I just can't seem to get further into the month of November without thanking God out loud to you...Psalm 34:1 "I will bless the Lord at all times, His praise will always be on my lips." It seems fitting as this is the time of the year most people stop to say they are thankful...at least on one day of the month :) Considering the words "thanksgiving" and "to give thanks" appear in the Bible at least 67 times that I could find, let's do more than just roll it over in our hearts and minds....
30 days of thanksgiving ....
1) My salvation (Psalm 40:1-3) is my personal song to the Lord :)
2) My incredible husband (Psalm 112 is again a personal psalm I pray over him continually :) God gave me the BEST for me and I am forever grateful!
3) My oldest son, Andrew, so many stories of God rescuing him and preserving his life so he could fulfill God's purposes for him in his generation :)
4) Oldest daughter, Anya, the life this girl brings to us is beyond words....God has a destiny for her that is beyond what we could ask or even imagine :)
5) Kristina, our JOY (her middle name), really does bring us so much joy...her bubbliness, laughter, and heart for God blesses us more than words can say :)
6) Jamie, God knew we needed Jamie in our life to complete us...such energy, such life, such prayer that he keeps all his limbs in tact as he skateboards, wakeboards and snowboards....he has kept us young!
I love my children more than words can say....and there is so much more that I am so incredibly grateful for in their lives...this is a fraction of my heart for them!
7) My mom....she is 83 now and a blessing to so many of us. She is always there for us and is a support and friend to my aunt, who is 89; they are the only ones left of her family. She is so giving and fun to be with. As a mom myself the last 24-1/2 years, I am so much more aware and thankful for all she did for me, and the first ten years of my life, so much of it alone. She is incredible!
8) The "community of families" God has given to our family. Jim's family is all in Australia and mine lives states away, so the closeness God has given us here with our "family" means more to us than they can imagine....and they know "who" they are. They really are FAMILY to us in every sense of the word, and we would do anything for them. We've been together for years (30+ for some of them and our kids have grown up together) - memories packed in our hearts!
9) Thankful for our church body that loves us and we are honored to minister together with them. They are committed to God's Word, loving and serving others and reaching out with abundant life and hope to all those around us.
AND that is only NINE days into the month!! Let's take Psalm 103 literally this month....(Message Version)
"O my soul, bless (thank...my words) GOD. From head to toe, I'll bless His holy name! O my soul, bless (thank) GOD, don't forget a single blessing!
** He forgives your sins - EVERY ONE!
** He heals your diseases - EVERY ONE!
** He redeems you from hell - SAVES YOUR LIFE!
** He crowns you with love and mercy - a PARADISE CROWN!
** He wraps you in goodness - beauty ETERNAL!
** He renews your youth - you're always young in His PRESENCE!"
Now those are words I want to wrap my heart and mind around in the next days...even when I can't quite grasp it or don't actually "see" it in the day-to-day, week-to-week, sometimes hardness of life. But, I would venture to say, if we are thankful each day for something, God will bless you and you will be singing Psalm 103 along with me.
30 days of thanksgiving ....
1) My salvation (Psalm 40:1-3) is my personal song to the Lord :)
2) My incredible husband (Psalm 112 is again a personal psalm I pray over him continually :) God gave me the BEST for me and I am forever grateful!
3) My oldest son, Andrew, so many stories of God rescuing him and preserving his life so he could fulfill God's purposes for him in his generation :)
4) Oldest daughter, Anya, the life this girl brings to us is beyond words....God has a destiny for her that is beyond what we could ask or even imagine :)
5) Kristina, our JOY (her middle name), really does bring us so much joy...her bubbliness, laughter, and heart for God blesses us more than words can say :)
6) Jamie, God knew we needed Jamie in our life to complete us...such energy, such life, such prayer that he keeps all his limbs in tact as he skateboards, wakeboards and snowboards....he has kept us young!
I love my children more than words can say....and there is so much more that I am so incredibly grateful for in their lives...this is a fraction of my heart for them!
7) My mom....she is 83 now and a blessing to so many of us. She is always there for us and is a support and friend to my aunt, who is 89; they are the only ones left of her family. She is so giving and fun to be with. As a mom myself the last 24-1/2 years, I am so much more aware and thankful for all she did for me, and the first ten years of my life, so much of it alone. She is incredible!
8) The "community of families" God has given to our family. Jim's family is all in Australia and mine lives states away, so the closeness God has given us here with our "family" means more to us than they can imagine....and they know "who" they are. They really are FAMILY to us in every sense of the word, and we would do anything for them. We've been together for years (30+ for some of them and our kids have grown up together) - memories packed in our hearts!
9) Thankful for our church body that loves us and we are honored to minister together with them. They are committed to God's Word, loving and serving others and reaching out with abundant life and hope to all those around us.
AND that is only NINE days into the month!! Let's take Psalm 103 literally this month....(Message Version)
"O my soul, bless (thank...my words) GOD. From head to toe, I'll bless His holy name! O my soul, bless (thank) GOD, don't forget a single blessing!
** He forgives your sins - EVERY ONE!
** He heals your diseases - EVERY ONE!
** He redeems you from hell - SAVES YOUR LIFE!
** He crowns you with love and mercy - a PARADISE CROWN!
** He wraps you in goodness - beauty ETERNAL!
** He renews your youth - you're always young in His PRESENCE!"
Now those are words I want to wrap my heart and mind around in the next days...even when I can't quite grasp it or don't actually "see" it in the day-to-day, week-to-week, sometimes hardness of life. But, I would venture to say, if we are thankful each day for something, God will bless you and you will be singing Psalm 103 along with me.
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