Always remember -- appreciation takes effort, whereas unthankfulness does
not so much.  In order to appreciate the things you have in life, you need
to make the effort to look at them, and evaluate the good in them (note that
evaluating what is good requries an understanding of what is truly good and
what is truly bad).  But unthankfulness comes from inactive effort -- that
is, simply relying on your feelings at the present state and time to tell
you whether you should be thankful or not.

An awful lot of us, in this nation especially, go by our feelings in life..
and we evaluate what is good by how it makes us feel -- or even how we feel
currently.  We figure if we are feeling bad, it's because we don't have
enough things (i.e. we are missing something that we need to own), or other
things of that nature.  In fact.. true satisfaction can only come from one
place -- doing what God wants for the right reasons.

Note the "right reasons" part.  There are many people out there who preach
the Gospel out of a heart of pride.. they look down at others and even
destroy their lives personally if they do not agree to their "superior
ideas" which God has given them.  This, as many of you may know, has even
gone as far as bloodshed in the name of Christ -- to "cleanse the world of
infidels".  But Jesus wants us not to remove those who are misled from the
world, but lead them through a tender, sensitive, empathetic, and loving
example to who God really is.  After all, how are nonChristians going to
believe that God loves them if we, His "disciples", spread nothing but hate
and arrogance?

Factually speaking, only the God of the universe knows the hearts of all
mankind.. and only He knows who will turn to Christ before they die.  And
you may note that Jesus didn't "break a bruised reed".. at all!  He loved
everyone -- His harsh words were not for those who struggled with their own
sin or disbelief.. but for those who were in the church who spread falsity
and hate.

Among other things, the God of the universe is the most loving, caring,
tender, sensitive, and peace-loving person in existence.  But if we keep
displaying our own selfishness and pride instead of a heart that would die
for any of its persecutors.. we, ourselves, will be the ones to suffer.. and
I don't mean for just this life.

Thankfulness is the first step towards Godly worship -- and I don't mean
just the singing we do in church.  True "worship" is something we do all the
time we are conscious -- it is when we live our lives for God, no matter how
much the cost may be to do so.  And what we most need to do is to give our
lives to Him wholely.. which means loving the least of the world as though
they were ourselves.. and as though we were Christ -- willing to die for
them.  After all, if we love these people enough that we *do* lose our lives
in the process of loving them, will they not most likely see how beautiful
God really is?

But how do we be thankful?  It's really simple -- We have to take the time..
not every second of the day, but often -- to evaulate the good we have
received from others -- especially God.  For if we realize just how much we
have been given, and dwell on it, then we will definitely find ourselves
more thankful and more willing to love others.  Those who know they have
much, and have been given much.. especially if the gifts were without
obligation or truly unearned gifts.. will find themselves more indebted to
those who loved them enough to give the gifts in the first place.

But let's look at debt.  I, myself, have had a hard time considering myself
to be a 'debtor'.  That is.. I have not wanted to deal with myself being in
position of "owing" anybody anything.  I find that when we focus on owing
people things for the gifts they send us, then we always get in this "trade
back and forth" gifts thing.  Not only that, but we have to deal with the
"measurement" of how "good" these gifts we received are, and try to return
the same measure of goodness to the person who gave it to us.  This can
become a big difficulty when we realize that God has given us more than we
could ever repay.. Same perhaps with our parents.. or friends.. or who
knows.  If we really get into it, we get an awful lot for free in this
world... and most of us spend very little time acknowledging those who gave
so much to us.

Ok, now.. truthfully.. there are also many people in the world who haven't
had much given to them compared to the rest of us, right?  Well.. let's say
it this way.  Many people have received a lot more that they truly need to
survive on that others have.  Some grew up in very loving tender homes..
some had all their needs met at all times.. from food to clothing to
housing.. to air to breathe, to water to drink to friends who loved them..
many have received many many things.. some have received less.. but there
are a few things we all share in the benefits of.

1) We all have been given life.
2) We all have been given a body that works well enough to live in.

