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We asked the children of our church what they are thankful for and here are their responses! 

Lucas: My family, food and God

Bree: Friends, family, soccer and my mom's new car

Enoch: Animals

Eloise: Unicorns

JJ: My sister

Jasper: Ships

Georgia: My mom and dad

James: My dog

Ezra:  My family

Gideon: Snow

Thomas: My family

Rose: My family and everything God gave me

Jenna: ALL!

Luke: Family and friends

Brielle: Family

Vera: Family, clothes, God, bed, Bible, water and food

Zoe: Bree, family, Rose, life, God, jiu-jitsu, food, shelter and definitely Cheezits

Ravi: Hot Cheetos 

Evelyn: my family, the trees and my bed

Sophia: Always having a roof over my head and food to eat

Maddon: My mom and dad

Madison: My dog Thunder

Josiah: Pumpkin pie

Olena: God and Jesus

Jaxson: God

What a sweet reminder of all we can thank God for! 

Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays. When I was a little girl, I would wake up to the smells of turkey, dressing, sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie. The house smelled absolutely delicious! If my grandfather joined us, he would always pray and thank God for the food. When he couldn't come, no one prayed. I missed Grandfather praying - seeing all of that food - it saddened me that we didn't thank God.

Several years ago, I started printing Bible verses that express our gratitude, our love, our appreciation for all that God has done for us. We go around the table and read the verses. Then we once again go around the table and everyone prays, thanking God for what we're thankful for. It always blesses me to hear everyone's prayers thanking and praising God, especially the grandkids. Then we're ready to eat our Thanksgiving meal. But, can we celebrate Thanksgiving every day without the turkey, dressing, pies? Absolutely! It's all about having a thankful heart.

I know there are a lot of precious brothers and sisters in Christ who are hurting and in pain, either physical, emotional, loss of a loved one, or loneliness. Sometimes it's hard to be thankful when we're hurting. As someone who lives with pain, I know what you're going through. I realized I had a choice to make: Do I wake up and thank God for another day of life - a precious gift from Him? Or, do I become so overwhelmed by the pain that it's my focus all day long? I started thanking God for my family, for the beauty of His majestic creation, for the joy of being His daughter. My day completely changed. The pain is still there, but I was rejoicing as I started counting my blessings.

"But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold." Job 23:10. Some days there's no gold - no silver- no bronze: it's what I call a "straw day." The pain is overwhelming. On those days a verse that encourages me, comforts me, brings a smile, or tears, is Hebrews 4:16: "Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."

Dear ones, Jesus, the King of Kings, Creator of the Universe, our Heavenly Father, invites us to go to him - boldly, with confidence- when we're having a "straw day", to find mercy and help in our time of need. We don't need an appointment - the invitation is 24/7. My "straw day" becomes a "thankful day."

And, that is why every day is Thanksgiving to a believer.

I have been sitting with my computer open in my lap for over an hour. I have typed and deleted. And typed some more—and deleted it again.

Seriously, it’s not that hard! Write something about thankfulness and gratitude—anything about thanksgiving and gratitude. And for the last hour, I’ve got nothing except a title. And I don’t even know where that came from.

I started typing, and that is what came out. I always pray about what I am going to write and ask that God guides my fingers over the keys. It seems at this point that he stopped after the title: Thankfulness is not a feeling.

I know that there is something in there. I am just waiting for him to bring it out. Still waiting. I’ve taken a walk, folded laundry, gone on an ice cream date with my husband, played a game of Solitaire, watched a bit of college football and waited for something amazing to come out onto the page.

Thankful or happy?
The thing is, the only thought that keeps coming through my mind are those five words: thankfulness is not a feeling. I guess that it is good that thankfulness is not a feeling, because sometimes I feel more “thankful” than others.

I was thankful that my son passed his college algebra test. I was not thankful that our puppy ate my daughter’s new shoe. I was thankful that my oldest son called me the other day on his way to class. I was not thankful that I forgot to take the chicken out of the freezer to thaw and we had to eat leftovers for the 47th time this week.

Am I the only one who walks through life being both “thankful” and “not thankful” depending on what is going on? It seems like we throw the word “thankful” around and confuse it with “happy.”

Gratitude from deep down
The reality is that thankfulness is not dependent on what is happening around us. Thankfulness is dependent on what is happening inside us. David says in Psalm 100:4, “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise” (NIV).

When we enter his gates with thanksgiving that means we are full of gratitude, which is a readiness to show appreciation and return kindness. Gratitude isn’t a flippant, “say thank you” kind of thing. Gratitude comes from deep inside you.

I don’t want to confuse feeling happy with expressing gratitude through thankfulness. I don’t want to raise children who do, either. The opposite of gratitude is a forgetfulness or a poor return to kindness shown to you.

