Thanksgiving Thoughts

Thanksgiving...  It's a time to thank God for all the blessings He's graciously given us throughout the last year.  We eat a huge dinner and do skits that remind us of the heritage of Thanksgiving and the heritage God has given us in this wonderful country we call home.  We think back to the day when the Pilgrims first sighted land.  We're reminded of the first steps that they ever took on this great continent.  We think about the hard winter, where nearly half the population died from cold and starvation.  We think of the first visits by the Natives and how Squanto helped the settlers learn how to plant.  Then after the bountiful harvest, the Pilgrims had a great feast, thanking God for life.

Now we celebrate every third Thursday in November, thanking God for life, liberty, and the ability to pursue happiness.  I am so thankful for the country I live in and for the family God has given me.  And for friends.  What would I do without them?

Well, I'd better sign off.  We're getting ready to go cross-country skiing.  Snow is a blessing I often overlook! :)

God bless and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

In Christ,

Joel

Musings at Twenty Below

Alright, so it's not quite 20 below, but 17 below is close enough and probably somewhere in the depths of the night, it will reach 20 below! As I was outside loading up our woodcart for the second time this evening (a nightly chore), I stood on the porch looking out into the darkness, watching the snow falling, and pondering why I live where I do. The simple answer is that in 2001, our family bought property and built a small cabin.

But why do we stay here? Is it because of the Northern Lights that dance overhead? Or the 18 acres we live on? Or is it those evenings when I'm unloading the truck after a loooonnnngggg day in Fairbanks and I look up at the expansive arch of the sky and the stars are so close it seems I can touch them?

Or is it those days in the summer, when I can lay on my back in the field and look up into the cloudless, dark blue sky? Or the time I can spend on trails, hiking and backpacking? Or is it that common bond that exists between all those who live here and know what it's like to survive a winter?

One thing you'll have to admit, there are very few places left in the United States like Alaska. And even the cold has its own special appeal. Like when I step outside and can hardly breathe, because the cold seems to press on my lungs and burn my nostrils (it's far from being that cold yet!). Twenty below is actually a pleasant temperature, as long as you don't have to be out too long!

Well, I guess the Christmas spirit has come to stay up here. Soon after the snow started falling, we started seeing Christmas lights on houses and businesses. We weren't too far behind. Several weeks ago Seth decorated the outside of our house with Christmas lights (a yearly tradition). Below are some pictures that I took tonight.

That's what happened when it tried to use the flash! (Yes, the trailer is still on the truck from our last trip to Fairbanks)

This one's better.

All in all, I don't think I'd traid where I live for anything in the world, even Hawaii! But, if you couldn't tell yet, Hebrews 12:1 and 2 are some of my favorite verses in the Bible. Even when I preach, it is very rare that I don't end my sermon with those verses. So, just in case we get sidetracted with earthly things, let's remember to “lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1, 2. Now heaven is one place I'll trade even Alaska for!

God bless!

(I guess it got too late last night, so I posted this this morning, in case you're wondering!)

Learning to Wait

We often hear the quote "God helps those who help themselves".  Is this true?  It is, to a certain degree.  But a much more accurate way to say this would be "God helps those who cannot help themselves."  When we, in honest humility, realize that we can truly do nothing, we are in the most powerful position in the entire universe.  Ellen White says, "Nothing is apparently more helpless, yet really more invincible, than the soul that feels its nothingness, and relies wholly on God."*  Isn't that beautiful?  We are residing in the safest place in the universe when we forget ourselves and cast ourselves helplessly on the mercy and grace of Christ.  And God is faithful "to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to (His) power that worketh in us."*  What a glorious thought!  To be emptied of self, that through our weakness, we can be made strong through His power.  "They that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." (Is. 40:31)  This implies that we must be patient.  This promise is given to those who wait with expectant hope upon God, wait for His timing to renew their strength in His way.  We must have trust in God.

The great New England preacher Phillips Brooks was noted for his poise and quiet manner. At times, however, even he suffered moments of frustration and irritability. One day a friend saw him feverishly pacing the floor like a caged lion. "What's the trouble, Mr. brooks?" he asked.

"The trouble is that I'm in a hurry, but God isn't!" Haven't we felt the same way many times?  We want the blessings that God promises, but we don't want to trust Him with the timing that He plans.

God promises to bless us, to give us strength to accomplish His tasks, if we empty ourselves and allow Him to fill us up.  We must cast ourselves at His feet and rely wholly on God.  Only then, will we be able to "run with patience the race that is set before us," and, buoyed up by His strength, enter into the joy of our Lord.

Courage Comrades!


*PK p. 175
*Eph. 3:20