Thankful Thursday

yesterday was Christmas day

a day many use to celebrate Jesus' birth

for some it's just another day to endure

and for others it's all about accumulation

but I'm thankful for focused time with my family

remembering the sacrifices God made to bring reconciliation with fallen man

Scripture tells us Jesus was chosen long before time on earth began to be the Sacrificial Lanb

I'm thankful He was willing to give up His glory in heaven and take on human form

I'm thankful Jesus lived an exemplary life 

I'm thankful He is Immanuel, God with us

thankful for music and Christmas carols that remind us of so many wonderful truths about Jesus coming

thankful for a holiday that gathers family together

it's been great to have most of our family here

and a special blessing to get to hang out with my grandson

also thankful we got to hang with Abigail and Rick via modern technology

I remember a TV program from my days as a much younger fellow where they portrayed people seeing the person they were talking to on the phone and thinking at the time that was impossible.

now we have multiple opportunities for that form of communication 

time with family is just another reminder of the relationship God desires with each one of us

thankful He is a loving Father

thankful He is patient with me as I stumble along in this life

thankful God is good, and ready to forgive

thankful He invites me to communicate with Him personally

and thankful for the confidence that He responds when I cry out to Him

I don't know what the year ahead my hold;

wouldn't it be great if Jesus returned?

Thankful Thursday

I've been memorizing Ps. 86

It's been a while since I committed to memorizing more than a verse or two

I'm thankful for impact God's word has on my life when I make that effort to hide it in my heart

I'm also thankful for the shift in focus when I'm memorizing

there are so many distractions the enemy uses to keep me from walking the path of obedience

thankful for the truth of Ps. 119:9

"How can a young man keep his way pure?  By keeping it according to Your word."

I'm not sure I fit the description of a young man anymore, but that truth is timeless

I'm thankful for the way God uses His word to instruct, chasten, and encourage me

some of the encouragement I've been getting as I've meditated on Ps. 86:

thankful God hears my prayers

thankful He is good, and ready to forgive

thankful I can worship Him and glorify His name

thankful God is a teacher

there is no one who compares with God.  He alone is worthy of my praise

thankful for His lovingkindness toward me

today was a bitter cold day; I'm really thankful I had inside work!

my current job involves quite a bit of commute time

one of the blessings of that is it gives me an opportunity to connect with friends

I'm thankful for the relationships God has blessed me with

and thankful for people who help me stay awake and alert when I'm driving after a long hard day of work

it also provides time for prayer; which sometimes helps me not get frustrated with other drivers

3/5 of my kids and my grandson will be joining us here in PA for Christmas

I'm thankful for time to gather as family and share together

we have so much to be grateful for

thankful Jesus came and lived among men

thankful He obeyed the Father by going to the cross

thankful He offers redemption and reconciliation to all who put their trust in Him

Thankful Thursday

It has been a few weeks since I wrote a Thankful Thursday blog

I even missed last week, Thanksgiving Thursday

But not because I haven't had much to be thankful for

Circumstances hindered me from sitting down and putting my thoughts in writing

But I've given a lot of thought about gratitude

and last week, as I sat around the dinner table with all of my kids and my grandson, I had the opportunity to express verbally some of that gratitude

my wife and I had the chance to spend Thanksgiving out in Missouri, where our family gathered to celebrate

one of the things we were celebrating was our younger daughter's marriage, so I'm thankful I now have two sons-in-law

the family God has blessed me with is growing!

I'm thankful for time

I recently heard a story about a father who when asked by his daughter how to spell love, responded "Love is spelled T-I-M-E

and getting to spend time with my family last week was definitely an expression of love, in both directions

my son-in-law Carl was telling me about a professor who asked his class what they were thankful for about Jesus

As I think about that question, I want that to be the focus of this post

I'm thankful Jesus is alive; He conquered death and the grave

I'm thankful Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father, making intercession for me

I'm thankful Jesus came to earth and lived as the God-man

I'm thankful that although He was tempted in every way I am, Jesus resisted temptation and lived a perfect life

I'm thankful Jesus was an acceptable sacrifice, once and for all paying the penalty for sin

I'm thankful for His submission to the Father's will in going to the cross and experiencing separation from the Father

I'm thankful Jesus gave me an example of love to follow

I'm thankful Jesus is full of compassion, thankful He expresses emotion

it gives me permission to also express emotion without any sense of shame

I'm thankful Jesus is the Bread of life, satisfying my hunger, meeting my needs

I'm thankful Jesus is a gentle shepherd, caring diligently for His flock

I'm thankful Jesus knows me fully; He is intimately acquainted with all my ways

I'm thankful Jesus promises to always be with me

I'm thankful Jesus will one day return; thankful I will see Him face to face and bow before Him acknowledging that He is Lord and King

I'm thankful Jesus shines through others; as I gaze at Him, He is reflected in my words and actions

I'm thankful Jesus understands my fears and my weaknesses

I'm thankful Jesus still says, "Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid!"

