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Thankful for the Lord

My reason for being thankful today is GOD! His great love and compassion amaze me each morning and I just want to give Him thanks.

“ I will give You thanks with all my heart. I will sing praises to You in front of the gods. 2 I will bow down toward Your holy house. And I will give thanks to Your name for Your loving-kindness and Your truth. For You have honored Your Word because of what Your name is. 3 You answered me on the day I called. You gave me strength in my soul.

4 O Lord, all the kings of the earth will give thanks to You when they have heard the words of Your mouth. 5 And they will sing of the ways of the Lord. For the shining beauty of the Lord is great. 6 For even if the Lord is honored, He thinks about those who have no pride. But He knows the proud from far away. 7 Even if I walk into trouble, You will keep my life safe. You will put out Your hand against the anger of those who hate me. And Your right hand will save me. 8 The Lord will finish the work He started for me. O Lord, Your loving-kindness lasts forever. Do not turn away from the works of Your hands.” Psalm 138 NLV

We are the works of God’s hands. He is the one who made us and we should always be ready to give Him thanks.

“Be glad as you serve the Lord. Come before Him with songs of joy. 3 Know that the Lord is God. It is He Who made us, and not we ourselves. We are His people and the sheep of His field. 4 Go into His gates giving thanks and into His holy place with praise. Give thanks to Him. Honor His name.” Psalm 100:2-4 NLV

Today, Sunday, the Lord’s day, give thanks to the Lord not for what He has done but because of who He is. He is loving, gracious, merciful, kind, good, our everlasting Father. He is God!

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Tower of Strength

Once again, my heart and my head were filled with song when I woke up. What a wonderful way to start the day – praising the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit for who they are!

When I was a little girl my parents took to the Grand Canyon. That was when I first saw the Desert View Watchtower. I was amazed by it. It stuck in my memory. Last summer, Dave and I visited the Grand Canyon together and when I saw the Watchtower my heart was stirred like it had been some 60+ years before.

For me it was a symbol of strength and endurance. Built on the edge of the awe-inspiring Grand Canyon, it stood as a bastion of protection.

This is the picture that I saw while my heart was singing, “Shout to the Lord” by Darlene Zschech.

“Shout to the Lord all the Earth, let us sing
Power and majesty, praise to the King
Mountains bow down and the seas will roar
At the sound of Your name
I sing for joy at the work of Your hand
Forever I’ll love You, forever I’ll stand
Nothing compares to the promise I have
In You

My Jesus, my Saviour
Lord there is none like You
All of my days I want to praise
The wonders of Your mighty Love
My comfort, my shelter
Tower of refuge and strength
Let every breath, all that I am
Never cease to worship You“

I sing and shout for joy because of Who my Father is and Who He always will be. He is my strength, my shield, my protector, my everything.

“The Lord is a mighty tower where his people can run for safety—” Proverbs 18:10 CEV

“Live under the protection of God Most High and stay in the shadow of God All-Powerful.
2 Then you will say to the Lord, “You are my fortress, my place of safety; you are my God,  and I trust you.” Psalm 91:1-2 CEV

“I may walk through valleys as dark as death, but I won’t be afraid. You are with me, and your shepherd’s rod makes me feel safe.” Psalm 23:4 CEV

“ Be brave and strong! Don’t be afraid of the nations on the other side of the Jordan. The Lord your God will always be at your side, and he will never abandon you.” Deuteronomy 31:6 CEV

“ So whenever we are in need, we should come bravely before the throne of our merciful God. There we will be treated with undeserved grace, and we will find help.” Hebrews 4:16 CEV

“I love You, O Lord, my strength. 2 The Lord is my rock, and my safe place, and the One Who takes me out of trouble. My God is my rock, in Whom I am safe. He is my safe-covering, my saving strength, and my strong tower. 3 I call to the Lord, Who has the right to be praised. And I am saved from those who hate me.” Psalm 18:1-3 NLV

How encouraging it is to know that we don’t need a physical place where we hide from peril. We have a strong tower, a safe place, the Rock of our Salvation, who will always be with us.

For that, I will always be thankful!

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Grateful When Things Seem Hard

How do you handle the hard things in life?

I mean the things that tax your strength – physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I woke up this morning tired. I hadn’t slept well and my body was aching. I don’t know why; I hadn’t done anything physically strenuous yesterday but all the same I was sore.

However, in the quiet my heart began to sing.

“Way Maker, Promise Keeper, Light in the Darkness, My God that is who You are. That is who You are! Even when I don’t see it You’re working, even when I don’t feel it You’re working. You never stop, You never stop working. My God, that is who You are!”

