Random thanks

Its starting to get closer to Thanksgiving, the time if year we gorge ourselves on turkey, and maybe gives thanks for things in our lives. All too soon that day will come and go and we will go back to not goving a second thought to being thankful or saying it to those we appreciate. Ive been trying to do a weekly thing of giving thanks and I admit sometimes I just forget. But that doesnt make me any less thankful.

There are so many things and people that I am thankful for, but I will save that for another post. I see things everyday that not only I should be thankful for but everyone. Why is it we have a hard time saying Thank you or Thanks. I think we need to do it more often. To stop and think about the things that mattet to us and that we are thankful for.

Family

Right now I am watching my dad, brother and Tom work on a fence for the yard. Its the perfect picture perfect moment. The three guys worling hard, the trusty old.dog following daddy around. Its a gorgeous day out too. The sun is shining and warm with a slight breeze.

It may not be a moment that stories upon stories are told about, but its a moment not only I will cherish, but the men will too I'm sure. All I need to have it be 100% perfect is mom sitting here with.me,.but shes working so ill settle for texting her.

Its a moment.like this where I sit back and have to thank God for allowing me to have it. Thank God for something so simple and what others would see as mundane. Its helping me remember how much I really appreciate and love them.

Pastoral Thanks

Since this month is Pastor Appreciation I think all of the thankfulness posts are going to be for each of my pastors. This week goes to a pastor who shows strength in all things he does. A pastor who sacrifices his own comfort to protect those he loves as well as our country. That pastor is Pastor Jason. Pastor Jason is one of those people that you want around you, it is hard not to love Pastor Jason. There are so many things about Jason that one person can be thankful for; he is simply awesome.

First and foremost for serving our country. We cannot comprehend how difficult that was

Being a model of strength and virtue

As with Pastor Paul: being a great example of loving your spouse unconditionally

Willing to lend a hand

His hugs. They seem to be able to make problems seem smaller

Honesty Something not many people have anymore. Jason is always honest with those around him

Helpfulness; He loves helping other people when he can, he’d give you the shirt off his back if he could

Compassion/caring heart

I am thankful that Jason shows emotion. He teaches the young men around him that it’s okay to show emotion

His laughter, it is simply infectious. You cannot help but laugh when Jason laughs.

Jason is one of those people that makes your day when you see them. Pastor Jason always has something to say that we can learn from in all aspect of life not just spiritual life. Pastor Jason does so much not only for the church, the country, but for his friends, family and community. He is a prodominate figure in all aspects. In short, I am simply thankful for Pastor Jason.

Thankfulness

For some reason I stopped doing this and I think I should get back into doing the blog, especially my thankfulness posts. October is a month of celebration and awareness. It is breast cancer awareness as well as Pastor Appreciation month. So for this post I am going to choose one of my pastors: Pastor Paul. There are so many things I am thankful for with Pastor Paul.

Always being there to listen and offer helpful, Biblical and fatherly advise

Being unjudging and accepting for who we are

Helping me remain strong through everything

Willingness to sacrifice his own comforts

His ability to make any situation fun and serious at the same time

Y.E.S. Camp

Showing what loving your spouse really means

Being a shining example of a Godly man

Caring about everyone and showing it

I am thankful that Pastor Paul puts his heart into the church, his family, and his job. He shows what dedication is. He shows true passion and compassion in everything he does.

While this month is Pastor appreciation month, I think we should show appreciation for our pastors every week in some form. Pastor Paul is an amazing pastor, friend, and role model. It is hard not to learn something from him even if you are simply having a conversation with him. I am thankful to call him not only my pastor but also my friend and someone I look up to and admire.

Looking Back

Four years ago I was sitting in my doctor’s office waiting to hear news that could change my life for the second time that year. I was waiting to hear the results of several scans, several blood work, and months of chemotherapy. I was waiting to hear if I was cancer free or if I needed to continue fighting. I would find out if I still have something inside my body that I personally had no control over.

April of 2007 I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lyphoma; I learned a lot through the trials of chemotherapy. I learned more about my faith, I gained a better understanding of crying out to God, tearing your clothes in anguish (believe me I wanted to do just that at times). I learned the true power of prayer and my appreciation for all the small things have gotten better. I look at a sunset or a flower blooming in the garden and it means so much more to me than it did before. I feel more humbled and the bigger grand design of things.

Through the cancer I realized I am more of a speck. I have a small insignificant role in a grand design. Emerson talked in his essay on Nature about the transparent eye (or something like that) I can somewhat understand that better. I can; on a small scale; understand what God must be seeing. Things are different, the way I view the world, people in my life, even my own life. I work hard to appreciate the simple things even if it is being able to wake up every day and take a breath of air, even if it is really cold air.

The Motions

I have gotten into the habit of listening to K-LOVE on my way to and from work, it is a Christian radio station. When I listen to it in the morning, I notice a difference from when I listen to something else or nothing at all. I have more energy and I am not as irritated with some of my co-workers. But anyway a song came on that I have heard many times before, but today…it brought me to tears. I tried to sing along but I got choked up. Very few songs make me do that, unless they really hit home and make me think about my life and my walk with Jesus.

Sometimes it does feel as if I am going through the motion of living life. Am I really allowing God’s passion to fill my life and my soul. I think I need to allow God to fill my life and allow him to be present in all aspects of my life. Somehow the passion of Christ has left me, probably because I am guilty of thinking I can handle things, or thinking this are too busy to spend even a few minutes with God. Its like just walking through the day in a daze, or a fog so to speak. Too often we do just go through the motions and follow the routine of things so to speak. I just told Tom the other day; I don’t like my new job because it is too routine, but we are content with having a routine with God. Why? We have schedules for our times with God, like church on Sunday or prayer time when we wake up or before bed, or Bible time during lunch or whatever. Why don’t we just randomly stop and pray like we would randomly stop and check our facebook?

I am sitting here as I type this and I ask myself I try hard to make time to spend with Tom because I love him, or time with my family and friends because I love them. I love Christ, so why is it so hard to make time for Him? Why is it I can listen to the songs and sing along at home or in the car, yet when I get to work I listen to something completely different? Maybe that can be the first change to not “going through the motions”

God's Will

Lately I have been listening to a Christian radio station K-Love more often. I love listening to it on my way to work. The other day I forget what they were talking about but they mention"For I know The plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." I don't know why but hearing that verse really hit me and made me begin thinking about so many different things mainly my own life. God knows the plans he has for my life. Sure I may not know them, But God does.

I have been trying to write up my testimony for a few youth groups around the area and have been having a hard time doing it until I heard this verse. God has a plan for everything in our lives, the good things and the bad things are a part of God's plans. We may not know what those plans are and sometimes we may never know what they are, but God always has a way of using every event in our lives for something good, something better. In 2007 I was diagnosed with cancer, and there were times when I wondered what could possibly be God's plan for me to have cancer when I was 24. The more I think about it, the more I can see a plan, a path I can take. through my experience I can talk to others on a wide range of things regarding God. I could talk of His healing, His plans, that it is okay to be angry at God and so much more.