Mornings of awesome wonder...

I am in awe on mornings like today....when God's incredible glory is spread out across the sky like a priceless work of art.  It is just astounding!   Imagine what it will be like when we stand before him in heaven someday and have His glory in full, unobstructed view.  It's a beautiful reminder of how grateful I am to belong to the God of the universe.

It is scenes like the one outside my window this morning, that cause me to question how anyone can possibly doubt who God is.  He is clearly putting His glory on display and it is screaming out for people to acknowledge Him...........and yet many go on completely oblivious.
I am guilty of ignorance at times, too.  I wonder how often it happens that God displays something magnificent for me and I am either too busy or too wrapped up in my own plans to notice......or, how many times I have taken His awesomeness for granted.  God wants to delight us!  He wants us to take time to not only be delighted by Him, but to recognize His mightiness and ascribe glory and honor to Him.

"The heavens declare the glory of God;  the skies proclaim the work of His hands.  Day after day they pour forth speech;  night after night they reveal knowledge.  They have no speech, they use no words;  no sound is heard from them.  Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world..." ~ Psalm 19:1-4

Thankful. Even in trials.

I am learning more and more to be thankful for the difficult, trying, and even the dark times in life.  It's in the really difficult days of this life that I hang on to God more than ever.
It's true that God is the Giver of all good things, but what about the not-so-good times when we feel abandoned or forgotten by God?  Has not God allowed those trying times into our lives for a reason?
I think it is in those times that we learn to cling to God, like never before.  A lot of times I tend to hang on to the gifts and the blessings God gives me....I can become so wrapped up in those that I lose sight of the best part of belonging to Him - His very presence and power in my life
.
Thank you LORD for the reminder of the gift of Your presence.  You are always there, faithfully walking beside me, no matter what I am going through.  Help me to be grateful even in the difficult times, as they help me to lean on and trust You more and more.

The Gift that gives and gives and gives...

Today I am thankful that because of the gift of Gods Son, Jesus - I am lacking nothing.  Because I have put my trust in Him, there is nothing else I need to be made complete.  There is no "new version" of salvation to attain, nothing else I must do, no upgrades to add on.
Today many people will be rushing out to stores, for clearance sales, to get the things they wanted, but didn't receive.  Undoubtedly, there will be some great deals to be had out there.  But, it will require running all over town, store to store, fighting the crowds, only to scrounge and search for the items they are after.  Some people will find what they are looking for, and some people will end up disappointed because the stores will be sold out of what they came for.
Thankfully, the gift God gave us in His Son, is ALL we ever need!  He is more than we could ever want or hope to find in any earthly gift.  His grace is boundless, His forgiveness is limitless, His mercies are new EVERY morning (not just a one-time deal)!  He is the gift that keeps on giving.  Day after day. Year after year.  Faithfully.....mercifully.....completely.
"Fear the LORD, you His holy people, for those who fear Him lack nothing.....those who seek the LORD lack no good thing." ~ Psalm 34:9-10

The Greatest Gift

Merry Christmas!!!  There are many things to be thankful for today.... But the One that trumps them ALL is Jesus.  Pure and simple.
The many gifts we exchanged today amongst our family & friends were fun to give and a delight to receive.  Most of the gifts we receive are meant to enhance life, make life easier or just plain make us happy.  But every one of those gifts will eventually be used up, worn out or become  obsolete.  The gift of Gods own Son, however....well, that's a game-changer!
Jesus Christ is a gift of love, mercy, grace, life, joy and peace....all wrapped into One!  He wasn't intended to enhance our lives....He was sent to completely transform our lives.  He doesn't promise to make our lives easier, but He does promise to walk with us, through the difficult times we encounter. He didn't give up His rightful place as King of Kings to bring us happiness.  He did it to bring us lasting joy and eternal hope.  These are things that can never be taken away from us.  Once we accept Gods free gift of salvation, it is ours forever.  It can't be revoked or stolen.....it will never run out, wear out or get used up!
The ultimate Christmas gift is Jesus.  Kings and kingdoms will all pass away, but there's something about that name.....it will endure forever, and one day EVERY knee will bow and EVERY tongue will confess that He is LORD!

