Giving Thanks

On this day before Thanksgiving, I'm thinking about more than tomorrow's feast.

I'm thinking about how good God is.

And how I so often forget to thank Him.

Even in the tough times, there are many things to be thankful for.

Things that aren't affected by the economy, the state of our relationships, the bad behavior of others, the pain of illness, or even the loneliness that arrives when you least expect it.

As followers of Christ we have:

1) Our salvation. On the worst days we can take heart that we are forgiven and we're heaven bound. Thank you Jesus, for purchasing that forgiveness by dying for my sins on the Cross.

2) The promises of God in the Bible.

Even if we lose everything those two brilliant things will remain.

Stand on the Gospel.

Stand on the promises.

Give thanks for both.

And then give thanks that you're able to read this blog.

To see.

To breathe.

To love.

I bet you can add many other things to that list.

Me too.

The 10 Unhealthiest Holiday Foods

Thanksgiving is just a couple of days away.

Visions of turkey, mashed potatoes, dressing, pumpkin pie... all dance in my head.

Why is it the stuff that tastes the best is the WORST for you?

One of life's great mysteries, I guess.

As we prepare to dig in this year... I thought you might want to share my guilt.

I wonder if your Thanksgiving dinner will include anything on Prevention magazine's 10 Unhealthiest Holiday Food List.

Click on this link for the slide show:

http://health.msn.com/nutrition/slideshow.aspx?cp-documentid=100220702&GT1=31036

Hmm.....

Is it time for lunch yet?

Is It You?

I love this story of Jesus coming to the disciples in the middle of the night on the Sea of Galilee.
The storm is raging.. and they glance at something... no.. SOMEONE approaching them:

Matthew 14:26-31 (ESV) 26 when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, "It is a ghost!" and they cried out in fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid." 28 And Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." 29 He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, "Lord, save me." 31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"

This weekend as I was reading these verses I saw something I never really considered before.
Jesus says.. "Hey Guys.... it's me!"
And yet Peter says.... "Lord... IF IT IS YOU......"

He was looking for some confirmation before he stepped out of the boat.
"If it's you in the midst of this storm Jesus.. show me."
"The wind is blowing, the waves are crashing, I can't see very well."
"Can you reassure me?"
Jesus says... "Come."

What mercy for a disciple who finds in himself a mixture of fear and belief.
An odd combination of faith and doubt.
Peter is a lot like me.

In your storm do you need to know what to do?
What step of faith you need to take?

"Jesus if it's you calling me to.........(fill in the blank) will you make it clear?"

The Lord gave Peter a confirmation before he hopped overboard to stroll on the water.
And the Lord was there when doubt blew in with the next wind gust.
The next massive wave.

Do you need confirmation in the midst of YOUR storm?
Jesus will give it to you.
When you need it.

And even so you might get "that sinking feeling" at some point as you step out.
He didn't let Peter go under.
He won't let you go under either.

Sharathon Day Three!

It's the final day of Sharathon!
A million thanks to all who have stepped out to support the work of SOS so far.
Can I just say thank you?
Thank you!

It's early in the morning and I thought I would check in with you before things get super busy.

Usually the final day is filled with all kinds of twists and turns as we head down the home stretch.
Don't forget you can give online at http://www.sosradio.net/sharAThon/shareAThon2008.html

God is so faithful!
He knows how much we need to serve you in the coming year.
And He also knows about how much you need in these tough economic times.
Let's hang onto His promise:

Philippians 4:19 (NIV) And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

Blessings to you and yours!

Sharathon Day Two!

These are the first few minutes I've had all day to check in with you.
That's a good thing!
It means we're seeing a lot of action for day two of Sharathon!

Thank you so much for praying for us as we invite folks to invest in the ministry going on here at SOS.
It's been so much fun.

And wouldn't you know it, even in the midst of these 3 days of celebration God keeps reminding us it's all about ministry.

The stories of God's faithfulness from listeners continue to be amazing.
But in addition to that, I've had the opportunity to chat and pray for people one on one here at our studios.

What a privilege.
In the midst of the flurry of activity, these quiet moments on the sidelines remind me of why we do what we do every day.

It's a sacred trust.
Pray for us as we pray for you.
And support us if you can!

We thank God for you,
Kurt

Sharathon 2008 Day One

Wow. As I write this it's pretty early.

Gimme that coffee.

Okay.

Gimme some more!

Better.

I just wanted to make sure I checked in with you before things get REALLY crazy around here for Sharathon 2008.

I just ran down to the Phone Zone and our first 10 volunteers are all smiles!

They really are passionate about the ministry going on here at SOS.

What a huge encouragement for us!

Thank you so much for your prayers as we head into these very important three days.

We're commercial free, and all of our funding comes from folks like you.

If we have blessed you in any way, will you prayerfully consider supporting us on a regular basis?

Whatever you feel led to give is so appreciated!

Here's a link to give online:

http://www.sosradio.net/sharAThon/shareAThon2008.html

Join us on the air for the next few days.

It's so exciting to see how God provides.

It always builds my faith.

I know it will build yours too.

See Ya On The Radio,

Kurt

Sharathon: One Day Away!

Preparations for Sharathon are wrapping up this afternoon.

Those of us on the air have pretty much finished our production work.

Volunteers by the car loads have been trained on the computer system.

A thousand and one details have been checked and re-checked.

Awesome!

Wednesday through Friday we'll be asking you to invest in the ministry of SOS.

We're non-commercial, which means non-stop ministry and music.

No reason to stop for commercials!

The way we stay on the air is through the gifts of God's people.

People like you.

We're working hard to serve God every day by serving you.

I sure hope SOS has been a big encouragement to you and your family this year.

Will you ask God to show you if this is a ministry He wants you to support?

There are so many wonderful ministries doing God's work.

We're thankful for each and every one of them!

But over the next 3 days we're going to extend the invitation to join with us.

I hope you'll prayerfully consider our invitation.

Especially if we're a blessing to you!

Please pray for us.

We appreciate it more than you could ever know.

To God be the Glory!

Ephesians 3:20-21 (ESV) 20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.