Thankful in October

I'm thankful for fall and all it brings.  The changing of seasons does something to my spirit.  It's a new opportunity and a clean slate.  Leaves, pumpkin patches, jackets, bon fires, harvest. 

Thankful in October:
1.  celebrating my sister's birthday - I might as well brag on her a bit.  She has 3 kiddos 3 years old and under by herself during the day, and she's rocking it!  Very thankful God is giving her the patience and energy she needs to take care of them all!
2.  a rainy day which gave us the opportunity to spend some quality family time together
3.  watching my kids learn and grow
4.  physical therapy and Mara's willingness to stick with her exercises
5.  a good sweaty run
6.  hearing my kids belting praises to the Lord, Veggie Tale style
7.  backyard picnics - I think we had 4 in a row one of those weeks when the weather was just perfect!
8.  a pediatric chiropractor right in our little town
9.  my health
10.  the marriage conference we attended
11.  the Beth Moore study on James that we're currently using during bible study.
12.  James 2:19
       "You believe that there is one God.  Good!  Even the demons believe that - and shudder.

Yikes.  At one point in my life, even demons probably had a stronger faith than I did.  I believed in God.  Of course I did, I wanted to go to heaven.  Or honestly, I just didn't want to go to hell.  Today, I still share a certain amount of my belief system with demons.  That about scares the pants right off of me.  Even the demons believe in God and know that Jesus is His Son (Mark 3:11 and Mark 5:7).

I challenge you to think about this: What good is your faith?

          For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the
          gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.  Ephesians 2:8-9

How thankful I am to be saved by GRACE though FAITH.  Even though I once said I believed in God, I still lived completely absent of all signs of Christ's spirit in me.  What good was my faith?  Was my world better off because I believed in Jesus?  Did my family and friends receive any direct benefit because I said I was a Christian?

I realized I needed something more than myself.  I wanted peace.  I wanted love.  I wanted joy.  I prayed and told God I needed him.  The Holy Spirit took over from there. 

          And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of     
          your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy
          Spirit.  Ephesians 1:13

Oh how I pray for my family and friends who are not marked in Him with a seal of the Holy Spirit.  God, please soften their hearts and plant seeds.  I long to watch those seeds grow into full bloom.  Amen.