While November 23 is officially Thanksgiving here in the US, every day should be a day of thanks for the Christian. I'm taking the whole month of November to talk about what I'm thankful for, and I want you to help out.

Each day, I plan on posting something to be thankful for. Some may be obvious, some less so, some surprising, some original to me, some possibly quotes of others - but they all will be blessings from God.

I'd like to invite everyone to participate. You can comment on the thoughts for that day or just leave a note on something you're grateful for. As the old hymn says, once you start counting your blessings, you'll be surprised what the Lord has done for you.

Verse: "An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil all the days of her life." (Proverbs 31:10-12)

What I'm thankful for: My lovely wife, who's a best friend and lover. Not to mention a pretty good mom.

Additional thoughts: This series isn't intended to go in any particular order, but I thought I'd start off with one of the greatest blessings I've been given. Marriage as God intended it is a little slice of heaven on earth. I'm certainly thankful that God gave me Beckye to help me through the trials and troubles of life.

So, what are you thankful for today?

Verse: "'Show Me the coin used for the poll-tax.' And they brought Him a denarius. And He said to them, 'Whose likeness and inscription is this?' They said to Him, 'Caesar's.' Then He said to them, 'Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's; and to God the things that are God's.'" (Matthew 22:19-21)

What I'm thankful for: Taxes, which are the Christian's duty due government.

Additional thoughts: It's in my libertarian nature to despise taxation. There are rational reasons for this (primarily that those in charge of spending the money often spend it corruptly, ineffectively, and/or inefficiently), but it's important to realize the principle outlined here and in Romans 13:5-7. The Christian is to be in subjection to earthly government.

Being taxed also means I have something of value. God has blessed me with enough to fill my needs and then some. In return, I'm to give to the government part of that blessing. My prayer should be that it's wisely spent on things most needed by the people.

I've heard any number of excuses for tax evasion offered by Christians (governments are in the hand of Satan, the government will spend it on immoral things like taxpayer-funded abortion, etc.). If Jesus and Paul didn't authorize not paying taxes to the immoral Roman Empire, none of these excuses will fly today. Perhaps these excuses are just greed in another guise.

What are you thankful for today?

Verse: "Older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith, in love, in perseverance." (Titus 2:2)

What I'm thankful for: Gus, a man from whom I learned an incredible lesson.

Additional thoughts: You probably never met or even heard of my brother Gus; he passed from this life a couple of years ago. But his story is one I can't ever forget.

He had spent his life in a denomination, believing and teaching their doctrine for almost 80 years. One day, he was reading through his Bible when he came across a passage about baptism (I believe it was I Peter 3:21) and his whole life was changed. He came to the sudden realization that what he'd believed his entire life wasn't true. When an honestly mistaken man learns the truth, he has a choice: he can stop being honest, or he can stop being mistaken. Gus chose the latter.

He began looking around the Internet to see if anyone else had discovered this. He found David Pratte's Gospel Way site and enrolled in every study he could find. Within a short time, he had persuaded himself of the truth and asked David to put him in contact with someone who could baptize him. David contacted the church here in Charlotte, and Gus was baptized for the remission of his sins shortly thereafter.

Those who knew him before, including his family, thought he was crazy. They begged him to turn back to his "religious heritage" and away from his newfound faith. However, Gus had found something better: the pure and simple gospel of Jesus as found in the New Testament. Not long thereafter, he was diagnosed with the cancer that would eventually claim his life. Even through the troubles and suffering the disease caused him, even with the ridicule of others he had been so close to, I don't think I ever saw him without a smile on his face. Though most of his family rejected what he had found, as the end neared, his wife also came to Christ.

I can't know for certain another man's heart or his eternal destination, but if there's one person I'll be the least surprised to see in heaven, it will be Gus. His example of love for truth, of it never being too late to change and turn to Christ, stands as a testament to me of what faith is. And for that, I feel blessed.

What are you thankful for today?

Verse: "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." (Philippians 4:6)

What I'm thankful for: Prayer, the gift that moves the hand that moves the world.

Additional thoughts: Only salvation is ahead of prayer in the list of blessings the Christian is given. What if you could have an audience with the President of the United States? What if you could call him at any time? What if he'd promised to answer any request you might have? That would be a tremendous gift, but how much greater is the promise of all those things from our Creator?

Prayer in David's psalms is often described as crying out to God. When faced with problems, why isn't my first thought to pray to God? Does pride in the guise of self-reliance stand in the way of my prayers? Too often, I find myself looking to me to solve my problems. Jesus said, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you" (Matthew 7:7). God provides the way out; I need to humble myself to ask, to seek, and to knock more often. Thank God that he's willing to listen to someone as undeserving as me!

What are you thankful for today?

Verse: "...for He Himself has said, 'I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,' so that we confidently say, 'The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?'" (Hebrews 13:5a-6)

What I'm thankful for: That God will never abandon me.

Additional thoughts: No matter what happens, God will always be there for me. No matter what I do, He'll always stand with me. No matter where I go, He'll always be beside me. No matter what others do to or say about me, He'll always be in my corner. His complete, unwavering loyalty is truly a magnificent gift.

What are you thankful for today?