Word for Today, Mon, 25 Aug 2003: Still Thankful After All These Years

#1 · August 24, 2003, 9:44 pm

Quote from Forum Archives on August 24, 2003, 9:44 pm
Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

Dear friends,

I try to keep as many of my old messages in various archives.
Occasionally I take a look at those archives, just to see where
I've been on my own spiritual pilgrimage and how my attitudes
have changed and evolved, or where they've remained the same.
This helps me to see areas which need work in my own life.

Well, this particular message is interesting, because I remember
the day well. It began innocent and calm enough. I remember
that my project leader wasn't working that Friday, and I remember
that some particular tests that we wanted to do could not be done
because of a problem with the test system. I also remember that
at lunch time on this particular day, my wife and three children
came by to see where "daddy works", and I took them on a walk in
the nearby park, where people would often walk or hike during
lunch.

In the last paragraph of my comments, I said that I could give
thanks. On that day, I could give thanks for a good job, but I
claimed that I could still give thanks, even if that weren't the
case.

Well, my friends, that was the last day that I've had a good
paying job. I've had odd jobs and part time jobs on and off for
the past two years, but I've not had a significant source of
income since, other than cleaning out my reasonably sized IRA
savings.

So the real question to ask is whether or not I'm still thankful.
I have to tell you yes, but I also have to acknowledge that every
possible thought, both positive and negative, that could be
thought during the past two years, has probably also gone through
my mind. I cannot give thanks for my own attitudes, I can only
give thanks for the faithfulness of God Almighty. In spite of
trials, He has seen me through. When I'm about ready to crack,
He relieves the pressure. When I'm running out of hope, He fills
me up.

To be sure, God uses people and situations to accomplish each of
these things, but to be equally sure, God is in each and every
one of these events.

I believe the words I wrote two years ago were God inspired, and
I believe the words I am writing to you now are also God
inspired. Friends, I am weak, but He is strong. I would crack
(and I have cracked on my own in the past), but He mends me and
makes me whole again.

If you don't have a deep, intimate, and personal relationship
with the Lord Jesus Christ, what are you waiting for - your own
catastrophe? Seek the Lord today, call upon Him while He is
near, praise Him, in good times and in bad times alike. He will
never leave you or forsake you. He certainly has never once left
me or forsaken Him - (though to my shame, I have left Him for a
time).

"What a Friend We Have In Jesus!" Those are much more than mere
words of a church hymn, they are a reality that can be yours
today. Take it from someone who has been from the mountains to
the prairies and the valleys, from the heights of euphoria to the
depths of despair. The Lord is in each of those places, and He's
patiently waiting for each one of us. He won't reject any of us.
If we don't end up with Him on the day of Judgement, it'll be
because we rejected Him when we had every possible chance to seek
Him, just as He seeks us.

Yours in Christ,
Brian

Subject: Word for Today, Fri, 30 Jun 2000: Guiding Hope
Date: 6/30/2000 9:11:13 AM Eastern Daylight Time
From:Brian Masinick <masinick@yahoo.com>

Dear friends,

What a good day to encourage someone else. While it is clear to
me that the leaders of our nation and our world are very
misguided, it is also clear to me that the One really in control
is STILL in control, the God of all creation.

I do care very much about the things around me, and it often
disturbs me to see some of the cultural and political things that
are going on. Yet, even on the same day that I see atrocities
occur, I also see the hand of God at work.

I believe that nothing is too difficult for our Lord - not even
our rebellious, callous attitudes. If this has been an
especially tough week for you, personally, my heart and my
prayers go out to you. I encourage you today to pause for a
moment and give thanks for your surroundings, regardless of how
humble they may appear. Everything around you is a gift from
God.

I am sitting in a nice office right now, thankful that I have a
good job, and that I can give thanks as I begin a day of work.
But even if that weren't the case, I can still give thanks, for I
know that I am deeply loved, fully forgiven, and completely
accepted, regardless of what goes on in my life. That's more
than sufficient reason for me to have great hope in everything.

Brother Brian

Subject: Christian Thought for the day

~~~THE THOUGHT~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power.
We have guided missiles and misguided men.
Martin Luther King, Jr.

VERSE: ...the LORD of hosts, who is wonderful in
counsel and excellent in guidance.
Isaiah 28:29

PRAYER: Dear Lord, I pray for our leaders today,
that they may have your guidance in all their
decisions for the benefit of all mankind. Amen.

~~~KEYWORDS~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
spirituality science morality ethics

Want to find more quotes about these keywords?
motivationalquotes.com/cgi-bin/s/db.cgi

~~~AUTHOR AND SOURCE~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968), was the
leading civil rights activist in the US from the
mid-fifties through 1968, when he was assassinated
at the age of 39.
www.motivationalquotes.com/People/mlking.shtml

Today's quote is from The Penguin Dictionary
of Twentieth-Century Quotations
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0140511652/speriencecommaki
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0140511652/motivationalquot

~~~RECOMMENDED READINGS~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I Have a Dream: Writings and Speeches That Changed
the World
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0062505521/speriencecommaki
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0062505521/motivationalquot

The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr.
by Martin Luther, Jr. King
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0446524123/speriencecommaki
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0349112983/motivationalquot

Bearing the Cross : Martin Luther King, Jr. and
the Southern Christian Leadership Conference
by David J. Garrow
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0688166326/speriencecommaki
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0099302608/motivationalquot

Dear Dr. King : Letters from Today's Children to
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0786814624/speriencecommaki
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0786814624/motivationalquot

The Life and Death of Martin Luther King, Jr.
by James Haskins (ages 9-12)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0688116906/speriencecommaki

=====
--
Brian Masinick, mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: www.geocities.com/masinick/

__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! SiteBuilder - Free, easy-to-use web site design software
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Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

Dear friends,

I try to keep as many of my old messages in various archives.
Occasionally I take a look at those archives, just to see where
I've been on my own spiritual pilgrimage and how my attitudes
have changed and evolved, or where they've remained the same.
This helps me to see areas which need work in my own life.

