A Time to be Thankful

I will be honest; I do not generally see myself as an ungrateful person. Yet with Thanksgiving approaching, I am reminded I need to be more conscious of those people and circumstances for which I am very thankful! The truth is I am not ungrateful, but I rarely take time to count my blessings. You know how it is to go from one day to the next taking care of whatever is right before you, right? We go from one event to another, one to-do item to the next, one ballgame to another, etc, etc… We get so busy. We are not ungrateful, just terribly busy.

So let me suggest we take a moment this Thanksgiving to pause and be grateful for all our many blessings. Just think for a moment, what are you thankful for in this season? A great family, good job, excellentmarriage, healthy children, food on the table, all the bills being paid...what would you put on the list?

As I sit here, a few things come to mind for me. A good family, job, house, health, and the like. I have tons to be thankful for in my life. I suppose one difference in myself and many I see in the world around me is who I thank for wonderful gifts. Whenever I count my blessings, I cannot help but give praise to God! It is amazing how that one step makes a huge difference in my soul. Not just to be grateful, but to acknowledge who is the giver of all the wonderful blessings in my life.

As we come to the Holiday season, I encourage you to take time to be thankful, but also be sure to thank the one from whom all blessings flow!

(Psalm 26: 6 - 9)

Peace and Grace,

Brother Chip

New Life In Christ

Late one summer afternoon, I grabbed my camera and went outside with high hopes of capturing something to add to my photos and messages collection. As I toured the backyard, I noticed an unusual-looking crusty brownish-orange bug, with tiny black specks, on a shrub. I really wasn’t sure what kind it was, but the green leafy background created a colorful photo. Then, something very astonishing happened! Right after I took the first photo, the bug sat upright on its bottom side and I jokingly asked, “Are you posing for the camera?” I began taking numerous photos, and within less than a minute, it began shedding its exoskeleton. As my observation continued, I became excited about photographing a wonderful presentation of God’s creation. The little body eased its way out of the upper end, but it puzzled me. There were no spots and it was no longer orange, but a dull yellow color. It crawled to the edge of the empty skeleton, and then after a few seconds, it crawled onto the top of the hollow, crusty skin. It did this two times before traveling to the opposite side of the leaf, and at that moment, the message within began to unfold.

I lingered longer in observation of the metamorphic display and patiently watched as the outer layer became shiny and translucent. Faint evidence of little black dots slowly emerged as the pale yellow color mutated into a yellowish-orange, and within minutes, the black dots became increasingly prominent. What I had witnessed was the progression of an insect through the larvae and pupa stages. Surprisingly, it was a ladybug and new life had just begun!!

So much of God’s nature parallels life’s lessons and it leaves lasting impressions in my mind. Just like the ladybug returning to its old skin, oftentimes we lay down our heavy loads at the foot of the cross and then turn right back around to retrieve them. Like the ladybug returning to its exoskeleton, sometimes we are guilty of returning to lifestyles that are not pleasing to God. The bug traveled to the opposite side of the leaf to begin its new life, and so it is with us. Shedding the skins of our old nature allows us to make a one-hundred-eighty degree turn and live in peace and victory, as we begin our new life in Christ.

I’ll never forget that afternoon when God “step-by-step” unfolded a beautiful and extraordinary illustration of new life, not only for a tiny ladybug but for me, as well! What a forever memory it has created in my memory bank and I sure hope it will touch your life, too. The photos of that day still bring me joy, because of the intricately designed way that God created nature and He created us to also have new life in Him. If you’ve not already made the vital decision to surrender your heart to Jesus, I hope that you will do so while you still have breath and a heartbeat! It will be the most important decision you’ll ever make and YES, it’s a life or death decision! 2 Corinthians 5:17

Melinda Blair

A Follower's Thoughts - Making Memories

We all love to make memories with our children. I have so many fond memories of my children when they were little. The trips to the beach were some of my fondest. Wendy and I would spend time with them on the beach making sandcastles, putting them on a float for the first time, and letting the waves carry them to shore; all the time, they were crying and screaming, hold me, hold me. I guess the ocean can be a little intimidating when you are a child. I also remember lying on the beach and letting my kids cover me in the sand until all you could see was my head. Oh, and another time my daughter climbed on a bar stool in the condo and fell off, breaking her wrist. Now, that was a memory, not so great when you spend one of your vacation days in the ER!

Some of my favorite memories are the times at church with our children: Wednesday night suppers in the Fellowship Hall, helping teach them in Sunday School, carrying them to Bible School, making Advent wreaths, watching them in Christmas plays, coaching them in Micro-Soccer, and yes, trying to keep my daughter from rolling around on the floor at the Arbor Service on Sunday mornings. You know, there is a saying, "it takes a village to raise a child." I wish to thank each one in my church village that helped build a foundation under my family, a foundation centered around Jesus.

As Christmas approaches, let us all continue to make memories with family, friends, and church family. Let us not forget what this season is about, Jesus. Isaiah 9:6 says, "For a child has been born, a son given to us, authority rest upon his shoulders: and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." May Jesus be included in our memories this Christmas, as well as every day moving forward. God Bless and Merry Christmas!

Correll Pritchard

GIVING THANKS IN TURBULENT TIMES

Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

Be thankful? Tough ask! Virtually everybody has an opinion about life during Covid-19. The disruptions to our lives, let alone the risk assessment everyone is subconsciously calculating, makes for animated conversations around the coffee pot. In my spot, the idea of “doing no harm” and leading responsibly with great people in our church has been in itself “quite the ride.” Thankfully, I could say, it has taught me a few things. I have learned to be more patient with others and myself. It has affirmed that fear has two sides. Fear keeps us appropriately cautious from jumping without looking first, but it also can paralyze us from living fully. We need balance. I laughed out loud the other night watching a rerun of the silly movie WHAT ABOUT BOB. Bob, a lovable multi-phobic personality, played by Bill Murray, cannot be alone in his daily fear, so inappropriately, he attaches himself to his narcissistic therapist. It is “big funny” because we all have a little bit of Bob or little bit of Dr. Leo Marvin in our world. We probably need to be a little more real about life, like Leo’s son, Siggy.

Being thankful in all circumstances isn’t just because I learn things. It is because of who I learn from and why? We belong to God our Father who made this world, and He desires we be His mature kids. We want to fully understand the significance of this truth. The scripture says that as disciples we learn from Christ, the master teacher/Messiah, who we are in this world and the right things to do. We, who are/are being saved from sin, are God’s redeemed sons and daughters who are learning characteristics like obedience, trust, patience, compassion, confidence, common sense, and wisdom. So, being thankful that God is supernaturally “with us” in Jesus is understandable and developed within us. His presence bolsters our confidence. He ultimately reigns over all things and is now our companion and teacher. We trust He will help us all make sense of things, as we live in His good purposes, both hearing and doing His will amidst a fallen world. 

So yes, during this time of Thanksgiving, we are thankful for His provision and also thankful that we are born from above, in Christ, and these are times to trust and grow.

Barry