30 Days of Thanks: Jesus Christ

Day 30

Jesus Christ (the Anointed)

How do I sum up my undying gratitude for what Jesus did for me (and for you) in one little blog? In a little more than a month the Christian community will be celebrating the 2009+ year anniversary of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. This tiny babe, born of a virgin and raised by a poor carpenter, would soon prove to be exactly what we all needed- a Savior. He lived a perfect, sinless life. He was tempted in all areas. He taught, and loved, and cared for every one's needs. He died in my place so that I could be with him forever. He had the power to heal and transform lives then, and he has the same power today, and will have the same power tomorrow. He is Holy, Righteous, Just, Meek, Merciful, Humble, and Forgiving. He has been called Almighty (Revelation 19:15), Alpha and Omega (Revelation 21:6), Ancient of Days (Daniel 7:9), the Author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2), the Bread of Life (John 6:35), Eternal life (1 John 5:20), Glorious Lord (Isaiah 33:21), God, our Savior (1 Timothy 2:3), Great God (Titus 2:13), the great I AM (John 8:58), Lord God Almighty (Revelation 4:8), the Word (John 1:1), the Word of God (Revelation 19:13), and the Word of Life (1 John 1:1), just to name a few. He is the lover of my soul and is the source of my eternal salvation (Hebrews 5:9). Without him I would be lost not only in this world but for eternity. Without him I would have no hope. Without him I would have no life. Someday, I will get to thank him face-to-face. Someday, I will get to lay down my crown at his feet because I don't deserve it. For all the things that he has already done for me and all the things that are yet to come, I am eternally thankful!

30 Days of Thanks: The Holy Spirit

Day 29

The Holy Spirit

Here is a short list of why the Holy Spirit is so very important to me. First, He anoints and serves alongside the Messiah (Isaiah 48:16, 61:1; Luke 4:18-19); he ushers in the "last days" (Joel 2:28-32; Acts 2:14-36); he unifies the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:4-11; Ephesians 4:1-16); he gives new life (John 3:5-8); he convicts me of sin and enables me to repent and come to faith in Christ (John 16:8); he testifies to Jesus as the Messiah (John 14:26, 16:14); he guides me into truth (John 16:13); he bears fruit in my life (Galatians 5:22-25); he gives me supernatural gifts (1 Corinthians 12-14); he prays for me (Romans 8:26); and he is present in all Christians (Romans 8:9-11; 1 Corinthians 6:19). Even from this very brief list you can begin to see how crucial the Spirit's role is in my life. As Jesus said, He is my "Helper" or "Comforter" (John 15:26) throughout all the moments in my life. It is because of the Holy Spirit that I know the truth about how much God truly loves me, and for that I am eternally grateful.

30 Days of Thanks: God

Day 28

God

I am thankful that I have a God who is the Most High (Genesis 14:18-22), Lord (Genesis 2:4), Almighty (Genesis 15: 2,8), Everlasting (Genesis 21:33), Eternal (Deuteronomy 33:27), Holy (Isaiah 43:3, 14, 15), Incomparable (2 Samuel 7:22), Unchangeable (Numbers 23:19), Unequaled (Isaiah 40:13-25), Infinite (1 Kings 8:27), All-Powerful (Jeremiah 32:17, 27), Ever-Present (Psalms 139:7-12), All-Knowing (1 John 3:20), Wise (Acts 15:18), Perfect (Psalms 18:30), and loves me so incredibly much that he would sacrifice his only son so that I could be with him for eternity (John 3:16).

30 Days of Thanks: Unanswered Prayers

Day 27

Unanswered Prayers

There are so many things in my life that I've asked God for that I am extremely grateful that he never answered. Well, I shouldn't say that he didn't answer them it's just that the answer at the time wasn't what I really wanted to hear. It's funny how things work out for a reason. It's funny how we give our hearts to people and things that never deserved our love and attention and devotion but at the same time was totally necessary so that we could finally recognize who and what does. If that makes any sense. I think about all the boys that I've liked that made it into one of my prayers one way or another. I thank God that he didn't answer my little 5 year old request that I would grow up and marry a little boy name Brian and we'd live happily ever after in a mobile home in Florida. True story. I'm happy that God said, "Not yet" when I really wanted to buy that house in Las Vegas. There are many, many other delightful (and some painful) prayers that were never answered for reasons that make sense now only decades later. I am appreciative of the God that loves me enough to say "No" when what I ask for is not in my best interest. I am grateful to have such a loving Heavenly Father that has my back every day, in every situation, and in every request big or small.

30 Days of Thanks: My Vacuum & My Favorite Fruit

Day 24

My Dyson Vacuum Cleaner

How women ever made it through the 1950s without this magical miracle, I will never know. As cheesy as it sounds, I enjoy vacuuming the house every day. I'm thrilled to see that nearly a year and half later all the attachments are, well... still attached. I'm over-joyed (and disgusted) to see the clear, bagless bin fill up with stuff and can hardly contain myself when I empty the canister by the push of a button! This little beauty was worth every penny and I'm really thankful that it has made housework a little more entertaining.

Day 25

My Favorite Fruit

So what I'm really thankful for is my laptop computer. I never thought that I would ever, ever, ever get a laptop because I really didn't want one. When our Dell finally headed over to the garbage mound, we headed over to the Mac Store and what seemed like moments later, we were carrying this little lady home.

Why do I love Mac? First, it's what I grew up on. Second, it's awesome! It runs fast. It's programs are easy to use and figure out. It has tons of tutorials just in case. It's easy to personalize. The programs work the first time and all the time. I don't have to worry about viruses or bugs or junk like that. It's compact and works just as well in our library as it does out in the living room on my lap. I live in a fantastic age of technology where a wealth of information is literally at my finger tips! Our computer is just one more thing that reminds me everyday how blessed I really am.