The lyrics of that song took my eyes off me and put them on my Savior and through Him I can do all things because Christ strengthens me.

“Christ is the one who gives me the strength I need to do whatever I must do.” Philippians 4:13 ERV

I know the Apostle Paul got weary.

“But the Lord said, ‘My grace is all you need. Only when you are weak can everything be done completely by my power.’ So I will gladly boast about my weaknesses. Then Christ’s power can stay in me.” II Corinthians 12:9 ERV

What or who ever made us think that we had to do everything by ourselves? That we should be self-sufficient and not need help? It would be the enemy of our souls – the deceiver, who lies to us and tells us that we need to go it alone, to buck up buttercup, don’t be a weakling.

In and of ourselves we absolutely face limitations but in Christ we have strength and power.

“ For God did not give us a spirit of fear. He gave us a spirit of power and of love and of a good mind.” II Timothy 1:7 NLV

Do you think that David felt he had the power to defeat Goliath on his own? To the contrary. He knew his size was no match for a giant. However, he found his strength in God.

“ He said to David, ‘Come here, and I’ll feed your body to the birds and wild animals.‘ 45 David said to the Philistine, ‘You come to me using sword, spear, and javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord All-Powerful, the God of the armies of Israel. You have said bad things about him. 46 Today the Lord will let me defeat you. I will kill you. I will cut off your head and feed your body to the birds and wild animals.'” I Samuel 17:44-46 ERV

It’s important that we always keep the proper perspective. It’s never about our strengths or abilities. It’s always about His power working on our behalf.

“ He said, “This is the message from the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Your help will not come from your own strength and power. No, your help will come from my Spirit.’ This is what the Lord All-Powerful says.” Zechariah 4:6 ERV

In Christ we have these wonderful promises. He is the Way Maker and the Promise Keeper.

“Come to me all of you who are tired from the heavy burden you have been forced to carry. I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 ERV

Let’s be like Paul – grateful in the hard times because that’s where we experience His strength!

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Thankful He’s Still Here

Wow! If you were sitting here with me this morning you would hear Scripture verses going off in my heart like a rapid-fire machine gun.

Personally, I know so many who are hurting from devastating circumstances that were beyond their control. To you dear ones, God is saying “I am here. I haven’t left you. I will comfort and defend you. I will pick you up”.

I am so thankful He is still here.

“The Lord is trustworthy in all that he says, faithful in all that he does. 14 The Lord supports all who fall down, straightens up all who are bent low. 15 All eyes look to you, hoping, and you give them their food right on time, 16 opening your hand and satisfying the desire of every living thing. 17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways, faithful in all his deeds.
18 The Lord is close to everyone who calls out to him, to all who call out to him sincerely.” Psalm 145:13-17 CEB

“You, Lord, are my shepherd. I will never be in need. 2 You let me rest in fields of green grass. You lead me to streams of peaceful water, 3 and you refresh my life. You are true to your name, and you lead me along the right paths. 4 I may walk through valleys as dark as death, but’ I won’t be afraid. You are with me,” Psalm 23:1-4 CEV

“I am lonely and troubled. Show that you care and have pity on me. 17 My awful worries keep growing. Rescue me from sadness. 18 See my troubles and misery and forgive my sins.19 Look at all my enemies!  See how much they hate me. 20 I come to you for shelter.
Protect me, keep me safe, and don’t disappoint me. 21 I obey you with all my heart, and I trust you, knowing that you will save me.” Psalm 25:16-21 CEV

“The Lord will lead you. He himself is with you. He will not fail you or leave you. Don’t worry. Don’t be afraid!” Deuteronomy 31:8 ERV

Now before I close, I know someone is saying but I have been away from God far too long. I just don’t think He’ll hear my prayers or that He really cares about me anymore. Read one…

“The Lord is kind and merciful. He is patient and full of love. 9 He does not always criticize.  He does not stay angry with us forever. 10 We sinned against him, but he didn’t give us the punishment we deserved. 11 His love for his followers is as high above us as heaven is above the earth. 12 And he has taken our sins as far away from us as the east is from the west. 13 The Lord is as kind to his followers as a father is to his children.” Psalm 103:8-13 ERV

“I will leave and go to my father. I will say to him: Father, I have sinned against God and have done wrong to you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. But let me be like one of your hired workers.’ 20 So he left and went to his father…24 My son was dead, but now he is alive again! He was lost, but now he is found!’ So they began to have a party.” Luke 15:18-24 ERV

When we wander off on our own and are far from God He continually looks for us to return. When we do He’s still there and ready to throw us a party!

