean relevant churches should quit serving donuts and coffee and encouraging cutoffs and Birkenstocks? Of course not. Churches should continue to use every means possible to draw the seeker and the skeptic to Christ. Felt-need messages, video clips and good music are all great tools. But no amount of technical or marketing savvy we use to preach the gospel will convince them Jesus is who He says He is, if divisions between believers tell them otherwise. For several years, I led a Bible study where all of the women were from different denominations. We were Baptist and Methodist, Presbyterian and Catholic, and non-denominational. The study was a source of wisdom, love, and support for all of us because we never paid any attention to our differences. It is possible! Let's decide today to "dwell in unity" with other believers. The world is watching.

Prayer for Today: Father, we know the world is watching, and that they will believe we are Yours when they see us walk in love and unity with each other. Help me to focus on what I have in common with other believers, and not dwell on our diferences. In Jesus' name, Amen.