Recently God has allowed me to see Him restoring the years the locus ate in my life and as I have looked I have seen an amazing thing.

I have always grieved the loss of my first friend I ever had, in kindergarten, named Karen. That friendship was short lived because she lived on the other side of the viaduct and her mom wouldn’t allow me to play at her house after school nor she at mine, so the friendship ended.

In middle school I got the courage to make another good friend named Sue. She and grew apart as she moved away and we went to different high schools. We still keep in touch at holidays on and off, but I have always grieved the loss of these two close friendships.

Then sitting with me in a prayer meeting, were two good friends named Karen! I sat in awe of how God was restoring the years the locus ate 100 fold in a very real and physical sense, for now I have two good friends named Karen. They both share my passions for God, people and for prayer.

These days, I also have a really good friend named Sue, she is my best bud right now, and we live really close to each other, going to the same church.  We also encourage each other by going to the local fitness center together several times a week.  

Coming to know these women and part of their purpose in my life, I am in awe of my God who loves me so much and is willing to give me literally a mountain top experience, as one of my friend’s named Karen and I got to know each other on the top of Mount Sinai in 1998.  

I may never know what happen to my first childhood friend named Karen, but I pray for her often these days and wish her all the best.

I am praying for you as I finish this blog, that God himself would restore 100 fold the years the locus have eaten; in your life, in your church, and for those who are married, in your marriage.

Blessings and Complete Joy,

Mildred          

Intercessors Heart; find helpful prayer tips and current prayer opportunities and post your prayer requests to be shared with my intercession team.

This blog is part of the ministry of Complete Joy and is published each Tuesday and Saturday, usually by noon Pacific Time.

Near-Future-shift…

We must abolish the Legislation of Morality. Antiquated laws of both Church and State should never stop love and the commitment of two people. Antiquated Laws—an illegal combo of Church and State?

First Amendment: Civil Rights and Civil Rights and Civil Rights and Civil Rights!

 May Respect and Understanding and Peace and Love, be with all of us.

Genesis 7:1 (Message)

Next God said to Noah, “Now board the ship, you and all your family—out of everyone in this generation, you’re the righteous one.

The holidays bring houses full of every generation of family member from young to old, close to distant and functional to dysfunctional. For some it is a time of great joy, sadly for many it is the opening of wounds, hurts and rivalries. How does your family survive in the same house for an extended period of time? Are you happy when the day is over and your family is gone? Or is the time too short until you can all be together again? Noah and his family were handpicked by God for an “extended holiday” together aboard the ark while God cleansed the earth of sin. Noah and his relatives were together inside the gopher wood walls in close proximity for well over a month. Could your family survive 40 days and 40 nights in pounding rain in the hull of a ship with no power, limited food, and no entertainment except the sights and smells of every animal known to man? Or is it difficult for your family to occupy the same space for 40 minutes let alone a whole day?

Quality family time is not defined by civility and tolerance but rather connected to the heart condition of the members of a family and their ability to enrich each other when together. God called Noah the righteous one. As the head of his family, it was up to him to set the standard of love for his family. Noah had purposed in his heart that his family would serve God and led by example. His example saved his entire heritage through choosing obedience. Even in the midst of adversity and condemnation, Noah chose righteous obedience and thereby his family was blessed. Does your attitude create an atmosphere of love and obedience? Not every person in a family may know Jesus Christ, but you as a believer have a mandate of righteousness that will cause your family to be blessed. As Noah worked on the ark day after day preparing for an event that only he and God were aware of, it would only be expected that his conversations with God were lengthy and intense. Through this constant dialect, God’s anointing poured through Noah’s hands into the walls of the ark creating a home that was filled with the power of the Holy Spirit which made it a holy place and a sanctified environment that would be conducive to harmony and love. The preparation for this time of lengthy togetherness was not in the time it took to build the boat but in the rending of Noah’s heart for God so that when it was time to be in close proximity – God would be honored. As families gather, it is important to make prayer part of the preparation process. Not many families in Biblical times or today could have survived such an extended time in such a confined environment like the ark without the power of God in control. Though we are not in a life or death situation, many of our friends and family are without salvation. May the Lord make our time together throughout the holidays count for His Glory and achieve His Purpose of introducing His Son, Jesus, to everyone!

Psalm 101:1-2 (NLT)

I will sing of your love and justice, Lord. I will praise you with songs. I will be careful to live a blameless life—when will you come to help me? I will lead a life of integrity in my own home.

