Be thankful

Cultivate the habit of thankfulness.  Thanksgiving has great curative power.  The heart that is constantly overflowing with gratitude will be safe from those attacks of resentfulness and gloom that bother so many religious persons.  A thankful heart cannot be cynical. - A.W. Tozer

Thanksgiving

Without exception, Thanksgiving always falls on the fourth Thursday of November in America and the second Monday of October in Canada.  This year that's today.  In the US, government offices, business and schools are close on Thanksgiving Day.

The celebration of Thanksgiving is, in general, a feast to give thanks for the fruits of the previous harvest, in America specifically and it dates back to the 1600s.

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good - Psalm 107:1 NIV
David wrote - Psalm 103:2 - its good to remember God's past mercies, how He forgave our sins, healed us, sustained us and lavished His blessing upon us.  Continually thinking upon this will help us become more thankful and trusting.

The spiritual healthy Christian knows what to remember and what to forget.

Forget not all his benefits - Psalm 103:2

Forgetting those things which are behind - Phil 3:13

Don't let the abundance of God's gift cause you to forget the giver.

Happiness is a choice

We were blessed to a dinner by a Christian couple from Singapore at Nyonya Baba Cuisine at Nagore Road.

God is good to bring people along our path to share and encourage, and strengthen our walk with Him.

Happiness is not material goods or high achievement, but it boils down to our outlook in life and the quality of our relationships with the people around us.

To be happy - be part of something you believe in - like play an active role in community work and share time with friends and family.

Nobody is happy all of the time, but some people are definitely more fulfilled than others.

Happiness is a choice

Thankfulness

Thankfulness follows contentment: a discontented man is not thankful for anything, but a contented man is thankful for everything.  Thankfulness is a branch of godliness, none but a godly man is truly a thankful man.

Thankfulness is the "chief exercise of godliness" in which we ought to engage during the whole of our life.  "Gratitude is the heart  ...  of the Christian life."

Giving thanks to God is then not an optional thing for the Christian.  Thankfulness to God for His love, His care for us, and His provision for our salvation permeates both Old and New Testaments.  In the Old Testament, giving thanks to God was often done through the Levitical sacrifice.

Thankfulness should flow naturally from the Christian who realizes the great gift of salvation offered through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross.  Jesus Christ suffered the penalty for what He did not deserve (all my sin), then freely offered to me the reward (eternal life) that I did not deserve.  What an awesome God we serve!

Christian faith can be measure by thankfulness.  Our faith is evidenced by how thankful we are, and for how long.  This is because only those who have an intimate relationship with God are able to express thankfulness.  Those who follow God closely trust Him completely and are able to be thankful even in circumstances that do not naturally elicit thanksgiving.

Let us give thanks in every circumstances and faithfully share this heart of thanksgiving with others.
1 Chronicles 16:8   Give praise to the Lord, proclaim His name; make known among the nations what He has done.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18   Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

William Arthur Ward said,  "Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it".

God is Faithful

His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22-23)

At the end of every year, I try to set aside some time to review the previous 12 months and record God's faithfulness to me and my family. My list will certainly include instances of God's grace and provision, and not forgetting God's mercy and protection.

I thank God that I can have more quiet time with HIM in prayer and reading of His Word.
I praise Him that his provision is ever sufficient to meet my needs.
I glorified Him that there are always friends who care in time of need.

Praise the almighty God, our Heavenly Father who is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Amen !

ADDING UP YOUR BLESSINGS WILL MULTIPLY YOUR JOY.

FAITH IS NOT A LEAP INTO THE DARK BUT A STEP INTO THE LIGHT.
MAY THE LIGHT OF JESUS LEAD US THROUGH THE YEAR 2010.
BLESSED NEW YEAR.

Times & Seasons

As I was reading today text from Our Daily Bread on " Times & Seasons', I was reminded of the goodness and faithfulness of God throughout the year 2008.

I am thankful of His mercy that are new every morning as I wake up,
I am thankful of His grace that carried me through, my daily life when I need it,
I am thankful of His provision that are ever sufficient towards my family,
I am thankful of His promise that He will deliver and comfort me when I faces challenges in life,

I am thankful of His protection as He will watch over our coming and going forevermore,
I am thankful of His presence because in His presence there is fullness of joy,
I am thankful of His spirit that empowered me to live a God honoring life,
I am thankful of His peace that passes all understanding,
I am thankful of His living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
I am thankful of His love because His love endures forever.

As we begin the new year, 2009, let's embrace the lessons and opportunities of every season that comes to us. Ecclesiastes 3 : 1-2 recorded that There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot.