Month: November 2025

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

The day before Thanksgiving an elderly man in Phoenix called his son in New York and said, “I hate to ruin your day, but after 45 years of marriage, your mother and I are getting a divorce. We’re sick of each other, so call you sister in New York and tell her.”

Frantic, he called his sister who immediately phoned their Father and said to him, “Don’t you dare do a thing until we get there. I’m calling my brother and we will both be there tomorrow.”

The man hung up, looked at his wife and said, “Okay, honey. The kids are coming for Thanksgiving and paying for their own flight!” Some people will go to extreme measures to get family together for Thanksgiving!!

Thanksgiving Day is upon us, and in the spirit of the history of this day, I enjoy wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. The other day, I was talking with an older gentleman in our water class, and out of habit, I wished him a Happy Thanksgiving. Now, this man has celebrated losing 90 pounds, working out, and getting in shape, but he looked at me and said, “Listen, my wife and I are divorced. My son died. I am just a lonely old man who has nothing for which to be thankful.

Contrast this with a story told by Jim Penner. He says, “I’ll never forget sitting on the steps of our house as an eight year old watching my mother open the door to two men who handed her some papers. As tears rolled down her eyes, it didn’t take me long to figure out that our car had been repossessed, our house was in jeopardy, and we had no money.

Jim walked down the hall to find his mother on her knees praying, “Thank you, God for what you’ve provided and thank you that we have something to eat tonight.” I learned a lifetime of wisdom in those few minutes. The grateful heart in the midst of adversity is a blessing that I’ll never forget.

A grateful heart is a mind set of appreciation for life’s blessings, big and small, which helps transform perspective and find contentment in hardship. It involves forcusing on what one has rather than what is lacking in our lives. A grateful heart encompasses acknowledging simple pleasures in our lives and giving thanks for the present moments we enjoy.

A grateful heart isn’t a natural response to adversity in our lives, but it is a developed discipline. The Psalmist says, “Forget not all His benefits.” In the midst of an ungrateful heart, when we don’t think God has blessed us, if we will sit down and recall His faithfulness through the years, we will end up filled with joy and with a grateful heart.

Many of us are fortunate enough to be able to spend Thanksgiving with family and friends, and if we are, thank God with a grateful heart because many don’t have that opportunity. We are blessed in many ways, and sometimes rather than saying “Thank you,” we tend to just expect God to keep the blessings coming!

Leslie Weatherhead tells a story of eating with a couple in northern England right after WWII. Food was scarce, but the wife managed to fix a wonderful meal of fresh trout from a nearby stream and fresh vegetables from the garden. He enjoyed the meal greatly, and when it was over he thanked the hostess for it.

She blushed shyly and said, “Oh sir, my husband never thanks me when I prepare a meal for him.” Weatherhead was embarrassed for the husband, but he soon learned that the husband wasn’t embarrassed at all. He said he could still remember the husband sitting there saying, “I would have told you if I didn’t like it.” A grateful heart should be expressed.

This year as we gather together, remember to thank God in all circumstances and to gather with a grateful heart. The Apostle Paul didn’t say to give thanks “for” all circumstances, but “in” all circumstances. All of our circumstances in life are not good, but there will always be something in those circumstances for which to give thanks.

Give thanks with a grateful heart; Give thanks to the Holy One; Give thanks because He’s given Jesus Christ, his Son. And now, Let the weak say, I am strong; Let the poor say, I am rich; Because of what the Lord has done. Give thanks. Henry Smith

Happy Thanksgiving!

Teach us to number our days, thta we may gain a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:12

There is hardly a day that goes by without someone remarking, “I can’t believe we are beginning the holiday season! Where did the time go?” My Mama always warned us to enjoy the days you have because they are flying by. Now, I see what she meant.

