Thankful for the Simplicity of Faith



“God always takes the simplest way." -Albert Einstein

This morning I drank a large cup of coffee as I read the whole book of Romans. The word faith popped out at me so manytimes as I read. Faith is such a simple, albeit deep, idea. Kids can have it. The smallest seed of it, planted in our heart, can change everything - in 1976 it rocked my world! I give thanks to God, for the faith planted in me and so many others, on this last day of November - the month of Thanksgiving!


Thankful for Courage



"They stoned Paul and dragged him out of town, thinking he was dead.
But as the believers gathered around him, he got up and went back into the town." -Acts 19:19-20


I read these verses Wednesday and was amazed how Paul went back to such a dangerous environment. The bible is filled with stories like this of how godly people risked all, and sometimes died, as they courageously spoke God's message. I give thanks to God, for the courage of those who served then and serve today in such a manner, on this twenty-ninth day of November - the month of Thanksgiving!


Thankful for Communion



“Eating, and hospitality in general, is a communion, and any meal worth attending by yourself is improved by the multiples of those with whom it is shared.” -Jesse Browner

Today people all across America will sit down and share a meal together. Some will say a prayer of thanks before they eat. I love this image of family and friends communing together. It reminds me of that last supper that Jesus shared with his friends. I give thanks to God, for a day that is dedicated to the breaking of bread and the giving of thanks, on this twenty-eighth day of November - the month of Thanksgiving!


Thankful for Transformation



"Transformation in the world happens when people are healed and start investing in other people." -Michael W. Smith

Today would have been the 63rd birthday of my first wife Ellen. The quote above reminds me of her. She was healed of blindness in 1975 and was so totally transformed by the Lord. Her love and passion for Jesus rocked my world and changed my life forever. So on this her birthday I give thanks to God, for His transforming power, on this twenty-seventh day of November - the month of Thanksgiving!


Thankful for the Bible



"A thorough knowledge of the Bible is worth more than a college education." -Theodore Roosevelt

In a few weeks I will finish the Bible in 90 Days challenge. I am so thankful for the things that I have learned these past few months - for the examples of how God stooped down to work with people, their limited understandings and the influences of their cultures. I give thanks to God, for the ones who diligently shared both the human and the divine, on this twenty-fourth day of November - the month of Thanksgiving!


Thankful for America



"I look forward to a great future for America - a future in which our country will match its military strength with our moral restraint, its wealth with our wisdom, its power with our purpose." -John F. Kennedy

Some folks no longer see America in a positive light. A friend recently asked me why I think that America is still a great country. I pointed to our commitment to entrepreneurship, freedom, caring for the poor and loving the immigrant. I so give thanks to God, for a country that was founded on a love for liberty and the proposition that all men are equal, on this twenty-fifth day of November - the month of Thanksgiving!


Thankful for Forgiveness



"Some of the worst mistakes of my life have been haircuts." -Jim Morrison

We all can relate to this quote. Mistakes happen. Even worse, people have purposely done bad things to us and we have sinned against others too. When we forgive them (even for a bad haircut) we are released from all sorts of bitterness and anger. I give thanks to God, for the One who on the cross gave us an example of what it is like to forgive, on this twenty-fourth day of November - the month of Thanksgiving!


Thankful for Godly Examples



"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.
Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." -Martin Luther King, Jr.


Sometimes it is hard to know how to love others and to treat them in a way that honors God. In times like these we so need people around us who embody the heart of the Lord Jesus. People like these have shown me by their example what it is like to live for God. So I give thanks to God, for people who show us God's love by the ways that they live, on this twenty-third day of November - the month of Thanksgiving!


Thankful for Open Doors



"I say, follow your bliss and don't be afraid,
and doors will open where you didn't know they were going to be." - Joseph Campbell


The old adage is that when God closes a door He opens a window. I love this view of life. So often I have prematurely mourned the closing of a door. In hindsight I can see God's providential hand in the closing of doors and in new opportunities. I give thanks to God, for the doors that have closed and the windows that have opened, on this twenty second day of November - the month of Thanksgiving!


Thankful for Wings to Fly



"Feet, what do I need you for when I have wings to fly?" -Frida Kahlo

Isaiah 40:31 is one of my favorite verses. It speaks of those who wait on the Lord as ones who will mount up with wings of eagles and soar. I love this because it speaks to me of the way that the Holy Spirit causes us to rise above our circumstances and be so much more than we think that we can be. So I give thanks to God, for this the gift of the Holy Spirit, on this twenty first day of November - the month of Thanksgiving!


Thankful for Dreams



"We have to go for what we think we're fully capable of, not limit ourselves by what we've been in the past." -Vivek Paul

The bible is filled with promises of future hope and realized dreams. When I am down and discouraged I find hope and encouragement in the God authored dreams he has given me. There is so much waiting for we who love the Lord. I give thanks to God, for helping me come to peace with my past and for giving me dreams of a better tomorrow, on this twentieth day of November - the month of Thanksgiving!


Thankful for 64



"Old age is the most unexpected of things that can happen to a man." -Leon Trotsky

Yes, I am rapidly approaching the age of Medicare and Social Security. I am so thankful for being here to experience the joys and sorrows of life. I continue to find God and life in both the highs and the lows. I am so glad to be a part of the lives of my wife, my family and my friends. So I give thanks to God, for the the gift of longevity and the wonder of life, on this eighteenth day of November - the month of Thanksgiving!