Thankful Thursday

as I visited the scrap yard last Saturday, I was asked by one of the guys what was new

my standard response to that question is, "There is nothing new under the sun."

He reminded me that God's compassions are new every morning

I'm thankful for that truth

and thankful for a friend's reminder

I'm thankful for the way God invests in my life through His word and through people

I'm also thankful for the opportunities He gives me to invest in the lives of others as His ambassador

there are many times when I don't feel worthy of that title

but He continues to open doors for me to walk through

My wife and I had a chance to sit down with a young couple on Saturday

they are struggling in their relationship

I'm thankful for the gifts God has given my wife, and the wisdom she imparts when she gets up the courage to speak

I'm thankful I get to partner with her in ministry

God has been displaying His artistic talent in the evening sky lately

I'm thankful for the wonderful westward view we have from our dining room and back yard

it's always a reminder of the verse that says, "The heavens declare the glory of God..."

I'm thankful for the splendor of His glory

This morning as I drove to work, I got to see that glory in the sunrise

what a way to start off the day!  Taking in the beauty He paints on the canvas of the sky

yesterday as I travelled home from work, I was held up in traffic for a while because of a 5 car collision along my route

I drive a lot of miles every day

I'm thankful for God's provision of safety over those many miles of road

thankful He keeps me alert and is a shield about me

Thankful Thursday

I had a chance to sit down at the piano this evening

the first song I played was Hallelujah What a Savior

it starts out, "Friend of sinners, what a name..."

I'm so thankful Jesus is a friend of sinners like me

thankful He was willing to shed His blood as payment for sin's penalty

thankful He came from heaven to rescue mankind from their sin

He was our ransom

I also played and sang There Is a Fountain

"and sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains"!

I'm grateful for the cleansing power of Christ's blood

it is only His blood that brings healing and hope

What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus!

I'm thankful for the truths expressed in some of these old hymns

and thankful for some time to reflect on those truths

I often find myself whistling some of these tunes as I work

it helps me maintain focus

I'm thankful for truth

in a world that tries hard to deny the existence of absolute truth

I'm thankful for the firm foundation God provides as I embrace His truth

thankful Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life..."

all my hope is in Him!

I broke a tooth last night.  That was a painful experience!

I'm thankful the dentist was able to fit me into his schedule today

my mouth is a bit sensitive, but I'm thankful the process of repair has been started

I told a friend I always wanted a crown!

now I'll have one, but it won't be very visible.

Scripture tells me that one day we will cast all our crowns at Jesus feet

I know this crown isn't what that refers to, but it makes me think of that day

thankful for the hope that one day I will bow before my King and proclaim Him Lord of all

He is worthy of all honor and glory

Thankful Thursday

I got pulled over by a police officer this morning

when I saw him make a U turn and hit his lights, I wondered what I had done wrong

Turns out there was a driving law I was unaware of

I was talking with my wife on the phone with my ear buds on

he informed me that it was against the law to drive while wearing earbuds

I told him I did not realize that, and asked some clarifying questions

he gave me a warning. showed me the section in his code book and told me to have a nice day

i'm thankful for grace  

especially thankful he didn't give me the $142.00 ticket he could have!

I'm sure there are more laws like that, that I unknowingly break from time to time

and unfortunately, there are also some laws that I sometimes just choose to ignore

I'm thankful God has given me a code book, the Bible, so I will know what He requires of me

and I'm thankful He extends grace to me when I stumble along and fail to live up to His standards

I'm thankful He offers forgiveness as I confess my sin to Him

I'm thankful I can ask clarifying questions, and He patiently directs my thoughts to understand His desires for me

As I was driving through the country today, the colors of autumn were very vivid

I'm thankful for the beauty God has created all around me

and thankful for eyes to see that beauty

I read a verse in Psalms recently that talked about God opening the eyes of the blind

and we are told in Scripture that the devil attempts to blind the eyes of the unbelieving so that won't recognize the truth

I'm thankful God, in His mercy, opened my blind eyes and revealed Himself to me

thankful He continues to open the eyes of my understanding so that I can see Him more clearly

I'm thankful for the many ways He shows up in my life

and I'm thankful that one day I will stand before Him and see Him in all of His glory and have the opportunity to worship Him forever

all creation shouts His praise

I join in that symphony of praise!

