A Nugget for Living Life by Steve Martin - "Thanks"

A Nugget for Living Life

Steve Martin

"A heart of thanks respects and treasures life.

It starts with knowing the Creator of All."

Psalm 107:1

Love For His People, Inc.

P.O. Box 414

Pineville, NC 28134

loveforhispeople.blogspot.com

loveforhispeople@gmail.com

Give thanks unto the Lord.

Blessings on ye heads as you thank the Lord!

Steve & Laurie Martin

Love For His People, Inc.

GOP Owes 'Prayer of Thanks' to Evangelicals

CBNNews.com

Wednesday, November 05, 2014

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Republicans sealed control of the Senate with more than six seats needed, a momentum Reuters suggested the GOP owes to evangelical voters.

FOX News exit polls showed that nearly 60 percent of voters who identified themselves as Protestant or Christian also identified themselves as Republican.

"If Republicans win control of the Senate in the midterm elections they should say a prayer of thanks for Christian conservatives," Reuters reporter Alistair Bell wrote more than a week ago.

Studies suggest the voting block may be shrinking, but it's still a considerable force. The latest Reuters-Ipsos polling shows Evangelicals are more enthusiastic about the midterms than the general population.

Forty-nine percent of evangelicals said they had a great deal of interest in the midterm elections, compared to 38 percent of other voters.

Pollster George Barna estimates there are 77 million evangelical and Catholic voters in America. About 30.6 million of them supported Mitt Romney in 2012, and 20 million voted for the President.

But the troubling number is the 26 million who didn't bother to vote at all.

A recent Pew Research study found 56 percent of Americans feel religion is losing influence in American life and say that's a bad thing. That same study showed 49 percent of adults feel churches should express their views on social and political questions. That is up 6 percent from four years ago.

Giving thanks...as we reach another milestone on the journey.

Giving thanks 

to the Lord Jesus (Yeshua)

as we reach 250,000 pageviews 

on our 

LOVE FOR HIS PEOPLE blog

...on April 12, 2014.

Even as the Lord commanded the Israelites to place stones and altars along the way, as markers on the journey to remember His grace, leading and provision, so do we follow in those footsteps. 

Thank you you Lord for this milestone, as we look back to what YOU have done, and look forward to what You will yet do through His Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh) working through us.

Trusting as the journey continues...

Steve & Laurie Martin

Love For His People

April 12, 2014

Sat. at 9:05 am

Thanksgivukkah

Hanukkah and Thanksgiving overlap this week. The result: 'Thanksgivukkah'

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Nov. 23, 2013

The two are not expected to occur simultaneously again until 2070, then 2165, then in another 70,000 years. Both holidays pay tribute to national resilience and are celebrated around the family table with rich food, games and fellowship. They just usually don't take place at the same time.

No wonder people are finding Hanukkah and Thanksgiving to be a comfortable match, even if a rare one.

The first day of the eight-day Jewish holiday of Hanukkah begins on Thanksgiving this year (actually starting the evening before), and for many Jewish families locally and beyond, that provides a fitting opportunity to mash up traditions along with potatoes.

"This year really serves as a reminder to me of the idea of giving thanks and being grateful," said Katie Whitlatch of Highland Park. "There's no reason that can't be a focus for every Hanukkah. It's a good opportunity to reinvigorate the holiday."

Her family will be combining some food traditions as well. Normally she makes a sweet potato casserole for Thanksgiving, but this year will be making sweet potato latkes (potato pancakes, traditionally served during Hanukkah). Some people are also planning to use cranberry filling in the jelly doughnuts that are a Hanukkah staple.

"We actually for the last couple of years have been deep-frying turkey anyway" for Thanksgiving, Ms. Whitlatch added. "That has a dual meaning now because of the oil and the Hanukkah."

Hanukkah is rooted in an ancient war for Jewish independence from Greek-Syrian occupiers who had desecrated their temple in Jerusalem.

Tradition says that after Jews retook the temple, they only had enough oil to keep a ritual lamp lit for a single day, but miraculously the supply lasted eight days. In a nod to that tradition, Jews often serve foods in which oil is a featured part of the recipe.

Hanukkah is a minor religious holiday in Judaism, but has gained larger cultural significance in the United States as an alternative winter holiday for Jews during the Christmas season. Also, the ancient struggle for religious freedom resonates with the American narrative -- such as that of the English religious dissidents known as Pilgrims, who settled in New England to pursue their own religious liberty and survived against desperate odds.

Other traditions include lighting a menorah, or candelabra, each of the eight nights of Hanukkah, and playing games with a dreidel, or a square top with Hebrew lettering.

It's been at least a century since the start of Hanukkah -- which is determined by lunar calculations -- coincided with Thanksgiving, always the fourth Thursday of November. The JTA news service said the two are not expected to occur simultaneously again until 2070, then 2165, then in another 70,000 years.

So when Pittsburgh native Dana Reichman Gitell thought about the rare confluence last year, she coined and trademarked the term "Thanksgivukkah." A marketing specialist who lives in suburban Boston, Ms. Gitell pushed all the right buttons and the concept went viral, both on social media and elsewhere. The mayor of Boston recently proclaimed Nov. 28 to be "Thanksgivukkah."

"I was driving to work and came up with the word, and I thought 'this should be a Facebook page,' " Ms. Gitell said.

"Both are festivals of gratitude, so there are a lot of layers and a lot of things in common," she said. "This is an opportunity to celebrate the Jewish American experience and celebrate this country."

