Ken Lovelace Ministries


NEW WRINKLES, NEW GRATITUDE by Lygia Lovelace "Mom, do you realize how old you are in dog years? If my calculations are right, you're over 300 years old!" Isn't that the way life is? You teach them how to multiply, and then they use it against you! Sometimes it's hard to be thankful. Houses get dirty right after you clean them, children must be taught, then re-taught the same thing again…animals add to the mess in the home…time brings new wrinkles, grey hair (as do children!)… Just a glance at my "sock basket" can send me into a slump. People wonder why we only allow our kids flip flops and sandals in the summer…do you realize that if each person had only ONE pair of shoes, that's already 22 individual shoes to keep up with? If we wear socks, that's 22 socks a day, 7 days a week-let's see that's 154 socks coming through the laundry per week…not to mention that we have 110 toes for which we are responsible…yikes! Do you know how many fingernails and toenails…that's 220…all must be cut, cleaned, closely inspected…OK…I think I'll stop now! It's easy to forget the blessings of life. I'm actually thankful for Thanksgiving! Each year we take time to read about the Pilgrims and their struggle with first living in our land. Do you know the story? Last week, we read the annual history story to our neighbor kids-many of them had never heard the truth. Have you? Life was hard for the Pilgrims their first year here. There were so many delays in actually beginning their journey, that by the time they arrived in the "New World", it was very cold. It took months to build shelters, and then they were faced with the dilemma of what to eat. They found small supplies of corn, and had a few supplies left over from their journey, but it was barely enough to sustain all of them. Food became so scarce that the Pilgrims had to ration the corn they had found-it was all they had left! 5 kernels a day-that's all each of them received. 5 kernels a day! Think about that…how would you eat them? All at once? Would you make them last throughout the day? Would you share them with your children, who were becoming thinner and paler every day…? What about with your husband-who had lost so much weight that you hardly recognized him? Over half of the Pilgrims died that first winter, though not from starvation. There were only 5 women left! But these men, women, and children never gave up. They never turned their backs on God. They trusted Him to sustain them and carry them through. Their religious freedom was worth their very lives. It's astounding to be reminded of how Squanto came into their lives. He was a lot like Joseph from the Bible-he had been sold into slavery-from the New World into Africa. From there, he escaped and found passage to England, where he worked until he saved enough money to buy passage home again. While in England, Squanto learned to speak English fluently. He learned the ways of the "white man." God had a plan-for the Pilgrims and for Squanto. When Squanto returned to his home, his whole tribe was gone! They had been wiped out by some sickness-a disease believed to have been brought to the New World by the white man. Heartbroken, Squanto really had no place to call home. He lived among other Indian tribes in the area. God sent the Pilgrims to the New World according to His own perfect timing. The Native Americans knew that the newcomers had arrived, and some tribes would have slaughtered them-seeing them as a threat to their homeland and, understandably, to their health. But Squanto was there to bridge the obvious gaps. Because he spoke fluent English, he translated for the Pilgrims and helped to establish peace between the white man and the native tribes. Then, he stayed with the Pilgrims for a time, teaching them to plant, to fish, and to hunt in a way that enabled them to survive. God is truly amazing. God is our Great Provider. That first Thanksgiving feast, many months after the Pilgrims had arrived in the New World, was truly a joyous one. The Native Americans came and brought food. The Pilgrims were able to harvest and cook the food that God had provided them through Squanto's help. It was a time of sharing. But the Pilgrims would not forget that hard first winter. Though there was much food to eat that first Thanksgiving celebration, the first course that day was an empty plate…each with only 5 kernels of corn. They would never forget their hardships…and the God Who sustained them. Pondering the experiences of the Pilgrims…wrinkles and sock baskets just don't seem so upsetting. In fact, I'm actually thankful for them because that's what life is all about! Life and aging is God's plan! It's a blessing to be alive, to have a family, and to belong to the family of God! Yesterday was a cold and rainy fall day. Grayson and I had just arrived home, and we were walking to the front door. A butterfly suddenly flew in front of us, and on into the front yard. A painted lady butterfly! My mind went back to many weeks ago, when our butterflies first hatched and we released them in our front yard (see previous article, A Ray of Hope). This was a 2nd-perhaps even a 3rd generation butterfly-born in the cold, yet beautifully fulfilling God's plan for its life, fluttering through the trees! I marveled at the goodness of God, allowing us to see His amazing hand-even in the life of a butterfly that is here today, and gone tomorrow. How much more He loves you! His amazing hand is there for you-in your life. YOU are even more miraculous than the life of a painted lady butterfly born in the cold. Oh loved one of God! Look at your empty plate. See the 5 kernels there, sustaining you, reminding you that He is there. He loves you. He has a plan. You want to know God's will? Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. I Thessalonians 5:16-18 Be thankful.

