Four things we forget about Thankfulness.

Thanksgiving is tomorrow and I'm sooo excited!

As you know, Thanksgiving is a time of the year where we all get together with family, gather around the table, eat food and talk about what we're most thankful for.

The problem with Thanksgiving is that there are things we tend to forget about.


1. We forget Who we are thanking.

I can be thankful for something but easily forget that God is the One who has blessed me with those things or those people. I am not in control of my life, God is. I didn't decide to be born, God did. I didn't save myself, God did (through Jesus). I didn't bless myself with the blessings that I have, God did. So, remember Who it is who has blessed you with what you have.


2. We forget that we don't deserve it.

How can we be truly thankful if we think we deserve the things that have been given to us? Let me rephrase that...
How can we thank the Sovereign God, who holds everything together if we think we deserve the things that He has allowed us to have?

Are you convicted yet? If not, then let me explain more.

You and I are sinners. We have rebelled against God. One sin is worthy of eternal death forever. Well my friends, it saddens me to say but I know that all of us have sinned more than we could even count. So, how much are you worthy of eternal death and punishment? Let's just say...it's obviously what we all deserve. Ephesians 2:1-3 says,

"And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience- among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind."

At the beginning of the passage it doesn't say, "And you were DYING in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked." Nope. That's not what it says. It says, "And you were DEAD in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked".

We are so sinful that we are (or were) spiritually dead. How can a dead man (or woman) be made alive again? I'll tell you in the next point. But do you see how unworthy we are of any blessing? We don't even deserve to be alive on this earth. So, remember that every gift you receive is something you don't deserve.

3. We forget about the biggest blessing of all.

Okay, so to answer the previous question, "How can a dead man (or woman) be made alive again?" let's look back at Ephesians 2. Starting at verse 4 it says,

"But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ- by grace you have been saved" Verses 4-5

The ONLY way we can be made alive is through Christ's blood. Check out Romans 10:9:

"if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."

Wait.....saved from what??? If we trust in Christ then we will be saved from the punishment that we truly deserve. God sent Jesus to die for our sins in our place to save our dead souls.

Sooo......what does this have to do with being thankful? It has EVERYTHING to do with being thankful. If we trust in Christ and NOT in ourselves for righteousness then God will allow us to be with Him one day in heaven.

That is truly the greatest gift anyone could ever receive. If you are a believer then this is the gift that you should be most thankful for. If Christ has given you eternal life...then what more could you want? Any other gift that you receive is just an added bonus to this amazing gift.

Thank Christ for His death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead daily. For you truly don't deserve it.

4. We forget to continue to be thankful.

For me personally, I don't thank God nearly enough. In God's word it says that we need to be,

"giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." Ephesians 5:20

And to,

"give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Give thanks always and in everything? Give thanks in all circumstances? So...even in our trials??? Yes, we should thank God even in our trials.

Now lets look at Romans 8:28-29:

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers."

We can be thankful because God uses our trials and suffering for good. That good is becoming more like Christ. Isn't that awesome??? He is so gracious to us!

Well, I hope you have an awesome Thanksgiving! And don't forget to thank the One who has created you! ;)

Psalm 103 (One of my favorite Psalms ever!)

1 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
   and all that is within me,
   bless His holy name!
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
   and forget not all His benefits,
3 who forgives all your iniquity,
   who heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit,
   who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
5 who satisfies you with good
   so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

6 The Lord works righteousness
   and justice for all who are oppressed.
7 He made known His way to Moses,
   His acts to the people of Israel.
8 The Lord is merciful and gracious,
   slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 He will not always chide,
    nor will He keep His anger forever.
10 He does not deal with us according to our sins,
     nor repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
     so great is His steadfast love toward those who fear Him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
     so far does He remove our transgressions from us.
13 As a father shows compassion to His children,
     so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear Him.
14 For He knows our frame;
     He remembers that we are dust.

15 As for man, his days are like grass;
     he flourishes like a flower of the field;
16 for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
     and its place knows it no more.
17 But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on
     those who fear Him,
     and His righteousness to children's children,
18 to those who keep His covenant
     and remember to do His commandments.
19 The Lord has established His throne in the heavens,
     and His kingdom rules over all.

20 Bless the Lord, O you His angels,
     you mighty ones who do His word,
     obeying the voice of His word!
21 Bless the Lord, all His hosts,
     His ministers, who do His will!
22 Bless the Lord, all His works,
     in all places of His dominion.
     Bless the Lord, O my soul!

Is it really almost July?

This month went by so fast! But at the same time, God has taught me so much in the past month. These are some of the things that I did this month:

First, I had two dance recital's that went really well!

Second, I graduated from high school. (woot!)

And third, I went to the Resolved Conference which was really awesome! I learned so much while being there and was super encouraged.

Since I've graduated people have been asking me, "What does it feel like now that you've graduated?" Before I would just say, "It doesn't quite seem real to me yet." But now I would say, "I feel excited. I don't know what God has for me but whatever it is....bring it on."

In this new season of life God has been teaching me to trust Him more, to abide completely in Him and to hold everything in my life with open hands, ready and willing to receive what He gives me and to trust Him when He takes things away.

I want to get to where Paul was when he desired nothing but Christ. He was willing to let go of everything if it meant gaining Christ. Here's what he said to the Philippians:

"Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith." Philippians 3:8-9

I can't wait to see what the Lord has planned for me as I go through life with open hands to Him.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

I started a blog!

I finally made a blog! I'm really excited! This will be interesting because sometimes it's hard for me to write out my thoughts.

So I called my blog Little Soldier because 1. I'm small and short and 2. because Paul calls Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:3 a "soldier of Christ Jesus." We who have been saved by Christ are soldiers, fighting against sin (1 Timothy 6:12). Yes, Christ has died for our sin (Romans 5:8), and we are free from sin (Romans 6:18), but we still live in a sinful world with temptations all around us. One day, all who have faith in Christ will live in heaven with no more sin. But here on earth the battle against sin rages on. Thankfully, God is with us and will help us endure temptations.

"No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it." 1 Corinthians 10:13

Again, I'm excited and can't wait to share more about the different things that God has been teaching me.