I Am So Very Thankful

I will give You thanks with all my heart;I will sing Your praise before the heavenly beings. Psalm 138:1

Today marks the end of a 'school calendar year' of praying with the Moms in Prayer group I am a part of. At the end of each year it is very exciting because we have a 'Thanksgiving celebration' to give thanks once again to many answers to prayer during the year. Our group consists of college/career/and military moms.

To be thankful for things helps you stay focused on the positive things of life. God does care and it is a comfort to go to Him with prayer and thanksgiving. Complaining and being ungrateful comes easy and usually drags other people down besides the one doing it. If you have trouble being thankful stop a moment and just sit with a pen and paper or your computer and make a list of all the things you are grateful for. I have a blessing jar at home where each day I put one thing I am thankful for or blessed because of.

No matter what is going on in your life,keep praising Jesus through the storms as one day you will indeed see the sunshine.

PRAYER: At times I have forgotten to get up and say thanks for another day of life and another day to try to be a blessing in this world. Forgive me Lord for not being more thankful. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Click link for a song of Thanksgiving:
http://youtu.be/xtxmSAqMtDA

For more info on Moms in Prayer go to www.momsinprayer.org

ATTITUDE OF PRAISE

Last Sunday evening no doubt most televisions  were tuned to the Discovery Channel to watch the amazing attempt of daredevil Nik Wallenda to walk the high wire across the Grand Canyon and without a net or a safety harness. Needless to say the 25 minutes or so it took Mr. Wallenda to successfully complete this harrowing task seemed long and brought cheers and sighs of relief from his family, onlookers, and to viewers at homes when he safely reached the other side.

Mr. Wallenda is a devout Christian and before he attempted his crossing of the canyon he was seen having prayer with Pastor Joel Osteen. Later during the duration of his very careful "stroll" across this wire with an "open mike" he was wearing, you could hear him constantly in an attitude of prayer and praise. He would say things like "Thank you Jesus for your strength. Thank you Jesus for calming the wind. Help me relax Jesus. Praise you Jesus. Thank you for your beautiful creation. " I loved it! His praise and talking to God went on the entire time he crossed. What a testimony to millions of viewers! 

You don't need to be in a dangerous situation to cry out to God but you can praise and talk to Him all the time. When you do, wait and see if your fears start to melt away. Psalm 113:3(NIV) says '

From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the LORD is to be praised.' Psalm 18:3(NIV) says ' I called to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I have been saved from my enemies.' In Proverbs 18:10 we are told  'The name of the Lord is a fortified tower, the righteous run to it and are safe.'

You can call on Jesus who is worthy to be praised and you will be saved from your enemies. His name is mighty and powerful. Don't wait till you are doing something dangerous but call on Him each and every day. He will see you through.

PRAYER: Thank you Lord for your word. Thank you Lord for your protection. Thank you Lord that your word does not return void. Thank you for being my shield. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Note: Go to www.nikwallenda.com for more on his faith

BE THANKFUL AND SAY SO!

Do you consider yourself a thankful person? Does your heart overflow with gratitude? If not it is possible to develop this trait. Do you write thank you notes? Do you thank God for the answer to prayer and praise and thank Him for each and every day He gives you? Thankfulness is a great habit to cultivate. Do not take things for granted ever.

2 Timothy 3:1-7(NIV) says 'But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous,rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God--having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires.' Don't succumb to these "last day" predictions. You don't have to go far without bumping into someone that fits this category. Some of them might be people you are close to. Don't be their Holy Spirit but allow God to bring conviction. It works much better.

Do you have a special person in your life you are thankful for? Each and every day try to show kindness and thanks as you never know how many days you will still have breath. Even if you do not feel like thanking and praising do it anyway. Before you realize it you will start feeling more joyful.

"What do you have you to be thankful for" you may say? Food, clothing, shelter, friends, family, and much much more. Focus on goodness of people and you will have little time to take things for granted.

Just as I have done with other topics I am going to list a few verses of thanks for you to read.

Psalm 69:30(NAS) 'I will praise the name of God with song, and shall magnify Him with Thanksgiving.'

Psalm 100:4(RSV) 'Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise.'

Colossians 3:15(NAS) 'And let the peace of Christ rule in your heats and be thankful.'

1 Corinthians 1:4(NIV) 'I always think God for you because of His grace given you in Christ Jesus.'

Are you able to be thankful today and every day? Satan, of course, does not want you praising God or being in an attitude of thanks because he is out to take you down and make you miserable. You are bought with the blood of Jesus so remind Satan of that next time he tries to get your focus off God and onto defeat and ungratefulness.

PRAYER: This is the day Lord you have made. A rejoicing for another day of life to serve you and be a light in the world you have put me in. I will not allow attacks of the enemy to cause me to be whining all the time. I have much to give thanks for. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Click link for a wonderful song:

http://youtu.be/ZI6585ekuhg

THANK YOU SO MUCH JESUS!!

