Category: Grateful

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A Lump in My Throat

I have such a great love for our country and the principles it was founded upon. I am patriotic through and through. I grew up saying the Pledge of Allegiance each morning in my classroom at school. (At the time I didn’t realize what that pledge meant but I knew it was important.)

In those days we had music class one day a week. It was there that Mrs. Martinez taught us the words to the National Anthem, God Bless America, America the Beautiful, You’re a Grand Old Flag and my favorite, The Battle Hymn of the Republic. You know because I’ve told you many times that music and song lyrics have a very important place in my heart.

I get a lump in my throat each time I sing our National Anthem, The Battle Hymn of the Republic and God Bless America. I remember right after 9-11 when our military personnel who stand to sing God Bless America at ball games and public assemblies, there was never a dry eye in the crowds. It wasn’t just a patriotic song; it was a prayer from our lips.

The people who came here to colonize this land, came fleeing persecution of all kinds but one of the primary things they wanted to establish was a freedom to worship God as they pleased. They held fast to their beliefs and built them into the very fabric of our foundation.

Today we celebrate our nation’s birthday, 243 years!

We are a land of imperfect people yet we have a freedom and way of life that is envied the world round. Folks desire to come here for a better way of life; God has blessed us!

I am including the lyrics to the Battle Hymn of the Republic this morning. They are so stirring. They are my prayer as I give thanks for our country. I ask the Lord to bring this nation to a place of faith and trust in Him, once again.

“Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored
He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword
His truth is marching on

Glory, Glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
His truth is marching on

I have seen Him in the watch-fires of a hundred circling camps
They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps
I can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps
His day is marching on.

I have read a fiery gospel writ in burnished rows of steel
“As ye deal with my contemners, so with you my grace shall deal”
Let the Hero, born of woman, crush the serpent with his heel
Since God is marching on

He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat
He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment-seat
Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him! Be jubilant, my feet!
Our God is marching on

In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea
With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me
As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free
While God is marching on

Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Our God is marching on” lyrics by Julia Ward Howe 1861

Happy Birthday America!

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, The people He has chosen as His own inheritance.” Psalm 33:12 NKJV

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Please and Thank You

Yesterday we had a very pleasant experience. We stayed at a Raddison Hotel in Yuma. Everyone we dealt with was very kind and polite. This was such a pleasant change to what we so often experience.

Is it just me or have the rest of you noticed that a large portion of society has forgotten how to be polite? Good manners aren’t archaic; they aren’t old fashion; they should be as en vogue today as they were 100 years ago. Saying please and thank you should be as natural as breathing; showing respect to parents, elders, teachers and those in authority is a sign of good upbringing. We shouldn’t demand, we should ask.

“You can be certain that in the last days there will be some very hard times. 2 People will love only themselves and money. They will be proud, stuck-up, rude, and disobedient to their parents. They will also be ungrateful, godless, 3 heartless, and hateful. Their words will be cruel, and they will have no self-control or pity. These people will hate everything that is good. 4 They will be sneaky, reckless, and puffed up with pride. Instead of loving God, they will love pleasure. 5 Even though they will make a show of being religious, their religion won’t be real. Don’t have anything to do with such people.” II Timothy 3:1-5 ERV

These verses were written almost 2000 years ago and yet they sound like the reports on the evening news. We need to raise our children and influence our grandchildren to avoid such characteristics as are listed above. It’s not our words that will influence and teach, it’s by our actions. Do you see anything in those verses that would point out areas of correction to you? If so, repent and change. Live a life that will be a walking example to those around you.

Make sure you are thankful to God as well. He and He alone is worthy of all honor and praise and glory!

“Offer praise to God our Savior because of our Lord Jesus Christ! Only God can keep you from falling and make you pure and joyful in his glorious presence. Before time began and now and forevermore, God is worthy of glory, honor, power, and authority. Amen.” Jude 24-25

Gratitude is a heart condition. Too often we fail to appreciate the kindnesses of others. It’s important that we don’t adopt the attitude that much of society is preaching – entitlement. When we feel we are “owed” something, we’re entitled to it for one reason or another, we often become demanding and rude. We really need to guard against this mindset.

