THANKsgiving

So we had our community wide Thanksgiving service in our town today. The scripture was Luke 7:11-21. It is about Jesus healing the ten lepers, and the one leper coming back to thank Jesus. Isn't that how we are today? So, you might remember as a small kid, your parents telling you to thank people when they do something for you. We can be like the nine other lepers, or we could be like the little kid and the one other leper, and go thank Jesus for everything he has done for us.

The pastor who did the sermon told two stories. Well, they were short testimonies. The first was of a cancer patient who, every day, would walk down the hall of the hospital, thanking officials, and saying hello to everyone else. The second story was of a surviving breast cancer patient. They took out cancer on one of her breasts, and in the process they found a lumb on the other side. So she had her family and her close friends to pray for her. And, when the doctors tried to find the bump on the other side, they said it was gone. They were puzzled, but the woman said she knew why it was gone. The thing in common with these two stories is that funding foundations came out of them.

It seems like this time of year, Christmas and Black Friday seem to overshadow what we are thankful for. What are we thankful for? We might say the norm things like "family, friends, a place to live, etc., etc., ETC." But Mandy today on the Air1 morning show made it clear. We should be thankful for our breath, that we are still living, that we are still healthy, that we have God who is there through it all. What are we really thankful for? Well, while you are having dinner with your family this Thanksgiving, remember this. God saved us, and this is a true THANKsgiving.

Now, you should know, since I LOVE music, that I should finish with a song. Well, I looked through my playlist, and it looks like I have no songa about Thanksgiving. But I do know one song. You may not think of it as Thanksgiving, but it is true!

Praise him from whom all blessings flow!
Praise him all creatures here below!
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!
Amen.
- the Doxology

Until Later,

Brandon

Life is Beautiful

I saw the video for this amazing song, "Life is Beautiful" by The Afters. It's from the soundtrack of the movie "October Baby". The song talks about "All of the things that make us feel like we have it all. All of times that make us realize we have it all." That is true, isn't it? Compared to some people in Africa or even China, who have nothing, we have everything; we have it all. But people take it for granted. There is also a new song by Audio Adrenaline called "The Least Of These". It's about the kids half-way around the world who have nothing. If we love them, they could be queens or kings. But only if we love the least of these. Only if we love these tiny children just as Jesus did.

How come babies are being killed nowadays? You would normally think, "Killing babies? No!" But it's true. Not only abortion, killing unborn babies, but POST-BIRTH abortion. POST-BIRTH! Think about that, what is post-birth? Life, right? Then whoever is using post-birth abortion, like the doctors in Europe, are becoming murderers. Life is beautiful, do not take if for granted! And how come we only think of life when someone dies? The reason is because we are too caught-up in our own lives. We wait to die, but when someone close to you dies, you want to live for them. Then you go back living like you want to die again.

It is true, Life IS Beautiful. And if you want proof, just think of the people half-way around the world, starving. Think of how they think that, we're still living, so God loves us; life is beautiful. And we need to be thankful for that.

Thanksgiving is coming up soon. What will be in your Thankful prayer? For your food? For your friends? How about for your life? Think about it. Life is Beautiful.

I'm in the choir at my church, and we were looking at songs in our new song books today. One of them goes "May God bless you, May he keep you, May he turn his face to you. May he guide you, And Protect you, May he give you peace." But the thing is, God has ALREADY blessed ALL of us. He has blessed us with LIFE. Please keep that in your prayers. He loves you. He gives you life.

Until Later,

Brandon