As I sit at my computer this morning thinking about what to write, one word keeps coming to mind: THANKFUL. It has been one month since I stood at the pulpit for the first time as your minister, and I am thankful for this church.

I am thankful that a couple months ago a group of you spent hours preparing a house for our family. Cabinets were cleaned, walls were painted and repairs were made. I am thankful that when that old house has problems, and I send a text to Butch; those problems are taken care of. And Butch is probably thankful that those texts are coming less frequently. J  I am thankful that when I walk into our pantry to see what there is to eat, I see shelves that are full of the things we were pounded with a few weeks ago.

I am thankful each week when I meet with our elders to be reminded that we have God honoring leaders who are shepherding this church. I am thankful to see the ways that our deacons are serving this church. I am thankful each day for the work that David and John are doing with our campus and youth ministries and other work in the church that is outside their specific roles. I am thankful for what Paula and Dana do in the office to make everyone else’s efforts go further and more smoothly.

I am thankful to have attended Bible classes at Southwest taught by five different people and to have been blessed by what each of those teachers had prepared. I am thankful to see how Jean, Juanita and Bobbye serve the people at Brookdale each week. I am thankful for the work that is done each month for our community at the Yellow House and for how well the crews there work together. I am thankful that whenever a need arises there are people here who rise to the occasion.

I am thankful that as we looked at our budget recently we saw so many good things that are being done in the kingdom because of your generosity. I am thankful for the worship we share together each week. I am thankful for the songs we sing, the prayers we pray and the time we spend remembering the sacrifice Jesus made. I am thankful for the encouragement you give and the way you have welcomed our family into the family at Southwest. I am thankful for this church and the community we now call home.

I could go on and on, but most of all I am thankful for the God we serve and His love for us. Let’s daily show those around us how thankful we are for Him. 

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”  I Thessalonians 5:16-18 (ESV)