When you are down in the dumps and think your situation or trial is
unbearable I challenge you to do this simple exercise. Get a piece of
paper and start listing your blessings and the things you are thankful
for. It is easy to complain and is a bad habit to get into. I have

heard a person has to find seven good things to negate the one

critical thing you may have said.

Here is an idea for saying thanks listed not in any particular order.
I challenge you to make your own list and see if you do not feel
better.

Thank you Lord for freedom.
Thank you Lord for good health.
Thank you Lord for food and clean water.
Thank you Lord for my spouse.
Thank you Lord for my children.
Thank you for where you have me now as I know it is your plan.
Thank you Lord for friends.
Thank you Lord for eyes that see and ears that hear.
Thank you for being able to walk, run, swim,ski, hike.
Thank you for monetary blessings.
Thank you for education.
Thank you for healthcare.
Thank you for the gift of speech.
Thank you for my Bible.
Thank you for your mercy and forgiveness.
Thank you for hearing my prayers.
Thank you for talents and gifts.

1 Thessalonians 5:18(NIV) reminds us 'give thanks in all circumstances
for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.' Let Psalm 51:10(ESV)
be your prayer. It simply says 'Create in me a clean heart Oh God and
renew a right spirit within me.' Is your heart clean? Are you walking
with the Lord daily or just wait to visit Him one hour on Sunday? Why

not make that "thanks list" and start letting the Lord "truly" take first place in your life?
PRAYER: Lord Jesus thank you for yet another day you have given me to
make a difference in the world around me. I choose to not complain but
to have an attitude of thanksgiving instead. Satan has no power over
me as I sing your praises. In Jesus' name. Amen.

END OF THE YEAR...NOW WHAT?

Y2K fears again? Dropping off the fiscal cliff? Takeover by an evil
government? War? Loss of job? Sickness? Death? What will we face in
2013?

Maybe instead of focusing on the "what ifs" why not start by thinking

of your life and what you can do differently in the coming year. What
goals do you have? Call them resolutions if you like, but what is it
you really plan to do or want to accomplish? Instead of worry and fear
why not start a tradition of a "praise fest" of sorts thanking God for
what He has done for you and your loved ones in 2012.

I for one and extremely blessed with a new daughter in law and am very
thankful to God for bringing a wonderful young lady into my younger
son Jon's life. Amber is a dear and so is her awesome family!! I am
thankful for my continuing furlough travel privileges for a few more
months on Delta that allow me to attend patriotic rallies in the
Nations' Capitol, Christian events in the US such as Joyce Meyer, and
to see family and friends across the US. I am thankful we get to see
our son Matthew lots because he is a First Officer with American Eagle
and has flown here a few times. I am thankful for getting to see my
mom and brother more in 2012 and that they and my sis, boyfriend and
family made it to the wedding. I am thankful for being married 35
years now to my wonderful husband. I truly love and appreciate all my
friends, new and old, near and far. All in all it has been a terrific
year. I could write much more but these are highlights.

In 2013 instead of listening to the news or reading the newspaper

and worrying, why not listen to Christian radio or a praise and

worship CD and start praising Jesus for all He has done for you. It is
easy to start fearing but you need to start praising God instead.

So what do you have to be thankful for? I am sure you can think of
something. Can you start 2013 tomorrow by deciding to pray daily, read
your Bible and truly trust God with things going on in this world of
ours.

Deuteronomy 31:6(NIV) says 'Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid
or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you. He
will never leave you nor forsake you.'

PRAYER: Dear Lord new year gives us a fresh start on things we maybe
want to accomplish. I want to trust you are working out all things for
my good. Forgive me when I get afraid and let Satan try to scare me. I
will start 2013 by running full force to you. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Click link below and praise God on this final day of 2012.

http://youtu.be/0gm9nCQKWsA

DAY OFF

Today many reading this are enjoying an extended weekend. This day off is thanks to those courageous men and women who are serving currently in our Armed Forces or have served in the past. They are true patriots so if you know one say thank you. The freedoms they fought to protect are under fire today by politicians trying to domineer and control us. Those buried in our national cemeteries did not die so our country could fall to a socialistic or worse yet, communist government. So enjoy this day off and do not take your freedoms of any kind for granted.

While you are taking a day off do not take a day off from God. Many say hello to Jesus one day one hour a week and that is it. Do you suppose if you ate only one hour a week on one day you would last long? The answer of course is no. Well you need spiritual food too. If you claim to live for the Lord and want to be closer to him that will only happen by spending time in the word of God, the Holy Bible. It is not a coffee table ornament but a tool to use daily to grow in Christ

Psalm 119:11 says " I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." Hiding refers to reading it, studying it, and memorizing it. What if forces came into our land and took our Bibles away. Don't laugh as it could happen. If this occurred your only Bible would be what you memorized and carried in your heart.

So start today and make it a daily habit to get into the word of God. Don't know where to start you might say? Well read a Proverb a day.Start by spending some of your day with God.

PRAYER: Today Lord I first thank you for the freedoms we have here in America. I thank you for those who died so I might enjoy this day. I will not allow Satan to keep me from reading my Bible by having me make excuses. Thank you for your words. In Jesus name. Amen.