Happy Thanksgiving! (in a couple hours).  There are many things I want to talk about in light of what tomorrow is about.  First, I just want to thank God for choosing to save me from the kingdom of darkness and an eternity without Him.  If it weren't for Him, I would be totally lost in this world.  Second I want to thank God continually pulling me back on the right path when I stray.  He has made me who I am and it is only because of His grace that I am close to Him right now.  I also want to really thank Him for my family.  I LOVE FAMILY.  Mom, Dad, brothers, cousins, grandparents, aunts, and uncles.  If you are not thankful for your family, sincerely ask God to change your perspective.  Contentedness and thankfulness are so important, especially contentedness about family.  They are such a blessing and such a gift.  Gifts are meant to be enjoyed and treasured, so enjoy you family and treasure them dearly.  Thank God everyday for the family He has placed you in.  This Thanksgiving (or even after Thanksgiving) I have a challenge for you.  Think of two things that you are specifically thankful for of each immediate family member (and don't be vague!).  Just two things, it shouldn't be very hard.  And, think of at least five things that you appreciate about each parent.  They sacrifice so much for you, thank them, and acknowledge the things that they do for you.  And, as an added bonus, you may want to tell some of your friends the things you appreciate about them  Anyway, I hope that your Thanksgiving is/was good, and I hope you remain thankful the other 364 days out of the year!  Thank you for reading my blog! :-)  

Man, time really flies.  I noticed this when I woke up, and even more when I was thinking about how fast the day went by.  Monday's are usually the slowest days for me, cause I never leave the house, but today went by really quickly.  This semester has gone by really quickly.  I was thinking about my age, and realized that I've already lived a 5th of my life.  Yeah yeah, I know...I'm only 16, why am I thinking about that?  Well, for several reasons.  1. I shouldn't start wishing today would go away so that I can get to tomorrow.  I need to enjoy every day that God has given me, being content exactly where I am.  2. I've only got a limited number of years on this earth before I spend eternity in heaven, so I had better make the most of my limited time on earth by serving God in whatever capacity He has for me.  I mean, there is a certain number of years that I have to minister to others (Christians and non-Christians), so I had better get to it! 3. God has given me this life as a blessing, so I had better enjoy it.  So, that's just kind of what I was thinking about today.  Don't waste your life living for yourself apart from God, live for Him.  He gave you this life as a blessing, you had better use His gift wisely.

Thankfully, most people aren't like me, but if you are like me then sometimes you just get really ticked when people hold wrong views than you do, and they advertise it as truth.  I'm reading this book right now, and I started to get very frustrated with some of the stuff that he was saying.  He's a Christian, but I think some of his theology is just wrong, and worse still, he condemns some stuff that I believe.  So, what is our natural inclination when a position that we hold is attacked?  We get defensive, and maybe angry.  Sometimes we get offended or get our feelings hurt.  The natural human inclination is to get defensive when anyone starts to attack a position that we hold.  Is this right?  NO!  There is something that I have to learn, and that is the idea that I am separate from the ideas that I hold.  My ideas are not me, and so when someone is attacking my ideas--my opinions--I need not get offended, because they're not attacking me.  Does that make sense?  I still need to apply that to the other side of the fence so to speak.  I don't like it when people are asserting wrong worldviews, and so I usually discourse with them, and sometimes I just get all frustrated that they believe a certain thing.  I get frustrated with the person, because he believes something that I think is wrong.  Note: what I'm talking about isn't an opinion that is threatening to any moral lifestyle.  That is a different issue.  But, when I'm confronting someone with a wrong opinion, I might start to get really frustrated with that person.  This is dangerous, because it can easily lead to attacking the other person.  Instead, I should make it less personal,and attack the position, not the person.  Even when you are confronting a person who holds a morally wrong worldview, attacking the other person is never right.  Attack the position, but always be loving, caring, and compassionate.  The person is more important than the worldview that they hold.  So, feel free to discourse and challenge other people's ideas (with respect), but be careful not to attack the person.  People are important, and treat them that way.  Keep a cool head when your own position is being attacked.  Why get angry?  Is it actually because you see that they are actually right ('how dare they point out to me where I'm wrong!')?  Be open to other ideas, and be open to discourse and defend your opinion, but there is not need to be defensive of yourself.  I hope that made sense.  And, feel free to discourse with me if you think I'm wrong on any point of this.  Talk to me! :-)    

Question: What is love?  Answer: Love is patient, and kind, is not jealous or boastful, arrogant or rude.  Love does not insist on it's own way, is not irritable or resentful, does not rejoice at wrong.  Love bears all things, believes all things, endures all things, love never ends. (paraphrase of part of 1 Corinthians 13).  And who is love?  Answer: God is love.  So what does that make God? Answer: patient, and kind, not boastful, arrogant or rude, He is not irritable or resentful, does not rejoice at wrong.  He bears all things, believes all things, endures all things, He never ends.  I want to focus on one aspect of God's love: patience.  When I start to struggle with sin or guilt, I have to go back to the idea of God's patience.  God is so patient with His people.  He took me when I was a sinner--totally helpless and totally sinful--and made me His own.  He took me as a sinner, and though He is sanctifying me, I am a sinner still.  He is patient with me, ever conforming me into Christ's image.  I stumble a lot, but He never lets me go, and never is harsh.  When I start to stray, His loving hand will start to pull me back.  Sometimes it may hurt, but never more than it should.  I think about the Israelites.  They were horrible sinners, but they were God's chosen people and He was so patient with them.  It took several hundreds of years of wickedness and repeated ignoring of His messages before God sent them into exile.  I am like a sinful Israelite in so many ways, but God is patient with me.  I pray that I will respond to His call, and repent when I fail, but I always no that He is patient ever still.      

I just want to reflect on this promise from God.  Romans 8:28 says,  "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to his purpose."  We have all heard this verse, now let's believe it.  Do we really believe what God promises here?  If so, how does that play out in your life?  Do you really believe that ALL THINGS  God will work out for the good of those who love Him?  What is there to worry?  There is no safer place than in the middle of God's will, and whatever happens, God will work it out for the good of those who love Him.  Do you love Him?  Jesus talked to his disciples about worrying.  He said that God provides even for the ravens, how much more will He care for His chosen people?  You should open your Bibles and read all of Romans 8, but here is a select passage from it about how God takes care of His people.  "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified.  What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all—how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?"  You see, He chose you, called you, sent His Son to die for you, and many more things, so do you think then that He will neglect you?  No!  Don't just believe, live it.  God is for us, so no one can stand against us.  Run through some of God's promises in your head, and think about what they mean for you.  Believe them, don't just know them.  Live them, don't just believe them.  If we truly believe that God is in control, that He will take care of His people, that He will work everything out for the good of those who love Him, then we need not worry.  Are you living in His will for you?  Then you have nothing to fear.