Thankful Thursday

I was messaging with my aunt this morning

mentioned that I was thankful God woke me up this morning and gave me life and breath

she replied, "yes...amen....It's Thursday"

I guess she knows that Thursdays are the day to be thankful

actually everyday is a day to be thankful

Scripture admonishes me to give thanks in everything at all times

but I know from personal experience how easy it is to live on the other side

I'm thankful God has turned me from a complainer into a person of gratitude

I'm thankful His Spirit has produced the fruit of joy in my life

I'm thankful I've been washed clean by the blood of the LAMB

and thankful God has clothed me in robes of righteousness

knowing I'm a chosen son of the Living God gives me motivation to get out of bed each morning

I'm thankful He has adopted me into His family

thankful God pulled me out of darkness into His marvelous light

I'm thankful for God's word that tells me I am a recipient of eternal life

I'm thankful for the hope which comes with that assurance

I'm especially thankful for this as I experienced the passing of my uncle on Sunday

I don't sorrow as those who have no hope

I know he is rejoicing in the presence of his Savior right now

I'm thankful I will have the opportunity to express this hope through music at his funeral this weekend

everyday is a gift

as I age, I become more and more aware of that

I'm thankful God knows the number of my days

thankful He knows every minutest detail about me; even the number of hairs on my head!

that's a number that is constantly changing

I'm thankful for a job I enjoy

I was sharing with a friend this afternoon how grateful I am the God has provided a job I enjoy and can do   even with some of the limitations I experience as I age

I'm thankful God is my strength and my song

I know that without Him I can do nothing

but I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength

Scripture says that those who trust in the Lord lie down in peace and sleep

that's what I'm going to do as soon as I finish this up

I'm thankful for that peaceful sleep God provides

Thankful Thursday

I've been spending time reading and meditating on Psalm 145 recently

one of the phrases that has stuck out to me is verse 4:

"One generation shall praise Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts." 

it is so crucial for me to choose my words carefully

Jesus said in Matthew 12,

"But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an account for it in the day of judgment."

God has done so many wonderful things, and He wants me as one of His followers to be telling others about them

it's so easy to get sucked into talking about the negative things going on around me

but God calls me to rise above that

He wants me to fix my eyes on Him and recognize all that He is doing 

and then He wants me to talk about it!

I'm so thankful God is the creator

the earth is an amazing place

and the universe is beyond description

there is so much beauty surrounding me

and God made it all

He is a master designer

He placed the earth just the right distance from the sun to benefit from it's power without being overwhelmed by it

He is an extraordinary artist 

I'm thankful for the beautiful sunsets I get to enjoy from my dining room window

when it's warm outside, I enjoy them from my back yard

I'm thankful for a roof over my head, especially on days like today when it rained all day long

thankful for God's provision of my home with electricity, running water, and heat

I'm thankful God is the giver and sustainer of life

I'm thankful for His gift of eternal life

I'm thankful for the grace and forgiveness I have experienced

I'm thankful for music, for that avenue I have for expressing praise to God

I'm thankful for family

I had a surprise phone call from my grandson today

(He's 16 months old!)

somehow he got hold of his mom's phone and called me

it was so cool to hear him jabbering on the other end of the line when I answered

couldn't understand a thing he was saying, but it was still a special moment

I'm thankful for health

throughout my life, I have enjoyed good health

if I get sick, it is generally just a 24 hour thing and then it's gone

I'm thankful for the way God has designed our bodies to heal

I'm thankful I am fearfully and wonderfully made by God

I'm thankful for God's patience with me

thankful He holds me in His hand and lifts me up when I stumble

I'm thankful He is a God who delights in reconciling people to Himself

I'm thankful that because of my belief in Jesus, I have the right to be called a child of God

Glory!

Thankful Thursday

life is an adventure

that's what I like to say

and typically I enjoy adventure 

the thrill of experiencing new things is usually exciting

sometimes though the adventure becomes a bit overwhelming

I'm thankful I don't walk this road of life alone

I'm grateful God is always present

I may not see Him with my physical eyes, but the evidence of His presence is undeniable

I saw His artistic hand in the sunset this evening

and a few times recently He rescued me from injuries that could have resulted from my carelessness

God reveals Himself in answered prayers

He is a generous provider

I see Him in the faces of friends He has given me who journey with me through life

I'm very thankful God's ears are always open to my cries

thankful He is intimately acquainted with all my ways

whether I'm sitting or standing

walking aimlessly or sprinting full speed ahead

God is there

I'm thankful He directs my path

grateful for His influence on my thought processes

I'm thankful God has all my days numbered

there's nothing that catches Him by surprise

I'm thankful God is all knowing, all powerful, all loving

thankful He is a rescuer of sinners

I'm thankful God has overcome death and the grave

thankful He sent Jesus as the sacrificial Lamb who takes away the sin of all who believe

Scripture tells me that God is not willing that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance

so thankful for God's amazing grace that saved this wretched sinner

Thankful Thursday

it's Thursday

time to take a few moments to express my gratitude to God

I'm thankful I have been fearfully and wonderfully made

that truth was the focus of my wife's thoughts today as she ran through some medical testing

I'm thankful God planned a means of salvation for me even before I was born

thankful He is a God of mercy and grace

I'm thankful God gives wisdom to me when I am lacking it

I'm thankful for His power that is at work in me

the same power that raised Christ Jesus from the dead

I'm thankful God is my provider

thankful He is generous and kind

I know I don't deserve any of His blessings

I'm thankful His love is not dependent on my worthiness

I'm thankful for the gift of life

thankful for each day God gives me here on planet earth

but even more thankful for the assurance of life with Him for all eternity

I'm thankful for the hope that provides

when the trials of this life seem overwhelming I think of Paul's statement that the struggles of this life are not to be compared to the glory we will experience in heaven

