Month: November 2025

It is the day after Thanksgiving and I am still blessed. My dear weekday caregiver planned to take off work yesterday and today to spend time with her family, but she and her husband surprised me yesterday morning by dropping off enough delicious home cooked food for several delicious meals. I had a great Thanksgiving dinner yesterday and I look forward to another one today with leftovers for the weekend.

My caregiver for the holiday was a wonderful woman who I had not seen for over a year. My caregiver today, Saturday and Sunday is a lady who always gives me great care. God is good all the time and so are His obedient children (my true family).

I’m writing this on Thanksgiving Day 2025. I have always felt that one of the biggest gifts as a Christian is that I know who to thank for every good thing in my life, including life itself (physical and eternal). I’ve heard about something called “white privilege”. Some use it to divide us by race. I don’t remember ever experiencing that, but I have experienced child of God privilege every day since I became a Christian and that doesn’t come with any skin shade. Countless times each day I look up and say, “I know that was you Lord. Thank you!”

Please don’t get me wrong. No one has a perfect, positive life. I have experienced the loss of many people I loved, including my mother when I was 14 and my wife of 50 years. I have lost much of my independence due to arthritic knees and one blind eye. God has taught me to concentrate on what I still have and instead of being sad about my loses, to be grateful they happened. He also has assured me that I will join my loved ones for eternity when my work on Earth is finished. i am blessed and filled with joy on this Thanksgiving Day.

As I look back at my long journey with the Lord, I’m reminded of the words of a song that sums it all up nicely.

“Over and over again and again God is faithful.
Over and over again and again through it all He makes me able
To stand and survive and come through alive
When it seems like I could fail.
But Jesus is with me so I’ll Claim the victory over and over again.”

My brother or sister in Christ, if you are traveling through a storm right now as you read this, you can trust God to bring you through it safely and He is already planning how He will bring you through whatever lies ahead. The reward waiting for you at the finish line will make it all worthwhile.

I saw this post on social media. “If you were arrested for being a Christian, would the evidence be weak or strong?” It made me take a closer look at the evidence of my faith in, and obedience to Jesus Christ. When I became a Christian, several things changed in my life. I turned away from sin with repentance and toward God. My soul experienced rebirth. God’s Holy Spirit took up residence in my heart. I truly became a child of God through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. But what is the evidence of those changes? In his letter to the Galatians, Paul listed the fruits of God’s Spirit within us that demonstrate to everyone that we are no longer of the world around us. Yes, the world has reacted to that strong evidence in my words and actions, but I think over the years I have spent so much time with God in prayer, worship and Bible study that I have a family resemblance. Being Christ-like is the strongest evidence of all.

When my grandparents talked about their plans, they would always add, “Lord willing and the creek don’t rise”, I want to share with you my favorite illustration from a sermon I preached in 1966 as a lay-preacher.

Farmer Jed was at his vegetable stand when he saw his neighbor coming up the road with a small pig in his arms and greeted him. “Hello George. Where are you and your friend there off to?” George replied, “Jim Jones wants to buy one of my male pigs for breeding and I’m on my way to deliver him.” Jed responded, “That’s great. See you at church Sunday, Lord willing.” George spun around. “Why do you always say that? Do you really think God is concerned about your every movement? I’ll see you Sunday PERIOD” as he stormed off. About two hours later, Jed saw someone walking slowly back up the road. When he got closer, he recognized it was George, but his hair was standing on end, his clothes were scorched and torn and there was a dazed look on his face. He pulled up a chair for him and asked him what happened. George sat down and with a shaky voice he began, “After I left you I got caught in a rain storm, so I took shelter under a tree until it let up. Suddenly, lightning struck the tree. I thought I was a goner for sure. The frightened pig jumped out of my arms and ran away.” With a hand on George’s shoulder, Jed said, “I’m so sorry to hear that, but I am so glad you survived. What are you going to do now?” George looked him straight in the eyes and said, “I’m going home, Lord willing.”

I pray that it never takes a bolt of lightning to remind any of us that Jesus teaches us to pray to our heavenly Father, “Thy will be done on Earth as it is in heaven”. May we live in God’s will now and for eternity.

‘