Happy Thanksgiving!

What a fun day...food...family...football...parade...more food! But what we find most enjoyable is to hear what everyone is thankful for. To share stories of what God has done in our lives over the past year...this is what Thanksgiving is truly about! Pumpkin pie is pretty good too! So enjoy praising our God together; with one voice declare His wonders! We are most thankful for His faithfulness to provide for us all that we need - whether big or small - He is truly a good God!

"I will sing to the LORD, because He has dealt bountifully with me." Psalm 13:6

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Can a camel go on a diet?

So, I've been thinking often about sacrificing...giving up stuff for the sake of Christ. Which makes me think about...what stuff? What do or should I sacrifice? Scripture repeatedly talks of giving to the poor, even to the point of selling our own houses (Acts 4:34)! I could very well say, "I don't own a home or have property of any worth that I could do this. So, this must not apply to me." Or think (umm...justify) to myself, that in the future I plan to have more, so at that point, I can give more (or give at all!). Many, or I should say, MOST Christians in America would admit to saying at least once, "I'm broke." or "I don't have much money." or perhaps, "I'm poor." (I'm guilty, especially now that we are being financially supported with a tight budget.) So, when coming across Luke 18:24-25 in our reading when Jesus makes a very sad and frightening statement, "How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.", it is easy for us to say, "Phew...I'm glad I'm not rich! I don't have a big house (or ANY house!), I don't own a fancy car, I don't take elaborate vacations. So, I am definitely NOT rich! Jesus isn't talking about me." It's easy to say that we don't have as much money as our friends around us, but does that define being broke or poor? Would Carrie Underwood consider herself a bad singer because she isn't Whitney Houston? It's easy to get the answers we want when we poll the small group of our choosing...but is that how God is going to distinguish the rich from the poor? Or will He be looking at the big picture? I encourage you to check out these two quick little websites, and consider the sobering message Jesus gives to the rich, but also be challenged with the remedy He gives just before it...Luke 18:18-22.

http://www.globalrichlist.com/ (find out where you fall on the world's rich list)
www.miniature-earth.com/me_english.htm (very short video of what it would look like if the world only had 100 people)

Happy giving!