Thankfulness

I like writing in my Bible! One of the worst things about getting a new Bible is you lose all your margin notes, highlights, underlines, ect… Today I read Esther (wouldn’t that be a great name for a little girl?) I was reading out of one of my old Bibles and saw a margin note next to the following verses:
Esther 5:11-13 - And Haman told them of the glory of his riches, and the multitude of his children, and all the things wherein the king had promoted him, and how he had advanced him above the princes and servants of the king. Haman said moreover, Yea, Esther the queen did let no man come in with the king unto the banquet that she had prepared but myself; and to morrow am I invited unto her also with the king. Yet all this availeth me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king's gate.
In bold letters underlined with an exclamation point! my note reads UNTHANKFUL! I like writing in my Bible because it took me back to the day I wrote it. I wrote it in Homiletics class when Missionary Mike Barone (back when he was student Mike Barone) preached on “Thankfulness”. Now every time I read that passage I see Haman’s unthankful attitude. So I chased that trail a little today.
Colossians 2:6,7 - As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
I can’t think of anything that makes me crazier than when my kids act unthankful. Nothing makes me cringe more than that. I remember one day that we wanted to do something special for the girls before Justin was born, and we went to Seneca Park Zoo, and we did it right. We went to the zoo, we ate the $4 hot dogs and drank the $3 pops and really took our time letting them see everything they wanted to, and when we were just about to leave Mommy went in and bought them each a way overpriced stuffed animal at the gift shop…I mean we went to the zoo! As we were pulling out of the parking lot one of the girls (whose name shall remain anonymous, but means unmerited favor) asked if we could go out to get ice cream before we went home, and when I answered “no” it was as if we had not done anything all day long. I mean instead of being thankful of all we had done she could only be angry that we couldn’t get ice cream too, and it wasn’t bad enough that she was angry, but my other daughter (one who sews and alters clothes) began to be unthankful, and by the time we got home nothing good that we had done was remembered. I remembered the note in my Bible, and that Monday we did our family devotion on “Thankfulness” using Haman as the bad example. The riches, the many children, the promotion, and the banquets, and all he could gripe about was Mordecai. It’s so much easier to see an ugly attitude in someone else.
I like writing in my Bible…even just a word in the margin to draw me back to a passage that I needed. Profitable for reproof, and instruction in righteousness! Trying to instruct my girls in righteousness, I was reproved. I thought of how many times I have played Haman myself, and each time I read Esther again I am reminded of how ugly an unthankful attitude can be…especially when we have been given soooo much!
1 Thessalonians 5:18 - In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Welcome to my blog...

Well…here begins my journey into the blogoshere, May God be glorified in all that is written here. I’m sure if you’re reading this I know you, but in the rare case that someone did some sort of morbid search on “dying young” and accidentally got here I want to welcome you, and encourage you to visit http://www.hediedforme.com

I hope to make this a place for me to interact with my reading, and record some of my experiences out on the street, and in the ministry, hammer out some thoughts, express some concerns, boast on God ect… What else I’m not really sure. I’m totally new to this whole blogging thing.