What are you Thankful for?

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you. Even though Cambodia does not officially celebrate Thanksgiving, Black Friday, or Christmas, it is still a joyful season. I find it beautiful that even in a country shaped deeply by Buddhist culture, people are very welcoming of celebrations that speak of joy, giving, and togetherness. Malls decorate their spaces. Restaurants offer special meals. Even food delivery apps join in. It is mainly for business and economic purposes, but still, it creates a sense of warmth.

Meanwhile, universities and local schools across the country continue with normal schedules. No holiday or break. This includes the university where I teach, which is why I continue teaching while friends and family in other countries enjoy long weekends and feasts.

Still, we give thanks. God does not need a national holiday for us to remember His goodness. Gratitude is not tied to a calendar. It is tied to the heart.

Looking Forward to Christmas at PPC

While the country keeps moving as usual, something special is happening in our little corner of Phnom Penh. Our dorm students have been busy preparing for our Christmas celebration at PPC. After several discussions, everyone agreed that our Christmas service will be on the twenty first of December.

We are excited. For many of our students, this is the only season where they can comfortably invite their friends and families to join a worship service. Christmas gives them a natural reason to come. It opens a door for conversations about Jesus birth, His love, and His gift of salvation.

We want to be very intentional. We want our gathering to be more than songs and decorations. We want it to be a moment where people hear the story of Jesus. A moment where the true meaning of love is shared. A moment where someone who has been far from God will feel welcomed again.

From our PPC Christmas Celebration 2024

A Year Filled With Gratitude

As I reflect on this year, I realize there are many beautiful reasons to be grateful. One of those reasons is our dorm leaders. They serve without any pay. They choose to give their time, strength, and hearts to the younger students living in the dorms. They said they serve because they were once recipients of Gods goodness. Now they want to give back.

Two leaders in particular have been a blessing to many. Their names are Narom and Chenda. Both are from Kampong Cham province and were among the first batch of women who lived in our dorm years ago. They were discipled, mentored, and supported. Now they are the ones helping others.

With our two beautiful Dorm Leaders Narom & Chenda

They are now young professionals. They are not married, yet they choose to stay in the dorm so that they can walk closely with the young ladies. They make sure the girls know they are cared for. They help them with school challenges, spiritual questions, emotional burdens, and daily needs.

Narom has been working for more than ten years in an organization that recently had to close its work in Cambodia. She is taking this time to look for new opportunities while caring for her mother. This season also gives her more time with the young ladies in the dorm.

Chenda is the second leader. She works, studies for her masters degree, and still finds time to support the dorm and serve in church. She is one of our most trusted worship leaders. Her growth in Christ is such a joy to witness.

These two sisters remind me that serving God is not about age or life status. It is about the heart. I hope I can write their testimonies fully one day because they inspire me. They are a beautiful reminder of how God moves in Cambodia and how He grows people from the inside out.

For all these reasons, I give thanks.

But as we enter this Thanksgiving season, something deeper has been stirring in my heart. Something that Psalm 9 speaks strongly about.

Sharing previous Blog Posts:
💕Dormitory Ministries: Changing Lives in Cambodia 
👍Sharing God's Goodness in Cambodia 
👉Worship Retreat & Baptism

A Devotion on Psalm 9

Remembering God and giving thanks for His wonderful works

Psalm 9 begins with a simple and beautiful declaration:

“I will give thanks to You Lord with all my heart. I will tell of all Your wonderful deeds.”

This is not just a verse. It is a posture. It is a way of living.

When we look at the story of Israel throughout the Old Testament, we see many moments when God rescued them. He brought them out of foreign nations. He delivered them from danger. He provided water and bread while they traveled through the wilderness.

But despite all these miracles, Israel sometimes grew distant from God. They became distracted. They forgot His love. They forgot His works. And because they forgot, they drifted away.

The problem was not Gods faithfulness. The problem was forgetfulness.

They failed to remember the things God had done.
They failed to remember how He provided.
They failed to remember that He was always present.
They failed to remember that He was good.

