Happy Thanksgiving

It's Thanksgiving and once again all over America we take a day and hang out with family and friends, eat entirely too much, watch some bad football games and plan our shopping adventures for later today because early in the morning was not early enough. Maybe for a minute we think about the Philgrams and the first Thanksgiving but then we go back to our traditions and celebrations. Several years ago I started taking a minute each Thankgiving to write down and think over what I am truly thankful for and check my thankful gage because just like I teach in Children's Church if you can be thank-full you can be thank-empty.
So here it is.... what I'm thankful for:

1. I am thankful for Jesus! I'm so thankful Jesus saved me, kepts me, protects me, loves me and ready does have a wonderful plan for my life!

2. I'm thankful for my family. Julie, Yancy, Cory, Sparrow and Whitney are truly God's gifts to me. They are not just my greatest sermon but my greatest accomplishment. 
The greatest honor of my life is to be Julie's Husband, The kids' Dad and Sparrow's G!

3. I'm so thankful that I have got to spend my life serving God's people. For almost 40 years I've gotten to teach and to care for children and students. 
I'm so proud of all the kids who are now adults who are following Christ but I'm also thankful for hundreds of Timothy's who are serving in the ministry.

4. I'm also thankful that when lot's of people my age are retiring I am getting to refocus.
I'm so exciting about getting to work with one of my best friends in the world again and serve as his Executive Pastor at Northstar Church. Plus I get to work with so many kidmin leaders with Infuse and theClub  plus consult with Pastors and churches through Jim Wideman Ministries. 

5. I'm also thankful for all the special relationships God has brought into my life with my Infusers and coaches plus all those who consider me a friend.

So Happy Thanksgiving everyone and if you are reading this I am thankful for you!

Why wait until Thursday to be thankful?

'Tis' the season to be thankful, but as a Christ follower every day should be filled with thanks giving and thanks living! Last weekend my Pastor said that the opposite of thankfulness is not being un-thankful it's being entitled. I realize that no one starts out feeling entitled. It comes after being un-thankful and ungrateful for a long periods of time. Over the last few weeks I have been pondering a question that I shared with my infusers during the retreat... "What am I holding on to that I'd have to let go of in the presence of God?" We hold on to a lot of junk that all leads to entitlement but it all starts with being thankful and making an deliberate choice to practice thanks living. A great way to jump start thanks living is with thanks giving. So with that in mind what are you thankful for? Maybe you want to post something below. I thought I would post my own list of what I'm thankful for....

1. I am thankful for Jesus. I say this every time I teach on priorities..."It will really help your ministry to know Jesus." I'm not talking about knowing about Him I'm talking about knowing Him, following Him, serving him but also dying with Him. Here's a great question for you..."Has there ever been a time in your life that you were more in love with Jesus than you are right now?" If so you are the only one that can fix it. I'm at a new place in my life where my walk with Christ is more important to me than my ministry like it should have been all along.

2. I'm thankful for my family. My wife, my girls, my sons-in-law, and my grandson. They are not only my favorite people on this earth but they are the greatest encouragers of my life. I'm a better person and even a better Christ follower because of them in my life. I don't know ho I ever did ministry without them. They are my bright spots! I'm also thankful for my mom and for Jesus moving me back to the south so I could be close to her in these later years. I am so proud of how my family trusts Christ and how they desire to serve Him with their lives. I'm also thankful for my extended family on both sides. 

3. I am thankful for my church, World Outreach Church and for my Pastor G. Allen Jackson.
I have never been a part of a place that loves people more than this church. I love being a part of a team that is truly a team. It's been a blast not only working with kids but also with teens, college, & family ministries. I am getting to serve some of the greatest young people and families I have ever known. I am so thankful for their lives! I also love living in Middle Tennessee. I am very thankful for what I'm learning and what I get to be a part of here each and every day. Tennessee is a great place to be alive!

More to come...