Thank you …two simple words that we often forget to say. Have you ever given a gift to someone, done something special, helped someone out and never heard the words THANK YOU expressed?

There is a song that says, “Give thanks with a grateful heart.” How is our heart today? I hear the phrase, “it is a heart thing.” What does this really mean? When you don’t take the time to notice the things being done for you….your heart might need a tune up.

I spoke at several ladies meetings over the holiday season and I gave them a challenge. You know how on TV they talk about celebrating the 25 days of Christmas….well, I asked them to number a piece of paper from 1-25. On this list they were to write down 25 things they could do to encourage someone and once the list was written to ask the Lord to give them a name next to each good deed.

It was so great to have ladies come to me and say they did their homework for this assignment and how blessed they were after they had done a good deed for someone. They ended up having so much fun finding things to do for people that some of them wanted to keep a list monthly.

Let us look at another list together….OK, get your paper ready and write down 1-25. Now make list of 25 things that you are grateful for….I mean really grateful for. Now next to each of these items write the person’s name next to each item that was responsible for making this happen in your life. For example, your salvation – when was the last time you thanked for Lord for this? Another might be how you were brought up – have you ever thanked your parents for all they have done for you? The list can go on and on……but you know when you start to write it down, at least for me, the tears begin to flow and I am overwhelmed at how good I have it.

In dictionary.com it says the following:
Thank you – …”an expression of thanks, as by saying “thank you”:
Grateful – …”warmly or deeply appreciative of kindness or benefits received;”

Are you thankful for something today? Can you truly say you are grateful for something? Another song that comes to mind is “Count your blessings…name them one by one…and it will surprise you what the Lord has done.”

Many times when a person does not say THANK YOU…it could be a heart thing. Maybe life has hardened their heart so much they can’t see past this. Maybe they just forget to say THANK YOU, because they are too busy. Don’t get caught up in this stuff….say THANK YOU!!

What ever the case is,” THANK YOU” can go a long way. Start today and say “THANK YOU” to the Lord for all He has done for you. Ask Him to remind you of people that have made a difference in your life and write them a note of thanks or better yet, tell them in person. There is a song you might want to listen to one day from Ray Boltz called “Thank you.” The song refers to those people who are in heaven that had a part in your life that we would say thank you to. They gave to the Lord in a special way to help change your life.

Let this challenge your heart. Never assume that the words “Thank You” don’t mean anything. Get working your list.

Lynn W

This year’s BINDING UP THE BROKEN-HEARTED: FAMILY AND FRIENDS ADDICTION SEMINAR is shaping up to be our best yet. You won’t want to miss it. October 8, 2009 8:30 AM -3:30 PM at America’s KESWICK. The $25.00 registration fee covers the sessions, materials, continental breakfast, lunch and snacks. Pastors attend free with 5 paid reservations. Every pastor, youth ministry worker, parent of a teen and loved ones of addicted family and friends should attend this seminar. Call today for your reservation 800.453.7942 or 732.350.1187.

When I send greeting cards or emails, most of the time I like to sign them with:
In Christ,
Mary Ann

For me, this simple salutation shares a little bit of my heart to the one I’m sending my note to. It says my heart belongs to the One who forgave my sin and exchanged my filthy robes for the righteous white robes of my Savior Jesus. I want everyone to know just where I stand because of the joy I have.  I am “in Christ.”

This salutation also tells the recipient just who I, “MaryAnn Kiernan,” belong to, to whom my allegiance stands. I was bought at a very high price, it cost Jesus, my Savior:  shame, humiliation, betrayal, abandonment, pain, suffering, death on a cross and the ultimate price…separation from the Father because the Father can’t look upon sin and there was my sin running down from the wounds of His beaten and abused body. My Jesus did this for me and now, I am His. I bear His name “Christian.”

On his radio program “Testify” this morning, Pastor Bob Botsford pointed out the greeting that Paul gave to the saints in Phillipi and Collosse.1 What was this greeting? Let’s look at 2 passages:

Philippians 1:1 “Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons.”

Colossians 1:2 “To the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse: Grace and peace to you from God our Father.”

In both of these letters that were addressed to the “saints” and the “faithful brothers,” Paul chose to place the emphasis on their identity “in Christ” rather than identify them by their geographical locations in Phillipi or Colosse. It was more important whose they were, rather than where they were from.

There are many ways a person might describe me: Wilhelm and Anna Brese’s daughter, John Kiernan’s wife, John and Daniel’s mom and many others as well. But the only identification with eternal significance is MaryAnn “in Christ.”

In what or who is your identity? If you don’t know Jesus as Lord and Savior of your life and you want your identity to be in Him, it’s time to confess your sinfulness, repent of your sin and ask Jesus to enter your heart and be the Lord of your life. Then you, too, will bear the identification of being “(your name) in Christ.”

Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me”

I will leave you with this final greeting from 1 Peter 5:14: “… Peace to all of you who are in Christ.”