It is His Presence that creates a loving home that makes family time peaceful and loving. It promotes righteous living and God’s Favor. The influence of the Holy Spirit will take the most dysfunctional of all families and make it work. Sin makes all people dysfunctional in some way so this principle applies to all Christian homes. Those who come to your home will experience a peace like never before and will seek that which you have. Lengthy visits will become enjoyable. Togetherness will become pleasant regardless of the spiritual condition of your friends and family. To live lives of integrity every day is the foundation laid for powerful family gatherings that promote unity and love. Your home will be a light in the darkness and you will be blessed. If God can produce quality family time for Noah and his family in the midst of a ship full of animals with all its challenges, how much more can he do with the blessings available in the freedom given through Jesus Christ!

How true!

“Genocide = dead human beings”

“Holocaust = dead human beings”

“Starvation = dead human beings”

“Abortion = dead human beings”

“They seem similar to me..”

“but I would also say that in general the welfare and livelihood of those of us in the here and now takes precedence over those who have not yet entered the world.”

The above are quotes from the commenter_____Not this writer…

Oh! War = Dead Human Beings! Reality vs. Scripture? Reality vs. imagination…Judgements and the religious-right winged Leaders vs. St. Matthew 7: 2… (Our Christ Jesus, as he was ending His “Sermon on the Mount”).

“Judge not, that ye be not judged.” “For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.”

“Some of those guidelines currently are covered by the First Amendment, but those types of freedoms are vanishing around the world.”

Ans: The First Amendment is a created freedom. The rest of the world …Not there, but maybe, don’t you think would be Nice, No Great, No Heaven? Reality and not of this world… “All Men are Created Equal”…the principal author of the Declaration of Independence…owned slaves…Thomas Jefferson…Please help me with the truth?

• This Reverend would love to see a perfect world with our First Amendment. I would love to see newborn children enter into this world; parents filled with love for their new child, a ready bedroom with all the baby needs from crib to formula and on and on and…
• This Reverend believes in LIFE! Where life begins (human or not) is currently an error or truth thru semantics. Example: My God is bigger than your god…ad infinitum? And oops; this Reverend is an old white man. No! Not a notion of racism and… “Jesus loves the little children,
  all the children of the world.
  Red and yellow, black and white,
  All are precious in His sight,
  Jesus loves the little children of the world.” Words: C. Her­bert Wool­ston (1856-1927); Music: George F. Root (1820-1895) And! So do I…

And! In Milwaukee, there once was a month of small horrors…little Children having babies (not one but nine children).. The youngest was a beautiful, just turned 11 year old, riding on a gurney clutching a stuffed teddy-bear, victim of an orphanage and a rape by some big man though-”not my daddy and I hurt” and….this precious child was African American…(Should have aborted during the first trimester—you be the Judge)?

This Reverend is not a racist…This God-loving minister  brings scripture to the streets and in my writing. My heart during that “month of Horror,” had I not believed with all my being in our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ would have been torn from my body and my soul. Instead! My heart was just broken and the reality…But enough about me.

• Because of the “no female” concept in China; by the end of 2010, this government will realize that they are about 120 million girls short and about 120 million boys with no girls…oops!

Should we believe in abortion? Should we believe in reality…“and love sister is just a kiss away”—Rolling Stones.

Gay Marriage is another wonderful example of our First Amendment…Let us pray that we will still enjoy that freedom 10 years from today.

May Respect and Understanding and Peace and Love (Rupl) be with all of us…forever?And! I pray that our Right-Winged Clergy grow Left-wings so that our Dove of Peace may fly once more…Amen.

I went to visit my parents today to see them before I leave for Bali. They’re also letting me borrow a bigger suitcase as well as some other odds & ends like a cord adaptor for my laptop, a laptop bag, and my dad had a shit load of those surgeon masks to cover your nose & mouth with–he says that if I happen to sit next to someone on the plane who’s coughing or sneezing, I should put one on. Hell yeah I will! I don’t care if I look like creepy Jack-O…if it’s going to prevent me from getting sick, I’ll do it!

And then I totally wasn’t expecting this, but they gave me a check to help out with the expenses on my trip! As soon as my mom gave it to me, my eyes instantly welled up. I was just so overcome with gratefulness and gave each of them a big hug. They were so supportive–from my mom helping me to pick out the right suitcase to my dad handing me

Crying like a little girl while driving from Diamond Bar back to LA

all those face masks. I don’t know if it was the sappy classical music that turned on when I started my car or if it’s

because I’m pms’ing, but as we said our good-byes and I drove away, I started crying again.

