To Be Thankful

“That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works.”

https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Psalms-26-7/

I pray Thanksgiving was a blessed day for you all.  Spending time with family, getting out and socializing face to face, being safe through it all.  Even though we have lost family, friends, and for some jobs we still have a lot as well.  

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Hello one and all, it is me, Stephanie, and before we start to set our soul free, I want to remind you to don't forget to subscribe to the channel, click the like, and leave a comment. Also don't forget to hit the little notification bell so you know when new videos post. As always, I know we won't always agree, and that's okay. Man wasn't meant to always agree with one another. That's what makes our world that God created unique because everyone has a difference of opinion and I'm okay with that. Leave your comments so we can keep the conversation going. Remember, it's not about me, it's about you. It's about our youth, it's about setting our souls free with me, Stephanie. So let's get into it. Good morning, good afternoon, good evening, good night. Wherever you are, in whatever part of the country you may live in, I greet you and say thank you for blessing me with your presence. It is time to set your soul free with me, Stephanie. So let's see what we can be blessed with today. Hello, hello, hello. I pray you all had a blessed and family-filled Thanksgiving. I ask for your forgiveness because I am a little on the congested side and know it's not corona. Hate that I had to say that, but in society today, they have programmed us to see what the signs are and panic accordingly. Just like allergies and sinus wasn't around long before corona. I have been working a lot and in doing such have neglected to take care of myself. And also being a diabetic, that is an ultimate no-no. So I am paying for it. God is telling me, what are you doing? Since you don't want to sit down, I'm gonna sit you down. So that's basically what he's done. I am getting better, lots of sleep. That lets me know I know I'm tired. If I take medication and I'm knocked out for two or three hours, yeah, that means the body needs to rest. I'm doing too much. It's trying to tell me you're not in your 20s, honey. Let me remind you of that. Today, we're gonna talk about why be thankful. As much as has been going on in some families for the past couple of months, within this month, or for people in general, not just family, just for people in general. The things that's been going on when it came to Thanksgiving, some may be questioning, well, what do I have to be thankful for? So our scripture is coming from Psalms 26 and 7, that I may publish with the voice of Thanksgiving and tell of thy wondrous works, which means we are that living Bible. When people see us and they know our situation, they know what we've been through, and they still see that we're just as happy and go lucky as ever, they want to know why. They want to know how they can get that life too. I know what you've been through. You had death over here, you had money problems over here, you had this over here, you had this over there, but you're still walking and talking like nothing ever happened. What is your secret? And that's when we're talking about the glorious of God that I may be struggling, but I'm still here. Trials and tribulations, I've had my share, but I'm still here. Somebody who had less issues than me is no longer here. So we should always be that living Bible in spite of what we are going through, because at the end of the day, we're still here. We have options, we have things that we can do. So spending time with family and getting out to socialize face to face and being safe through it all. Even though we have lost family, friends, and for some jobs, we still have a lot as well. That is why I pray Thanksgiving was a blessed day for you all. So you all got out, so you got to be with family, you got to socialize, you got to remember what people's facial features looked like once you saw them face to face, but you were still safe at the same time. A couple of weeks ago, I lost my aunt, and Thanksgiving would have been her 81st birthday. It was hard, but I can truly say she was healed of her sickness. Everything she had gone through, God released her from it all. My aunt got her mansion, but it was not due to COVID or her illness. God came for her and she was ready to move on to her new life. And that is what brings me the comfort because I saw my aunt. Not necessarily go downhill, but I saw my aunt. She was beginning to lose weight, she was getting early stages of dementia. You know, there were things about her that you know, okay, this is just a shell now. You know, this this this is just a shell. Still lovely to see her. She was still smiling, she was still happy, but it was it was just a shell. And toward the end, I couldn't see her as much anymore because um she ended up going to a rehab in Lebanon somewhere um for something else because she had kidney failure too, so she was taking dialysis. But through all of that, it didn't take her out. Now, do we know how she got her mansion? No, we don't. Is it really important at this juncture? Nope. It isn't, because she got released from her illness. God said, Okay, it's time. Your mansion is filled. I need you to come sign your paperwork so I can give you the keys and you can move on in. That's all that mattered to us at this point. She got her mansion. God freed her from her illness, and now she's up there with family. They stayed long gone before her. Thanksgiving should be a time of reflection, excitement, enjoying family, and enjoying life. I pray that is what you all did and had fun safely. Now is not the time to dwell on what we don't have or what we lost, but to remember all we have gained and what we still have left. Loving family, seeing friends, returning to work are all blessings of why we should be thankful. You got to remember when corona started, people were losing jobs left and right. Because just some jobs just couldn't go remote. That's that's just what it is. Some jobs could not go remote in the beginning because we did not know when it first started what exactly we were dealing with. So some jobs just couldn't go remote, so people lost jobs. But through that is when I tell you, people learned their gifts. Things that they kept putting off for years that they know they should have done, they had no choice but to do. How they became more successful once they used the gifts that God gave them. But then you got