Tag Archives: Thanksgiving

Muzzled by Freedom

Posted on May 26, 2014 by expressyourself4him

Today is suppose to be a national holiday in the United States, a time of reflection, thanksgiving and celebration.  However, as brave young men and women serve this country on foreign soil, the freedom they are fighting for is being muzzled.  As the summer heat begins to rise, certain states restrict the size of your beverage.  Meanwhile, activists, politicians and power hungry officials are trying to tell you what to eat, taxing and punishing the owners of popular restaurants.  If this trend continues, you’ll start being fined or arrested for freedom of speech.  Oh, that’s right; its already happening.

Like a high school administration that has lost control of their students, the innocent are being punished for the foolish sins of others.  Whether you drive a car, own a house or want to start your own business, ridiculous regulations and restrictions are taking the fun out of life.  Unfortunately, we live in a culture that is now treating citizens like little children who can’t stay out of trouble.  Perhaps this fall’s election will lift the malaise from the hearts, souls and minds of beaten down individuals.  If something doesn’t happen soon, the blood, sweat and tears of veterans will be forgotten.

On this Memorial Day, 2014, remember the words of John F. Kennedy, “don’t ask this country what it will do for you; rather, ask yourself what can I do for this country?”  When families, neighbors and young people begin to become doers of the word, Matthew 7:24, the chains of oppression will be unlocked.  Despite our best efforts, their is only One who is in control.  May the God of the dead transform the heart of the living so that freedom is no longer muzzled.

Please share your favorite war movie which inspires you to be proud of red, white and blue.

by Jay Mankus

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Waiting for the Harvest

Posted on May 25, 2014 by expressyourself4him

At the end of the growing season, the harvest is the day of reckoning, the process of collecting mature crops from fields.  Once complete, farmers will be able to calculate their bounty and compare it with previous seasons.  The harvest festival, the celebration of the end of the growing season, has evolved into a national holiday Americans call Thanksgiving.  Like a child waiting to unwrap their first present on Christmas morning, the harvest is an adult version of collecting the fruits of hard labor throughout the Spring and Summer.  However, the toughest part remains the waiting.

The Bible speaks to farmers throughout the New Testament, relaying analogies of farming to illustrate biblical truth.  Matthew 9:37-38 refers to the struggles of finding good help.  Either people are too busy or lazy to lend a helping hand, forcing more responsibility upon a few dedicated individuals.  Jesus relied on parables like Matthew 20:1-16 to urge citizens to get involved before the day of harvest is over.  While some can take more credit than others, the pay is the same for everyone.  As farming communities continue to search for reliable workers, Jesus is waiting on his followers to become participants in a spiritual harvest.

Yet, it took a music director from the Old Testament to reveal the secret to experiencing this type of harvest.  According to Psalm 67:3-5, spiritual harvests are conceived through the praise of mankind.  As individuals, families and nations begin to shout for joy, a foundation is established.  This sets the stage for Psalm 67:6, yielding a spiritual harvest like Moses’ promise to Israel in Deuteronomy 28:2.  Therefore, if you find yourself waiting for the harvest, let the praise of the Lord commence.

by Jay Mankus

 

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The Grind of Life

Posted on February 28, 2014 by expressyourself4him

Inside a coffee grinder, beans are crushed, pounded and smashed into submission until the process is complete.  Sometimes circumstances in life performs a similar act on individuals, grinding and pressing people until their energy is sapped.  Drained, exhausted and spent, my joy for living has been misplaced by a sea of despair.

Perhaps anguish is the guilty party, sucking souls of contentment, fun and thanksgiving.  Despite being known as a man after God’s own heart, 1 Samuel 16:7, David wasn’t exempt from this emotional state.  Psalm 31:10 expresses the toll the grind of life takes on the human body.