I think they were tears of thankfulness & gratefulness.  I felt like I had my parents’ blessing for this trip. Even as I write that last sentence, I feel my eyes getting wet. It’s not that I was seeking for their approval or anything, but up until today, I hadn’t realized how important this trip means to me. For me, this is a big trip. By “big trip” I not only mean the distance and miles I’ll be flying but I feel like this trip is somehow symbolic of all that I have gone through this past year, all that I have accomplished, AND all that I have to look forward to.  It seems to be a culmination of closing one chapter and beginning a new one. And it’s a journey I  must I take alone. Whether or not they know that, it doesn’t matter. I feel their love & support for me and that’s all I need.

Charles will once again be offering collectors and fans of his illustration work a Christmas holiday special.  This year, the special will include a free print of your choice.  In addition, the artist will include a free limited edition pastel print of the Joseph Horne Co. Christmas tree.  The lighting of the Horne’s Christmas tree has been a long-standing family tradition in the city of Pittsburgh.

The Joseph Horne Co., often referred to simply as Horne’s by Pittsburghers was an iconic regional department store located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.   It was one of the oldest department stores in the country after being founded by Joseph Horne (1826-1891) in 1849.   The department store chain operated for nearly 145 years until it ceased operation in 1994 after it merged with Lazarus, a division of the Federated Dept. Stores, Inc.

Joseph Horne was born in Bedford County, Pennsylvania.  He moved to Pittsburgh where landed his first job in the retail trade with Christian Yeager.   At age of 23, he bought F.H. Eaton store and eventually renamed it the Joseph Horne Co.   It became the leading department store in Pittsburgh, along with Kaufmann’s lasting for generations.   In 1879, a new central location was built at the corner of Penn Avenue and Stanwix Street.   The building was a 7-story landmark and the first department store in the city’s downtown district.   The annual lighting of the Horne’s Christmas Tree at their flagship store was a long held family Christmas tradition.   The Christmas tree display was six stories high and erected on the building’s corner.  Although the store ceased operation, it remains a tradition with Pittsburgh’s annual Light-Up Night festivities.   Crowds would also gather during the Christmas season to view the Christmas display windows, which often were very elaborate and included animated moving characters.

Charles thanks the many people from around the world who have visited his website at http://www.steelcityartist.com  and continue to be wondered by the artist’s incredible artwork.   Charles would like to wish you and your family the blessings for a Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday.

has felt exhausting but OH SO GOOD!!!!!  This update has been some time in coming for two reasons:  one, if I haven’t been busy scrubbing and cleaning, I’ve been unpacking or doing volunteer work at Greater Beckley and two, the tenants that got evicted left this place so “trashed” that I hesitated to show any before pictures like I had originally hoped to plan on.

Some have asked me why the landlord hadn’t cleaned the place before giving me the keys.  Simply, because I practically begged him to please let me move in just as soon as possible so I could just get out of the old neighborhood.  A few of my previous neighbors were great but the majority of them were a lil too interesting (to put it as nice as possible) and one in particular was having the cops called out on him about once a month every month over domestic violence and fears for the baby living there.  It gets tiring spending your time hiding in your apartment and hesitant to answer the door or else trying to just be anywhere but.

I promised the landlord that if he’d just let me have the keys as soon the the previous tenants were out of here that I wouldn’t mind in the least to clean the place myself.  I received the keys two weeks ago today and I have spent every day but yesterday doing more cleaning than unpacking.  When I said the previous tenants “trashed” it I don’t mean it in the sense that I guess that’s really meant to be used for.  I meant you couldn’t have walked a straight line across a single room in this place; every foot or so another item was in your way.  I’ve carried out (and sometimes dragged out) about eight industrial-sized garbage bags of trash.  Papers, broken items, dishes with so much fungus growing on them that gloves were the only way I was willing to touch them, clothing left behind, broken mattresses and other pieces of broken furniture, half eaten food just dumped here and there on the floors; the kitchen floor was so covered in sticky goo that your shoes tried to adhere to it with every step (almost as if you were trying to walk on still wet glue).  Drink splatter and crayon markings on almost every wall (literally) in the place but,

as bad as all that sounds,

life really and truly is OH SO MUCH BETTER than it was two weeks ago and as exhausted as I’ve felt over the last two weeks, I still wouldn’t have chosen any differently.

