Giving Thanks and Being Grateful

Giving Thanks In All Circumstances is what we must do daily. It may be difficult with everything that is going on in the world. However when we give into the fear, we defeat the strong purpose God has in our lives. We let others dictate how we should feel. We allow the cares of this world to swallow us up.

We could wallow in self pity now. Looking at this photograph, some would say that the forest in it is dying. Others can look at this photograph and see the beautiful fall colors knowing that this is only a temporary death. The trees will grow their leaves again come Spring.

Much like the season of my life now. There are some things that are dying. I know that winter is coming when nothing will grow. Sometimes those thoughts scare me. No one wants to grow old...but we all do.

We need to give thanks to all the seasons of our lives realizing that in each season there is beauty to be had and enjoyed. We need to be grateful for what we do have in our lives now and not yearning for something more. As any of you that have been reading my blogs know I've been going through a particularly rough patch in my life these three and half years. I've had a time when I tried to push my  feelings down and pretend that life was going on pretty much as it had been. The shrinks call it the denial phase. I've also had the "fighting" phase where I tried my hardest to find some way out of the situation. I admit that in some ways I'm still fighting and unable to accept things the way they now are. It hasn't been easy to let go. I sometimes still long for that time when I felt secure and had a "9 to 5" job.

Yet I can't help thinking that if I hadn't be in the situation that I now still find myself in...that my eyes still would have been closed to all God has planned for me. I can be thankful for all the friends and acquaintances that I met over the past three and half years that helped keep me sane and focused. I can be grateful for opportunities (even if they are not paid) to help others understand their rich heritage and preserve local history. I can be thankful for the support I've received from so many businesses and individuals to bring a vision that much closer to reality.

I can thank God for leading me to people that can help shape the vision I have to help young people realize and embrace their heritage. I thank God for his presence in my life and in my family's lives.

Wrapping My Mind Around The Tragedy In Paris

I'm still a bit numb. Almost overnight our freedoms have been taken away from us. It isn't hard to grasp the seriousness of the situation with some men still on the loose. Yet I can't help thinking that  allowing the government to raid your home or your place of business at any time sounds like something a dictatorship would do. What freedom will we lose if we allow searches and seizures to happen just because someone suspects something? I can't help thinking that it is too easy to point fingers and tell lies about someone without incrimination.

I am still wrapping my mind around how easily everyone seems to accept this "status quo" in order to catch an elusive prey. I hurt for the victims, but I hurt more for those who will be wrongfully accused of the heinous acts without recourse. Will they have a voice? I don't know. It all seems scary until you step back and realize that God is in control. He knows the situation and the hearts of the people involved. They will all be revealed in time for their deeds whether good or bad.

I do believe that this incident, tragic as it is, is probably only the "tip of the iceberg." We do need to prepare ourselves as Christians for what's coming. Our fellow Christians is Syria and the Middle East have already seen the first fruits of the tribulation that is on the horizon.

In some ways Obama is right. We can't condemn the Syrian refugees. To do so would be to repeat the tragedy of WWII when we refused the Jewish refugees. I admit that I am frightened by the threats, but I have to leave my fears in God's hands. He will open a way.

Reaching a Crisis and Moving Forward

I haven't been writing these blogs for the past two weeks. I went through a crisis. It wasn't very pretty. Crisis never is. I won't go into details about what happened. I'm still sorting out the "why" and trying my hardest not to fall apart at the seams.

All families go through these crisis. It doesn't make it any easier, especially when it's someone you love that is going through it with you. There are days still that I'm in denial. I want things to go back to the way they were before the crisis, even though I know that they can't. I want someone to wave a magic wand and make it all go away. It just isn't possible.

I am moving forward. I have to. There is no way back. I keep telling myself that it can't get any worse, even though I know that it can. Some days it really hurts. I feel frustrated and alone. I know others feel that way too. I tell myself to reach out to them and let them know what's going on. My tongue is stuck in my mouth. I feel frozen. I don't want to feel this way. In fact I'd rather feel like I was in control...little realizing that I was never in control.

The Lord knows my needs. He knows how I'm feeling and the stress that has created so many issues in my life. He wants me to lean on him. Yet I sometimes resist. The way is scary and unknown. I may be forced to do some things that I never thought I'd do. I have to trust him to hold me up and not let go. I have to depend on him to give me shelter and food. I can't depend on my own resources.

I am moving forward in faith. God does have a plan for me. He knows where I should be and what I should be doing. He will guide me if I let him. I just have to let him and get out of the way.