{"id":5226,"date":"2014-12-27T16:59:15","date_gmt":"2014-12-27T20:59:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/?p=5226"},"modified":"2015-01-29T12:37:54","modified_gmt":"2015-01-29T16:37:54","slug":"today-is-a-gift","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/?p=5226","title":{"rendered":"Today is a Gift!"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The signboard message posted on December 27, 2014 read:<\/p>\n<div class='et-box et-shadow'>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class='et-box-content'><p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">LIFE IS A GIFT.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">THAT&#8217;S WHY THEY CALL IT<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">THE PRESENT.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/gift-160997_640.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft  wp-image-5109\" src=\"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/gift-160997_640-300x247.png\" alt=\"gift-160997_640\" width=\"100\" height=\"82\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/gift-160997_640-300x247.png 300w, https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/gift-160997_640.png 640w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 100px) 100vw, 100px\" \/><\/a>OK.\u00a0 Maybe a cheep pun.\u00a0 Maybe cliche.\u00a0 Whenever we think of someone who survived a serious disease or somehow dodged a life threatening accident, a string of sayings pops into mind to remind us that life is indeed fragile.\u00a0 Whenever some unusual event threatens our lives, we are able to see life as a gift from God.<\/p>\n<p>But what about during normal times?\u00a0 What if you&#8217;re perfectly healthy?\u00a0 What if you spent the day far removed from any cars running stop signs, or guns being fired, or even from pianos falling from 3rd floor apartment buildings (the cartoon cliche movers)?\u00a0 Is life still a gift?\u00a0 Does God still enter in?<\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; color: #ff0000;\">Yes He Does!<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Check out these verses from the Bible:<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<div class='et-tabs-container et_sliderfx_fade et_sliderauto_false et_sliderauto_speed_5000 et_slidertype_top_tabs'>\n\t\t\t\t<ul class='et-tabs-control'>\n\t\t\t<li><a href='#'>\n\t\t\t1 Cor 8\n\t\t<\/a><\/li> \n\t\t<li><a href='#'>\n\t\t\tHeb 2\n\t\t<\/a><\/li> \n\t\t<li><a href='#'>\n\t\t\tJohn 1\n\t\t<\/a><\/li> \n\t\t<li><a href='#'>\n\t\t\tPsalm 139\n\t\t<\/a><\/li> \n\t\t<li><a href='#'>\n\t\t\tMatt 6\n\t\t<\/a><\/li> \n\t\t<li><a href='#'>\n\t\t\tMatt 6\n\t\t<\/a><\/li>\n\t\t<\/ul> <!-- .et-tabs-control --> \n\t\t<div class='et-tabs-content'>\n\t\t\t<div class='et-tabs-content-main-wrap'>\n\t\t\t\t<div class='et-tabs-content-wrapper'>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class='et_slidecontent'>\n\t\t\t1 Corinthians 1:6<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">&#8230;yet for us there is but one God, the Father, <strong><span style=\"color: #000080;\">from whom all things came and for whom we live<\/span><\/strong>; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and <strong><span style=\"color: #000080;\">through whom we live.<\/span><\/strong><\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t<div class='et_slidecontent'>\n\t\t\tHebrews 2:10-11<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, <strong><span style=\"color: #000080;\">for whom and through whom everything exists<\/span><\/strong>, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering.<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t<div class='et_slidecontent'>\n\t\t\tJohn 1:1-2<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. <strong><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Through him all things were made;<\/span><\/strong> without him nothing was made that has been made.<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t<div class='et_slidecontent'>\n\t\t\tPsalm 139:1-4<\/p>\n<p>O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. <strong><span style=\"color: #000080;\">You know<\/span> <\/strong>when I sit and when I rise; <strong><span style=\"color: #000080;\">you perceive<\/span> <\/strong>my thoughts from afar. <strong><span style=\"color: #000080;\">You discern<\/span><\/strong> my going out and my lying down; you are <strong><span style=\"color: #000080;\">familiar<\/span><\/strong> with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord.\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t<div class='et_slidecontent'>\n\t\t\tMatthew 6:25-26<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">&#8220;Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet <strong><span style=\"color: #000080;\">your heavenly Father feeds<\/span> <\/strong>them. Are you not much more valuable than they?<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t<div class='et_slidecontent'>\n\t\t\tMatthew 6:28-30<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">&#8220;And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, <strong><span style=\"color: #000080;\">will he not much more clothe you<\/span><\/strong>, O you of little faith?<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div> <!-- .et-tabs-container -->\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Even on our best days, we are completely dependent on God.\u00a0 For everything! Even nature isn&#8217;t on <a href=\"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/Rainbow-over-Steeple.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright  wp-image-2123\" src=\"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/Rainbow-over-Steeple-300x199.jpg\" alt=\"Rainbow over Steeple\" width=\"128\" height=\"85\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/Rainbow-over-Steeple-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/Rainbow-over-Steeple-207x136.jpg 207w, https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/Rainbow-over-Steeple-260x170.jpg 260w, https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/Rainbow-over-Steeple-140x94.jpg 140w, https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/Rainbow-over-Steeple.jpg 403w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 128px) 100vw, 128px\" \/><\/a>autopilot; if the sun came up this morning, God caused it to happen.<\/p>\n<p>During this Christmas season as we think about gifts and blessings or about the future and resolutions,\u00a0 let&#8217;s remember that each and every breathing moment is a gift from God.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">How are you using your gift&#8230; right now???<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The signboard message posted on December 27, 2014 read: OK.\u00a0 Maybe a cheep pun.\u00a0 Maybe cliche.\u00a0 Whenever we think of someone who survived a serious disease or somehow dodged a life threatening accident, a string of sayings pops into mind to remind us that life is indeed fragile.\u00a0 Whenever some unusual event threatens our lives, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5225,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[51],"tags":[137,146,90],"class_list":["post-5226","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-signboard","tag-godsprotection","tag-godsprovision","tag-purpose"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5226","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5226"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5226\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5237,"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5226\/revisions\/5237"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5225"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5226"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5226"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5226"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}