I'm very thankful this year for many things.
God's Providence first and foremost is what I'm most thankful for. It is truly awesome how the Lord's will is worked out in our lives.
My family. My wife, daughter, and son are incredible blessings to me. It is in the context of being a husband and a father that I find the most happiness and fulfillment in my life.
I'm thankful that the Lord has restrained his judgement on our nation for a time, and allowed George W. Bush to be re-elected. I pray that people of faith stay involved in the cultural and political issues that face our nation. I pray that our leaders will be influenced by God, and that our nation will stop it's descent into pagan secularism and moral decay.
I'm thankful for the men and women in our armed services and the vital role they are playing in our war on terror. I pray for their families and for their safety, and for their saving faith in Christ.
I'm thankful for our church, and I pray that the Lord will give it's leaders wisdom and courage in making the right decisions for our congregation. I pray that our pastor will receive peace and be able to face his coming retirement in that peace, and with hopeful plans for a fulfilling life as a retired pastor. I pray that all of us in this congregation will continue to be a brotherhood in Christ, with unity, and with love for each other, the qualities that originally attracted our family to it's fellowship.
Thanksgiving is a uniquely American holiday. It has it's roots in the history and faith of our founding fathers. A day set aside to honor God's blessings to our nation is so appropriate, for he has blessed our country, in spite of our faults and failings, and no other nation has achieved so much in such a short time. We must pray that our nation will become re-generated spiritually, and that we will become a society that honors and glorifies God. No, we are not a theocracy, but we are all eternally accountable for what our nation does or does not do.
God Bless all of you out there, and may your coming year find you and your family relying more on the Lord and glorifying His Name.