Thanksgiving Week
Current Events—little or nothing in the morning news for which to be thankful.
Colorado LBGQ+ night clubs shooting leaves five dead
Deadly earthquake strikes Java, Indonesia
Obama to campaign for Warnock before runoff
Teams nix World Cup anti-discrimination armbands
US pushes defense ties with Indonesia
Kazakh president wins new term
Reality TV couple the Chrisleys to be sentenced
UN climate boss settles for no cuts on emissions
Buffalo suspect’s hearing adjourned Monday
Five migrants dead after boat capsizes near Florida
Bob Iger returns as CEO of the Walt Disney Company
This is how much FTX is said to owe creditors
Irving rejoins Nets, apologizes for hurt caused
But God!
The headlines on the day that God called Noah read, “Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great upon the earth and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was altogether evil all the time (Gen 6:5) …. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord (8).
There are at least thirty-one times these words occur in Scripture—but God. Perhaps the most significant comes in Acts 3:15, “you killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead.”
Message to My Students
When I designed my fall course schedule, I decided not to have classes on Tuesday night before Thanksgiving. So, on Monday, I sent an email to my classes with the following assignment.
Class, remember, we do not have classes on Tuesday. But here is an assignment. Jot down a list of the five most important things you are thankful for in 2022. Then put those five things on 3×5 cards and pass them out to your family gathering on Thanksgiving Day. One student responded within minutes, “Thank you. I love the assignment!”
If you are reading this, Thanksgiving was yesterday. If you like the assignment, consider making that list and passing them out at Sunday dinner. Giving thanks and asking others to join you is appropriate every day. Remember that phrase, and God is good all the time!
My Top Five
Here are my top five thanks-generating things for 2022.
- God has granted us good health
- God has granted us continuing venues to engage in ministry
- My encourager, my companion, my loving wife—we celebrated our 60th this year
- My children and my grandchildren are walking with the Lord, including our newest addition, Emily, wife-to-be of Myles, in January.
- For dozens of faithful friends who periodically affirm their prayer commitment for us and our ministries.
My prayer
Thank you, gracious Father, for your extended grace. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for dying in my place. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for regenerating my soul and taking up abode in my being. Thank you, Triune God, for giving purpose and meaning to my life and my sweet wife to engage in this journey together—bring to each other the holy joy of companionship in Jesus. Amen.