Give Thanks

Speak thanks, make it a part of your every day life.  

Let your life reflect gratitude, in all things.  

Good days, bad days.  

Be thankful.

Remember on this Thanksgiving to put your family and loved ones first, not food, not football, not shopping.  

People.  

They are what truly matters.  

Time with them is precious.  Make your moments count. 

Life is short, appreciate and be thankful for the moments you are given.  

Psalm 100 Living Bible (TLB)

 Shout with joy before the Lord, O earth!  Obey him gladly; come before him, singing with joy.  Try to realize what this means—the Lord is God! He made us—we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.  

Go through his open gates with great thanksgiving; enter his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and bless his name.   For the Lord is always good.  He is always loving and kind, and his faithfulness goes on and on to each succeeding generation.

Colossians 2:7New Life Version (NLV)

 Have your roots planted deep in Christ. Grow in Him. Get your strength from Him. Let Him make you strong in the faith as you have been taught. Your life should be full of thanks to Him.

Hebrews 12:28The Voice (VOICE)

 Therefore, let us all be thankful that we are a part of an unshakable Kingdom and offer to God worship that pleases Him and reflects the awe and reverence we have toward Him. 

Stop

Stop.  

Put your phone or tablet down.  

Step outside.  

Take a deep breath.  

Now, look around.  

Do you see it?  

Do you see the flowers, the clouds, the green grass, maybe a butterfly or bird flying by?  

Don't miss the beauty that surrounds you, everyday. 

Relax.  

Take it in, and let the stress of life go as you breathe in the simple, yet oh so complex, 
beauty of creation. 

The Dash, Your Legacy

I recently attended a funeral.  I did not know the lady.  I was there to help with some of the tech side. As I said, I did not know the lady.  By the time the funeral was over, however, I felt I did know her.  I was shedding tears with the large crowd that assembled to 'say see you later' to their mom, wife, grandma, sister, daughter, friend.

I learned that this gal first and foremost loved Jesus and lived life for Him.  I learned she loved her family, deeply.  I learned she was a quiet woman, but her relationships ran deep and true.  She was intentional about making those in her life feel loved, valued, and important.  She lived out each moment with joy.  She laughed.  She took time to make precious memories with everyone who was important to her.  She lived life with purpose and passion and enjoyed the gift of life.  She didn't waste time, she lived life.  She took great enjoyment in experiencing God's creation. She lived out her dash well.  She touched a lot of people, and showed them the love of Christ through the way she lived.  

Ever since I walked out of our church, I have been thinking about my dash, how I am living out my time from birth, to death.  What will I be remembered for, what do I need to change, and how can I live more purposely and passionately?

What about you?  What will people remember about your 'dash.'  Will they say you were loving, caring, kind, or will they remember you for being argumentative, angry, harsh, for what you were against, not for how you loved?  How do people describe you now?  Those words give you a clue as to the legacy you are leaving here on earth.  What needs to change?  Are your words kind or condemning?  Do you speak words that lift up or tear down?  Are you task oriented, or do people come first?  Do you laugh, and enjoy life, or are you too busy or too uptight?  Do you spend more time on social networks/online than you do having real, face to face relationships?  Does a perfect house matter more than time with your kids, your spouse?  Do you spew ugly words at anything that is against you, or do you try to let it go and and not get consumed with being right?  Does your family know you love them, deeply?  What about your faith?  If you aren't a follower of Christ, living a life like He lived, have you taken time to really consider and examine the life of Christ, NOT a life of religion, but a life of love and giving, centered on Christ's teaching?  It is the most important decision you will ever make.  

Is the life you are living, the life you want to be remembered for?  What are your values?  What's important to you?  How do you live?  What will be said about you at the end of your life?  If you are reading this, you are still breathing, so start making the changes you want to make TODAY.   Make wise use of the dash in your life.  

Live.  Love.  Laugh.  Hope.  Faith.  

What is your legacy?