“My dear brothers and sisters, don’t be fooled about this. Everything good comes from God. Every perfect gift is from him. These good gifts come down from the Father who made all the lights in the sky. But God never changes like the shadows from those lights. He is always the same. God decided to give us life through the true message he sent to us. He wanted us to be the most important of all that he created.” James 1:16-18 ERV

Every good gift we receive comes from our heavenly Father. It may bring it through the hands of an employer, a friend or loved one but ultimately He was the source.

Let’s show our gratitude but expressing sincere appreciation for the likenesses we receive. That way we can be an example of the Father.

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This Shouldn’t Be

For the last week I have been reading about the way the Lord delivered the Israelites from Egyptian slavery. The miracles that God did are amazing. Each time I read this account I am absolutely confounded by the hard-hearted stubbornness of the Pharaoh. He was more willing to see his entire nation suffer than release the Israelites.

The Lord sent ten disastrous events before Pharaoh agreed to their departure and then after they had been gone a couple days, he went after them with soldiers and chariots. The Lord placed a protective cloud between the Israelites and Egyptians. Moses was able to lead them to safety and the Egyptians drown.

It didn’t take more than a few days for the Israelites to start complaining. They had just experienced a miraculous deliverance and now they were disgruntled by the conditions they encountered in the desert and were very vocal about it. Are you kidding me? God just moved heaven and earth to take them out of bondage and all they could do was complain. I think what they meant to say was “thank you”.

“Humans have control over every kind of wild animal, bird, reptile, and fish, and they have controlled all these things. 8 But no one can control the tongue. It is wild and evil, full of deadly poison. 9 We use our tongues to praise our Lord and Father, but then we curse people who were created in God’s likeness. 10 These praises and curses come from the same mouth. My brothers and sisters, this should not happen.” James 3:7-10 ERV

We would never do anything like this right? They complained about the water; they griped about being in the desert; they murmured because there was no bread or meat. Each time they complained Moses would pray, God would provide but they were never really grateful. At the least little inconvenience they would complain again.

“The people had complained and tested the Lord by asking, “Is the Lord really with us?” So Moses named that place Massah, which means “testing” and Meribah, which means “complaining.” Exodus 17:7 CEV

Ok. So let’s get personal. We can criticize the Israelites for their complaining but what about us? “Grocery prices are too high; Washington is all messed up; it’s too hot/too cold; if one thing breaks, watch out cuz there’ll be two or three more before its over.” As a friend of mine says some people will complain because their ice cream is cold! True enough.

We get so caught up in what’s happening in this very second that we forget the blessings and provisions of the Lord from yesterday or last week. Maybe we don’t use these words but our attitude can be very similar to the Israelites when they said, “Is the Lord really with us?”.

In yesterday’s teaching I asked you to choose joy. Did you? Were you able to find things to be happy about and grateful for or did you complain? The Israelites ended up wandering around in the desert for forty years because of their complaining. We should learn from them.

“Always be filled with joy in the Lord. I will say it again. Be filled with joy.” Philippians 4:4 ERV

It takes discipline but with the Lord’s help we can tame our tongue. We can control the words that come out of our mouths. When a complaint starts to rise, replace it with words of praise. Be thankful.

“Yes, it is God who is working in you. He helps you want to do what pleases him, and he gives you the power to do it.

14 Do everything without complaining or arguing 15 so that you will be blameless and pure, children of God without any fault. But you are living with evil people all around you, who have lost their sense of what is right. Among those people you shine like lights in a dark world,” Philippians 2:13-15 ERV

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A Word of Thanks

I want to share with you the good news I received yesterday. I went for my post-op visit with the surgeon who performed my back procedure just over two weeks ago. He said everything looked good and was healing well. I still have a couple weeks of taking it easy but all is well. The procedure was successful and I am back to living a normal, pain-free life.

