Thankful

It’s that time of year where everyone talks about how thankful they are though we are thankful everyday of the year.

I can’t hardly believe It’s Thanksgiving already!  But I also can’t believe I have actually gottten 80% of my Christmas shopping finished and I haven't even had any turkey yet! This means I can spend less time shopping during the holidays and more time reflecting on the things that matter, such as family time, dinners, trips to see Christmas lights, and gatherings with friends.

I am thankful for so much.

I am thankful to have Jesus in my heart and soul. I am a believer, I am saved. 

I am thankful for for my daughter. While the doctors told me I would most likely never have children, I had a perfect one (well almost perfect to me). Shes has never given us a problem other than a little back talk. I am blessed. I am thankful.

Though I complain about work and the type of people I have to work with, I am thankful that I have a job. I get a paycheck thats big enough to get me to the next paycheck. 

I’m thankful I have a husband that loves me unconditionally. I never want for anything. I am also thankful that he fixes my coffee each morning for work and makes sure my car is warmed up before I face the cold roads.

I am thankful for my loving Christian family. We all get along, go to church and pray for each other. I have a mom, dad, two brothers and a sisters. 

I am thankful I have a nice home. Its not much but its not little. We do not have fancy things and most of our furniture was given to us. But It’s warm, it’s cozy and the refrigerator is full. 

I am thankful that I can say I’m thankful. 

I know there are so many out there without any of these things. The things we take for granted would be like gold to them. Some are struggling beyond what we can imagine. I pray that they can find something to be thankful for and know there is hope. 

What are some things you are thankful for? 

Hand Raiser

I was looking around on Facebook. You know, that place where everyone airs their dirty laundry.

Anyway, I came across a friends post that struck a nerve. First let me say, this person and her family are wonderful, loving, Christian people that I adore but something she posted did not sit well with me. 

She said something in the nature of praising God in church with praise songs. She shouted out that she could not see how a person can just sit in church without raising their hands in the air and rejoicing in praise. Basically stating that you just ain't got Jesus in your heart if you can not enjoy the music and show praise.

This made the little Southern Baptist in me fume a little. 

I love praise music. I love church. I love to see people praising God weather they have their hands in the air or folded in prayer. I would never question someones relationship with Christ by how high their hands are raised. 

Even though I seen where she was coming from, and glad she is feeling it, I think she was wrong in throwing her words out like that. She could have done more harm than good.

This is why....

• There could have been someone planning to attend church for the first time and now think they would be out of place or have to participate and fake an act just so they are not judged by other church goers. 
•  Everyone has their own style of worshiping. "There is no wrong or right way to worship. It's who you worship that matters".
•  It's people like this that some call “Holy Rollers”. or “Bible Thumpers”. They come across to others as “pushy” in making you believe its their way or the wrong way. 
•  People are weak. Someone that read her post may sit in the next church service and wonder the whole time if there is a member of the church watching and judging their actions not really knowing whats in their hearts then eventually refuse to attend. 
• I would never go to the same church as the person that stated the obvious. I wouldn't want the stinking looks from across the pews.

I’m not against other people shouting and praising. In fact I love it! It gives me Jesus bumps. My daddy is one of them, but I haven’t ever been a "hand raiser" (or hell raiser for that matter). I'm not saying I never will, but until now, I didn't know people thought less of my faith by the way I worship.

 "I'm pretty sure God will not judge how fast I ran down the isles or how far I jumped with my hands raised but rather how many times I fell to my knees in prayer". 
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