My oldest daughter loves Thanksgiving. She thinks it's one of the best holidays of the year. We don't really do anything special. We eat, we play some games, we watch some football, and we look at the ads to plot our Black Friday shopping trip. But my daughter loves it. She loves the food, the hanging out together, and the fact that she doesn't have to go to school.
I, too, think Thanksgiving is one of the best holidays, and it too often gets lost in the rush from Halloween to Christmas. What other holiday exists where the sole purpose is to get together with family and eat? There are no gifts to buy, no decorations to put up. There's just a time to enjoy each other and reflect on what we have to be thankful for.
All month, I've been sharing with you all the things for which I'm thankful. Today, as I reflect on those things, I want to finish with telling you I'm thankful for you. When I started this blog, I figured my parents and maybe some of my friends would read it. Here I sit a year and a half later, and more than 400 of you get my thoughts in your email inbox every morning. Some of you hang out with me on the Everyday Truth Facebook page.
I feel blessed that God meets me in my chair at 6 every morning to provide me with something to share with you. Your comments and encouragement make a difference in my day. So, today I'm grateful that God has allowed each of you, whether you live next door or in Nigeria, to touch my life. As Paul said in Philippians 1:3 "I thank my God every time I remember you." Thank you all for being a part of my life.
Thanks for reading, and enjoy your day of Thanksgiving!
Showing posts with label Thanksgiving. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thanksgiving. Show all posts
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
I'm Thankful for Prayer
Each day until Thanksgiving, Everyday Truth is looking at a different reason to be thankful in a family devotional. Use these devotionals with your kids to help keep your family focused on giving thanks. If you missed the introductory post, check it out here for directions on creating a "Thanksgiving wall." When you're done with the devotional head on over to the Everyday Truth Facebook page and join in the discussion of why we're thankful for prayer.
Communication is important to any relationship. Can you imagine trying to be friends with someone if you never talked to them? How well would that work? It would be really hard to stay friends if you couldn't communicate, wouldn't it?
People used to talk to those who were far away via letter and telegraph. Then Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone, which let people actually talk to those who were far away. Today, we have the phone, email, texting, video chatting and instant messaging. We can communicate with anyone in the world instantly.
Instant communication lets us know what is going on in far-away places. We know when an earthquake hits in Turkey or when a government falls in Egypt. Few corners of the earth are left untouched by the ability to communicate.
Did you know that long before the telephone or text messaging, God came up with the first form of instant communication? It's called prayer. You can do it any time, anywhere, and God always hears you. You don't need any special equipment, and you don't need to follow any directions. All you have to do is talk, and God listens.
1 John 5:14 says "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us." If we are talking to God, He hears us. He doesn't always answer us back right away, and He doesn't always give us exactly what we ask for, but He hears us. And He answers.
God never lets a prayer go unanswered. He has three answers -- yes, no and wait. It's not always easy to hear no, but when God says no to your requests, it's because He has something better in mind for you. And it's never easy to wait, but God's timing is perfect -- way better than ours could ever be. So, if God asks us to wait, be assured that it's for a good reason.
Be thankful today for prayer -- God's instant communication system. God doesn't have to listen to us. He does so because He loves us. Thank Him for that today. Write on your Thanksgiving wall one reason you are thankful for prayer. Then use prayer to spend some time talking to God. He loves to hear from you.
Communication is important to any relationship. Can you imagine trying to be friends with someone if you never talked to them? How well would that work? It would be really hard to stay friends if you couldn't communicate, wouldn't it?
People used to talk to those who were far away via letter and telegraph. Then Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone, which let people actually talk to those who were far away. Today, we have the phone, email, texting, video chatting and instant messaging. We can communicate with anyone in the world instantly.
Instant communication lets us know what is going on in far-away places. We know when an earthquake hits in Turkey or when a government falls in Egypt. Few corners of the earth are left untouched by the ability to communicate.
Did you know that long before the telephone or text messaging, God came up with the first form of instant communication? It's called prayer. You can do it any time, anywhere, and God always hears you. You don't need any special equipment, and you don't need to follow any directions. All you have to do is talk, and God listens.
1 John 5:14 says "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us." If we are talking to God, He hears us. He doesn't always answer us back right away, and He doesn't always give us exactly what we ask for, but He hears us. And He answers.
God never lets a prayer go unanswered. He has three answers -- yes, no and wait. It's not always easy to hear no, but when God says no to your requests, it's because He has something better in mind for you. And it's never easy to wait, but God's timing is perfect -- way better than ours could ever be. So, if God asks us to wait, be assured that it's for a good reason.
Be thankful today for prayer -- God's instant communication system. God doesn't have to listen to us. He does so because He loves us. Thank Him for that today. Write on your Thanksgiving wall one reason you are thankful for prayer. Then use prayer to spend some time talking to God. He loves to hear from you.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
I'm Thankful for Jesus' Sacrifice
Each day until Thanksgiving, Everyday Truth is looking at a different reason to be thankful in a family devotional. Use these devotionals with your kids to help keep your family focused on giving thanks. If you missed the introductory post, check it out here for directions on creating a "Thanksgiving wall." When you're done with the devotional head on over to the Everyday Truth Facebook page and join in the discussion of why we're thankful for Jesus' sacrifice.
I bet you've heard the verse John 3:16 before. You might even be able to say it without looking at the Bible. It says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." Sound familiar?
God loves us so much that He sent Jesus to earth so He could be a sacrifice so we could have eternal life with God. Do you know what a sacrifice is? It's giving up something you want for someone else. Any time you let your sister have the bigger piece of cake, that's a sacrifice. If you do what a friend wants to do instead of what you want to do, that's a sacrifice.
Jesus' sacrifice was bigger than giving up a piece of cake or letting someone else choose the game. Jesus sacrificed His life. He died so we could be closer to God. You see, our sins -- the stuff we do that goes against what God says like lying or being mean to someone -- keep us from being able to be close to God. God is perfect, and He can't be close to sin. Our sin separates us from Him.
In the Old Testament, every time one of the Israelites sinned, they had to offer a sacrifice to God in the form of an animal or some other type of food, like grain. When Jesus came and died on the cross, his sacrifice was for all of us and all of our sins. We no longer have to offer God a sacrifice of an animal to get rid of our sins. Jesus' sacrifice took care of that. When God looks at us now, He sees us as if we're perfect because he sees Jesus' sacrifice. All we have to do is tell God we're sorry and ask Him to help us not to do it again.
Jesus made the biggest sacrifice anyone could make. He gave up His life for someone else -- you and me. Thank God today forloving you enough to send Jesus to be a sacrifice. Write on your Thanksgiving wall that you're thankful the Jesus came to be a sacrifice for you.
I bet you've heard the verse John 3:16 before. You might even be able to say it without looking at the Bible. It says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." Sound familiar?
God loves us so much that He sent Jesus to earth so He could be a sacrifice so we could have eternal life with God. Do you know what a sacrifice is? It's giving up something you want for someone else. Any time you let your sister have the bigger piece of cake, that's a sacrifice. If you do what a friend wants to do instead of what you want to do, that's a sacrifice.
Jesus' sacrifice was bigger than giving up a piece of cake or letting someone else choose the game. Jesus sacrificed His life. He died so we could be closer to God. You see, our sins -- the stuff we do that goes against what God says like lying or being mean to someone -- keep us from being able to be close to God. God is perfect, and He can't be close to sin. Our sin separates us from Him.
In the Old Testament, every time one of the Israelites sinned, they had to offer a sacrifice to God in the form of an animal or some other type of food, like grain. When Jesus came and died on the cross, his sacrifice was for all of us and all of our sins. We no longer have to offer God a sacrifice of an animal to get rid of our sins. Jesus' sacrifice took care of that. When God looks at us now, He sees us as if we're perfect because he sees Jesus' sacrifice. All we have to do is tell God we're sorry and ask Him to help us not to do it again.
Jesus made the biggest sacrifice anyone could make. He gave up His life for someone else -- you and me. Thank God today forloving you enough to send Jesus to be a sacrifice. Write on your Thanksgiving wall that you're thankful the Jesus came to be a sacrifice for you.
Monday, November 21, 2011
I'm Thankful for God's Love
Each day until Thanksgiving, Everyday Truth is looking at a different reason to be thankful in a family devotional. Use these devotionals with your kids to help keep your family focused on giving thanks. If you missed the introductory post, check it out here for directions on creating a "Thanksgiving wall." When you're done with the devotional head on over to the Everyday Truth Facebook page and join in the discussion of why we're thankful for God's love.