O Worship the King

Today is Christmas Eve....and I am grateful that Jesus came into our world.  He came to bring us salvation, love, light, peace....and many other wonderful gifts.  But, the gift I am especially thankful for this morning is worship.
Ever since I was a little girl, I have been totally enamored with the visitors in the nativity scene.  Every one of them, the Bible says, bowed down and worshipped Jesus.  Shepherds, and angels, and 3 wise men.  Regardless of their position in life....every one of them had the same response to the presence of Jesus.
Is this my response?
Today and tomorrow, it will be a very natural response to our familys focus on the gift God gave us in Jesus.  But, what about next week, next month and later in the Spring, etc.  What about when we're not singing the carols and turning on the Christmas tree lights?  Will my heart be in tune to sing His praises and worship Him for who He is, then?   I hope so.  It is my hearts desire.  Worship is more than just a song to sing.  It's a lifestyle of seeking Jesus with all my heart and glorifying HIM.  A lifestyle that is always on God's terms, not mine.  My daily walk with Jesus will determine how I worship Him.
"Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name;  worship the LORD in the splendor of His holiness." ~ Psalm 29:2
"Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever.  Amen." ~ 1 Timothy 1:17

Another year of blessings!

Today is my birthday.  I wouldn't say that I am thankful to be a year older....but I am thankful to be another year BLESSED!
Sure, there area lot of things in my life that I could do without......struggles, pain, insecurities, seemingly insurmountable obstacles - to name a few.  But honestly, I have been given SO MUCH....it is difficult to even begin to count the ways!  But without a doubt, my top 5 would be:

~God's mercies that truly are new every morning...though I am undeserving, His unrestrained grace continues to pour into my life day after day.

~God's unconditional love...without it I would never cease to be striving to earn His favor (and fail miserably to ever come close to being able to attain it).

~God's forgiveness...the mere idea that I can be washed clean of all my sin is unfathomable, but without it, I would be hopeless!

~God's gift of salvation...the idea that He would send His Son to die for me so that I can be forever reconciled to Him is beyond ALL comprehension!

~My family...my husband and my 3 incredible children are more than I could have ever hoped for!  They bring me SO MUCH joy, they are proof that God is the giver of good things and He does so lavishly!

"Thou hast given so much to me,
Give one thing more, - a grateful heart;
Not thankful when it pleaseth me,
As if Thy blessings had spare days,
But such a heart whose pulse may be Thy praise".   ~ George Herbert

Hallelujah! What a Savior

I am SO grateful that Jesus came into the world to minister to the broken, hurting people.
He didn't come to pat the religious on the back and applaud their self-righteous antics. He came to reach out to the "untouchables", to restore the outcasts, to forgive the "unforgivable", to heal the lame and the sick,  to give sight to the blind, and to remove our shame so we can walk in freedom.
I'm so glad Jesus is this kind of Savior!  His ministry was proof that people matter to God....and not just the neat, tidy, lovely people....but the broken, sinful, lost ones, like me.  He longs to have EVERY sinle one of us restored to relationship with Him...what a Savior!
"[In love] He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will---to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the One He loves.  In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that He lavished on us..." ~ Ephesians 1:5-8a

The gift of friendship

I am thanking God today for a very dear friend and the way she always makes me feel loved, appreciated, and important.
Real, stick-with-you, genuine friends are tough to come by in this world.  Too often, I have found myself "loyal to the core" to people who I thought were my friends, only to discover they were not nearly as committed to the friendship as I was.  If you've ever had a best friend who would've walked through fire for you, you know what a blessing it truly is.
I have just such a person in my life right now.   I thank God every day for her.  She is such a blessing!
"A friend loves at all times...." ~ Proverbs 17:17a
"One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." ~ Proverbs 18:24

My Comforter

Praising and thanking God for His supernatural comfort that He faithfully pours out when I need it.
God is comfort.  He is the God of all comfort.  Real, soothing, lasting comfort can only come from Him.....any other source of comfort will be temporary and unsatisfying.  There are lots of other alternative options for us to find consolation in.  But the real, soul-soothing comfort we are searching for is found in God's life-breathing Word, and in the kind of surrender that takes place when we realize that He alone sustains us daily.....even when we think we can't muster up the strength to get through one more day.
No wonder the angels proclaimed to the shepherds, on the plains outside Bethlehem, tidings of comfort and joy!  Jesus came to be "God with us", supernatural comfort in the flesh.  Hallelujah!
"Your promise revives me; it comforts me in all my troubles." ~ Psalm 119:50
"Praise be to God......the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles..." ~ 2 Cor. 1:3-4

First Snowfall

Feeling especially thankful for waking up to a beautiful snowy morning, today.
There's nothing as exciting as the first snowfall of the season!  The way it creates such a clean, bright canvas, covering the dead, dreary landscape.  It's such a perfect depiction of what takes place in our hearts when God's grace is poured out into our hearts....covering over our sin.  Such a great reminder of the whole reason Jesus entered this world all those years ago.  He came to make all things new....just like the freshly fallen snow outside my window.
"Cleanse me with hyssop and I will be clean;  wash me, and I will be whiter than snow......Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity." ~ Psalm 51:7,9

