Greatest Gratitude

“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances,
for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Family
Many of us would say our greatest gratitude is our family.
“My greatest gratitude today is my family! The older I have become
the more I realize how special and how blessed I am to have such a
wonderful family. There is nothing my husband and I would rather
do than hang around and spend time with family, and in today’s age,
that is a rare and special thing.” (Judy B.)
“Truly, the greatest joy that I feel today is to be married for 27
years to a wonderful man who loves all of us. He has taught me and
our four children to love God, love each other, and love being part of
our family. I feel that I can die today with no regrets, and they would
be able to carry on our family Legacy of Love.” (Mary N.)
The word “family” is not always so spectacular. There are many
families around us, maybe even your own, that are not nuclear. The
nuclear family of a father, a mother, two children and a dog, cat or
fish is a rarity, it seems. Truth be known, even those families who
may appear to be the definition of normal, are not normal. All of us
and all of our families have flaws.

The Gospel
It is so amazing to have your greatest gratitude be His word
itself.
“Two words...The Gospel! My prayer is to live a God-pleasing
life, and I am trying to do that by staying focused on Heaven....
eternity. My hope in Christ was truly sealed when I experienced my
late husband’s death. I witnessed the darkest and lightest moments
this life has shown me all in that moment. That’s what the gospel is
about, bringing light into darkness. So I am most thankful for the
light...for Jesus...for what He has done.” (Gina Z-B)

Prayer
Thank you! Heavenly Father, thank you! Thank you for
this day. Thank you for this meal. Thank you for those that
surround me. Thank you for this country. Thank you for the
freedom and choice to pursue you.
Thank you for our homes. Thank you for who you are
creating me to become. Thank you for your love and your
faithfulness. Thank you for being you, that which we cannot
comprehend. Amen
 
We give thanks to you, O God, We give thanks, for your Name is near ,Men tell of your wonderful deeds. Psalm 75:1

A Testimony

I grew up going to church pretty much every Sunday. Church
seemed to be a foreign place, which involved lots of ceremonies
and rituals. Our church used the Old King James Bible, so when the
minister spoke, it was in a language that sounded like Shakespeare to me.
Having a close personal relationship with Jesus was definitely
not something I understood.

At that time it seemed to me that being a “Christian” involved
being judged and judging others—there was such a long list of things
you couldn’t do. I definitely didn’t feel I could measure up. Later
in life after I was married, my husband and I were at a leadership
conference through his business and went to an optional worship
service. It was the first time we both had ever heard someone speak
about God and Jesus in terms we could understand. It was almost
like the preacher had been sitting on my shoulder the last couple of
weeks and knew exactly what I needed to hear! I was blown away
that it was all in the Bible and it all seemed so simple.

At the end of the service they asked anyone that didn’t feel like
they had a close personal relationship with Jesus to ask him into your
heart, to be the leader of your life and forgiver of your sins. At this
point is when my relationship with Jesus truly began!

– Jennette B.