I'm thankful for God's peace that has the ability to guard my heart and my mind

I'm thankful God is the One who picks me up when I stumble

I was reading about Peter's experience with walking on water this week

it was a reminder of how thankful I am that even when I'm weak in faith, when I cry out to God He responds by lifting me out of the waves and sheltering me from the wind

I'm thankful God is my all in all

thankful He rescued me out of darkness

thankful His light now illumines my path

I'm thankful God is my guide, walking with me on this journey of life 

Thankful Thursday

yesterday I celebrated my anniversary

37 years of marriage to the love of my life

I'm thankful for each of those years

thankful God has directed our path, showing us the steps to take, and sometimes carrying us when we couldn't walk on our own

I'm thankful for the joys and the sorrows we have experienced over these many years

thankful God has been faithful in guarding our relationship

I know it's only by His grace that we have enjoyed the closeness and depth of relationship we share

I'm thankful God challenged me many years ago to begin each day praying with and for my wife

it has provided solid footing for us throughout our journey

God is the glue that has bonded us together

I'm so grateful He knows us and hears us

I remember standing before Chris those many years ago, telling her that I would love her as Christ loves the church

I certainly haven't done that perfectly over the years

but I am thankful God has helped me in doing that, and thankful He forgives my shortcomings

I remember singing the song, "I Could Never Promise You" in our wedding ceremony

acknowledging my utter dependence on God in starting the new role as a husband

and as the years have passed, I just become more and more convinced of my need for Him

I'm thankful for Chris' patience with me

thankful for her devotion to God first of all, but also to me

I'm thankful for her support and encouraging words

she is my perfect gift from God

I'm thankful for my job

I'm also very thankful most days aren't like today was

it was just one of those days!

my brother in law sent the verse, 

"In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have overcome the world." 

in a family group text this morning

it was fitting for the day I had

trouble!

but I'm thankful God continued to guide me and give me strength even while experiencing trouble

I'm thankful God is the source of wisdom

thankful He is the giver and sustainer of life

I'm grateful for His presence with me each day

although I've been doing this kind of work most of my life--40+ years

I still find myself seeking His insight when I'm facing a challenging situation

I'm thankful for God's invitation to ask for wisdom when we find it lacking

thankful too for His assurance that He doesn't look on us with reproach when we acknowledge that lack

God is my refuge

He is my strength and my song

so grateful!

Thankful Thursday

I pause to reflect on what I am thankful for this evening, 2 days before Christmas

Immanuel: God with us

what an amazing gift!

I thank God that He sent His Son

born a child, and yet a King

I am thankful God is near

thankful He didn't just create the earth and then take a giant step back to let us flounder on our own

I'm thankful God reveals Himself to those who seek Him

on the night of Jesus birth, the shepherds received a message about this new born Savior

they could have just stayed on the hillside watching their sheep

but instead they went in search of the One who had come to bring peace

and they found Him

The magi from the east saw a star with special significance

they didn't have to travel many miles to bring homage to the One who was born king of the Jews

but the did

they came seeking Him and found Him

and I'm thankful God is still revealing Himself 

am I seeking Him?

I'm thankful God responds when I call out to Him

I know He hears me when I pray

I've seen the evidence of His answers to those prayers

I'm thankful God has blessed me with children and grandchildren

thankful for stimulating conversations with my kids

thankful for the way they challenge and encourage me

I'm thankful for God's protection

I was just quoting from Ps. 121 to my grandson this morning

"The Lord is your keeper; the sun will not smite you by day, nor the moon by night.  The Lord will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul."

I had one of those protection moments this week

I was ripping a board on the table saw and suddenly felt something on my thumb

I pulled back, and looked at it

I was wearing a glove, and it had a cut in it, but when I pulled the glove off, the skin wasn't even broken

It could have been a very bad situation

but God...

I'm thankful God's timing is perfect

at just the right time, He sent His Son

even when I was trapped in my sin, Jesus died and rose again so I could experience newness of life

so thankful Jesus humbled Himself and became a servant and a sacrifice

I'm thankful for the exemplary life He lived

I'm thankful for God's grace and mercy demonstrated on the cross

and I'm thankful I am a recipient of His love 

Thankful Thursday

I'm thankful for God's continued guidance and protection

my wife, Chris, spent 2 weeks out in Missouri with our daughter and her family

while there, she tested positive for Covid and was dealing with a lot of fatigue

she really wanted to come home, but wasn't sure if she could handle the trip

as we prayed and sought God's direction, we decided that I would drive out and bring her home 

1,900 miles in three days

so thankful God gave me the energy and endurance to make that trip

and I'm thankful to have my wife back home

I'm thankful God answers prayer

thankful He responds when we call out to Him

and I'm thankful God invites us to come to Him with our prayers

I've been singing a lot recently on the job

one of the things I've been praying about is thanking God that He is my strength and my song, and asking Him to give me a song throughout the day

and He has been answering that prayer with more than one song

daily I'm reminded how dependent I am on God's strength

the physical toll I experience in my work is a constant reminder that God's strength is perfected in my weakness

I'm thankful His grace is sufficient for all the circumstances I face

my coworker has been reminding me lately that in the world we will have trouble, but he encourages me with the rest of that truth: that we can take courage because Christ has overcome the world

I'm thankful God is a God of victory

thankful that He causes us to triumph through Him

I'm thankful His mercies are new each morning

and thankful God is faithful in fulfilling His promises to me

I'm thankful for the wisdom that comes as I seek Him and live in fear of Him

God is holy and righteous, and yet He is also gracious and merciful

I'm thankful I have experienced His salvation

as we go through this advent season

I'm thankful Jesus came

thankful God is with me

thankful He continues to shine on me and show me His favor