After dusting spider webs and clumps of dust off the ceilings and scrubbing the walls clean from the ceiling to the floors, the paint job (while I’d prefer a new coat) isn’t bad at all.  While there are stains almost everywhere on the carpets, I’m no longer afraid to walk on it without my shoes on, and I was blessed with a free carpet shampooer off of Free Cycle a few days ago.  A bottle of carpet cleaner solution and hopefully the carpeting will be looking dramatically improved.  The neighbors in the other three apartments are fairly quiet and seem pretty normal   Nobody has yet to call the cops on each other and no drug busts have taken place like the two that happened just feet from my living room window in the old place.  I am not missing the drama one ounce from living near downtown Beckley.

Depending on how you count the rooms, there’s 8 or 9.  The one room that was being counted as a second bedroom, I’m choosing to turn into a library/study room (at least for now), then there’s a kind of front entrance room, living room, laundry room, bathroom, kitchen, food pantry/storage room, bedroom, and a mud room at the back end.  I keep slipping up and calling the place a “house” instead of an apartment when I’m talking to people.  It doesn’t help that any with the outside looking like a house and the inside feeling more like a house than an apartment; I have almost the entire first floor to myself!

And the greatest blessing of all, and the one that’s crucial for me emotionally, is that I feel SAFE for the first time in about 19 months!  Not just safe locked within my apartment, but safe within the community and free to move around without feeling a need to always stay in after dark or to be looking back over my shoulder.  This place isn’t being judged by just a drive or two up the street and the neighbors at just that moment or two but on seven years of being familiar with Prosperity with my church just .2 miles away (not even a quarter of a mile) and the Bible College just a few miles more (didn’t actually measure that one).  In seven years time, I have yet to have witnessed for myself or to have heard one single negative comment about the area and I trust it and it’s feeling extremely good to be able to do that about where I live once again!

I still don’t have the insides done enough for me to feel comfortable showing it yet but here’s one from my living room window showing a little of the community and our first snow of the season that has actually stuck around some

Mr. O'brien

I’m in the mood for ambitious fiction. Earlier this year I was blessed with a run of incredible reads,  topped off by Yvegeny Zamiatin’s masterpiece, We.

Mr. Zamiatin

Since then I’ve taken on more projects that inevitably have eaten into my reading time, and I am becoming more zealous in my quest for inspired reads. Ambition is the only flavor my literary palate wants to taste right now. I’m hungry for books that make me break out the booksdarts and re-read for pure pleasure. I want prose and plots that cause reactions, page turners that remind me how lucky I am to know how to read.

I’m compiling a list (in no particular order) of ambitiously written books and additions are requested in the comments section! I’d love suggestions for a 2010 reading list…

Mr. Baldwin

The Third Policeman by Flann O’Brien

Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut

Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh

The Inferno by Dante

Morvagine by Blaise Cendrars

Tropic of Capricorn by Henry Miller

Candide by Voltaire

The Electric Koolaid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe

Black Boy by Richard Wright

The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov

Who’s Afraid of Virgina Woolf? by Edward Albee

Bowl of Cherries by Milliard Kauffman

The Whapshot Chronicle by John Cheever (as well as many of his shorter works)

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey

Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin

The Iliad by Homer

If On a Winter’s Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino

Her by Lawrence Ferlinghetti

Geek Love by Katherine Dunn

The Twits by Roald Dahl

Lolita by Vladamir Nabakov

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

The Monkeywrench Gang by Edward Abbey

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Stranger by Albert Camus

The Godfather by Mario Puzo

Peanuts by Charles Schultz

Mr. Abbey

more:

Bluebeard/Slaughterhouse 5 by Kurt Vonnegut

The Aeneid by Virgil

The Baron in the Trees by Italo Calvino

Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller

Matilda by Roald Dahl

Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger

His Dark Materials Series by Phillip Pullman

At Swim-Two-Birds by Flann O’brien

White Noise by Don Delillo

The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera

The Watchmen by Alan Moore

More..?

From St. Matthew 7: 2… (Our Christ Jesus, as he was ending His “Sermon on the Mount”).

“Judge not, that ye be not judged.” “For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.”

So many modern ministers appear to be exhausting their energies, condemning modern men and women. This disorderly order has created big business and the use of all ways and means to express discontent and fear and wealth.