Well, this particular message is interesting, because I remember
the day well. It began innocent and calm enough. I remember
that my project leader wasn't working that Friday, and I remember
that some particular tests that we wanted to do could not be done
because of a problem with the test system. I also remember that
at lunch time on this particular day, my wife and three children
came by to see where "daddy works", and I took them on a walk in
the nearby park, where people would often walk or hike during
lunch.

In the last paragraph of my comments, I said that I could give
thanks. On that day, I could give thanks for a good job, but I
claimed that I could still give thanks, even if that weren't the
case.

Well, my friends, that was the last day that I've had a good
paying job. I've had odd jobs and part time jobs on and off for
the past two years, but I've not had a significant source of
income since, other than cleaning out my reasonably sized IRA
savings.

So the real question to ask is whether or not I'm still thankful.
I have to tell you yes, but I also have to acknowledge that every
possible thought, both positive and negative, that could be
thought during the past two years, has probably also gone through
my mind. I cannot give thanks for my own attitudes, I can only
give thanks for the faithfulness of God Almighty. In spite of
trials, He has seen me through. When I'm about ready to crack,
He relieves the pressure. When I'm running out of hope, He fills
me up.

To be sure, God uses people and situations to accomplish each of
these things, but to be equally sure, God is in each and every
one of these events.

I believe the words I wrote two years ago were God inspired, and
I believe the words I am writing to you now are also God
inspired. Friends, I am weak, but He is strong. I would crack
(and I have cracked on my own in the past), but He mends me and
makes me whole again.

If you don't have a deep, intimate, and personal relationship
with the Lord Jesus Christ, what are you waiting for - your own
catastrophe? Seek the Lord today, call upon Him while He is
near, praise Him, in good times and in bad times alike. He will
never leave you or forsake you. He certainly has never once left
me or forsaken Him - (though to my shame, I have left Him for a
time).

"What a Friend We Have In Jesus!" Those are much more than mere
words of a church hymn, they are a reality that can be yours
today. Take it from someone who has been from the mountains to
the prairies and the valleys, from the heights of euphoria to the
depths of despair. The Lord is in each of those places, and He's
patiently waiting for each one of us. He won't reject any of us.
If we don't end up with Him on the day of Judgement, it'll be
because we rejected Him when we had every possible chance to seek
Him, just as He seeks us.

Yours in Christ,
Brian

Subject: Word for Today, Fri, 30 Jun 2000: Guiding Hope
Date: 6/30/2000 9:11:13 AM Eastern Daylight Time
From:Brian Masinick <masinick@yahoo.com>

Dear friends,

What a good day to encourage someone else. While it is clear to
me that the leaders of our nation and our world are very
misguided, it is also clear to me that the One really in control
is STILL in control, the God of all creation.

I do care very much about the things around me, and it often
disturbs me to see some of the cultural and political things that
are going on. Yet, even on the same day that I see atrocities
occur, I also see the hand of God at work.

I believe that nothing is too difficult for our Lord - not even
our rebellious, callous attitudes. If this has been an
especially tough week for you, personally, my heart and my
prayers go out to you. I encourage you today to pause for a
moment and give thanks for your surroundings, regardless of how
humble they may appear. Everything around you is a gift from
God.

I am sitting in a nice office right now, thankful that I have a
good job, and that I can give thanks as I begin a day of work.
But even if that weren't the case, I can still give thanks, for I
know that I am deeply loved, fully forgiven, and completely
accepted, regardless of what goes on in my life. That's more
than sufficient reason for me to have great hope in everything.

Brother Brian

Subject: Christian Thought for the day

~~~THE THOUGHT~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power.
We have guided missiles and misguided men.
Martin Luther King, Jr.

VERSE: ...the LORD of hosts, who is wonderful in
counsel and excellent in guidance.
Isaiah 28:29

PRAYER: Dear Lord, I pray for our leaders today,
that they may have your guidance in all their
decisions for the benefit of all mankind. Amen.

~~~KEYWORDS~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
spirituality science morality ethics

Want to find more quotes about these keywords?
motivationalquotes.com/cgi-bin/s/db.cgi

~~~AUTHOR AND SOURCE~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968), was the
leading civil rights activist in the US from the
mid-fifties through 1968, when he was assassinated
at the age of 39.
http://www.motivationalquotes.com/People/mlking.shtml

Today's quote is from The Penguin Dictionary
of Twentieth-Century Quotations
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0140511652/speriencecommaki
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0140511652/motivationalquot

~~~RECOMMENDED READINGS~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I Have a Dream: Writings and Speeches That Changed
the World
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0062505521/speriencecommaki
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0062505521/motivationalquot

The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr.
by Martin Luther, Jr. King
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0446524123/speriencecommaki
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0349112983/motivationalquot

Bearing the Cross : Martin Luther King, Jr. and
the Southern Christian Leadership Conference
by David J. Garrow
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0688166326/speriencecommaki
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0099302608/motivationalquot

Dear Dr. King : Letters from Today's Children to
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0786814624/speriencecommaki
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0786814624/motivationalquot

The Life and Death of Martin Luther King, Jr.
by James Haskins (ages 9-12)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0688116906/speriencecommaki

=====
--
Brian Masinick, mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: http://www.geocities.com/masinick/

__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! SiteBuilder - Free, easy-to-use web site design software
sitebuilder.yahoo.com