Neither were they thankful

2 Timothy 3:1-4 Amplified version

3 But understand this, that in the last days will come (set in) perilous times of great stress and trouble [hard to deal with and hard to bear].

² For people will be lovers of self and [utterly] self-centered, lovers of money and aroused by an inordinate [greedy] desire for wealth, proud and arrogant and contemptuous boasters. They will be abusive (blasphemous, scoffing), disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy and profane.

³ [They will be] without natural [human] affection (callous and inhuman), relentless (admitting of no truce or appeasement); [they will be] slanderers (false accusers, troublemakers), intemperate and loose in morals and conduct, uncontrolled and fierce, haters of good.

⁴ [They will be] treacherous [betrayers], rash, [and] inflated with self-conceit. [They will be] lovers of sensual pleasures and vain amusements more than and rather than lovers of God.

I was working in the kitchen, getting things ready for the morning when heard the news about all the sales for "Black Friday".  Some have been camping out in front of stores since yesterday morning!  It used to be that stores would not decorate for Christmas or advertise for Christmas until AFTER Thanksgiving. Is anyone truly thankful?   

Can we not just take even ONE day to set aside and thank GOD for all He has given us and how He has blessed us?  Instead people are lined up, camped out, elbowing their way toward the front of a line to buy something that probably don't need with money they don't have.  

Those words from Paul to Timothy came to mind as I was working in the kitchen.  "in the last days difficult times will come... " .  Look at how Paul describes them and see if they don't sound like today!  "lovers of self, lovers of money.... ungrateful, unholy....".  Seeing this fleshed out before my eyes makes me both scared and sad.  Scared because things really are getting worse, and our society has lost its moral footing.  There is no fear of God, there is no more decency, no modesty, no common courtesy (or at least very little of these things!).  It makes me sad because God has given us so much.  He gives us life and breath every day!  He makes the sun rise and set.  He sets the starts in place.  He changes times and seasons.  We think we've done it all!  How foolish are we?  

In Paul's letter to the Romans chapter 1 he says,

"They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. ²⁰ For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.  ²¹ Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. ²² Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. ²³ And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles."

My husband preached on giving thanks last Sunday.  One thing he mentioned was that sometimes we need to be thankful for things like hunger and thirst, for when we truly know hunger and thirst then we are truly grateful for food and drink.  We (I) should be thankful for what we have but also for what we lack because God is working in our hearts to be truly blessed and truly thankful.

I am thankful.  I am blessed.  I am glad I will be with family tomorrow, relaxing, giving thanks and not camping out on hard cement to get my hands on some new toy.  God has given me/us so much.  

Let us give thanks!

and more...

33. New tooth brush
34. Headache is almost gone
35. Cool breeze coming into the house
36. Electricity so I can run my oven, computer, lights, etc.
37. That God uses misfits! :)
38. Fresh bread baking
39. Clean, comfy socks
40. Tissues

Still more....

26. Clean teeth!
27. Christmas music (for the record, I'm not listening to it yet, just practicing it)
28. Red Converse High Tops from my husband
29. C.S. Lewis books
30. Oranges
31. Hazelnut coffee
32. The wastebasket in the living room that has been there for as long as I can remember.

more...

19.  Scars on my hand that show God's healing
20. "The Messiah" - fabulous music and inspiring words
21. The colors of the trees on our street, bright orange, red, green, yellow...
22. Sleep
23. Rain
24. The ability to speak another language. It is SO cool!
25. Contentment

My Partial list of things for which I am thankful

1. Hot water
2. Orange Juice
3. Shelter
4. Food
5. My husband!
6. My four wonderful children
7. The ability to work
8. My jobs (plural, because I have 3 part time jobs)
9. Health
10. Sight, hearing, touch, taste, smell
11. Intelligence (although some would doubt that in me)
12. The ability to play the piano
13. A week off from school coming up
14. Our Cats (they are so cute!)
15. Our Dogs (mighty protectors of the yard...:) )
16. Our extended families.
17. Supper cooking in the oven
18. Firewood

I am Thankful for...

