The front door opens. Hugs and kisses abound as family members greet one another. Tantalizing aromas fill the air – you can smell the distinct dishes as you step through the front door. The table is set with the good dishes and the chairs from every room are strategically placed around the fully extended dining room table making room for every guest. You’ve been looking forward to this day since the leaves began turning gold; the annual feast with all the traditional food. Special care has been taken to make sure everyone’s favorite food has been prepared. What a fantastic American Holiday!
All the serving platters are set out. Potatoes, stuffing, yams….. Uh-oh, something’s wrong. Where’s the turkey? Seriously? No Turkey? If you’re going to forget something make it the cranberry sauce, even the corn but it can’t be Thanksgiving without the turkey!
A ridiculous and somewhat scary thought yet in all our traditional details we typically forget something else …Thankfulness. Now, you may think you know where I’m going with this but stay with me for a few more lines. Chances are, if you are reading this blog, you are a Christian and as such you are duly inundated with the holiday platitudes of remembering to thank God for all your blessings. Let’s take a bit of a detour, shall we.
Who is thankful for you? And why? Take a moment to reflect on the last ten and a half months. How much time have you spent investing in someone else’s life? Who can now walk through life a bit more equipped because of your influence? How many people are sitting at their own family meal whispering a prayer of thanks because of your friendship?
This isn’t meant to be a reproof - not at all. It is intended rather, to bless you. You – the nursery worker who allows young moms to sit in a service feasting on spiritual delicacies while formula is offered to you in its digested state. You – the great listener to everyone’s problems. You – the caretaker of the aging parent, the terminally ill, or the chronically ungrateful. You, the cheerful giver who makes it possible for the Gospel of Christ to be preached. You – the faithful volunteer who works for hours at a ministry after working a full time job. You – the prayer warrior who goes without sleep to intercede for the needs of others. You who live out Romans 12 by presenting yourselves a living sacrifice because it is your reasonable service and worship to your Savior. You, the ones written of in Philippians 1:3. People of whom others can say, “I thank God every time I think of you.”
So this Thanksgiving Day, as you look upon the turkey in all its glory, please remember to add one more tradition. Remember that your life is a blessing to others. And if by chance no one else mentions it, I’m giving thanks for you.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
You Were Formed by the Master by Kim Checkeye
One of my favorite scriptures is Psalm 139:15-16.
“My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the depth of the earth;
Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;
And in Your book were all written
The days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them.”
I hold this scripture so close to my heart because most of my life growing up, I thought I was a huge mistake. I thought if there was a God, He must have been asleep on the day I was born. This was a huge lie that I believed and it caused much confusion, pain and hurt in my life.
Do you truly understand that the God who spoke the world into existence saw you before you were even formed? That your frame was not hidden from Him? That God Almighty ordained all your days before there was even one of them?
I believe if we truly got a hold of this truth and held onto it for dear life, we would never be the same.
The original text of “your eyes have seen” means the following:
* To see
* Observe
* Perceive
* Get acquainted with
* Gain understanding
* Examine
* Look after
Before God spoke the world into existence, He observed you. He perceived you. He saw you. He was acquainted with you. He had an understanding of you, examined you and looked after YOU! Now if that doesn’t just make you want to dance, I don’t know what will.
Dear ones, you were not a mistake. You were formed for His glory and honor. He chose you before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight.
So my question to all of us is this; then why don’t we act like it? Ouch! If we truly understood this scripture, I think we would act very different. We would not be so susceptible to being down on ourselves. I think we would see problems and tribulations differently if we stood on this scripture. I believe our behavior, attitude and perception would be completely changed.
So many times we think God has forgotten about us or doesn’t see our pain. In all reality, He is walking right there beside us calling us to Him. But there are times when we are so distracted, that we can’t even hear Him.
I encourage you to write this scripture on post it notes and note cards. Hang them up everything. Put them in the kitchen, on the mirrors, on your computer and by your phone. Meditate on this scripture day and night. Don’t let go of it until you completely have absorbed it in your mind, body and soul. Then, shout it from the rooftops! Then tell everyone you come into contact with about this precious truth that you have come to know and love.
“My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the depth of the earth;
Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;
And in Your book were all written
The days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them.”
I hold this scripture so close to my heart because most of my life growing up, I thought I was a huge mistake. I thought if there was a God, He must have been asleep on the day I was born. This was a huge lie that I believed and it caused much confusion, pain and hurt in my life.
Do you truly understand that the God who spoke the world into existence saw you before you were even formed? That your frame was not hidden from Him? That God Almighty ordained all your days before there was even one of them?
I believe if we truly got a hold of this truth and held onto it for dear life, we would never be the same.
The original text of “your eyes have seen” means the following:
* To see
* Observe
* Perceive
* Get acquainted with
* Gain understanding
* Examine
* Look after
Before God spoke the world into existence, He observed you. He perceived you. He saw you. He was acquainted with you. He had an understanding of you, examined you and looked after YOU! Now if that doesn’t just make you want to dance, I don’t know what will.
Dear ones, you were not a mistake. You were formed for His glory and honor. He chose you before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight.
So my question to all of us is this; then why don’t we act like it? Ouch! If we truly understood this scripture, I think we would act very different. We would not be so susceptible to being down on ourselves. I think we would see problems and tribulations differently if we stood on this scripture. I believe our behavior, attitude and perception would be completely changed.
So many times we think God has forgotten about us or doesn’t see our pain. In all reality, He is walking right there beside us calling us to Him. But there are times when we are so distracted, that we can’t even hear Him.
I encourage you to write this scripture on post it notes and note cards. Hang them up everything. Put them in the kitchen, on the mirrors, on your computer and by your phone. Meditate on this scripture day and night. Don’t let go of it until you completely have absorbed it in your mind, body and soul. Then, shout it from the rooftops! Then tell everyone you come into contact with about this precious truth that you have come to know and love.
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