Ms. Gitell credits her childhood in Squirrel Hill with establishing her firm footing in Jewish religion and culture.

"I had an incredible childhood in one of the most vibrant Jewish communities in the country," she said.

Some have taken up the Thanksgivukkah theme with other word blends, such as planning to use a "menurky" -- a turkey-shaped menorah.

While Hanukkah is a family celebration, it is "usually not the excuse to travel and get together" with extended family, Ms. Whitlatch said. So as she, her husband and son travel to see relatives in New Jersey for Thanksgiving, "this year we have the opportunity to celebrate it and make more of a foodfest."

Lauren Bartholomae, director of the Family Life Department at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh, will be traveling to visit her husband's uncle's farm in Ohio, a Thanksgiving tradition they have begun in recent years. Since he and his family are not Jewish, it's a chance to bring "Hanukkah to people who don't know about Hanukkah and have never celebrated it before."

She plans to introduce the menorah lighting, a dreidel game and other activities. "Hanukkah is all about miracles," she said. "You can think about Thanksgiving in the same way."

Ms. Gitell said the overall response to the Thanksgivukkah celebration has been positive. "I think that's because there is some depth to it, and some legitimate religious ties between the two holidays."

She plans to celebrate the once-in-a-lifetime event, but will put it to rest after this year. "I felt in my heart like this was a love letter to America, and an opportunity for American Jews to celebrate both holidays and enjoy them together."

Peter Smith: petersmith@post-gazette.com, 412-263-1416, Twitter @PG_PeterSmith. Kim Lyons: klyons@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1241.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/life/holidays/2013/11/24/These-holidays-go-well-together/stories/201311240159#ixzz2lbdJitYl

Thanks!

I will give thanks this Thanksgiving season - even for the candy corn! One gulp and it is gone.

Be thankful this fall, and throughout the year.

Steve Martin

Love For His People

Todah Rabah (Hebrew)

"Thank you very much!"

Ahava Love Letter (#60) “Need Money?” - Steve Martin

“Need Money?” “As for those who do have riches in this present world, charge them not to be proud and not to let their hopes rest on the uncertainties of riches, but to rest their hopes on God, who richly provides us with all things for our enjoyment. Charge them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, to be generous and ready to share. In this way they will treasure up for themselves a good foundation for the future, so that they may lay hold of the real life.” (1 Tim 6:17-19) Complete Jewish Bible

Dear family of friends,

Everybody needs money. You, me, the family of four struggling to make ends meet; the single Mom with two kids and two part time jobs; all the people in other countries.  We all need provision, yes? We need money, so it seems.

In every nation around the world, some form of currency exchange is the norm for trade and finance. Pounds (UK), dollars (USA & Canada), shekels (Israel), rubles (Russia), rupees (India), yuans (China)…and the list goes on.

In many languages "bread" means "money" and having money means you can buy bread. There must then be a reason that our Lord Jesus (Yeshua) instructed us to pray for our daily bread. Do you pray for your bread (money) daily?  If not, why not?

I know I don't always. I often forget to thank the Lord everyday for His constant provision. And I often fail to ask Him for my daily bread. I just assume it will happen.

When I wrote this statement on my Facebook page, “It's my responsibility to obey. It's His responsibility to provide”, the response people gave showed they could relate to it.  I think they “liked” because they want to trust. They want to believe that faith actions on their part bring rewards. They realize that the Lord, our Provider, blesses, as we obey Him.

Over the past three “lean” years, I learned to pray for our daily bread, and to give thanks for all His provision. When they past, I thought I didn’t have to be so concerned about those “little things” - like asking and thanking. I was wrong. I still do.

So the logical conclusion I have reached, which has been lodged deeper into my spirit: if I obey His Word to ask daily, and to give thanks in all things, He will respond with His daily provision. But on the other hand, if I mess up, which will happen, out of His everlasting love He will still provide. So I tend to think He will provide "more than enough" if I first obey daily. And you?

Keep asking daily for your bread. Keep giving thanks for that which He provided. A time will come when the economies of the world will cease to exist as we know it, so now it the time to learn this reality lesson.

Ahava (love in Hebrew) to my family of friends,

Steve Martin

Founder/President

Love For His People, Inc. truly appreciates your generous support. Please consider sending a monthly charitable gift of $5-$25 each month to help us bless Messianic Jews in Israel. 

Love For His People, Inc. is a charitable, not-for-profit USA organization. Fed. ID#27-1633858.  Tax deductible contributions receive a receipt for each donation.

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©2013 Steve Martin      Love For His People, Inc.  12120 Woodside Falls Rd. Pineville, NC 28134

      

E-mail: loveforhispeople@gmail.com   martinlighthouse@gmail.com

Facebook pages: Steve Martin  and  Love For His People 

      

Twitter: martinlighthous, LovingHisPeople and ahavaloveletter 

Blog: http://loveforhispeople.blogspot.com         

Full website: www.loveforhispeople.org

YouTube: Steve Martin (loveforhispeopleinc)

Ahava Love Letter #60   “Need Money?”

 Date: In the year of our Lord 2013 (07/10/13 Wednesday 9 pm in Charlotte, NC)

All previous editions of Ahava Love Letter can be found on my Blog:    http://loveforhispeople.blogspot.com        

Here are the last few:

Rejected? (#59)

In Your Building – Guard Against Distractions (#58)

Connections (#57)

Your Name (#56)

Lost, But Not Forgotten Friends (#55)

Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is? (#54)

We Speak To Nations (#53)