Gilbert Thurston

Here’s my annual Thanksgiving post.  If you’re interested, previous years are here… ( 2007,  2008,  2009, 2010,  2011)

1. Jesus.  I know what you’re thinking, “He was number 1 last year, and the year before that and the year before that, etc”.  Yep and He’ll be number 1 every year.  Without my relationship with Him I am absolutely nothing.  I don’t deserve anything from Him, but yet each year He keeps helping me and blessing my life more than I could ever hope.
2. Lisa.  No surprise here either.  While God sort of has to love me, Lisa chooses to love me and that love grows every year.  She is such an awesome wife!  I’m also so proud of her accomplishments.  Her business continues to grow and her heart for helping and mentoring others is making a major impact on people’s lives and organizations.
3. Stories of life-change at ExponentialChurch.tv.  Yes it’s cool that we’ve had over 200 first time professions of faith at ECTV in our 2 year existence, but we’re not called to just make converts, we’re called to make disciples.  So when we moved here and started, “A Church For People Who Don’t Like Church”, we wanted to not just give them a cool Worship Experience but a place they could come and connect with God in a real and personal way.  Here’s an example from an email I just got this week…
   Gilbert,I just want to take this time to thank you. On & off for many years I’ve tried to connect on a deeper level. I would pray for understanding and guidance, would visit different churches, I even joined a church, got baptized & married in the Church. I’ve always been a Christian but not a practicing one if that makes sense.  From the first day at exponential I felt a connection. When I listen to you I ‘get it’.  It feels as though your sermons are customized just for me.  It’s weird. Can’t explain it.  Thank you for turning me on to Jesus in a different way.  In a way that no one else has. I crave God’s word daily now. I’m not afraid of it. I welcome it, accept it, & try my best to obey it.  I feel a greater sense of peace, happiness and confidence. I’m a very quiet person. Not outgoing & not one that likes to be the center of attention. Therefore you would probably never know or hear things about me. But I couldn’t let this go without telling you the effect you’ve had on me over the last year and a half.  You have a special gift and I hope & pray that all your dreams and prayers for exponential church are answered.
4. Family.  Lisa and I are very fortunate in that not only do we get along with each others families, but we’re all also very supportive of one another.  No matter what it’s nice to know that there’s a group of people who have got your back.  Thanks to the Thurston, Simmons, Bish and Gayman families for who you are and all that you do!
5. Old Friends.  Haha…Andy, Gayle, Bill and Nicole will love being called old!  There’s an old saying that says, “You become the people who are closest to you”.  With this principle in mind it’s very important that you only allow people into your life who you want to be like…not people that will drag you down.  I love these 4 because of their passion for Jesus and to make a difference for Him.  I also love that 3 of them are self-employed.  I love that Bill set a weight loss goal this past year and lost over 70 pounds.  I love that they all model serving and are generous givers of their time and resources. They make me better because of who they are…thank you!
6. New Friends.  Over the past year guys like, Vince, Claude, Steve, Bratz and Steve have all become new friends.  I look forward each week to seeing you guys and hope our friendship continues growing in the years to come.
7. My Staff.  For years I said that “Church planting is for stupid people” and that I’d never do it.  When God did call me to do it, I said there was no way I’d do it without a team.  I’m glad I made that decision.  This has been one of the toughest and at times frustrating things I’ve ever done.  Chad, Bill, Brenda and Chelsea have all been there to help ease the burden and for that I’m so grateful.
8. House Sale.  Just a few weeks ago we finally closed on our old house in Chambersburg.  2 1/2 years, 2 tenants, $5000 in repair bills, 6 total months of it being vacant and having to pay 2 mortgages later we are now free of it.  While we loved that house, the stress of owning another piece of property over an hour away that you’re never sure what’s happening in it was not worth it.  Glad to have that chapter of life over.
9. Orioles Made the Play-offs.  I’m a huge sports fan and having grown up in MD, I love the Orioles, Redskins, Caps, Wizards and both Maryland football and basketball.  If you know anything about sports you know that over the past 2 decades that list has not included many winners.  So imagine my surprise when the O’s started well and then continued that throughout the summer and into the play-offs…made summer a different type of enjoyable I had forgotten about.
10. Audible.com.  I am a huge believer that a self-education is far superior to a formal education.  I’ve been saying for years that you need to make your vehicle a University on Wheels.  A few years back I invested in myself  by getting a subscription to Audible.com.  For only $14.95 per month I get 1 audio book per month on the subject of my choice.  If you want more than that you can buy more at prices that are usually less than the printed version.  Basically any book you can get in print, you can listen to it as well.  I’ve made the choice to not waste my driving time but to instead use it in a productive way…I hope you do the same!