Thanksgiving

On Sunday, we were encouraged to wake up every morning by doing the following 3 things:

stretch - it gets your body going
smile - it gets you in the right mood
say "God loves me!" - gets you spiritually ready for the day

For the last 2 days I have done this and what a difference it has made in my mornings!  Even if I don't feel like smiling, I force that smile on my face and by the time I say "God loves me!" outloud, that smile is real and whatever the day holds, I know that God is there right beside me all the way through it.

It also puts me in a thankful mood.  The Bible mentions being thankful several times.  We are to come into His presence with thanksgiving.  We are to be thankful in every circumstance.  We are to be thankful for all things.  We are to be thankful.  We are to ask for things with an attitude of thanksgiving.  We are to do all things with an attitude of thanksgiving.  The Bible also gives examples of peole who were thankful to God, even in heartbreaking situations.  I must admit that I so often fall short.  Many times, I come to the Lord with a selfish attitude, wanting Him to see things MY way.  I want Him to see how frustrated I am, or how I think things should be.  But the things is, He DOES see how I see things and what I want and how frustrated I am.  He knows what is best for me.  I don't.  I am so thankful that God does things His way because His way is the absolute best and it is perfect.  I am so thankful that God gives me grace and mercy.  Mercy is when I'm spared what I do deserve and grace is when I'm given what I don't deserve.

I deserve to go to hell.  I am a sinner, unworthy of being in the presence of God.  But by His mercy, He wants to save me, keep me from perishing in hell.  God does not want anyone to perish.  And by His grace, He has offered me life.  I am not good enough to get to heaven.  No matter how many good deeds I do, no matter how often I go to church, no matter how much I pray, no matter how much I believe in the exitence of God, I cannot get to heaven on my own.  Those things will not save me.  I must realize I am a sinner, unable to go to heaven, separated from God.  I must believe that Jesus took my punishment and died in my place on the cross.  I must accept the gift of eternal life that God offers and trust Jesus as my Savior.  I am forever thankful to God for His sacrifice for me so that I could live forever in heaven.

I'm also thankful for my life.  I'm thankful for my husband and children, the family I grew up in, my church family, and the many many friends I have.  I am thankful that I live in a country where I can freely worship my Lord.  I am thankful that I have a home, I have more than enough food, I have plenty of clothes, I have clean water to drink, and so many other things that we often take for granted.

But, this year, I've been thinking about all the people who have been such a huge influence in my life.  I would not be the person I am today without them investing their time in me.  I'm sure I'll forget some people but these people have been coming to mind a lot lately and I am so thankful to them for caring about my spiritual walk and to God for bringing them into my life and giving them the wisdom to help me.