Sometimes life is tough. Our friends can be mean to us. Our parents don't seem to understand us. Someone we love dies. We get sick or hurt. School is hard.
In those moments it's easy to feel like we're all alone, like no one cares about us. But it's the tough situations that remind us that God loves us.
No matter what we do or how bad our situation seems, God's love is never changing. He loves us not because of what we do or say but because He made us. He sent His Son to die for us because He loves us.
The Bible tells us that God's love is "unfailing." That means it's always there. It always surrounds us -- even when bad stuff happens.
David was a guy who had some bad stuff happen to him. He had to fight a giant when he was a teen-ager. The king tried to kill him -- several times. His son died. His other sons tried to kill him. It seems like tough things were always coming David's way. Yet, it was David who wrote these words: "When I said, 'My foot is slipping,' your unfailing love, LORD, supported me." (Psalm 94:18)
When bad things happened to David, he remembered that God loves Him. And God loves us just as much as He loved David. His love will always be there.
So, when you're having a bad day and you feel like you're all alone, remember God loves you. He loves you so much He let Jesus die so you could have a relationship with Him. When the world seems out to get you, when you feel like your foot is slipping, remember God's love is there to support you. No matter what you do, He will always love you.
Thank God for His love today. Write on your Thanksgiving wall one way you are thankful God shows His love for you. While we can't get a hug from God, He shows His love for us through our families, through Jesus' sacrifice and even through the world He made. Pray and thank God for showing His love to you.
Sometimes life is tough. Our friends can be mean to us. Our parents don't seem to understand us. Someone we love dies. We get sick or hurt. School is hard.
In those moments it's easy to feel like we're all alone, like no one cares about us. But it's the tough situations that remind us that God loves us.
No matter what we do or how bad our situation seems, God's love is never changing. He loves us not because of what we do or say but because He made us. He sent His Son to die for us because He loves us.
The Bible tells us that God's love is "unfailing." That means it's always there. It always surrounds us -- even when bad stuff happens.
David was a guy who had some bad stuff happen to him. He had to fight a giant when he was a teen-ager. The king tried to kill him -- several times. His son died. His other sons tried to kill him. It seems like tough things were always coming David's way. Yet, it was David who wrote these words: "When I said, 'My foot is slipping,' your unfailing love, LORD, supported me." (Psalm 94:18)
When bad things happened to David, he remembered that God loves Him. And God loves us just as much as He loved David. His love will always be there.
So, when you're having a bad day and you feel like you're all alone, remember God loves you. He loves you so much He let Jesus die so you could have a relationship with Him. When the world seems out to get you, when you feel like your foot is slipping, remember God's love is there to support you. No matter what you do, He will always love you.
Thank God for His love today. Write on your Thanksgiving wall one way you are thankful God shows His love for you. While we can't get a hug from God, He shows His love for us through our families, through Jesus' sacrifice and even through the world He made. Pray and thank God for showing His love to you.
Friday, November 18, 2011
I'm Thankful for the Bible
Each day until Thanksgiving, Everyday Truth is looking at a different reason to be thankful in a family devotional. Use these devotionals with your kids to help keep your family focused on giving thanks. If you missed the introductory post, check it out here for directions on creating a "Thanksgiving wall." When you're done with the devotional head on over to the Everyday Truth Facebook page and join in the discussion of why we're thankful for God's Word.
Do you like to read? I do. I'll read just about anything I can get my hands on. I'll even read the back of the cereal box if it's the only thing around.
Books can teach us new things and take us to new places. When we read a book, we can travel around the world, go back in time or blast into space. We can fight pirates, meet a prince in shining armor or solve a mystery. But there's one book that is better than all the rest.
This book tells a true story, and it's written just for you. It tells the story of someone who loves you. It includes giants, wars, kings, lions and even some romance. It is the greatest story ever told.
You can find it all in the Bible. God told different men over thousands of years to write down the story of His love for us. It starts with the world He created for us to live in and ends with an assurance that Jesus will return. In between we see how God showed His love for us in the way He led the Israelites out of slavery, the way He provided for His people through the centuries and the birth and death of Jesus.
But the Bible isn't just an accounting of events. It gives us directions for how to live our lives. It talks about how to be a good friend, how to deal with people who don't like us, what to do when things are tough and even how to treat our parents. That's a lot of stuff to pack into one book.
Psalm 119:105 says "Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path." That means if we read the Bible, God will show us what He wants us to do. But we have to spend time reading our Bibles for that to happen.
Spend some time today reading your Bible. Thank God that His word has survived through the centuries. Thank Him that His word is true and useful. Write on your Thanksgiving wall today one way that you are thankful the Bible can help you.
Do you like to read? I do. I'll read just about anything I can get my hands on. I'll even read the back of the cereal box if it's the only thing around.
Books can teach us new things and take us to new places. When we read a book, we can travel around the world, go back in time or blast into space. We can fight pirates, meet a prince in shining armor or solve a mystery. But there's one book that is better than all the rest.
This book tells a true story, and it's written just for you. It tells the story of someone who loves you. It includes giants, wars, kings, lions and even some romance. It is the greatest story ever told.
You can find it all in the Bible. God told different men over thousands of years to write down the story of His love for us. It starts with the world He created for us to live in and ends with an assurance that Jesus will return. In between we see how God showed His love for us in the way He led the Israelites out of slavery, the way He provided for His people through the centuries and the birth and death of Jesus.
But the Bible isn't just an accounting of events. It gives us directions for how to live our lives. It talks about how to be a good friend, how to deal with people who don't like us, what to do when things are tough and even how to treat our parents. That's a lot of stuff to pack into one book.
Psalm 119:105 says "Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path." That means if we read the Bible, God will show us what He wants us to do. But we have to spend time reading our Bibles for that to happen.
Spend some time today reading your Bible. Thank God that His word has survived through the centuries. Thank Him that His word is true and useful. Write on your Thanksgiving wall today one way that you are thankful the Bible can help you.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
I'm Thankful for Home
Each day until Thanksgiving, Everyday Truth is looking at a different reason to be thankful in a family devotional. Use these devotionals with your kids to help keep your family focused on giving thanks. If you missed the introductory post, check it out here for directions on creating a "Thanksgiving wall." When you're done with the devotional head on over to the Everyday Truth Facebook page and join in the discussion of why we're thankful for our homes.
Would you like to live in a house that looks like a seashell? How about a house that hangs from a tree branch? What about a house that's completely underground? All of these houses exist. You could also live in a home made entirely of snow and ice or in one made of straw.
No matter what type of house we live in, we can be thankful God has given us a home. You may live in an apartment or a large house. Your family might move every few years to a new house in a new location. But if you have a place to live with the people you love, you have a home.
Home can be one of our favorite places. Like Dorothy said in "The Wizard of Oz," "There's no place like home." When we leave home for a vacation, it's always nice to come home to the familiar comforts of our own beds, our own toys and our own friends.
God wants our homes to be a place of refuge. Do you know what that word means? A refuge is a place where you can go that you feel safe. Unfortunately, some kids live in homes where they don't feel safe. Maybe there's a lot of fighting in their house. Maybe someone hurts them. Maybe there's just simply not enough food, heat or love to go around.
If you live in a home where you are warm, sheltered and feel safe, if you live in a house where you feel loved, be thankful. The adults you live with are wise. Proverbs 24:3 says "By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established." This verse isn't talking about physically building a house. It's talking about being wise in how we deal with other people in our homes. It means we treat others with love, kindness and compassion because that's what makes a home.
If you live in a home where you feel safe and loved, thank God for that today. Pray for those kids who may not have a home -- kids who live in homeless shelters -- as well as for kids who live in homes where they don't feel safe and loved. Write on your Thanksgiving wall something about your home that you are thankful for today.
And, remember, whether your home hangs from a tree, floats on the water or sits in the middle of neighborhood, "There's no place like home."
Would you like to live in a house that looks like a seashell? How about a house that hangs from a tree branch? What about a house that's completely underground? All of these houses exist. You could also live in a home made entirely of snow and ice or in one made of straw.
No matter what type of house we live in, we can be thankful God has given us a home. You may live in an apartment or a large house. Your family might move every few years to a new house in a new location. But if you have a place to live with the people you love, you have a home.
Home can be one of our favorite places. Like Dorothy said in "The Wizard of Oz," "There's no place like home." When we leave home for a vacation, it's always nice to come home to the familiar comforts of our own beds, our own toys and our own friends.
God wants our homes to be a place of refuge. Do you know what that word means? A refuge is a place where you can go that you feel safe. Unfortunately, some kids live in homes where they don't feel safe. Maybe there's a lot of fighting in their house. Maybe someone hurts them. Maybe there's just simply not enough food, heat or love to go around.