Thankful Thursday

I've been fighting a bug this week.  

I'm thankful I don't get sick very often!

But this one caught me by surprise and hit me hard

I'm thankful for a loving wife who sacrifices and serves me on a regular basis

and then goes the extra mile when I'm not feeling good

On top of that, she prepared and delivered meals to two friends who are going through difficult times right now

I am very grateful for the gift God has given me in her

She has been His hands and feet of blessing in my life for going on 35 years

and I'm sure there's a crown waiting for her when her work here is ended!

I'm thankful for a steady job, and thankful that I've had lighter duty work the last couple of days while I was feeling under the weather

I'm thankful God is a provider

He know my every need and faithfully meets those needs 

I'm thankful He gives strength for each day

I'm thankful for creation and the beauty God has placed all around me

and grateful He has given me eyes to be able to enjoy that beauty

This past weekend, we drove to upstate New York to visit family

The leaves were beautiful as we drove up through the Catskill mountains and on up into the Adirondacks

I'm thankful for the chance to connect with most of my family

I'm definitely a home body

it was good to return to my own familiar surroundings and my own bed!

I'm thankful for the home God has provided for us

yesterday was my grandson's first birthday

I'm thankful for technology that allowed us to participate in his birthday party

and especially thankful God blessed our family in giving us Hudson

even though he and his family live far away, I'm thankful for the chance to watch him grow and develop through the pictures and videos my daughter sends our way

I'm thankful for a daughter and son-in-law who are committed to training him up in God's truth

I'm thankful God's grace is sufficient for me

and thankful His power is perfected in my weakness

I'm thankful I don't have to earn my way into favor with God

eternal life with Him is a gift!

Thankful Thursday

Some days are painful

just getting out of bed in the morning can be a struggle

and then as the hours creep by, events unfold with what appears to be a downward spiral

until I'm eventually wondering if there is any hope of salvaging something positive from the day

that's when I need to focus my thoughts on God's truth

to fix my gaze on my Savior and allow His sacrificial love to sustain me

the author of Hebrews tells me to consider what Jesus has done so that I won't grow weary or lose heart

and in his letter to the Galatians, Paul encourages them to "not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary."

I'm so thankful I have a loving Father who has sacrificed much for me so that I can be in relationship with Him

I'm thankful for Jesus' willingness to obey the Father even to the point of death

I'm thankful God's grace is sufficient for everything I face

thankful that His power is perfected in my weaknesses

I'm thankful God's mercies are new every morning

thankful He doesn't deal with me in anger as my sins deserve, but He is patient and kind

I'm thankful God's faithfulness doesn't fluctuate with my level of faith

I'm thankful God is light, He's the source of light, and therefore doesn't hide in the shadows

I'm thankful God is a rock, He is steady and sure, solid and unmovable

I'm thankful He is my Shepherd, He knows and meets all my needs

I'm thankful God is the bread of life and living water

thankful He satisfies and fills me up with Himself 

I'm thankful I have no need to fear

thankful He offers rest for the weary, refuge for the down trodden, comfort for the broken hearted, and hope for sinners

I'm thankful God enables me to take every thought captive and renews my mind

I'm thankful He gives me a song of praise

I can say with the Psalmist, "Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips will praise You."

Life my seem hard, and it is definitely uncertain, but God is an overcomer

so I don't need to focus on life, but rather on Him and His truth

for that I am very thankful!

Thankful Thursday

A wise man once said, "There is an appointed time for everything."

The last few months have been a time for investing a lot of time and energy into family;

supporting Dad and Mom as they experience transition in their living situation

hosting brothers as they came into town to assist with the changes

hosting our daughter and grandson 

walking through struggles with our kids

I'm thankful God has provided resources to be able to do these things

If we tried to accomplish them in our own strength, it certainly would have been a fiasco

But He gives grace and peace and rest

I'm very thankful for His abiding presence

I'm also thankful that a time has come for some R&R

I'm looking forward to getting away for a few days with my wonderful wife

I'm thankful we enjoy spending time together and thankful God has opened up this opportunity

As I spoke with a friend this afternoon, and learned of some discouraging news he received recently, I was reminded that Jesus told us,  "In the world you have tribulation,"

I'm thankful He gave me that heads up

and I'm thankful He didn't stop there, but went on to say, "but take courage; I have overcome the world."

