{"id":4511,"date":"2014-10-14T16:28:04","date_gmt":"2014-10-14T13:28:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/?p=4511"},"modified":"2014-10-14T16:28:04","modified_gmt":"2014-10-14T13:28:04","slug":"ukrainian-churches-give-thanks-despite-tough-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/ukrainian-churches-give-thanks-despite-tough-times\/","title":{"rendered":"Ukrainian Churches Give Thanks Despite Tough Times"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Is it possible to give thanks in the middle of war? Sometimes it&#8217;s the brutal reality of living in conflict that reminds us of all we have to be thankful for!<\/p>\n<p>Here are some reasons we can still give thanks in Ukraine!<br \/>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/t6NF_ZP2Cc8\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h4>Give Thanks Because Our God Is Still in Control<\/h4>\n<p>Take a couple of minutes and watch the video in this post. These are kids from our church, here in Odessa, Ukraine and they&#8217;re singing about how our God gives us rain. This was part of our harvest celebration last Sunday.<\/p>\n<p>The chorus goes something like this:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>It is He, our Lord, who hides the water in the clouds,<br \/>\nIt is He, it is He who keeps lightning in his hands.<br \/>\nIt is He, our Lord, the Lord of angry thunderstorms<br \/>\nHe spread through the heavens a bright bridge.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>What a great reminder! No army can control the rain or direct the thunder clouds, no human ruler can order the wind or stop the lightning. These things are in God&#8217;s hands!<\/p>\n<h4>Give Thanks for the Simple Things<\/h4>\n<p>We tend to <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/what-do-you-complain-about\/\">complain<\/a><\/span> about those things that bother us and usually they aren&#8217;t the basic necessities of life. This Sunday we were reminded to be thankful that we have bread on the table and clothes on our back. If we have those basics then we have more than some and we have enough to live another day!<\/p>\n<h4>Give Thanks for a Place to Lay Your Head<\/h4>\n<p>Today I talked with a friend who is a refugee from Donetsk, he showed me a picture of his street. His house is only about a mile from the Donetsk airport. Grad missiles, Uragan missiles, mortars and tanks have destroyed every single house on his block, except for his! Miraculously it is still standing after several months of heavy fighting!<\/p>\n<p>Pray for my friend, he&#8217;s planning to go back to Donetsk to care for some elderly church members in the next few days!<\/p>\n<h4>Give Thanks for the Opportunity to Serve<\/h4>\n<p>For our family we thank God for the opportunity to be in Ukraine at a time like this and to serve our Ukrainian brothers and sisters. Ministry is work but it&#8217;s also a privilege and a deep joy! We are thankful that we can serve here!<\/p>\n<h4>Give Thanks for the Present<\/h4>\n<p>Honestly many Ukrainians are worried about the future. Elections are coming up this month and a sense of uncertainty is growing. More than a few people have told me of their desire to move out and get away from it all.<\/p>\n<p>Yet!<\/p>\n<p>Our harvest celebration encouraged me. It reminded us all to give thanks for what God has already given and what we have now!<\/p>\n<p>It reminded me not to <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/new-book\/whatif\/\">worry<\/a><\/span> about tomorrow!<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Matthew 6:34<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h4>Give Thanks for Your Brothers and Sisters<\/h4>\n<p>There&#8217;s nothing like giving thanks to God with other brothers and sisters in Christ. Corporate thanksgiving is powerful because it turns your perspective away from yourself.<\/p>\n<p>It helps you realize that God has placed \u00a0you in a community of people who love Jesus and who stand by your side through the trials of life!<\/p>\n<p>We are thankful for our church <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.hopeforpeople.org\/\" target=\"_blank\">Hope for People<\/a><\/span> and are also thankful for our many supporting churches and brothers and sisters in Christ in the US who help keep us here.<\/p>\n<p>If you want to join that team you can do it <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/support\/join-the-team\/\">here.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<h4>Thank you!<\/h4>\n<p>Yes, even in wartime God gives us reasons to give thanks. It&#8217;s encouraging to see churches in Ukraine thanking God for his blessings!<\/p>\n<h4>Question: How do you give thanks to God during the trials of life?<\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Is it possible to give thanks in the middle of war? Sometimes it&#8217;s the brutal reality of living in conflict that reminds us of all we have to be thankful for!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4514,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[8],"tags":[56],"class_list":["post-4511","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ministry","tag-thanksgiving"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/rain.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3izZc-1aL","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4401,"url":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/a-letter-from-lughansk-churches\/","url_meta":{"origin":4511,"position":0},"title":"A Letter from Lughansk Churches","author":"Caleb Suko","date":"September 18, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Despite the cease-fire the situation is Lughansk region is beyond words in terms of the human loss and suffering. There have been reports of at least two more churches being seized this week in Eastern Ukraine, one in Lughansk and one in Krasny Luch. This week I talked with one\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Ministry&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Ministry","link":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/category\/ministry\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/babushka-crying.