Give Thanks!

It is good to give thanks to the LORD,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night,
On an instrument of ten strings,
On the lute,
And on the harp,
With harmonious sound.
For You, LORD, have made me glad through Your work;
I will triumph in the works of Your hands.
O LORD, how great are Your works!
Your thoughts are very deep. Psalm 92:1-5 NKJV

"O Give Thanks" appears 19 times in the King James Version and a reminder to us of thanksgiving--giving thanks 28 times.

If we are yet alive, breathing and able to see, hear, and move; have family that love us and friends who care, we have something we can give thanks to God for and if we have received His Son--the work on the cross--our means of salvation, then we can truly shout--Thank You, Lord!

Every day should be a day of giving thanks for if it had not been for The Lord on our side, where would we be?

I start each day, thanking God for life, health, strength, ability to move, see and talk. I thank Him for the wisdom He is constantly pouring into me and for loving me enough to use me to promote Him. It is His mercy and grace that have kept me thus far and it will be His mercy and grace that keeps me until He desires me to be with Him, for all eternity.

Thank You, Lord! If I had 10,000 tongues, I couldn't praise You enough and there are no words to express my gratitude for all You've done for me. But when we all get together, seated at Your feet, my love for You will radiate through the heavens, just as my love for You is now demonstrated in my desire to please You and You alone. For You and You alone are worthy of all praise!

Those are my thoughts about giving thanks! I pray that everyone who reads this today or whenever, will have just as much or more to be thankful for. He deserves our praise and thanks giving just because of who He is!

A Friend's Love!

"Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us." (I Peter 2:11,12 NIV)

When Peter writes this letter to Believers--especially to those who are new to the faith--his greeting lets people how he views them--friends.

When we write a letter to a friend (I know--strange concept huh), how do we greet them? Dear______! What's more important is how we treat them. Do we love them enough to tell them the truth or do we simply keep quiet and let them fall by the wayside of life?

Peter urges all to abstain--don't give into--from sinful desires which engage our spirits with our fleshly drives. We can do it. We have Holy Spirit to give us strength to fight off the urges of the flesh which desires those things that are not good for us. Sometimes, in order to fight that fight--we have to remove ourselves from certain environments or people to make sure we are not enticed or led astray. Those who deliberately lead another astray--away from doing what is right--are not friends, they are fiends--tools of the devil.

We are to live the good life that God has planned for us--doing what is right no matter what others think or say. In fact, we are told to do to keep doing what is right or saying what is right to the extent that those who find fault with us, will soon acknowledge that we are indeed messengers of God and live according to His Divine Plan for us. When they see us not caving to gain favor of others, but living to please God, they will be convinced and some will change their ways because of what they see in us--the love of God shed abroad in our hearts--filled to overflowing onto others! Hallelujah!

Are you a friend that loves enough to tell your friends the truth? Do you love your friends enough to live God's Best Life for you in front of them? Do you love your friends enough to be a living letter of the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

Dear Friends,

I love you enough to always pray for you--that you'll understand why I do what I do and say what I say--in agreement with God's Word--so that I will spend eternity with you in heaven and together, we will glorify God at the foot of His throne. I love you enough to back you up in all the good you do and to admonish you when I see you going astray. I love you enough to always tell you the truth, even though the truth may sting for a moment. I love you enough to be there when you need me, always ready to listen and to encourage you to do things God's way!

Love, your friend in Jesus!

Take A Little Time!

Since tomorrow is not promised to any of us, take a little time to enjoy The Lord, family, and friends.

Stop and look at the cloud patterns--use your imagination and journal what you see.

Stop and look at the changing colors of the leaves and marvel at how great our God is.

Stop and watch the animals preparing for colder weather.

Stop and take a deep breath, enjoying the ability to breathe.

Stop and listen to your children and actually "hear" what they are saying.

Stop and listen to your spouse and let them know you hear them.

Stop and take the time to read  or re-read passages of scripture that enlighten and encourage.

Stop and take the time to talk to the Father, prepared to listen to what He has to say.

Stop and take the time to smile at a stranger.

Stop and take the time to let friends know you appreciate them.

Stop and take the time to cook and enjoy a great meal.

Stop and take the time to relax and do absolutely nothing.

Stop and take the time to read a good book.

Stop and take the time to take a walk and enjoy the view.

Stop and take the time to reflect upon the very moment in which you live because it will not come again.

Take a little time to enjoy the life you have. If tomorrow comes, begin again, by taking the time to enjoy it and if tomorrow doesn't come, you will have enjoyed your last day!

Stop and think before you react and know that God loves you and so do I!

Take a little time to consider what has been said!

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Can't Nobody Do You Like Jesus!

Forgetting the obvious grammatical inaccuracy, never a truer statement was ever made.

When we get right down to it, there is absolutely no one who can do for us, through us and to us like Jesus!  Hallelujah!

Forget about all those who profess to be your friends--when the going gets tough--they leave you abandoned, wondering what happened.  Not Jesus!

Even family members jump ship at the slightest roil in a situation--they cannot handle the turbulent waters and they choose the life boats because of a lack of faith--in you and your relationship.  Not Jesus!

When we feel all alone, isolated, miserable and devastated--we can count on Jesus to remind us--we are never alone, never unloved, and we always on His mind!

When we need direction and wise counsel--don't count on people who are just as flawed as you are--take it to The Lord and let Him work it out on your behalf.

Looking at everything that could happen and knowing that we can only trust in the Lord--yeah, can't nobody do us like Jesus!