Multitude Monday - Overflow

Ephesians 2:6-7 (NIV) ~

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

When I gave my life to Christ at the age of twelve, I wanted to follow Him wherever He led.  I know that it is unusual for a young girl to think that way, but I had a calling on my life to do what He wanted me to do and go where He wanted me to go.  So it's no surprise that a few years later, I heard His voice calling me into ministry.  And so I went off to college and then to seminary where I met Dan.  We spent ten years ministering in the inner city of Paterson, New Jersey and then into church ministry.

Throughout the years, my faith roots have grown down deep into the soil as I continue to live out my life for Christ.  But the part of these verses in Ephesians that I sometimes forget is to be overflowing with thankfulness.  Thankfulness should be a natural overflow of my strong faith.  I am thankful but sometimes I forget to exercise that muscle and it gets weak. 

Today I'm exercising again by saying, "Thank you!"

This week I'm thankful for blessings #2814-2825.

2814.  I am thankful for a warm house and a furnace that works as the temperature plunged this weekend.

2815.  Stephen is home safe and sound and actually is feeling better.

2816.  Our church is small (about 45-50 people) and yet, each week we deliver bags of food to the local elementary school.  We live in a very poor county and many children's only nutritious meals are at the school.  The food we provide gets sent home to children who don't have much to eat over the weekend.

2817.  Again, our small church packed up 17 Thanksgiving baskets and delivered them yesterday.

2818.  The presence of the Holy Spirit was definitely in the service yesterday from the worship to the message to the fellowship afterwards. 

2819.  I love hearing that people within our church are reaching out to those around them all week long in tangible ways.  They are meeting physical needs, emotional needs as well as spiritual needs.

2820.  I'm thankful for God's grace.

2821.  Friends who open their home to us.

2822.  An unexpected gift yesterday.

2823.  I'm thankful we can share Thanksgiving with someone who has no place to go.

2824.  Nathan slid off the road yesterday on his way home from work.  I'm thankful that someone was right there to help him and that the car wasn't damaged.

and finally...

2825.  The overflow of living a thankful life for Christ.