Thanksgiving

Today is Thanksgiving. The day America sets aside every year for family, food and football games. Amidst all the Turkey, Stuffing, Gravy and Potatoes, we might set aside five, maybe ten minutes at the most to remember things that we are thankful for.
A new car.
Another year of school under our belts.
Enough food to eat.
But have we ever sat down and actually thought about what this day really means?
Thanksgiving. Giving Thanks.
This begs the question, to whom? Who are we thanking for being able to eat so much food that we all pass out by the end of the day? Our founders set aside a national holiday for giving thanks to God for all of the blessings that He has showered down on us and our nation.
Prosperity.
Freedom.
Another year of life.
Today was originally a day set aside for prayer and thanksgiving to God for His gracious provision and protection. But that is not what it is now. Most Americans spend today watching football while fighting off a food coma and trying to avoid those pesky relatives that love to get in their lives. We are blessed to live in a country where we have more than enough food to eat; most of us have somewhere to sleep and warm clothes to wear. God has richly blessed our country, but most of us are trying to cut Him out of the equation. This has become more and more apparent to me the more Holiday seasons I live through. We have made Thanksgiving about eating as much as humanly possible and Christmas about getting as much as possible.
I know that it is now the end of Thanksgiving day. Most of us have already eaten dinner, hung out with our families and watched the game. But Thanksgiving doesn't have to be once a year. Make everyday a day of Thanksgiving. Count your blessings and thank God for His blessings everyday of the year.
God has blessed us and allowed us to be born into a time and a country where we have the freedom to worship Him openly. Do not take this for granted. The privileges that we enjoy could be taken away in a heartbeat. Overnight.
As we enter into the Holiday season, let us enjoy our families and the fun that the season brings. But let us not forget Who this season really is about. Let us be sober minded, remembering that even if we are going through tight financial times and are considered "poor" by our government's standards, we are still some of the richest people in the world. Let us be thankful for what we have, even if it is not a lot, even if we have lost a lot, even if it is less than we are used to. Let us enjoy and take advantage of our freedom of worship by openly sharing what God has done in our lives, knowing that we could wake up tomorrow and find that freedom gone.
I will end this night by thanking God for His love and grace. For sending His Son down to earth, taking up the form of a man to die the most cruel and painful death ever contrived, all for my sins. Thanking God for giving me a second chance at life. For making me a new person, and giving me a new purpose.  For giving me a heart to love, eyes to see and mind to think. May I never take these gifts for granted.
What are you thankful for tonight?

Standing with Israel

Our world is going through a period of rapid and chaotic change. Socialists, Communists, and Muslim Extremists are working hard together to destroy capitalism, freedom and democracy. More specifically, they are working together to destroy America and Israel. In such tumultuous, uncertain times, it is imperative that we as Americans clearly define what our values and who our friends are and then solidly stand by them. 

America has long been a beacon on a hill. The shining example of freedom and democracy, and from our birth, there have been nations who want to destroy us and nations that want befriend and emulate us. One nation that seeks our friendship is Israel. 

With much of the Middle East in turmoil, and most of the Muslim countries shouting for the death of America, we need to protect and defend ourselves, but who can we trust and depend on? Turkey? Iran? Iraq? Saudi Arabia? No, they are the ones who are shouting for our death. But, surrounded by all these hate filled voices, there is one country in the Middle East who extends the hand of friendship and peace to America. That country is Israel.

A tiny country in the Middle East whose neighbors are clamoring for her death. She is our sister nation. We are founded on the same Judeo-Christian principles and we both have similar democratic governments whose purpose is to preserve freedom. As such, we are the polar opposites of the dictatorial regimes that are governing most of the Middle East. The Muslim extremists who are governing countries like Iran and Saudi Arabia are working hard to put into place a caliphate, or kalifah, which is basically taking over the world so that the entire world is an Islamic empire. One by one, each of the countries in the Middle East are falling prey to this caliphate, and it is spreading beyond the Middle East. After the revolution in Egypt this last spring, Egypt is being run by the Muslim Brotherhood, an extremist organization, and with every country they control, they grow bolder and more greedy for land and power. They are now calling for an end to Israel. 

We cannot let this happen! Israel is the only country in the Middle East who stands for democracy. If she falls, we are next. We need to stand with Israel. We need to support her in her lonely stand for freedom. 

 If we don’t, we will fall. America will cease to be a great nation, we will lose our democracy and become like all the other nations in history who have stood against Israel. Throughout history, there have been people who have tried to wipe the Jewish nation off the face of the earth. Every time they have failed. Several have gotten close, like Hitler with the Holocaust, but in the end they were defeated and Israel came out stronger. History proves that Israel’s enemies will, in the end, be defeated and cut off. History also shows us that the nations that befriend and help Israel will be blessed and prosperous. I believe that this is why we have been a great nation. From the beginning we have supported Israel. But now, we are divided and pulling away from her.  As we do this, we are losing our greatness. We need to draw back to Israel and stand with her, even if every other nation in the world is calling for her death. 

What can we do? We aren’t politicians or policy makers. What can the average citizen do to support Israel? First, we need to remember it only takes one voice to effect a change. It takes one voice saying something until another one joins it and then another until we are a million voices strong. Secondly, we need to educate ourselves. Read up on history, read up on current events. Research what is going on around you in the world and then form an educated opinion. Form convictions and stick to them. Then, make your voice heard. Vote for leaders who will stand with Israel. Write a blog, share your thoughts and tell your friends.