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hey friends, it’s been a while

/ Joshua Thomas / Leave a comment

I last posted on this blog in January, talking about having a firm foundation in Christ. January was an exciting time for me, I began a brand-new job in the ministry at Hope Church as the student and young adult director; I was and still am so ecstatic about this new role and being able to step into full-time ministry once again. In January, I was also embarking on my final semester of my Master of Divinity, and with full intention of keeping this blog weekly, I decided to take a pause. I love writing and telling stories, but when you have to write multiple papers a week, the tank tends to get dry. So, as I was stepping into my new role and taking time to finish my Masters, I chose to fully focus.

Now, in the month of August, I have graduated and am fully stepping into this role. Life remains busy, but it always is, the thing that I have learned is that God is with me in every moment.

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My Year in Books

/ Joshua Thomas / Leave a comment

Hello, dear readers! I decided to take the month of December off of writing because, well, I was busy and tired and need to recharge my tank. It’s important to take care of your mental health and learn to rest, but I am excited to get back to it! I plan to write a New Year’s blog, all about my word of the year and what I am excited to move forward in, but on this first day of the year, I wanted to do something a little different.

My dear Danielle and I for the past few years, have taken a challenge on Goodreads, to read 100 books in a year. Reading is an important part of our lives, because we should always keep learning and enjoy the beauty inside books. I read a total of 101 books this year; a combination of physical, audio, comic, and library books to make that happen. I had a blast, checking out classics, new releases, and ministry books. I want to share some of my favorites that I read this year, and recommend it to you for your lists this year! Now, let’s jump into it!

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Thank You for Seasons

/ Joshua Thomas / Leave a comment

Can you believe that we are only a few more days until we enter December!? This last half of the year, for me, is always filled with so much excitement. From holidays to birthdays and anniversaries, there is so much fun, but time flies by. In recent years, I have learned the importance of the different seasons of life that we all go through. I look through the lens of the four seasons in nature and see how I continually grow and change in these different seasons. Some are harder than others, but in those hardships, I am reminded of the growth that is taking place and how it will propel me forward. Some seasons are time filled with joy and celebration of where God has me in that moment. In every season, I have learned to thank God for what each reveal about who God has made me to be and how He loves me in all things.

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Thank You for Loving Me

/ Joshua Thomas / Leave a comment

I think life is a lot of learning from mistakes. We are all constantly growing, and part of those growing pains is learning from when we mess up. Sometimes we mess up only a little and sometimes it’s a big deal, but these are all moments for us to learn and mature. I never like holding on to something that someone has done to me in the past, because I don’t want people to hold on to the things I have done to them in the past. It’s a thing called grace and forgiveness, and it’s what Jesus modeled for each of us during His time one earth. Jesus chose to love everyone, even the people who would betray and kill Him. Even His last moment on the cross, Jesus cried out to God to forgive the people because they did not know what they were doing (Luke 23:34). That kind of love is the same love that is freely given to you and me.

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Thank You for Family

/ Joshua Thomas / Leave a comment

I love getting time to spend with my nephew and niece. I have started to wear my really old converse, because I know that whatever happens, I’ll need some shoes that can get a little muddy. I get to run, jump, build, carry, pretend, and a myriad of other things and it always fills me with joy. I love family, I’m so thankful for the family that is around me each day, both biological and relational. The moments where I get to spend time with people I care about the most, reminds me of how God has blessed me and puts the right people alongside of me in this journey.

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Thank You for the World Around Me

/ Joshua Thomas / Leave a comment

Outside of our window there is a massive tree. Each day in the fall we have watched the leaves change color, an orange red hue starting at the top until now where the whole tree is colored in this new hue. I love seeing this because I am watching nature at work, the leaves are preparing to fall, while the winter will have it completely bare, only to spring new leaves again. I look at that tree and see the intentionality in all of creation that God had a hand in.

When we look at the world around us, we see some amazing things. You can look at the mountains and the oceans, admire the vastness of them, or you can look at the small details like a tree outside of your window. I love this fall season because the colors of nature are so much more apparent as we look outside. November for me is a great time to reflect on all that I have been blessed with, and nature reminds me that I have an intentional God.

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Thank You for Making Me

/ Joshua Thomas / Leave a comment

I love the month of November. Okay, I really just love this last half of the year. It’s a season with so much joy and I get to watch the weather slowly shift to be colder and cozier. It’s hard to believe that October is already over, but the month of November is a time to look at all of our blessings. While the history of Thanksgiving is questionable, I love what it has become in my life; a season of being reminded how much God loves me. I’ve learned that there is so much power in choosing to look at what is right in front of you and be thankful for it. I start writing in my journal something I am thankful for each day. It’s not going to be shared everywhere or me trying to get the attention of others, it’s merely a way to re-center my mind on what God is doing in my life. One of the biggest things I am thankful for, is knowing that God made me.

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Face Fear with Power

/ Joshua Thomas / Leave a comment

It’s crazy to think that we are now in the last week of October! Before we know it, the year will be over and a new one will begin, but, before all that, we still have one last movie to get to in this series! All month long I have been talking about how to face fear. Week one we looked at the importance of having people in your corner, then week two we looked at how to face fear that you created, and last week we looked at how to face fear that is out of our control. In each of those weeks, facing fear comes down to our relationship with our creator. Different circumstances, but the same loving God in all things. Today, I want to talk about how being in an active relationship with Christ, allows us to tap into great power. Power that can be used to face any fear, no matter how dark it may seem.

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Facing Fear Out of Your Control

/ Joshua Thomas / Leave a comment

It’s probably safe to say that the past year and some change were totally unexpected. So much happened at a speed where it was incredibly difficult to keep up. From worldwide struggles and personal struggles, last year had a lot of fear that was out of our control. In these moments it can be easy to just have a mindset of giving up because everything feels out of control. For many, giving up was the easiest option, people’s faith was challenged as well as the way we look at the actions of others made hope scarce. In these moments it can be easy to want to give up, we see the fear that is out of our control and we choose to no longer have hope. In these moments, we must face those fears out of our control, because we have a God who has overcome all fear.

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Facing Fear, You Created

/ Joshua Thomas / Leave a comment

Welcome back to another lesson from a b-movie! Last week I talked about a recent movie, but today we are looking back to the 80’s with a pretty obscure choice. I love doing this series not only because talking about how to face fear is important, but I also get to share about weird movies not many people know about. When we talk about fear, it’s often about the fears of things done to us or things we worry about happening in the future, but sometimes, they come from our own actions. This is something that I have been thinking about recently, there are moments in my past where I’ve made a bad decision or said something I wish I didn’t, and those begin to hold me back.

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