Thank you for all your prayers. Thank you for your kind words and encouragement. Thank you to everyone who has helped and offered to help. I love you all.

Thank you Lord for giving the medical world this knowledge that can help so many.

“Tell the Lord how thankful you are,  because he is kind and always merciful. 2 Let Israel shout,   “God is always merciful!” 3 Let the family of Aaron the priest shout, “God is always merciful!” 4 Let every true worshiper of the Lord shout, “God is always merciful!” 5 When I was really hurting, I prayed to the Lord. He answered my prayer, and took my worries away.” Psalm 118:1-5 CEV

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Choosing The Right Gift

Many of you know that this year I wrote a book, The Best Gifts of Christmas. Isn’t that what we look for when we are getting gifts for those we love? The Best Gifts.

It’s easy enough to buy the latest trinket or gadget but when it’s a gift for the love of your life, that special someone, a dear friend or family member the decision on what to get is a bit more difficult. 

This morning in my Bible reading I came across this verse in Hebrews.

“Let us give thanks all the time to God through Jesus Christ. Our gift to Him is to give thanks. Our lips should always give thanks to His name. 16 Remember to do good and help each other. Gifts like this please God.” Hebrews 13:15-16 NLV

One of the best gifts we can give our heavenly Father is the gift of praise. We can give Him our thankful hearts, expressing praise for the wonderful things He has done for us. 

Over the last few days Facebook has been flooded with 2018 Yearbooks. They are helping us remember our past year by providing a collage of the images we have posted and others have “liked”. 

But what if we made our own collage of things we know God has done for us over the past year. A collage of praise, overlapping from one blessing to the next, giving God thanks for ALL He has done. 

“Everything good comes from God. Every perfect gift is from him. These good gifts come down from the Father who made all the lights in the sky. But God never changes like the shadows from those lights. He is always the same. 18 God decided to give us life through the true message he sent to us. He wanted us to be the most important of all that he created.” James 1:17-18 ERV

Our loving Father has given us every good and perfect gift that we receive. He has given us the best. What He desires in return is our thanks, our gratitude, our love. There is nothing better that we can give Him. 

There’s a song that’s been circulating the last few years, it has a familiar melody but the lyrics have been rewritten. A friend sent it to me in a message the other morning and as I listened my eyes filled with tears as my heart overflowed with gratitude. I hope it does the same for you. 

A Hallelujah Christmas

I’ve heard about this baby boy
Who’s come to earth to bring us joy
And I just want to sing this song to you
It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth
The minor fall, the major lift
With every breath I’m singing Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah

A couple came to Bethlehem
Expecting child, they searched the inn
To find a place for You were coming soon
There was no room for them to stay
So in a manger filled with hay
God’s only Son was born, oh Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah

The shepherds left their flocks by night
To see this baby wrapped in light
A host of angels led them all to You
It was just as the angels said
You’ll find Him in a manger bed
Immanuel and Savior, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah

A star shown bright up in the east
To Bethlehem, the wisemen three
Came many miles and journeyed long for You
And to the place at which You were
Their frankincense and gold and myrrh
They gave to You and cried out Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah

I know You came to rescue me
This baby boy would grow to be
A man and one day die for me and you
My sins would drive the nails in You
That rugged cross was my cross, too
Still every breath You drew was Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Father, accept our heart-felt hallelujahs as our gift of praise for all You have given to us. 

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Forever Thankful!

We are off early this morning for our daughters in the Phoenix area. We’ll be having Thanksgiving dinner at our oldest daughter and spending the night with our youngest daughter. Blessed that they are close to one another!

I really hope you will read this proclamation that President Lincoln wrote in 1863. Until then there was no official celebration known as Thanksgiving Day.

But long before President Lincoln and long before the Pilgrims came to Plymouth Rock there were always days of Thanksgiving. God, who is forever faithful, has always been praised.

