FULL OF IT: The Art of Giving Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving O Ye Chewers of the Cud.

In the words of my friend Ivette...my Cuban-American friend....FELIZ DAI DE ACIONDE GRACIAS...Happy Thanksgiving.

(Sung to the tune of Deck The Halls)
"Tis da season to pig out...gobble gobble gob..gob gob gob gob...people gather with their favorites...gobble gobble gob...gob gob gob gob..now we don our stretchy clothing... gobble gobble gob...gob gob gob gob...coma from a tryptophan overdose..GOBBLE GOBBLE GOB...GOB GOB GOB GOB.

Thanksgiving defined in its simplicity is...the giving of thanks. Every year... one time a week...we gather together with friends and family for a day of eating. Some may take time to reflect on what they are thankful for...but most...eat, drink, watch football, and unbutton their pants...and sleep.

NOTE: A combination of an amino acid...tryptophans (C11H12N2O2)... lots of food filled with carbohydrates and alcohol...lulls us into this wonderful state of suspended animation...aka...sleep.

A couple of definitions from a Hebrew and Greek perspective gives some insight into what TRUE THANKSGIVING should be like...not just one day a year...but 365 days a year.

PICTURE #1 is a Cajun injected, deep fried turkey at one of the previous gatherings at the Boyd Household. PICTURE #2 is Phil Keaggy from the What A Day album...with arms stretched out in joyous giving of thanks.

PICTURE #3 is me with my arms stretch out in Kenya with arms wide open in thanksgiving.

TODAH: (to-dow): An extension of the hand, adoration, specifically a choir of worshippers--confession (sacrifice of) praise, thanks (giving, offering)

EUCHARISTA (you-kar-is-tee-ah): gratitude, grateful language to God as an act of worship, thankfulness (FULL OF THANKS)

When you combine the Hebrew and the Greek meanings of thanksgiving... you have an extension of the hand and mouth with the language and action of worship...as you are FULL OF THANKS.

PICTURE #4 Delmar (in O Bother Where Art Thou)...as he comes out of the baptismal waters...and declares... "come on in boys...the water is fine."

The outstretched arms...the open hands...can be acts of surrender... acts of receiving...acts of throwing/tossing our offerings. When we are FULL OF IT...thanksgiving that is...to make room for more...we need to give out to God what we got. When we hold onto what we are thankful for...we may be FULL OF IT...but we must make room for more.

FINAL THOUGHTS...THANKFULLY FINAL

This Rambling has merely scratched the surface about thanksgiving...but this year...maybe we can use this ONE day out of 365 days...as a launching pad for BEING FULL OF THANKS...for the next 354 on a daily basis. If we would have THANKS on our lips...everyday...there may not be room for the negative stuff we throw out throughout the year.

"In EVERYTHING give THANKS...for this (the giving of thanks IN everything) is the will of God concerning you in Christ Jesus." (I Thessalonians 5:18)

"Finally, brethren...whatever is true..whatever is honorable...whatever is right...whatever is pure....whatever is lovely...whatever is of good repute/report...IF there is any excellence and IF anything worthy of praise, let/allow your ind to DWELL ON THESE THINGS (ruminate)." (Philippians 4:8)

"Where you're dwelling...will be telling." (Unknown)

"Unrestrained thoughts (what you think)...produces unrestrained words (what you say)... resulting in unrestrained actions (what you do)." (Unknown)

So...renew your mind with the Word...store thankfulness in your heart...stretch out your arms... open your mouth...and let the treasure of thankfulness flow.

Love and Very Thankful Kisses
Rodney "FULL OF IT" Boyd

MIRROR IMAGE: AMERICAN IDOL

Greetings and Salutations O Ye Worshippers. Everyone is a worshipper of someone or something. The question is...who or what do you worship. Some will feign shock as they pledge allegiance to "the man upstairs". Some will sneer with discuss as they deny the existence of such a weak concept as God. Some will place their trust in a "higher power"...that may be in the form of a god, a doorknob, another human being. Some even will be honest enough to admit that they worship the only person worthy of their worship...themselves. Collectively, their is a church that many attend everyday...as they worship of the temple of their own bodies...at the 1st Church of Humanism. We build idols to the human capacity...but would never consider that we are walking in idolatry.

WORSHIP DEFINED: Proskuneo (pros-koo-neh-o)= to kiss towards (and object/person)...like a dog licking his master's hand. To fawn, crouch, to prostrate oneself in homage, to reverence, adore.

American Idol...the T.V. show where people sing...people vote...people win the coveted title of AMERICAN IDOL. Of course...there's nothing new under the sun...and rock n' roll idols have been with us for a long time. I remember going to RCA Recording Studio B...in the back...on a Sunday afternoon...waiting for my IDOL...Elvis Presley to roll in for a recording session of the soundtrack for STAY AWAY JOE. It was a surreal experience as I met him...got his autograph...even touched his Blue Suede boots when I dropped my pin (I figured that while I was down there (in a kneeling position) I might as well touch the king). When he went into the studio...I began to cry. I was sixteen years old...and I was crying like a baby...because I had been in the presence of the one who I IDOLIZED since I was six years old.

In Psalm 115:1-8...we see how the "HEATHEN" idolizes their God. Thank God I'm NOT like those heathens...idolizing dead God's.

The nations/heathens...ask.."Where, no is their God? As Christians...followers of Christ...we worship who we do NOT see. The heathen... needs something MORE TANGIBLE...than theoretic concepts. That's why they build IDOLS. Our IDOLS...may not be built out of silver or gold...but they are constructed in the recesses of our minds...that is manifested in our actions. The first collage represents Verses 4-7 as a composite picture of the HEATHEN'S IDOL.

