Category Archives: Thanks & Praise

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

April 1, 2014

Posted under

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

He Was There at the Start; He’ll Be There at the Finish

I have carried you since you were born; I have taken care of you from your birth. Even when you are old, I will be the same. Even when your hair has turned gray, I will take care of you. I made you and will take care of you. I will carry you and save you. [Isaiah 46:3b-4 (NCV)]

Thank you, O Lord, for your constant presence in our lives. You have watched over us and never tired of forgiving us time after time. You have carried us through both good and bad times and never tired of mending our wounded hearts. There are no secrets we can keep from you; you know us inside and out and yet you love us anyway. Thank you, Lord, for the knowledge that as gently as you carried each one of us into this world, you will gently carry each of us home when our time comes.

“I Was There To Hear Your Borning Cry” by John Ylvisaker

I was there to hear your borning cry,
I’ll be there when you are old.
I rejoiced the day you were baptized,
To see your life unfold.
I was there when you were but a child,
With a faith to suit you well;
In a blaze of light you wandered off
To find where demons dwell.

When you heard the wonder of the Word
I was there to cheer you on;
You were raised to praise the living Lord,
To whom you now belong.
If you find someone to share your time
And you join your hearts as one,
I’ll be there to make your verses rhyme
From dusk ’till rising sun.

In the middle ages of your life,
Not too old, no longer young,
I’ll be there to guide you through the night,
Complete what I’ve begun.
When the evening gently closes in,
And you shut your weary eyes,
I’ll be there as I have always been
With just one more surprise.

 

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

March 23, 2014

Posted under

Thanks & Praise

Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow

Greatness, power, splendor, glory, and majesty are yours, Lord, because everything in heaven and on earth is yours. The kingdom is yours, Lord, and you are honored as head of all things. [1 Chronicles 29:11 (GW)]

Can you hear us, Lord? We are singing your praises from the bottom of our hearts!

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise him all creatures here below;
Praise him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen
[“Doxology,” words by Thomas Ken (1674)]

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

March 14, 2014

Posted under

God's Grace & Love, God's Word: The Bible, Joy, Obedience, Thanks & Praise

What Blessings Have You Enjoyed?

The teachings of the Lord are perfect; they give new strength. The rules of the Lord can be trusted; they make plain people wise. The orders of the Lord are right; they make people happy. The commands of the Lord are pure; they light up the way. Respect for the Lord is good; it will last forever. [Psalm 19:7-9a (NCV)]

The question was asked, “What blessings have you enjoyed as a result of obeying God’s word?” My first thought was the satisfaction that comes from knowing I’ve done the right thing. Then I realized that by obeying God’s word, my life is blessed, not with a sense of righteousness, but with a sense of direction, peace, and joy. Obeying God’s word enlightens, guides and restores me. Obeying God brings not just an eternal reward in heaven but also an immediate reward in this life.

Thank you, God, for loving us enough to give us your holy word to teach, direct and bless us through this life and into the next.

The judgments of the Lord are true; they are completely right. They are worth more than gold, even the purest gold. They are sweeter than honey, even the finest honey. By them your servant is warned. Keeping them brings great reward. [Psalm 19:9b-11 (NCV)]

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

March 7, 2014

Posted under

Church & Worship, Spiritual Gifts, Thanks & Praise

All Are Important in God’s House

But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then. [Mark 10:31 (NLT)]

Thank you, Lord, for our priest  and pastors, deacons, elders and council members, worship leaders and musicians, readers and greeters. Many of those who serve in your church, however, are nearly invisible; yet, they are the ones who keep our parishes running. Thank you, Lord, for all of those behind-the-scene people who give so freely of their time and gifts. Thank you for the prayer warriors and sound people, the coffee makers and cookie bakers, the program folders and newsletter mailers. Thank you for those who decorate the church or prepare communion trays, shop for holiday food baskets or Christmas gifts for the needy, open their homes to small groups or church guests, and for those bring food to mourning families without ever being asked. Thank you for those who address and stuff envelopes, work on auctions or rummage sales, plan dinners and special events, organize the library or sheet music, count the offering, come early to turn on the heat, stay late to tidy the sanctuary, shovel the snow, mow the grass, clean the kitchen, teach the children, care for the babes in the nursery, go on mission trips, and organize the blood drives. May we all learn about love and service from their examples.

God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. [1 peter 4:10 (NLT)]

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

February 14, 2014

Posted under

God's Grace & Love, Holidays & Holy Days, Thanks & Praise

He Sends Us Valentimes Every Day (Valentine’s Day)

But each day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me, and through each night I sing his songs, praying to God who gives me life. [Psalm 42:8 (NLT)]

We are loved and God doesn’t play favorites with his people. He couldn’t love any of us more than he already does and He won’t love any of us less. He loves the leper as much as the missionary, the street-weary prostitute as much as the social worker, the homeless addict as much as the soup-kitchen volunteer, the embezzler as much as the humanitarian and the sinner as much as the saint. No one is considered damaged goods or ‘seconds’ in God’s world. He loves us all! Thank you, God, for your unwavering love for us your flawed children.

God does not love us because we are valuable. We are valuable because God loves us. [Fulton J. Sheen]

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

February 9, 2014

Posted under

Attitudes & Behavior, Challenges & Difficulty, Thanks & Praise

Gratitude is Possible

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

I just viewed a commercial that showed an amazing family. They lost their son in the shootings at Columbine and, since that tragedy, the mother has suffered a heart attack and the father has been on dialysis. The mother spoke about taking what has been given, learning from it and becoming a better person because of it. She ended by saying, “That’s why I feel we’re blessed.” Talk about gratitude! I have no idea what was being advertised, but that ad certainly put my petty complaints into perspective. If that family can still experience gratitude, we, too, can be “thankful in all circumstances”!

Father, it’s so easy to see you in the beauty and joys of life: rainbows and flowers, healing and birth, love and laughter. Open our eyes to your presence in all aspects of life, even the ugly and sad: storms and destruction, illness and heartbreak, tears and even death. Give us the ability to see the good that can come from heartbreak and tragedy; help us count our blessings and not our pain.

Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. [Colossians 2:7 (NLT)]