Beyond those two, some of us have rather extravagant lives.  But what makes
it worthwhile?  Truly.. all the "things" we have.. riches, appliances,
houses, land, etc.. they'll all have to be forefeitted come our death..
maybe even before if they don't last for some reason.

God works very hard for us to find out the real value in our lives.. and to
focus on "storing up treasures in Heaven".  Remember the widow who gave her
only two pennies?  Jesus said she gave more than anyone else there... why?
because it was all she had.

In truth, what we need most is to get a clear perspective of what has real
value, what is worth less, and what is worthless.  From what I've learned..
the most valueable things are not found in stores.  The most beautiful and
valueable things we can have.. are character and true friends -- with the
most valueable thing being a right relationship with God.  And because Jesus
paved the way so we can *have* such a relationship, He deserves bout all the
credit for us having one when we do.

Unfortunately, many of those who claim to have such a "good" relationship
with God are actually walking on either misunderstanding or covetousness.
They are either confused and think God supports them, or they desire what
this world has to offer, and they *ACT* like they know God in order to get
it.  The first are usually eaiser to handle -- yet there are also those who
not only misunderstand, but are so stubborn that they refuse to see the
truth as is.  We all have to deal with that, truthfully.. we all want our
own way to be the right way.  Even Proverbs says that all men believe that
their own way.. the way they do things.. is correct.. regardless of how
flawed it truly is.

So what are we supposed to do?  The path to God is always labeled as "simple,
yet difficult".  The things we have to do in order to please God are well
spelled out in the Bible.. unfortunately.. many claim to understand it when
their hearts are very dark and cold.  The fact is, in order to understand if
you understand the Bible in the first place, you need some sort of "sounding
board" or an authority to tell you what is really from God and what isn't.
The Bible is a spiritual book -- that is, the truths in it are deciphered
via help from God's Spirit.  And to try and decipher it without His help..
is like trying to find a needle in a needlestack.  All the needles look the
same.. but which one is the right one?  Only God can show us what is truly
the right interpretation of the words in the Bible.  Factually speaking, not
every translation is correct.  I was reading a passage in 1 Corinthians
today.. and I noticed that it translated two different ways in two different
versions.  So which is correct?  It could be argued that either was
correct... but in truth, there were more than two interpretations of those
sets of words that I was looking at.  I personally found four or five.. and
am sure there are more.  This is the thing we have to deal with.  Words on a
page can be taken in context.. sure.. but we aren't perfect.. and to get the
exact right meaning from the words on the page requries us to hear well the
speaker and how he meant them.  And to hear a person who's been asleep/dead
for about 1900 years isn't easy.  So we need supernatural help in order for
us to truly find out what is really being said.

So.. finding God requries someone to show us God in the first place.  But
what if we're around tons of people who only barely know Him?  And what if
we need the real Him?  Not just part.. but the real Him!??  The only way to
find Him is on our own -- through continued time spent with Him.. in His
presence.. (which you do not need a person around to be in).  We need to be
willing to yield our heart to that which He wants us to do.. and that which
He wants us to know.

Ok.. I can already hear some of you complaining about this in your head..
saying that we need to get to know God through our pastors.. because they
know God better than we do.  And while in some cases pastors *DO* in fact
know more about God than we do.. an awful lot of the time, those who preach
God on the pulpits are no more sinless than we are.. and *also* are
imperfect in their faith.  All of us are imperfect there.. but Pastors have
a nasty habit of being so stubbornly imperfect that they refuse to change.

