November 25, 2008 In Other Words Tuesday
Thanks giving begins with thanks living. Life is God’s gift to you. What you do with your life is your gift to God. Anonymous
If you read through the scriptures about thanksgiving or being thankful you read action words such as give, give, give. Oh, did I mention GIVE! In other words it is something that is supposed to be given away in the form of an act from our heart through our actions and attitude.
The best way to be thanks giving is through the art of thanks living. Living it daily as Paul did. The example he set for us to follow was the fact that every time he opened his mouth praise and thanks seemed to come out. He lived and breathed it in his life. It came in the midst of good times. It showed up even from the prison walls when things didn’t appear to be so well. What he taught was that it needed to be done abundantly without ceasing. That it was necessary to do at all times for every circumstance.
Years ago I looked upon Paul’s teachings as something that pertained only to those who had something to be thankful for. Since that didn’t pertain to me then I had every excuse to grumble and be unhappy with the situations I found myself in. I was a long ways from thanks living with an excused absence.
Problem was the excused absence I carried in my heart wasn’t signed by my Heavenly Father. It was forged by the father of lies, Satan himself. I had plenty to be thankful for but I was blocking my own view from seeing that. I was too content to hang out in the hall and not enter the room of thankfulness to join others in the praising God.
We don’t need all the worlds finest to praise the Lord. God has given us the gift of life both physically as well as spiritually and we need to steward that gift well. Instead of trying to send it back marked, “manufacture error” on it we should be rejoicing in what we have instead of dwelling on what we don’t have. That is what we are suppose to be sending back, praises to God demonstrated in the way we live, the stewardship of our life. We were not a manufacture error and we don’t need to live our life that way. We have been chosen and picked by God himself, if we have nothing more to be thankful for that right there should be enough.
However we do have a lot to be thankful for. As Paul didn’t waste any time inside his prison cell or out of it to thank and praise the Lord and we shouldn’t either. No more excused absences. We need to be learning how to look past the epilepsy, cancer, marital problems, and finance issues in order to see the blessings of God. The blessings of His presence, joy, strength, love, salvation, and so much more than is never ending. It’s a choice we need to make to match that as our thankfulness should be never ending as well. A continuation forever of finding new ways to praise and thank the Lord whether its with singing, writing, shouting from the mountain tops, echoing from the canyons, or from the walls of our prison cells. It’s a must that we don’t leave home without it. The thankfulness of what God has done and doing in our lives.
On my kids blogspot karenskidskorner.blospot.com this week I put a picture of the students sending off their thanks to God. What a precious sight it was to see, I learned a lesson that day and I hope they did too.
Happy Thanks…..GIVING…………everyone! UP, UP AND AWAY, Thank you Jesus
Thanks giving begins with thanks living. Life is God’s gift to you. What you do with your life is your gift to God. Anonymous
If you read through the scriptures about thanksgiving or being thankful you read action words such as give, give, give. Oh, did I mention GIVE! In other words it is something that is supposed to be given away in the form of an act from our heart through our actions and attitude.
The best way to be thanks giving is through the art of thanks living. Living it daily as Paul did. The example he set for us to follow was the fact that every time he opened his mouth praise and thanks seemed to come out. He lived and breathed it in his life. It came in the midst of good times. It showed up even from the prison walls when things didn’t appear to be so well. What he taught was that it needed to be done abundantly without ceasing. That it was necessary to do at all times for every circumstance.
Years ago I looked upon Paul’s teachings as something that pertained only to those who had something to be thankful for. Since that didn’t pertain to me then I had every excuse to grumble and be unhappy with the situations I found myself in. I was a long ways from thanks living with an excused absence.
Problem was the excused absence I carried in my heart wasn’t signed by my Heavenly Father. It was forged by the father of lies, Satan himself. I had plenty to be thankful for but I was blocking my own view from seeing that. I was too content to hang out in the hall and not enter the room of thankfulness to join others in the praising God.
We don’t need all the worlds finest to praise the Lord. God has given us the gift of life both physically as well as spiritually and we need to steward that gift well. Instead of trying to send it back marked, “manufacture error” on it we should be rejoicing in what we have instead of dwelling on what we don’t have. That is what we are suppose to be sending back, praises to God demonstrated in the way we live, the stewardship of our life. We were not a manufacture error and we don’t need to live our life that way. We have been chosen and picked by God himself, if we have nothing more to be thankful for that right there should be enough.
However we do have a lot to be thankful for. As Paul didn’t waste any time inside his prison cell or out of it to thank and praise the Lord and we shouldn’t either. No more excused absences. We need to be learning how to look past the epilepsy, cancer, marital problems, and finance issues in order to see the blessings of God. The blessings of His presence, joy, strength, love, salvation, and so much more than is never ending. It’s a choice we need to make to match that as our thankfulness should be never ending as well. A continuation forever of finding new ways to praise and thank the Lord whether its with singing, writing, shouting from the mountain tops, echoing from the canyons, or from the walls of our prison cells. It’s a must that we don’t leave home without it. The thankfulness of what God has done and doing in our lives.
On my kids blogspot karenskidskorner.blospot.com this week I put a picture of the students sending off their thanks to God. What a precious sight it was to see, I learned a lesson that day and I hope they did too.
Happy Thanks…..GIVING…………everyone! UP, UP AND AWAY, Thank you Jesus
Copyright 2008 Karen J. Gillett @ Pencil Marks and Recipes Publishing
8 comments:
Such a beautiful post dear.
Amen: "A continuation forever of finding new ways to praise and thank the Lord whether its with singing, writing, shouting from the mountain tops, echoing from the canyons, or from the walls of our prison cells."
Every day...in all things...
Great post, Karen. Thanks for sharing!
Happy Tuesday!
Great post! I love it! I especially loved what you wrote here: We don’t need all the worlds finest to praise the Lord. God has given us the gift of life both physically as well as spiritually and we need to steward that gift well.
Amen! We are a blessed people, indeed!
Oh, this was great and so TRUE.
Loved the idea you did with the children, how neat!!
Blessings to you this Thanksgiving♥
Oh and isn't this the heart of it:
"If you read through the scriptures about thanksgiving or being thankful you read action words..."
Thanks being continuous actions and not just continuous words... Thanks Living! Yes indeed. Thanks for sharing.
Blessings.
Good reflections. Your thanksgiving certainly shows today! I think one of the problems with "thanksgiving" is our warped defintions of words like "joy" and "blessing" and "hardship. . . "
We do not have the mind of Christ. God's ways are greater than ours; and so. . . . To try and define things like "blessings" and "hardship" in our deficient language -- or course makes it hard to be "thankful!"
It does take wisdom and discernment and only those in their "right mind" can do it.
Much to ponder in the IOW today.
Have a wonderful THANKsgiving, Friend!
Kindest Thoughts,
~esthermay
I really enjoyed your use of "excused absences". It's perfect and a wonderful way to talk about those times in our lives when we just can't seem to muster a thankful heart. I always like coming to your blog. You have such clarity. Thanks!
AVA
Thank you so much for sharing. I did look at your kid's site. What a neat thing to do! A great teaching lesson we ALL need! :)
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