If you live in a home where you are warm, sheltered and feel safe, if you live in a house where you feel loved, be thankful. The adults you live with are wise. Proverbs 24:3 says "By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established." This verse isn't talking about physically building a house. It's talking about being wise in how we deal with other people in our homes. It means we treat others with love, kindness and compassion because that's what makes a home.
If you live in a home where you feel safe and loved, thank God for that today. Pray for those kids who may not have a home -- kids who live in homeless shelters -- as well as for kids who live in homes where they don't feel safe and loved. Write on your Thanksgiving wall something about your home that you are thankful for today.
And, remember, whether your home hangs from a tree, floats on the water or sits in the middle of neighborhood, "There's no place like home."
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
I'm Thankful for Imagination
Each day until Thanksgiving, Everyday Truth is looking at a different reason to be thankful in a family devotional. Use these devotionals with your kids to help keep your family focused on giving thanks. If you missed the introductory post, check it out here for directions on creating a "Thanksgiving wall." When you're done with the devotional head on over to the Everyday Truth Facebook page and join in the discussion of why we're thankful for imagination.
Let me tell you a story: Once upon a time there was a boy. He went to school, then he came home.
How did you like my story? Would you keep reading if you picked up a book and that's how it started? I sure wouldn't. So, let's give it another try.
Once upon a time there was a very small boy. He left his house one morning to go to school, but on the way to school he got lost. He found himself in a small village where all the residents were purple and wore funny caps on their heads that looked like shoes. Not sure how he ended up in this strange place, the boy asked one of the purple people with a shoe on his head how to get home. "You can't go home. We need your help," the purple person said.
Would you want to keep reading that story? It was much more interesting, wasn't it? The difference between the two stories is the second one took some imagination. I've never met a purple person with a cap that looks like a shoe on his head, but it makes an interesting picture, doesn't it?
God gave us all an imagination. Imagination is the thing that lets authors write interesting stories. Imagination helps inventors create new things. It even lets scientists think up new hypotheses. Without imagination we would never have sent people into space or seen an art masterpiece. Music would be a single tone. Books would be short and boring.
But imagination can be a dangerous thing. If we make up stories instead of telling the truth, that's a poor use of our imagination. If we make up scenarios that scare us or someone else, that's a poor use of imagination. Imagination is only a good thing when we're using it the way God intended it.
Colossians 3:17 says "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." That means no matter what we're doing -- riding a bike, going to school, playing soccer or using our imaginations -- we should do it in a way that pleases God. Don't let your imagination become a source of fear or a way to hurt others. That's not what God intended.
Be thankful today for all the things our imaginations give us. Thank God for interesting books, beautiful art and great inventions. Write down one thing on your Thanksgiving wall that was created by someone's imagination for which you are thankful. Ask God to help you use your imagination to please Him today.
Let me tell you a story: Once upon a time there was a boy. He went to school, then he came home.
How did you like my story? Would you keep reading if you picked up a book and that's how it started? I sure wouldn't. So, let's give it another try.
Once upon a time there was a very small boy. He left his house one morning to go to school, but on the way to school he got lost. He found himself in a small village where all the residents were purple and wore funny caps on their heads that looked like shoes. Not sure how he ended up in this strange place, the boy asked one of the purple people with a shoe on his head how to get home. "You can't go home. We need your help," the purple person said.
Would you want to keep reading that story? It was much more interesting, wasn't it? The difference between the two stories is the second one took some imagination. I've never met a purple person with a cap that looks like a shoe on his head, but it makes an interesting picture, doesn't it?
God gave us all an imagination. Imagination is the thing that lets authors write interesting stories. Imagination helps inventors create new things. It even lets scientists think up new hypotheses. Without imagination we would never have sent people into space or seen an art masterpiece. Music would be a single tone. Books would be short and boring.
But imagination can be a dangerous thing. If we make up stories instead of telling the truth, that's a poor use of our imagination. If we make up scenarios that scare us or someone else, that's a poor use of imagination. Imagination is only a good thing when we're using it the way God intended it.
Colossians 3:17 says "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." That means no matter what we're doing -- riding a bike, going to school, playing soccer or using our imaginations -- we should do it in a way that pleases God. Don't let your imagination become a source of fear or a way to hurt others. That's not what God intended.
Be thankful today for all the things our imaginations give us. Thank God for interesting books, beautiful art and great inventions. Write down one thing on your Thanksgiving wall that was created by someone's imagination for which you are thankful. Ask God to help you use your imagination to please Him today.
Monday, November 14, 2011
I'm Thankful for Rest
Each day until Thanksgiving, Everyday Truth is looking at a different reason to be thankful in a family devotional. Use these devotionals with your kids to help keep your family focused on giving thanks. If you missed the introductory post, check it out here for directions on creating a "Thanksgiving wall." When you're done with the devotional head on over to the Everyday Truth Facebook page and join in the discussion of why we're thankful for rest.
I bet you love it when mom or dad says, "It's bedtime." You probably rush off to put on your pajamas, hop right into bed and exclaim, "I love to go to bed." No? That's not the way it happens in your house? Bedtime isn't something you find exciting?
Most kids I know don't really like to go to bed. I don't know about you, but my kids always find one more thing they absolutely must do before they can go to bed. And don't even think about trying to get them to take a nap!
We don't always like to rest, even when we need it. But our bodies need rest. They need time to rejuvenate from going to school, playing with our friends and participating in sports and activities. God didn't design us to be able to go, go, go all the time.
How do you feel when you stay up too late? You probably yawn a lot and you may start getting a wee bit cranky. Those are our bodies signals that we're tired, and we need rest.
Did you know that God rested? The Bible tells us after God created the world, he took a day off. "By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work." (Genesis 2:2)
Now, do you think God needs to rest? Of course not. He's God. He never gets tired. So why do you think He took a day off? I think He wanted us to know it's OK to rest. Our bodies need it.
Rest comes in many forms. It's not just sleep. Sometimes we just need to go in our rooms and be by ourselves for a little bit. Sometimes we need to take a nap. And sometimes we need to just sit still for a few minutes.
Think about how good you feel after you've had a good night's sleep. That good feeling comes from being well-rested. So, the next time mom or dad says "It's time for bed," remember that God created us to rest. Your body needs some downtime. Be thankful you have the opportunity to sleep.
Thank God for creating times for our bodies to rest. On your Thanksgiving wall today, write down your favorite way to rest. Maybe you like to sleep. Maybe you like to sit and read a book or watch a movie. Write it down and stick it on the wall. Be thankful God set an example of how to rest.
I bet you love it when mom or dad says, "It's bedtime." You probably rush off to put on your pajamas, hop right into bed and exclaim, "I love to go to bed." No? That's not the way it happens in your house? Bedtime isn't something you find exciting?
Most kids I know don't really like to go to bed. I don't know about you, but my kids always find one more thing they absolutely must do before they can go to bed. And don't even think about trying to get them to take a nap!
We don't always like to rest, even when we need it. But our bodies need rest. They need time to rejuvenate from going to school, playing with our friends and participating in sports and activities. God didn't design us to be able to go, go, go all the time.
How do you feel when you stay up too late? You probably yawn a lot and you may start getting a wee bit cranky. Those are our bodies signals that we're tired, and we need rest.
Did you know that God rested? The Bible tells us after God created the world, he took a day off. "By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work." (Genesis 2:2)
Now, do you think God needs to rest? Of course not. He's God. He never gets tired. So why do you think He took a day off? I think He wanted us to know it's OK to rest. Our bodies need it.
Rest comes in many forms. It's not just sleep. Sometimes we just need to go in our rooms and be by ourselves for a little bit. Sometimes we need to take a nap. And sometimes we need to just sit still for a few minutes.
Think about how good you feel after you've had a good night's sleep. That good feeling comes from being well-rested. So, the next time mom or dad says "It's time for bed," remember that God created us to rest. Your body needs some downtime. Be thankful you have the opportunity to sleep.
Thank God for creating times for our bodies to rest. On your Thanksgiving wall today, write down your favorite way to rest. Maybe you like to sleep. Maybe you like to sit and read a book or watch a movie. Write it down and stick it on the wall. Be thankful God set an example of how to rest.
Friday, November 11, 2011
I'm Thankful for Freedom
Each day until Thanksgiving, Everyday Truth is looking at a different reason to be thankful in a family devotional. Use these devotionals with your kids to help keep your family focused on giving thanks. If you missed the introductory post, check it out here for directions on creating a "Thanksgiving wall." When you're done with the devotional head on over to the Everyday Truth Facebook page and join in the discussion of why we're thankful for our freedom.