Thankful for Grandchildren



I love music of all kinds,
but there's no greater music than the sound of my grandchildren laughing; my kids, too. -Sylvia Earle


My grandson will be twelve in March and my granddaughter turned ten a few months ago. These two give me so much joy when I am around them. Last month I talked about my sister dying and my granddaughter spontaneously came and gave me a hug. I give thanks to God, for the caring hearts and beautiful smiles of these precious two, on this seventeenth day of November - the month of Thanksgiving!


Thankful for a new Heart



"Self-respect is the fruit of discipline:
the sense of dignity grows with the ability to say no to oneself." -Abraham Heschel


The innermost being is sometimes called the heart - the place of the new birth ... the place where the Holy Spirit lives in His people. When we live from the heart we are able to say no to things that are not good for us. When our heart is strong, through nourishment and exercise, we live disciplined lives. So I give thanks to God, for the the gift of a new heart, on this sixteenth day of November - the month of Thanksgiving!


Thankful for Second Chances



This I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. -Lamentations 3:22-23

Life sometimes seems to be a case study of second chances. We regularly fail and fall. Sometimes we experience failure and discouragement that seems to be so final and so hopeless. Yet the dawn of each day seems to bring with it the hope of a second chance. I give thanks to God, for all of the new mercies that I have experienced in my life, on this fifteenth day of November - the month of Thanksgiving!


Thankful for Listeners



"The greatest motivational act one person can do for another is to listen." -Roy E Moody

My wife is a great listener - I want to be more like her. In this world of talking heads and preaching teachers it is easy to forget that we have two ears and one mouth. And it can be hard to accept the idea that we can learn more by listening and not speaking. So I give thanks to God, for the people who listen to me and those who hear more than they speak, on this fourteenth day of November - the month of Thanksgiving!


Thankful for Patience



When I think about patience I am reminded that it is not a gift that anyone else (even God) can give to us. Like contentment, this quality is something that that we are able to learn when we persevere through trials, disappointments and pain. I give thanks to God for sending the Holy Spirit, the one who helps develop patience, on this thirteenth day of November - the month of Thanksgiving!


Thankful for Freedom



"For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains,
but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others." -Nelson Mandela


The price of freedom often involves the courage and sacrifice of people who lay it all on the line. It is hard to think of such freedom and not remember, with thanksgiving, the lives of Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr and those brave soldiers who fought to make and keep us free. I give thanks to God for these and for the freedom that I experience in Christ on this twelfth day of November - the month of Thanksgiving!


Thankful for Veterans



Back in 1968 I had no idea that I would one day look back with thanksgiving for my three years in the US Army. I am thankful for the way that military life caused me to mature. And I am so grateful for those like my son who risked everything to serve our country in Iraq and other war torn places. I give thanks for soldiers who serve and have served on this eleventh day of November - the month of Thanksgiving!


Thankful for Big Foot



Hard to believe that I am thankful for something that was so hard for me to accept. Big Foot (see picture here) came into our lives almost six years ago and has been so helpful in getting Ann and me where we need to go. I give thanks to God for Big Foot on this tenth day of November - the month of Thanksgiving!


Thankful for Home



Been a rough week. The past few days I have been using a wheelchair to keep the pressure off my left ankle. I have a MRI next Thursday to see what the problem is with it - might be a stress fracture. In times like these I so appreciate our loft (picture here). So I am giving thanks to God, for the blessing of a wheelchair accessible place to live, on this ninth day of November - the month of Thanksgiving!


Thankful for Children



I think there is no role more difficult and yet so much more rewarding than raising children. My son and my daughter are more precious to me than life itself. They have blessed and inspired me so much. I give thanks to God for bringing them into my life on this eighth day of November - the month of Thanksgiving!


Thankful for Friends



I have such a diverse varirty of friends - people that I have met at work, at church and in the neighborhood. Many have inspired and helped me so much in times of need and trial. I give thanks to God for the blessing of their encouraging presence in my life on this seventh day of November - the month of Thanksgiving!


Thankful for Grace



I have been in bad shape these days. Very painful left ankle that had me in a wheelchair and kept me up until 2:30 this morning. Sore lower back since yesterday. Root canal today. Even so, I give thanks for the grace that I find to miss a day of giving thanks on the blog and the grace that causes me to overcome every trial that comes my way on this sixth day of November - the month of Thanksgiving!


Thankful for Technology



Anyone who knows me knows that I have been a geeky nerd all of my life. I started programming computers in the 70s. I give thanks to God for the ways that he has allowed me to enjoy all-things-technical (both professionally and recreationally) on this fourth day of November - the month of Thanksgiving!


Thankful for the Gospels



As I read through the Old Testament I am reminded about how unique the ministry of Jesus Christ was and how he helped us see an accurate image of God. I give thanks for the image of a compassionate and loving God that we see in the gospel accounts on this third day of November - the month of Thanksgiving!


Thankful for Doctors, Nurses, Therapists and Healthcare



I am reminded this week of how blessed I am to have the support of healthcare professionals. Apart from advances in medicine I would be in a lot of daily pain and, apart from an early diagnosis of Hereditary Hemochromatosis, I would probably not be here writing this. For everyone that works in healthcare I give thanks to God on this second day of November - the month of Thanksgiving!


Thankful for Ann



My wife Ann is the most amazing person that I know. She possesses an inner (and outer) beauty and strength that I greatly admire. She continues to persevere in faith in the most difficult of times. I love her and give thanks to God for her on this first day of November - the month of Thanksgiving!