But there were also people who made remembering a spiritual habit. One of them was the writer of Psalm 9. When life felt uncertain, he paused. He looked back. He recounted Gods works. He reminded himself of the victories God had given.

Why did he do this?

Because remembering fuels trust.
Remembering restores hope.
Remembering strengthens faith.

When we choose to remember, we are choosing to believe that the same God who was faithful before will be faithful again.

What Psalm 9 Teaches Us Today

Psalm 9 is not only a song from ancient Israel. It is a message for us today. It invites us to do two simple but powerful things.

First, give thanks with our whole heart

Not a partial heart.
Not a distracted heart.
Not a heart that is grateful only when life is good.

A whole heart.

This kind of gratitude is honest. It is full. It is anchored in the unchanging love of God.

Second, tell of His wonderful deeds

This is more than remembering.
This is sharing.

When we tell others about the things God has done, we strengthen our own faith and encourage those who listen. Sharing testimonies is not only for those who have known Christ for many years. It is also for those who are new in faith. It is even for those who may have wandered away and need to hear the gospel again.

Psalm 9 reminds us that faith grows when stories are told.

And this is why we must speak.
We must share.
We must point people to Jesus again and again.

Why Remembering Matters

There are moments when life feels heavy. There are times when prayers feel delayed. There are days when the future feels unclear.

But when we remember what God has done before, something changes. Our perspective shifts. Worry loses its power. Hope rises again.

Maybe you remember a season when God carried you through financial struggle.
Maybe you remember a time when God protected your family.
Maybe you remember how He brought peace during a painful year.
Maybe you remember how He made a way when everything seemed impossible.

These memories are not small. They are testimonies. They are reminders that God has not failed you.

The same God who was with you before is still with you now.

A Call to the Faith Community and to Those Still Seeking

If you are already walking with God, Psalm 9 calls you to remember His faithfulness. Let your heart be filled with gratitude. Let your words be filled with stories that glorify Him.

If you are new in faith, this is an invitation to look back at how God has been moving in your life. Sometimes His work is quiet. Sometimes it is gentle. But it is always there.

If you have been away from church or far from God, let this be a reminder that He has not forgotten you. His goodness continues even when our hearts wander. His grace reaches even when we feel unworthy.

God does not close the door. He waits for you to return.

Let this Thanksgiving be a moment where you reconnect with His grace. Let this season be a fresh start.

Five Practical Applications and Reflection Questions

Take time this week to practice these simple steps. They are gentle and achievable, yet deeply meaningful.

1. Remember one specific thing God has done for you this year.

Write it down. Speak it out loud. Share it with a friend.
Reflection question: What is one moment this year when I clearly saw Gods hand at work?

2. Give thanks to God with your whole heart.

Not halfhearted thanks. Not pressured thanks. Honest thanks.
Reflection question: What stops me from being fully grateful and how can I surrender that to God?

3. Tell someone about Gods goodness.

Even one small testimony can touch a heart.
Reflection question: Who can I encourage today with a short story of how God has helped me?

4. Pray for someone who seems far from God.

Ask the Lord to open a door for them to hear His love again.
Reflection question: Who in my life needs to hear the message of Jesus?

5. Prepare your heart for Christmas.

Let this season not be only about events but about sharing Jesus.
Reflection question: How can I bring one person closer to Jesus this Christmas?

A Thanksgiving Prayer

Lord, thank You for Your goodness. Thank You for the countless ways You care for us. Thank You for the people You place in our lives. Help us to remember Your works. Help us to trust You again. Help us to share Your love with those around us. Make our hearts full of gratitude and our mouths full of stories that honor You. Lead us to someone who needs Your love today. In Jesus Name, Amen.

If you reached this part of the blog, I would love to hear from you.
How do you celebrate Thanksgiving?
What are you grateful for today?

Type or share your stories. I would be happy to read them. 

Happy Thanksgiving! 
The Hourngs 💕😍🙏