Lately, my faith has been void of joy, left behind during my healthier days when work was something I took for granted.  If you take James 2:26 literally, you can’t have one without the other.  Thus, joy is a byproduct of faith, a fruit inspired by the Holy Spirit, Galatians 5:22-23.  Like the Samaritan woman, I need to go to the well of living water, John 4:10, so that the grind of life doesn’t crumble my faith.  If you’re thirsty for something more in life, absorb the words of Jesus in John 4:13-14.

by Jay Mankus

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Faith Week

Posted on April 23, 2013 by expressyourself4him

When I was a child, schools did not have many national holidays.  Sure, I would miss days for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter break, but once school began in the fall, days off were few and far between.  In recent days, political correctness has added several new holiday days and theme weeks for educators to shape the minds of children.  Unfortunately, facts and history are being replaced by ideology, liberal philosophies and unproven theories.

As Earth Week began yesterday, Monday 22nd, going green will be shoved down the throats of all those who watch television the next 7 days.  I am not saying that I am against this movement, as the days of using rivers and streams as dumping areas is disappearing.  Nor are their any river fires like the 5 which occurred on the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland, the last of which made national headlines in the early 1970’s.  My point is that the only thing individuals can really control their own life by being good stewards of those possessions God has bestowed upon them.

Well, since the media appears to have control the annual dates of days and themes, I want to declare April 29th-May 5th, Faith Week.  When I studied the Great Awakening in seminary, I was shocked by the moral decay of America in the 1790’s.  Societal patterns which existed in the late 1790’s are similar to those which exist in today’s colleges and universities.  Yet, when I few Christians began to meet together in a concert of prayer, another Pentecost occurred Acts 5:31.  If the church rises up, united in prayer, maybe another Great Awakening is around the corner.  As for now, follow in the footsteps of the apostles, 1 Thessalonians 4:1-2.

by Jay Mankus

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Git R Done

Posted on November 23, 2012 by expressyourself4him

Last night I found out that I had to work on Thanksgiving night. Since my finances are not what they use to be, I don’t have an option. As the great American Larry the Cable guy once said, “Git r done!”

Although I will miss Thanksgiving dinner, sometimes in life you have to do what you need to do. In these times, life’s luxuries will have to be put aside until I re-establish myself in the corporate world. As for now, I have to earn the trust of my managers so that I can recover from the events earlier on in 2012.

The hope of achieving the American dream is still in my sight. While this will be harder than ever to attain, I am motivated to give it a shot. If once if you do not succeed, try, try again. In other words, “Git r done!”

by Jay Mankus

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Thankful For Giving

Posted on November 22, 2012 by expressyourself4him

It was the night before Thanksgiving and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, except for the turkeys fighting for their lives.  Beside this humor, laughter and thanksgiving go hand and hand, celebrating life with people, often reflecting upon fond memories you have shared together.  When you are truly touched by someone or something, your heart can bring tears to your eyes immediately as you are overwhelmed with thanks.

When I began this blog back in February, I had no idea where I was going or what I would be writing about daily.  In fact, there have been several days where I drew a blank until a still small voice spoke into my heart or something triggered an idea in my mind.  While pessimists will say, why waste your time on something that you offer for free?  I am reminded by the apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 1:6, “to fan into flame the gifts God has given you.”  Honestly, I am thankful for giving my gift of writing to the public so that wherever people may be on their journey in life, I pray that something I say or quote from the Bible may help them along the way.

When a fire is about to die, you can prolong it by providing fresh oxygen through blowing on the embers or waving your hands back and forth.  If fires can come back to life, then lives can also be resurrected too through a spirit of thankfulness and giving,  In the classic campfire song Pass It On, the lyrics begin with, “it only takes a spark to get a fire going.”  Writing pieces for this blog, named after my movie, Express Yourself, currently in its first major edit, has awaken my soul, filling me with passion and purpose once again.  My thanksgiving prayer is that you will find your gift or gifts and begin to fan them into flame, so that you too will be thankful for giving back what God has given you!

by Jay Mankus

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