Day 1:

I want to thank the Lord for sight. I have been blessed for the greater part of my life with very good eyesight. As i have become older the eyes have become less sharp and I wear glasses. But I still am able to see the awesome beauty of God’s creation. I see the wonders of nature, the beauty of the stars at night, the glorious colors of the sunrise, the multitudes of breathtaking flowers. I also see the faces of the ones I love, I see the smiles and the depth of Christ within their eyes. I also see the creation of life within others around me, their faces, their actions. I love looking into the faces of the elderly lined with history, the hands that have seen so many hours of work and struggle still holding on to those of a lifelong partner by their side. These eyes have seen so many beautiful and amazing things, as well as sadness, the loss of loved ones and the passing of time. I have tasted and “Seen” that the Lord is good and I thank Him so much for the great creation of sight. May I praise Him each day for the wonders that still are ahead that i may look upon and give glory to His name.

Day 2:

Morning Everyone! This is Another Day that the Lord has made, Let us rejoice and be glad in it. I started out being thankful to the Lord for the ability to see. A very important ability we have that I think most of the time we don’t think about until we have an issue with our eyes. Today I want to say thank you Lord for the ability to hear. We absorb so many sounds in our lifetime. Some wonderful sounds, some not so wonderful. I love the mornings in the country to listen to the beautiful songs of the birds and their creative voices to give praise to God. I love hearing the sound of rain, the sounds of the winds through the trees. I love the sounds of children laughing, the sounds of a kitten purring, the sounds of people lifting their voices to sing praises to God for His wonderful deeds, giving thanks for all that He is. Just as with our eyes, we choose the things we see, what we ingest, what things go into our minds by way of these abilities. We choose the things we hear, things we ponder about, things that affect our spirit. May we be thankful for our hearing, and be cautious about taking all of the things we hear as truth. Do those things draw us to a closer relationship with God? Do the things we hear lift others up or create doubts and hatred? Do the things we hear help us to be more useful for God’s purposes or take us away from Him? May we start each day with a prayer for God to help us with using His sensitivity to filter all the things we see and hear. To give us wisdom and direction, Love and forgiveness. May we hear His voice, in the midst of all the sounds, the chaos, the grumbling, the anger, the sounds of sadness and frustration. May we hear His still small voice that says Come to Me, All who are weak and weary and I will Give you Rest. May we listen to His voice and be Thankful that he Speaks to Us. Let us hear and say Yes Lord, here I am.

Day 3:

This morning’s Thank You is brought to you by the Letter “C”! Communication and Creativity. I am so very thankful for our ability to have Communication with God. He has supplied us with the blessing of prayer where we can talk with Him, ask questions, ask help in direction, ask for healing and numerous other things not only for ourselves but for others as well. It is an amazing thing He has blessed us with. When we begin our day with a conversation and thanksgiving to God, placing all of the day’s directions, needs, desires, family situations, we start with a sound foothold based on God’s strength and purpose for us. We increase our faith and hope and decrease our stresses and frustrations. Yes they do still come out of nowhere at us at times, but we have a much more stable and God centered approach to what we will face as we go through our days. Not only is our Communication with God so important, it also inspires us to stay in contact with those we love. To continue, during this non social time, speaking with our friends and family with encouragement, hope, love, laughter and other ways to help touch them and reassure them that God is still with them and loves them dearly. Find new and Creative ways to reach out to those we love. Contact them by phone, FaceTime, through snail mail with a letter or just a postcard (yep they still make those) to encourage them and let them know they are loved. Ask God to spark the creativity in you for your family and friends. What new ways can you spend wonderful time with your families and friends. What new ways can you create to share God’s love and hope during these times? God Loves to hear from us, our Friends and Family love to hear from us. Let them know they are loved, they are needed and they are an important part of our lives. God’s Peace be With All of Your Lives Today

Day 4:

I am thanking The Lord today for all the wonderful Christians I have been blessed to know and have known in my life. What an influential group they are to me. They have helped me grow in my faith, they encourage my walk every day and just knowing that they hold strong and fast to our faith gives me the continued strength to press on to the mark of the high calling of God. We are surrounded by this great cloud of witnesses which help to prove that God is able to meet our needs, help us face any and all circumstances and become witnesses to spark change and hope in the lives of those who are lost. Don’t loose hope, don’t let the thoughts of abandonment take away your fight because there are so many fighting right alongside to show you that you are not on your own, there are many other warriors in the world. God bless God’s children with the strength of His Joy, the power of His might. Prayers for all believers and followers, the faithful who stand strong and shine as a light in the darkness. WE ARE NOT ALONE IN THIS WORLD

Day 5:

Hello Everyone This morning I am thankful for the knowledge that God, and all that He represents, is Unchanging. Hebrews 13:8 Says Jesus is the same, yesterday, today and forever. In the past few months we have seen some drastic changes in our everyday life. Changes in being around each other, about jobs, about shopping, about getting together in churches, about wearing masks everywhere we go…and the list goes on with more changes to come. All of the changes can be overwhelming to so many, yet in the midst of it all God does not change. His words of life, hope, encouragement, peace, truth, healing, direction, strength, love and purpose is the same. I Am thankful that I have a foundation that is built on and is secured in the unchanging God of creation. I can seek and find Him, I can boldly come into His presence and find answers and peace. Everyday may change for us but within the outward changes we find hope that within is the ability that we can do all things in Christ who strengthens us. Our Rock, our ever present help in time of need, He is unshaken and resilient. Unchanged by outward change.

