Category Archives: Thanks & Praise

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January 23, 2015

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God's Grace & Love, God's Promises, Thanks & Praise

I AM LOVED

Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you! I will praise you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer. You satisfy me more than the richest feast. I will praise you with songs of joy. [Psalm 63:3-5 (NLT)]

Some of us may have tried desperately to please our parents with things like good grades or blue ribbons in sports so that we would feel worthy of their love. Others may have been in relationships where they felt they had to prove their value to be deserving of their partner’s love. They had to be thinner, prettier, funnier, smarter, earn more money or have more status. God, however, loves us just as we are. He doesn’t love us in spite of our faults; he loves us with our faults. He knows every deep dark secret, every scar, every weakness, every defect, every blemish, and every mistake in our lives. That is not to say he doesn’t want us to grow and become better and more like Christ. But whether we change or not, God will continue to love and care for us. There is nothing that we could do, no change we could make, that would make him love us any more tomorrow than he loves us today.

Thank you, God!

He remembers our frame and knows that we are dust. He may sometimes chasten us, it is true, but even this He does with a smile, the proud, tender smile of a Father who is bursting with pleasure over an imperfect but promising son who is coming every day to look more and more like the One whose child he is. [A. W. Tozer]

I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself. [Jeremiah 31:3 (NLT)]

I said if You knew You wouldn’t want me, My scars are hidden by the face I wear.
He said, “My child, my scars go deeper; It was love for you that put them there.
[“I am Loved” by William & Gloria Gaither]

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December 10, 2014

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Family, Friends & Fellowship, Holidays & Holy Days, Sharing Our Faith, Thanks & Praise

BRAGGING RIGHTS

And so they do what they should not do. …They are rude, proud, and brag about themselves. [Romans 1:28b,30b (ERV)]

“Whoever boasts should boast only about the Lord.” What people say about themselves means nothing. What counts is whether the Lord says they have done well. [2 Corinthians 10:17-18 (ERV)]

It’s that time of year again: Christmas card and letter season! Years ago, two Chicago radio personalities had great fun during their “Merry Medical Christmas” specials reading medical tidbits from holiday letters. You know the ones I’m talking about: the letters that tell in great and gruesome detail about passing kidney stones, colonoscopies, allergic reactions to shellfish, and getting Montezuma’s revenge while on holiday. They use words like “pus,” “seepage,” “mucous” and “festering:” words that definitely do not evoke the spirit of Christmas! Reading these missives gives the impression that enduring medical maladies gives one bragging rights!

Fortunately, most people skip the health details in their Christmas letters; unfortunately, many do use their holiday letters to brag about everything else in their lives. They begin with their exceptionally attractive and brilliant children and continue with their even more extraordinarily beautiful and gifted grandchildren. What follows next is a list of their fabulous trips to exotic destinations, their outstanding strategies and many stellar accomplishments at work and in the community, their latest expensive purchases, their magnificent homes and furnishings, and even the number of Christmas ornaments and holiday lights on their tree. Granted, Christmas letters are a great way to share our lives with friends far and near, but many of these letters are nothing more than self-aggrandizement. The Bible is pretty clear about boastfulness: bragging about ourselves isn’t countenanced! Bragging about God, however, is! God is always pleased when we tell others about the glorious things He’s done in our lives.

Will you be sending a Christmas letter this year? After writing this devotion, I must admit that I had to rewrite mine. Has God done anything good for you lately? Do you have any of God’s Good News to share?

I will praise the Lord at all times. I will never stop singing his praises. Humble people, listen and be happy, while I brag about the Lord. Praise the Lord with me. Let us honor his name. [Psalm 34:1-3 (ERV)]

“But if someone wants to brag, then let them brag about this: Let them brag that they learned to know me. Let them brag that they understand that I am the Lord, that I am kind and fair, and that I do good things on earth. I love this kind of bragging.” This message is from the Lord. [Jeremiah 9:24 (ERV)]

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October 23, 2014

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Family, Friends & Fellowship, Love & Works, Thanks & Praise

TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL

See, I am sending an Angel before you to lead you safely to the land I have prepared for you. Reverence him and obey all of his instruction … he is my representative—he bears my name. [Exodus 23:20-21 (TLB)]

When watching Jeopardy or playing any trivia game, I’m amazed at how much I have forgotten and how quickly the names of the rich, famous, and scandalous have left my memory. Academy award winners, Nobel Prize recipients, United Nations Secretary-Generals, Supreme Court justices, tyrants and statesmen, inventors and sports stars, popes and politicians: you name them; I’ve probably forgotten their names. There are, however, certain people I will never forget: those who have acted as God’s angels in my life, some whose names I never even knew.

Thank you, Lord, for those people who have touched my life and made it better. Thank you for the healing touch, encouraging words, spirit lifting, helpful hands, listening ears, comforting arms, excellent examples, loving acceptance and wise advice offered by your emissaries. While I may forget the famous and infamous, I will never forget the “angels” you have sent into my life.