I rencently read a book by Patrick Ryan, and he has a unique quote on time. “What is it about time that confounds us? We spend it. We save it. We while it away. We waste it. We kill it. We complain about not having enough of it, or about having too much of it on our hands. We regret what we’ve done with it. We give it away. We want it back. We say “Time and again” when something is bothering us, and “It’s time” when something is supposed to end. All we should ever want of time is more of it.”

The Bible tells us that the ultimate purpose of understanding life’s brevity is to “gain a heart of wisdom”. This wisdom comes from understanding the limited time we have and how best to use it.

When we realize that each of our days is numbered, it encourages us to live a life that is more intentional and focused on making choices which honor God. Ir prompts us to re evaluate our priorities and shift from worldly concerns to spiritual ones.

A woman once had a dream in which an angel gave her this message:” As a reward for your virtues, the sum of $1,440 will be deposited in your bank account every morning. This amount has only one condition. At the end of each business day, the amount that has not been used will be canceled. It won’t carry over to the next day nor accrue interest. At the start of each new day $1,440 will be credited to you.

When the woman woke up, she asked the Lord to explain what it meant. The Lord explained that she was receiving 1,440 minutes every morning which is the exact number of minutes in a 24 hour day. What she did with this deposit was important because the 1,440 minutes was all she would ever receive.

We have a similar account. Each day God grants us time to spend wisely and unselfishly so that we can close each day with joy and satisfaction. Someone once said, “Time is God’s gift to you, but what you do with your time is your gift to God!”

Everyone seems to be in a hurry these days because we are trying to get as much done as possible in the time we are allotted in a day. We have things to do and places to be, yet the Bible never says, “If you hurry, you can catch up with God”. It says, “Be still (take time) and know that I am God.”

Jesus was always busy, but He also found time to do meaningful things even though His total ministry was accomplished in three short years. He found time to pray, He found time to play with children, He found time to investigate a fig tree, He found time to nap during a boat ride, He found time to rest at noon beside a well, and He found time to aattend a wedding reception.

We don’t have time for everything, but we should make time for the important things. We need enough time to stroll the beach looking for shells, enough time to pursue our dreams, enough time to love unconditionally, and enough time to give unselfishly, just to name a few.

A friend of mine said this weekend, “I am just grateful to have the time to do the things I want to do rather than the things I have to do.”

Mother Teresa said, “Today is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let’s begin!” This morning we have 1,440 minutes of time. Let’s use it wisely.

Greater love has no man than this: that a man lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13

During the American Civil War, a certain man had a son who enlisted in the Union Army. The father was a banker, and although he gave his consent to his son, it seemed as if it would break his heart to let him go.

Once his son had left, he became deeply interested in the plight of soldiers, and whenever he saw one in uniform, his heart went out to him as he thought of his own dear boy. Often to the neglect of his business, he began spending his time and money to care for the soldiers who came home disabled. His friends pleaded with him not to neglect his business in this way, by spending so much time and energy on the soldiers. So, he decided to give it all up and take his friend’s advice.

After he made this decision, however, a young private in a faded, worn uniform stepped into the bank. It was easy to discern from the wounds on his face and hands that he had been in the Army field hospital. The poor young man was fumbling in his pocket to find something when the banker saw him.

Perceiving his purpose for coming into the bank, he said to the solider, “My dear young man, I cannot help you today. I am extremely busy. You will have to go to the Army headquarters where the officers will take care of you.

The poor wounded soldier still stood there not seeming to fully understand what was being said to him. He continued to fumble in his pockets and finally pulled out a scrap of dirty paper. He laid the filthy page before the banker who read the following words written in pencil:
“Dear Father, This is one of my friends who was wounded in the last battle, and he is coming to you directly from the hospital. Please receive him as you would me.” Charlie

All the banker’s previous resolve to focus solely on his business instead of soldiers quickly flew away. He took the young man to his own magnificent home and gave him Charlie’s room and seat at the dinner table. He cared for him until the food, rest, and love returned him to health.. The young soldier then went back to his place of service to again risk his life for his cause. Copied

This story hits home with me on this Veteran’s Day as I contemplate all the men and women who have served their country and those who have given their lives for all of us. If we aren’t reminded, it is easy for those of us who have never experienced war to dismiss it as just a holiday.

