Giving Thanks...even when it hurts!

What exactly does, "Giving Thanks" mean?
This past week, our family as well as so many others Gave Thanks as we all sat down to eat with friends/family. So, what were/are you thankful for?
I'd love to hear it!!!
I have a list of what I'm thankful for, but I thought I'd just share
 a couple with you.

1. The birth of Jesus Christ!
2. Jesus Christ dying on the cross!
3. A family that loves me!
4. Friends that I can call my friends!
5. A house to live in!
6. Food, water, and clothes to put on!
7. My dad being blessed with a job that he's been so faithful too!
8. A Church that we can call our home!
9. The Promise that Christ will come back again!

Those are just a few (okay, more than a few) things that I'm thankful for. However, I wanted to really talk about "Giving Thanks...even when it hurts!"
When we have something bad going on in our lives, we have a tendency to want to be grumpy and...what I said in my other post, have the "it's all about me" attitude.
It says in 1st Thessalonians 5:18,
 "in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."
So, we are to be grateful in EVERYTHING!!! If you are going through something right now... try looking at all the little things in life that God has blessed you with!
My dad and I were talking about this last night in family worship...in the 9/11, all people were asking was, "Why?" But what they didn't realize was that God had really saved a lot of people. If I'm not mistaken there were a little over 2,000 killed in the 9/11. However, more than 50,000 people were delayed somehow. Some had Alarm clocks that didn't go off in time, so therefore didn't get killed in the World Trade Center. There were others who had rides that were late, or buses that were jammed, traffic galore, traffic lights now working... malfunctions everywhere! So, when we ask, "Why?" to God, remember that we may not see HIS big plan! So be thankful for the moments you have! We need to always be giving thanks for the moments that God blessed us with. After all, we don't know how long those moments will last.

It's NOT about ME!!!

Yesterday, our family had the privilege of having our friends over from after Church. With this family, the children lost their mother to a heart attack when the oldest child was only 18! This family struggled for 5 years, as the father was getting over the loss of his wife.

Last night, the father had a wonderful testimony! We've known this family for 3 1/2 years, and it's been 5 years since this tragic accident happened. He told us that just 2 1/2 months ago, our pastor told him, "You look depressed... stop thinking about yourself! It's not about you!..." This is what made the father realize, all these years that he was thinking only about himself! He was thinking about how lonely, sad, depressed "he" was without his wife. Then he realized...I can either go tell other people about how God never left me during my time of need, or I can stay depressed all my life. Compared to what he used to be, and seeing him now...it's a HUGE change!!!

However, it got me thinking... almost all the time, I think, "it's all about me!" Don't we all? We all have that time in our life when we say, "It's all about me!" "I want this", or "I want that"... "I, I, I". "I' want to read this book, not that one". "I want to cook this meal, not the one you like." Notice all the "I's" in there? So what does God say about all this?

John 3:30
He must increase, but I must decrease.

Matthew 6:33
But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, 
and all these things will be added to you.

There's many more verses, but I just named a couple. So, why do I have such a hard time applying it to my own life? Why do I think of myself all the time? Yes, we are all sinners! But...we can CHOOSE to wake up in the morning and praise God for yet another day that he blessed us with...or we can CHOOSE to be grumpy, sad, and lonely. CHOOSE to say, "it's not about me today!!!" What will you CHOOSE?"...choose for yourselves today whom you will serve...but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”Joshua 24:15

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Perfectionism

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been trying to control my anger as patiently as possible. I have 1 particular Piano student who always gives me a hard time about everything…thankfully his mom is there
 to help me out! J

     There was one week though that he was getting so upset because he couldn't get the music perfect! He wanted it to sound perfect with no mistakes. I then had to tell him quietly and calmly, “…we all make mistakes! We can never get things done exactly the first time. Even me as a Piano teacher always makes mistakes!” I then went on to tell him that it’s okay, and that he just needs to practice. Practice 
comes with time...

