Giving Thanks...

We have so much to be thankful for ... actually, I don't know where to start and I know it won't be close to a comple list but here we go...

• I am thankful that we have a God of love, mercy, grace, and justice ... that He sent His son to go through the worst things imaginable for my salvation. I'm thankful He loves me so much that I will never be able to comprehend it.

• I'm thankful we're on the waiting list. We are unofficially #13 on boys and #23 on girls. For those of you not in the adoption circles ... we get our official numbers from AGCI once a month. However, referrals are done throughout the month and we're moving up the list during that time. There are alot of smart people out there that keep track of where they are on the list and we're trying to get up to speed with this.

• I'm thankful that my USCIS' fingerprints were not rejected. There was concern that my fingerprints were not good enough and they may not accept them. Our social worker Kim gave me the email address to Memphis to see a status...they responded yesterday saying that they were able to get results from my fingerprints so our FDL won't be delayed (well, any more than what Memphis is delayed to begin with)

• I'm thankful that I'm married to a God-fearing woman, that we are able to visit with my parents and family yesterday and today and be able to visit with Amber's family tomorrow and Saturday.

• I'm thankful that I live in a Christian nation and the heritage she has. If you listen to folks today, you would think that we're an agnostic country ... that we as a nation should not believe our blessings are from God Himself. Well, let's take a look at what our nation and Congress did in it's early days...
  
  
• In opening on September 7th, 1774, the Continental Congress, the body that gave us the Declaration of Independence, their first motion was to open this first session with prayer. The motion was opposed ... yeah, I know separation of church and state, right? NO, it was not opposed for that ... it wasn't that the delegates were opposed to prayer, they couldn't figure out which Christian clergyman should offer up the prayer. And no, I'm not making this up ... this actually happened. Knowing how things are today could make you think I'm making this up. Please read the link: http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/fischer/070502. It fills my spirit to see how our country was founded. And note that the prayer was offered "through the merits of Jesus Christ, Thy Son and our Savior." To me, that's a Christian viewpoint. And to see how the delegates responded ... it gives me hope.
  
  
• We had 200+ Founding fathers for our nation. 90-95% of them were Christians and held to Christian principles. We hear about the ones that WEREN'T (Ben Franklin, etc). The 90-95% were active in their faith and spreading that faith to others ... clear in their writings, books they used, etc. Several signers of the Constitution founded Bible societies and publicly practiced their Christian faith. Out of 15,000 samples of the founding fathers' writings between the years 1760 -1805, 3,000 were direct quotations from SCRIPTURE
  
  
• In 1775, Continental Congress officially called all citizens to fast and pray and confess their sins that God might bless them. In 1777, they voted to spend $300,000 to purchase Bibles which were to be distributed throughout the 13 colonies! Also, the founders considered it imperative that our soldiers have copies of the Scriptures. With few funds left in the Treasury and the soldiers short on food and ammunition, the Continental Congress ordered 20,000 Bibles to be purchased for the army with tax money (today, those same people would be in jail). And in 1782, the United States Congress declared,“The Congress of the United States recommends and approves the Holy Bible for use in all schools.in their writings, books they used, etc.
  
  
• On November 1st, 1777, Continental Congress declared a Thanksgiving Day Proclamation ... please read it here: http://www.wallbuilders.com/LIBissuesArticles.asp?id=3847. A (long) quote from it..."they may join the penitent confession of their manifold sins, whereby they had forfeited every favor, and their humble and earnest supplication that it may please God, through the merits of Jesus Christ, mercifully to forgive and blot them out of remembrance; that it may please him graciously to afford his blessings on the governments of these states respectively, and prosper the public council of the whole; to inspire our commanders both by land and sea, and all under them, with that wisdom and fortitude which may render them fit instruments, under the providence of Almighty God, to secure for these United States the greatest of all blessings, independence and peace; that it may please him to prosper the trade and manufactures of the people and the labor of the husbandman, that our land may yield its increase; to take schools and seminaries of education, so necessary for cultivating the principles of true liberty, virtue and piety, under his nurturing hand, and to prosper the means of religion for the promotion and enlargement of that kingdom which consisteth in righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost."

I say all this because it gives me hope in our country. Revival in the Bible occurred when people realized what they used to be like and say, "wow, this is what we were" ... and revival would break out across the land. If we can open our eyes to what our country used to be and say, "that's what I want" I believe God will honor our commitment to Him and heal our land.

Have a BLESSED Thanksgiving ... it's time for me to go over to my aunt Pearl's to visit and chow down!