I'm thankful God walks with me at all times, including those situations where trouble seems to be mounting quickly

I'm grateful He gives peace and comfort

I'm thankful I have a standing invitation to come to Him when the burdens are overwhelming

I'm thankful there is a time for rest

and grateful He gives rest to the weary

I'm thankful God never grows weary or tired; He never slumbers or sleeps, but is always watchful

and I'm thankful that although this life is filled with struggle, I have a hope from God that one day I will be in His presence, worshiping Him, free from all pain and turmoil

He is worthy of all praise!

I'm forever grateful I am His child

Thankful Thursday

Today was a challenging day

I was hoping to wrap up a project, but that didn't happen

I'm thankful for God's grace in dealing with the challenges and unexpected twists and turns

and then just as I was getting in the van for my hour and a half ride home it started to rain--HARD!

I knew that my wife was also about to get on the road driving home from the airport where she had taken our daughter and grandson

I'm thankful God was with us, and both or us arrived home safely

I'm thankful He is a shield about us and the lifter of our heads

I'm thankful God invites us to call out to Him, and that He responds when we do

got a message from our daughter that our grandson slept for most of the flight from Philly to St. Louis

thankful God answered our prayers that he would handle the trip well

it was so good to have them here with us for the past week

I'm thankful for family

God tells me that children are a blessing from Him

thankful He has blessed me three times over plus one

and if children are a blessing, grandchildren must be a double blessing!

thankful for the smiles, laughter, and time spent with my grandson

the miles that separate us don't diminish how much we enjoy him

I'm thankful God is my strength and my song

thankful He draws me into His presence and allows me to see His glory

when I got up this morning, and looked out the window, the moon was gorgeous

it was either full or very close to full, and there was an orange glow all around it in the clouds

I'm thankful for the way the heavens declare God's glory

thankful all creation shouts forth His praise

and I want to join with them in proclaiming how great God is

thankful He is holy and righteous

thankful He is compassionate and merciful

thankful He is faithful and true

thankful He is the God of all comfort and the Father of mercy

thankful He is not limited by time and space like me

thankful He knows all things; He never surprised or caught off guard

thankful His love is everlasting

Thankful Thursday

I've been reading in Ecclesiastes recently

came across these verses in chapter 3 the other day:

"I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good in one's lifetime; moreover, that every man who eats and drinks sees good in all his labor--it is the gift of God."

I am thankful God has gifted me with an ability to find enjoyment in my work

thankful He has allowed me to have a job that brings me pleasure

I know too many people who are just trying to make it through another week--living for the weekend

each day is an opportunity to see God's hand of provision and direction

I'm so thankful He reveals Himself

I'm thankful He is a God of joy and desires to impart His joy to me

my daughter and grandson arrived from Missouri today!

I'm so thankful I get to spend time with them for the next week

Thankful God has blessed me with children and a grandchild

It's so much fun watching Hudson explore his surroundings

but I must confess, it also makes me tired!  He has more energy than I do

I am thankful for health and strength

Thankful God is my strength and my song

most mornings one of the things I pray for is that God would put a song in my heart

I'm thankful He answers that prayer

having a focus of praise as I'm going through my day makes a lot of difference

and when I'm already focused on Him, asking Him for direction and wisdom when facing difficult circumstances is a natural outflow

I'm thankful for God's invitation to seek Him and talk with Him

thankful He tells us to ask for the things we desire

and thankful He describes Himself as a generous giver

I'm thankful for God's greatest gift; the gift of His Son and the relationship we can enjoy with Him because of Christ's willingness to go to the cross

I'm thankful for God's grace and mercy

Thankful Thursday

I was talking with a friend who drives truck and delivers sheds this afternoon as I was driving home from my job site in Delaware

he was driving on the turnpike and was in a bit of traffic because of an accident

he made the comment that he is very thankful for his record of safety, considering the many miles he logs

I had to agree with him.

I'm thankful that in spite of my less than cautious approach to driving at times, God has chosen to protect me from serious injury or causing someone else harm

I'm grateful that He is a shield about me

that doesn't mean that nothing that I view as unpleasant will ever happen to me

but it does mean that He will walk through all of life's circumstances with me

and for that I am extremely thankful

I'm thankful for the promise of His presence

I'm thankful for the direction He provides

just today, as I was working, I made a miscalculation that would have thrown off the placement of a row of cabinets I was installing.  But God interrupted me and showed me I needed to adjust my measurement.  

