"Gobble Gobble!" Now, is that the sound of live turkeys or is it the sound of countless individuals gleefully over-indulging at Thanksgiving feasts?
Most of our Thanksgiving traditions center around the table--lovingly arranged with dramatic displays of delicious delights which we daringly devour. My family is no different. In fact, when I was a teen, my best friend and I delighted in going from house to house during the holiday in an annual attempt to top the previous year's record of over-indulgence. The focus was certainly not on giving but on getting!
As I reflect on the original intent of Thanksgiving, I am challenged to look beyond the table and a once-a-year gathering and look at how God provides bountiful blessings to me all year long. Some blessings come clearly marked, while others are blessings in disguise. A job loss never looks or feels like a blessing when it comes, but if we stand on God's promise that "all things work together for good to them that love God" (Romans 8:28), then we can follow God's directive to "in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus.... " (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
The interesting thing about the word thanks is that, in the Bible, it is often associated with praise and it also mentioned as something done "among the heathen" (2 Samuel 22:50), "among the people" (1 Chronicles 16:8), "in the great congregation" (Psalm 35:18), and "to all generations" (Psalm 79:13). That means that our thankfulness to God, our praise to Him is not something we keep to ourselves. Thankfulness is something we give to God--thanksgiving--and when we publicly and proudly praise God, we give Him not only the glory He is due, but we inspire and encourage others to see God at work.
To be thankful is to be mindful of God's presence at every point in our lives. To be thankful is to be mindful of God's power to transform our lives. To be thankful is to be mindful of God's plan for our lives--a plan so awesome that no obstacle can deter it. To be thankful is to be faith-filled and to live a life so centered in God that we come to know what life truly is--a magnificent love story about the Creator and His beloved creation. We know how the story began, and if we are saved, we know how it ends. Our faith should help us not to get so distracted by the challenges that lead to stressful living but to focus instead on a praise-filled way of life I like to call, thanks living.
What does thanks living look like in your life? How can you set a better of example of faith and "make known His deeds among the people"? Take a moment to praise Him while you have the chance. You don't have to wait until Thursday. You don't have to stop with Thursday. Make every day a day of thanksgiving and watch how you will continue to receive more to be thankful for.
BNcouraged!
Rev. Karen
A weekly posting of encouraging and challenging thoughts about life from Rev. Karen W. Curry, a pastor's wife and mother of two who is also --in her "spare time"-- a dynamic preacher, teacher, motivational speaker, facilitator, writer, reviewer, poet, MC, liturgical dance/drama consultant and storyteller. Contact Rev. Karen at BNcouraged247@msn.com to speak at your next service or retreat.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Moving Forward
This past Sunday, I had the privilege of preaching at the First Rock Baptist Church's Women's Day program in Southeast, Washington, DC. The title the Lord gave me was, "Moving Forward" based on Colossians 3:12-13 which focuses on forgiveness. The message encouraged the women of First Rock to move forward past the bondage of unforgiveness and into the freedom of forgiveness.
The congregation received the message heartily and everyone left the service excited about "moving forward." So, why is it that only a few days later it seems that countless little nagging obstacles keep rising up to keep me from moving forward with some of the "round tuits" (See Oct. 6, 2009 blog, "THIS is the Day") I'm trying to get to?
Why? Well, I'll let you in on a little secret. Preachers always have to live what they preach about--whether the message is about triumph or struggle. In fact, one of the reasons we know the Bible is real and not a fairy tale is because the struggles of the men and women in it are not cleaned up or edited out. We see them enjoying the thrill of victory and enduring the agony of defeat.
Don't worry, I'm not facing any major struggle or defeat, just having "one of those days" when no matter what I try something rises up to set me back. I was on my way to a funeral this morning when my car decided it didn't want to go with me. Thankfully, I was able to get it to the mechanic, get a loaner and make it to the service early.
I needed to send some photos to someone and I took the time to patiently sort through the photos to select just the right ones, downloaded them and sent them off--or so I thought. They never made it to their destination and are still lingering in cyberspace right now as I write this blog.
I asked my children to give mommy some "quiet time" so I could finish some writing I had been putting off. You know what "quiet time for mommy" means to young children--"just come back two minutes later." And they did. And two minutes after that, and two minutes after that...and, well, you can figure out the rest.
There were several things I tried to do on the computer to improve my efficiency, because I decided that today was the day I would finally "move forward" in my computer skills. But, after nearly an hour of trying to navigate the tools that were designed to make me "more efficient", I counted the cost and decided to trade efficiency (speed) for effectiveness (hey, it gets there).
While all of those obstacles were small individually, they began mounting up and frustrating me to the point that I wanted to just throw my hands in the air, and wave them like I just didn't care.
But....I didn't. I did what I told the congregation at First Rock to do. I kept moving forward. I began to imagine each hurdle as a literal hurdle that I was well equipped to jump over, just like an Olympic athlete. I remembered that He who began a good work in me will perform it until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6), which reminded me that God is the one pushing me onward and upward and no matter what the goal, no matter what the obstacle I will reach the goal. And, so will you. Don't let any obstacle--from unforgiveness to daily frustrations keep you in bondage.