Day 6:

Hey there how are ya? As my Granddaughter would say.. “ How your day was?” Today’s Thank You is for something we have to start and direct our every day! All Day! I am thankful for Scripture, The Holy Bible, God’s Living Word. It holds such value for our lives, so much depth, history, promises, encouragement, direction and the portrait of God’s vision for our lives. I love how you can read scripture over and over and God can bring something new out of words you have read a hundred times. You can find new explanations or points that are exactly what you need for a situation that you are currently going through. That shows it’s living and fluid heart because God wants us to see that He is always active and concerned about every moment and every situation that touches us. If you haven’t read it in a while, pray over it as you start reading, that God will open your heart and mind to His words. That they have meaning and life for your spirit is His desire. 2 Timothy 3:16–17 (LEB): All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, 17 in order that the person of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. Today is a good day for us to produce some “Good Work” in our world.

Day 7:

I am Thankful to see another sunrise and another Lord’s Morning. Through all of our COVID quarantine our church times together have certainly changed and I miss that. There is a wonderful feeling that you have when you are together with others focused on lifting up God, singing praises to His name, listening to His word and greeting others, who have the same purpose as you, with handshakes and hugs. That feeling of God’s presence is hard to explain to those who don’t know Him. Scripture tells us that where two or three are gathered in His name that He is there in their midst. We can have God’s presence in our homes, in our yard, in our car, in our work place, in the quiet, in the storm, in the hospital room, in the prison, on the mountain, or in the valley. I am Thankful that no matter the time or place, wherever we are and no matter the circumstances, God’s presence is there. Close your eyes, breath deep and know that He is here! Have a blessed Sunday Everyone

Day 8:

Afternoon Today’s Thank You is For Super Sweet and Squeezable Granddaughters A busy morning with these Two That I wouldn’t Trade For ANYTHING How God somehow packs so much love into such small packages is amazing Psalms 127:3 Look, children are the heritage of Yahweh; the fruit of the womb is a reward. 4. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them. I am truly blessed with wonderful children and grandchildren. To be around them renews my joy and gives strength to my heart. If you are blessed with children, give thanks to the Lord for them. And you are doubly blessed with having grandchildren. They are a blessing on these old grey hairs of mine. Love you…Love One Another!!

Day 9:

Morning guys and gals This morning I am thankful for Joy and Laughter. So many serious things flood into our lives on a daily basis that push out the joy and happiness that is ours. Yes there are constant “ not so fun” things that demand our attention, yes there is sadness and overwhelming feelings of despair that can suck the life from us. Yet, deep within our soul, our spirit finds hope in Christ our savior with all He has given and provides for us “You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence” (Acts 2:28). Just like that “Peace that passes all understanding” ruling our hearts and minds, “the joy of the Lord is my strength” (Nehemiah 8:10) when we remember what God has done for us and provides for us. Simple things can give to us joy and laughter again. They can remind us of our blessings. Playing with my granddaughter yesterday we were trying to catch frogs but of course the frogs had other ideas. We had a big frog in a bucket and he would jump out then we would catch him again and he wouldn’t stay long but would jump out and into another bucket. We were both laughing and when she told her mom about it she said “Mom we would laugh and laugh it was so funny”. May your day be filled with joy and laughter brought to you by God’s underlying provisions of all salvation brings. Resting in His hope for us. May our laughter bring praises of thanksgiving into His presence

Day 10:

Today’s Thank You is for the beauty of Rain. One of my all time favorite nature moments is when it rains. I love the smell of approaching rain, the feel of the coolness it brings, I love the sounds of rain and calmness I feel as it’s falling. Growing up my dad was very afraid of storms and he built a storm cellar for that reason. Countless times he woke us during the night with these words..” Jump up and get your clothes on we’re going to the cellar!” We then would, sometimes for hours, sit in a little covered building that housed the cellar, it’s door propped open in case we needed to quickly take shelter inside. As we sat there in the flickering glow of a hurricane lamp, my father would stand in the doorway watching the night skies. He stood silhouetted by the flashes of lightning or the single dimness of his cigarette’s embers, I knew he was there to watch over us and keep us as safe as he possibly could. God is our protector who provides a place of shelter from life’s storm, standing watch over us always. I will always love the rain and Thank God for the refreshing and life giving properties it brings. May God’s refreshing rain of peace, rest and comfort be yours today. Father God send your Holy rain of life through Christ upon your people to renew this strength in you

Day 11:

I thank you Lord for another day of life and all of the things that it may hold. When I was young I couldn’t imagine anything beyond about 25 years and here we are at 68. Reading in Hebrews this morning I was thinking of how many great people of scripture did amazing things in the later years of their lives. In today’s world the older folks are often disregarded and treated as no longer useful. I believe that God’s vision and usefulness is not limited by anything, including age. Every day is a blessing, every year another opportunity to live His life as an example. I have many older friends whose bodies are struggling because of health and with that their spirit weakens often times. Let us pray for the elderly that the brightness of God’s light in them would stay strong, that their witness would be greater than when they were young, that their dreams would be accomplished and that their examples would lead more to God through the witness of what they have been through in their lifetime. “ For the young men shall see visions and the old men dream dreams” Keep dreaming my friends God is with you

