Thanksgiving: A holiday that occurs once a year at the end of November that celebrates the harvest. Although today we don’t really notice the harvest, we still give thanks for what we have. And that’s the point we GIVE THANKS. A little note to focus on is the term “giving”. It is a transitive word, which means there is a subject, the the thanker, and the direct object or thing that receives the action, the thankee. When we give thanks, and in all things that we are thankful for, give the thanks to God. As Psalms 136:1-3 says,

1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good.
His love endures forever.

2 Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.

3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever.

These are not merely suggestions, but commands. It seems wrong to command someone to truly be thankful, but when someone realizes that the Lord is good, that His love endures forever, and that He is the God of gods, it becomes difficult to not give thanks to Him. When we begin to get a glimpse at the majesty of our Lord we can only give praise and thanks to Him for His greatness and power and the gift He has given us. We may not always feel like giving thanks, but we must remember that His love endures forever. That means that even when you don’t feel it or you don’t think you deserve it, His love is still there. Not only is it there, it is active in that it is enduring. It doesn’t just exist, but it is an active love. Although not explicitly seen in this verse, when reading the Bible and listening to the testimonies of believers, it is evident that His love is active. That is something to give thanks for
Happy Thanksgiving.

Since my last post about my life nothing huge has happened, but none the less life has happened and I am thankful for what has transpired. The night that I wrote “ so let it be” was not an easy night. A few hours before I wrote it I had gone to church and had a very disheartening small group. The kids were hyped up because we were taking a survey and we had no real talk with any of them. It was exhausting and made me question why I was there. When I got back I just shut down to the world and didn’t even go to my own small group. After some time, thankfully, the Holy Spirit guided me and brought me to a place where i could reflect on only a portion of what He has taught me. I am truly thankful for Him. The Holy Spirit not only brought me to himself in this time, but brought by one of the RA’s, Matt, in order to brighten up my night. He had no reason to come by because it wasn’t open hours that night. Just seeing that someone was coming around to check up on us and how we were doing (that’s what he told me) brought me joy. I am thankful for that occurrence. The next morning as I though of the kids at WACC I thought of how I missed them, even though I had seen them last night. I am so thankful for them and the Holy Spirit’s gift of them. This past Tuesday we had a really great small group time and the Holy Spirit lifted my spirit even more.
There are so many other things i can be thankful for. Going on a Gyrad with Stacy and Monica, going to Disneyland with Kaeighly and Brian, Torrey Bible sessions, and so much more.
One of the things I am most thankful for right now is being able to sit in my own room at home. Yes, my parents got me tickets to fly home on Wednesday morning so i could spend Thanksgiving with my family. I got to see my mom, dad, both sisters, brother-in-law, niece, grandma, Geoff, Mallory, and Danny already! I enjoyed a great feast and enjoyed sleeping in my own house. I have enjoyed rest and being at home, two ideas that have been focused on alot in Torrey sessions.
I am so thankful to God for giving me loving parents who are sending me to such a blessed place as Biola. It isn’t blessed because it is sacred ground or that God chose Biola like He chose Israel. No, it is because Biola is a place that is showered in prayer and we ask for the presence of the Lord to come and fill us with His Holy Spirit daily. It’s because we strive to place God on the throne. No, we don’t always succeed, but by God’s mercy we have continued to strive after Him for 101 years! Biola is what it is today because of God and His gracious blessings on His children. I thank the Lord for Biola as a place, community, and establishment. May the Lord bless you and show His light upon you. Pray that He may show you His blessings that He has already given you that you may turn around to Him in a spirit of Thanksgiving.