Good Morning Thankful, Forgiven, Made New, Faithful Followers of Jesus! Thank God that's you! And us as His Body! PTL!
Thank God I'm Forgiven Friday! PTL! This is the month of Thanksgiving, feasting, family, friends and fellowship. But above all I am thankful for God's patient, forgiven, eternal love! Yes PTL! What are you thankful about today? What praises are you lifting? TGIF is a great starting point for today and this month!
Max Lucado has a daily calendar that starts with the letter "A" and he works through the alphabet. I am thankful for Apples. I am thankful for blessings. And so on. Maybe Nov. would be a great month to try that exercise daily?
Today's devotionals flow through several teachings that speak into or point to reasons to be thankful. Check them out below. I'm often encouraging--well pleading--with you to turn off the noise and focus on God. Election season is a great time to turn of the TV, radio, and computer and to refocus on God with thanksgiving and praise as the starting point. Counting our blessings is a great way to redirect your thinking. Try it today. I am thankful for Christ, Donuts Day, Earnestness, Friends, God!!!
Let's start our thanksgiving with The Word for You Today's reminder that God cares about you. AMEN and PTL! You are His, made in His image, made new in Christ to do all He has planned for you! PTL! And He helps you because He loves and cares for you. Even in the darkest hours, He is there weeping with you and wanting to embrace you with His love. Open your arms to receive His love and raise them in praise today. Sarah Young reminds us to keep focused on God's presence and to plow through the distractions. (Turn off the noise!) He knows your heart and desire to honor Him and He knows your circumstances. He is with you always. Sit at His feet and allow Him to love on you. Joyce Meyers reminds us that thanksgiving isn't for a day or month but a constant state for God's chosen people (us). Give thanks always with a grateful heart. The Upper Room reminds us to keep persevering in faith and that others are watching. Are they seeing true faith overflowing with love and thankfulness no matter what we are facing? They can as we grow in worship, thanksgiving and faith. Choose joy by turning off the noise and lift eyes and hearts in praise. Our Daily Bread reminds us that time marches on and asks how you can make the most of the time you have left? They use Eph. 5's, which we just studied, reminder to always give thanks and the truth that singing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs helps us to redirect. Sing when you don't feel like you can and that will help you redirect with a thankful and worshipful heart. Make up your own psalm or even lament and lift it from a heart trusting God to Him. Drown out the noise as you make a joyful noise! And Charles Stanley wraps up our devotionals with the reminder that we have resurrection power in us. Be strong, courageous and and overcome by the power of Christ in you. Amen!
Refocus with this praise song: Give Thanks to God https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRVmqQw7hXU
and this: Count Your Blessings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uz0cjGr2h4k
So the reminder to rejoice--always stands out at the beginning of this month that ends with a Thanksgiving feast and family, faith and fun. Yes rejoice always! Again I say rejoice! Lift you hands in praise as you drown out the noise and drive Satan away by singing some praise! For God so Loved Y-O-U that He made a way and is with you always--yes rejoice! Release the junk and turn off the noise as you begin to count your many blessings! Amen! I'm praising for and praying for you and lifting praise to GOD! There's no way to count all the blessings! Amen! I'm thankful for Jesus, Karen, Love in me, Milkshakes...
TWFYT:
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JM
UR: The Cloud of Witnesses
Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us . . . run with perseverance the race that is set before us. - Hebrews 12:1 (NRSVUE)
Recently my husband and I attended my great-nephew’s graduation from a military academy. I like to walk early in the morning and, not knowing the area, decided to walk the halls of the historic campus hotel for exercise. On the walls of each floor were pictures of famous academy graduates dating back to the early 1800s — generals, astronauts, senators and governors, and prominent figures in public service.
Had I been a student at the academy, these pictures would have inspired me to become like these famous graduates. Instead, I thought of today’s verse from Hebrews and began to imagine pictures of biblical figures and photos of family and friends who have encouraged me in my faith. I thought particularly of my dad, who took such good care of his aging parents, telling me to care for the elderly. And of my mom, who worked to help people overcome addictions, encouraging me to have compassion. Their lives were a gift to me, and as I walked those halls thinking of them, I wanted to live my life in a way that would be a gift to others coming behind me. Knowing I am supported by the saints through the ages and in my own family gives me strength and courage to run with perseverance even in the face of discouragement.
Today's Prayer
Dear Father, thank you for the people who encourage us in our faith. Help us to be a source of encouragement for others. Amen.
ODB:
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On March 14, 2019, NASA rockets ignited, catapulting astronaut Christina Koch toward the International Space Station. Koch wouldn’t return to Earth for 328 days, giving her the record for the longest continuous space flight by a woman. Every day, living roughly 254 miles above the Earth, a screen kept track of the astronaut’s time in five-minute increments. She had a myriad of daily tasks to complete (from meals to experiments), and—hour after hour—a red line inched along the display, constantly showing whether Koch was ahead or behind schedule. Not a moment to waste.
While certainly not recommending anything so intrusive as a red line ruling over our life, the apostle Paul did encourage us to carefully use our precious, limited resource of time. “Be very careful then, how you live,” he wrote, “not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:15-16). God’s wisdom instructs us to fill our days with intention and care, employing them to practice obedience to Him, to love our neighbor, and to participate in Jesus’ ongoing redemption in the world. Sadly, it’s entirely possible to ignore wisdom’s instruction and instead use our time foolishly (v. 17), frittering away our years in selfish or destructive pursuits.
The point isn’t to obsessively fret about time but simply to follow God in obedience and trust. He will help us make the most of our days.
By Winn Collier
REFLECT & PRAY
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What does time mean to you? How can you make the most of your time today?
Dear God, please help me make the most of my time.
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SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
Ephesians 5 tells us to “be very careful . . . how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity” (vv. 15-16). Part of using time wisely is remembering that life is filled with its different seasons, but we can rest in God’s wisdom and timing. This is beautifully captured by Solomon in Ecclesiastes 3: “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens. . . . He has made everything beautiful in its time” (vv. 1, 11). Recognizing that God is in control of our lives can help us walk by faith as we anticipate our eternal home with Him forever.
Bill Crowder |
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CS
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