True Satisfaction

Who can deny that food and holidays go together? Thanksgiving is no exception. Spending time with dear family members can only be made sweeter by a table laden with food. My mouth is already watering in anticipation of all the delectable things that will make up the Thanksgiving Day feast.

I imagine myself loading my plate with all kinds of goodies - pumpkin pie topped with real whipped cream, just a sliver of the pecan pie, and oh, I can't pass by the apple bread without having just a little. A dessert connoisseur's dream. But in this dream of mine, something is missing. Food that will truly nourish my body. If my plate is loaded solely with sweets, it'll only be a matter of time before my body craves what it really needs - proper nutrients. You know, the ones found in the turkey, green beans, squash, and cranberry relish, also on the table.

When fueled with the appropriate balance of food, my body is able to function properly. The problem: sometimes I fall prey to eating the things that sound good to me, rather than those that are good for me.

Thanksgiving wouldn't be the same without taking time to reflect on the past year's blessings. However, in a rush to finish cleaning the house, prepare the mid-day meal, and welcome family, I sometimes leave out what I really need - time spent with my Savior; praising Him for His goodness. Time allowing Him to orchestrate my days in such a way that balance is restored during a time that tends to get chaotic.

Consider the beautiful metaphor spoken by Jesus himself, "I am the the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst," (John 6:35). Sweets cannot satisfy my body's hunger, neither can my soul be satisfied in living a life apart from Christ.

As you get together with friends and family this year, and put the finishing touches on your Thanksgiving Day feast, remember to make plenty of room for what will truly satisfy - the Lord, Jesus Christ!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, Thank You for who You are! Thank You for the blessings you pour out in my life. Help me to enjoy a time of worshiping and praising You this Thanksgiving - remembering that it IS all about You. In Jesus' name, Amen.

*I'm hosting over at Living by Grace today. Come join in the discussion!


A re-post from 11/2011

True Satisfaction

Who can deny that food and holidays go together? Thanksgiving is no exception. Spending time with dear family members can only be made sweeter by a table laden with food. My mouth is already watering in anticipation of all the delectable things that will make up the Thanksgiving Day feast.

I imagine myself loading my plate with all kinds of goodies - pumpkin pie topped with real whipped cream, just a sliver of the pecan pie, and oh, I can't pass by the apple bread without having just a little. A dessert connoisseur's dream. But in this dream of mine, something is missing. Food that will truly nourish my body. If my plate is loaded solely with sweets, it'll only be a matter of time before my body craves what it really needs - proper nutrients. You know, the ones found in the turkey, green beans, squash, and cranberry relish, also on the table.

When fueled with the appropriate balance of food, my body is able to function properly. The problem: sometimes I fall prey to eating the things that sound good to me, rather than those that are good for me.

Thanksgiving wouldn't be the same without taking time to reflect on the past year's blessings. However, in a rush to finish cleaning the house, prepare the mid-day meal, and welcome family, I sometimes leave out what I really need - time spent with my Savior; praising Him for His goodness. Time allowing Him to orchestrate my days in such a way that balance is restored during a time that tends to get chaotic.

Consider the beautiful metaphor spoken by Jesus himself, "I am the the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst," (John 6:35). Sweets cannot satisfy my body's hunger, neither can my soul be satisfied in living a life apart from Christ.

As you get together with friends and family this year, and put the finishing touches on your Thanksgiving Day feast, remember to make plenty of room for what will truly satisfy - the Lord, Jesus Christ!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, Thank You for who You are! Thank You for the blessings you pour out in my life. Help me to enjoy a time of worshiping and praising You this Thanksgiving - remembering that it IS all about You. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Time to Celebrate!

A birthday. An excellent time for celebrating. And this wasn't just any occasion, it was our Golden Retriever's fifth birthday. Yes, we actually celebrate our dogs' birthdays! This year we donned our party hats, (the dogs joining right in!) sang Happy Birthday, and spoiled both retrievers with a hot dog and hamburger grilled to perfection.

A romp in the front yard, affectionately referred to as the 'green space,' followed by a long walk, rounded out the birthday festivities. The perfect party, complete with pictures to enjoy for years to come.


I'm glad the Lord gives us lots of reasons to celebrate. Have you ever noticed the many feast days and celebrations included in the Old Testament? Believe it or not, there were 19 days that were observed by the Israelites as holidays. The Lord Himself implementing every one of them.

If you take a closer look, seven feasts were celebrated at various times, totaling 19 days. The feasts were times of worship that included both confession and celebration. I like the way my study Bible describes these holidays, "...in Israel's national holidays, the balance seems heavily tipped in favor of celebration - five joyous occasions to two solemn occasions. The God of the Bible encourages joy! God does not intend for religion to be only meditation and introspection. He also wants us to celebrate. Serious reflection and immediate confession of sin is essential, of course. But this should be balanced by celebrating who God is and what he has done for his people," (Life Application Study Bible, KJV, Tyndale, italics mine).

Today we have the privilege of celebrating some national holidays as well; Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. Holidays that give us the opportunity to focus on the greatness of our God and His amazing provision. Christmas heralds the miraculous birth of Jesus, fully God and fully man. We celebrate His life's purpose at Easter when we remember His death on the cross, His burial and resurrection. The perfect man who offered His life to pay our sin debt. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life," (John 3:16, KJV).

And then there are birthdays - a celebration of the precious life God gives. They're the icing on the cake in my opinion. Each day is a blessing from the Lord. An opportunity to live for Him while pointing others to Him. The Apostle Paul puts it like this, "Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you," (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). Today is a good day to celebrate!

Is there joy in your life? Do you take time to celebrate who God is and what He's done for you? If not, take a step away from the mundane and re-focus on the wonders of the Lord!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, Thank You for giving me a reason to celebrate. When I focus on all You are and all You've done for me, I've got every reason to rejoice. To You be the glory. In Jesus' name, Amen.