Look to Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith, and no matter what just keep--Moving Forward.
BNcouraged!
Rev. Karen
The congregation received the message heartily and everyone left the service excited about "moving forward." So, why is it that only a few days later it seems that countless little nagging obstacles keep rising up to keep me from moving forward with some of the "round tuits" (See Oct. 6, 2009 blog, "THIS is the Day") I'm trying to get to?
Why? Well, I'll let you in on a little secret. Preachers always have to live what they preach about--whether the message is about triumph or struggle. In fact, one of the reasons we know the Bible is real and not a fairy tale is because the struggles of the men and women in it are not cleaned up or edited out. We see them enjoying the thrill of victory and enduring the agony of defeat.
Don't worry, I'm not facing any major struggle or defeat, just having "one of those days" when no matter what I try something rises up to set me back. I was on my way to a funeral this morning when my car decided it didn't want to go with me. Thankfully, I was able to get it to the mechanic, get a loaner and make it to the service early.
I needed to send some photos to someone and I took the time to patiently sort through the photos to select just the right ones, downloaded them and sent them off--or so I thought. They never made it to their destination and are still lingering in cyberspace right now as I write this blog.
I asked my children to give mommy some "quiet time" so I could finish some writing I had been putting off. You know what "quiet time for mommy" means to young children--"just come back two minutes later." And they did. And two minutes after that, and two minutes after that...and, well, you can figure out the rest.
There were several things I tried to do on the computer to improve my efficiency, because I decided that today was the day I would finally "move forward" in my computer skills. But, after nearly an hour of trying to navigate the tools that were designed to make me "more efficient", I counted the cost and decided to trade efficiency (speed) for effectiveness (hey, it gets there).
While all of those obstacles were small individually, they began mounting up and frustrating me to the point that I wanted to just throw my hands in the air, and wave them like I just didn't care.
But....I didn't. I did what I told the congregation at First Rock to do. I kept moving forward. I began to imagine each hurdle as a literal hurdle that I was well equipped to jump over, just like an Olympic athlete. I remembered that He who began a good work in me will perform it until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6), which reminded me that God is the one pushing me onward and upward and no matter what the goal, no matter what the obstacle I will reach the goal. And, so will you. Don't let any obstacle--from unforgiveness to daily frustrations keep you in bondage.
Look to Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith, and no matter what just keep--Moving Forward.
BNcouraged!
Rev. Karen
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Darkness = Daylight Coming
Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. (Psalm 30:5b)
Are you or someone you know struggling through a dark time? If your answer is "no", just keep living. Sooner or later we will all face a time in our lives when we can't see our way through to the next step. No one is exempt. Not presidents, not pastors, not me, not you.
The more we read of God's Word the more we find that even those who watched for a Savior (David), walked with the Savior (Peter) and were transformed by the Savior (Paul) went through times of doubt, despair, disappointment and discouragement.
Though darkness is real, it is temporary. I repeat....Though darkness is real, it is temporary. Even in places like Alaska where there are cities that remain in darkness for months at a time, even the lengthiest dark spells are still temporary.
The blessing that we have as believers in Jesus Christ is that the Word of God is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. So, even when we are unable to see 10 feet ahead in the darkness, through prayer and the Word we can go through one step at a time. That's what faith is, isn't it? Faith is the evidence of things not seen.
Don't retreat when darkness comes. If you can't move forward, just stand firm. If there are things you don't know, stand on what you do know--that no weapon formed against you shall prosper, that God shall supply all your needs, that without faith it is impossible to please God, that God will turn your mourning into dancing.
Every midnight is followed by a sunrise. So, if you are in darkness now, just hold on because darkness is simply an announcement that daylight is coming.
BNcouraged!
Rev. Karen
Are you or someone you know struggling through a dark time? If your answer is "no", just keep living. Sooner or later we will all face a time in our lives when we can't see our way through to the next step. No one is exempt. Not presidents, not pastors, not me, not you.
The more we read of God's Word the more we find that even those who watched for a Savior (David), walked with the Savior (Peter) and were transformed by the Savior (Paul) went through times of doubt, despair, disappointment and discouragement.
Though darkness is real, it is temporary. I repeat....Though darkness is real, it is temporary. Even in places like Alaska where there are cities that remain in darkness for months at a time, even the lengthiest dark spells are still temporary.
The blessing that we have as believers in Jesus Christ is that the Word of God is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. So, even when we are unable to see 10 feet ahead in the darkness, through prayer and the Word we can go through one step at a time. That's what faith is, isn't it? Faith is the evidence of things not seen.
Don't retreat when darkness comes. If you can't move forward, just stand firm. If there are things you don't know, stand on what you do know--that no weapon formed against you shall prosper, that God shall supply all your needs, that without faith it is impossible to please God, that God will turn your mourning into dancing.
Every midnight is followed by a sunrise. So, if you are in darkness now, just hold on because darkness is simply an announcement that daylight is coming.
BNcouraged!