1. Their idols are silver and gold
2. They are the works of man's hands
3. They have mouths...but they cannot speak
4. They have eyes...but they cannot see
5. They have ears...but they cannot hear
6. They have noses...but they cannot smell
7. They have hands...but they cannot feel
8. They have feet...but they cannot walk.
9. They have throats...but they cannot make a sound

The bottom line is...what cannot speak, see, hear, smell, feel, walk, make sound...is worthy of them kissing towards like a dog licking his master's hand as they fawn, crouch, prostrate themselves face forward in homage, to reverence and adore.

The problem is...as is stated in verse 8...THOSE WHO MAKE THEM...WILL BECOME LIKE THEM (or are like them).

That principle is so true. If you worship MONEY...you become GREEDY. If you worship SEX...you become FULL OF LUST. If you worship POWER...you become CORRUPT (absolute power...corrupts absolutely).

NOTE: This corruption is not limited to some foreign or communist country. It is not even limited to Democrat or Republican. It can be manifested in the corporate world or the religious world.

If you worship yourself or the human condition...you become unrighteous or fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23) The mask that we wear as we worship ourselves...will leave the imprint of who we are...and will affect everyone with whom we come into contact.

I personally am able to mask who I really am quiet well. I can cover up my fears, my anger, my frustrations, my rage, my greed, my lust, my corruption...by humor, intimidation, good works, religious acts, indifference, piety, success, denial.

The REASON...we become like the idols that we make ourselves is found in verse 8. WE already see the cause and effect of making the ineffective idols... WILL BECOME LIKE THEM. The REASON is...because we TRUST IN THEM.

Our money says IN GOD WE TRUST...but too often...it is what those words are printed on...is really what we trust. But that tangible MONEY...is very unstable...and as the DOLLAR fails....so does our FAITH...because what we TRUST is only as good as what/who we put our TRUST IN.

Hopefully...as we put our TRUST....HAVE FAITH...in the LIVING GOD...we will BECOME LIKE HIM. Psalm 115 starts off with the heathen/idolater questioning...WHERE IS THEIR GOD? The Psalmist answers...BUT OUR GOD IS IN THE HEAVENS. The Psalmist then declares...that this God that we cannot see...who is in heaven...DOES WHATEVER HE PLEASES.

The question now begs...WE'LL...WHAT DOES HE PLEASE? Well...our God... who is heaven (Our Father Who Art In Heaven)...decided...that He would become FLESH...and dwell among His fallen creation in the form of His Only Begotten Son...aka Jesus the Christ. Jesus would live on planet earth for 33 years...three of those thirty-three years would be spent...DISPLAYING WHAT PLEASES GOD...that would be culminated in Jesus...allowing Himself to be beaten, humiliated, scourged, and die on the cross in our place...as the propitiation (substitute/satisfaction)...that would satisfy God. He would DIE... He would be BURIED....He would be RESURRECTED. This is known as the
D.B.R...NOTHING MORE...NOTHING LESS. Jesus then...went back to the Father...and sent the Holy Spirit to indwell our clay temples (aka our bodies)... and begin to manifest the inward experience in our outward lives. As we renew our minds with the washing of the water of the Word of God...and yield our will to His will by our volition (free will)...moment by moment...we conform to the image of Christ. We BECOME LIKE WHO WE WORSHIP. This process will be taking place until He comes back. Thank God...I've got a long way to go.

Are their imperfect Christians...who don't look any different than the idolaters who idolize everything or everyone other than God. SURE!!!

Jesus is our example that we are to FOLLOW IN HIS STEPS (I Peter 2:21-25). My problem is that I make many mis-STEPS. I trip, I stumble, I fall down...I repent, plead the blood, get forgiveness...and continue on in the process. As I worship Christ...Lord...help me to become more CHRIST-like.

"You know of Jesus of Nazareth...how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and Power...and how He went about...DOING GOD...and HEALING...all who were OPPRESSED...by the devil." (Acts 10:38). Lord...as I renew my mind with your Word...as I look at God's will in action in Matthew, Mark, Luke, John...Lord, help me to FOLLOW IN YOUR STEPS...and become LIKE the ONE I WORSHIP.

FINAL QUESTION (FINALLY)

In the 1950's...there was a game show starring an unknown comedian/magician by the name of Johnny Carson. The name of the show is what I want to ask you...WHO DO YOU TRUST?

Love and Non-Idolatry Kisses
Rodney "TRUSTING GOD" Boyd

RUMINATOR RECOMMENDATIONS

Hello Fellow Chewers of the Cud of the Word...whatcha' doin' this weekend?

I would like to recommend...taking time out of your busy schedule (and if you don't take it...your time will be filled with something)...and CELEBRATE at Smyrna Assembly with A WORSHIP ARTS WEEKEND.

You have chewed on...thought about...pondered on...RUMINATED the Word of God...but you still feel pulled down. What's UP with the feeling of being PULLED DOWN?

I have found that...just like earth has a GRAVITATIONAL PULL...so does walking out the Kingdom on planet earth. Sometimes the things of this earth...the drama of life...the pull of this world...keeps us from RISING UP. Just like a rocket...with it's boosters...and massive power of thrust...breaks the bonds of the GRAVITATIONAL PULL...so it is with the pull of this world that KEEPS US DOWN...we need something to BREAK THE PULL. That is one of the things that this weekend will help you accomplish. It's like the old song says...

Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in his wonderful face
And the THINGS OF EARTH
Will grow strangely DIM
In the light of His GLORY and GRACE


Praise helps to break the pull...and positions us into a place of kissing towards our object of worth (worshipping the King).

Love and UPlifting Kisses
Rodney "We Have Lift-Off" Boyd