Giving Thanks

It's the day before Thanksgiving and two days before Black Friday. Those two days seem philosophically opposed to one another. One is a stay at home, family, loving kind of day while the other is a "go to the mall, spend all kinds of money, battle to the death over a great deal" kind of day.

My wife is a great shopper. She loves getting "deals" on things. We have a pantry shelf in our basement that's overflowing. My wife has gotten so many great deals on food that I recently had to expand our shelving!

Look at this picture! These people were sitting around the dinner room table just the day before and now they are willing to trample each other over a television set. I haven't heard Dr. Fauci condemn black Friday shopping as a "super-spreader event." But that's a different topic.

When I think about Thanksgiving, I think about the Thanksgiving meal itself, all the great food, sitting bloated in my recliner pretending to watch football as I moan in pain after eating too much.

How much time do we actually spend giving thanks? A pre-meal prayer that lasts for a minute, tops? What would a longer prayer look like? What would it sound like?

There is not enough time in the day to express our thanks to God for everything He has given us. Is your heart beating? Are you breathing? Did you wake up this morning? Did everyone arrive safely? And where did all of this food come from?

If we just answered "The store!" to that last question, we need to think a little deeper. All things come from God.

I pray that you would have a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration with your family. Make it meaningful. Offer a special prayer around the dining table. Everything you have is from God. That's a lot to be thankful for!

"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever." - Psalm 107:1

His Love Endures Forever - Chris Tomlin

Breaking Free

This time of year we can drive ourselves crazy with Black Friday shopping, trying to find those sought after Christmas gifts and getting ready for family meals and get-togethers. It IS a very busy time of year. So how do we handle it? Do what my wife did.

My wife used to get up at 4:00 AM to go Black Friday shopping in Milwaukee. She NEVER gets up that early. So why did she? She wanted to get the best deals, save the most money and to do that she had to get there before everyone else.

This year she did something different. She slept in. She didn't go Black Friday shopping at all, unless you count going to the deli for some potato salad as "Black Friday shopping." She no longer cares. "It's not worth it," she says and she chose not to participate.

We all do strange things for various reasons then, one day, we stop doing them and ask ourselves why we ever did them in the first place.

I did that with my Corvette several years ago. I had purchased the car just before becoming a Christian. Then, after I became a follower of Christ, I examined my ways and asked myself, "What am I doing with this car?"

A kind of maturity comes in our decision making the older we get. Or, the more experienced we get. LOL! My wife got burned out on the crowds and the traffic so she stopped shopping the day after Thanksgiving. Millions of people are still into that sort of thing but my wife is not one of them. She has moved on.

For me and for many other Christians, Jesus has re-prioritized our lives. What once was important to us no longer is.

The Apostle Paul sent a letter to the church in Philippi. They were struggling with their new-found identity in Christ. A demon possessed woman was causing problems for the church so Paul cast out the demon in the name of Jesus.

There's lots of stuff we'd like to change in our lives but we just can't seem to do it on our own. Sometimes we need help casting out OUR demons.

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God...” - Philippians 4:6

I'm building a tiny home and, as much as I'd like to be able to do things on my own, I am physically unable to lift walls weighing hundreds of pounds up onto the tiny home trailer all by myself. Alone, it's impossible. However . . .

"With God, ALL things are possible" - Matthew 19:26

As I read through the New Testament I am amazed at all of the things Jesus did. The innumerable people He healed, the demons He cast out of people . . . all amazing stories to read about.

At the end of THIS story there is a video by Lacey Sturm. I have seen her perform and have listened to her testimony in person of how God changed her priorities. One day she was ready to die, the next she was loving life. What caused THAT transformation in her life? It was the power of God's love and grace!

So when life gets crazy and the traffic in your brain becomes excessive, pray. Ask God to calm the storm inside. When you finally surrender your heart to Him and submit yourself to HIS ways, He will change you and cast out YOUR demons that are sucking the life out of your daily life.  Make your requests known to God in prayer and your anxiety and panic and stress will all fade away. They did in MY life. They will in yours. Break free!


Lacey Sturm's Story
Breaking Free - Skillet (feat. Lacey Sturm)

Doom

My wife is about to head out to do her Black Friday shopping. She is not looking forward to going. In fact, she is feeling a sense of doom this morning. She is dreading going yet she feels compelled to go. Why? I think she goes for several reasons.

1. Our daughter is going along. Mother / daughter time is always a compelling lure for my wife. They enjoy spending time together. Apparently, they SO love spending time together, they would do so in a war zone! And that is what they will be doing today.
2. Saving money. My wife loves a good deal and is apparently willing to risk life and limb . . . and $20 in gas money . . . to save a buck or two.
3. My wife hates to waste anything, especially coupons. I blame our daughter-in-law for this, who once told my wife that the coupons actually scream in agony when they expire unused. Sigh.
4. Escapism. The last thing my wife says before she leaves on such trips is NOT, "I will miss you my honey." It's "Would you please empty the dishwasher while we're gone?" The last word of which nearly getting itself pinched by the slamming of the door.
5. The sense of adventure. I think it's the women's equivalent of deer camp. There is the pursuit of the trophy - the ten dollars off with a $10 purchase. "I GOT THIS FOR FREE!!"

Life would be so much simpler without Black Friday. People would be sleeping in. Families should be enjoying each others company. This could be a day of calm after overdosing on Turkey, stuffing and football. Instead we shove and push our way through crowds to get the illusive gift that will probably get returned the day after Christmas.

When faced with such decisions in MY life, should I stay or should I go type things, I usually opt for the tried and true, "What would Jesus do?" option. Would Jesus shove His way through a crowd, leaving old ladies strewn in his wake, just so He could life high that $100 flat screen at Walmart? I think not.

What would He be doing instead on such a day as this?

I'd better stop before I get myself in trouble. I can't complain too loudly about my wife's exploits. I am just as guilty as she. As soon as they leave this morning I will watch a little Ravi Zacharias on TV, I will have a leftover Thanksgiving cupcake or two and . . . I will empty the dishwasher. But the thing I enjoy most about Black Friday is the time I get to spend alone . . . with Jesus.

I am reading in the Book of Isaiah today, preparing for the season that is coming. Today I am reading a prophecy about Jesus, written 700 years before He was born . . .

"14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. 15 He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good." - Isaiah 7:14-15

Black Friday. The day after Thanksgiving. May we have a left-over day of thanks-giving today, and every day.

Lord Jesus, I pray for safe travels for my wife and daughter today. I pray your protective hand would be over them as they wade through the crowds far from home. And I pray for myself, that I would honor you today by completing the tasks set before me. And I thank you for the time you and I can spend together - in your word, in prayer . . . and in service, as I empty the dishwasher . . . with a smile. Thank you Jesus. In your Holy Name. Amen.