It actually makes a lot of sense that we have so many pastors who are out of
touch with God... and refuse to change and realize when they're wrong.  You
wanna know why?  It's because pastors are lifted up by their congregations
as 'godheads'.  They are exalted to places of authority where we put them in
charge of ourselves.  They, themselves, realize the importance of their
being right, and the responsibility they have to lead those underneath
them.. so they often develop a very stubborn will within them.  This
stubbornness is dangerous, and yet valued by many a congregation.  For when
a pastor is stubborn, you know his views aren't about to change -- so you
can go to church from one week to the next and know you're not going to be
moving from side to side on an issue very much.. if at all.  But the danger
is that these pastors.. in the same light as they have to be strong in their
opinions.. they are strong in their faultiness as well -- and will not back
down.. even when they are dead wrong.  Often.. if someone from the church
who is not in the Pastor's staff confronts them, it will be the case that
the confronting layperson will be shunned and tossed out as someone who
simply doesn't know God because he hasn't studied as long as the pastor
has.. and hasn't spent the long hours in prayer or working for the church
that the pastor has.  But who ever said these things make you a Chrisitan..
or even perfectly sighted?  Pastors, by nature, will stand up tall and
refuse to back down.  Laypeople find security in a pastor who doesn't change
opinions left and right.. but the problem is.. when a pastor *does* need to
move.. and switch schools of thought, he often won't.. simply because he is
expected to maintain his air of knowledgeableness.. and will refuse to get
down off his "throne of obstinance".

Confronting pastors is something that is hard to do, but a requirement
today.  Paul said in 1 Corinthians 1 that we are supposed to all have the
same mind.. to all speak the same thing.  It is simple to conclude after
reading this chapter that the denominations are not made by God.  But not
only that.. Paul says also in another place in Scripture that these
disagreements we have so often come from our own carnality.  When we
Christians refuse to put away our childishness.. our lusts.. our gossip..
our works of the flesh.. and try and get together with one another over
God's Gospel.. it is natural that we will end up fighting.. because we have
alredy decided in our hearts who is Lord.. and it isn't God.  We band
together with others who share our own "opinions" about God and Christ.. and
say "we are the only ones who are right."  Truly... if the church were
acting in its full power, we would not have a divided one.  Rather, we would
have people who knew the truth, and only those outside the church would be
doing the arguing.  Yet in today's world, often churches are merely houses
of power over sections of society.  The Roman Catholic church and Church of
England are perfect examples.. they took over countries.. and parts of the
world.. and have not lived the true Gospel as Christ would desire -- rather
they, out of the hardness of their hearts, choose to embrace their own
teachings.. teachings which are easier to bear than the real truth.. and
spread them out as God's own Words -- when in fact they belong far more in a
junk yard than in a church building.  I'm not saying that those churches are
entirely wrong in their ideologies.. nor that the people in those churches
are destined for hell.. but I am saying that it's been far too often that
the church has merely become a meeting place for people, and not a loving
home for any who would wish to come.  And wherever people meet in groups,
someone will want power over them for other than Godly reasons.. and will
often get it.. and lead the group down a road they never should've trodden
upon.

So what are we to do?  What is most important is to focus on getting to know
God *ourselves*.  We need to put aside the pastor's words.. and judge them
for ourselves.. and not accept them as God-breathed until we are certain
that they are.  And in this world of "interpret anything how you wish"..
many people who even check the Bible to check up on the pastor's words will
see the pastor's words in the Bible, and even agree -- when in fact they are
far from what God truly meant.  If you want to see how to evaulate a
pastor.. and see if he's really someone you want to put your life underneath
for guidance.. check out how he stacks up to 1 Corinthians 13:4-8.  Is he
truly as loving as he should be?  Is he the type of person who lays down his
life for the sheep?  Does he have a servantlike heart?  Keep asking
questions like those.. which come right from the Bible.. and you'll be on a
good road towards finding a real pastor.. one who can shepherd you through
the toughest roads you tread on.

Ok.. I birdwalked.. it's fun.. and easy.. but let's chain back.

Thankfulness is one of the keys to a truly rich life.  If we want to be
known as someone.. if we want to be popular.. if we want to have great
riches and great pleasures.. we are missing the truth of what Jesus said in
the Bible -- We are to deny ourslves.. take up our crosses daily, and follow
Him.  In truth, to take up a cross means to take it up to Golgotha and
literally be crucified on it.  We need to have a heart that keeps working to
love those around us.. even to the point that they send us to our deaths --
for that's Jesus did for us.. and that's what Jesus did for them.  But in
order to be strong in who Jesus is.. and what He did for us, we need to
spend time looking *at* what He did.. and at all God does for us daily.