Day 12:

I am very thankful for God providing Rest for those who follow Him. Before Christ came and died for our sins there was a constant sacrifice made by priests for sins of all the people. It’s hard to imagine daily and yearly sacrifices for all of the Israelites, so many people, so many animals non stop! I know the priests had to be worn out! When Jesus died, once for all, His sacrifice gave a rest from that struggle. No more worry if we are good enough to have the promise of eternal life, no more having to do things to earn it. All have sinned and fallen short, Yet God so loved ALL of us, that He gave His Son that whoever believes in Him will NOT perish But Have Eternal Life I am so thankful that we have that fact to Rest in, it makes so much difference in how our lives can operate in Hope.

Day 13:

Today’s Thank You to God is for Food. I don’t eat a lot but I do require some to keep the body going. And I am thankful that God provides the income for buying food and for actually providing the availability to buy it when I need it, so there are several Thank Yous’ rolled into one. We are so blessed to have food compared to many areas where it is very scarce and also more expensive than the people can afford. When we have so much food in front of us let us lift up in prayer those who do not have and are in need for their lives. May God meet their needs, may we be touched to do what we can to help support and provide for those who are desperate for any meal. I am also thankful for the spiritual food God provides which nourishes our soul and mind. When we spend time in God’s word and in prayer we are filled and strengthened to continue our walk and service for God. Without physical food we can grow weak and become ill, without spiritual food our souls become weak and ill as well. Now is a time when our souls need all of their strength and energy to continue in wisdom and power. .(John 6:50) “This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” Everyday we need strength, both physically and spiritually, God will provide us all we need. Trust your life into His hands because He cares for you

Day14:

Thank you Lord for the freedom of Worship, the act of Worship Worship has many forms. I love the form of singing to The Lord from our heart, to touch His heart with our voices. To close our eyes and focus on the words we sing and how they praise Him for what He has done for us and what He means to us. There is Worship in the form of service to God, helping others, giving of our time, energy and resources. There is Worship in the form of financial giving, to the Church as an organization and giving to the Church as to individual needs. Worship can take place anywhere. In your yard, in the kitchen, doing laundry or mowing grass. It can be in the office, the garage, the factory, at the beach, or on a mountain trail. Wherever we are we can Worship because wherever we are, whatever we are doing God is there. Let us Worship God in all ways with our whole life. Thank you Lord that I might give Praise to You

Day 15:

Today I thank The Lord for encouragement. God blesses us with encouragement in so many ways. He uses our friends and family, He uses situations, He uses people we don’t even know, He uses nature all around us, He uses His word, He uses music, He uses a smile, a hug (a virtual one or elbow bump), He uses laughter and even tears. He also encourages us by way of us being an encouragement to others. I have found that when I am down or lacking something, if I look around at the needs of others and reach out to touch them, showing grace and love, my need is filled. Acts 20:35 : 35. I have shown you with respect to all things that by working hard in this way it is necessary to help those who are in need, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus that he himself said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Give encouragement to someone today, build them up, love them, speak life to their souls, lift up hope and dreams within them. It will bring blessings to generations to come. Love you all

Day 16:

Today’s Thank You Lord is for Family What blessings God created when He introduced families into the world. I know that those close to us can often bring trouble and sadness, disappointment and anger, struggles, sleepless nights and hours and years of prayers for them. Yet, families are God’s reflection of His desire for Deep Constant Love. Our families are our defenders, encouragers, supporters, providers, emotional shoulders to cry upon, those who listen to our dreams, they see our tears, they hold us, believe in us and help us to carry on for another day. Our families, though rough sometimes, are what give us that image of God. I thank Him for all of my family, the close ones, the cousins, aunts, uncles, distant ones scattered around the country and world. God has placed us within families to learn sharing, giving, listening, obeying, patience, defending and so much more. Love them with all your heart, pray for them with all your faith, hold them within your arms and your heart. Never give up on them, never let go of them, never turn away from their needs, always forgive them. You are God’s family and He will always, in every way, be there for you.

Day 17:

Thank you Lord for Forgiveness Waking up and knowing that God has forgiven me of all my sins, my attitudes, my actions, my words, my thoughts is an amazing feeling. Not just my past is forgiven, but being a continual work in progress, the future dumb things I do I can be forgiven for. When I have a repentant heart. And I have an advocate with the Father God in the form of Jesus. When satan bombards God with all of the continued failures of our lives, pointing fingers, saying why bother with this loser? God sees what Christ has done and we are covered by His sacrifice through His blood. Psalm 103:12 says..12. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. In Micah 7:19 He shows us again..19. He will again have compassion on us; He will vanquish our iniquities. You will cast out all our sins into the depths of the sea. Forgiveness is mentioned all through scripture to keep us reminded of God’s desire to forgive us. Don’t waste your days feeling like you have no hope or that you have done so many awful things that God couldn’t forgive you, He is always there, when we approach with true brokenness asking for forgiveness, He is more than ready to give that to you. Today you can have that everlasting peace through Christ’s forgiveness. Great is our God for He cares for you