Meekness, not weakness

I'm really thankful for the meekness of Jesus.  Meekness demonstrates His love in a way that it is indisputable how much He cares for us!  God knew He had to relate to us in a very personal and practical way!  He came to us, all those years ago, as a meek, humble, little baby.
Meekness isn't about weakness.  It is strength under much restraint and control.  Jesus yielded His rights to God and gave up His rightful place as King of Kings.  It was calculated....it was intentional....it was very costly.....and it was the only way to reach human hearts.

There is a story told about a flock of birds in the middle of a huge snowstorm.  It seems these birds were trying, madly, to fly through a large picture window of a man's home to find shelter from the blizzard.  The man wanted to help them, so he went outside and tried to corral them into his barn.  He opened the doors and turned on the lights.  But the birds would not come.  Then the man scattered bread crumbs on the snow, making a trail from the door to the barn to where they were.  Still the birds ignored him. He tried catching them and shooing them, but they only scattered.
Realizing none of this was working, he thought, If only I could think of some way to get these birds to trust me.  If only I could be a bird, talk with them, speak their language.  Then I could show them the way---so they could really hear, see and understand.

This is exactly what God did for us.  He sent His only Son, Jesus, to be one of us, live among us, and show us the way to salvation.
"[Jesus] Who, being in very nature God....made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.....He humbled Himself...." ~ Phillipians 2:6-8

"No power of hell.....no scheme of man...."

In the wake of the unspeakable act in Newtown, Connecticut - I am incredibly thankful that there is NOTHING that can ever separate those of us who belong to Jesus Christ from HIS love and saving grace.
It is such a sobering scene to watch the images of such incredible loss and tragedy....it's truly hard to imagine what could possibly drive a person to do such a thing!  When faced with this kind of unbelievable devastation, it's easy to grow anxious and fearful about living in such a dark and volatile world.
The thing I cling to in times like these is this.....regardless of what happens in this crazy, fallen, messed up world - there is NOTHING that can ever separate me from the love of God.  Whatever may happen, come what may....God is my Rock and my Redeemer;  my Shield and my Strength;  my Portion forever!  I can count on Him being near to the brokenhearted and take comfort in His shelter for those who are crushed in spirit.
I pray for God to comfort these brokenhearted families for their unimaginable loss.

A Rich Heritage of Faith

I am forever thankful for a family heritage of faith in Jesus Christ.
It is no small thing to have been given such a solid foundation by my parents, who deliberately sought to instruct my siblings and I in the ways of the LORD.
Last night, as I was putting ornaments on our Christmas tree, I was reminded of the many traditions we had growing up.  The majority of them revolved around making Christ the focus of our festivities.  At the time I didn't have a clue how far that focus would truly impact me....but the reality is, it has profoundly helped shape my life today.  It was the consistent, intentional example set by my parents year after year (even to this day), in good times and in tough times, that spoke (and continues to speak) volumes to me about the sovereignty and the faithfulness of God.  What a gift!
Yesterday, my little nephew Brennan accepted Jesus as his personal Savior.  He is the final one in the third generation of our familys' legacy to come to Christ.  Such a testimony to God's faithfulness and blessing.  Praise You Jesus!!!

"You must be very careful not to forget the things you have seen God do for you.  Keep reminding yourselves, and tell your children and grandchildren as well." ~ Deuteronomy 4:9 CEV

HE goes before me

Finding myself really grateful that God goes before me and prepares the path I will walk each day.
Before my feet ever even hit the floor each morning, God has meticulously planned and laid out my day.  He has all sorts of opportunities strategically placed throughout that plan to reveal Himself to me along the way.  Some are specifically designed to delight me with the mere reminder of His presence.......still, others are to serve as motivation and conviction for me to shake off any ties that might be restraining me from walking in the freedom He offers to me because of His great mercy.  PRAISE HIM!
Imagine if we had to traipse through life completely on our own, guessing and hoping that we are making the right choices.  I would surely be on the biggest bunny trail ever!  I am totally incapable of any success apart from surrendering myself to God.  I couldn't be MORE grateful for the assurance that, if I entrust myself to the LORD, He will guide and direct me....ALWAYS!
"You have made known to me the path of life;  You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand." ~ Psalm 16:11

O For Grace to Trust Him MORE!