…Churches survive not through peace and prayer but because the delivery of  judgments, sin and sinners identification and “pass that plate around again my friend…” and the efforts to sell salvation is, well – great for careers?

This minister is praying every day for: Respect and Understanding and Peace and Love for all. Powerful and Wealthy Religious Foks must realize that no mortal man stands in front of Heaven’s Doors.

And! I pray that our Right-Winged Clergy grow Left-wings so that our Dove of Peace may fly once more…Amen.

After four days of zero views, and many more of zero updates I thought I’d FINALLY do something about it.

So, Here we are.

Happy Turkey Day, unless you aren’t eating turkey– I understand that a lot of people are weirdo vegetarians or happen to like meats besides gobble-gobbles.  I get that.  I love veggies, but I feel that becoming a vegetarian would be awfully mean to all of those veggies out there.  I read an icon, once, it said:

“I’m not a vegetarian because I love animals, I’m a vegetarian because I hate vegetables.”

Ah ha.  That’s hilarious, I love it.  I wish I was a vegetarian so that I could wear a pin that says that.

Speaking, though, of icons.  I think they’re the bumper stickers of our generation.  I mean, you used to look for bumper stickers to get your fill of witty quotes, but now you go to icons.  Truthfully, I like the change– because icons are easier to find a cheaper to use, while you actually have to buy bumper stickers.

I think everyone thanks whatever for the same stuff, generally.  Food, a job, money, a house, and especially friends and family.  But we stood around the table, held hands, and said: “over the lips, past the gums, look out stomach, here it comes.”  That was our blessing, told by my grandfather it was absolutely beautiful.

Reminds me of a scene in Gran Torino, in fact, the first scene.  ”Spectacles, testicles, wallet, and watch.”  I don’t know about you guys, but I thought that was a fabulous movie.  I also should’ve been thankful for all of the fantastic movies out there, I don’t know what the world would be like without people like Chuck Palahniuk and Will Smith.

By the way, has anyone seen the movie Choke?  I read the book, but I have heard next to nothing about the movie, and yet if it was written by Chuck Palahniuk (author of Fight Club) it has to be good, no?  I heard it won something, or something, but I’m not entirely sure what.  Gimme a second, I’ll look it up.

Well, it got a 6.7/10 on IMBD, but is that good?  Truthfully, I don’t really know. D=  I thought it came out a while ago, but it actually came out last year (2008), which is kind of shocking.  That I can see, it didn’t win anything too notable.

“A sex-addicted con-man pays for his mother’s hospital bills by playing on the sympathies of those who rescue him from choking to death.” That about sums it up, doesn’t it?  Great book thought, if you have a chance– read it, before you watch the movie.

I’ll check out the movie and write up one of those lame little reviews I like so much.

Oh, lemme do what I came here to do: Happy Thanksgiving.

I Kings 19:11-13 (NLT)

“Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And a voice said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

Everyone has an opinion. Even those people who choose not to openly share their thoughts and convictions concerning life have them. It is not uncommon for others to freely share their experience and knowledge to aid a friend, acquaintance, and sometimes even an absolute stranger in making it through a challenging circumstance. God’s most solid Christians have moments of uncertainty when the outside counsel of others seem appropriate only to create thunderous roars of endless banter. The storm that is created in one’s mind dulls all reasonable thinking as anxiety and fear rise up from the enemy. The endless chatter rattles the mind until a proverbial earthquake effect is created shattering all that was once firmly grounded as truth. The burning fire of man’s inspection and dissection of life created by the tinder of a sin-based assessment threatens to overtake the controlled-burning of the Holy Spirit. The question even becomes unclear in the dust and rubble of doubt. Hiding away in hopes of disappearing, you hear it. It’s different from the other voices. It is quiet and still. The gentleness breaks your heart in a new way as the comforting peace of God sweeps over you! It’s Him, It’s the Lord! He hasn’t forgotten you! He has just been waiting on His Turn to be heard! Are you listening?

