Thanksgiving

This is my first thanksgiving, my first major holiday away from my family.  I love our new home and our new state.  I am so grateful for all God has done and given us.  Even when things look different, I know they are touched by him and are part of His plan and blessing.  

Last year we all coped with COVID.  That was a different type of year, a different type of holiday celebrations.  Some people had to face the loss of family and friends, loneliness and sorrow. Again though, God's hand was upon us, and all our difficulties and differences were part of His plan.  

What will next year be?  I don't know.  I only know the one who holds the future in His hands.  And it will all be a part of the Lord's plans and will be blessed in ways we are yet to see.  

Past, present, future....our God is here.  He is the great I AM.  The faithful One, the all powerful, all knowing, loving Father who works all things together for our good.  And I am thankful that He is who He is and I am a child of the Most High King.  I am saved by His grace and adopted into His family.  

Lord, thank you for all You've done, all You do and all that You will do.  You are faithful.  You are our Savior, You are our Father and King and Redeemer and Lord.  I bow before You in awe and worship.  Let Your love lift each heart reading this today, bless our families, near and far...draw our unsaved loved ones to Yourself.  Jesus, You are the way, the only way, the truth, the only truth, and the life, the one true God.  In Your we live and move and have our being.  Multiply the gratitude in our hearts every day until we overflow and spill joy to all around us.  Let them see You in us.  I am so beyond grateful, beyond words, beyond expression, to be Your child.  There is no greater gift.  Lord, remind me, all of us....when we start looking at the troubles and inconveniences of this world, start to become unsettled, and start to whimper and complain, to be grateful, remind us how blessed we truly, eternally are.  Change our hearts to ones of thankfulness each and every moment.  Fill our hearts with praise and worship and thanksgiving.  You are our King.  It is in our Saviors loving, giving Name we pray.  

Start a thankfulness tradition.  Every day.  

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Psalm 100:4  Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name.

Cathedral

My husband and I went on a hike yesterday through one of the nearby parks in middle Tennessee.  I looked at the towering trees spanning every direction around me, heard only the quiet rush of a stream nearby and smelled the scented air of Autumn and thought to myself, "this is God's cathedral."  I wish I could adequately describe this moment in my heart when all felt as worship.  This place was a testimony to the Lord, that moment in time a hymn.  I think I could have fallen on my knees and stayed there in glorious worship forever.  

Psalm 19 1-6 The heavens declare the glory of God;  and the firmament shows His handiwork.  2 Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge.  3 There is no speech nor language Where their voice is not heard.  4 Their line has gone out through all the earth,  And their words to the end of the world.  In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun, 5 Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, And rejoices like a strong man to run its race.  6 Its rising is from one end of heaven, and its circuit to the other end; and there is nothing hidden from its heat.

David's words came alive in my heart in the middle of this forest and even now when I think of it I get butterflies in my stomach and a thrill in my heart.  Our God is an awesome God!  

The next two days there will be a show in the heavens.  Tonight and into the morning we have the Leonid meteor showers and tomorrow there will be a lunar eclipse.  God's wonder on display for us to see!  He's amazing.  And deserving of all our praise.  

Psalm 8  O Lord, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth, Who have set Your glory above the heavens!  2 Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have ordained strength, because of Your enemies, that You may silence the enemy and the avenger.  3 When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, 4 What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him?  5 For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and honor.  6 You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, 7 all sheep and oxen—Even the beasts of the field, 8 The birds of the air, and the fish of the sea that pass through the paths of the seas. 9 O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth!

He is so worthy.  I want to capture these small moments in my heart and hold onto them.  Lord, truly You are wonderful in this place.  

Take time to praise and worship, every day. 

Lord I just worship You.  You are amazing.  Help us to look up, look around, and look at Your awesomeness, the wonder of You.  No matter where we are, You are there, You are with us.  You are our God and our Savior.  

Worship our God!  

Oh Those Questions!

Question time again.  I am reading and working through the book "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan.  Great book by the way.  And some questions arose in my mind as I was reading.  Really tough, soul-searching, squirmy feeling causing, not sure I like my answers, questions. 

Francis Chan was talking about how our lives often are forgetful of God, filled with selfish living.  And we know that it is very easy to live that way.  I think I spend a good portion of my day, while maybe not intentionally, living for myself.  I mean there is housework to do, meals to make, errands to run...all this has to be done.  No doubt.  So how do I live for God while still doing "regular life?" 

We pretty much all can agree that there is none like the Lord.  Psalm 71:19 Also Your righteousness, O God, is very high, You who have done great things; O God, who is like You?  Psalm 89:8 O Lord God of hosts, Who is mighty like You, O Lord? Your faithfulness also surrounds You.  You can go through the Bible and find passage after passage that tells of God's unique greatness and awe. A.W. Tozer called Him "the most winsome of all beings."  Truly who can compare to God.  So here's the questions that came to me.  "Does my life reflect the pursuit of this being?  Does my life reflect that He is the most desirable thing I can pursue?  Would I give up my comfort, my couch, my books, my cats, my house, my desires for Him and His purpose?  Would I give up what I think my life and surroundings should look like?  I'd love to say a resounding "YES!"  But when I dig a little deeper into my heart, the yes seems to get a little smaller, a little quieter.  I find that my "YES!" in theory is true, but I wonder what would happen if He really asked.  Paul told us in Philippians 3:8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ.  

Maybe the answers are in the questions that filled my mind, maybe it's putting God at the center of every moment that makes "regular life" a pursuit of Him.  How can I bring the Lord into my day, how I can I make it all about Him.  How can I pursue Him moment by moment, even in the small parts.  How can I ready myself to let go and be ready for anything He asks?  Pursuit.  He has to be my greatest pursuit every day.  Nothing can come above or before Him.  And if I am pursing Him, seeking to fellowship with and know the Lord all day long, even while I take care of life, my heart will be more and more bent towards obedience and He will begin to overshadow anything this life has to offer.  There really is no greater person to know, no greater relationship to have, nothing and no one can compare to Almighty God.  Nothing could be more amazing and fulfilling and awesome than Him. 

Lord, lead me in this pursuit of You.  There truly is none like You and knowing You is the greatest blessing and gift I can have.  Give us hearts to love You, our Lord,  with all our hearts, with all our souls, with all our strength, and with all our minds.  We can do nothing in or of ourselves.  To You be the glory.  In Jesus' Name.  Amen.

Start the day with Jesus...and take Him with you!