Basically, the opposite of gratitude is acting like you deserve more than what you have. We cannot be thankful and think that we are getting the short end of the stick at the same time.

I have heard this question asked, “What if you woke up tomorrow morning with only the things that you had thanked God for the day before?” That is a question that will stop and make you think, won’t it?

If we live a life entering his gates with thanksgiving in our hearts daily, we don’t have to worry about that because we are living a life of dependency, recognizing that every good and perfect gift comes from him (James 1:17).

He is enough
When we say we are thankful, we are saying that we recognize that what we have is from him, and through him, and in him. We are saying that without him we are nothing. We are recognizing that the “things” we are thankful for like our family and our friends are gifts from a loving father to his children.

When we enter his gates with thanksgiving in our hearts, we come before the Lord knowing that he is Jehovah Jireh, and he has provided all that we need out of his riches and glory. We go before the Lord knowing that he is enough and because of that, we are enough in him.

When we enter into his gates with thanksgiving in our hearts, it does not matter what is happening around us. What is our response when thanksgiving is in our hearts—we come before him with praise. What else could we do?

We can’t give feelings
During this season of Thanksgiving, when we talk with our children about the things that we are thankful for, let’s put a new spin on what thankfulness really is.

It is not just the things that make us “feel happy.” We can be thankful even when we don’t “feel happy.”

I am glad that I waited for his words to come through my fingers. So, thankfulness is not a feeling. It is living in the fact that we “see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living” (Psalm 27:13). We can give thanks—we can’t give feelings.

So—what are you thankful for this Thanksgiving? How are you entering his gates?

Christian Parenting. Thankfulness Is Not a Feeling. November 9, 2021.  Lisa Tyson

https://www.christianparenting.org/articles/thankfulness-is-not-a-feeling/

How then shall they call upon Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring glad tidings of good things!” Romans 10:14-15

Few places is this more true than the Amazon jungle of Peru. Here indigenous peoples live in remote villages whose only connection to the outside world is by canoe-like boats that move up and down the network of rivers. While the rest of the world has forgotten these people, Jorge Alvarez has not. He established Asociacion Ministerios Fuentes de Agua (AMFA) to bring fresh drinking water and the Living Water of the Gospel to these people. Over the years AMFA has installed hundreds of water wells and hand pumps, some of which were funded by MCC.

One of our desires for partnering with AMFA was to help extend their evangelistic reach into the jungle. We did this by supporting Pastor Victor to travel along with the AMFA team and focus on evangelism. Specifically, Pastor Victor preaches each evening, performs Gospel-oriented hygiene training, and organizes activities with the youth. Pastor Victor also spends a week each month cruising the rivers and visiting communities where AMFA has previously drilled. In this role, Pastor Victor is able to encourage the remote churches and pastors, as well as help build a sense of community among these scattered Christians. Pastor Victor’s effectiveness is clear, as now his trips are largely scheduled according to the request of villages throughout the jungle. On top of this, Pastor Victor finds time to pastor his home church. MCC was recently able to bless Pastor Victor and his church by providing funds to rebuild their church building when the roof collapsed during a storm.

Three years ago, MCC began supporting two men to attend seminary. These men were from communities where AMFA had previously drilled. Over this time, the men and their families have traveled back and forth from the community to the school. In this way they spent half their time at school and half their time at home applying their new skills. This fall they both graduated—Pastor Fernando and Pastor Edgar. Over this time both men have seeded new churches in their communities. Additionally, Pastor Edgar has been assisting Pastor Victor with his duties. Now, Pastor Fernando is not only pastoring his home community, but has also seeded churches in 10 other local villages. As the only means of travel is by boat, MCC has purchased Pastor Fernando a boat, motor and projector so he is able to spend more time evangelizing than paddling.

Indeed, God is orchestrating Romans 10. Through God’s blessing on our church, we are able to send Jorge, Victor, Fernando, and Edgar to the mission field. They are being equipped as preachers through jungle seminaries focused on the unique needs of these communities. Together we are answering the call—How will they believe if they have not heard, and how shall they call on the one they have not believed. We are in the process of identifying the next families to answer God’s call. Please pray for this process.

We are continuing our series on getting to know your church leaders a little bit better. Read along to learn more about Gabe Marquez, who just joined our Deacon Council. 

Where were you born, and do you still consider that home, or somewhere else? 

I was born in Taos, NM and I still have my parents and lots of family up there, so Taos will always be my “hometown”, but home for me, in this life, is where the Lord has me now.

What did you want to be when you grew up – and is that still a dream? 