Be thankful – God is still here for you!

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Thankful for the Work

I’m a big fan of the DIY shows on television. I really like watching as kitchen and bathrooms are transformed from old and dingy to new and usable. It always amazes me when the homeowner says they want to stay in the house during the remodel and then they begin to complain about all the mess, the noise and the inconvenience. I want to ask “what is it about the word remodel you didn’t understand?”

But the same is true in our spiritual lives. We say “Lord, take me and mold me into your image and likeness. I want to be like You! I want to be the person you’ve designed me to be.” And our prayer is sincere – we all want to be like Him but without the noise and the mess and the inconvenience…just saying.

We want to go to bed and wake up in the morning with no more bad thoughts or habits. We want to look all bright and shiny, glowing with the Father’s love for everyone to see. However, before the outside changes there’s a lot that needs to be done to build new supports, new wiring, a new central control. The Word of God is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction – for remodel!

The more we complain about the work that has been started and the work that still needs to be done the longer the process takes.

“ The heart is free where the Spirit of the Lord is. The Lord is the Spirit. 18 All of us, with no covering on our faces, show the shining-greatness of the Lord as in a mirror. All the time we are being changed to look like Him, with more and more of His shining-greatness. This change is from the Lord Who is the Spirit.” II Corinthians 3:17-18 NLV

The casual observer only sees the new paint, flooring, and appliances but the homeowner and the contractor know that the foundation is firm, the wiring is good and won’t short out and that the plumbing won’t leak. He won’t leave the job half finished.

“ I am sure that the good work God began in you will continue until he completes it on the day when Jesus Christ comes again.” Philippians 1:6 ERV

“So now you are no longer strangers and aliens. Rather, you are fellow citizens with God’s people, and you belong to God’s household. 20 As God’s household, you are built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. 21 The whole building is joined together in him, and it grows up into a temple that is dedicated to the Lord.” Ephesians 2:19-21 CEB

If you look at your life and it looks a little dusty, maybe some loose wires and a couple of holes in the walls, remember you are under construction. You are a new creation.

“ So live in Christ Jesus the Lord in the same way as you received him. 7 Be rooted and built up in him, be established in faith, and overflow with thanksgiving just as you were taught.” Colossians 2:6-7 CEB

“ So then, if anyone is in Christ, that person is part of the new creation. The old things have gone away, and look, new things have arrived!” II Corinthians 5:17 CEB

Be thankful for the work that’s being done. We are a new creation and the Master Builder of life is working in us so that we conform to His image.

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Filled with Thanks

I like visual aids. I think that’s why I like the parables that Jesus shared in so many sermons. Practical application of spiritual principles.

Thankful – to be filled with thanks! What a great way to look at a Tuesday morning, full of thanks!! Thankful that there was a bed to sleep in last night, thankful for the roof over my head, thankful for a cup of hot coffee, thankful for the love of my family, thankful for the sunrise that is coming, thankful that I am safe and thankful for my family that loves me but most thankful for my Father God who has promised to never leave me or forsake me.

Thankful that He’s always there and there is no place, none, that I go that He will not be with me – yes, I’m thankful!

“Together with these things, the most important part of your new life is to love each other. Love is what holds everything together in perfect unity. 15 Let the peace that Christ gives control your thinking. It is for peace that you were chosen to be together in one body.[And always be thankful.

16 Let the teaching of Christ live inside you richly. Use all wisdom to teach and counsel each other. Sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” Colossians 3:14-16 ERV

This morning I’m going to encourage you to start a new tradition or maybe expand upon the one you already have. Here are two ideas. The point is to focus on things you are thankful for and create a visual reminder.

  1. A Gratitude Jar – Get a mason jar or other large-mouth jar, write the word thanks on the outside. Cut up some pieces of brightly colored paper and leave them on your kitchen counter, coffee table or even your desk at work. Throughout the month of November, write a one-word comment of something you are thankful for and put it in the jar. Ask your family or work mates to join in. Then at the Thanksgiving table pass the jar around and let each person take out a note and read what it says.
  2. A Praise Pumpkin – Go to Michael’s, Hobby Lobby, or anywhere that sells Thanksgiving decor. Buy an artificial pumpkin of good size, and a black sharpie. Instead of writing on a slip of paper, write your one word on the pumpkin. This is something that you can use year after year as a table decoration at Thanksgiving.

