Thankful Thursday

 

 

Been working on learning the words to a few songs recently

 

Although they have been familiar when I hear them, I never took the time to get the lyrics down so I could sing them myself

 

One of the songs is "How Can I Keep From Singing"

 

The chorus starts out, "How can I keep from singing Your praise...

 

My God is so worthy of praise!

 

He is holy

 

He is righteous

 

He is compassionate

 

He is merciful

 

He is just

 

He is forgiving

 

He is patient

 

He is loving

 

He is the creator

 

He is Savior and Lord

 

He delights in reconciling people to Himself

 

His ears are always open to my cries

 

He is mighty and majestic

 

He is the author of truth and knowledge

 

He is my anchor

 

He is a peacemaker

 

All these things and so many more give me a reason to sing

 

I am so grateful that the God who made heaven and earth has adopted me into His family, calls me His son, and continues to bring transformation to this sinful broken man

Thankful Thursday

 

 

Thursday is almost over

 

But I need to take a few and put down the things I'm thanking God for this week

 

I'm grateful for God's grace

 

thankful for my job

 

thankful although I haven't been feeling well, I've been able to get out of bed every morning

 

grateful for the cross and salvation

 

thankful for friends who support me in prayer

 

thankful for music

 

thankful for an opportunity to serve through my musical ability

 

thankful to finally be on medicine; hopeful it will help to promote healing in my body

 

grateful for opportunities to connect with my kids

 

thankful for God's word

 

thankful God invites me to abide in Him; grateful He is always near

 

thankful for the promise of heaven; spending eternity praising my Savior

 

thankful for appreciative customers

 

thankful God's mercies are new every morning

 

grateful to be completely out of debt; no longer a slave to a lender

 

thankful I got this done before midnight!

Thankful Thursday

 

 

It's Thursday evening

 

Time for a pause to consider the blessings I've experienced recently

 

I am thankful for:

 

God's faithfulness

 

Good books that challenge my thinking

 

Difficult times that drive me to my knees

 

Tears of joy

 

My loving and supportive wife who knows how to encourage right responses in me

 

a God who hears and responds when we call on Him

 

music that lifts me spirits by pointing me toward God

 

phone calls and Skype calls with my kids

 

God's word and the way He speaks to me through it

 

fresh produce from our tiny vegetable patch

 

God's invitation to come to Him when we are weary

 

God's Spirit who indwells us

 

beautiful sunsets

 

times of refreshment in my Adirondack chair

 

God's protection-- seen a lot of accidents or near misses lately--grateful I haven't been involved

 

God's mercies that are new every morning

 

friends who reach out across the country with words of encouragement

 

grace and truth



Thankful Thursday

 

 

It's Thursday evening

 

Time for me to take a few minutes and reflect on what I'm thankful for

 

In Philippians, God tells us not to be anxious or worry about anything, but rather make our requests known to Him with a heart of thankfulness

 

I've learned that no matter how bleak things may look, I can always find something for which I'm grateful

 

Too often I don't take the time to express that gratitude

 

I just keep plugging away trying to make a good show of things

 

But God wants me to acknowledge His goodness and my need

 

I am thankful...

 

God invites me to express my requests even though He already knows them

 

for the living and active word of God

 

God reached out to this sinner with grace and mercy, lifted me out of my sinful state, and established my path

 

He is patient with me

 

for good books that challenge me and encourage me to seek God while He may be found

 

God has been putting a song in my heart, giving me a reason to sing

 

for my family and the opportunities I have to connect with them

 

God is a generous provider; He has given me everything I need for life and godliness

 

I know how to play the piano and have one in my home I can enjoy

 

for my wonderful wife; the expression of God's favor on me for the last 32 1/2 years

 

for the power of prayer

 

God knows me completely

 

He loves me continuously

 

all creation shouts forth God's praise and I can join with them

 

we have the nighttime for getting rest

 

when I wake up in the morning there will be a fresh batch of God's mercy for me tomorrow!

Thankful Thursday

 

 

I've been reading a book recently, called,

 

"Tempered Steel"

 

It talks about the effect of difficulty in our lives

 

When challenges arise, I have a choice

 

How will I respond?

 

With grumbling and complaining or with gratitude for the opportunity to grow and mature

 

I've been facing some challenges lately and honestly it's been an effort to keep a grateful heart

 

But I know that what God says is true!

 

And I rejoice in His goodness and faithfulness to me

 

I am thankful for

 

God's peace that passes all understanding

 

His joy demonstrated by Jesus as He faced the challenge of the cross

 

God's mercies that are new every morning

 

His forgiveness, offered to all

 

God's creativity and artistry

 

His unswerving commitment to reconciliation

 

rain

 

sunshine

 

moon flowers

 

a loving and patient wife

 

technology that allows me to connect with my kids who are scattered across the country

 

music

 

doctors--never thought I would say that!

 

restful evenings

 

God's grace

Thankful Thursday

 

 

The love of God--

 

can't comprehend it

 

can't plumb its depths

 

can't fully describe it

 

But I know it and have been touched and changed by it

 

And for that I am extremely grateful

 

It's Thursday, the day I try to take some time to put down in writing the things I've been thinking about being thankful for all week

 

Today I thank God for

 

His patience

 

His creativity

 

His artistic ability--as seen from my Adirondack chair in the back yard most evenings

 

His provision

 

the fact that He puts a song in my heart

 

the direction He gives each day

 

opportunities to tell of His amazing works

 

the chance to serve others with the gifts He provides through His Spirit

 

music

 

the cross where Jesus shed His blood in payment for my sin

 

the truth that Jesus prays for me regularly

 

friends who willingly help out in my times of need

 

my wife--loving companion for 32 1/2 years

 

technology that allows me to communicate with my kids who are scattered all over the country

 

birds that sing praise first thing in the morning

 

my piano

 

His amazing grace!

Thankful Thursday

 

 

It's Thursday, and the week has been full of things to be thankful for

 

My wife and I had the privilege of going out to Missouri to visit our daughter and son-in-law last week

 

Very grateful for the time we were able to spend with them

 

Thankful for the chance to get to know their community a bit more

 

My daughter had a couple projects I could help her with, which makes this father's heart glad

 

Thankful for God's provision of safety as we travelled almost 2,000 miles

 

We got to stop in Indianapolis on the way home and spend an evening with our uncle and cousins.  What a delightful time that was.  Thankful for their hospitality and the chance to visit with them

 

I'm thankful for the different ways God has been prodding my heart to pursue Him more diligently recently

 

Thankful for His word, and the way He reveals Himself in His word

 

Thankful for music and the ability to use it as an avenue of worship

 

Thankful God creates beauty all around us and has given us eyes to see and appreciate that beauty

 

Thankful for work, and for the wisdom God provides to accomplish the work He gives me to do

 

Thankful for my family; each one is a gift from my loving heavenly Father

 

Thankful for grace; amazed at God's patience with me and His mercies that are new every morning