Elijah was on a “mountaintop” of ministry when he suddenly found himself hiding from his enemies in a cave. How did that happen? His head reeling with the warnings of the people, his faith was now completely buried in the rubble of the words of others. All well meaning, yet not necessarily accurate in assessment! It was true that there were threats against his life. Elijah and the prophets were making headway for God. But in these warnings, fear and doubt was harbored and now this mighty man of God was cowering in a cave high on a mountain. In his solitude, God came forward to be heard. He asked His Child, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” See God didn’t tell him to go there, to hide and to relent. God did not tell him to be scared and retreat. The Lord never once introduced the notion of death to Elijah. But the enemy did through the words of others. My friend, the enemy of your soul is using the same tactics today that he did that day in the life of Elijah. God’s promise for you is alive and well. The Truth that your God spoke directly into your heart is not subject to the opinion of others. His purpose is clear in your mind because it is in the care of the Holy Spirit until the time of readiness. Others will not understand no matter how inclined they may be to think so. Your greatest purpose is revealed in one-on-one communication with God. Don’t let the words of others steal your victory today! God is whispering to you! Forget the noise! He is peaceful and sweet in His Great Love for you and will not add to the pressure but dismiss it completely!

Ezekiel 3:22-23 (NLT)

Then the Lord took hold of me and said, “Get up and go out into the valley, and I will speak to you there.” So I got up and went, and there I saw the glory of the Lord, just as I had seen in my first vision by the Kebar River. And I fell face down on the ground.

Is God calling you to the valley today? If it has become impossible to think in the midst of clamoring opinions, rattling insights, and pounding pressure, it is definitely time to turn off the noise and listen for your Father! The Lord will speak directly to you concerning any and every situation if you will just separate yourself from the noise. His Voice is quiet and peaceful and His Words are truth! They will make your path straight and open His Kingdom to you right now, right here. When you do this, you will see the Glory of God! Your answer will be clear and certain! Peace will be yours! Purpose fulfilled and Promises revealed! Listen, Jesus is calling you to the valley. He wants to speak to you today!

They sound relatively similar but at a closer look, the two terms have some differences. Sure they have the same words, but different meanings.

“Giving Thanks” means to give thanks for anything or anyone you are grateful to have. It’s an action that emphasizes the importance of the things you have versus the things you lack.  I can give thanks for life, loved ones, and  my accomplishments.

“Thanksgiving” is an idea that has been overly commercialized with turkeys and gluttony. Thousands of families crowd around a table full of food while millions more starve, as they do every single day of the year.

Thanksgiving is not about the turkey and delicious stuffing. Then again, it shouldn’t be. Sure, it’s great that family members travel far and wide to reunite under the same roof, sharing laughs, memories, and a good meal.  It’s about being grateful once a year but  every day. Every Thanksgiving, text messages are sent nationwide sharing one’s appreciation for whatever or whomever they choose. Sadly, only a few recognize the true meaning behind the holiday. It’s about people coming together at the same table, setting aside their differences and recognizing the importance of unity and family. For most families, this day and Christmas are the only two opportunities when the family will be reunited under one roof. All of the words and fights mean nothing on those two days. Why can’t it be that way 365 days or 366 days (in a leap year)?

I challenge you to say thanks each and every day for your many blessings.

Today, I am grateful for another day. I am thankful for rest and peace. I am thankful for knowledge and loved ones. What you grateful for?

“And you shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant and the Levite, the stranger and the fatherless and the widow, who are within your gates.” (Deuteronomy 16:14, New King James Version)

There has been a lot going on in my life recently. Especially after the missions trip to St. Louis. So I have a whole bunch of stuff that I want to write. Actually, I have 2 blogs in my drafts right now, and there are more I hope to write soon. But I’ve been thinking, and I decided to not waste a perfectly good Thanksgiving.

I don’t usually like Thanksgiving. It’s always so stressful. Really any holiday or other event where the family gets together stresses me out, and I’d rather do without. Meaning, I don’t really like most holidays. So I don’t enjoy partaking in them. When people express what they’re thankful for I usually join in out of obligation, and if I’m lucky enough I sneak my way out of it.

Yes, I have changed a bit over the past year, but things in this area are still pretty similar. However, this time around I really am thankful. It honestly has nothing to do with the Thanksgiving holiday. I’ve just been looking at my life, and I’ve realized that I’m really appreciative of a lot of things. So I want to quickly write a blog about that.

I don’t like saying or writing the word “blessed”. It feels so cheesy. A lot of the time when people say it I cringe and pass over that conversation. As a Christian, I feel bad writing that. But I’m just trying to be honest and transparent. Let me tell you, though, I really am blessed.

When I was a kid I would often think about things. A house to live in, heat in the winter, running water, clothes to wear, and stuff like that. Those are indeed good things to be thankful for, and it would be a shame to forget how fortunate we are. But there is so much more than that.