I'm thankful He is my Immanuel

working alone gives me opportunity to commune with Him throughout the day

I'm thankful He is a God who communicates and engages with me

I'm thankful He gives me a song and turns my heart toward praise

I'm thankful He has chosen me to be His son, adopting me into His family

I'm thankful He holds me in His hand, a place of security, and nothing is able to rip me from His grasp

the sunset this evening was gorgeous

I'm thankful God is an artist and shares His talent with me in the pictures He paints throughout His creation

I'm thankful for time with my wife this evening

those moments have been less frequent recently because of he responsibilities as a caregiver for her mom

so I'm especially thankful when we are able to find some time to catch up and communicate

and I love when she asks me to pray with her or play the piano for her

I'm thankful for opportunities to serve her, since she spends so much of her time serving others

James reminds us that every perfect gift is from above--she's one of my perfect gifts from my heavenly Father and I can't thank Him enough for her!

I'm thankful God continues to pour out His grace in my life

I'm thankful His mercies are new every morning

speaking of which, I need to wrap this up so I can enjoy some sleep before morning gets here

Thankful Thursday

There are so many things I'm thankful for

I was at the eye doctor this evening for another check on the status of my right eye

Although I have issues with my vision, I'm very thankful for what I can see

I'm also thankful for the spiritual vision God has given me

as the song says-- I once was blind but now I see

On Sunday, a young man asked me how I was doing

I replied, "Better than I deserve!"

He asked, "Why do you say that?"

My response was, "because I'm a sinful creature who has experienced a whole lot of God's grace."

I'm thankful God doesn't always give me what I deserve

I'm thankful He is compassionate and slow to anger

I'm thankful He does open the eyes of the blind

I'm thankful God transforms hearts and renews minds

I'm thankful He gives me a song to sing

music is a gift

as I was reading in James the other morning, 

"every good thing bestowed, and every perfect gift is from above..."

I'm thankful God gives me good and perfect gifts every day

He is faithful and unchanging

I'm thankful for God's amazing grace poured out on sinners like me

Thankful Thursday

It's been a long week

Routine got thrown out the window

uncertainty and change became the norm

But in the midst of all the chaos

I'm thankful for the One who is an anchor for my soul

God is my rock, my fortress, my strong tower

As I was reading in James this morning

I was reminded once again of His steadfast love and His faithfulness

verses 5 and 6 of chapter 1 gives me instruction on how I approach God

the first step is to recognize my need

"if any of you lacks wisdom..."

Yes indeed, I find myself in that phrase

but it's not always wisdom I'm lacking

other needs arise as well

the second step is to ask

"...let him ask of God"

verse 6 gives a bit more instruction on this step

"But let him ask in faith without any doubting"

and then there's a description of the one who doesn't heed this part

"for the one who doubt is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind"

back in verse 5, I'm told what happens when I ask in faith

God is the One who gives generously and without finding fault  and when I acknowledge my need and ask of Him, He gives

I'm thankful God is a generous giver

I'm thankful I don't need to be tossed about by the ever changing circumstances of life

I'm thankful that He is good, all His ways are righteous

I'm thankful He is holy

I'm thankful God is trustworthy

I'm grateful He is my strength and my song

I'm thankful God holds me in His hand and there is nothing that can pluck me away from Him

because He is greater than all

all my circumstances

all my fears

all my shortcomings

all spiritual forces

all my problems

I'm thankful God knows these things and He continues to give me grace to overcome

I'm no longer a slave to fear

I'm so thankful I am a child of God

He is a shield about me and the lifter of my head

Thankful Thursday

I just go home from spending the evening in the hospital emergency room waiting area

I'm thankful my mother-in-law did not need to spend the night in the hospital

I'm thankful for medical personnel who are gifted to help in times of dilemma

I'm thankful for my father-in-law, and all the energy he invests in caring for mom

He truly is an example to our family of loving commitment

It's been a rough couple of weeks, with ups and downs (mostly downs) in mom's health

I'm thankful for my wife, and her commitment to supporting and honoring her parents

she has a lot on her shoulders, but she handles it with grace and dignity

I'm thankful for a God who supplies strength to the weary

I'm thankful for His grace, which He tells us is sufficient for every circumstance

I'm thankful He is all knowing, and never surprised by the situations we face

I'm thankful for time to meditate on Him and His goodness

Tomorrow starts early with a breakfast/bible study at 6AM

I'm thankful for the group of guys who meet once a month to share life together and stimulate one another toward love and good works

I'm thankful my bed is close by and thankful for the way God has designed our bodies to sleep and be refreshed

Going to have to sleep fast tonight!