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happy thanksgiving


Before I get in to today’s devotion I want to remind you that there are FREE community meals taking place on Thanksgiving.  Two of them I know about are at our church, The Community Fellowship in Collinsville, from 2 until 4pm, and the other is at Orchard Drive Baptist Church, which is in the Sanville community of Bassett, beginning about 11am.  Please pass this and other free meals in your community on to others.

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What are you thankful for?  I mean, really.  What do the people around you know that you are thankful for?  Does my life and yours show others that we are grateful for anything?  Far too often Christians are known for what they are against or for what they are mad about.  That is just flat out wrong.  It is time to let the world know what we are excited about and what we are thankful for!

in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Years ago I heard a story about a lady who was going through a tough time in her life.  One day as she was in the bathtub God brought a thought to her mind.  "What am I thankful for?" She asked.  At that moment she looked around the bathroom and began to thank God for everything.  I mean everything from the toilet to the toilet seat, from the rug on the floor to the blinds on the window.

That may be a strange story, but it shows us a great point.  God intends for us to be thankful in everything.  And I mean everything.  Even in the stuff that is not so easy to be thankful for.  I heard one man say (and you have heard this before), "I complained about my feet hurting until I saw a man who had no feet".  We have so much to be thankful for.  It all begins with and ends with God.  He has blessed us.  He has loved us.  He has held us and helped us for a long time.  Isn't it time to let Him and others know we are thankful?

Give thanks to the God of heaven. His faithful love endures forever.

Take a few minutes today and tomorrow to express your thanks.  Tell someone you are thankful for them or for something they do.  Speak up about being thankful to God.  Let people hear you.

Here is another way to be thankful: look around you and see who you can bless.  Heck, it could be that this person needs a plate of leftovers or maybe even to be invited over for Thanksgiving dinner.  Maybe their yard needs some help because of all the leaves.  Maybe they need a call or even someone to pray for them this weekend.  Whatever it may be, going out of our way to serve others is another way to show that we truly are grateful for who God is and all He has done for us.

God never intends for us to live life alone.  He made us for fellowship, to enjoy each other.  Do that this Thanksgiving.

By the way, every time I time I think about you and write these devotions, I say something like what Paul said.  And I mean it ...

Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING from our family to yours!!!


NOTE: much of this devotion was originally shared in 2009.  This will be the last e-devotion for this week.

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