I bet you got up this morning, picked out your own clothes and had a choice of cereals for breakfast. You probably decided whether or not to wear a coat to school. You may have chosen what hairstyle you wanted today. When you got to school, you probably talked to some of the people you have chosen to be friends with. At lunch you probably chose whether to eat all or part of your lunch.
On your way to school, did anyone stop your car and tell you you couldn't go to school? When you got to school did anyone tell you who to talk to or what to say? Probably not.
You had choices this morning because we live in a free country. Many people in the world do not. In some countries only kids whose families have enough money are allowed to go to school. In some places, girls aren't allowed to go to school. In some countries, you don't have a choice about what you want to be when you grow up; you have to do what the government tells you to. And in some parts of the world, it's a crime to talk about God.
Many of us have never lived in a place where we don't have freedom. We take it for granted. And we shouldn't. Men and women throughout history have died protecting our right to be free. Those soldiers don't know most of the people they are protecting. They serve so we can live in freedom. John 15:13 says "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." Soldiers do that every day. They put their lives on the line in dangerous places so we can live in freedom.
Don't take your freedom for granted. Be thankful for it. Today is Veteran's Day. It's the day we honor the men and women who have served in the military. We take a moment to be grateful for the sacrifices they have made to keep our country free.
Take a minute today to seek out a veteran, someone who was once in the military. Tell them how thankful you are that they chose to protect our country. Make them a card or bake them some cookies.
Pray and thank God for the sacrifices others have made so you can live in a free country. Write on your Thanksgiving wall one thing that you are thankful you can do because you live in a place where freedom is a right.
Be grateful for freedom because it isn't free. It costs brave men and women their lives.
I bet you got up this morning, picked out your own clothes and had a choice of cereals for breakfast. You probably decided whether or not to wear a coat to school. You may have chosen what hairstyle you wanted today. When you got to school, you probably talked to some of the people you have chosen to be friends with. At lunch you probably chose whether to eat all or part of your lunch.
On your way to school, did anyone stop your car and tell you you couldn't go to school? When you got to school did anyone tell you who to talk to or what to say? Probably not.
You had choices this morning because we live in a free country. Many people in the world do not. In some countries only kids whose families have enough money are allowed to go to school. In some places, girls aren't allowed to go to school. In some countries, you don't have a choice about what you want to be when you grow up; you have to do what the government tells you to. And in some parts of the world, it's a crime to talk about God.
Many of us have never lived in a place where we don't have freedom. We take it for granted. And we shouldn't. Men and women throughout history have died protecting our right to be free. Those soldiers don't know most of the people they are protecting. They serve so we can live in freedom. John 15:13 says "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." Soldiers do that every day. They put their lives on the line in dangerous places so we can live in freedom.
Don't take your freedom for granted. Be thankful for it. Today is Veteran's Day. It's the day we honor the men and women who have served in the military. We take a moment to be grateful for the sacrifices they have made to keep our country free.
Take a minute today to seek out a veteran, someone who was once in the military. Tell them how thankful you are that they chose to protect our country. Make them a card or bake them some cookies.
Pray and thank God for the sacrifices others have made so you can live in a free country. Write on your Thanksgiving wall one thing that you are thankful you can do because you live in a place where freedom is a right.
Be grateful for freedom because it isn't free. It costs brave men and women their lives.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
I'm Thankful for My Church
Each day until Thanksgiving, Everyday Truth is looking at a different reason to be thankful in a family devotional. Use these devotionals with your kids to help keep your family focused on giving thanks. If you missed the introductory post, check it out here for directions on creating a "Thanksgiving wall." When you're done with the devotional head on over to the Everyday Truth Facebook page and join in the discussion of why we're thankful for the church.
Do you have a church you attend? I bet your church meets in a building. Some churches have beautiful buildings with stained glass windows and artwork on the walls. Other churches may not have a building of their own. They may meet in someone's home or in a school. Two churches may even share the same building.
Where your church meets isn't important because a church is not a building. A church is the people that meet in the building. When the Bible talks about the church, it's not talking about a pretty building with a steeple. It's talking about the people who meet together. When the Bible was written, the church didn't have a building, and many times the people had to meet together in secret because there were lots of people who didn't like Christ-followers and wanted to hurt them.
No matter where our church meets or how many people are part of our church, we should be thankful for the church. If you have a pastor who preaches the Bible, Sunday School or youth group leaders who care about you and other kids who are also trying to follow Jesus, you should be thankful.
We can be thankful if we live in a country where meeting with others in the church is something we can do without being afraid of going to jail. In many places in the world, it's a crime to be a Christ-follower and to meet together with other Christ-followers. In some countries it's illegal to even own a Bible. When Christ-followers in those countries choose to meet together, they are risking their freedom and sometimes their lives -- just to go to church.
The Bible tells us the church is a group of people who "devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people." (Acts 2:42-27)
As part of the church, we should be learning about God, telling others about Him and taking care of each other. That's what a church is all about. The next time you go to church, look around at the people. Think about how each person is taking part in the jobs of the church. Thank someone -- your pastor, your Sunday School teacher or even the person cleaning up a spill on the floor -- for whatever job they are doing.
On your Thanksgiving wall today, write down one thing that you are thankful for about your church. It can be the fun children's activities, the great people, your pastor or something else. Thank God for the one thing you like best about your church. And as you head to church on Sunday, remember the church is not a building. It's the people.
Do you have a church you attend? I bet your church meets in a building. Some churches have beautiful buildings with stained glass windows and artwork on the walls. Other churches may not have a building of their own. They may meet in someone's home or in a school. Two churches may even share the same building.
Where your church meets isn't important because a church is not a building. A church is the people that meet in the building. When the Bible talks about the church, it's not talking about a pretty building with a steeple. It's talking about the people who meet together. When the Bible was written, the church didn't have a building, and many times the people had to meet together in secret because there were lots of people who didn't like Christ-followers and wanted to hurt them.
No matter where our church meets or how many people are part of our church, we should be thankful for the church. If you have a pastor who preaches the Bible, Sunday School or youth group leaders who care about you and other kids who are also trying to follow Jesus, you should be thankful.
We can be thankful if we live in a country where meeting with others in the church is something we can do without being afraid of going to jail. In many places in the world, it's a crime to be a Christ-follower and to meet together with other Christ-followers. In some countries it's illegal to even own a Bible. When Christ-followers in those countries choose to meet together, they are risking their freedom and sometimes their lives -- just to go to church.
The Bible tells us the church is a group of people who "devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people." (Acts 2:42-27)
As part of the church, we should be learning about God, telling others about Him and taking care of each other. That's what a church is all about. The next time you go to church, look around at the people. Think about how each person is taking part in the jobs of the church. Thank someone -- your pastor, your Sunday School teacher or even the person cleaning up a spill on the floor -- for whatever job they are doing.
On your Thanksgiving wall today, write down one thing that you are thankful for about your church. It can be the fun children's activities, the great people, your pastor or something else. Thank God for the one thing you like best about your church. And as you head to church on Sunday, remember the church is not a building. It's the people.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
I'm Thankful for Teachers
Each day until Thanksgiving, Everyday Truth is looking at a different reason to be thankful in a family devotional. Use these devotionals with your kids to help keep your family focused on giving thanks. If you missed the introductory post, check it out here for directions on creating a "Thanksgiving wall." When you're done wiht the devotional head on over to the Everyday Truth Facebook page and join in the discussion of why we're thankful for God's creation.
I love to learn new things. Just last night, I learned how to make a new recipe for dinner. I didn't have a person teach me. I learned it by following the directions in my cookbook. I could read the directions because a long time ago someone taught me to read. I could follow the directions because when I was a kid my mom taught me how to cook.
God gave us brains that can absorb and remember information. Our minds let us learn new things, but without someone to teach us how to do things, we would be lost.
There are lots of teachers in our lives. Can you think of a few? You have teachers at school and at church. But did you know your coach, the person who teaches you to play piano and your dance instructor are all teachers, too? Your parents and even your brothers and sisters can be teachers, too. Anyone who takes the time to teach you something is a teacher.
God made us all with special gifts and talents, and He wants us to use those gifts and talents to share with others. Jesus was the ultimate teacher. Matthew 11:1 tells us "After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee." Jesus spent much of his time teaching other people about what God wanted them to do.