Day 18:

Today I am thankful for Hope Hope is like Christmas as a kid (and even now) you see things you would love to have and you make suggestions or drop hints to your parents of what you want, waiting until that special day when presents are under the tree. Scripture says that faith is like that, it is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. Right now there are a lot of hopes and dreams that have come to a halt because of the conditions of our nation and the world. When we lose hope depression comes in, worthlessness comes in, sadness and desperation follows close behind. Yet there is an indestructible Hope that is a foundation to keep us strong and going forward, that Hope is in God the unchanging, always concerned, always loving, always leading, always strengthening constant within our surroundings. Hebrews 10:35 Encourages us with these words.. “Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has great reward. 36 For you have need of endurance, in order that after you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. 37 For yet a very, very little while, and the one who is coming will come and will not delay. “ Hope in God’s ability to keep you through what is going on today. Hope in His strength, His love, His peace, His future, His provision and His presence. Be strong in The Lord and the power of His might. Put on the armor of God and fight the good fight. May His hope be a shinning light for your heart and a light of encouragement to everyone around you. We are not Hopeless but Alive and Pressing on to the Prize of the High Calling of God in Christ

Day 19:

Today I am thankful that God is my refuge, my place of safety, my hiding place. King David wrote in Psalms 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. I woke up with this song on my mind this morning, one by Hillsong, a favorite of theirs.. … “When the oceans rise and thunders roar I will soar with you above the storm Father you are king over the flood I will be still and know you are God” When we were little we found safety in the arms of our mother or father, we believed that no matter what was going on, if we were in their arms everything would be ok. When we became adults and parents ourselves, we became that place of refuge and safety for our children. God, our Heavenly Father, is our place of safety, refuge, a very present help in time of need. May we run to His arms, to be still within His protection and love, to know He is with us no matter what we face. Yes we will face hard things in our lives, questions we can’t answer, pain that seems unbearable, yet our God is present to hold us, to help us make sense of it all. He does not leave in our hard times but draws even closer. Be still and know that He is God. May His presence be more alive and real to you today, that you may know beyond any doubt that He is With you and will not leave. Today you can soar above the storm, for He is King over The Flood

Day 20:

Thank you Lord for even the smallest of victories I don’t know about you but life can be so full of stuff we have to get accomplished, that we feel like nothing is getting done. Things pile up on top of other stuff which is already piled on top of other stuff and it’s easy to get frustrated. When I used to have big projects I would have a list of things I wanted to get done during an 8 or 10 hour day and sometimes (more often than not as it turned out) only a fraction of those would get done and I would be soooo frustrated. After a while of seeing less done than more, the Lord helped me understand that any steps forward toward a goal are steps in the right direction. When we have children not every day with them feels like we are history’s most wonderful parents, most of the time we feel quite the opposite. We learn to choose our battles, we understand the importance of some things and the flexibility of others. And we pray for a wonderful outcome, putting it all into God’s hands. It’s that way with friends and family we love and want to see become closer to God. We so often don’t see immediate changes, we feel our words and actions fall so short, yet we press on. In all cases we can never give up. Though changes won’t come, our words often weak, our progress frustratingly slow, God encourages us to keep up the good fight and give thanks for even the smallest of victories. Your actions, your word, your love and your prayers are making a difference.

Day 21:

Thank you today Lord for believing in usTo know in our heart, that the creator of all things believes in us, is an amazing thing to grasp. Psalms 8:3-4 puts us in perspective with God’s great creations..3. When I behold Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place, 4. what is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You care for him? To understand that God gave to us His word, gave us His love and compassion, gave to us His courage, His creativity, all those things to spread the gospel, heal the sick, ecouage others, raise up generations to know and serve Him is an awesome responsibility that He knew we could do. We so, sooo often forget how much worth He places on us. So much worth that His only son died for our sin. Our worth and purpose is not determined by what others say we are. Or worth is what God says it is. Scripture reminds us that if God is for us Who can be against us. God gives to us the job of reflecting His person, the truth, the light, the way. We are His hands and feet, we are His love, we are His strength for those who are weak to lift up the weary, the broken the forgotten. We are possibly someone’s last defense in this life. Father help us to believe in who you have made us to be, the light to shine in darkness, the shoulder to cry on, the ears to listen, the arms to hold the weak and hurting. Thank you for believing in us, help us to remember who we are in you

Day 22:

Thank you Lord for Restoration and Rebuilding. I’m very thankful that God can restore what satan has tried to destroy, that He can rebuild and make new the old. When we rebuild something in most cases we have to take it all apart, make a huge mess, replace the old parts and then clean up all of the debris that’s left behind before we can see the beautiful finished product. Sometimes our lives can be decayed, broken down, condemned and unlivable, yet God sees the beautiful, original design and is not worried about making a new mess out of our old mess on the way to a new and beautiful soul. If you are looking at the mess of your life don’t be overwhelmed by the chaos and debris, remember that God looks ahead at the Beauty that can be and is very familiar with the cost of restoration because He has already paid the price for your repairs.