In Christ,
MaryAnn

This year’s BINDING UP THE BROKEN-HEARTED: FAMILY AND FRIENDS ADDICTION SEMINAR is shaping up to be our best yet.  You won’t want to miss it.  October 8, 2009 8:30 AM -3:30 PM at America’s KESWICK. The $25.00 registration fee covers the sessions, materials, continental breakfast, lunch and snacks.  Pastors attend free with 5 paid reservations.  Every pastor, youth ministry worker, parent of a teen and loved ones of addicted family and friends should attend this seminar.  Call today for your reservation 800.453.7942 or 732.350.1187.

1 WRDR 89.7 FM Testify with Pastor Bob Botsford, 9/10/2009.

I love to read and often I will read more than one book at a time. After awhile I realize that I am not finishing anything at all. Another topic or title has distracted me from the previous one. Later I usually look at the first book I began reading and I am convinced that I need to finish what I started. My intent is usually good but I get distracted easily!

Malachi 2: 1-9 speaks about the Levites who started off well but then got distracted. It seems that the priests had learned the fear of the Lord but eventually the next generation of priests got distracted. They were no longer listening to God, taking anything God had to say to heart and they were not giving glory to God’s name. The priests were already offering sloppy sacrifices because they had become weary of God’s instructions (Malachi 1:6-14).  They had lost the fear of God. Verse 8 says, “‘But you have departed from the way; you have caused many to stumble at the law. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi,’ Says the Lord of hosts.”  Previous generations had started off well, fearing the Lord their God but now all of that seems to have faded away. The new generation had become fearless towards God, not keeping His ways. Their attitude shifted from one of fear to one of fearlessness. Their eyes turned form God and slowly they found themselves far away from where they should be.

How about you and me? Has our fear (reverence and awe) of God become a duty? Are we weary of all God has asked us to do? If so, Malachi 2:5-6 encourages us to be mindful of the fact that God offers us life and peace so that we may fear Him. Note especially verse 6 that says – “He walked with me in peace and equity and turned many away from iniquity.” If we are losing our fear of the Lord we are giving up the life and peace that He offers us. Should you find yourself fearless turn back to see the Lord, high and lifted up in His rightful place, and walk with Him. Like Enoch and Noah, who walked with God, may it be said that you and I did not depart from the way but walked with the Lord in fear without distraction.

Kathy Withers

Kathy serves in Guest Services at America’s KESWICK. She is married to Dave and has two adult children.

When I was working in the Library, I had a little plaque on my desk that said, “It’s hard to soar like an eagle when you work with turkeys.”  I don’t know about you, but I know exactly what that means for me.  I come to work in the morning:  it’s a gorgeous sunny day, my hair isn’t in need of Static Guard to hold down that one annoying little hair that inevitably sticks straight up, I only have 4 or 5 phone calls to return and my email from the night before isn’t 25 items (mostly forwarded jokes or sappy poems) to go through.  I sit at my desk and pause to say again, “Thanks, Lord, for a wonderful day.  Use me in someone’s life today.”

And then – it starts innocently enough.  I walk through the hallways, or someone stops at my office door and makes a comment. It’s not necessarily made in anger – in fact more often, it’s a little snide or off-handed remark about another staff member or perhaps someone from a group visiting with us.  Maybe it’s not meant to be critical or cruel, but all of a sudden it’s like the sun stopped shining and my Static Guard has ceased to do its work.  Whether consciously or not, the insidious critical attitude has reared its head, and I find myself pulled down to the turkey level, willing – VERY willing — and able to jump right in with criticism of my own.

I have been challenged so many times in recent weeks about criticism and judgment.  And, very often, while I can so easily identify harmful criticism in someone else, I seem able to overlook it (or call it something else) when I am guilty of it.   In my Sunday School class, we are taking a look at how we should be building up one another, using Gene Getz’s book as a jumping off point.   Unfortunately, as we work through the chapters, I find that I am able to see examples of critical or judgmental thoughts on my part, instead of generous, loving thoughts toward a sister in Christ.  As if to say, what gives me the right to look at my Christian sister and criticize her speech, manner of dress, spending habits, use of her time or any one of a host of other things I can think of.

When I look at the ease with which criticism – mine or anyone else’s – comes, I am reminded that it all boils down to one thing – PRIDE.  When I am critical or judgmental, it is because I think I have the corner on the truth, whatever I perceive that truth may be.   My pride puffs me up and says, “You are better than she is at [fill in your own blank].”  How am I exhibiting love for my sister in the Lord when I tear her down to build up myself?  The answer is – I’m not.

So every time I am tempted to be drawn into or pulled down by criticism, I have to challenge myself to remember that as I am seeking the “mind of Christ” in my life, I must be willing to be made humble as Jesus was in order to serve (Philippians 2:5-8).  The only “turkey” in this picture is me!

Lynn R.