Destroying [Queen] Kong

Do you ever feel like this?

Many feelings can lead one to this state, such as discontentment, impatience, anxiety, and anger- all of which are sinful. How can we combat these things? Well, the most important way is to be constantly aware of who we are in light of what the Bible teaches us. We are mere created beings, sinful at heart from the get-go. The great news is that we have a great Savior who forgives us and changes us. I will be the first to admit that I don't always want to read my Bible, and fail to read it everyday; however, God promises us that as we diligently pursue Him in the word, he will continue to instill in us the desire to put away our sinful nature and change us to be more like His Son.

That leads me to the second best way I think we can "put off" these sins: by actively pursuing thankfulness. The Altrogges have declared it Official Gratefulness Day. I don't know how official that actually is, but I think they have the right idea. In Proverbs, it says, "Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense." (Prov. 19:11) As we shift our thinking from what we don't have, aren't getting, or want too much to the right thinking that all gifts have been given to us, I think God slowly works that "good sense" (i.e. patience, contentment, and joy) into us. With that said, here is a list of things for which I am thankful:

** That I can truly live with joy and will escape God's judgement and wrath because of Christ's death on the cross
** My husband Chris, who has borne the burden of a marching band director and all that entails for the past 3 years
** My family, whose members are supportive of my wild ambitions and pretend I'm funny
** A great gospel-preaching church, that I will sorely miss while abroad
** My friends who are jovial and kind, but not too sarcastic
** An education that has allowed me to travel, meet hundreds of people, and broaden my knowledge of how the world really is
** My dry, clean, warm/cool apartment filled with furniture given to us by others
** That I have never crossed King Kong