Rev. Karen
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Mirror, Mirror
Mirrors are fascinating. Just try putting a mirror in front of an infant and watch his or her reaction. You will see a variety of expressions, from quizzical, to fearful, to excited. My children are still at the stage where mirrors are an invitation to make funny faces or perform other self-amusing antics. They never consider using mirrors to examine themselves to see if they have effectively removed all of the morning crust from the corners of their eyes and mouths or if their hair looks like "who did it, why'd they do it, and please don't do it again!"
Once they reach the teenage years, however, I fully expect to have to perform surgery to remove them from their mirrors--or for that matter any reflective object that will allow them to admire themselves.
Even as adults, most of us wouldn't think of leaving the house without at least one glance in the mirror to make sure we are "presentable." Those brief glances have spared us the embarrassment of leaving the house with a hair roller still hanging on, remnants of breakfast still hanging on, or clothing inadvertently caught up and hiked up in places that simply shouldn't be mentioned.
With all of this reflecting and glancing going on, how often do we really take a good long look at ourself in the mirror in an effort to see past the surface and into the depth of who we truly "are"?
We are made in the image of God, the Great I AM. So, how do we reflect that image in our lives?If we are honest with ourselves, we probably reflect more of the projections of others and the trappings of this world than the image of our creator. We may reflect the desperation of trying to find a mate or approval from our mate by wearing revealing clothing or doing other things that scream, "Look at me!" (or for the church folks, "Do not pass me by!") Some people may do just the opposite and withdraw or display anti-social, rebellious behavior that says, "Don't look at me! Just walk on by!"
I wonder if some of us become addicted to piercings and tatooing (and if we can afford it, plastic surgery) because we are not pleased with what we see in the mirror. We think we are not desireable enough, so perhaps a little ink here, a little stud there, a little lift here, a little tuck there and we will finally be good enough--but for who or what? We are already fearfully and wonderfully made by God. Why isn't that good enough?
Let's be honest, when we were little children running wild and free, how many of us grew up desiring to have bodies filled with silicone, permanent ink or metal studs? How many of us planned to fry our brains with drugs or our lungs with nicotine? The media has paraded those images in front of us for so long that we started thinking that the desire for those things started from within us. Those images were projected onto us. I don't recall any of my childhood friends mentioning those things as personal, admirable goals in life when we were little.
Look in the mirror today. Take off the rose-colored glasses and take a good, long look. Be honest. If you see desperation, bitterness, depression, jealousy, insecurity, hatred, lust, impatience, conceit, the need to "fit in", or anything else that doesn't reflect the image of God, it's time to make an adjustment. The adjusment is not demanding that everyone "accept me for who I am!" if who you've become is not who God says you are.
When we are ready to know what we really look like, we will look to God's Word for it has the power to reflect the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. So help us God.
Once they reach the teenage years, however, I fully expect to have to perform surgery to remove them from their mirrors--or for that matter any reflective object that will allow them to admire themselves.
Even as adults, most of us wouldn't think of leaving the house without at least one glance in the mirror to make sure we are "presentable." Those brief glances have spared us the embarrassment of leaving the house with a hair roller still hanging on, remnants of breakfast still hanging on, or clothing inadvertently caught up and hiked up in places that simply shouldn't be mentioned.
With all of this reflecting and glancing going on, how often do we really take a good long look at ourself in the mirror in an effort to see past the surface and into the depth of who we truly "are"?
We are made in the image of God, the Great I AM. So, how do we reflect that image in our lives?If we are honest with ourselves, we probably reflect more of the projections of others and the trappings of this world than the image of our creator. We may reflect the desperation of trying to find a mate or approval from our mate by wearing revealing clothing or doing other things that scream, "Look at me!" (or for the church folks, "Do not pass me by!") Some people may do just the opposite and withdraw or display anti-social, rebellious behavior that says, "Don't look at me! Just walk on by!"
I wonder if some of us become addicted to piercings and tatooing (and if we can afford it, plastic surgery) because we are not pleased with what we see in the mirror. We think we are not desireable enough, so perhaps a little ink here, a little stud there, a little lift here, a little tuck there and we will finally be good enough--but for who or what? We are already fearfully and wonderfully made by God. Why isn't that good enough?
Let's be honest, when we were little children running wild and free, how many of us grew up desiring to have bodies filled with silicone, permanent ink or metal studs? How many of us planned to fry our brains with drugs or our lungs with nicotine? The media has paraded those images in front of us for so long that we started thinking that the desire for those things started from within us. Those images were projected onto us. I don't recall any of my childhood friends mentioning those things as personal, admirable goals in life when we were little.
Look in the mirror today. Take off the rose-colored glasses and take a good, long look. Be honest. If you see desperation, bitterness, depression, jealousy, insecurity, hatred, lust, impatience, conceit, the need to "fit in", or anything else that doesn't reflect the image of God, it's time to make an adjustment. The adjusment is not demanding that everyone "accept me for who I am!" if who you've become is not who God says you are.
When we are ready to know what we really look like, we will look to God's Word for it has the power to reflect the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. So help us God.
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