We used to sing a song about a grateful heart. “Give thanks with a grateful heart, give thanks to the Holy One, Give thanks because He’s given, Christ His Son”. It seems that King David sang similar songs to the Lord.

“With all my heart I praise you, Lord. In the presence of angels  I sing your praises. 2 I worship at your holy temple and praise you for your love and your faithfulness. You were true to your word and made yourself more famous than ever before. 3 When I asked for your help, you answered my prayer and gave me courage.” Psalm 138 CEV

Be grateful – be thankful – be full of thanks. It’s contagious!

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Thanksgiving Replaces Fear

Yesterday was our third day of rain. We had been adequately given “flood warnings” for our area. Some in our community had seen the news reports and videos of widespread flooding across our state.

We had an early morning heavy rain and the wash behind our house started flowing like a rushing river and the rain kept up.

A neighbor came over to watch the water from our patio area and wait. We invited her in because our on-line church service had come on a few minutes earlier and we enjoy the preaching so much. As he stepped to the podium, Louie Giglio announced his new series of talks, “Don’t Fear”. How appropriate!

Do you think God knew this was a message we needed to hear, I ask tongue-in-cheek? It was as if the message was just for us.

“‘Don’t worry—I am with you.
    Don’t be afraid—I am your God.
I will make you strong and help you.
    I will support you with my right hand that brings victory.,,
13 I am the Lord your God,
    who holds your right hand.
And I tell you, ‘Don’t be afraid!
    I will help you.’”Isaiah 41:10, 13 ERV

It was still raining. The water was still rising and rushing through the wash.

Louie continued preaching concluding with four words: Protect, Release, Trust, Overcome.

As he concluded the Lord reminded me of another Scripture from Isaiah.

“Descendants of Jacob, I, the Lord, created you and formed your nation. Israel, don’t be afraid.  I have rescued you. I have called you by name; now you belong to me. 2 When you cross deep rivers, I will be with you, and you won’t drown. When you walk through fire,
you won’t be burned or scorched by the flames. 3 I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, the God who saves you.” Isaih 43:1-3 CEV

And with that I made breakfast, we talked and enjoyed our morning. Then the “Set” order for evacuation came over our phones.

We didn’t panic. We checked with the Fire Department and learned that we were in safe area, stay put and don’t get out and drive on the roads.

The water began is recede. The rains stopped for a long while and we were safe. No danger.

So, you asked, what am I thankful for today? That would be God’s promise to hold my hand and keep me safe!

Have a great day!

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Give Thanks to the Lord, Give Thanks

This starts my thirteenth year of devoting November to giving thanks. There is a purpose in it that has become the foundation of my Holiday season. Each year many of the verses remain the same but then the Lord adds new ones I had missed.

“Lord, you are my God. I honor you and praise your name, because you did amazing things.  The words you said long ago are completely true; everything happened exactly as you said it would.” Isaiah 25:1 ERV

Each morning I start my prayer time with thanking the Father for His love, His mercy, His goodness and His grace.

“But God showed how much he loved us by having Christ die for us, even though we were sinful.” Romans 5:8 CEV

“The Lord’s kindness never fails! If he had not been merciful, we would have been destroyed. 23 The Lord can always be trusted to show mercy each morning. 24 Deep in my heart I say, ‘The Lord is all I need; I can depend on him!” Lamentations 3:22-24 CEV

“He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions. 21 Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! 22 And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing.” Psalm 107:20-22 KJV

same verses, a different Bible version

“By the power of his own word, he healed you and saved you from destruction. 21 You should praise the Lord for his love and for the wonderful things he does for all of us.22 You should celebrate by offering sacrifices and singing joyful songs to tell what he has done.” Psalm 107:20-22 CEV

And in this one passage we see God’s love, His mercy, His goodness and His grace.

“But God is rich in mercy, and he loved us very much. 5 We were spiritually dead because of all we had done against him. But he gave us new life together with Christ. (You have been saved by God’s grace.) 6 Yes, it is because we are a part of Christ Jesus that God raised us from death and seated us together with him in the heavenly places. 7 God did this so that his kindness to us who belong to Christ Jesus would clearly show for all time to come the amazing richness of his grace. 8 I mean that you have been saved by grace because you believed. You did not save yourselves; it was a gift from God. 9 You are not saved by the things you have done, so there is nothing to boast about.” Ephesians 2:4-9 ERV

Today is a good day to praise our Lord and Father. This is the way to start the Thanksgiving Season!

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“Fall” in Love

When we lived in the Spokane, WA area we often visited a place called Green Bluff. What a wonderful place.

