01 | November | 2016 | Craig T. Owens

November 2016
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Appreciation

November 1, 2016 — Craig T. Owens

I love the dictionary definition of the word appreciation—

gratitude; thankful recognition
the act of estimating the qualities of things and giving them their proper value
assessment of the truth worth

How often do you take time to truly appreciate the blessings in your life? Appreciation goes beyond merely being thankful for blessings, as it sees the high value in those blessings, and then continually looks for ways to express even more gratitude for them.

In other words, appreciation can begin a cycle of gratitude that grows and grows and GROWS!

As we approach Thanksgiving Day, it’s a good time for us to remember that giving thanks shouldn’t be limited to just one day each November. Instead, we should learn to continuously appreciate the blessings around us.

Join us this Sunday as we begin a 4-part series considering the value of appreciation. I will be joined by some of my friends as we share what we’ve come to appreciation this past year. I hope to see you this Sunday at 10:30am.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: appreciation, Calvary Assembly of God, gratitude, thankfulness, thanksgiving. 2 Comments »

On This Day (book review)

November 1, 2016 — Craig T. Owens

I truly believe George Santayana’s maxim about learning from history so that we don’t have to repeat its painful lessons. On This Day: 365 Amazing and Inspiring Stories about Saints, Martyrs and Heroes by Robert Morgan not only helped me learn history, but see that history through a biblical lens.

Each day of the year Robert Morgan will introduce you to someone who played a key part in church history. Some of the names will be well-known to you, and some of them will be brand new; some of the stories will make you smile, and some will break your heart. But all of the stories reinforced two major themes for me—(1) All of history is God’s story, and (2) God uses ordinary people to accomplish His extraordinary purpose.

Each day’s entry is short enough that you can easily add it to your daily schedule. If you are a teacher or a parent, these stories would be a great way to talk about current events in light of what God has already done in past history. Either by yourself or with others, you will gain a greater appreciation for God and the gifts He gives to men and women.