Today I am grateful that God is TRUSTWORTHY.
Just like I know that the sun will rise in the morning and set in the evening....I also know that God will never fail me.  His Word promises me He will never leave me or forsake me.  In my study of the life of David, Beth Moore pointed out in one of her lectures how God draws us in to trust Him more because He wants to bless us.  He knows what's best for us and how to get us there.  On the flip side of that.....the enemy continually tries to gain our trust so he can betray us.  If he can get us to cling to and trust in something other than God, he knows we won't be walking in victory.  Oh how many times have I trusted in something other than God?  Put my hope in something tangible & temporary? Held it too tightly in my white-knuckled fists? All the while feeling more and more distanced from my Savior and walking in defeat.
Trust.  That's all it takes.  And He has proven Himself worthy of our trust....so why delay?

"He emptied my hands of my treasured store,
    And His covenant love revealed,
There was not a wound in my aching heart,
    But the balm of His breath hath healed.
Oh, tender and true was the chastening sore,
    In wisdom, that taught and tried,
Till the soul that He sought was trusting in Him,
    And nothing on earth beside."   ~ Mrs. Charles E. Cowman

God WITH us

I am so thankful that Jesus walks with me each day.  He has promised to never leave me...I can be confident in that assurance!
When Jesus came to earth as a baby He was called "Emmanuel" - God WITH us.  He came to live and walk among mankind....to be WITH us.  He accomplished God's redemption plan by dying on the cross.  But, even death could not keep Him from us....three days later He rose from the grave.  He appeared to a group of His closest followers shortly after He arose.  It was there that He made the following statement....."Lo, I am with you always." - Matthew 28:20  Again, He is establishing His intention to always be WITH us.  Hallelujah!

The following quote is from J. Hudson Taylor - it is a favorite of mine.
"  "The LORD is my Shepherd".  Not was, not may be, nor will be.  "The LORD is my Shepherd," is on Sunday, is on Monday, and is through every day of the week;  is in January, is in December, and every month of the year;  is at home, and is in China;  is in peace, and is in war;  in abundance, and in penury."

The BLESSING of being a blessing

I am thankful that God uses fallible, imperfect people who simply have a willingness to serve Him!
"Serve [the LORD] with all your heart." ~ I Samuel 10:24
There is such joy in serving God!  He wants to use us to help further His Kingdom.  It can be a real exercise in faith for us sometimes, though.  We tend to remember our failures and the times when we stumbled.  It's easy to get ourselves into the trap of thinking that because we're fallible and can easily allow our sinful, humanness get in the way, we really aren't "usable" for God's plans and purposes.  If that were true, then there would be no thriving churches or ministries today.
We must begin from a repentant and humble heart, willing to do anything God may ask us to do....and above all do it with ALL our heart (complete devotion to God's purposes, not ours).
So, spend some time in God's presence today and then go out and be a blessing to others.....God will use you if you are willing.......and in return, you will be blessed!

Prayer is powerful thing

I am really grateful for prayer and its incredible power!
Not just for answered prayer, though that is an awesome benefit, but for the peace that comes from praying.
Peace floods my heart when I:  bear my soul to God and plead for Him to transform my heart.......admit when I've messed up and come clean with repentance.......praise His name for His faithfulness & love.......lay my burdens at the feet of Jesus and entrust them to His perfect will.......or, simply recount all my blessings before Him.
It really is a peace that cannot be described with mere words, or understood with our human comprehension.
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." ~ Philippians 4:6-7

Jesus is my hope

I am so grateful for the hope I have in Jesus!  Without it......I would surely not be able to take a single step.
This morning I am especially struck by the incredible HOPE Jesus brought into the world when He came to earth as a baby.  God knew it was our ONLY hope of ever being reconciled to Him.  Praise Him for His indescribable gift!!!
Hope is a funny thing when you really think about it ---you can't touch or see it, but without it you feel completely empty inside.  In fact I would dare to say that the majority of people in our world today, would prefer to unwrap the gift of eternal hope as opposed to any material object.  You see, just like light at the end of a tunnel gives you hope that there is a way out of the darkness.  Jesus brought us the hope of, one day, being freed from the trappings of this dark world and living with Him in eternity.  All we have to do is trust Him as our LORD and Savior.  In the meantime....we also have hope for today!  We do not have to live in the bondage of sin that this world is subject to, apart from Christ.  We can walk in tremendous freedom each day by entrusting and surrendering ourselves to Jesus who justifies us because of the work He did on the cross.  If that doesn't cause hope to spring up in our hearts....I don't know what could!
"We wait in hope for the LORD;  He is our help and our shield.  In Him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His holy name.  May Your unfailing love be with us, LORD, even as we put our hope in You." ~ Psalm 33:20-22

