Thanksgiving 2013 Blessings

Dear Father in Heaven:  Thanks for all things good this day and each day.  Please, Lord, forgive me of my sins, I really appreciate it.  Please now help me with a Thanksgiving message.  Then, Dear Lord, help me get it dispatched.  In the Name of Jesus, I pray.  Amen.

My dearest brothers and sisters.  I have received messages from a lot of you talking about blessings they have received from God.  While all rate their Salvation through Jesus as their greatest blessing, I received this one message and I wanted to give it to you in the words of that writer:

"Dear Pastor Dan,

This Thanksgiving I am most thankful for having had my mother as my companion, buddy, and friend for all 60 of my years. She died one week ago yesterday on the 19th at age 100 years, six months!  I was holding her in my arms as she took her last breath and departed on that glory train bound for heaven's gates.  Her service at First Lutheran Church in Carlisle (the church diagonally across the street from the old prison on East High Street) was a celebration of her life and not really a funeral.  Everyone in attendance was uplifted in rare style for a Lutheran church.  (Oops, did I just say that? :)  I think you know what I mean!)  Anyway, I am indeed most thankful for all that I got to share with her, especially since I've been caring for her in her own home since July 2012.

I included Carry The Light Ministries at the end of her obituary in The Sentinel where they have the "in lieu of flowers" part.  I listed your ministry first and Project SHARE second.  I know of one individual that said they were going to make a donation to, as you called it this morning, God's Food Pantry.

You and Dolores have a marvelous and Happy Thanksgiving!  Love, John Henry Riddlesberger"

Thank you, my dear brother, for your kind words about your mother.  John Henry is retired from teaching school at the Carlisle School District, and he is a wonderful Christian, a really true follower of Jesus.  While John taught school, he more than likely witnessed many of his students graduate from high school and go on either to work or to a school of higher education.  But how often does a man get to hold his 100 year-old Christian mamma in his arms while she passes, or graduates from earth to heaven?  What a blessing this must have been.  I think back to my messages of about a week ago when we talked about "A time to be born and a time to die."  However, dear brothers and sisters, when one knows the Lord Jesus as their personal Savior, they need not die, for Jesus did that for us.  We pass from this earth and right on to the Lord.  John made a statement about the Lutheran Church, and it is not meant to be nasty, just the facts.  It is neat indeed to see a home-going victory celebration at a service in a church that is more reserved.  Brothers and sisters, when you really love Jesus, it is okay to get excited in church and show it.

Others who did their homework told of blessings of healthy children and jobs, food on the table and a roof over their heads.  One was thrilled that "bone marrow" from a stranger helped God heal her husband who had cancer.  Note please, I said HAD cancer.  Can we just shout and say PRAISE THE LORD, PRAISE THE LORD, PRAISE THE LORD.

I would like to share some of our blessings with you this day.  Besides my personal Salvation through Jesus, I have been blessed so I can be a blessing to others.  Each day when I close my message I tell all of you to "go forth and share your blessings."  While sometimes it is not easy to put some of your few dollars into the church offering plate, I think the hardest thing to do is share your blessings with people who persecute you.  Look at this scripture.

Romans 12:9 - Love must be sincere.  Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.  10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.  Honor one another above yourselves.  11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.  12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.  (NIV)

The Reverend Doctor Richard Denison used his slogan that "we are blessed to be a blessing."  Brothers and sisters, that is a very true statement.  Maybe the hardest thing of all is to bless those who just told everyone of your past,told everyone about the "old you," the person you were before God cleared you of that past.  Pray for that person or those people and hold them up to the Lord for they indeed are still walking without Jesus.

Dear brothers and sisters, real blessings all come from love, and love is the greatest blessing of all your blessings.  If you have family, share your blessings among them by sharing your love.  Sometimes we who have children over the years have had to do something called "tough love."  Tough Love is one blessing that is hard to share but from time to time needs done.  Our Lord Jesus over the years had to practice tough love.  It happened early on, when He put Adam and Eve out of the garden and again when He ended the world with a big flood.  Tough Love, sometimes you need to practice it.

Dear Father, thanks for the blessing of Jesus,and Jesus, thanks for the blessings of Your love and Your life.  In Jesus' name, I want You to know that I appreciate all the blessings You send my way. In Jesus' Name, I pray.  Amen.

Now go forth and share your blessings.  Love ya.  Pass it on.  Pastor Dan.

Remember Santa's House is open on Black Friday and Saturday from 10 AM to 4 PM.  Bring those children.  Hear the real story of Christmas from Santa.  Phone 691 8200 for directions.