Happy Thanksgiving!

I thought I'd include an insert I did for our church bulletin.

Anyhow, I thought I'd share it with you all. These are my views and
for some maybe yours too.

BTW, I burned out my spell checker on this one.... LOL

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What comes to mind when you think of Thanksgiving? To my family it
means going over to my Brother Jonathan's house, and wrecking it and
leaving him with the mess! No actually there will be a great dinner
of delicious turkey with all the trimmings: potatoes and gravy, sweet
potatoes, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, fruit salad, dinner
rolls with butter! and music? Lots of singing and music! Now, my
folks won't be attending because the Lord in all His infinite
compassion granted them a much extended vacation, so no saxophone, and
another great smile gone but that's ok, because they're now sitting at
the table of the King of Kings!

But really, is that what Thanksgiving is all about? Of course not!
The word itself means "giving thanks." But that's something we should
do more often than one day each year.

This year, I decided to post some things I'm very thankful for and,
hopefully, to urge others to take a personal inventory of his or her
own thankfulness. And if that happens, you may find yourself more apt
to treat others in a kind, considerate and thoughtful manner. After
all, kindness, thoughtfulness and consideration are all by-products of
heartfelt thanksgiving. Well then, here we go! And see if you can
think of some more after I'm done (there are tons of things we can be
thankful for!).

1) I am thankful for my family: my wife Bridget and my sons and
daughter. Grand kids too! They are a major source of love and comfort
for me. As a family, we thrive on love and thoughtfulness, and I
believe God made all of that possible.

2) I am thankful that we live in America, a land of freedom. We often
talk or joke about government interference in our lives, but if our
freedoms were ever taken away (I mean the ones we really take for
granted), we would experience what much of the world goes through all
the time. Our leaders seem far from perfect, but then, we are far from
perfect as well.

3) I am thankful that we can worship God freely, at church and in our
daily lives. Not everyone in the world is free to do that without
persecution. Christians in pagan countries are subject to horrendous
persecution.

4) I am thankful for our wealth. I say that when, by American
standards, my family isn't financially rich, but by world wide
standards, even our poorest are wealthy! After all, in a worldwide
perspective, anyone who can afford the basics of food, clothing,
shelter, and safety, is wealthy.

5) I am thankful that God created us with remarkable bodies that
modern medical science still can't fully understand, and minds that
can comprehend ideas, issues and emotions the way no animal or machine
ever will. (Psalm 139)

There's an old Welsh proverb that says "a spoon does not know the
taste of soup, nor a learned fool the taste of wisdom." But God gave
us the ability to grasp the abstract. He has installed into us a great
ability, a soul, a substance that cannot be found in any other of His
great creation. (Genesis 1:26)

6) I am thankful that God sent His Son to earth to be born of a
virgin, then to live, walk, talk, and teach; then to be betrayed,
crucified, and buried; then to rise again; then to ascend into Heaven,
from where He will someday return, especially for a sinner like me! I
was once lost in sin, but was found by Him who "came to seek and to
save that which was lost." (Luke 19:10)

7) I am thankful for a holiday such as the one we celebrate on the
fourth Thursday of every November in the U.S. because it reminds us
that we need to be thankful in all things... and that means every day of
the year!

So What will your Thanksgiving holiday be? a big time with family and
friends, football on TV? a day of taking it easy? or a time of
reflection and true thankfulness to God Almighty for the richness and
blessings we receive not only throughout the year, but throughout our
lives? I really like the prayer that Samuel said in II Samuel 7:29
"Now therefore, may it please You to bless the house of Your servant,
that it may continue forever before You. For You, O Lord GOD, have
spoken; and with Your blessing may the house of Your servant be
blessed forever." Amen!

Just something to think about.

Tim

"Tim" <tschnautz DeleteThis @gmail.com> wrote in message
news:93e3cfea-d1da-4b08-860b-d2e270a60a90@t47g2000hsc.googlegroups.com...

>I thought I'd include an insert I did for our church bulletin.


I am thankful that there are a few semi-sane people left in this NG.

Eisboch