Sunday, November 30, 2014

Thanksgiving. What we seem to forget - The nature of being thankful

So I want to give mad props to the bloggers who blog through the holidays.
Now I ain't a busy person, haven't been for a long time; but over the last 2 weeks, I've had something going on almost every day, and thats big for me. Some big stuff, and some small, not everything has been an all day event. So you would think I would have plenty of time to get some writing out.
but with everything going on, I've just been way to exhausted to blog.
It makes me so jealous of the people who can still keep blogging every other day through the holidays. How do they not just drop for a week needing a break from their perfect blogging lives? Haha

We had 3 Thanksgivings in the span of 8 days.
Our group had a potluck Thanksgiving the Thursday before Thanksgiving (see last blog post) Then Michael and I hosted a small thanksgiving the next day with my mother and stepfather. Since my stepfather hadn't been home for a holiday in quite awhile.
Then we went to my Aunt's house for actual Thanksgiving the next week.
and we have had so much going on in-between

It seems nowadays that Thanksgiving is a time we end up focusing on who we are spending it with and how much we are eating.
and although I'm sure a lot of us say we are thankful for a bunch of things at the time of the event, I think a lot of us fail to realize how good we have it, and how blessed we all really are.

I've gotten so caught up in the festivities, that I haven't taken the time to look at all the wonderful things that I have, the progress I have made this year, and actually thank the Lord.

What people seem to forget is, we shouldn't be thankful on just thanksgiving, we should be thankful all the time. Being thankful and acknowledging that to God, is the same as worship. It's giving glory and praise to him for the things he has given us and gotten us through.

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!

Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Praise the Lord! Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!

Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples!

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.

May he grant you your heart’s desire and fulfill all your plans!

That my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!

And you will say in that day: “Give thanks to the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the peoples, proclaim that his name is exalted. “Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously; let this be made known in all the earth.

_____________________

It can be so hard to acknowledge how good we have it, especially in today's society when it seems all we do is complain and talk about the negative.
Don't get me wrong, I fully believe in venting/ confiding hardships in friends, and discussing negative things happening around the world, so that we can be aware of the world we live in and pray for those who need it.

But thats not what I'm talking about.
The last two months I've been singing the 'woe is me' song for the lack of money we have, and not having been able to put together the perfect christmas so far. Stretching to even get a tree.
Even though we haven't even known if our finances are going to be covered.
It's been very stressful and my way of getting through it, is focusing on christmas, and thats hard to do when you don't have finances.

Yet in taking a step back, God knew that a tree was important to me, and he provided one. Michael has been working on getting paychecks in for 2 months and although it hasn't been going well, somehow we have been taken care of. 
For no real reason, the checks that we have gotten have been late and barely cover what needs to be taken care of, and I've been irresponsible with finances being willfully blind and so focused on having the perfect christmas.
Yet having given that up, and the both of us praying over our weaknesses. Asking forgiveness and thanking the Lord for getting us through this with no major casualties.
We are still standing strong, and the blessing have still continued to trickle in.

Thanksgiving is a holiday that happens once a year, focused on spending time with family, eating good food and giving thanks. But i will try and be thankful and give thanks to the Lord as much as i can.

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