As a Christian, I've always tried to intentionally observe my thanksgivings with prayers of praise and thanks to God throughout this holiday. Only recently, though, did I discover that this was indeed the original intention when the holiday was first established as an official celebration by Abraham Lincoln. Let us rediscover and embrace the purpose of setting aside this random Thursday every November so that we might pause in order to celebrate through worship the blessings we've received from the Father!

“It has seemed to me fit and proper that God should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and one voice, by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November as a day of Thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father Who dwelleth in the heavens.”
~Abraham Lincoln’s Thanksgiving Proclamation, October 3, 1863.

Happy Thanksgiving!
As we prepare to praise the Father throughout the day, eat some delicious food, celebrate life with family, and watch the Cowboys, I thought I'd post a quick fantasy football update.
The Piranhas, my Body Life team, is currently sitting in first place at 9-3 while Los Wildcats, my Florida team, is in first at 8-4. Hopefully they can finish strong as we approach the playoffs.

Well, we've upgraded! That's right, Jess and I fired up the Christmas music, lit some candles, made a couple of mugs of hot chocolate, and decorated our new and improved Christmas Tree. After our first year with the infamous Charlie Brown Christmas Shrub, Jess' parents gave us a bigger and more full tree last year. However, due to technical difficulties, that tree is no longer with us. Our new tree, though, clearly out does our first tree and will hopefully last for several more holiday celebrations.

Here's a comparison of the trees...First Year...and...This Year:

First Year (2006)


This Year (2008)

If you haven't tried elfyourself.com yet, you haven't lived...or, you at least haven't laughed at you and your friends dancing around as elves in awhile. This is Face Down and Jess living it up country style. Enjoy.

Last Friday, Jess and I attended the Fusion Conference in Dallas in order to worship with about 2,000 others while hearing some great speakers and being made aware of several opportunities to serve and meet needs. The main attraction for us were the two feature speakers:

Erwin McManus

Donald Miller

Both are incredible speakers and authors. McManus inspired us to dream and create and live moments worth our life, while Miller spoke of our Story, relating fictional storytelling to living by highlighting the fact that a good story has a worthy character who overcomes a worthy conflict in order to embrace a worthy victory.

The results are in and Barack Obama will be the next president of the United States of America. Early this morning, I voted for John McCain, but as I take in the outcome of the 2008 election and wonder what will come next, I simply reflect on a few Scriptures that I think should help guide all Believers from this point:
"Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God" (Romans 13:1).
"First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:1-4).