Think of the people in your life who have taught you about Jesus. Those are important teachers in your life. There's no more important thing for us to learn than to learn what God wants us to do. And God wants us to be teachers, too. He wants us to teach other people about Jesus.
Be thankful today for the people in your life who are teachers. Be especially thankful for those people who have taught you about Jesus. Thank God for all the teachers he has put in your life. Write the names of those people on your Thanksgiving wall. Be sure to tell some of those teachers thank you in person, as well.
I love to learn new things. Just last night, I learned how to make a new recipe for dinner. I didn't have a person teach me. I learned it by following the directions in my cookbook. I could read the directions because a long time ago someone taught me to read. I could follow the directions because when I was a kid my mom taught me how to cook.
God gave us brains that can absorb and remember information. Our minds let us learn new things, but without someone to teach us how to do things, we would be lost.
There are lots of teachers in our lives. Can you think of a few? You have teachers at school and at church. But did you know your coach, the person who teaches you to play piano and your dance instructor are all teachers, too? Your parents and even your brothers and sisters can be teachers, too. Anyone who takes the time to teach you something is a teacher.
God made us all with special gifts and talents, and He wants us to use those gifts and talents to share with others. Jesus was the ultimate teacher. Matthew 11:1 tells us "After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee." Jesus spent much of his time teaching other people about what God wanted them to do.
Think of the people in your life who have taught you about Jesus. Those are important teachers in your life. There's no more important thing for us to learn than to learn what God wants us to do. And God wants us to be teachers, too. He wants us to teach other people about Jesus.
Be thankful today for the people in your life who are teachers. Be especially thankful for those people who have taught you about Jesus. Thank God for all the teachers he has put in your life. Write the names of those people on your Thanksgiving wall. Be sure to tell some of those teachers thank you in person, as well.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
I'm Thankful for the World God Made
Each day until Thanksgiving, Everyday Truth is looking at a different reason to be thankful in a family devotional. Use these devotionals with your kids to help keep your family focused on giving thanks. If you missed the introductory post, check it out here for directions on creating a "Thanksgiving wall." When you're done wiht the devotional head on over to the Everyday Truth Facebook page and join in the discussion of why we're thankful for God's creation.
Have you ever seen a platypus? It's a funny looking creature, with a beak like a duck and a tail like a beaver. It can swim and live on land. I don't know about you, but if I had been making up animals, I probably wouldn't have come up with the platypus. But God did.
God also created the elephant and the fly, the blue whale and the hummingbird. God made the ostrich, a bird that can't fly, and the flying squirrel, a squirrel that can. I have a pretty good imagination, but I doubt I could have come up with the wide variety of animals that God did.
Not only did God put an amazing assortment of animals on the earth, He created the flowers, the trees, the grass, the desert, the ocean and the rivers. He made parts of the earth warm all the time and parts of the earth so cold all the time that it's impossible for people to live there.
God spent six days making the world and everything in it. And when He was done, He declared that it was good. Psalm 146:6 says "He is the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them— he remains faithful forever." God made everything in the world, from the smallest grain of sand to the largest elephant.
God could have made everything the same color and the same size. Imagine how boring that would be. He could have given us just one kind of food to eat. Every animal and flower could have looked the same. But He didn't. He filled the world with color and variety so we could enjoy His creation.
When you're outside today, take some time to look around. Notice the things God has made. See the beautiful array of colors and listen for the different sounds in the world. Find one thing in the world God made that makes you smile. Thank God for the amazing variety found in His creation.
Write down one thing you saw today in God's creation that made you thankful. Add it to your Thanksgiving wall. Pray and thank God for making such a beautiful world.
Have you ever seen a platypus? It's a funny looking creature, with a beak like a duck and a tail like a beaver. It can swim and live on land. I don't know about you, but if I had been making up animals, I probably wouldn't have come up with the platypus. But God did.
God also created the elephant and the fly, the blue whale and the hummingbird. God made the ostrich, a bird that can't fly, and the flying squirrel, a squirrel that can. I have a pretty good imagination, but I doubt I could have come up with the wide variety of animals that God did.
Not only did God put an amazing assortment of animals on the earth, He created the flowers, the trees, the grass, the desert, the ocean and the rivers. He made parts of the earth warm all the time and parts of the earth so cold all the time that it's impossible for people to live there.
God spent six days making the world and everything in it. And when He was done, He declared that it was good. Psalm 146:6 says "He is the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them— he remains faithful forever." God made everything in the world, from the smallest grain of sand to the largest elephant.
God could have made everything the same color and the same size. Imagine how boring that would be. He could have given us just one kind of food to eat. Every animal and flower could have looked the same. But He didn't. He filled the world with color and variety so we could enjoy His creation.
When you're outside today, take some time to look around. Notice the things God has made. See the beautiful array of colors and listen for the different sounds in the world. Find one thing in the world God made that makes you smile. Thank God for the amazing variety found in His creation.
Write down one thing you saw today in God's creation that made you thankful. Add it to your Thanksgiving wall. Pray and thank God for making such a beautiful world.
Monday, November 7, 2011
I'm Thankful I Am Fearfully and Wonderfully Made
Each day until Thanksgiving, Everyday Truth is looking at a different reason to be thankful in a family devotional. Use these devotionals with your kids to help keep your family focused on giving thanks. If you missed the introductory post, check it out here for directions on creating a "Thanksgiving wall." When you're done wiht the devotional head on over to the Everyday Truth Facebook page and join in the discussion of why we're thankful for our families.
Have you ever thought about how your body works? Hold up your hand and look at it. Bend your fingers, then straighten them out again. Make your hand into a fist. Pick something up.
For our hands to work properly, every bone, muscle, ligament and joint has to work together. There are 27 bones in each hand. That's a lot of bones. Our whole body only contains 206 bones, which means about one-quarter of our bones are in our hands.
Do you ever think about making those bones move when you want to do something? When you picked something up, did you have to tell your hand what to do? You didn't, did you? You just thought about picking something up and your hand did it. All those bones, muscles, ligaments and joints worked together to do the task without you having to think about each one. Isn't that amazing?
We don't usually notice how well our bodies work until they don't work. We don't think about breathing until we have a cold, and it's hard to breathe. We don't think about walking unless we break our foot, and it's difficult to walk. We don't think about seeing until we get something in our eye, and we can't see.
God made our bodies to work without us having to take time or energy to make them work. Psalm 139:14 says "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." David (the guy who wrote this Psalm) thanked God for making him. He realized that his body was an incredible thing. He says he is "fearfully and wonderfully made." And, you know what? You are, too.
God made you. He made your body so it is able to do all the things you need it to do. Even if your body has limitations, God gave you the tools to compensate for the limits. Did you know blind people usually can hear really well and smell really well? Those two senses help make up for the loss of sight. People who can't walk, usually have very strong arms so they can manuever a wheelchair or crutches. God created our bodies so they can make up in one area what they lack in another.
In Ephesians 2:10, Paul tells us that we are God's "masterpiece." That means we are the best thing He could ever make. Take a few minutes today and thank God for making you His masterpiece. Add the things you're thankful your body can do to your Thanksgiving wall. Pray and thank God that you are "fearfully and wonderfully made."
Have you ever thought about how your body works? Hold up your hand and look at it. Bend your fingers, then straighten them out again. Make your hand into a fist. Pick something up.
For our hands to work properly, every bone, muscle, ligament and joint has to work together. There are 27 bones in each hand. That's a lot of bones. Our whole body only contains 206 bones, which means about one-quarter of our bones are in our hands.
Do you ever think about making those bones move when you want to do something? When you picked something up, did you have to tell your hand what to do? You didn't, did you? You just thought about picking something up and your hand did it. All those bones, muscles, ligaments and joints worked together to do the task without you having to think about each one. Isn't that amazing?
We don't usually notice how well our bodies work until they don't work. We don't think about breathing until we have a cold, and it's hard to breathe. We don't think about walking unless we break our foot, and it's difficult to walk. We don't think about seeing until we get something in our eye, and we can't see.
God made our bodies to work without us having to take time or energy to make them work. Psalm 139:14 says "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." David (the guy who wrote this Psalm) thanked God for making him. He realized that his body was an incredible thing. He says he is "fearfully and wonderfully made." And, you know what? You are, too.
God made you. He made your body so it is able to do all the things you need it to do. Even if your body has limitations, God gave you the tools to compensate for the limits. Did you know blind people usually can hear really well and smell really well? Those two senses help make up for the loss of sight. People who can't walk, usually have very strong arms so they can manuever a wheelchair or crutches. God created our bodies so they can make up in one area what they lack in another.