We Americans love to watch war movies whether it be ones such as, The Dirty Dozen, Saving Private Ryan, The Great Escape, or countless others. These movies inspire us because we love to recount the great events and revel in victory over insurmountable odds. We love heroes! We shouldn’t honor our Veterans only once a year, but rather, every day because they are all heroes. How can we honor them better?

First, remember the price of freedom! Our veterans didn’t fight for the sake of killing, for money, or for rewards. They fought for the cause – for freedom, and that is never free! Just as David single handedly fought Goliath for His God, these veterans paid the ultimate price for their country and fellow man.

Next, honor them by learning from their example. These veterans were not afraid to take a stand and never ran from a battle. As men and women of God, we need to have a policy – no retreat, no regrets. We serve our Lord faithfully.

Finally, we need to honor our veterans by praying for all those men and women today who are in harm’s way. We know that God answers prayers, so we need to ask God for His help in protecting those who fight to protect us.

We thank God for our veterans, and we remember them for their service, their bravery, and their courage. God bless you all, and thank you!

We can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good. Romans 8:28

In the very small town in which our family lived when we were growing up, it was possible to walk almost anywhere to get whatever was needed. The streets were quiet, and it was even possible for kids to play almost anywhere safely.

There were a variety of characters who resided there, and we even had cows at a house down the street. One of my favorite ladies was Miss Mary Emma Coachman, or as Daddy called her,”Miss Maemmie!” She lived down the block from us, and she rose every morning around 4:30 to milk her cows.

From this fresh milk, she made cream, buttermilk, and on Saturday, she churned butter. Mama had a standing order for her butter, and I picked it up every Saturday.

When daylight savings time became permanent, I asked her one Saturday how that change affected her and milking the cows. She was quick to reply, “Cows don’t have a clock They don’t tell time, and they don’t recognize the time change. I don’t change my clocks. I milk at the same time every day.”

There is much debate over the “time change” that we experience every fall and spring, but it just keeps on coming, and it inevitably disrupts our lives for weeks until we adjust! This past weekend the inevitable time change occurred, and we are in the midst of the adjustment.

Change is an inevitable part of life, even though many of us fight it. We encounter change in our relationships, careers, and even within ourselves. The world around us constantly bombards us with the need to change something in our lives. It can be anything from our weight to our hair style, our habits to our beliefs, even our lifestyle.

No matter how hard many of us fight it, change is a powerful force that moves us forward. Without change, there would be no evolution, innovation, or opportunity. I love the quote that says, “Nothing is permanent but change.” When we think about it that way, we are much more capable of adapting to it than we might think!

Change can bring us both opportunities for growth and renewal. Although it can be painful, it is essential for learning, progresing and becoming a better version of ourselves. Experts suggest that the key to navigating change is to focus on building the new rather that fighting for the old, and adapting our attitude rather than resisting what we cannot change.

Sometimes changes can be tough in our every day life. The story is told of a man who dialed the wrong number and received this message: “I am not available right now, but thank you for caring enough to call. I am making some changes in my life right now. Please leave a message after the beep. If I do not return your call, you are one of the changes.”

Jesus speaks of change as a repentance and reorientation of ones life toward God. This change involves an inner change of the mind and heart which leads to a new way of living that is not self centered. Jesus called for His followers not to conform to things of this world, but rather to be transformed or changed by their faith. This process involves following Him and changing or abandoning the old way of life.

Change is seen as a lifelong journey of maturing in faith and not a one time event. The Serenity Prayer is a well known prayer used in 12 step programs and by people seeking solace. It expresses the best way to handle change.

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference.

As we deal with the inevitable changes in our lives, may God lead us to handle each of them as He would have us to do.