family. You know, family, some families got together every holiday. Mine is one of them: Easter, Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Year's. We got together. That's just we we came from that culture of a big family, get together every Sunday. Family gets together after church down the street at my now my uncle's house, and we eat because he makes a feast, just like his mom did before. Um, when we were at church when I was younger. And my nanny, every Sunday, had dinner ready before church was out because she knew people were coming. My uncle decided to keep that tradition going. We haven't been to a family function because, and I have no problem telling you why, because I have grandchildren, which means these are not my blood children. I did not give birth to them. Different set of circumstances when it's somebody else's kids. You have to make that decision, you know. Love your family to death, but you have to make that decision, you know, because I know we got a big family. They're married into another big family. So when my uncle cooks on Sunday, it is crowded. Kids running all over the place, people eating, people congregating. And now with some people being asymptomatic, you know, they don't know that they're having it, and they're walking around, everybody talking, hugging each other. Okay, I got grandchildren I have to think about that that I'm putting in danger when I go to those kind of functions. So I haven't been to any in a while. And the ones that we do go to, we go there early enough, you know, so we can still socialize, be around people, and then we leave before everybody else gets there. Does it hurt? Yes. Do we miss our family? Yes. But I can't count how many times that before the day is over with there's texts about somebody tested positive for COVID and now they want everybody to get tested, that we're singing hallelujah, thank you, Jesus, because we were just there, but we left early before everybody got there. So we're sad that we can't stay to enjoy all the family that shows up, but then God reminds us this is why you couldn't stay. Because you know everybody's body acts differently to this virus. Like I said, somebody is symptomatic, they're walking around not knowing that they have it, had it for a while, never knew, until something random happens and they get themselves tested. So we have a lot to be thankful for. Those who caught COVID and are still here, haven't had any of the symptoms that's post-COVID that they said that it's just as worse as having it yourself, having it in the first place. For some, it may not be so easy for what or how they lost their happiness. That is where we step in and remind them of the good that is still in their life and the work they can still accomplish. We remind them when things look dark and hopeless, there is a light to guide them and bring them help. We need to stand in for those who feel the world is caving in on them, the ones who feel nobody cares, those who feel there is nothing that anyone can do to help them feel loved by somebody. We need to step in and show love, compassion, and understanding, helping them to get their self-esteem back up so they can see all is not lost and that they can do it. Everything boils back down to self-esteem. If your self-esteem is shot, you don't try, you don't bother trying. Every time you fail, it just puts another nail into the board to the window that you're boarding up because it's like that's what I thought. That's why I didn't bother. Well, you didn't give it your all in the first place because you already claimed the failure, so you just didn't bother putting everything you had into it to succeed. A lot of people who have lost family members or jobs or whatever their situation was pre-COVID that deteriorated post-COVID lost their happiness. And when they lost their happiness, they lost their will to fight. They lost the will to even try anymore. You know, for some, even though they lost jobs or whatever, they still didn't use that gift that would have brought them what they needed, if not more. Because some that have lost their jobs and said, you know what, we gotta do something. We got family, I got a lifestyle, found that gift and making more money than they did when they were working the nine to five. And then let's not forget about those babies who had the opportunity to see that there were others that were suffering more than you. What did I always say? Just because you're going through something doesn't mean somebody's not going through it worse. And the virus is a perfect example. Just because you were going through something and you lost this and you lost this, you had options to either get it back or to get something better. Somebody who had the same issues that you did did not have those same options. So that's where it comes in, where we need to stand in to let them know that it's going to be okay. But this is what's gonna take for you to get back on your feet. And the question is, are you gonna be willing to do it? For some, the work was probably easy the first time around. Or for some, it was too much, and they just can't go through all of that all over again. You know, for a lot of people to get to where they were, it was a lot of sweat, blood, and tears involved. And they're just like, I can't do that again because it almost broke me the first time. Well, the first time you didn't have a support staff, you got one now. So let's get up, dust yourself off, wipe the dried up tears from your eyes, and let's get to going. We got things to do, we got things to accomplish. We got to let people know that the world is not as dark as the news make it seems. Oh, there's light. There's spots of light everywhere. You got to be willing to walk toward the light so you can see from whence your help comes. Every day is a day of Thanksgiving. We should be giving thanks every time we wake up, every time we move our body, every time we open the fridge and find something to eat, and every time we get a paycheck from somebody somewhere. All these are reasons to give thanks to God for all He has done for us and do all we can to give back to those who may not have the options available to them to get the assistance they need. We all know somebody that can help certain certain situations, whether it be homelessness, getting food, getting shelter, getting things for children, getting clothes, getting some form of services to pay utilities. We know somebody. Even if it isn't the main person needed, we know somebody who knows somebody that can get in contact with that agency, that we can get information from them to pass on to these people to help