In Ephesians 2:10, Paul tells us that we are God's "masterpiece." That means we are the best thing He could ever make. Take a few minutes today and thank God for making you His masterpiece. Add the things you're thankful your body can do to your Thanksgiving wall. Pray and thank God that you are "fearfully and wonderfully made."
Friday, November 4, 2011
I'm Thankful God Provides
Each day until Thanksgiving, Everyday Truth is looking at a different reason to be thankful in a family devotional. Use these devotionals with your kids to help keep your family focused on giving thanks. If you missed the introductory post, check it out here for directions on creating a "Thanksgiving wall." When you're done wiht the devotional head on over to the Everyday Truth Facebook page and join in the discussion of why we're thankful for our families.
It rained here the other day. It was our first cold rain of the season. As the raindrops splattered outside, I turned on the heat, curled up in my chair with a blanket and stayed warm and cozy. When I had to go outside later that day, I put on a warm coat, got in my car and turned on the heat. Even though I had to go out, I stayed mostly warm and dry.
While money purchased my house, my car, my coat and even my blanket, it's God who provided those things. He made each of us so we have the talents and the ambition to earn money so we can buy a house and the other things we need.
Sometimes God provides for our needs all by Himself. When God made Adam and Eve, He gave them everything they needed to live. When the Israelites were leaving Egypt, He made food appear on the grass every morning! When Peter was in prison, God provided a way for him to escape.
God cares about our needs, no matter what they are, and He provides the things we need to meet those needs. He provides you with a home, parents, food, school, clothes and friends. He may not always give us what we want -- we might get green beans for dinner instead of pizza -- but He always provides for the things we need.
God tells us we don't have to worry about our needs because He will take care of them. "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear...Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" (Matthew 6:25-26).
God takes care of the birds and the other animals. He provides them with the food they eat. He gives them shelter in their nests. You are much more important to God than a bird, so God is going to provide the things you need as well. The next time you see a bird, remember that God loves you much more than He loves that bird. He provides for the bird, and He will provide for you, too.
Look around the room you are in and make a list of all the things you see in the room that God has provided for you. Remember, while your mom or dad may have bought many of the things in the room, God provided the way for them to make the money that bought the items.
On your Thanksgiving wall today, add some of the things you are thankful God provides for you and your family. Pray together and thank God for providing you with the things you need.
It rained here the other day. It was our first cold rain of the season. As the raindrops splattered outside, I turned on the heat, curled up in my chair with a blanket and stayed warm and cozy. When I had to go outside later that day, I put on a warm coat, got in my car and turned on the heat. Even though I had to go out, I stayed mostly warm and dry.
While money purchased my house, my car, my coat and even my blanket, it's God who provided those things. He made each of us so we have the talents and the ambition to earn money so we can buy a house and the other things we need.
Sometimes God provides for our needs all by Himself. When God made Adam and Eve, He gave them everything they needed to live. When the Israelites were leaving Egypt, He made food appear on the grass every morning! When Peter was in prison, God provided a way for him to escape.
God cares about our needs, no matter what they are, and He provides the things we need to meet those needs. He provides you with a home, parents, food, school, clothes and friends. He may not always give us what we want -- we might get green beans for dinner instead of pizza -- but He always provides for the things we need.
God tells us we don't have to worry about our needs because He will take care of them. "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear...Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" (Matthew 6:25-26).
God takes care of the birds and the other animals. He provides them with the food they eat. He gives them shelter in their nests. You are much more important to God than a bird, so God is going to provide the things you need as well. The next time you see a bird, remember that God loves you much more than He loves that bird. He provides for the bird, and He will provide for you, too.
Look around the room you are in and make a list of all the things you see in the room that God has provided for you. Remember, while your mom or dad may have bought many of the things in the room, God provided the way for them to make the money that bought the items.
On your Thanksgiving wall today, add some of the things you are thankful God provides for you and your family. Pray together and thank God for providing you with the things you need.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
I'm Thankful for Friends
Each day until Thanksgiving, Everyday Truth is looking at a different reason to be thankful in a family devotional. Use these devotionals with your kids to help keep your family focused on giving thanks. If you missed the introductory post, check it out here for directions on creating a "Thanksgiving wall." When you're done wiht the devotional head on over to the Everyday Truth Facebook page and join in the discussion of why we're thankful for our families.
Do you have a best friend? Someone that you like to hang out with? Someone that you want to talk to when something exciting happens?
My daughter has a best friend that she's known since she was born. They love to hang out together. If my daughter is bored or has something exciting to share, she wants to immediately see her friend. They go to the movies together, sit together at lunch and have sleepovers. They never seem to run out of things to talk about. They've even shared birthday parties.
Friends are one of God's gifts to us. He gives us friends so we don't have to go through life alone. God knows that sometimes life gets tough. He gives us friends to encourage us and cheer us up during the tough times.
Think about your friends and what you like to do with them. Share your favorite thing to do with your friends. Now, think about how much fun that thing would be to do by yourself. Generally, the things we do with our friends aren't as much fun when we do them by ourselves. It's hard to play a board game or jump rope by yourself. A game of basketball isn't a game unless there's more than one person.
Friends can also help us out. They can make a job seem easier and go by quicker. If your mom or dad told you to go rake all the leaves in your yard, it would seem like a big job. However, if you found a couple of friends to help, it wouldn't take any time at all to finish.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 says "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken."
If we have good friends, then they will be there to help us up when we fall down. They will help us complete a task. They can help us stand up to a bully. We can do all those things alone, but the job is easier with a friend.
Be thankful for your friends today. Add some leaves or sticky notes to your Thanksgiving wall with the names of your friends on them. And be sure to tell your friends how thankful you are for them. A great way to do that is to write them a note and tell them how grateful you are for their friendship. Make it a point to thank at least one of your friends for their friendship today.
Pray together and thank God for your friends. Thank Him for all the ways that friends make life more fun.
Do you have a best friend? Someone that you like to hang out with? Someone that you want to talk to when something exciting happens?
My daughter has a best friend that she's known since she was born. They love to hang out together. If my daughter is bored or has something exciting to share, she wants to immediately see her friend. They go to the movies together, sit together at lunch and have sleepovers. They never seem to run out of things to talk about. They've even shared birthday parties.
Friends are one of God's gifts to us. He gives us friends so we don't have to go through life alone. God knows that sometimes life gets tough. He gives us friends to encourage us and cheer us up during the tough times.
Think about your friends and what you like to do with them. Share your favorite thing to do with your friends. Now, think about how much fun that thing would be to do by yourself. Generally, the things we do with our friends aren't as much fun when we do them by ourselves. It's hard to play a board game or jump rope by yourself. A game of basketball isn't a game unless there's more than one person.
Friends can also help us out. They can make a job seem easier and go by quicker. If your mom or dad told you to go rake all the leaves in your yard, it would seem like a big job. However, if you found a couple of friends to help, it wouldn't take any time at all to finish.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 says "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken."
If we have good friends, then they will be there to help us up when we fall down. They will help us complete a task. They can help us stand up to a bully. We can do all those things alone, but the job is easier with a friend.
Be thankful for your friends today. Add some leaves or sticky notes to your Thanksgiving wall with the names of your friends on them. And be sure to tell your friends how thankful you are for them. A great way to do that is to write them a note and tell them how grateful you are for their friendship. Make it a point to thank at least one of your friends for their friendship today.
Pray together and thank God for your friends. Thank Him for all the ways that friends make life more fun.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
I'm Thankful for Family
Each day until Thanksgiving, Everyday Truth is looking at a different reason to be thankful in a family devotional. Use these devotionals with your kids to help keep your family focused on giving thanks. If you missed the introductory post, check it out here for directions on creating a "Thanksgiving wall." When you're done wiht the devotional head on over to the Everyday Truth Facebook page and join in the discussion of why we're thankful for our families.
God gave each of us a family. That family may look different from home to home, but he gave each of us people who love and care for us. People who protect us. People who are always looking out for us.
You may have a mom and a dad and a bunch of brothers and sisters. Or you may live in a home where you're the only child. Some of you may only live with one of your parents, and some kids even live with their grandparents.
No matter what your family looks like, remember that God gave you the members of your family. He knew we need parents to guide us and siblings to hang out with. He knew that sometimes tough things would happen during the day, and we would need a place to come home to where we would be loved and comforted.
Have you ever had something bad happen to you when you were away from home? Maybe another kid was mean to you or something embarrassing happened to you. Maybe all you wanted to do was go home because you knew your family would understand. You knew they would make you feel better.