     After they went home, I started thinking about my life and “perfection”.  No, not all of us are perfectionist, but we’d all like to have it perfect… wouldn't we? We’d like to make it perfect to make the other person proud.  I always love it when my parents say, “Caitlin did this…or Caitlin did that.” It has a nice ring to it…don’t you think? However, the ONLY person that was/is perfect is God! God IS the ONLY person who can make things perfect! He created the stars, sky, galaxy, earth, universe…with what?...NO mistakes. There are absolutely no mistakes in anything that he created. Maybe you’re someone who wishes that you were never born. Maybe you’re someone who thinks that since you can’t do anything right, then what’s the point of living. Maybe you had a hard day at work, and you feel like you’re useless. I've got news for you…you are God’s perfection! No, he’s not done with you! You are still HIS work, and HIS delight. He created you for a purpose…to live and glorify HIM! 

So, the next time that we feel like giving up, remember that God's still working on us!
 Ephesians 2:10
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

The God who won't give up!

by Max Lucado • 

Not everyone in Jesus’ world gave him a warm welcome. Not everyone received him with grace. And many didn't just ignore him, they rejected him.

Isaiah prophesied his reception like this: “He was despised and rejected by men”
 (Isa. 53:3 NIV).

John summarized the rejection of Jesus with these words: “He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him” (John 1:10-11 NIV).

How did Christ endure treatment like that? At any point he could have said, “I quit. I've had enough.” Why didn't he? What kept him from giving up?

I wonder if Lee Ielpi understands the answer? He is a retired firefighter, a New York City firefighter. He gave twenty-six years to the city. But on September 11, 2001, he gave much more. He gave his son. Jonathan Ielpi was a fireman as well. When the
Twin Towers fell, he was there.

Firefighters are a loyal clan. When one perishes in the line of duty, the body is left where it is until a firefighter who knows the person can come and quite literally pick it up. Le made the discovery of his son’s body his personal mission. He dug daily with dozens of others at the sixteen-acre graveyard. One Tuesday, December 11, three months after the disaster, his son was found. And Lee was there to carry him out.

He didn't give up. The father didn't quit. He refused to turn and leave. Why? Because his love for his son was greater than the pain of the search. Can’t the same be said about Christ? Why didn't he quit? Because the love for his children was greater than the pain of the journey. He came to pull you out. Your world had collapsed. That’s why he came.
You were dead, dead to sin. That’s why he came. He loves you. That’s why he came.

That’s why he endured the distance between us. “Love…endures all things.”

That’s why he endured the resistance from us. “Love…endures all things.”

That’s why he went the final step of the incarnation: “God made him who had not sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God”
 (2 Cor. 5:21 NIV).

Why did Jesus do that? There is only one answer. And that answer has one word. Love. And that love of Christ “bears all things, believes all things, hopes
all things, endures all things” (1 Cor. 13:7 NKJV).

Think about that for a moment. Drink from that for a moment. Drink deeply. Don’t just sip or nip. It’s time to gulp. It’s time to let his love cover all things in your life. All secrets. All hurts. All hours of evil, minutes of worry.

The mornings you awoke in the bed of a stranger? His love will cover that. The years you peddled prejudice and pride? His love will cover that. Every promise broken, drug taken, penny stolen. Every cross word, cuss word, and harsh word.
His love covers all things.

Let it. Discover along with the psalmist. “He…loads me with love and mercy” (Ps. 103:4). Picture a giant dump truck full of love. There you are behind it. God lifts the bed until the love starts to slide. Slowly at first, then down, down, down until you are hidden, buried, covered in his love.

“Hey, where are you?” someone asks.

“In here, covered in love.”

Let his love cover all things.

Do it for his sake. To the glory of his name.

Do it for your sake. For the peace of your heart.

And do it for their sake. For the people in your life. Let his love fall on you so
yours can fall on them.

Excerpted from A Love Worth Giving by Max Lucado