We would frequently go to pick apples, pumpkins, and my favorite was the blackberries. Each fall there were a number of small farms that opened their properties “as you pick” farms. I still remember the hayrides, the smell of warm apple and pumpkin pies and hot apple cider. The aroma filled the air.

All around the harvest area were bushel baskets filled with apples and also stacks of pumpkins. It was definitely a Hallmark-type location. Enjoying the harvest and tranquility was something I always looked forward to.

Sharing in the harvest was a reminder to me of what Jesus taught His disciples about the fruit that they should be producing. He wanted us to grow in the Spirit and produce fruit that would overflow the baskets of our lives.

“But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23 AMP

Jesus said they would know that we are His disciples if we love one another. Most of the book of I John is written about loving one another. Jesus ministry was marked by His love for all that He came in contact with.

“Jesus said to his disciples: I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts away every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit. But he trims clean every branch that does produce fruit, so that it will produce even more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of what I have said to you.

4 Stay joined to me, and I will stay joined to you. Just as a branch cannot produce fruit unless it stays joined to the vine, you cannot produce fruit unless you stay joined to me. 5 I am the vine, and you are the branches. If you stay joined to me, and I stay joined to you, then you will produce lots of fruit. But you cannot do anything without me. ” John 15:1-5 CEV

In Christ, we will produce much fruit. The fruit we are to produce is love, joy, peace, kindness, patience, faithfulness.

“  But I am giving you a new command. You must love each other, just as I have loved you. 35 If you love each other, everyone will know that you are my disciples.” John 13:34-35 CEV

“Stay joined to me and let my teachings become part of you. Then you can pray for whatever you want, and your prayer will be answered. 8 When you become fruitful disciples of mine, my Father will be honored. 9 I have loved you, just as my Father has loved me. So remain faithful to my love for you.” John 15:7-9 CEV

Jesus loved the sinners and publicans; the tax collectors and the prostitutes, He even showed his love for the Pharisees and the Sadducees. He reached out to all with loving arms and was moved with compassion toward all.

The best way I know to fill our baskets with a harvest is to follow the example of Jesus. Walk in love so that the world will see Jesus living in us!

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Asleep in the Storm

It’s been raining off and on for the last couple of hours. It’s a nice rain but there has also been some pretty impressive lightning and a few loud claps of thunder. It woke me up but I believe Dave is still sleeping.

Now that’s peace.

“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

God isn’t the one who brings tribulation into our lives, but He IS the one who brings us peace in the tribulation. How can we have peace? Glad you asked. God is there with us and through Him we overcome what this world throws at us.

As I sat here listening to the rain falling on the roof I was reminded of several people in the Bible who slept through their storms. The first, of course, was Jesus.

“ A very bad wind came up on the lake. The waves were coming over the sides and into the boat, and it was almost full of water. 38 Jesus was inside the boat, sleeping with his head on a pillow. The followers went and woke him. They said, “Teacher, don’t you care about us? We are going to drown!” 39 Jesus stood up and gave a command to the wind and the water. He said, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind stopped, and the lake became calm.” Mark 4:37-39 ERV

Then there was Peter: “One night, Peter, bound with two chains, was sleeping between two of the soldiers. More soldiers were guarding the door of the jail. Herod was planning to bring Peter out before the people the next day. 7 Suddenly an angel of the Lord was standing there, and the room was filled with light. The angel tapped Peter on the side and woke him up. The angel said, ‘Hurry, get up!‘ The chains fell off Peter’s hands. 8 The angel said, ‘Get dressed and put on your sandals.’ Peter did as he was told. Then the angel said, ‘Put on your coat and follow me.’” Acts 12:6-8 ERV

Daniel had some strange bedtime companions: “The next morning, King Darius got up just as it was getting light and ran to the lions’ den. 20 He was very worried. When he got to the lions’ den, he called to Daniel. He said, ‘Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God been able to save you from the lions? You always serve your God.’21 Daniel answered, ‘King, live forever! 22 My God sent his angel to save me. The angel closed the lions’ mouths. The lions have not hurt me because my God knows I am innocent. I never did anything wrong to you, King.’” Daniel 6:20-22 ERV

Now, how about us? We may not face a storm at sea or be chained in prison or spend the night with lions but we have personal storms. “You have put more joy and rejoicing in my heart than [they know] when their wheat and new wine have yielded abundantly. 8 In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for You, Lord, alone make me dwell in safety and confident trust.” Psalm 4:7-8 AMPC

Today, I pray that you know peace and your lives are filled with rest.

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