How then can evil overtake me or any plague come near? For he orders his angels to protect you wherever you go. They will steady you with their hands to keep you from stumbling against the rocks on the trail. [Psalm 91:10-12 (TLB)]

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September 9, 2014

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Attitudes & Behavior, Joy, Thanks & Praise

IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NLT)]

We arrived at our cottage, anticipating a relaxing afternoon. The power had gone out in one refrigerator, however, and the clean-up was a long, smelly and unpleasant task. Once done, I hoped to enjoy the last of the afternoon reading in the sunroom. The locked door into the room, however, refused to unlock and could not be opened! Short of breaking the door, I wasn’t going to be reading in there that day. At least, there was hope of a nice hot shower, until I discovered we had no hot water; the pilot light on the water heater had gone out. A warm stinky fridge, a broken lock and no hot water were not the best way to start a holiday weekend.

Yet, when it came time for grace that evening, after asking God to forgive my afternoon’s litany of complaints, we thanked him for the blessings of the day. We thanked him for the blessing of two refrigerators and for discovering the dead one before it had gotten any worse. We thanked him for the handyman who responded so promptly to our call and not only repaired the door lock but also a broken light. We thanked God for the blessing of a vacation home, especially when so many have lost their only home. I added special thanks for having a husband who knows how to light a pilot light.

Blessings and gratitude go hand in hand, but not necessarily in that order. For many people, the better life is, the more thankful they become. Their good fortune determines their thankfulness. Outer circumstances, however, shouldn’t determine the joy we have in our lives. We need to learn to be thankful for everything that comes our way. The more appreciation and gratitude we have, the more happiness and contentment we’ll experience, even in less than stellar conditions. Granted, it’s not always easy to see the positive in all things, but we need to be thankful anyway. Without a doubt, we all have more than we deserve!

Father in heaven, remind us to count our blessings, not our troubles or grief, and most certainly not our minor aggravations and petty annoyances. Only then will we experience the serenity and joy you have promised us. Fill our hearts with gratitude in all circumstances and keep our lips from complaint.

Life’s under no obligation to give us what we expect. We take what we can get and are thankful it’s no worse than it is. [Margaret Mitchell]

This is the Lord’s doing, and it is wonderful to see. This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. [Psalm 118:23-24 (NLT)]

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August 16, 2014

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Family, Friends & Fellowship, Joy, Thanks & Praise

FAMILY REUNIONS

great migration 10
Weeping with joy, he embraced Benjamin, and Benjamin did the same. Then Joseph kissed each of his brothers and wept over them, and after that they began talking freely with him. [Genesis 45:14-15 (NLT)]

My husband and I cautiously found our way through the minefield of blocks and toys on the floor, retreated to our bedroom, and closed the door. Simultaneously, we both said, “It’s so loud!” Being “empty nesters,” we’re accustomed to our routines and a clean quiet house. I admit it: we’re old folks and “set in our ways!” You see, we had been blessed by a family visit; four families and three generations had gathered under our roof!

Sometimes our blessings come with noise; they leave toys on the floor and dirty dishes in the sink. Sometimes our blessings cry, as babies do, or spill, as three-years old do. Sometimes our blessings never seem to run out of energy, like the older cousins, or stay up late talking, like the siblings who are usually separated by thousands of miles. Sometimes our blessings watch TV until all hours, talk all at once, or forget to put on a new roll of toilet paper. Sometimes our blessings leave wet towels on the floor and sometimes they argue with one another. Sometimes our blessings leave an empty gas tank, break a dish or eat the brownies hidden in the freezer for other guests. Do I have any complaints? Not a one. Did I heave a sigh of relief when the last departed? Yes! Am I looking forward to next year? You betcha! Why? Because, every minute spent with family is a moment to be cherished.

Although the venue will be different and no two families are alike, I imagine your family gatherings are not all that dissimilar from ours! There’s a little stress, a few tears, plenty of noise and disorder, but lots of love and joy!

Thank you, God, for the blessings of family and family reunions. Thank you for the chaos, confusion and happiness that come when we all gather together. Every family is made up of imperfect, quirky, disparate people and none of us are easy to get along with all of the time. Thank you for your gifts of patience, love and laughter that make it all possible.

Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him. [Psalm 127:3 (NLT)]

For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation. [Psalm 100:5 (NLT)]

 

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August 13, 2014

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Prayer, Thanks & Praise, Trusting God

HE’S OUR FRIEND; LET’S TREAT HIM LIKE A GOOD ONE!

And so it happened just as the Scriptures say, that Abraham trusted God, and the Lord declared him good in God’s sight, and he was even called “the friend of God.” [James 2:23 (TLB)]

Have you ever required a favor from someone who is just a passing acquaintance? Have you ever had to share intimate details of your life with someone you don’t know well? Have you ever let a friendship go by the wayside only to discover that you need that friend’s assistance or advice? It’s not easy, is it? If we’re not in the habit of calling on God with good news, it becomes increasingly difficult to call on Him in difficult times.

On the other hand, have you ever had a “friend” who only calls when he or she wants something from you? They never call to share their good news, only the bad, or only when they have a need you can fulfill. How does God feel when we only call Him with bad news and an urgent request for his speedy intervention?

Let’s not be “fair weather” friends with our Lord. After all, He’s there for us in all weather conditions: hurricanes and calm, downpours and drought, tornadoes and blue skies. Let’s call Him regularly and share both joy and sorrow, success and failures, thanks and petitions, faith and despair.

But God is my helper. He is a friend of mine! [Psalm 54:4 (NLT)]