Day 23:

Thank you Lord that you create in us and give us strength to have determination ! Here are a few scriptures that help us to see the importance of having determination in our lives.

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. – James 1:12

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. – 1 Corinthians 16:13

Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. – Romans 12:11-12

You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you. – 2 Chronicles 20:17

My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to your word. – Psalm 119:28

May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word. – 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. – 2 Corinthians 12:10

Stand firm, and you will win life. – Luke 21:19

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. – 2 Timothy 4:7

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. – Isaiah 41:10

Some really great words from God about standing strong, being encouraged by Him to continue the fight, to press on even when we are tired and feeling alone, He goes with us. He strengthens us, He tells us we are not fighting alone, Go out and face the day and it’s battles because The Lord is with us. Determine in your heart that no matter the obstacles, no matter the doubts, no matter the negatives thrown around that make you feel discouraged, press on, lift up your head and your heart because God is with you. Luke 21:19 May be a short verse but it carries so much weight and truth to be remembered…”Stand firm, and you will win Life”

Day 24:

Thank you Lord, this morning, for a wonderful cool start to the day. To have a cool morning in August is rare and feels AHHMAZING. Thank you Lord that I can start my day talking with you and seeking you for direction and grace for whatever comes along. And also to learn from the day. God encourages us to seek Him early, to place all that we face in His hands, to find strength and hope before the battle begins. 

Psalm 90:14 Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

Mark 1:35 And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he (Jesus) departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.

Psalm 5:1-3 Give ear to my words O Lord, consider my meditation. Harken unto the voice of my cry, my King and my God. For unto thee will I pray, my voice shalt though hear in the morning. O Lord in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee and will look up!

Placing the Day in the Lord’s hands, every word, thought, action, project, job, relationship and request puts us on a solid path to bring glory to God with stability and life and hope to others. This day can be a wonderful gift when we unwrap it early in God’s presence. Have a blessed day

Day 25:

I thank The Lord today for purpose. The main purpose for all of us is to worship, live for and know God. The way we go about that purpose is ever changing though. Like seasons of life we grow, change, move, adjust, always learning and using God’s gifts and talents to continue living a Christ like set of values. As we change, because of the situations in our life changing, God gives us new dreams, new plans, new possibilities and always gives us the direction and tools to carry on in His plan. Sometimes change is hard and can be sad. Yet it doesn’t mean we forget the past blessings of those seasons, we build upon those, we grow stronger for what we have experienced and we give praise to God for what is ahead. I know all of us have been blessed by great friends, family and memories and we can see more of those blessings as we travel on to new adventures in Christ the maker and keeper of our souls. God give you a clear and present purpose today that you can sink your teeth into (or dentures) Love You All

Day 26:

I thank The Lord today for Comfort. All of us experience sadness at some point in our lives. Sometimes that sadness stays with us for a very long time and we can’t seem to escape it. It comes in many forms. There is sadness due to the death of a family member, a mother or father, a husband or wife, the deep sadness in the loss of a child. We have sadness from the loss of home, job, finances, friends and even direction or dreams. Yet even in the depth of sadness God offers comfort that goes deep into our hearts and our spirits. 2 Corinthians 1:3 speaks of God’s comfort in this way…Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. There is a comfort in God that not only heals our hurt, but also is used to heal the hurt that others are experiencing by way of our example. When we find the help we need in God, during every trouble, problem or sadness, we can honestly say to others, when they go through hard times, that God’s comfort does work because we know it first hand. My prayers today are for friends and family who have lost those they love this week. May God’s comfort, love, strength and peace be yours. He is able, I know because I have felt Him there in my losses and struggles. A light in darkness, a peace beyond understanding, a hope that will not die, a strength when we are at our weakest. He Is There for You

Day 27:

I thank the Lord today for His calming spirit that has helped me through so many anxious times in my life. I have, more times than I can count, gone into situations that have made me nervous and unsure of myself. I have been very anxious and in need of God’s peace and calm to get me through and He has always been there for me. Some situations needed much more prayer and trust than others but His calm and reassuring spirit has always come.

Philippians 4:6-7 (6) Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; (7) and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Anxiety comes in so many forms, from worrying over little things, to mountainous issues. In every case God says, talk to me, give thanks to me for being here to listen and to help you! Tell me what you need to overcome, I will give calm to your mind and your heart and assure you that it will be fine. You are not alone in your struggles, you don’t have to let those things affect your mind and your physical wellbeing, I will give you rest. Thank you Lord for peace and calm, help me be reminded that no matter what I have to deal with, you’re the answer and the confidence that is always with me

Day 28:

Beautiful Son-day Everyone Today I am thankful for the blessings of Teachers! I have always been amazed at those who have the ability to capture the attention of others and bring knowledge and learning into our lives. I pray for all of the school teachers who are going back to classrooms, facing a different learning environment with even more challenges and restrictions. God’s extra special strength, creativity, patience, love and peace through all that will be in front of you. Special blessings on all of the people who have been called by God to teach His Word, what an inspired and wonderful thing that is. I’m thankful that these people take seriously the opportunity they have been given and spend hours of time in study, prayer, research and also sitting under the teaching of other great ministers to hear from God and pass that on to us. Whether they are young, middle aged, or old, they inspire us, remind us, helping us to see in ways we never have before, to stir up the hunger for more of God within us. Blessed are those who bring the Good News of the Gospel, for they bring life to our bones and light into our spirit. Father Bless Them that they may continue and not stumble having you as their guide always

