Thank God For...You!

I gotta thank Momma for the cookin',

Daddy for the whoopin',

The devil for the trouble that I get into...

-- "Thank God For You"

Sawyer Brown, ca. 1992

I loved that song! So much, in fact, that I can still sing it word-for-word now, 18 years later. No small feat, considering I sometimes have trouble remembering my name these days.

What I loved about the song then were the catchy lyrics and the snappy tune. What I love now is the message itself. The end of the chorus (and the title line) sums it all up for me...

"...O gotta give credit where credit is due

I thank the bank for the money,

Thank God for you!"

And I do thank God for you! Thank God for you, my faithful readers, who are willing to scroll through the ramble to get to the "good stuff" (when there is any). Thank God for you, my loving family, who supports me and my wild-brained ideas. And possibly most importantly, thank God for you, my fellow Christians, who strive to keep the Word of God first and foremost in the lives of yourself and those around you.

The Apostle Paul felt similarly:

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all,

that your faith is spoken of, throughout the whole world.

- Romans 1:8

If the Apostle Paul was never too good to give credit to his fellow Christians, then why can't we do the same? take a moment this Thanksgiving week to thank God for your fellow Christians...then be sure to thank God for them as well. Thanking God for ALL the blessings in our life - isn't that what the Thanksgiving holiday is all about?

I thank Momma for the cookin', Daddy for the whoopin',...and I thank God for YOU! Have a great Thanksgiving week!

In ALL things?

"Giving thanks always, in all things, unto God"

- Ephesians 5:20

Ready or not, the holidays are upon us! Have you looked at a calendar lately? Thanksgiving is NEXT week! Hard to believe, isn't it?

Hard to believe, and hard to celebrate, considering:

- Gas prices are hovering around the $2 per gallon mark
- The Big Three automakers are hurting and begging for help
- Americans owe more money to the credit card companies than any other time in recent history
- Layoffs are rampant, from large corporations to small mom-and-pop's
- And (insert your own recent economic misfortune here)

Never in U.S. history have Americans faced such a grim economic facade during the holiday season. Never before has my generation had to worry about our 401(k) declining by over 20% in any 30-day period. Never before have suicide rates among professionals equaled today's tallies. And never before have Americans given up hope as fast as we are right now.

And yet the Bible tells us to give thanks? Not only that, but give thanks "in all things!" How do we thank God for an economic downturn in the holiday season?

A few hints to be thankful for:

- Gas prices are over 33% CHEAPER than last holiday season!
- The Big Three are now forced to compete by giving us economical rides rivaling that of their foreign competitors
- Credit card companies are now offering lower rates to keep their customers from switching creditors
- Layoffs and economic crises have reminded us as Americans to look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith
- And (Find a positive about your "downturns" and enter it here)

So...it's all in how you look at it. We WILL survive this credit crunch because we ARE survivors. That's we do as Americans, and (More importantly) that's who we are as Christians. As Christians, we know that our outLOOK determines the outCOME.

Stay optimistic, focus on the positive, and thank God for ALL things! Have a great week on this the week before Thanksgiving!

I'd love to hear from you - post a positive comment today and let's let everyone know that Christ holds all the answers! Praise Him in all things!

More Than A Conqueror!

Riddle: What do Napoleon, Alexander the Great, and Satan have in common?

Give up?

Not even a guess?

Answer: Napoleon, Alexander, and even Satan are all CONQUERORS. They've conquered communities, cities, even entire nations in some cases. They've conquered lives, hearts, and minds. And they have conquered almost anything that can be conquered in this world.

Almost.

And that's all you get today. Stay tuned for Part 2...