A RENEWED APPRECIATION

“So it was, that while [Joseph and Mary were in Bethlehem], the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger…”  (Luke 2:6-7a)

Each year when the holidays rush in, I feel like peace and joy lag a little behind schedule. Like a mirage, I see these wonders of Christmas shimmering in the distance, but I cannot quite reach them.

In this season, more than any other, busyness and distractions abound. With all the decorating, baking, shopping, wrapping, and mailing…well, it is hard for me to be still and quiet. When I do find a moment, my thoughts easily wander from the Christmas story to the troubles of our world.

Thankfully, the Holy Spirit is persistent with me. He keeps encouraging me to be mindful of Christmas and not let it slip away before pondering its celebration. So yesterday afternoon, as the snowflakes flew and the temperatures plummeted outside, I sat still next to the window and read once again about the Christmas miracle.

New wonders and knowledge come to mind every time I read Bible verses about the birth of Christ and the love He brings our world. My appreciation for the care we receive from our Heavenly Father is renewed. God’s peace and joy rise up through His Word and His presence. It’s never too late to usher in God’s peace and joy found in the true meaning of Christmas. 

-- Jamie Trunnel, from the blog “A Scriptured Life: Making sense of life through Scripture”

#5757

A LIFESTYLE OF THANKSGIVING - Part 1

“Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”  (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

Thanksgiving is an integral part of Christian Living. According to 1 Thessalonians 5:18, we are to give thanks in all circumstances because doing so is the will of God for us. All circumstances. It’s easy to pray prayers of thanksgiving in good circumstances but what about thanks-giving prayers in bad situations, or even horrible ones? How can we be thankful then?

Thanksgiving is not done just by speaking words of thanks. Thanksgiving prayer, for the child of God, is an attitude. A person who is truly thankful for a gift or a blessing does not merely say the words, they will express their gratitude in other ways to the Giver that shows just how much they appreciate what was done for them.

In the same way, in our own lives, we can live lives that express our gratitude to the Lord who sustains us every single day. The season of life that we currently find ourselves in can be good or bad but God is the same. We are told to give thanks in all circumstances because doing so focuses our eyes on the God who is with us in all circumstances, instead of on the circumstances themselves. 

-- Adapted from Robin Haque

#5229

THE TIME IS SHORT

You who are letting miserable misunderstandings run on from year to year, meaning to clear them up some day;

You who are keeping wretched quarrels alive because you cannot quite make up your mind the day to sacrifice your pride and end them;

You who are passing others sullenly upon the street, not speaking to them out of some silly spite, and yet knowing that it would fill you with shame and remorse if you heard that one of these were dead tomorrow morning;

You who are letting your neighbor starve, till you hear that he is dying of starvation;

Or letting your friend’s heart ache for a word of forgiveness, appreciation or sympathy, which you mean to give her some day;

If only you could know and see and feel, all of a sudden, that “the time is short,” how it would break the spell! How you would go instantly and do the thing which you might never have another chance to do. 

-- Adapted from Phillips Brooks in “The Purpose and Use of Comfort,” 1906

#4875

REAPPRAISING OUR PRIORITIES

“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”  (Psalm 118:24 NRSV)

Who is ready?  We have our plans, things we're looking forward to -- life going on at its sometimes unpleasant but nonetheless predictable pace.

Then something happens -- like an accident, or a death, or an illness -- that changes everything, forces us to reappraise our priorities and, often, reset our lives.

People who have come close to disaster and been able to wheel free have shown a renewed appreciation for the simple pleasures of life, for the gift of each day, and a resolve not to put off pleasures or acts of kindness until "another day," because "another day" may not come.

We who have lost loved ones have also learned the value of simple gifts, of not putting off kind words or actions, because we never know when events will change our world, the expected developments of our lives, and the intended recipients of our kind words and actions may be gone.

The preciousness of this day is its own gift. 

-- Martha Whitmore Hickman in “Healing After Loss” 

#4846

THE SACRIFICES OF THANKSGIVING

“Oh that men would praise the LORD for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare His works with rejoicing.”  (Psalm 107:21-22)

It has been said that talk is cheap. We thank the Lord and we say “Lord, we're so thankful, we're so grateful for all that you've done for us.” Well, do you know what we need to do? We need to turn Thanksgiving into Thanks-living. That is, to offer to God the sacrifices of thanksgiving.

Now, if we're thankful it really ought to show in our lives. And by the way, I don't believe that there's any other sin quite like the sin of ingratitude… The poet Milton, the blind poet, said that a person with an ungrateful spirit only has one vice, he said because all of the rest of his vices are virtues compared to ingratitude. Every other sin is a virtue compared to the sin of ingratitude.

How terrible not to be grateful to God, and yet in America all around we can find those who are grumbly hateful rather than humbly grateful. Well, how can we translate our Thanksgiving today into Thanks-living? We're to offer to God what the Bible calls the "sacrifices of thanksgiving."

-- Adrian Rogers in “Love Worth Finding”

#4721

THE VALUE OF PRAISE

“I will sing praise to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.”  (Psalm 104:33)

Don’t underestimate the value of praise. There is something about expressing your appreciation to God in words, song, and meditation that solidifies your faith. The Book of Psalms is the Bible’s hymnal of praise. The more you praise God for being who He is -- a loving God who judges righteously -- the more you act upon your belief of what He is -- eternal love.

-- Josh McDowell in “Evidence of Joy”

#4359

WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the LORD and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.” (1 Thessalonians 5:11-13 NIV)

You have it easily in your power to increase the sum total of this world's happiness now. How? By giving a few words of sincere appreciation to someone who could really use it. It may be someone who is lonely or discouraged. It may be your spouse, your pastor, the nurse who cared for you, the clerk at the store, your Bible study leader, the waitstaff at the restaurant, or your child’s teacher. Perhaps you will forget tomorrow the kind words you say today, but the recipient may cherish them over a lifetime.

-- Adapted from Dale Carnegie


#4229

WHAT’S VISIBLE AND WHAT’S NOT

Houses are visible, but homes are not.  Churches can be seen, but the fellowship of believers that makes the church is an invisible spirit.  Citizenship papers are seeable, touchable, and weighable, but patriotism is not.  A marriage license is purchasable, but love is not.  Birthday and anniversary gifts can be measured in terms of dollars and cents, but thoughtfulness and appreciation cannot.

-- Harold E. Kohn

#3967

BE THANKFUL

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."  (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NRSV)

Be thankful that you don't already have everything you desire. If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don't know something. For it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times. During those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations. Because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for each new challenge. Because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes. They will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you're tired and weary. It means you've made a difference. 

It's easy to be thankful for the good things. A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are also thankful for the setbacks. Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive. Find a way to be thankful for your troubles and they can become your blessings. 

-- Unknown