Day 29:

Thank you Lord today for memories. Thankful that God created within us a mind that is amazing, one that records and stores moments to be played back and thought upon at any given time. Wonderful memories, times in our lives that were monumental, times of hope and promise, times of successes and failures, times of laughter and sadness, all of the times throughout our long or short lives that show God’s presence and touch on our lives. I have wonderful memories of so many great times in my life and they constantly bring a smile and joy in my heart. Those moments I choose to think on, to praise God for, to hold on to. A lot of hurting people around our world focus only on the bad times in their lives, the sad and lonely times, the times of anger and unrest. Living in darkness, satan has them bound by their memories, yet God wants to heal their past, the losses, the sadness, the hurting, and replace those memories with hope, healing, love, comfort, truth and purpose.

Psalm 147:3 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

Psalm 23:3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake

Psalm 30:11 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,

Psalm 34:18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.

May God refresh your memories of His blessings and love in your heart. May He heal your hurt, bind up your crushed spirit and turn your mourning into dancing. May He restore your soul and lead you in His ways.

Day 30:

Today’s Thank You is for another awesome creation, the Stars. I love being in the country at night and seeing the beauty of the night skies. Countless small specks of light, scattered larger stars and planets, shooting stars, comets and meteors. Amazing to think of God creating so many wonderful things that are placed within the heavens.

Isaiah 40:26 Lift up your eyes on high and see who has created these stars, The One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name; Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power, Not one of them is missing.

I think about the distance between those stars and me, light years away, yet God is present there as well as He is here. I can imagine that He puts one hand upon a star and His other upon me to let me know that no matter what distance I imagine is between us, He assures me that He is as near as a heartbeat, as close as a breath and never so busy so far away that He doesn’t hear and come when I am in need.

Psalm 145: 18 The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth.

Thank you Lord for the greatness of your creations, and the closeness of your presence that we feel. God is not so vast and powerful that He cannot be touched by our needs. He is a God who made the earth, and created man upon it. He stretched out the heavens with His hands and ordained all their host. Isaiah 45:12 God is near to you always. Look for Him and you will find Him there looking for you.

Day 31:

Today I Thank The Lord for healing. I have experienced it many times and in many ways. I praise Him for Healing, physical, mental, healing for family issues, healing from worry and stress, healing of any hardships that we are facing or will face. Prayers for our nurses and doctors, everyone in our healthcare work. They are amazing. Isaiah 53:4-6″But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed.” Jeremiah 17:14″Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved; for you are my praise.” I love this one and the picture it paints Malachi 4:2″But for you who revere my name the sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.” Thank you Lord that your deep healing is for anyone who calls upon your name

Day 32:

 Today I thank the Lord for Love. Who isn’t thankful for love? What a difference being loved makes in every aspect of our lives. From the very start of life the loving touch of a mother on the smallest baby starts a bond and begins development within them. Being loved gives hope and trust into us. When we fall in love, everything begins to sparkle, the air is fresher, the trees are greener, even the simplest things are amazing when we are in love. As we grow we learn the depth of love, it’s strength, it’s compassion, it’s sorrow and it’s lasting beauty. 1 Corinthians 13 is the love chapter, telling the greatness of pure love. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.8 Love never fails. In the darkest of times love will pierce through with maybe the smallest glow at first but continue to grow to drive out the shadows. It may come from our family, a friend, a neighbor, a stranger, a work mate, maybe even the sight of love displayed in others lives separate from your own. But it lives, eternal John 3:16 For God so loved the world (every one of us no matter the condition) that He gave His only son, that whoever would believe in Him would have everlasting life. Verse 13 of chapter 13 sums it up, what we can always believe will find its way to us: And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. Love you friends

Day 33:

I am Thankful that every day I wake up I have no worry that God is not with me. He is here every time I want to talk, or need anything, He is there. And He brings with Him all of His amazing attributes. He is a full package deal, leaving nothing at home, Or charging you for needing something extra, it’s all included in the Plan of Salvation. Who wouldn’t want a Heavenly Father who is so in love and so consumed with us that He never leaves or forsakes us.

Psalms 145:14-19 The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made. 14.The LORD upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. 15. The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. 16. You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing. 17. The LORD is righteous in all his ways and loving toward all he has made. 18. The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. 19.

He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them. If you google God is near to us, it shows 100 verses that talk about it. That should show us that God wants us to understand His love, concern and promises of being right beside us in every situation. We can study the Psalms of David and his ups and downs and see how through every event God was there encouraging him, protecting, providing, directing, giving strength to and wisdom to him all along his path. Those things are here for each one of us. God loves us just like anyone written about in scripture, those stories are written proof of His provisions for mankind, available every day for you and I. When you open your eyes every morning remember He is near you, and fear not for He has overcome the world

Day 34:

Hello Everyone Happy Saturday Today I am thankful for thoughts of Eternity. God’s promises of a place He has designed that will hold all of those who love Him, have served Him and will spend time without end in His presence. When I think of eternity, one of the most important parts that first come to mind is the fact that those we love, who have been so important to us, whether family or friends and have passed away, don’t simply cease to exist but their souls, the spirit within them that made them who they were, is transported into the presence of God. His promises of that gives us hope and expectation of seeing them again when it’s our turn to make the transition.