Seek Him with ALL your heart

I am so thankful that God is easily found by normal, everyday people like me.
God does not try to make it difficult for people to find Him.  It's not like a game of hide & seek or looking for a needle in a haystack.  God wants to be found by us.  He made it easy by sending His Son to earth through human beings in an ordinary town.  He sent angels to announce His birth to shepherds on a plain in Bethlehem.  Their proclamation lit up the night sky....there was no hiding it!  He even placed an unusual star in the sky that brought wise men in search of a new King.....again, it was in full view, there was no subtlety there either.  Today, we have His written Word, the Bible, to help us find our way to Him and learn more about Him.  The only thing we must do is seek Him with all our hearts.
"You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart." ~ Jeremiah 29:13
If you find yourself unable to see God anywhere around you.........perhaps you have been wholeheartedly searching for something else.  It's common for us, as fallible humans, who are prone to let our affections wander to things that are incapable of satisfying us.  We must be devoted to spending time in God's Word and His presence, daily.
Let's be tenacious about searching for Jesus in these coming weeks leading up to Christmas.  There are lots of other things we could be seeking & finding during this season.  Commercialism likes to appeal to our human desires, but in the end those desires will never be satisfied until they collide with the saving grace of Jesus Christ.

On HIS mind....always!

I am thankful that I am constantly on God's mind.
The thought of me occupying the thoughts of the Creator of the universe is pretty mind-boggling.  David said it best in Psalm 8:3-4  "When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place, what is mankind that You are mindful of them, human beings that You care for them?".
It is amazing to think that He is that crazy about us!  But, He is.  He loves us and has us on His mind.
I have two children who are hundreds of miles from home, attending college.  Even though they are far from me, they are EVER on my mind, each and every day.  I think of them often, pray for them and try to find ways to delight them & let them know I am thinking about them.  In the same way, God is ever reaching out to let us know that we are on His mind.  He longs to delight and surprise us with glimpses of Himself throughout our day.  Doesn't that make you want to be on the lookout for Him?  We don't have to look far, He is always at work within His children.....and He has plans to help them thrive and succeed.  PRAISE HIM!!!
Lord, thank You for loving me so much, that You keep me in Your thoughts each and every day.  Help me to watch for You throughout my day, knowing that You are all around me, ever working in and through me.   Amen.  

My Creator.......my Sustainer!

I woke up feeling grateful that God is my sustainer, today.  

Psalm 55:22 "Cast your cares on the LORD and He will sustain you..."

Today there are many things that need to get done.  At first glance, I am tempted to lose hope that everything will come together.  How will I manage everything?  By entrusting myself and my day to my creator.  

Surrendering my agenda to the Lord at the start of what looks to be a crazy, busy day is KEY.  Because I know that He will take my plans and re-fashion them into His perfect plan.  He wants to use me for His glory today...am I willing?  He wants to further His Kingdom today....am I on board?  He wants to be my source of strength as I serve Him today....will I draw near to Him and let Him move in and through me?

LORD, give me a heart that is completely submitted to You today.  I abandon my own agenda for Yours.  May You be glorified in all I do and say.  Amen!

Jesus is the LIGHT of the world

Today I am completely overcome with gratitude for a Savior who chose to come into a dark world with His glorious, heavenly light.  It's difficult to try to comprehend it ---- the kind of love God has for us, to cause Him to go to such great lengths to accomplish our redemption!
God knew the importance of light for us from the beginning....it was the very first thing He created.  Then, after man willfully chose darkness (sin) over light....again, God had to create a plan to infiltrate that darkness with inextinguishable light.  Perfect light.  Jesus was the perfect means to display His light!  His own Son, sent to earth to obliterate the shadows created by sin.  There was no other way out of the darkness for us!  What amazes me more than anything is the love that God had for us ---- to cause Him to send His own Son, away from His very side, into a sick & sinful world to be the answer to our demise.
Praise His name!!!

"Strengthen me according to Your Word..."

I am incredibly grateful, this morning, for God's Word....and the fact that I can rise in the morning, open it up and be certain there will be something there to strengthen me for whatever comes at me today.
It truly sets the tone for my day.  It doesn't matter how I'm feeling when I wake up....anxious, tired, frustrated, fearful, weary or just plain apathetic...reading my Bible totally transforms my demeanor!  It renews my hope and builds up my resolve to walk in victory, not defeat - regardless of what I may face today.  
I especially love the promise in Psalm 119:45 "I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out Your precepts." Amen!