Thanksgiving with its turkey, travel, football games and family get togethers gives us a chance to stop and reflect on the things for which we are grateful. Stopping to thank God for our blessings is a good thing and I'm glad there is a holiday set aside for doing this.
If you want to take a step of maturity, however, give thanks in and for everything. And "everything" means not only for the blessings and the things that make us happy, but for the losses, the disappointments, the aggravations, the hurts and the things that send us to our knees.
It often is in the dark times, those moments we don't understand, where we question God. We don't hesitate to give thanks when something good comes our way, but we feel hurt and angry with God when he allows hardship or uncomfortable circumstances. We pray for the trial to pass. We pray for change. We pray to be delivered.
Obedience is to follow God's word, however. "Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thes. 5:16 NIV) Give thanks on faith alone, trusting and believing that God never gives us a command we can't follow. "Thank you, Father, for I am grateful for your love, for your sacrifice, for your care and compassion."
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Daily Inspiration
The Blind Side
Read about the real life mom from "The Blind Side."
Lifeway: http://www.lifeway.com/article/?id=169816
Guideposts: http://www.guideposts.com/story/sandra-bullock-blind-side-football?page=0,1
Read Matt Mungle's review of the movie at http://www.buddyhollywood.com/.
Lifeway: http://www.lifeway.com/article/?id=169816
Guideposts: http://www.guideposts.com/story/sandra-bullock-blind-side-football?page=0,1
Read Matt Mungle's review of the movie at http://www.buddyhollywood.com/.
Lauren Yarger, Bio
Lauren Yarger has written, directed and produced numerous shows and special events for both secular and Christian audiences. She co-wrote a Christian musical version of “A Christmas Carol” which played to sold-out audiences of over 3,000 in Vermont and was awarded the 2000 Vermont Bessie (theater and film awards) for “People’s Choice for Theatre.” She also has written two other dinner theaters, sketches for church services and devotions for Christian artists.
Yarger trained for three years in the Broadway League’s Producer Development Program, completed the Commercial Theater Institute's Producing Three-Day Training and produced a one-woman musical about Mary Magdalene that toured nationally and closed with an off-Broadway run.
In 2008 she was a Fellow at the National Critics Institute at the O'Neill Theater Center in Waterford, CT. She writes reviews of Broadway and off-Broadway theater with a Christian perspective for Reflections in the Light (http://reflectionsinthelight.blogspot.com/) and is editor of The Connecticut Arts Connection. She also is a contributing editor for BroadwayWorld.com
She also reviews books for Publisher's Weekly and is a member of the National Book Critics Circle. She formerly was Connecticut theater editor for CurtainUp, a national theater web site bsed in New York and a reviewer for American Theater Web.
She also served as Executive Director of Masterwork Productions, Inc. and worked in arts management for the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts in Hartford and the Hartford Symphony Orchestra.
She is a freelance writer and member of the Drama Desk, The Outer Critics Circle, The American Theater Critics Association, The League of Professional Theatre Women and The CT Critics Circle.
A former newspaper editor and graduate of the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism, Yarger lives with her husband in West Granby, CT and has two adult children.
Yarger trained for three years in the Broadway League’s Producer Development Program, completed the Commercial Theater Institute's Producing Three-Day Training and produced a one-woman musical about Mary Magdalene that toured nationally and closed with an off-Broadway run.
In 2008 she was a Fellow at the National Critics Institute at the O'Neill Theater Center in Waterford, CT. She writes reviews of Broadway and off-Broadway theater with a Christian perspective for Reflections in the Light (http://reflectionsinthelight.blogspot.com/) and is editor of The Connecticut Arts Connection. She also is a contributing editor for BroadwayWorld.com
She also reviews books for Publisher's Weekly and is a member of the National Book Critics Circle. She formerly was Connecticut theater editor for CurtainUp, a national theater web site bsed in New York and a reviewer for American Theater Web.
She also served as Executive Director of Masterwork Productions, Inc. and worked in arts management for the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts in Hartford and the Hartford Symphony Orchestra.
She is a freelance writer and member of the Drama Desk, The Outer Critics Circle, The American Theater Critics Association, The League of Professional Theatre Women and The CT Critics Circle.
A former newspaper editor and graduate of the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism, Yarger lives with her husband in West Granby, CT and has two adult children.
Copyright Notice
All contents copyright © Lauren Yarger 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013. All rights reserved. For reprint permission, contact masterworkproductions@yahoo.com.
Scripture from THE MESSAGE Copyright 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.
Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.
Scripture from THE MESSAGE Copyright 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.
Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.
Christian Arts Links
- A New You (Catherine Galasso-Vigorito)
- Act One
- Actors inC
- Actors inC
- AD Players
- Amazing Grace the Musical
- Angels, the Musical
- Author Allia Zobel Nolan
- Bill Cooper
- BuddyHollywood
- Chris Tomlin's Frequency Worship blog
- Christian Cultural Center Music Group
- Christians in Cinema -- Angela Walker
- Christians in Theatre Arts
- Chuck Neighbors
- Compassionart
- Consuming Worship
- Edwina Findley
- Encouraging Words: Lucinda Secrest McDowell
- Episcopal Actors' Guild
- Eric Metaxas
- Erica Lane
- Experiencing Worship
- Faith...Creativity...Life -- Michelle Rayburn
- Fellowship for the Performing Arts
- Heart of the Artist Ministries
- Hotworship.com
- http://torrymartin.com
- Jeff Lisenby
- Martha Bolton
- MASTERWORK PRODUCTIONS, INC.
- Melea Brock
- Oikeo Music
- One Time Blind
- One Way Productions -- Mac McConnell
- Phil Cooke-- The Change Revolution
- Project Dance
- Redeemer's Arts Ministry
- Reflections in the Light :Christian Broadway and Theater Reviews
- Refractions-- Makoto Fujimura
- Riley's Diner Drama Scripts
- Sight and Sound Theatre
- Sonshine Theater, Inc.
- Tessa Afshar, author
- Threads Theater Company
- Todd Edwards
- Torry Martin
- Worship Leader Magazine
- Worship Matters
- Worship On Purpose
- Worship Together
Blog Roll
- Reflections in the Light-- Broadway & theater reviews
- Retta Blaney -- Life Upon the Sacred Stage
- Michael Hyatt
- Kim Messer -- The Other Side of the Altar
- Pastor Synesio Lyra, Jr.
- Michael Leathers
- Ed VanDeMark
- Lucinda Secrest McDowell
- Chuck Neighbors
- Vonda Skelton
- Jerry Jenkins on filmaking
- Rich Swingle
- Hollywood, Jesus and Me
- Diary of an Arts Pastor
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