My dad - such a great spiritual leader in our family, church, and community.
My mom - a wonderful example of sacrificial love and supportive and submissive wife
My sisters - all 3 of my sisters are an encouragement to me
Seth - my amazing husband of 13 1/2 years!  He has made living for the Lord more real than anyone else I've met.  I get caught up in the traditions, and going through the motions, but he turns my head around and makes me see the reality of living for God.  Be me.  Care only about what God thinks, not anything that anyone else thinks, no matter who they are.
My kids - yes, I can learn things from them.  They see things with young eyes and hearts and often realize God's ways in areas that I miss it.
Jerry Holan - He was my Sunday School teacher and it was in his class that I realized I was not going to heaven.  Just because my parents were Christians, it didn't mean that I was too.  I had to make the decision on my own to follow Jesus.  It is because of Jerry that I chose to give my life to Jesus.
Tilman LaBuff - He was my junior high Sunday School teacher.  As you know, this is an age where kids find themselves under peer pressures and want to be cool.  I was afraid that being a Christian wasn't cool.  I wanted to break free of the "rules" of Christianity and walk with the world.  Tilman showed me that being a Christian is cool.  I mean, Tilman was one of the coolest adults I knew and he was truly a believer who walked closely with the Lord.  It was also while under his teaching that I started praying for the salvation of each one of my classmates in school.  I still do.
Paul Nelson - He was my high school Sunday School teacher and youth group leader.  He made me see that I don't need to be afraid to live like a Christian.  My mission field was my school.  I was to be a light there, and be set apart from the world.  I was to be different and not try to fit in.  I started to act more like myself and not be afraid of who I truly was.
Chad Clarkson - It was through his influence that I chose to attend Emmaus Bible college
Sharon Beaman - She was my best friend in high school.  I had more fun with her than I ever thought possible.  She was one of the few people my age with whom I talk about spiritual things.  I think we both grew in the Lord.
The Meyer family - Not only did this family provide amazingly fun times and a great place to just hang out, but they were a very godly family.  They were the first family I had met who homeschooled.  Each of the kids, including some my age, showed how important God was to them.  I don't think I would have had the courage to live out my faith as a teen if it weren't for their influence.
Andy Karas - He is one of the best guy friends a girl could ask for.  We were so close that some people thought we were dating - which to us was quite laughable.  He chose to quit public school and finish his high school years homeschooling.  Although I hated that he left, I respected him for this brave decision.  He was probably the wisest and most godly friend I had and I didn't realize it until years later.
Rachel Sylvester - I grew up with her at camp.  We were in the same cabin almost every year.  As we all grew up, it was clear how much she loved the Lord.  She was one of the few people I knew at Emmaus when I first arrived.  She took me around and we introduced ourselves to several people and she introduced me to some people she already knew.  Since I'm a bit shy, I appreciated her boldness.
Amy Rush - She became my best friend in college.  So many heart-to-hearts with her.  She encouraged me to keep trusting the Lord and what He is doing.
Dave Glock - He officiated our wedding.  He was a man who was very much in love with his wife (and I'm sure he misses her everyday).  He was quite a jokester and wasn't afraid to be silly.  His outlook on life seemed to be live for the Lord and have fun doing it!
Keith Leverentz - He was another professor at Emmaus.  He made life with Jesus real.  He was real.  There was nothing fake about him.  He had faults and a lot of wisdom.  It was an encouragement to see that we will always be learning in our walk with the Lord.
Tom Marinello - Another Emmaus professor.  He was one of the few professors who supported and encouraged Seth's and my relationship.  He was full of tid bits of wisdom but still had fun.  This was the one I stuck my tongue out at and he got me back by having a guy read a poem to me in class.
The Grueneichs - Such a wonderful family who worked at Village Creek Bible Camp.  I enjoyed listening to Reuben speak at church, Ruth was an amazing cook and so sweet - not afraid to have some fun, Dan was never afraid to hand out wisdom and was always willing to sit and talk - I know he had a great impact on Seth's spiritual life, and Rod - chalk full of fun and reality.
Karen Smith - I miss her so much.  She was a very sweet lady who opened her arms and her home to us when we first moved to Wichita.  She shined godliness and shared her wisdom and things she learned in her life.  She was truly an older woman teaching the younger.
Heather Smith - We seemed to be on the same path in life, but she was so full of joy.  She was happy to be serving the Lord as a mother.  She also prayed for me when I was going through some rough times.
Russ and Jan Yost - Such a fun and godly couple!  They opened their home to us several times and were very hospitable.  They had such great wisdom on marriage and raising a family in the Lord.
Ashley Mullinix - Someone I could vent to without being judged!  We shared our struggles with each other and she was just someone I could lean on and I was someone she could lean on.
Margaret Peters - Another amazing woman full of God's wisdom and not afraid to show that she is still learning and growing.
The Skiles family - From parents to 4 (now grown) children, they all have much love for the Lord and serving Him.
Jennifer Hollinger - Fun but serious about the things of the Lord.  She has such a heart for those not walking with the Lord and wants to see her children, her nieces and nephews, and all children grow up to love the Lord and serve Him fully.
The elders at Westside Bible Chapel - Each one of them have expressed their love for the Lord and for their flock at Westside.  They serve in different ways and I appreciate all that they do.
Trudy Burkle - Another godly woman who has opened her home on several occasions.

I'm sure there are many others who have greatly impacted my life and there will be many more as long as I am still on this earth.  But to each and every one of you, thank you.  Thank you for loving the Lord so much that you would love me.  Thank you for teaching me your wisdom, passing on your life lessons learned, encouraging me in my walk, and for just being shining examples for Jesus Christ.  You are doing things for eternal gain without a care for the earthly gain.  I love you all.

And thank you to my heavenly Father who has guided my path so that I would meet all of these wonderful people.  It is He who brought them into my life and placed on their hearts to reach me wherever I was at.

Oh how blessed I am.