To You Be The Glory, Lord, In Our Thanksgiving

"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever." 1 Chronicles 16:34

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As the time for Thanksgiving is coming near, I ask you to ponder something for me. 

Should we only thank God on this one special day a year?

What about the other 364 days...?

Have you not heard of what God has done for you?

He has determined your steps, before you even plan them; 

He has numbered every hair on your head;

He has given you a hope and a future;

He has sent his one and only Son to die for your sins;

He has shown you grace and forgiveness.

Should we not be thankful daily?

Every breath you take, shall you not be thankful?

Every step you take, shall you not be thankful?

Every person you meet, thing you see, scent you smell, shall you not be thankful?

Imagine it this way, God could have very well taken that last breath away from you this morning,

but instead,

You are living out God's plan for you on this earth. 

Be thankful that he is still going to use you;

Use you in ways that a human mind cannot fathom. 

While Thanksgiving is a time to be spent with family and friends, 

remember to spend time with your Heavenly Father (everyday), 

and instead of asking...

Give thanks for everything you already have. 

To You Be The Glory, Lord, In Our Speech

"With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we cruse human beings who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring. My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water." James 3:9-12 

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Have you ever stopped to listen to what comes out of your mouth?

What do you say to those who make you mad, 

sad, 

frustrated, 

annoyed,

happy, 

and loved?

Or what about those that you do not know?

Those who sit on the cement because they have no place to go?

Those who are abused but, they hid their shame?

Those who struggle with sin, and cannot come out from under its power?

Those who once meant so much to you, but have hurt you?

Those who are not like you?

Have you ever just stopped to think the impact that your words have on others?

"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me."

What a lie we tell ourselves. 

We do care what people think of us, 

and what people say about us.

We take those things to heart and store them there. 

They rattle through our brains when we try to push them out. 

They bog us down into a world of perpetual sorrow. 

BUT, You, yes you, have been made in the image of God. 

Do you realize how much worth you have?

Do you realize how much worth they have? 

Jesus once said, "whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." (Matthew 25:40)

Imagine yourself spewing words of hate at the Son of God. 

The one that saved you from your sins. 

The one that died to save you. 

the one that loves you with and endless love. 

All of the lies,

cruses, 

slander, 

and corruption that you throw at other people, 

you also throw at Him, who is on High. 

Stop and Think before you speak. 

And please if you do not have anything to build someone else up, do not say it at all.  

To You Be The Glory, Lord, In Friendships

"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work:  If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!" Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

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Look at everyone in your life... 

Why are they there?

To make you laugh,

To make you smile,

To help you understand your worth,

To show you your strengths,

your flaws?

God picks each and every person,

specifically, 

just for you.  

Those people care about you, love you, and want the best for you. 

Thank God for those people daily... 

But sometimes you lose control, 

and you spiral into the unknown 

losing the friends that you once had. 

 And you know what, 

there is a reason. 

Maybe it was the person that you thought they were the one, 

The one you wanted to spend your life with. 

Or you childhood best friend. 

Or a sister, brother, mother, father...

But, God, he has different plans. 

Trust me on this one. 

He is breaking something you once had in order to make something better. 

What needed to change? 

Foundations?

Boundaries?

Lifestyles?

Words?

Actions?

Something... 

But, if God wants them to be there, they will stay and stay forever. 

Just remember that. 

God has your best interests in mind, because he is the best friend that you will always have.