pastorrudytlc

It is the most wonderful time of the year.  I love Thanksgiving Day.  We haven’t commercialized the heck out of it yet!  There are still no presents to buy.  We come together to be around the table.  We come to be with one another.  Relationships still matter most about this holiday.  We come with our only agenda being to give thanks.  And you can’t give thanks without expecting there to be a Receiver of all that gratitude.  God is very much still essential to this special time.  God is still the only reason for the season!

I am grateful.  I have been through many scary moments this year.  I had my first heart attack back in late June.  I have cut back on my work hours by letting go of my daily morning radio show on FUN 106.7 and even though I absolutely loved doing that program and being with my wonderful listeners on a regular basis, I knew that it was finally time to truly wake up before it got to be too late.  I love being a pastor and I love my flock and I have the best spouse in the entire world and been given such awesome children and I was blessed with my first grandson this year!  I am a Pop-Pop now, so I’ve got to take better care of myself so that I get to stick around and take Jude to his first Mets game some day soon!  I know nobody else will!

Thanksgiving Day!  This is a unique time to count our blessings and name them one by one.  It is our moment to whisper the words that matter most.  It is our gift to God to be able to express our appreciation for all of the Lord’s good gifts to us.  I have my own tradition that I do every fourth Thursday in November.  I go through the alphabet and I thank the Lord from A to Z!  It’s easy you know.  And it takes our eyes off of all that we complain about not having and gets us to embrace all that we do possess!  You can do it.  Here is mine!    

THANKSGVING FROM A-Z by Pastor Rudy

Thank you Lord for America

And Baseball that old friend of mine

And Cars to get to church on time

And Dreams to leave this world behind.

Thank You Lord for Everyone

And Families where the love is strong

And Games we all can play along

And Hope that gives our hearts a song.

Thank You Lord for Individuals

And Jingle Bells to follow soon

And Kisses under an autumn moon and

Lazy summer afternoons.

Thank You Lord for the Macy’s parade

And Newborn babes in the nursery

And Old dear friends we long to see

The Photographs and memories.

Thank You Lord for Quiet times

And Raking all the scattered leaves

And Snow that falls on Christmas Eve

And Times You teach us to believe.

Thank You Lord for Unity

And Visiting us so Willfully

Now X marks the spot of You in me

A holy Zeal for all to see.

Thanksgiving in America

We don’t always show our gratitude

But Lord something we need to do

Is say, “Thank’s A Lot to You!”

Why not take the time this week to make your own list?  I dare you to!  And if you are able- why not join a community of thankful people by coming out to Christ Gospel Church Wednesday Night November 23^rd for Middle Township’s Annual Thanksgiving Eve Service at 7:30 PM?  I will be sharing the message and I would love if you were there to celebrate another breath- another day- another opportunity to hope and pray and believe!  We have been given so much to be thankful for!!!   HAPPY THANKSGIVING FAMILY!!!!