THANKSGIVING

Our November meeting of Baskets of Life was a program of beautiful praise and worship music to thank God for all that He is and has done for us. As we enter the Thanksgiving holiday, let our hearts focus on our thankfulness.

What does thankfulness mean and how can we make it real in our own lives? The word "thank-ful" means having a heart full of thanks. To have our hearts full of thanks, we must empty it of negative emotions which distort our thinking.

Our society encourages us to look at what we don't have and we become dissatisfied. Advertising is designed to make us want the newest model, the most shiny, expensive items, which is constantly changing. The big screen TV that we purchased last year only satisfies us until the next model comes out with newer features
, so we are envious of what we don't now have -which leads to covetousness. Matt 6:19,21 Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,where moth and decay destroys, and thieves break in and steal...For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be. 

  

Entertainment, such as TV and movies, depict extravagant and dangerous lifestyles that seem so exciting. When we compare our own ordinary lives with what we see, we become disappointed with the responsibilities and routine of daily life. Some people attempt to step over the moral boundaries into the lifestyle depicted, but quickly discover that leads to severe consequences..addictions, financial loss are just a few.

The average American is on some type of social media for 6 hours a day.

When we compare our lives to what others say their family members are doing...little Suzie is on the honor roll, taking dance, voted most popular, we wonder "why can't I have a child like her?"  Jealousy grows within us. 

  

As discontent grows, we begin to feel negative emotions. We begin to look at the negatives and not the positives in our life. If this pattern becomes a habit, we see few things to be thankful for. How many times have we sat around the Thanksgiving table with family members (or ourselves included) complaining about how our life does not measure up to our expectations.

The word Thanks has its origin in the word Think. It's the not the events or circumstances that cause us to have negative feelings, but how we think about those things. It's our thinking, not the circumstances that cause us to be discontent. When we take control of our thinking, we can look at life differently, so we can be thankful.

Scripture shows us how:

In everything give thanks...1 Thessalonians 5:18

Place your trust in God, not in mankind or material things. God loves you; you

are his child. He wants the best for you. Even when life seems unfair, trust that God can turn things around to benefit you. Don't focus on the circumstance at this moment, this too shall pass.  Good things come to those who wait.

...rejoice in every good thing which the Lord, your God, has given you. Deuteronomy 26:11 

Keep your focus on what you do have and not on what you don't. The simple things in life bring the most joy. Stop your hurried pace and enjoy the beauty of the sunset, see how pure, white snow is as it blankets the earth.Thank God for his creation and that you have eyes to see. Go for a walk and thank God you have two legs that move, breathe in the fresh air and know that God is the one who gave you breath. Love and appreciate the family in which God has placed you. God has a plan and purpose for your life. You are there for a reason. 

Colossians 3:15-16

Let the peace of Christ control your hearts...and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly..singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude.

Psalms 135:3

Praise the Lord; for the Lord is good: sing praises unto His name; for it is pleasant..Thank you Jody for your beautiful praise music. Go to our U-Tube to hear some of the music sung at Baskets of Life, Nov. 19th 

What do Twislers

and Halloween have in common?

Yes, that red licorice stick of candy and Halloween. What do they have in common? The answer...they are both twisted and both cheap imitations.
Did you know that there is not one bit of licorice in a Twisler? The ingredients are corn syrup, flour, sugar,gelatin spun round and round to give a twisted appearance.And, Halloween is now considered by many to be a holiday, but is far from being a holy-day. Quite the opposite. It celebrates the complete opposite of holy. It is actually an event that Satan, the ruler of this world, has lulled us into believing is a harmless, fun activity. Both appear to be something they are not.

When Lucifer (satan) was an angel in heaven, he wanted to raise his throne above the the stars of God... and make himself like the Most High. (Isaiah 14:12-14) He has been in competition with God for eons..wanting more of our time, our money, and our very decision making. 

• We've been bombarded the entire month of October with TV ads to celebrate Halloween, and the stores are loaded with all kinds of decorations and costumes. Americans spend so much money for this "holiday" that commercially it is second only to Christmas. Money that could be spent on healthy food for growing kids, paying bills, or tithes to God are instead being spent on candy that causes tooth decay, weight gain, sugar addictions and diabetes, which is at an all time high. How good is this??
• Trick or Treat night has recently been extended over an entire week. What exactly is Trick or Treat?...it appears to be a harmless activity, but it's origin is not. Children would threaten homeowners that if they did not receive candy, money, or treats, they would play pranks on the people, such as breaking windows, sitting fires, etc. That does not sound like fun to me..but more like extortion.Surely, not Godly behavior.
• Satan is an expert of masquerading. (Rev.2:13-15). He deceived Eve by appearing as a serpent or snake, and roams about as a lion. Halloween is about masquerading as something or someone we are not. Everyone knows that Halloween parties are incomplete without costumes. There are entire stores that sell nothing but costumes, with people beginning shopping for them months in advance and spending large amounts on money for the most outrageous. Is satan our role model?
• The symbols of Halloween are those that reflect the work of satan:
  
  rotting corpses, bare-boned skeletons, witches, monsters, evil henchmen, devils, tortured souls of the dead. This stuff in real life is not fun. Death is the work of satan, not of God. How many of us have mourned the loss of a loved one, yet satan, through Halloween, makes death seem glamorous. 
• Terror and fear are also made to seem like fun. Haunted Houses are so popular that folks stand in line to enter, and horror movies are a hot ticket especially this time of year. However, if anyone were tortured and brutalized in real life, it would not be fun, but a tragedy. We even expose our small children to all this, yet did you know that children's minds cannot distinguish reality from fantasy? Heart monitors have been placed on children going through Halloween torture chambers and their heart beats are elevated to a dangerously high level.(What parent wants to scare their precious child to death?)
• This all seems like insanity to the rational mind. How can this be? Well, satan is the Father of Lies and the Spirit of Falsehood. He is the murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. Just as Eve was deceived by the serpent and his cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray. (2 Cor.11:3) The god of this age (satan) has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light..the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. (2 Cor.4:4.) 

We all want to fit in and be liked, but we need to be mindful of what we are doing...which means, we need to think what are we really saying through our actions. Do we really want to celebrate evil, pain and death? It's so easy to take the broad path of our society...do what everyone else is doing, without really thinking about what our actions mean in the spiritual realm. Satan wants to entice us to follow the crowd in doing what seems on the surface as fun. He excites and incites us to act in ungodly ways. Don't fall for his tricks. Jesus said "Away from me, satan! for it is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only." Mat.4:10  Peace be with you, Christine