Have you ever had a problem that you didn't know how to solve? God gave us families to help us through our problems. He gave us parents to offer us wisdom and to teach us the right thing to do. He gave us brothers and sisters who can listen to us and help us come up with solutions.
God even gave Jesus a family because He knew Jesus would need a welcoming place to grow up. Jesus had a mom and dad and brothers and sisters. He grew up in a loving family. His parents loved Him and guided Him. And His mother, Mary, treasured every moment with Him.
The Bible tells us we each have a role to play in our family. Moms and dads are supposed to teach and guide their children. Deuteronomy 6:6-7 is talking to parents. It says: "These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up." A parent's job is to teach their kids about God.
Kids have a special role to play in the family, too. Exodus 20:12 says "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you." That means kids need to respect and obey their parents.
God created the family as a place where we can be loved and learn about Him. I'm thankful for my family, and I hope you are, too.
Write the reasons you're thankful for your family on your Thanksgiving wall. Pray together and thank God for each other.
God gave each of us a family. That family may look different from home to home, but he gave each of us people who love and care for us. People who protect us. People who are always looking out for us.
You may have a mom and a dad and a bunch of brothers and sisters. Or you may live in a home where you're the only child. Some of you may only live with one of your parents, and some kids even live with their grandparents.
No matter what your family looks like, remember that God gave you the members of your family. He knew we need parents to guide us and siblings to hang out with. He knew that sometimes tough things would happen during the day, and we would need a place to come home to where we would be loved and comforted.
Have you ever had something bad happen to you when you were away from home? Maybe another kid was mean to you or something embarrassing happened to you. Maybe all you wanted to do was go home because you knew your family would understand. You knew they would make you feel better.
Have you ever had a problem that you didn't know how to solve? God gave us families to help us through our problems. He gave us parents to offer us wisdom and to teach us the right thing to do. He gave us brothers and sisters who can listen to us and help us come up with solutions.
God even gave Jesus a family because He knew Jesus would need a welcoming place to grow up. Jesus had a mom and dad and brothers and sisters. He grew up in a loving family. His parents loved Him and guided Him. And His mother, Mary, treasured every moment with Him.
The Bible tells us we each have a role to play in our family. Moms and dads are supposed to teach and guide their children. Deuteronomy 6:6-7 is talking to parents. It says: "These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up." A parent's job is to teach their kids about God.
Kids have a special role to play in the family, too. Exodus 20:12 says "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you." That means kids need to respect and obey their parents.
God created the family as a place where we can be loved and learn about Him. I'm thankful for my family, and I hope you are, too.
Write the reasons you're thankful for your family on your Thanksgiving wall. Pray together and thank God for each other.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Take Time for Thanksgiving
It's Nov. 1, the unofficial start of the holiday season. Some radio stations start playing Christmas music today. Stores will begin inundating us with Christmas sales flyers. We'll begin making plans for spending Christmas with friends and family. Our calendars will quickly begin to fill up.
And somewhere in all this hustle and bustle, we'll fly through Thanksgiving and straight into Christmas. Thanksgiving tends to be the forgotten holiday. It's the holiday we skim through to get to Christmas. There's no big hype about Thanksgiving. It's become a day where we get together with family, eat Turkey, watch some football and read the ads for the big sales on Black Friday.
But Thanksgiving is important, and it offers an opportunity to focus our families' attention on all that we have to be grateful for. We can choose to use the month of November to create grateful hearts in our families.
Like we did last year, Everyday Truth is going to offer a daily family devotional that will focus your families' hearts on being thankful. Starting tomorrow, we're going to focus on one thing we can be thankful for each day. It is my prayer that by the time Thanksgiving rolls around, you'll have a family that really celebrated giving thanks.
Today, I want to give you the tools to get ready for this year's series of devotionals. A thankful heart is an attitude that comes when we look around and instead of seeing the problems and bad things in the world, we find ways to give thanks for all that we have. Being thankful creates joy in our hearts and can completely change our outlook on the world.
God has given us so much, and He loves to hear our praise and thanksgiving. Too often, we simply accept His blessings and forget to be thankful. Instead our attitude should be like David in 1 Chronicles 29:13, "Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name."
Spend some time today thinking about all the things for which you are thankful. Write them down on a piece of paper. Add to the list as the day goes on. Pray and thank God for each of those things as you write them down. It is only when our own hearts are full of thanksgiving that we can show our children how a thankful heart contributes to a joyful home.
Take a minute to create a "Thanksgiving wall" in your house. In years past, we've made a Thanksgiving tree out of grocery sacks. Simply cut out a trunk and some branches out of brown paper or brown grocery sacks. Use colorful construction paper to cut out leaves for your tree. Each day, your family will write down what they are thankful for on the leaves, and you'll attach them to the tree. Younger kids love the tree.
A simpler version of the "Thanksgiving wall" and one that appeals to kids of all ages is to grab a pad of sticky notes. Whenever you do your devotional for the day, hand out a sticky note to each family member and have them write what they are thankful for on the sticky note. Then stick the sticky note to the wall.
We'll use the "Thanksgiving wall" every day until Thanksgiving. By the end of the month, you should have a wall covered with things to be thankful for.
Don't miss Thanksgiving this year. Take the time to offer up praise and thanksgiving to God. Focus your family's attention on the things God has given you. Make this a month of praise and thanksgiving before you rush into the Christmas season.
And somewhere in all this hustle and bustle, we'll fly through Thanksgiving and straight into Christmas. Thanksgiving tends to be the forgotten holiday. It's the holiday we skim through to get to Christmas. There's no big hype about Thanksgiving. It's become a day where we get together with family, eat Turkey, watch some football and read the ads for the big sales on Black Friday.
But Thanksgiving is important, and it offers an opportunity to focus our families' attention on all that we have to be grateful for. We can choose to use the month of November to create grateful hearts in our families.
Like we did last year, Everyday Truth is going to offer a daily family devotional that will focus your families' hearts on being thankful. Starting tomorrow, we're going to focus on one thing we can be thankful for each day. It is my prayer that by the time Thanksgiving rolls around, you'll have a family that really celebrated giving thanks.
Today, I want to give you the tools to get ready for this year's series of devotionals. A thankful heart is an attitude that comes when we look around and instead of seeing the problems and bad things in the world, we find ways to give thanks for all that we have. Being thankful creates joy in our hearts and can completely change our outlook on the world.
God has given us so much, and He loves to hear our praise and thanksgiving. Too often, we simply accept His blessings and forget to be thankful. Instead our attitude should be like David in 1 Chronicles 29:13, "Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name."
Spend some time today thinking about all the things for which you are thankful. Write them down on a piece of paper. Add to the list as the day goes on. Pray and thank God for each of those things as you write them down. It is only when our own hearts are full of thanksgiving that we can show our children how a thankful heart contributes to a joyful home.
Take a minute to create a "Thanksgiving wall" in your house. In years past, we've made a Thanksgiving tree out of grocery sacks. Simply cut out a trunk and some branches out of brown paper or brown grocery sacks. Use colorful construction paper to cut out leaves for your tree. Each day, your family will write down what they are thankful for on the leaves, and you'll attach them to the tree. Younger kids love the tree.
A simpler version of the "Thanksgiving wall" and one that appeals to kids of all ages is to grab a pad of sticky notes. Whenever you do your devotional for the day, hand out a sticky note to each family member and have them write what they are thankful for on the sticky note. Then stick the sticky note to the wall.
We'll use the "Thanksgiving wall" every day until Thanksgiving. By the end of the month, you should have a wall covered with things to be thankful for.
Don't miss Thanksgiving this year. Take the time to offer up praise and thanksgiving to God. Focus your family's attention on the things God has given you. Make this a month of praise and thanksgiving before you rush into the Christmas season.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Happy Thanksgiving!
Today is Thanksgiving. It's been a pleasure to share with you a journey of thanksgiving as we learned about God through His names this month. As I count my blessings today, I count the readers of this blog among them. I hope you enjoyed sharing these devotionals with your family, and I hope your Thanksgiving tree is overflowing with leaves of gratitude.
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, but so often the meaning of the holiday gets shunted aside in the hurry to get to Christmas. When the pilgrims sat down to count their blessings, they had buried more than half the people who came to Plymouth with them. The remaining pilgrims knew they faced another harsh winter ahead, yet they set aside time to give thanks to God for providing for them.
Make it a point today to count your blessings in an audible fashion. Help your kids understand all that they have to be thankful for. Spend some time looking at your thanksgiving tree. Have your kids count the leaves and talk about how much they have for which to be thankful.