them. But for some reason, we don't want to share that. Just like it's a one-person deal that if you tell somebody else about our services, it leaves from you and goes to them. It wasn't made for you. God blessed you for you to find out about these services or someone to tell you about it, and now your job is to do the same, or he'll take it from you. And I've seen him do it. He blessed one person with something to get them out of a situation, and when I saw the next person come up and they asked about it, they didn't want to share it. Well, then they lost those services. Well, that's what happens. Greed gets you every time. God didn't bless you to get you out of your situation for you to hold that information to yourself. He's the reason why that person came to you because he blessed this child, and now he's gonna allow this child to bless this child. But when he saw that you weren't gonna do such, well, then you are not deserving of my gift. People who are hurting need people who are healing. You know, people who are gonna be there to cry with them, you know, to get angry with them, you know, to vent frustration with them. And then when all is said and done and they're too weak to do anything else, start filling them back up with the things that they can do. Start telling them how important they are, start telling them that their life is worth finding a solution. You know, we got to empty all that negativity out so we can start filling it up with positivity. Sometimes a person just needs to hear it's going to be okay. This is what we can do. And there's nothing wrong with us getting them started. There's nothing wrong. There's nothing wrong with walking with them some of the way to get them started in the process, and then once they get to going, taking a step back and letting them finish it. Because either way it goes, it is something they have to finish. We can start the process for them, but they are the ones that's gonna have to finish it. And there's nothing wrong with starting that process, nothing at all. Well, we can start the process with them and then take a step back and let them finish it. Just stand in there along the way and paste their questions. You know, in case they get frustrated, that's when we step back in, boost them back up again, and then take that step back and let them finish the rest of the journey. Why do we do that? So they can learn. So the next time something happens, they know what to do. Even if the situation is different, they know what to do to get the answers they need to move on. But we as God's children need to do our part. You know, we didn't get to where we were by ourselves, and if you think you did, bless your heart. We didn't get to where we were by ourselves. God stepped in, sent that guardian angel right when we need them, right on time. When we were doing internet searches, pop that right information right when we need it, right on time. So who are we to be selfish and not share that gift to help the next person get to where they need to be? To make that next person get back on their feet. You keep forgetting, the more people that are not working, the more people that are not getting what they need so they can work, the economy will never recover. No matter how much money Uncle Joe throws at it. If people are not willing to share resources, not willing to share assistance, not willing to be there to be that positive voice when they're getting ready to be broke down because they just gave up, it doesn't matter. It'll be all for nothing. We need to do what we need to do as children of God to help bring the rest of his sheep back to the herd. Amen. Oh, give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good. He is good. Let us pray. Father God, we come here today to say thank you. Father, we thank you that every day is a day of thanksgiving to take the time to glorify you today. Father, we thank you for letting us see yet another day. Father, for some did not. Father, we ask a blessing over the families of the holidays that they were safe, but they also had fun. Father, we pray that families were able to heal. We pray that families were able to enjoy what it was like to be in each other's company. Father, I pray that the food was a blessing. That it not only filled their bodies, Father, but it healed the souls, cleared their minds of what else they needed to do. Father, we thank you for our children, that they are becoming the leaders that you want them to be, stepping in when needed, not relying on an adult to do anything for them, Father, because you have given them that gift and they have no problem standing up for themselves. Father, we pray for the remainder of the school year, Father, that no more tragedies befall us, Father. We pray that these students, Father, all of a sudden get the hang of what is going on and adapt so they can do the very best they can. And if something was to happen, that the right angel is in place to get them back on track. Father, we thank you for the teachers, the educators doing the best they can with all the odds of the world stacked against them. Father, we thank you for those teachers who keep on fighting, who are fighting for the students because of what they see, who are fighting to make it better for them to teach and safer for the kids to learn. Father, we thank you for them. Father, we pray a blessing to this bus driver situation where it's taking babies longer to either get to school, get home, or both. Father, we pray that you send a mighty blessing. But not only that you send it, Father, but that it is received so the problem can be resolved. Father, we thank you for just yet this another day. Father, bless those under the sound of my voice that no matter what they are going through, there is always light. Just walk towards it, walk through it, and the angel is right there to help you with whatever it is you need. Father, we just thank you today. Father, we should wake up every day, and the minute we open our eyes and we can move and get out the bed in the midst of our busy day, we should be saying, Thank you, Jesus. Much obliged. For we could have died in our sleep, we could have died in a car wreck on the way to work, we could have died coming back home, we could have died in our home, doing just sitting looking at TV. But Father, you told death not today, not my child. And Father, we should give you thanks for always looking out for us when we don't even look out for ourselves. Father, we thank you, we praise you, we give you all the honor and glory in your son Jesus' name. Amen. And as always, never forget, be that light in someone else's darkness. Stay blessed.