So, a year has past since my dear friend, Elizabeth, introduced me to the idea of "Thanksvember" (taking the whole month to express thanks). I think it's such a grand idea that I'll attempt to be thankful daily again this year. Join me if you like.

This year, I thought I'd start on the spiritual side and be thankful for the most important part of my life on the very first day. That's right, I'm thankful for Jesus. I remain daily thankful because God gave us His Son. I'm thankful that that Son lived a sinless life and then proceeded to pay the death penalty for my sin. That's right, the death penalty. Not just any death penalty, though. Ultimate death. This was much worse than the physical passage that we know here on earth, but the complete separation from the Life that is found in the presence of God Almighty. (Henry Blackaby refers to this as "deeper death", see Experiencing the Cross chapter 5, especially page 46.)

The great news about this, though, is that in living a sinless life and tasting death for my sake, Jesus conquered sin and death itself. I know this because He rose from the dead and then defeated the Grave! I could say that because He did this for me (actually for anyone and everyone who would believe) and that because I have believed it receiving the everlasting life promised in the New Testament is the reason that I or anyone else might even have the hope of being thankful at all.

So, I am thankful for Jesus. And I can be even more thankful for Him every time I hear that someone new has believed and received, and therefore been made thankful.