The missing ingredient in this country and in the hearts of people is gratitude. You look in the stores, and immediately following Halloween, the marketing people put up the Christmas sales, this week the most anticipated day, is not Thursday, it is Friday’s black Friday’s sales. In the book of Philippians Paul addresses this great concept. Gratitude leads to a joy that should be an unwavering constant in a Spirit filled life, not a transient emotional feeling that comes and goes depending on circumstances. In Philippians 1:3-8 The apostle gives 5 specific elements of his Spirit-engendered joy as it related to other believers. As we prepare for Thanksgiving we need to consider these elements. Let me simply share those elements for your consideration. He speaks of the joy of Recollection in verse 3; The joy of Intercession in verse 4; The joy of participation in verse 5; the joy of Anticipation in verse 6; and the joy of Affection in verses 7-8. As we approach Thanksgiving this week perhaps we need to be challenged to think back and be encouraged by the people God has brought into our lives.… READ MORE

The single most significant decision I can make on a day to day basis is my choice of attitude! It is more important than my past, my education, my bankroll, my successes or failures, My attitude keeps me going or cripples my progress. It alone fuels my fire or assaults my hope. When my attitudes are right, there is no barrier too high, no valley too deep, no dream to extreme, no challenge too great for me to tackle. Proverbs 23:7 reminds us that “as [a person] thinks in his heart, so is he.” We must admit that we spend more of our time concentrating and fretting over the things that cannot be changed – than we do giving attention to the one that can give us victory over any circumstance. As we approach Thanksgiving this year, why not make a choice to glorify God in all that you say, and do. Life is full of choices, and you are the one that controls the choices of the heart. Trust in the Word of God, and find your peace with the Lord in the midst of life’s events.… READ MORE

Dr. Victor Frankl,, the bold, courageous Jew who became a prisoner during the Holocaust, endured years of indignity and humiliation by the Nazis before he was finally liberated. During his ordeal, everything that he had that identified him was taken from him, he was a destitute, helpless pawn in the hands of brutal, prejudiced, sadistic men. He had nothing . . . Then He suddenly realized there was one thing no one could ever take from him. Dr. Frankl realized that he still had the power to choose his own attitude!!! No matter what anyone would ever do to him regardless of what the future held for him, the attitude choice was his to make. The single most significant decision we can make on a day to day basis is our choice of attitude! As we approach Thanksgiving may our attitude choice be one of gratitude. Philippians 4:8 tells us, “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy — meditate on these things.”… READ MORE