1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18 encourages us with this. 13.But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. 14. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 15. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. 18. Therefore comfort one another with these words.

Isaiah 26:19 19. But those who die in the Lord will live; their bodies will rise again! Those who sleep in the earth will rise up and sing for joy! For your life-giving light will fall like dew on your people in the place of the dead!

Revelation 14:13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this down: Blessed are those who die in the Lord from now on. Yes, says the Spirit, they are blessed indeed, for they will rest from their hard work; for their good deeds follow them

Psalm 115:16. Precious in the sight of the Lord Is the death of His godly ones.

Most of us have seen the passing of someone we love or perhaps are in the stages of seeing someone in poor health nearing their time here. It is a sad time, a lonely time to think they will never be near for us to touch and talk with, yet our hope is that eternal promise that one day we will see them again and rejoice with them in God’s presence. May God’s supernatural strength, hope, comfort and blessed memories be with you today, to expect that time, believe for that time of reunion where there is no more pain, or tears, or struggle in God’s place of rest, worship and celebration around the throne of God, in the land He has designed for those who love Him.

Day 35:

A late in the day Thank You to The Lord that He is always on call, no time restrictions so I can lift up needs to Him whenever The Need arises . I spoke about Eternity and healing this week and I believe that God has two important types of healing. There is the temporary healing that allows us to be here in this temporary world for a little longer and then He has Perfect healing that transforms these mortal bodies into perfect eternal ones. So I offer a prayer to The Lord today for the family of my friend Jo who had to say a temporary goodbye to her beautiful sister Lou who has been given that perfect healing being transferred from this temporary home to her eternal and perfect home in God’s presence. Father thank you for your mercy and kindness, thank you for your compassion and comfort. Please hold on to this family during their sadness at the loss of their sister in Christ. Help assure them that you will be with them through their grief and fill their hearts with your love and peace. Give them your vision of Heaven rejoicing as Lou came into their holy family, being greeted by Christ and welcomed home. May they hear the voices of the angels and masses as they sing praises to God for His salvation and bringing another of your servants into their choir of saints. Give rest and peace to this family and bring encouragement to them as they face the days ahead. You are our hope and joy, we thank you that those things will never end for you are our rock and our refuge. Sleep well tonight dear family for our God holds Lou in His arms and also holds you as well. Rest In Peace child of God you have finished your race, you have kept your faith.

Day 36:

Thankful today for the freedom to be Thankful. I am free to write about my faith in God, I’m free to talk in public with others about my faith, I am free to stop, wherever I am and bow my head and pray. Many people do not have that freedom. True that many things have changed and God and prayer have been removed from government buildings, schools, businesses and many others have placed tight restrictions on what will be allowed. Yet, for now, we still have many freedoms that we can be thankful for. Today I was speaking with one of the men doing work at my house, we were talking about God’s goodness how our families have been blessed by Him and how different our lives and those we love, would be if we had chosen not to follow God.

Psalm 19:14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.

Psalm 150:6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

May we be more prone to speak good, to sing praise, to meditate on what is pure and holy and just so that our hearts would be filled with life and health. So that out of the abundance of hearts filled with praise and thanksgiving our mouths would speak.

Day 37:

Good Morning I woke this morning being thankful for my mom being the one who’s life introduced me to Jesus. She was such a soft spoken, kind, patient, always loving example to me. In times when I would consider bad things, going in wrong directions, I thought of how it would affect her. I am so blessed that the revelation of who Christ was and how important our following of Him would be for generations to come, was made known to me. Throughout my life God has brought so many awesome people into it who have inspired, educated, strengthened and given example to help me learn more about Christ. I’ve been able to travel and see God working in so many different areas, different denominations, different lives, different cultures each bringing something through showing His love and purpose. We are blessed to be surrounded by this great cloud of witnesses bringing light and knowledge and hope to us that we in turn give out to those in our lives.

1 Corinthians 3:6-9 6. I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. 7. So then neither is he that plants any thing, neither he that waters; but God that giveth the increase. 8. Now he that plants and he that waters are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor 9. For we are laborers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.

Thank you Lord for my mom who planted the truth about you, that she nurtured it and helped it grow. Thank you Lord for those who have watered it with their love and compassion. Thank you Lord that we continue growing every day and become nurturers and waterers of other lives. May we not lose sight of what we have been given for freely we continue to receive and in turn we should freely give. Have a blessed and fruitful day everyone

Day 38:

Today’s Thank You is for The Strength that we can always find in God. We see strength in so many aspects of life and we need it everyday. There is physical strength, emotional strength, mental strength, spiritual strength, all of those get us through the roller coasters of life. On a small part we know daily routines that we face each day and we get into a programmed mode and automatically do those things, yet interjected in between those are all of the unknowns that can plague us and that supernatural Godly strength has to be called on.

