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As we prepare for the most joyful time of the year, recognize that many of us are not so joyful. Perhaps, we have lost a loved one during this time of year. Perhaps, our relationship to a loved one is on rocky ground or have been destroyed in its entirety leaving us depressed. We may even think why should we be thankful when we are so depressed? The highest suicide rate is not during the winter months but occurs during late spring or early summer. That fact does not stop us from feeling sad when we hear of tragedies affecting families forever. During this festive season, let us remember the reason for the season. Put the past behind you and look forward with good thoughts to a brighter future.

Maybe we should try to consider a Godly perspective instead of a human one. Perhaps, we should examine everything carefully that happens to us and hang on to what is good. Perhaps, we should avoid every kind of evil. I encourage you all to read more in 1 Thessalonians 5 starting at verse 16 through 24. If we prayerfully consider all of our decisions, before we make them, perhaps we can avoid the trauma of our poorly thought out decisions. It is not as bad as we think. Don’t suppress the guidance of the Spirit but lean on your faith and be thankful.

As we remember, Christ in our Christmas celebration, first coming as a little baby into a dark world, let us consider His second coming and our decisions. If bad decisions have impacted us in the past, good decisions we make today will ensure a brighter future. In all things give thanks!

T

A day is measured according to where you exit. If you live on earth, we have approximately 24 hours in a day. What if you live on Mars? You would have an extra hour. How about if you lived on Neptune? You would loose about 8 hours from your day. If you lived on Venus, you would have over 5,800 hours more each day. Get the picture?

Sometimes we loose patience especially in this instant messenger world we live in today. Have you considered that a day is measured according to each of our perspectives on where we are in life? What if you were given a day to live? How would you spend it? I believe life is too short to spend it in anger or conflict with another.  In 2 Peter 3 starting at verse 8, we are given a new perspective of a day. A day is like a thousand years according to the Lord. He is not slow to keep his promise as some may think of the concept of slowness. Instead, he is patient towards us and does not want any of us to perish but to change our hearts and lives. We are warned that the day of the Lord will come like a thief. Therefore, we should not miss a single hour, minute or second in acting according to His will. Like John the Baptist, we should prepare the way knowing we are not worthy, but willing to be used. How are we used? The how will be revealed in due time but the why is to help soften hearts and lives to seek forgiveness while there is time. If we are expecting one day we will begin to change, then we are being set up for failure. If we act now, we can rejoice in victory ourselves as well as those who will be turned by our actions. A day is limited no matter how we measure it.

T

Eyes give us the ability to bring into our world images that we can then relate with our other senses such as our ability to smell, hear, taste or touch. Eyes are specific organs our bodies use to enable the sense of sight. Eyes utilize light to make vision possible. The heart is an organ that beats involuntarily about 60 times per minute at rest but can reach higher numbers when active. If the heart fails to beat, our bodies fail. We can live without eyes but not without our heart. But have you ever considered eyes of your heart?

Ephesians 1:18, offers a pray that the eyes of our heart process sufficient light to have the image of hope for God’s call. This image offers us an opportunity to join together with Christ or as verse 23 explains his body, the church. Marriage is the union of two people as humans define it but it is also a combination of elements. The concept of marriage between Christ and his church (us) is widely understood. So when we consider the eyes of our heart as our soul and the combination of our soul with others, we have the fullness of Christ, who fills everything in every way. We have weaknesses and we have strengths, but when we are combined with one another for good, the weakness are diminished and our strengths become much stronger.

In Matthew 25, Jesus will separate the sheep from the goats. Sheep represent those who have received sufficient light through the eyes of their hearts to become one with Christ. Goats represent those who remain defiant to the needs of others and only care about themselves.  From verse 31, the sheep saw the hungry, thirsty, strangers, naked, and those in prison as the body of Christ who were weak and needed to be strengthen. Whereas, the goats ignored the same groups and paid the eternal price.

If we have done it to the least, we have done it to Him. Give thanks everyday.

T

Happy Thanksgiving to you all! We can trace this holiday to a 1621 celebration at the Plymouth Plantation where settlers had a successful growing season. The holiday was recognized nationally by proclamation from George Washington in 1789. We have a real connection with the investment of seeds to fruition from very difficult conditions to a day of perhaps too much indulgence. Do we remember the sacrifices of our forefathers giving themselves to enhance our lives? Did they possess an attitude of success? Yes! If they had failed, would we even exist today?

I watched an awesome movie called “Wonder” the other day that demonstrates the gifts one possesses to enhance another goes well beyond superficial attraction. I encourage you to see the movie yourself but be prepared to wipe your eyes often.

I believe God has given each of us certain talents or gifts. We are also given a free will to use those gifts or to hide them. We can invest our gifts for the enhancement of others or we can hide them and return them back to the master unused. Some of us never even try to realize our gifts due to fear of failure. Thank goodness those that who have forged a life before us did not have that failure mentality but went on faith to fulfill their dreams. 1 Thessalonians 5 says we are children of light and since we belong to the day, we stay focused on the gift of salvation. The story in Matthew 25 tells about the master giving coins to his workers according to their ability. Two workers invested the coins and was rewarded for their actions where one worker buried his coin in fear of retaliation thus missing an opportunity to prove his worth. Many of us are given gifts and use those gifts to the best of our ability but many of us hide away our gifts for fear of failure. The only way a person can truly succeed is to learn that failure is only a stepping stone to success. Don’t say the words “can’t” or “try”. Replace those words with “can” or “do”.

Use your talents and gifts to enhance your life and the lives around you then teach others to utilize their specific gifts to do the same and let us all grow together.

T

I think the use of a crystal ball to predict your future is close to thinking the tooth ferry will bring us money. Perhaps at a young age, we can pretend but as we get older, I believe we all eventually reach a maturity where we realize it takes a little more effort to fulfill our dreams. A crystal ball is used as a fortune telling object. In my opinion, this object is nothing more than a piece of glass. Would anyone use this object to plan their future? I believe there is a distinct difference between hoping for the future and relying on an inanimate object to predict the future. Hope is a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen. Paul encouraged us in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 to draw on their hope of the resurrection for strength in time of mourning. We all know that death is inevitable. When that time comes, we can either embrace the moment with confidence that there is a life everlasting or end in fear there is no future. May we share the encouragement with Paul that we should not mourn as if it’s the end, but the beginning of a new existence in the Spiritual World. None of us have a crystal ball so it is absurd to not take action in planning for the future. Do you have hope?

Most of God’s creatures have a natural desire to plan or store for the winter but us humans are given a free will to plan or not. In Matthew 25:1-13 which I encourage you to read is all about preparation. In the parable of the wedding, some bridesmaids did not prepare for the long wait for the bride groom. When he arrived they were not recognize. The message is that we should plan ahead, stay alert and prepare for the inevitable. Why should we prepare if we do not believe? Thank goodness many of us do believe and can accept our everlasting future.

T