I am thankful for desert rain showers

To me there is no weather more beautiful than the desert rain shower. I have experienced this the most in Arizona and something similar in Texas.

This weather pattern which is called "monsoon thunderstorms" happens because of a shift in air flow in the south west region of the United States. During the winder months air flows from into Arizona from the West and North west, but during the summer months the wind shift to flow in from the South. This change in air causes moister to form in the atmosphere over desert regions of the SW and combined with the heat rising off of the ground causes thunderstorms.
(for more info go here)

There is a part of me that never want to leave Arizona because the thunderstorms over the the desert are so beautiful. I makes me want to sit out on a patio in a lounge chair and listen to John Denver

Thinking of the beauty of the rain and power of the thunder humbles me. God is in control of the rain he tells the skies when to downpour Job 36:27-28. He is a God who is so powerful he directs every lightning bolt. Such a great God, there is no one who is his equal. No other god that can match up to his power. Praise the God in heaven. Praise Jesus.

I am thankful that Jesus has time for the broken

I am so thankful that Jesus always has time for the lost, broken, needy, hurt and depressed. Today in my time in God's Word I was reading through Mark 2:1-12.

http://www.esvbible.org/Mark+2%3A1-12/

As I was reading it, I was struck by the love with which Jesus deals with the broken. Here is my mental picture of this scene.

Jesus is at a house in the town of Capernaum and many people have gathered around this house to hear him speak and see what he does. So many people had gathered in fact, that the house what filled with people. There was not even standing room left; even the door ways had people in them. So people must have been spilling out into the surrounding streets to try to listen to the teaching of the man called Jesus. All of the people there had come for different reasons. Some people, like the scribes, wanted to hear what he said and catch him in Blasphemy, which at the time was punishable by death. Others, like the sick, wanted merely to believe that Jesus could heal them of their incurable diseases because they had heard he could.

Four men enter the scene carrying a paralytic man. I imagine they were dreading what they saw, fearing that they would never get to see this great man known as Jesus. Some of the four may have even resented the paralytic man for slowing them down so they couldn't have gotten better spots. All of the men were probably dismayed. They could not get in to see Jesus and that their friend who could not move would never have the chance to meet Jesus. The paralyzed man wanted so badly to meet him and tell him how much he meant to them. I think that just as the men thought all hope was lost, one of them stood there pondering the situation. There was a swarming mass of people in front of them. they could not even get close to the doorway and could not hear Jesus over the commotion within. Then he looks at the surrounding house and realizes that they are almost completely deserted. Almost as if you see the light bulb bursting into an idea; the spies the one place that doesn't have people occupying every, the roof. They can get to the roof. So up they hoist their paralytic friend, who I hope was informed of this plan or it might have been very confusing, to the top of the roof of the house that Jesus was in.

Then we are given a detail. The men removed the roof above Jesus.

I wonder what was going on in the house at the time of this happening. Where people still talking? Or did a great silence suddenly come over the crowd as a portion of the roof gets ripped outward and reveals the four faces of the men and their paralyzed friend.

After the men remove the roof, they lower their friend who can't move into the midst of all the people in the entire room. Jesus does not tell them to get out, he does not ask the man why they had done what they had done. Rather, he looks into those lost, broken, terrified, sick, hurt, hopeful, fearful eyes, a beggars eyes, my eyes, your eyes and says "Son (daughter), your sins are forgiven"

That is what awaits people who put their faith in Jesus. Oh, that we would live like the paralytic man. Amen

Tell me what you are thankful for, and how Jesus is blessing your life. I would love to hear about you.

Thankful for the 13 cent dinner

I am thankful for the 13 cent dinner. You may be wondering what I mean by that, saying Orange guy, dinners don't cost 13 cents. Well let me explain. This last week my wife and I celebrated our anniversary and  to celebrate, we took a trip to California. This is where the true blessing came in. My brother and his wife have become wonderful at being hosts. I believe that God gave this gift of hospitality to my sister in law so that she may demonstrate how God loves us. My brother and his wife wanted us to stay in their house as a gift to us so that we didn't have to pay for hotels or stay with my parents for our anniversary. The trade off was that we would take care of their cats and water their plants. We knew going in, that this was the trade off plan. What we didn't know, and didn't ever expect was their above and beyond kindness they showed us. They had the room we were staying in completely furnished and  loaded up with gifts for us, which included gift cards, candy, snacks, sodas, Gatorade, a kite, and beach towels. This made it so that during our stay we didn't even have to pay for food. They gave us more than we needed and that what brings me to the 13 cent dinner. We are still being blessed by their generosity. I am so thankful for my brother and his wife. I never expected them to display God's grace to my wife and I in this way. Thank you brother and wife.

I pray that you strive to demonstrate kindness and bless others. If you haven't been blessed greatly in this way, know that God loves you and wants to show you grace. In his grace he offers you a free gift of salvation. If you accept Jesus as your Lord and savior, when your life ends all pain will be conquered. Sadness will be no more. injustice will all be taken care of. Salvation is free.