Learning to be thankful !

During the past few weeks, our church has been doing an activity together called "21 Days of Thanksgiving." It's basically a large chart with categories like: salvation, church, people, nature, material/physical blessings, etc. Each day we take time to fill it out and many people from our congregation have also been posting what their thankful for on an impromptu website: www.thanksgivingdare.com .

Although I really enjoyed the activity, sometimes it was difficult for me to fill out the chart. I couldn't think of what to put down. This really bothered me because I realized that, when it comes to being thankful, I have a lot to learn. It seems strange to say that one can learn to be thankful but this activity has been showing me that learning to notice and be thankful for all God's blessings is a discipline that I can and should cultivate. That being said, I have my work cut out for me. Without realizing it, I've grown up always having a sense of entitlement towards everything-- especially physical comfort. Self-entitlement naturally leads to ingratitude and together these two "gratitude killers" manage to cast everything in a negative light.

On a message about being thankful, our pastor pointed out that, for a Christian, being thankful isn't some kind of virtue-- it should be the natural response to the reality of God's grace. I mean, how could a hopeless, helpless, addicted and selfish sinner like myself respond to Jesus' payment on the cross for my sins and the new life he's purchased for me? With humble and awe-struck gratitude, that's how! Being thankful isn't going above and beyond, it's the least I can do.

This Thanksgiving, it has been such a blessing to go through my daily routine with this attitude of gratitude (kinda catchy huh?). I thank the Lord for all he has done in my life and all the people he has so richly blessed me with. I'm eager to continue learning how to be thankful by noticing and thanking God for his provision everyday!

This Thanksgiving

"Paying attention to those who disagree with us and taking them seriously, even if we're pretty sure we'll still disagree, is part of what it means to be in the body of Christ. It's humbling; it sanctifies." -Abraham Piper

I feel like this quote somewhat describes my experience in Unity in Christ so far. Humbling. Yet sanctifying. Because I see how uniquely God uses each ministry and person, I can no longer stick my head up in the sky and say I "understand" God and Christianity. It's hard not to appreciate a space of such diversity and passion.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I sure did. I spent it with people from my church because I didn't go home (Georgia). I was reminded of how amazing it is when a group of people who love Jesus Christ comes together, though individuals may not all know each other well. There is so much LOVE and REALNESS there! And that is what Unity in Christ is all about.

I am so thankful for UiC. Thank you guys for your dedication and prayers. Thank you for being gracious with me and Justin. I thank God that he has placed each one of you, your passions and experiences to this intersection where we can strive to understand God's heart for his people together. God is amazing and he will do AMAZING things here in Berkeley. Do you believe it? Let's continue running the race by continually seeking God on our own and when we come together as a body. Praise God for he is good. Praise God for he is gracious. Praise God for he sustains us. Praise God for who he is, our King, Savior, Friend! He will make his name known, and believe it or not we are part of that amazing process.

<3, Sarah

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This Battle is Not Yours - Yolanda Adams

The Lord's Day

Yesterday our church interceded for our Thanksgiving service, which happened today, and ptL for His provision! Not only were two people saved but there was enough food to feed ~300 people!!! TWICE! Haha it's amazing to see God's work so visibly and it's encouraging to see that even amidst strikes, God is alive.

And ptL for the fact that I remembered to write in this! haha

- Nina Y.

more?

is uic meant to be more than "the group that puts on interpraise"?

how can uic be a resource to its fellowships?

how can uic be a resource to the berkeley campus?

Lord give sight!

give vision and light!

we wait for You.

"Am I only a God nearby," declares the Lord,

"and not a God far away?

Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?"

declares the Lord.

"Do not I fill heaven and earth?"

declares the Lord.

-Jeremiah 23:23-24

A glimpse of this semester's discussion about the theme for Interpraise.