It's Not Christmas Yet!

That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works. Psalms 26:7

Is your tree up? As I left school on Monday, I saw someone had pulled out the decorations. A huge tree with a few sparse balls was already going up in the lobby. Ughhh, yes, I knew there were only a few weeks left until Christmas break and we had Art Night this week, but really? Did we really have to skip Thanksgiving? 

As we entered the building on Tuesday morning, a spectacular tree greeted us with fall leaves, pumpkins, and scarecrows. A Tree of Thanksgiving, what a wonderful idea! We delighted in the tree all week as it reminded us to be thankful for all God has given us. It's given us time to teach the children about the Pilgrim's desire to freely worship, their struggles coming to and living in a new land. It reminded us to teach about Squanto, a man God prepared to help the Pilgrims survive. It reminded us of the freedom we have to live and worship because of the sacrifices of others.

I am thankful for so many things this year and I'm thankful for an assistant principal who created our Thanksgiving tree!

Blessings,

Gail

Hey Kids:

Did you know Squanto spoke English? How did that happen?

Did you know the support of the main mast of the Mayflower broke in a storm? How did they repair it? 

Let's not rush Christmas. How can you show reminders of your gratitude?

You can make a simple tree of thanksgiving with a few green sticky notes and colored pens.

At each meal, you and your family can write one thing on a sticky note for which you are thankful. 

Place the notes in the shape of a tree on a prominent wall or window. 

Watch the tree grow and take shape this week as you and your family express your gratitude for all God has given you.

 

Squanto, Part of God's Good Plan

O give thanks unto the Lord; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people. 
Psalms 105:1

You know that picture in our minds we all get of the Indian brave who walks into the Pilgrim village in the spring of 1621 to show the Pilgrims how to plant corn, and beans and pumpkin? Wasn’t his name Squanto? Or didn’t anyone ever tell you about Squanto?

This Thanksgiving tale of the Indian who greeted the Pilgrims with an English “Welcome” and then taught them to plant corn and fish, always seemed to me to be just that – a tale, until I learned how God brought it all about - A slave ship sailing along a shore, kidnapping young boys and taking them back to Spain; an entire tribe wiped out by disease; a lone man given his freedom returning from Europe to find no one left. There’s far more to the truth than meets the eye here. God is always taking the evil man devises and turning it into good for those that love him. The slave traders of Europe had meant it for evil against the Indians. They cared only for their pocketbooks but God used it for good. The people who came seeking to worship Him in a new land were starving and fearful of the Indians surrounding them. They needed someone who could help and someone they could understand. God placed Squanto, the  Indian once captured and sold for a slave there to willingly help the starving Pilgrims. 

In the Bible Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery. They thought he probably died in Egypt until they went there to buy food. Who should they find to provide for them, but their own brother, in control of all the food of Egypt? Joseph’s brothers meant it for evil against Joseph, but God had used it for good.

Tragedy seems to surround us on every hand, but God has not left us alone. He is working all things for our good. Pray for those involved in all the tragedies. Help wherever you can. Do not be afraid, because God is with us through every circumstance working all things for our good.

Blessings,

Gail

Fishing

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 

Genesis 1:1

I watch my son tie flies. He is patient, thoughtful, exact in what he is creating. His flies need to be the correct color, size, shape, and texture as the real bug he is portraying. He's not a "fly by the seat of your pants" fisherman. He's a top fishing guide because he researchers every bug, every season, and every weather condition. Those fish aren't going to jump into his creel because he wets a line. He has to be a master creator who knows the needs and likes of the trout in his rivers and streams. Every day he works in harmony with the Master Creator and His natural order.

the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Revelation 13:8 

How is it that humans struggle to understand there is a Creator, the Creator who knew from the foundation of the world how ecosystems would work in harmony, who knew blood would be the life of the creatures and the blood of His only Son would be the answer to man's sinful choices? Before the foundation of the world, there was a master plan for every color, every size, shape, and texture. There was a master plan to bring mankind back into the grace of God. That plan was to show love. That plan included the sacrifice of God's only Son. God didn't come up with that idea on the spur of the moment because Adam and Eve at the forbidden fruit. 

My son did not learn to flyfish on his own. He had teachers who took the time to train him. Because of them, he fell in love with fishing. When he learned to study the river ecosystem then he became a master fisherman. 

 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. Matthew 4:19 

We need training. We need encouragement. We need to fall in love with the Master fisherman and learn the details of fishing - fishing for men. These are a few things I am learning.

• Be a part of a Bible Study
• Take notes/journal 
• Talk to the Master Fisherman 
• Have a time set aside each day for personal Bible study
• Keep your eyes and ears open for opportunities to "fish". 

Share your "fishing" stories here. We'd love to learn along with you.

Blessings,

Gail

Rainbow Theology

I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. Genesis 9:13

What do you do when you see a rainbow? Do you show it to others? Do you take a picture? Do you ask if anyone else saw the rainbow? Sounds like rainbows can be pretty exciting. They also create a sense of peace and calm. Why?

Once when I was up on the Blue Ridge Parkway, I was above a storm cloud. I could look down through the cloud and see a complete rainbow, a circle. That's a once-in-a-lifetime event for me, but God says He looks on the bow and remembers the covenant between Him and every living creature.

So what is that covenant? It's a promise not to destroy the earth again by water but I think there's more to it than that. I did some research and found some interesting thoughts,

Grace - The rainbow is seen again in the book of Ezekiel chapter 1:26-28. Jesus is at the center or clothed in the rainbow. He is our sacrifice so we can be given grace.

Mercy - There is a covenant of mercy that we will not be destroyed. Think of how the rainbow is formed. The seven colors are always topped by the red bow. It is pointed upward so if an arrow were shot by this bow it would go upward showing us mercy and covering us by the sacrificial blood of Christ.

Mediator - We need Jesus to be our mediator between us and the Father. He is between us and the Father and we can only come to the Father through Him. In Revelation 4: 3 there is a rainbow around the throne. We can't get to God except by the One (Jesus Christ) who sits on the throne. 

Trinity - Think of how the rainbow is formed. It's after a storm. The light of the sun shines through the water and creates the separation of colors, a glimpse of heaven. The Father (sun), Jesus the Light of the world (sunshine), and the Holy Spirit (water) work together to show us the plan of salvation.

Rainbows are used in lots of ways in our culture. Wherever we see them they are a great opportunity to open up a conversation about God's love, grace, and mercy. It is God's love, God's grace, and God's mercy, God's goodness that leads us to repentance. May we always remember to temper our conversations with love and kindness even when we may disagree with the use of the rainbows we find.

Blessings,

Gail