I am so appreciative of the people in my life.

I really mean that, I am so grateful for them. I wouldn’t be where I am today without them. I wouldn’t even be who I am without them. So many people have come into my life this past year. Some I’ve met in real life, some I met in real life a long time ago and just reconnected online, while others I’ve met on this wonderful thing called the internet. Whatever the case, these people mean so much to me.

As life goes on, people change. I’ve changed, my friends have changed. I’ve lost some friends, but I’ve also gained some great ones. My life has been forever changed. I love it.

These people encourage me. They challenge me. The confront me. They help me grow.

So many fantastic things are happening in my life, and a lot of it is because of them. They are my biggest blessing.

I love them.

Oh, yeah, when I say “they” or “them” I’m really referring to you.

I love you. It is the truth. Thank you for being awesome.

Grace | Peace | Love

-Josh

This nation is affluent and has more than it needs. The realization that what we have is a free gift can deepen our desire to share this gift with others who cry out for help. When we bless the fruits of the harvest, let us at least realize that blessed fruits need to be shared.

- Henri J.M. Nouwen,

from his book The Genesee Diar

from Sojourners Verse & Voice

May your Thanksgiving Day be filled with the warmth of Father God’s love.

May you experience His joy with friends and family.

And may all of us offer up praise and thanks to our Lord Jesus Christ.

We have much to be grateful for!

Amen.

Blessed at Christmas

Sometimes I am calloused by the hardness of the world. Rarely am I surprised by the kindness of others. But, this Christmas, I saw the generosity of one person bless a family with many needs. Because I witnessed this kind act, I became one of those blessed and I experienced first-hand the true meaning of Christmas.
I had heard much about this individual through my co-worker. She spoke highly of his character, his family, and his spirituality. It was his actions with strangers, however, that convinced me he truly was a compassionate person.
After hearing the plight of one family in the City, this individual donated a very generous amount of money to insure one family would be blessed on Christmas morning.
His assistant went on several shopping sprees and selected unique and tailored gifts for each family member. The shopping was done over a two week period and his monetary gift was stretched by purchasing items on sale, using coupons, and asking for additional discounts. The children were able to get things they needed as well as things they wished for.
I went on some of the shopping forays as items were selected and purchased. Sometimes, I sought out gifts and offered suggestions and was excited to see things chosen that the children might like. The items were wrapped, stacked neatly, and checked off as each child’s quota was filled. Finally, all the presents were purchased and ready to go.
The oldest daughter, 15, received boots, a coat, a blanket, an outfit and a karaoke machine. The next child, 12, was given a CD player, blanket, magician set, coat, outfit, and shoes. The next boy, 8, was the recipient of shoes, a coat, an outfit, a blanket, CD player and an art easel. The youngest girl, 5, got shoes, an outfit, a coat, blanket and a Dora the Explorer kitchen. The mom received socks, lotions, a candle, and dish towels. All five members of the family also received large red stockings full of delightful surprises!
On the day the presents were to be delivered, the benefactor was out of town and could not be there to play Santa so I got to go in his place. My car was loaded up, filling the trunk and back seat to capacity. My co-worker sat on the passenger side, holding one of the larger presents.
The mother was called and we were given consent to deliver the packages directly to their home. It was late afternoon on the 22nd when we drove downtown. We passed graffiti and barred windows, vacant and vandalized businesses. Groups of men stood around, talking and smoking, watching warily at passersby.
Two houses down in the middle of the city, we stopped in front of a small, rundown house. We walked carefully up the iced over rocky driveway and knocked on the door. A woman opened it cautiously. We talked to the woman for a moment and then returned to the car. We gathered armfuls of presents and proceeded into the house. Imagine the family’s wonder when we asked, “Where do you want all the presents?”
In the dimly lighted room, we could see all four of the children waiting on the couch, trying to contain their excitement. Their eyes were bright with anticipation and their broad smiles spoke volumes without saying anything. We placed the presents on a table and brought back more. Again, we left and returned, each time bringing in more presents. By now, the kids had seen names on the packages and were dreaming big. Each time we were greeted with an enthusiastic “Thank you! Thank you!” And each time, their eyes grew wider and their smiles broader. And each time they remained polite and patient anxiously waiting to see what came next.
We told them several times, “We are just elves. These gifts are from a man who loves children. He just wanted to bless you and wish you a very merry Christmas.” When all the presents were stacked inside, we said goodbye. The children thanked us again as we left.
As we drove towards the freeway, I knew I had been part of something special. This family had been given hope. They had seen that some people in the world really care. They had been blessed. I, too, had seen lights dancing in their eyes and watched their faces fill with hope. There was a lightness to my thoughts as I remembered how one person touched many. I, too, had been touched and I went forward with new purpose.
From that experience I realized the true spirit of Christmas is not about getting presents. It’s not even about giving presents to family or friends. It’s about reaching out and blessing those who face another dark and dreary Christmas. Some families have little hope because comforts and joy have been pushed aside by poverty and hardships. For those families, Christmas lives only in dreams. But, sometimes, there are earthly angels who bring dreams to reality. I want to one of those earthly angels and reach out to strangers with needed supplies and gifts of hope. I don’t have the monetary means of those with wealth, but I can do something. This Christmas I’ll help in shelters helping dish out food, help in a hospital’s children’s ward, or visit shut-ins. My world has grown larger and my future brighter. I will bless someone this year.

