Don't Blink

"Don't Blink. Life moves faster than you think."

As many begin to prepare to spend time with their families over the next few days and celebrate Thanksgiving, I am reminded at just how short life is. My family and I will approach the "first" of many "firsts" on Thursday. This will be the first Thanksgiving that my mom will not be with us. However, I don't dwell on this because I am sad (I selfishly am sad). In fact, I am happy because she is home and home is where my heart is, home is where I long to be. There is nothing that I look forward to most than meeting my God, my Savior, and my intercessor. I can tell you that my treasure is Heaven and that is where my heart is (Matt. 6:21).

Thanksgiving was always a fun time of year for our family, no matter which side of the family we were visiting. We always knew we could start our thanksgiving meal once our mom arrived because she was usually the last one there. Although, occasionally, she would throw us off and by being there early. Thanksgiving was one of the few time we would see all of our cousins during the year (aside from Christmas). Being silly, enjoying food and fellowship, playing games were some of the things we enjoyed. Most of all, I enjoy being surrounded by my family and the people I love (to which I don't say that often enough).

I always enjoy this time of year because I like to look back on all the things I have to be thankful for and all the ways that God has richly blessed me.

1. I am thankful for my creator (God) who gave me life and loved me enough to allow Jesus (God's son) to stand in my place and bear my sins.
2. I am thankful that I was able to spend 28 years with my mom. Some do not get to spend that much time with their mothers.
3. I am thankful that my mom is with our Heavenly Father. 
4. I am thankful for a wife who loves me despite my struggles and downfalls.
5. I am thankful for a dad who I can call at anytime for advice or just to talk about life. 
6. I am thankful for a brother who I have grown to be so proud of. He's doing great things for the kingdom!
7. I am thankful for a job that I love so much. It's more of a blessing than a job... because I LOVE what I do!
8. I am thankful for family. Family that loves me, supports me, and is always encouraging to me even if we don't get to see each other very often. 
9. I am thankful for friends. How in the world would I have gotten through these last four months without friends?
10. I am thankful for a church family. You don't know how truly blessed you are to have a church family until you are in need of them and then they rally around you, support you, and make sure things are taken care of. If you don't have a church family, find one! It's one of the greatest things in the world. 
11. I am most thankful that my citizenship is in Heaven. "...our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself." - Philippians 3:20-21.

This Thanksgiving I encourage you to hug your loved ones just a little longer, make sure to say, "I Love You", and enjoy the moments while you can. There is coming a day where we will be separated from the ones we love, so make it count while you are able.

I will miss my mom's smile and laugh on Thanksgiving, but I will never forget the wonderful Thanksgiving memories that we made. Cherish your time with each other, make beautiful memories, and be thankful for many things! We are truly blessed!

Full of Thanks: Everyday Thanksgiving

In November, every year, we focus on the things in our lives we are thankful for. Some of us take to social media using hashtags #thankful, #thanksgiving, #turkey, #getinmybelly (Sorry, I may have my grandmother's thanksgiving meal on my mind), #thankfulfor, and the list goes on and on. Some will participate in a 30 day Thanksgiving challenge on Instagram where you post a different picture each day of things you are thankful for using the #30daysofthanksgiving. As a family, you may sit around the table each evening and talk about one thing you are thankful for in your life or during that particular day. We all have different ways to convey who and what we want to give thanks with it culminating on a day of giving thanks where we meet with family and friends to share a meal together. I love thanksgiving because it combines my two love interests: food and family! There are also no strings attached through the giving a gifts, it's just a genuine thanksgiving feast full of love.

As I sat during worship yesterday, a comment was made during our announcement time, "Everyday is a day of Thanksgiving when you're a Christian." This small, simple statement had a lot of power behind it. I sat there and thought to myself about the things in which I can be thankful on a daily basis thanks to my God and Savior. So, I would like to share with you the things I am thankful for on a daily basis because of God and the Christian life. 

I'm Thankful For...

Love: Without love, where would we stand today in our walk with God? Love is above all the most important reason to be thankful. Love for God, love for family, love for our country, love for others, etc. However, it is God's love that we should be most thankful for. Paul knew that God's love would be difficult to understand which is why Paul prayed the people would "grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge" (Eph. 3:18-19). His love surpasses all knowledge, but we can understand just how deep God's love must have been for us when He allowed Christ to be crucified (Rom. 5:8; John 3:16). 

Sacrifice: We have the privilege of living in a country where we experience immense freedom due to the sacrifice of men and women who fought, bled, and died for our sake. We take our freedoms for granted and even abuse it at times, but there's no doubt we have this life because of sacrifice. As a Christian, a sacrifice had to be made in order to have the life that we do. Through Christ's sacrifice we have been set free from the bondage of sin (Gal. 5:1). The sacrifice made by Jesus Christ was a one time deal. He did not die multiple times for my sins or your sin, but He sacrificed himself once for the sins of the world (Heb. 9:24-28). We have freedom from sins thanks to the crucifixion (Rom. 6:6-7) Because of Christ's sacrifice I gain salvation and citizenship.

Citizenship/Salvation: Those who fought for our country, fought for a country where they were citizens, a place they called home. The USA is a wonderful (temporary) place to live, but it pales in comparison to the citizenship that I have in Heaven (Phil. 3:20). Each time I watch someone put on Christ in baptism for the remission of their sins, I am reminded of the great sacrifice of Christ so we can have a relationship with God. I am reminded of the death Christ went through, the burial, and how He overcame death in resurrection. Each time I am reminded of my salvation through Christ's death. I am reminded that we are all sinners (Rom. 3:23) and that we did nothing to earn God's grace but it was a gift freely given to us (Eph. 2:8). Thanks to Christ we have salvation through baptism and receive a new life (Rom. 6:4), eternal life and our citizenship has been transferred to Heaven. 

I could go on and on about the many things each day that we can be thankful for, as Christians. However, these are the highlights of my everyday thanksgiving! What can you be thankful for everyday? I challenge you to give thanks back to God, each day, to remember His love for us which led to sacrifice that, in return, allowed us an opportunity of salvation and a citizenship in Heaven. 

"I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart and I will glorify your name forever. For great is your steadfast love toward me..." 

Psalm 86:12-13a