Awww, time to lay on the beach with Liz and watch Luke swim with the schools of homohomapowatu (Sp?) ..that's Hawaii's state fish.

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More of Hanauma Bay on the southeast shore of Ohau in Hawaii today.

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Hanauma Bay

I'm on the phone with my brother a local surfer in Hawaii who is about to go down the hill and go swimming at Hanauma Bay on the southeast side of the island of Ohau. Kinda windy, but warm and once you go in the water you are surrounded by colorful fish called Parrot fish aka Uhu.

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Holidays Can Be Very Hard For Many People

Yup, this can be a difficult season of the year for a whole lot of people. Some people have loved ones they've tried to reach out to.. who repeatedly resisted all this and have simply drifted far away due to wrong-close-friend-choices, selfishness or pride. For others, their battles and painful struggles are with failing health, basic lack, neglect, broken families, and other severe trials that only seem to be hugely amplified during the Christmas season.  I hate that!!! Sweet TV show after show, movie after movie, and Christmas song after song played on the radio ..can make the opposite kind of non-painful circumstances seem like the norm that is happening for all but you who are literally in a bad way.

Surely He (Christ) has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. —Isaiah 53:4

Whenever darkness grips your soul and you are tempted to despair,
Remember Christ's unfailing love, and trust His faithful, tender care.  —Sper

 Jesus Christ is the only way to an oasis of deeply comforting saving grace in a dry barren-lonely desert of grief!

To me it seems like it would be much easier for some people to express thankfulness during Thanksgiving than it would be for others to do this, and we all just need to be sensitive to this. Is that you? What has your life been like? Do you need some prayer due to a recent ..or not so recent.. job-loss or some very hurtful unexpected reversals relationally or in some other area? I am so sorry if that is you.. and wish so badly that I had some words that could somehow help or comfort you.


During this time of year, church ministers often read Isaiah's prophecies of the coming Christ (that we're no longer supposed to talk about in America anymore for PC tolerance's sake..) the sinless One who would be born of a virgin (See Isa. 7:14) and was actually called "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" (9:6). But listen, maybe it would be a good thing for us to also include the words of Isaiah 53 (or the whole book for that matter..) in our reading along ..which describes Jesus as, "a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.. Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows… And by His stripes we are healed" (vv.3-5). Why? Because those words minister to the hurting who wonder who can even relate to them, but they also speak of God's solution.


Man, I am so thankful that the psalmist who penned Psalm 147:3 also reminds us that "[The Lord] heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." He can do this for you and make you a new person! About an hour ago today my wife Liney learned that her aunt Joann, who had an extremely hard life, just passed away. She suffered some broken relationships in her lifetime like many women have ..against her will.. and now will be missed.


She wasn't even that old, but Joann was hit real hard while driving up in the northwest back in July, then got a hip replacement, stayed in the hospital all this time ..and just went home to heaven. Yes, fortunately she had experienced the second birth, becoming a Christian later on in life and was totally ready to go home. Of many it's said that they went home to heaven, but because of the cross Joann really did cuz she had made her reservations in advance.


Now, no more trouble or sorrow or tears or worries or tribulation for Joann! Sadly not all are ready today, but all could ..in a moment become ready! Will you?
 

Please pray as the Spirit leads you for Liney, her twin sister Laurie, her younger brother Neil, and Carrol Wilson Liney's other aunt who has been very kind to us over the years. Thank you and keep thanking God.


We can even be ready to give an answer to curious relatives we thought were closed ..but might surprise you at the table in front of that steaming turkey. Maybe you have a few moments free to read more at Fish4Souls.org

Thinking 'Bout The Holiday That Many Overlook

Which holiday is your favorite? I like Easter (Ress day) the best. I'd be a mess without that day having happened! Which one is not the one that brings in the most bucks to town for merchants? You got it, and that's the one right around the corner for us all. Are you and yours ready to celebrate this holiday? I am! You wouldn't even believe how great my wife can cook. Yikes! And she is known all around for her incredible pies. But if I ever get feeling down, I simply start thanking the Lord outloud and it isn't long before I see how blessed I really am. I think it is very difficult for any Christian to feel like complaining long when they chose to be grateful out loud to the Lord (and I don't mean that there is never a time to complain about something ligitimate to the right people in authority). Let's start now and be thankful this Thanksgiving Season OK.  

Let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, 

giving thanks to His Name. ~Hebrews 13:15 

Perhaps you don't feel quite like thanking the Lord right now. Perhaps you need to get some junk off your chest in prayer that's been bugging you for a long time? I say go for it and then thank Him (See Phil. 4:6). Come on let's face it, there's been a lot going on in the last couple weeks in Washington, in your town, in my town etc (I won't go into how I feel about all that has played out right now). But just the same ..amidst all the bogus stuff.. there are many things we can still enthusiastically thank the Lord for. We don't have to wait until we get "in the mood" to thank the Lord, for we are to do that "IN" all circumstances ..all year long (not "FOR" all the circumstances we face, cuz frankly not all of em are what should be happening..). We are to give thankst to God as we honestly express such gratitude IN Jesus Christ. God the Father hears us because of the cross and so that's the first thing that I am grateful for. I thank God for the resserection too.. and for my wife.. for our health, for our friends--yes you being there! I thank God that we live in a Nation where we can evangelize and preach the Gospel without going to jail. Who knows how much longer we will be able to do this legally. I thank God that He has an eternal purpose for you and I being here still, but I also thank Him that the rapture of the Church.. where Christians will be caught away in a flash.. could happen today! I thank God that praising Him in healthy too.

Billy Graham once said, "Nothing turns us into bitter, selfish, dissatisfied people more quickly than an ungrateful heart. And nothing will do more to restore contentment and the joy of our salvation than a true spirit of thankfulness."

A grumbling mood of discontent gives way to thankfulness

When we consider all God's gifts and all that we possess. —Sper 

Really, let's choose ..in spite of it all, no matter what you're facing today.. to be thankful people in the Lord! Here's a couple Thanksgiving poems that I enjoyed today and thought you might also like.. 

For beauty in nature, Your glory we see

For joy and health, friends and family,

For daily provision, Your mercy and care

These are the blessings You graciously share.

So today we offer this response of praise

With a promise to follow You all of our days. ~Mary Fairchild 

Here's another one.. 

Lord, so often times, as any other day

When we sit down to our meal and pray

We hurry along and make fast the blessing

Thanks, amen. Now please pass the dressing

We're slaves to the olfactory overload

We must rush our prayer before the food gets cold

But Lord, I'd like to take a few minute more

To really give thanks to what I'm thankful for

For my family, my health, a nice soft bed

My friends, my freedom, a roof over my head

I'm thankful right now to be surrounded by those

Whose lives touch me more than they'll ever possibly know

Thankful Lord, that You've blessed me beyond measure

Thankful that in my heart lives life's greatest treasure

That You, dear Jesus, reside in that place

And I'm ever so grateful for Your unending grace

So please, heavenly Father, bless this food You've provided

And bless each and every person invited Amen! ~Scott Wesemann  

Please do have a great holiday; a prayerful one where you obey the promptings of the Spirit! He might ask you to share your own story with a relative or lonely friend, of how you came to faith in Christ. Remember, you won't be alone.. not even one day. OK, enough preachyness from me! Please remember to pray for the Zollenger family who lost Bill recently. Got a moment for a few more thoughts from my ole pastor Greg regarding this holiday? He can say it so much better than I.   

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