Merry Christmas (a day late)

I am thankful for Christmas. We had a nice meal with my father-in-law and got caught up. We'll visit with my family soon and give my great-nephew his presents and share some stories with the rest of the family. Christmas is a great time of year for me to reflect on what Jesus, and His life, death, and resurrection means to me. I like to think I can take care of myself, but as I look at reality I see I can't do much about the things one would think I could control. I certainly cannot clean away the sins and mistakes I have made in my past life. I cannot give myself a clean heart so I will do right in the future. It would seem that this is obvious and I would be ever grateful for Jesus and the many daily gifts He gives me, the greatest of which would be His death to save me. The truth however is I do not think enough and act enough on the gift of eternal life He has offered and given me. Christmas reminds me of how special this gift of life is. The other blessings of the Christmas seasons may be dwarfed by the gift He gave me and offers us all, but they are also welcome and greatly enjoyed. If I can by whatever little action I take help others to see the gifts that Jesus gives them, I will be especially blessed. Thank you Jesus for Your love for me.

Merry Christmas Eve!!

Christmas is a fun time of the year. It is good that we have a time where are reminded of the story of Jesus and how much He means to us. Everyone can take time to help others and share the blessings they have been given. More on that tomorrow.

I am thankful for rain. Rain is a blessing to us here in Tennessee. Rain gives us the vegetation we depend on to feed our families and our livestock. Rain cleans the air, fills the streams and underground reservoirs, settles the dust after a dry period, and washes away the grime of pollution in the cities. I awoke to the sound of rain on the roof, a peaceful patter that says the earth is being replenished. Rain, like most things, is best when not falling in too great amounts or too little amounts. We have had a good year for rain here at our homestead this year and we are thankful for that also. May God's rain continue to bless each of our homes.

Snores disturbs the family, but relaxing is non-taxing

I am thankful for the occasional chance to take a snooze on a dreary afternoon. A nap can revitalize a person after a tiring few days of drudgery. It seems that there are lots of stuff to do everyday, and the employer frowns on a quick shut eye when they want you coding away or sitting in an exciting meeting where you have to concentrate on people's riveting opinions about whether a field should be called Request Date or Renewal Date. Give me a weekend nap to put some zip back into my tomorrow. They say you can't make up missed sleep, but at least a brief respite makes you THINK you've made up for a little too little time in the sack.

Comfortable is good

I am thankful for the many comforts God has blessed me with. It is nice to have a home that is warm in the winter and cool in the summer. It is nice to have good healthy food to eat every day. I appreciate a bed to sleep in and being able to take a warm shower using clean water every day. I am so blessed compared to most people in the world and I tend to take most of the blessings for granted because they are always there. I am rich, but tend to think I am poor because I look at the few things I think I am missing, and don't put much thought into the many, many things I have.

Do sapsuckers get bored?

I enjoy watching birds. I am thankful there are so many different varieties and so much interesting behavior exhibited by the different birds. As I look out my window now a yellow bellied sapsucker slowly works his way around a Bradford Pear tree, pecking away to his hearts content. What it is getting from the tree I don't know. Must be sap, since it doesn't appear to be pecking hard enough to dig out any insects now. While the chickadees and titmice and goldfinches flash from feeder to feeder and from branch to branch the sapsucker will hang around on the same tree trunk for hours and sometimes spend several minutes in the same spot on the trunk, with an occasional peck at the bark. Then he will move a little up or down or sideways and work on another bit of tree bark. Then after a period of time he might switch trees or scoot off to another tree outside my field of vision.

Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

I am thankful for the Sabbath. God has given a period of time where I can not only rest from my labor but also spent extra time in communion with Him. I know I sometimes do not give the sabbath the respect that God wants me to, but I still gain a blessing from taking time out of my normal routine and letting my mind focus on God. The body is refreshed with rest and so is my mind and spirit, giving me the strength and motivation to serve God well in the week to come. Jesus, help me take the time today on Your holy sabbath to receive the blessings that You want to bestow upon me.

Cooler is good, but warmer is better, but cooler than warmer is best!

I find weather to be fascinating. I have no control over it and must live with it no matter what it does. I can control my environment somewhat by using heat or AC and by putting on a coat or wearing lighter clothing, but when there is a 15 mph wind blowing and the temperature is 34º, it feels cold outside and I can't make myself feel warm when I go outside. I can change my attitude however, and decide not to whine about being too cold or too hot. So I am thankful for the weather because it reminds me of how little control I really have and it allows me to practice not whining when things aren't just the way I think I want them to be. God controls everything and He promises to not let a temptation come upon me where He doesn't provide a way of escape. (1 Corinthians 10:13). Some days whining is a definite temptation. I like to be comfortable, but growth comes from being uncomfortable.

An older brother makes one bolder.

Today is my brother Allen's Birthday. He is 50 today. I can't make fun of him because I'll either die or be 50 myself in about a year and a half. I have 3 full brothers and 4 much older half brothers. Allen is the one closest in age to me, so he is the one I spent the most time with growing up. We were somewhat competitive since we were about the same size. He always looked out for me when he wasn't trying to pulverize me. Once in elementary school another boy, Darrell, and I were wrestling. We were going at it pretty good and since Darrell was bigger than me it must have looked like he was winning (I'm sure it only looked that way!) All of a sudden Allen appeared and grabbed Darrell off me and punched him. I was a little confused as to why he was inserting himself in the wrestling match, but later I found out that a trouble maker, LF, had told Allen that I was in a real fight and Darrell was beating me up. LF was a jerk, and I was never very thankful for him. Allen and I lived on a small farm until I was 9, and then we lived on about 40 acres in Hardin county for most of the rest of our growing up years. Whenever dad gave one of us something to do, he usually gave us both the thing to do. Dad gave us lots to do. Since we were out in the sticks Allen and I pretty much spent all of our growing up years with each other doing the same work and playing together. Our interests were different but circumstance put us together. I know having him with me made me a better person. He was wiry and strong and smart. He kept (or at least tried to keep) me out of trouble by explaining things that my lack of common sense kept me from understanding. I know that if I was ever in desperate trouble, Allen would do whatever he could to help me. Now he is more a friend than just a brother and I am thankful God allowed us to grow up together.

Be thankful for a new day!

I am thankful for a new day that God gives me. He gives me the opportunity to do the things I have failed to do before, and to continue to do the things that bring a blessing to others. Each morning can be a fresh start. I can put aside the mistakes of yesterday and make wise choices for today. I can see the needs of others and lend a helping hand. I can learn new things. I can recognize the greatness of God where yesterday I overlooked the blessings He imparted on me. Each new day is a day of opportunity and blessing. My attitude will determine the results I achieve through the strength of God. Thank You Lord for this new day.

Be thankful for family and friends, besides a nice suit, they are all you'll have at the funeral.

Thanksgiving has reminded me that I need to be thankful for the blessings God has given me and grateful for the opportunities I have. I will attempt to cultivate thankfulness by listing things that are worthy of thanks.

General things I am thankful for:
1. God, who loves me and saves me.
2. My wife, who loves me and completes me.
3. My daughter, who is learning every day.
4. My son, who sees the world the way he sees the world.
5. America, the land of opportunity and freedom.
6. Our cat, who gives dogs lots of reasons to feel superior.
7. Our dogs, who are somewhat happy to see me when I arrive home.
8. God's nature, the beauty and variety make life enjoyable and gives endless opportunities to learn.
9. My job. It pays the bills and gives purpose to life.
10. Weather, which comes every day without my having any say in what it will be. I can only observe and report.