A few days ago I received an email from a friend who told me that she and her husband had been out of the city, to their cabin at West Glacier in Montana. She had taken the dogs outside for their evening duty. When she looked up, she was surrounded by the stars in the heavens. She called her husband out to enjoy the sight that held her in its grasp.

That’s how I feel every time I see the marvelous stars that cover us here in our Southern Arizona home.  The sky is like a black velvet blanket spread with sparkling diamonds!

“The heavens declare the glory of God”

I love the way our Father shows off for us. He’s made all of creation for our enjoyment. The skies, the mountains, the sunrises and sunsets, the oceans, the seashore, the snow, the rain, the flowers, the trees…

“Our Lord and Ruler, your name is wonderful everywhere on earth! You let your glory be seen in the heavens above. 2 With praises from children
and from tiny infants, you have built a fortress. It makes your enemies silent,
and all who turn against you are left speechless. 3 I often think of the heavens
your hands have made, and of the moon and stars you put in place. 4 Then I ask, “Why do you care about us humans? Why are you concerned for us weaklings?” 5 You made us a little lower than you yourself, and you have crowned us with glory and honor. 6 You let us rule everything your hands have made. And you put all of it under our power— 7 the sheep and the cattle, and every wild animal, 8 the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea, and all ocean creatures. 9 Our Lord and Ruler, your name is wonderful everywhere on earth!” Psalm 8 CEV

All that the Father has created is wonderful but even greater is the plan that He has for our lives. His desire and purpose for us is good, very good!

“But God was merciful! We were dead because of our sins, but God loved us so much that he made us alive with Christ, and God’s wonderful kindness is what saves you. 6 God raised us from death to life with Christ Jesus, and he has given us a place beside Christ in heaven. 7 God did this so that in the future world he could show how truly good and kind he is to us because of what Christ Jesus has done. 8 You were saved by faith in God, who treats us much better than we deserve.[a] This is God’s gift to you, and not anything you have done on your own. 9 It isn’t something you have earned, so there is nothing you can brag about. 10 God planned for us to do good things and to live as he has always wanted us to live. That’s why he sent Christ to make us what we are.” Ephesians 2:4-10 CEV

Think I’ll head back outside for a little while longer this morning, stare at the sky and ponder the Father’s goodness. Selah!

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Thankful for Choice

As you begin to think about tomorrow’s feast is your mouth already watering?

Which to choose? Turkey, ham, yams, mashed potatoes, pumpkin or pecan pie, I know, you want a little bit of everything don’t you?

The freedom to choose or as some phrase it, free will, is something that we can all be grateful for. Imagine how boring life would be if there was no variety. What if every vehicle was a Ford and each dress was blue? All houses were Cape Cod style and the only college degree to attain was one in Physics. All flowers were red and all dogs were beagles.

No choice, no choice at all.

If that isn’t an appealing idea then you should be thanking God right about now. He is the one that established free will. In the Garden of Eden He created a large variety of fruit bearing trees and God told Adam he could pick from any tree he wanted but one.

“The Lord God put the man in the Garden of Eden to work the soil and take care of the garden. 16 The Lord God gave him this command: “You may eat from any tree in the garden. 17 But you must not eat from the tree that gives knowledge about good and evil. If you eat fruit from that tree, on that day you will certainly die!” Genesis 2:15-17 ERV

Now some may think that God was unfair to restrict Adam from the tree that would give him knowledge of good and evil. Far from it. God’s desire was that Adam would only know good; God didn’t want him knowing about evil. God also knew that choice would separate them because God can’t have relationship with evil; man’s relationship with God would die, it would be spiritual death.

We do a similar thing with our children. We tell them “play with all these toys but don’t touch the stove, it’s hot and you’ll get burned”. So many good and wonderful things to do and play with, just choose the good.

Adam made a choice and God didn’t usurp his will. God’s desire is that we love Him and obey His word by our free will. He wants a relationship with us not a robotic obedience.  So, God gave another instruction on choice.

