Time to set the mood

Rub-a-dub-dub thanks for the grub
- Amen

Ok i know that Thanksgiving is still a few weeks away, and I know that it is the only time of the year when we are actually required to be thankful, but I figured I would do my best to get you in the mood a little early this year.  And since I don't know too many thanksgiving songs, I will just spit out a few bible verses for you.  That way when it comes time to say grace before your thanksgiving feast you can impress your whole family with a loquacious bequeathal of gratitude unto an amicable God. (translation - you can speak a lot of thankful words to a gracious God)

So often we are so blinded by what we do not have that we can not see everything that we do have.  I am certain that someone reading this is thinking, "what do I have to be thankful for, my life sucks", well the seemingly simple act of reading this post puts you near the top of the chart when it comes to blessed people.  I say that for two reasons, 1. you have an internet connection, that is something that most of the world does not have.  2. You are able to read at all, that puts you ahead of 1 billion people on this earth.  So trust me when I say, you have plenty to be thankful for.

It's easy for us to be thankful when we have what we want, when we are healthy, when things are going our way.  But when life throws us a curve ball, when we are face down in the ditch, when things are not the way we would like them to be, that's when giving thanks gets difficult.  We have all been through those times, everything is going so poorly that we forget about all of the blessings that we do have.

Colossians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Philemon

Were all written by Paul in prison

A good example for us to live by goes by the name of Paul, The Apostle Paul that is.  Paul wrote several letters to several different churches, many of these letters were penned while he was behind bars for proclaiming his faith.  The first 14 verses of the book of Colossians are all about being thankful, these verses were written while Paul was in prison.  Paul had it tough, he was doing what God told him to do and now he was in prison for it, yet Paul was still thankful to God.

I encourage you to be thankful even when it seems as though there is nothing to be thankful for, as long as you have breath in your lungs you can be thankful.  I know life may be tough right now, tougher than I may be able to imagine.  Remember this though, God has a deep love for you, a love that is unquenchable, rest in that love, know that He is with you, and be thankful for that.

I leave you with this quote:  "A blessed man who never takes the time to count his blessings is not nearly as blessed as the man who has little but thanks God daily for that which he has"

If you want to be blessed, be thankful for what you already have.

Deal Lord,

Thank you for your blessings in our lives

We know that we are not worthy of anything that we have

yet you decide to bless us with so much.

Help us to maintain an attitude of thanksgiving

help us to see all of the blessings in our lives

and help us to remember to thank you for them daily.

In the holy name of Jesus we pray,

Amen