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/babushka-crying.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/babushka-crying.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5080,"url":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/49-peace-in-war-time-a-story-from-eastern-ukraine\/","url_meta":{"origin":4511,"position":1},"title":"#49 Peace in War Time a Story from Eastern Ukraine","author":"Caleb Suko","date":"February 20, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Can there be peace in Ukraine after the latest ceasefire deal has completely crumbled? In this week's episode of \"Now Is the Time\" I share with you how things have gone from bad to worse in Eastern Ukraine. I also share with you a story of people finding peace right\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;The Gospel Today&quot;","block_context":{"text":"The Gospel Today","link":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/category\/podcast\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/bread.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/bread.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/bread.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3842,"url":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/26-oprah-and-the-problem-with-americas-views-of-death\/","url_meta":{"origin":4511,"position":2},"title":"#26 Oprah and the Problem with America&#8217;s Views of Death","author":"Caleb Suko","date":"April 18, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Death is misunderstood by most Americans and there are fewer greater influences that shape our culture's thinking on death than Oprah Winfrey. In this\u00a0episode of \"Now is the Time\" I identify the problems with Oprah's views on death and the afterlife and I discuss how that affects your understanding of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Ministry&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Ministry","link":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/category\/ministry\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/oprah.PNG.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/oprah.PNG.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/oprah.PNG.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4000,"url":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/30-how-to-pray-for-ukraine-17-ways\/","url_meta":{"origin":4511,"position":3},"title":"#30 How to Pray for Ukraine -17 Ways","author":"Caleb Suko","date":"May 25, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Today is a national day of prayer and fasting in Ukraine before the presidential elections which will take place tomorrow, May 25th. In this episode of \"Now is the Time\"\u00a0I talk about the some of the persecution of Christians that is happening in Eastern Ukraine and I share 17 ways\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;The Gospel Today&quot;","block_context":{"text":"The Gospel Today","link":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/category\/podcast\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/ukraine-vote-001.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/ukraine-vote-001.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/ukraine-vote-001.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3560,"url":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/top-posts-of-2013\/","url_meta":{"origin":4511,"position":4},"title":"Top Posts of 2013","author":"Caleb Suko","date":"December 29, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"2013 has come and now is almost gone. God blessed our family and ministry in many ways that I shared in this blog over the past year. I also used many of the lessons I learned in ministry and much of what God was teaching me through my study of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;General Updates&quot;","block_context":{"text":"General Updates","link":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/category\/updates\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/DSC06798.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/DSC06798.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/DSC06798.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":16782,"url":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/5-ways-to-pray-for-ukraine\/","url_meta":{"origin":4511,"position":5},"title":"5 Ways to Pray for Ukraine","author":"Caleb Suko","date":"April 18, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Do you ever think about what you can do for Ukraine? How can you help to bring peace, stability, and prosperity back to our beloved country? Maybe you think there is little you can do but the truth is you can do something very powerful for Ukraine by simply praying!\u00a0\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Ukraine&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Ukraine","link":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/category\/ukraine-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/5-ways-to-pray.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/5-ways-to-pray.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/5-ways-to-pray.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/5-ways-to-pray.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/5-ways-to-pray.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4511","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4511"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4511\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4516,"href":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4511\/revisions\/4516"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4514"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4511"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4511"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4511"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}