“ I call heaven and earth to speak against you today. I have put in front of you life and death, the good and the curse. So choose life so you and your children after you may live. 20 Love the Lord your God and obey His voice. Hold on to Him. For He is your life, and by Him your days will be long. You will be allowed to live in the land the Lord promised to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” Deuteronomy 30:19-20 NLV

Freedom to choose life or death, blessing or curse and then God seemed to say, in case you’re not sure which one to choose, let me give you a hint – choose life.

God has also made a choice. He has chosen us to be His sons and daughters. He doesn’t want  anyone to miss out on His goodness. His love extends to everyone.

“Before the world was created, God had Christ choose us to live with him and to be his holy and innocent and loving people. 5 God was kind and decided that Christ would choose us to be God’s own adopted children. 6 God was very kind to us because of the Son he dearly loves, and so we should praise God.

7-8 Christ sacrificed his life’s blood to set us free, which means that our sins are now forgiven. Christ did this because God was so kind to us. God has great wisdom and understanding, 9 and by what Christ has done, God has shown us his own mysterious ways.” Ephesians 1:4-9 CEV

“My dear children, I write this letter to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone sins, we have Jesus Christ to help us. He always did what was right, so he is able to defend us before God the Father. 2 Jesus is the way our sins are taken away. And he is the way all people can have their sins taken away too.” I John 2:1-2 ERV

God has made His choice; He has chosen us. Now we have the freedom to choose. He wants to be our choice but He won’t force His will on us.

“He gave the right and the power to become children of God to those who received Him. He gave this to those who put their trust in His name. ” John 1:12 NLV

I wholeheartedly recommend choosing God and the wonderful life that He has planned for us.

I’m so thankful for the gift of choice. My choice is to receive God’s gift of life!

 

 

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Let It Snow

Do you remember the first time you saw snow? I do.

 

It was Thanksgiving 1959, I was 6 years old and we were celebrating Thanksgiving dinner at our friends home in Espanola, New Mexico. The prayer had just been said and we were ready to eat when one of the older boys looked out the window and saw that it was snowing.

There was a mass exodus of children from the table. We rushed outside to play in the snow. It was magical. It was marvelous. It was absolutely amazing! There’s something about seeing the ground completely covered; no footprints, no tracks, just the glistening white. It makes everything look fresh and new. I guess this is where the saying, “fresh as the new fallen snow” comes from.

You know that’s how God sees us when we accept Christ. Fresh, new and no tracks to mar our lives.

“Come now, let us think about this together,” says the Lord. “Even though your sins are bright red, they will be as white as snow. Even though they are dark red, they will be like wool.” Isaiah 1:18 NLV

“See, You want truth deep within the heart. And You will make me know wisdom in the hidden part. 7 Take away my sin, and I will be clean. Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. 8 Make me hear joy and happiness. Let the bones that You have broken be full of joy. ” Psalm 51:6-8 NLV

Whiter than snow!

We lived in Montana for ten years. The sun shine would reflect off the snow with a brilliance that was almost blinding. The white on the ground was luminous.  It was on one of those beautiful days that I took the picture above. I remember walking out the lane, camera in hand, wanting to capture the beauty. Dave was gone and I was feeling a bit lonely. That’s when I saw this barbed wire shaped heart on the fence line. The ice crystals sparkled like diamonds. I felt the warmth of the sun on my face but it paled in comparison to the overwhelming sense of God’s love that wrapped around me at that moment.

Our heavenly Father sees us as I saw the snow that day. We are cleansed from our sins and all that scarred our lives has been completely covered by what Jesus did for us.  Our Father sees us pure and free from sin.

“ He gave himself for us. He died to free us from all evil. He died to make us pure—people who belong only to him and who always want to do good.” Titus 2:14 ERV

I think I will make this picture my screen saver. It reminds me of God’s amazing love. For that, I am eternally grateful.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

 

 

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