Before you sit down to eat your turkey, have each person say what they are thankful for today. If you want to mix it up a bit, give everyone some play-doh or modeling clay and have them create the things for which they are thankful. Or, pass around a basket filled with slips of paper with topics on them like family, school, work, home, food and have each person mention something for which they are thankful that fits the category. Be creative, have fun and spend some time thanking God for His blessings.
Happy Thanksgiving!
"Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name." Psalm 110:4
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, but so often the meaning of the holiday gets shunted aside in the hurry to get to Christmas. When the pilgrims sat down to count their blessings, they had buried more than half the people who came to Plymouth with them. The remaining pilgrims knew they faced another harsh winter ahead, yet they set aside time to give thanks to God for providing for them.
Make it a point today to count your blessings in an audible fashion. Help your kids understand all that they have to be thankful for. Spend some time looking at your thanksgiving tree. Have your kids count the leaves and talk about how much they have for which to be thankful.
Before you sit down to eat your turkey, have each person say what they are thankful for today. If you want to mix it up a bit, give everyone some play-doh or modeling clay and have them create the things for which they are thankful. Or, pass around a basket filled with slips of paper with topics on them like family, school, work, home, food and have each person mention something for which they are thankful that fits the category. Be creative, have fun and spend some time thanking God for His blessings.
Happy Thanksgiving!
"Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name." Psalm 110:4
Monday, November 1, 2010
God the Creator (Memory Monday: Psalm 8:3-4)
It's November 1. The Christmas music started on the radio today. Somehow, our focus always seems to skip straight from Halloween to Christmas, and we miss fully experiencing the holiday in between. Days of Thanksgiving were celebrated in many states before it officially became a holiday in 1863. Abraham Lincoln made it a national holiday as a way to unite the nation by giving people a common focus on the things for which they were grateful.
This year, I encourage you to use the month of November to unite your family in a common focus on the things for which you are thankful. To help you do that, the Everyday Truth blog will focus each day on one of the names of God and how we can be thankful for how that particular attribute of God affects our own lives. It is my intent for you to be able to use part or all of the posts this month as a family devotional. In true Everyday Truth style, each post will also include an activity or some conversation starters for you to use each day. It is my prayer that you and your family would learn new things about God's character and find new things for which to be thankful in the weeks before you sit down to a turkey feast. So, let's get started.
Fall is an amazing time of the year. If you live where the seasons change, the air begins to get colder, the leaves turn beautiful colors and begin to fall, and the animals are busy getting ready for winter. All of this happens without us doing anything. No one has to tell the leaves to change color or tell the squirrels to store up food for the long, cold months ahead. No one suggests to the bears that it might be a good time to go take a long nap. All of these things happen because that is how God created it to happen.
God is an amazing creator. Take a look around outside and see the awesome variety of trees, plants and animals. God made everything from the smallest ant to the largest elephant. He made snakes and eagles. He made redwood trees and dogwood trues. He even made you.
I don't know about you, but I doubt my brain could have ever come up with the amazing variety of things that God created. Did you know that an elephant actually walks on its tiptoes? The largest land animal in the world supports its massive weight on its toe bones. Could you have thought up an animal like that? I know that if I had been making an animal that weighed 8,000 pounds, I'm pretty sure I would have given it a really big foot bone with which to support itself. But God didn't. He created this huge animal, and he made it so it could walk on its toe bones.
Examples of God's hand abound in the world, not just in His design of the elephant's foot. Have you ever seen a Surprise Lily? In the spring, this flower has lots of leaves that come up out of the ground, but then those leaves die off. Later, a lily springs up from the ground -- without any leaves. It's just a flower on the top of a stalk. It's totally different from any other plant.
Look around your family. Do you all look alike, act alike and think alike? Of course not. God made each one of you different and special. No matter how similar you may be to other members of your family, there are things that make you uniquely you. Take a minute and share with one another the things you've noticed about each other that make each of you different from the others in your family.
David was so in awe of God's creation that he wrote these words in Psalm 8:3-4: "When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?" When David really looked at God's creation -- the sun, the moon and the stars -- he was in awe of the God that created them. The greatness of God's creation made David feel like a small piece of it. Yet, God loves you and is intimately interested in you, whether you feel big or small. Memorize this verse as a family this week. Talk about how knowing that God created everything makes you feel. Do you feel overwhelmed by God's amazing creation? Does it make you feel good to know that despite all the things God created, He wants to have a relationship with you? Share your feelings with your family.
As you focus on God the Creator today, think about all the things for which you are thankful that God made. You can each make a list and share it or you can make a thankfulness tree, which you can use throughout the month. Cut up some paper grocery bags to make a tree trunk and branches. Tape the tree to a wall or a door in your house. Then cut out some simple leaves from colored construction paper to go on the tree. Make a bunch because you will use them every day. On your leaves today, write the things that God created for which you are thankful. Put a different thing on each leaf. Tape the leaves to your tree. Be sure everyone in your family fills out at least one leaf. As you go through the month and learn about the different names of God, you will find more things for which to be thankful that you can write on your leaves. By the end of the month you should have a tree with an abundance of fall leaves.
End your family time today with a prayer thanking God for His creation. Be specific when you pray, letting everyone thank Him for several things. Be sure to thank God for each other.
This year, I encourage you to use the month of November to unite your family in a common focus on the things for which you are thankful. To help you do that, the Everyday Truth blog will focus each day on one of the names of God and how we can be thankful for how that particular attribute of God affects our own lives. It is my intent for you to be able to use part or all of the posts this month as a family devotional. In true Everyday Truth style, each post will also include an activity or some conversation starters for you to use each day. It is my prayer that you and your family would learn new things about God's character and find new things for which to be thankful in the weeks before you sit down to a turkey feast. So, let's get started.
Fall is an amazing time of the year. If you live where the seasons change, the air begins to get colder, the leaves turn beautiful colors and begin to fall, and the animals are busy getting ready for winter. All of this happens without us doing anything. No one has to tell the leaves to change color or tell the squirrels to store up food for the long, cold months ahead. No one suggests to the bears that it might be a good time to go take a long nap. All of these things happen because that is how God created it to happen.
God is an amazing creator. Take a look around outside and see the awesome variety of trees, plants and animals. God made everything from the smallest ant to the largest elephant. He made snakes and eagles. He made redwood trees and dogwood trues. He even made you.
I don't know about you, but I doubt my brain could have ever come up with the amazing variety of things that God created. Did you know that an elephant actually walks on its tiptoes? The largest land animal in the world supports its massive weight on its toe bones. Could you have thought up an animal like that? I know that if I had been making an animal that weighed 8,000 pounds, I'm pretty sure I would have given it a really big foot bone with which to support itself. But God didn't. He created this huge animal, and he made it so it could walk on its toe bones.
Examples of God's hand abound in the world, not just in His design of the elephant's foot. Have you ever seen a Surprise Lily? In the spring, this flower has lots of leaves that come up out of the ground, but then those leaves die off. Later, a lily springs up from the ground -- without any leaves. It's just a flower on the top of a stalk. It's totally different from any other plant.
Look around your family. Do you all look alike, act alike and think alike? Of course not. God made each one of you different and special. No matter how similar you may be to other members of your family, there are things that make you uniquely you. Take a minute and share with one another the things you've noticed about each other that make each of you different from the others in your family.
David was so in awe of God's creation that he wrote these words in Psalm 8:3-4: "When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?" When David really looked at God's creation -- the sun, the moon and the stars -- he was in awe of the God that created them. The greatness of God's creation made David feel like a small piece of it. Yet, God loves you and is intimately interested in you, whether you feel big or small. Memorize this verse as a family this week. Talk about how knowing that God created everything makes you feel. Do you feel overwhelmed by God's amazing creation? Does it make you feel good to know that despite all the things God created, He wants to have a relationship with you? Share your feelings with your family.
As you focus on God the Creator today, think about all the things for which you are thankful that God made. You can each make a list and share it or you can make a thankfulness tree, which you can use throughout the month. Cut up some paper grocery bags to make a tree trunk and branches. Tape the tree to a wall or a door in your house. Then cut out some simple leaves from colored construction paper to go on the tree. Make a bunch because you will use them every day. On your leaves today, write the things that God created for which you are thankful. Put a different thing on each leaf. Tape the leaves to your tree. Be sure everyone in your family fills out at least one leaf. As you go through the month and learn about the different names of God, you will find more things for which to be thankful that you can write on your leaves. By the end of the month you should have a tree with an abundance of fall leaves.
End your family time today with a prayer thanking God for His creation. Be specific when you pray, letting everyone thank Him for several things. Be sure to thank God for each other.
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