Yet here comes my biggest problem... or one of them anyway.  I don't like
giving thanks at times.. it's probably because I feel that it's giving up
something in myself that I don't want to give -- to admit that I would not
be doing this well... or even be alive.. without God.. or without others'
help.  I don't quite the depths of why I don't like to be thankful.. but I
have found that the more I do it, the easier it gets.  I also notice in my
own heart that it's tough to be thankful to people who have both helped you
and hurt you greatly.  But if they have repented of their sins against me..
then I am required by God to forgive them for what they've done.  The
problem is when they don't repent.. and because of their being family.. you
can't easily get them to listen (perhaps because, as in my case, they are
stubborn about their own faith.. and going in the wrong direction).  Often
in these cases, hurts run deep and keep appearing.. for as long as you
continue to preach the truth in your family's presence.  But I have noticed
that leaving my family alone.. at least one of them.. and letting them come
to God on their own has also helped... hopefully it'll help enough that they
turn to God and repent of their unfaithfulness to Him.. as well as to me.

But back to thankfulness.  I want to be thankful for all I can.. even the
pains that God lets me go through.. for the ones that are not my fault will
lead me towards a better understanding of who He is.. and help me to become
someone who feels more deeply and loves more tenderly.  One who has been
hurt a lot can learn easily how to not hurt others -- yet it seems that
because of our old heart and our imperfections, we will still inadvertently,
and even some times on purpose.. hurt those around us.. especially those who
care the most.  But if we really love each other.. we'll come to our knees
together and give our hurts up to each other.. and to God.. and forgive one
another completely.

I often wish it were easier to do things like thank those who have hurt
you a lot.. or forgive those who really pummel your insides.. but I guess
there's something to be learned in the difficulty.  After all.. forgiveness
and love are two sides of the same coin.. if we truly love people, we'll
forgive easily.. and love tenderly all we can. (NOTE:  Biblically speaking,
we do not need to forgive a fellow Christian [brother in Christ] if they do
not repent of their wrong to us [that is, apologize sincerely and work not
to do it again].  Yet we should love without exception those who hurt us 
who do not share our faith.. for they need to learn about the tenderness and
sacrifice of God through Christ before we can hold them to the higher level
that God holds us to.)

Anyway.. as I was saying.. the difficulty that is guaranteed on the path to
eternal life helps us to note its definite worthwhileness.  The things which
bring the most beauty to our lives and the most peace can be very difficult
to deal with at times.. but if we truly value them, we will prove it to God
by not only accepting them, but praying for those who bring us the pain.. so
that we show that we love as God does.

I guess what's most important when it comes to thankfulness is realizing
that God, as our creator, owes us nothing.  Everything we receive from Him
is a gift.. and not earned.  If we earn it.. it is only by His choice to say
that "this much work earns this much stuff".. because in truth, He created
us.. not we, Him.  And we owe Him all we are from the start.. not the other
way around.  Whatever God chooses to give us, we should be thankful for it..
and rejoice over it.  This does not mean we cannot ask for something more
than we have.  Jesus told us to ask.. that we should receive.  But we are
also warned by James not to ask amiss.. or we won't receive what we need
either.  Truthfully.. Jesus is there to give us all we could ever need.. but
often He does want us asking.  But given the fact that God, as Creator, owes
nothing to His creation.. and given the fact that we, as creation.. owe Him
everything.. we should be far more willing to thank Him for all we have.
But one thing that's really kewl.. is that God is a good 'god'.. that is..
He wants us to have all good things.. That doesn't mean all the luxuries in
the world.. but it does mean that whatever we need.. and even some things we
can have above and beyond our need.. will come.. if we simply give Him what
He desires.

One final note.  I am by far nowhere near the perfect Christian.  I struggle
with all these things.. and yet, God has not given up on me.  I find that
God is a lot more compassionate, tender, and loving than those in the
churches make Him out to be.  I know someday Jesus will return.. and expose
those who were really His and those who only masqueraded as such.. but until
then.. let us all work our best to bring forth love that this world cannot
deny.. to show them that someone really does care.. and that He cares enough
to die for them.  Shouldn't we?