...for an unexpected break today.  I came home from school not feeling well today and found out that my piano lesson was canceled.  I am thankful for an unexpected afternoon on the couch to rest.

One Generation shall commend Your works to another.

Thoughts come to me at the strangest times.  I think those must be the times when the Lord speaks more clearly to me.  I was talking with someone yesterday morning before church about my family and "the Drug Store" in Exeter.  More and more people will refer to "the Drug Store" with great fondness of a simpler time.
One of the events of the "Drug Store Years" for my family came around this time of year.  It was the time when my grandfather and father would make "Titrating solution" for the orange growers.  I'm not exactly sure what it was for but I know it was important.  We had a huge tank in which the solution was made.  From there we had an "assembly line" that included my grandmother, my mom (obviously my grandad and dad) and us four kids.  The gallon bottles were filled, a piece of foil was placed over the mouth of the bottle, the cap went on, a string was tied around the bottle top to secure it into place and then red wax was used to seal it on the top.  The bottles were set aside for local orange growers.  (There may have been other steps.  Those are the ones I remember).  For me it wasn't so much what we were doing but it was that we were all together and doing something for our community.  It was a family thing and I still have really fond memories of those times.  I think my brother has the titrating tank now, and there are much more advanced ways of accomplishing the same things.  I can't even begin to understand it.
All this made me think about, in another sense, telling stories from one generation to another.  My kids will hear this story (and the older I get the more they will hear it I'm afraid!) and someday they might tell their children about "the Drug Store days".

 In Psalm 145 it says,   "I will exalt you, my God and King and praise your name forever and ever. I will praise you every day yes, I will praise you forever. Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise.  No one can measure his greatness. 

Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts; 

let them proclaim your power. 

I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor and your wonderful miracles.  Your awe-inspiring deeds will be on every tongue I will proclaim your greatness.  Everyone will share the story of your wonderful goodness; they will sing with joy about your righteousness."  

How much more should I be telling my children about God's mighty acts and His faithfulness in my life and in the lives of their ancestors!  I have stories going back several generations of how God was mighty and faithful in the lives of my family.  My husband has similar accounts to relate to our children.  It's important to pass on family heritage and history and even more important to remind them of God's faithfulness, grace, mercy and power on behalf of His children throughout the ages.  
One generation proclaims to another....

11/11

Today marks 11 years since we arrived here in California (well, on Tuesday that is).  I am thankful for the past 11 years.  It hasn't all been wonderful.  In fact, some of it has been downright sad and upsetting.  But, I am thankful for God's planning of the "curriculum" of my life  He knows what He's doing.  His ways are perfect.  God is worthy of trust.

Nine and Ten

I am thankful for:

November 9th - Where I grew up and the sense of history and roots we have here.  We spent a few hours at the new property of our neighbors.  They bought an old, historic home not far from here.  I have many memories of that place!

November 10th - A day completely off and the time to clean!  Right now my kitchen looks like the cupboards "threw-up" all over the floor.  I've been cleaning, sorting, and throwing things away.  I'm treating myself to a half hour break to drink some coffee and check in on cyber friends.  I'll go back to work in a few minutes.

8

Thankful for Thursday evening! 
That means tomorrow is Friday and I sure need it to be.
I'm so thankful that days are only 24 hours and that each morning is a new start!

I'm a little behind on this...

30 days of gratitude for the month of November.  
I am thankful for....

1 - ... another Autumn here in Exeter.
2 - ... a new school, new job and new students.
3 - ... a day off and sleeping until 11 a.m.
4 - ... "The Messiah" rehearsal and the wonderful words and music that resonated in my soul.  "All we like sheep have gone astray, and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.  Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. Blessing, and honour, glory and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.      Amen.."
5 - ... my wonderful husband who does so much for us all!  He makes breakfast for Rachel, makes lunches for Rachel, me and himself, does so much work around the house and yard.
6 - .... the right and privilege to vote.
7 - ... the Lord is King, He is Eternal, He reigns over all things.  In spite of the election results, He is God and I can trust in Him.