Last Thursday, we celebrated Thanksgiving for the first time in our lives - turkey and all. It was awesome, although it was only all 5 of us in my family (which I'm thankful for). Mom started by saying she was thankful about being saved and for a home in heaven and for being able to come here ( NC - although she was not exactly for it... :) ). She was also thankful her husband chose to marry her and also for her 3 blessed children (of course, of course... ;)). She talked about 3 mins or so. I followed, and expressed being thankful for my family, for the people who go to our chapel, especially the young people who have really set an example to me through their every word, action, and reaction.

Now that I think of it (and didn't mention it during our little celebration) I'm thankful that I have been able to bring back that one-to-one relationship with the Lord, which I wasn't able to do for a long time... since the time that I had been away from my parents in my home state - after coming here, it's almost been like I was learning to be a Christian for the first time all over again.

Coming back to my original topic, I also said I wouldn't exchange my family for any other in the world, if that was the last thing I could do. Last of all, but not the least, I thanked the Lord for myself - just as I am, and for the way He was teaching and changing me in different ways leading me on my way to be perfect like Himself - ie, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Likewise, my sister mentioned a few things she was thankful for, followed by my brother (his thanksgiving included his perfect attendance certificate - how sweet to be that simple, I don't know if i could be that specific or thoughtful), and then my father followed, after which we gave thanks for the food and lo and behold... we had begun to EAT! The turkey came out well - had been in the oven about 3 hours or so and looked simply yummy! :) It wasn't a very big one but was just enough for all of us. There was boiled beans, "sweet potato and apple with honey and butter" (That was just YUMMY!!), bread - which no one touched since there was so much else to eat, and (okay, this is weird) - not iced tea, but Mountain Dew. The whole day went real good... I loved it - we've never celebrated anything of the sort but I really enjoyed the turkey (although it was made by my mother - so it's possible that's the reason why I liked it).

You might be wondering why I'm going on about all this - the reason is very plain - I only wanted to express that I am so thankful for anything and everything and everybody that has ever happened to me. I love myself as I am today and each part of me has become itself because of the effect of somebody or the other or some or the other circumctance in my life - even if it was something about myself that I used to dislike. Speaking of which, I have observed that I have a lot of weak points and I hate the way I act or react when sometimes those very weak points lead to me landing myself in trouble. But what I probably can't see is the good that comes out of those weak points. At first those foolish steps that I take might seem totally destructive but later, when the good has come out of it a long time after, I am always able to look back and say "It was for good that that had happened..." concerning that particular "foolishness" rather than crying over it "If I hadn'e done it this way, all this wouldn't have happened" or "If something else had happened then I would have been better off now". That is why the Word of God says "[A]nd we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose" Romans 8:28, King James Version.

Whether it be hard, sad, easy, happy, or lonely times or times when it seemed like the whole world is on our side - all through those times, whether good or bad, my Lord was good to me. Times when I turned away from Him and forgot Him and didn't give Him the favor He far more than deserved, He remained faithful. Where can you get such a partner on the face of the earth? Sometimes the silliest of things can be the hardest to do and certain ways we once were against can suddenly become favorable to us. What I'm trying to say is man keeps changing and so you can't trust him (or her, for that matter). Then who can you trust? Isn't the answer obvious? God? Because He never changes does He? Isn't that something to be thankful for?
For all you know a person could promise you something today and tomorrow, something drastic can happen in that person's life to make him or her change his or her mind about that very same promise due to no particular fault of his or her own. But then its us who suffers isn't it? No matter what, there's no person in this world who'll love anybody else in this world other than themselves. Put a person who thinks he loves you at the edge of a cliff without any warning and tell him to jump. What do you think he or she going to do? Now come on, and be honest. If he's not stupid or downright crazy he won't jump until he finds out what really is going on right? Coz one wants to make sure all's going well only then will one make that decision of even jumping from the cliff for you... lol... sorry couldn't help it...

Whoa there I go, wandering off to my favorite topic - Love... hahaha... The point I was trying to make was that no one else is precious to anybody else other than himself or herself. Only can God can love you more than He loves Himself - He's already proved that, right? Did He deserve to die on that cross treated like a criminal? No! He never did a single sin in His life! The Bible says "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that WE MIGHT become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Corinthians 5:21). If you have something good in you how happy will you be with all the credit or half of the credit going to somebody else? That's exactly what the Lord did!! He gave up all his riches to put on skin just like you and me!
I think that's the most awesome thing anybody could do! You better think so too!! :D jus kiddin.. But I'm not kiddin about the facts I mentioned.

He lived all eternity in perfectness and having absolutely not known no sin at all and then lovingly made his most wonderful creation - man, who hates him. Knowing man was doing it purely out of ignorance, He left His heavenly splendour and came to earth, and was accused like a criminal - why? because He claimed to be God, and was put to death. Not only that, He rose from the dead and lives today and still people refuse to believe Him. Is that something you would expect a majestic, omnicient, omnipotent God to do? Wouldn't He rather sit in His heaven and reward "good" people and punish "bad" people? But no, He chose to take up your and my punishment Himself so you and I could live with Him, all you have to do is personally accept that love and allow Him to make you His.

Each time a new thought comes up in my mind even as I type right now, I feel even more thankful and even more unworthy because I don't deserve it. But I am definitely thankful and I want to make the sacrifice He made worth it, in order to please Him - He doesn't need me to please Him of course but i'm totally humbled by the fact that He died in order to have a wretched sinner like me to live with Him forever. And I will.... someday!!! Don't you want to have that same hope? Does it sound like I am in love? :) I sure am.... I have been for the past 10 years and will never fall out of it. Wouldn't give it up for all the riches in the world.