I had aspirations of becoming an artist, a hunting guide, or a fly fishing guide. I spent many years as an artist, so in a sense I did experience that, and lately I’ve been spending a lot of time teaching my kids and others to fly fish and hunt, so even though I don’t get paid for it, I get a lot of satisfaction from teaching others to enjoy the outdoors. God is all too good to me… 

What or who was your earliest spiritual influence?

I have had many spiritual influences over the years, so choosing one would almost be impossible for me. But early on, Terry Ash, who modeled the strength of Christ in his weakness certainly stands out for me. But again, there were many great men and women who impacted me spiritually, almost too many to choose one. Again, the Lord is all too good to me… 

How and when did Christ call you to Himself?

My testimony is long and a bit of a story to tell, so let me just say this; Praise God that He is able to humble the proud and that His hand is not too short to save, even a wretch like me… I was 25 when the Lord quickened my heart to life, but it was a long process that included many faithful saints planting the seeds of the gospel on the infertile soil of my heart, until the Lord brought them to life at His intended time. I know with certainty that His plans for me were set from even before the foundation of the world, and my contribution to it all was a lot of fleeing and rejecting, until He unveiled my eyes to the irresistible grace of the love of Christ for me, while I was lying on the floor of a jail cell. 

What is a scripture you often read or share with others?

I don’t know that I have a favorite verse, but I find myself quoting Romans, 1 and 2 Peter, the Psalms, and of course the Gospels more often than most these days. But if there is one verse that motivates me the most to pursue the Lord in His word more than any other, it is 1 Samuel 3:1 “…The word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision.” This is a bone chilling verse for me to think about, and it reminds me how blessed we are to have full access to God's word, things into which even the angels longed to gaze upon. We can become so near-sighted at times that we are blind, even forgetting that we were once cleansed of our former sins. We have all that the Lord intended for us to know in His word, and somehow we often choose to pursue temporal pleasures…The word became flesh! The person of Jesus Christ epitomized the word of God to us, and no one has ever seen God, but the only God who is at the fathers side, He has made Him known! Every question about who God is, is answered in Jesus! In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us! 

What is a special answered prayer you’ve received from the Lord?

A couple years ago I noticed a remarkable increase in my desire for God’s word, and an unquenchable longing for a deeper relationship with Him in prayer. I also couldn’t help but notice a multiplying of grace and peace in my heart, as a result. After six months of this happening, my son Joshua gave me a letter explaining that he had been praying that the Lord would light a blazing fire in my heart for Jesus, and that he was so thankful that the Lord had answered his prayers… Now my prayer is that the Spirit would ever increase that fire all the days of my life, until I see Him face to face. 

What is a blessing and what is a challenge you see will come from serving as a deacon?

I feel blessed to have been called to serve the Lord as a servant to my family at MCC, especially since this is not something that I ever aspired to, so it further proves that the Lord is moving me. I’m challenged at this point to see what benefits I might add to the DC, but also very hopeful that the Lord will do what He wills with me. 

What are your hobbies and how did you get into them?

As far as hobbies are concerned, I love the outdoors. I particularly love bow hunting, fly fishing, fly tying, and camping. My father was very instrumental in it all since he is an avid outdoorsman himself. I also enjoy exercise, gardening, and cooking.

What is your favorite family tradition?

One of my favorite family traditions is to go to the mountains together to harvest a Christmas tree. We normally do this the weekend after Thanksgiving. We go with friends, and make a day of it, playing in the snow (when there is snow), eating good food, drinking hot cocoa, making a campfire, and hanging out in the mountains for the day as we search for the perfect tree! It’s the best!

How do you enjoy spending a day off?

I enjoy spending time with my wife and kids any chance I get. A perfect day off would be to get up early, spend time in the Word while enjoying coffee with my wife in our living room. Followed by a family gym outing. Followed by a great homemade breakfast, and the rest of the day well spent in the woods together hiking to a great piece of fly fishing water. To be honest, as long as I’m with my family I’m happy.  

What is the perfect meal?

We enjoy anything made with simple but high quality ingredients. It’s better if it’s something we grew, caught, hunted or raised ourselves, but to be honest any meal shared with loved ones is the perfect meal. Oh, and yeah, tacos are good! 

Who or what never fails to make you laugh? 

My wife and I have the best relationship. We love each other deeply and have the best conversations.  At times I’m sure we get under each other's skin, and can have heated debates, but we love to laugh together. She makes me smile, a lot…

We asked Ashley: 

What is your favorite trait of Gabe's?

One of my favorite traits of Gabe is his leadership qualities. He leads our family with grace and humility and leads those around him in Truth. Oh, and his sense of humor!

What does Gabe do that can always make you smile?

I can always count on Gabe’s sense of humor to make me smile.