Thanksgiving and Giving Thanks

November comes every year and every year in America we get the opportunity and privilege to celebrate Thanksgiving. Family, food and football!!! I assume that the first Thanksgiving was a little different - probably more like family (what was left of them), food (what little they had) and football...oh well - two out of three isn't too bad.

This year we celebrated with Amy's father Bill and our friend Pam and her daughter's family. It was a nice time had by all.

This year I want to give thanks to God, my family and friends for being just who they are. God for being so good to me and my family. My family for being my family and my friends for still being our friends. Amy and really don't feel deserving of the love we get from God, our families and our friends. We are often in awe knowing we are as blessed as we are.

We hope that 2009, we are even more thankful.

I love giving thanks!

Brian

I'm on the B team!

I liked this devotional. I know that I'm on the B team and many times the third string or even the "Waterboy"!!!!


"B" Team
This devotional was written by Kelly McFadden

"Jesus called out to them, ‘Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people.’ And they left their nets at once and followed him.”—Matthew 4:19-20

If you were a race car driver, you would choose the fastest car. If you were a chef, you would choose the finest ingredients. If you were a jockey, you would want the strongest horse. If you were an athlete, you would want the best equipment. If you were a CEO, you would want the most qualified staff. If you were Jesus, you would want the weak and dependent?

What if I was to tell you that the Lord starts with the “B Team”? In fact, when Jesus picked his team (known as the 12 disciples), he actually picked those who had been glossed over by other rabbis and been left as fishermen. There was nothing special about the men. They were everyday, ordinary people. Jesus could have gone to the temples and chosen those who had memorized the Torah. He could have recruited men of influence and good standing. He could have chosen those who were popular or wealthy. Instead, he took the least of these. He looked past the most obvious apprentices, approached some fishermen and simply said, “Follow me.” They did.

The appendix in my Bible lists some of the characteristics of the first disciples. Perhaps you can relate to a few of them: treacherous, greedy, doubtful, despised, judgmental, short-tempered, impulsive. These were people who struggled with imperfections. One reason they all stood out was that they were willing to leave everything to follow Jesus. They were willing to leave everything behind to follow the Way, the Truth and the Life.

What about you? Are you still waiting to make yourself perfect before you try to really follow Jesus? Or, are you ready to see that God has picked you for His team? As much as you may have feared that you might be picked last, He picked you first. Why? He believes in you. He knows what you can do through Him and for Him. It is when you are willing to sit humbly at His feet and acknowledge your need for Him that God will show you great strength found in Him. He will make you fishers of men.

Now that was some high quality H20!

Brian

Some more brilliant greatness from our friends at Sesame Street!

I dream of triangles too!

Brian