As Tennessee Ernie Ford once said . . .

Thank you for joining with us in our fun. You know, we all have so much to be thankful for. This nation has come through a trying period. But we’re still a united people with a pride in our past, and a faith in our future.

Bless this house, oh Lord, we pray,

Make it safe by night and day.

Bless these walls, so firm and stout,

Keeping want and trouble out.

Bless the roof and chimneys tall,

Let thy peace lie over all.

Bless this door that it may prove,

Ever open to joy and love.

Bless this window shining bright,

Letting in God’s heavenly light.

Bless the hearth ablazing there,

With smoke ascending like a prayer.

Bless the folk who dwell within,

Keep them pure and free from sin.

Bless us all that we may be,

Fit, oh Lord, to dwell with Thee.

Bless us all, that one day we

May dwell above with thee.

–by Helen Taylor

If you’ve never heard this song, you can see & hear it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7I_xgl6tEQ.  Click on the bottom video. It’s starts at the 4 minutes 30 second mark, when everyone is seated at the table and Ernie is standing at the head.

This morning I received a convicting devotional in my inbox. The author based her message on Luke 14:12-14. This is a parable that Jesus spoke to the Pharisees when dining at the home of one of them. Just before He told this story, He talked about the seating placement and the idea of not assuming the highest place. He finishes that statement with, “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (verse 11) This statement about humility leads right into the next parable.

He said also to the man who had invited him, ”When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”

Luke 14:12-14

Wow. I have prayed for humility many times. It seems that this is one expression of humility — to invite the downtrodden, the unwanted, and the hurting to your feast. As I read Sharon Sloan’s devotion about having a guest list with these types of people, I couldn’t help but think about the feast that we’ll have here today. We invited our family. That’s pretty typical for Thanksgiving Day and it’s not that we shouldn’t have invited family, but it made me wonder if there is someone that He would have had me invite that I did not. Someone that would love to feel part of a family. Someone who needs a friend. Perhaps someone who does not know Him.

So as we now go about the final preparations for a day of  feasting and giving God all the glory for His many provisions, I will be constantly praying that He would bring to mind and heart anyone that He would have me invite over to share in the meal and festivities.

It’s neat that He will bless and honor that, “and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.” But I just want to grow in humility and honor Him. I don’t want or need the blessing. I’ve already received more than my share of blessings! I truly long to bless others with Him. And if He doesn’t bring anyone to mind for this feast, there will always be other parties to seek Him about His desired guest list!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  I am thankful for alot of things in my life.  My health, my career, my family, my friends, the fact that I have a roof over my head, and plenty to eat, etc etc. etc.  The one thing I am most thankful for though, is my faith.  When any other part of life is out of whack, or out of sync, my faith is the one constant that I can turn to and know it hasn’t changed.   It’s like the speed of light.  It is the Constant in my life.

So, my referral (if you can call it that) for today is just to say that Riverview Church in Holt, MI is awesome.  Whether you are a Christian, or just someone who wants to explore and see what the whole Jesus thing is about, come visit.  You will get to have a cup of coffee, and hear some great music, and some very edutainspiring (educating, entertaining, inspiring) pastors will speak from their hearts, and more importantly from The Bible.  It’s a great place, a great community of people, and some of the most generous, hard working, loving people I’ve ever met.

http://rivchurch.com/

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone!  May you have many parts of your life to be extremely thankful for!

Go Lions!  Beat the Packers!