NEW WRINKLES, NEW GRATITUDE
by Lygia Lovelace

"Mom, do you realize how old you are in dog years? If my calculations are right, you're over 300 years old!"

Isn't that the way life is? You teach them how to multiply, and then they use it against you!

Sometimes it's hard to be thankful. Houses get dirty right after you clean them, children must be taught, then re-taught the same thing again…animals add to the mess in the home…time brings new wrinkles, grey hair (as do children!)…

Just a glance at my "sock basket" can send me into a slump. People wonder why we only allow our kids flip flops and sandals in the summer…do you realize that if each person had only ONE pair of shoes, that's already 22 individual shoes to keep up with? If we wear socks, that's 22 socks a day, 7 days a week-let's see that's 154 socks coming through the laundry per week…not to mention that we have 110 toes for which we are responsible…yikes! Do you know how many fingernails and toenails…that's 220…all must be cut, cleaned, closely inspected…OK…I think I'll stop now!

It's easy to forget the blessings of life. I'm actually thankful for Thanksgiving! Each year we take time to read about the Pilgrims and their struggle with first living in our land. Do you know the story? Last week, we read the annual history story to our neighbor kids-many of them had never heard the truth.

Have you?

Life was hard for the Pilgrims their first year here. There were so many delays in actually beginning their journey, that by the time they arrived in the "New World", it was very cold. It took months to build shelters, and then they were faced with the dilemma of what to eat. They found small supplies of corn, and had a few supplies left over from their journey, but it was barely enough to sustain all of them. Food became so scarce that the Pilgrims had to ration the corn they had found-it was all they had left! 5 kernels a day-that's all each of them received.

5 kernels a day! Think about that…how would you eat them? All at once? Would you make them last throughout the day? Would you share them with your children, who were becoming thinner and paler every day…? What about with your husband-who had lost so much weight that you hardly recognized him?

Over half of the Pilgrims died that first winter, though not from starvation. There were only 5 women left! But these men, women, and children never gave up. They never turned their backs on God. They trusted Him to sustain them and carry them through. Their religious freedom was worth their very lives.

It's astounding to be reminded of how Squanto came into their lives. He was a lot like Joseph from the Bible-he had been sold into slavery-from the New World into Africa. From there, he escaped and found passage to England, where he worked until he saved enough money to buy passage home again. While in England, Squanto learned to speak English fluently. He learned the ways of the "white man." God had a plan-for the Pilgrims and for Squanto.

When Squanto returned to his home, his whole tribe was gone! They had been wiped out by some sickness-a disease believed to have been brought to the New World by the white man. Heartbroken, Squanto really had no place to call home. He lived among other Indian tribes in the area.

God sent the Pilgrims to the New World according to His own perfect timing. The Native Americans knew that the newcomers had arrived, and some tribes would have slaughtered them-seeing them as a threat to their homeland and, understandably, to their health. But Squanto was there to bridge the obvious gaps. Because he spoke fluent English, he translated for the Pilgrims and helped to establish peace between the white man and the native tribes. Then, he stayed with the Pilgrims for a time, teaching them to plant, to fish, and to hunt in a way that enabled them to survive.

God is truly amazing. God is our Great Provider.

That first Thanksgiving feast, many months after the Pilgrims had arrived in the New World, was truly a joyous one. The Native Americans came and brought food. The Pilgrims were able to harvest and cook the food that God had provided them through Squanto's help. It was a time of sharing.

But the Pilgrims would not forget that hard first winter. Though there was much food to eat that first Thanksgiving celebration, the first course that day was an empty plate…each with only 5 kernels of corn.

They would never forget their hardships…and the God Who sustained them.

Pondering the experiences of the Pilgrims…wrinkles and sock baskets just don't seem so upsetting. In fact, I'm actually thankful for them because that's what life is all about! Life and aging is God's plan! It's a blessing to be alive, to have a family, and to belong to the family of God!

Yesterday was a cold and rainy fall day. Grayson and I had just arrived home, and we were walking to the front door. A butterfly suddenly flew in front of us, and on into the front yard. A painted lady butterfly! My mind went back to many weeks ago, when our butterflies first hatched and we released them in our front yard (see previous article, A Ray of Hope). This was a 2nd-perhaps even a 3rd generation butterfly-born in the cold, yet beautifully fulfilling God's plan for its life, fluttering through the trees! I marveled at the goodness of God, allowing us to see His amazing hand-even in the life of a butterfly that is here today, and gone tomorrow.

How much more He loves you! His amazing hand is there for you-in your life. YOU are even more miraculous than the life of a painted lady butterfly born in the cold.

Oh loved one of God! Look at your empty plate. See the 5 kernels there, sustaining you, reminding you that He is there.

He loves you.

He has a plan.

You want to know God's will?

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
I Thessalonians 5:16-18

Be thankful.