Philippians 4:13. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, Is a daily reminder that we don’t have to try with our human strength to overcome all of our problems, we can understand that God has strength beyond us that is available to draw on that is so much greater, more constant, is wiser, and brings better results than our strength ever can. Just like God’s peace that goes beyond human understanding, God’s strength and overcoming abilities can be with us through whatever the struggles and often times we look back on situations and wonder how we survived without a total melt down. It was God’s overwhelming strength that had all of your emotional, mental, physical and spiritual needs wrapped up within His strength that kept us. All of our lives are seeing great changes and challenges on a regular basis, we are having to adapt to new ways of doing things and it is hard on so many fronts, in those things God offers His blessings of strength. No matter your struggle, no matter your fear, no matter your needs, God is with you, beside you and beneath you to lift up, encourage, and strengthen all you are. Through Christ we can do all things, for if God is for us Who can be against us

Day 39:

Good Thursday Morning. I am thankful today that God has given us a strong foundation to build our lives on. That foundation is the truth of God’s existence, Christ and His teaching of that truth, directions given to us in His word to back up all we know and learn as we plan each moment of our lives. People plan their lives so often around jobs or hobbies they love that soon come to reveal a weakness or flaw that destroys their hopes and dreams. What we build our lives on is very important. Jesus brought a new view of God’s involvement in the lives of man, He went so outside the normal way of thinking and it was hard for them to grasp it. He wanted people to know that a relationship with God was more than legal acts, it was living what we learn from God.

Luke 6:47–49 47. “Everyone who comes to me and listens to my words and does them—I will show you what he is like: 48. he is like a man building a house, who dug and went down deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood came, the river burst against that house and was not able to shake it, because it had been built well. “

I’m in the process of building a structure right now and have worked so much to get the foundation set to build upon. To make sure that part is strong and level sets the course of the whole structure to be strong, secure and so much better to build your walls to be true. That is how our lives are with Christ as the foundation. When we are anchored and secure in Christ, nothing we face, no matter what it is, we are found to be strong and sound. When we are secure in Christ we have calm in the storms because we have our hope in His ability to rescue us. That foundation also has the truth of scripture to apply to every day. To help others who struggle with their security and peace. Our hope is in a firm foundation, one not built on sand, but one built deep upon the cornerstone of our faith. On Christ the solid rock I stand!

Day 40:

Here I am late in the day again yet thankful for a heart of Skilled Craftsmanship that still lives today. I am very thankful for the very hard working men who spent the entire day preparing, forming, pouring and finishing concrete at my house. They came early, took very few breaks and stayed later than I expected because they have the heart of dedicated craftsmen. I thought of the craftsmen that God anointed to build the temple. He said He put wisdom and skill into them to complete His special task.

Psalm 31: 1-6 The Skilled Craftsmen 1. Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2. “See, I have called by name Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. 3. I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship, 4. to make artistic designs for work in gold, in silver, and in bronze, 5. and in the cutting of stones for settings, and in the carving of wood, that he may work in all kinds of craftsmanship. 6. And behold, I Myself have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and in the hearts of all who are skillful I have put skill, that they may make all that I have commanded you”

I am very thankful for talented and skillful individuals who help the daily operations of this world, ones who are devoted to keeping our greater world operating and in order. There is a great blessing when you can take a talent or skill and place it in God’s hands to help others. Too often greed and self advancement takes over in our world and the gift of blessing others through Christ’s talents is lost. May we never loose sight of what has freely been given to us. Father may we always thank you for the talents, ideas, skills and determination that you have given that they can be translated into help and encouragement so others may see and feel your love and care for our world. You are our Skilled Creator

Day 41:

Today I am thankful that God accepts me, an imperfect, sinful man, just as I am. I don’t have to clean up everything wrong with my life, I don’t have to suddenly become perfect in all my actions and attitudes, Jesus looks for the broken and hurt of this world. He seeks out those who are imperfect, He knows the areas that are in need of repair, He says come to me and learn about me that I am meek and lowly of heart. Take my yoke upon you and I will give you rest. We have a way of downgrading ourselves, pointing out our own faults and mistakes, determining that we aren’t worth anything to anyone. But God has a different view, to Him we are beautiful, fearfully and wonderfully made. He doesn’t see the bruises or the cuts in the way people do, He doesn’t point those out to degrade us or make fun. He takes those hurts and cuts and heartaches and heals them, encourages us to see ourselves as He sees us, a vessel that is made perfect to be used for His glory. I love to work on old furniture. I like to take piece of history, clean up the dirt, the old and sticky finishes and help return it to life. I repair what is broken, I rube oils into the old wood to help it live. Yet I don’t remove the dents or worm holes I leave those as a signature of a wonderful life. When the rustic furniture craze began I loved it. I have made several pieces I am proud of because they don’t have to be perfect, they can be weathered, cracked, unpainted or partly painted. Those things are pieces that reflect life as we know it, stained and blemished yet loved for its character. Let Jesus love the character you are, He will heal you, touch you, use you to reach all types of people. Your hidden potential is closer than you think. God loves His imperfect people, He is a perfect God who cares far beyond the surface, into the depth of the heart and the fire of your soul.

Day 42:

I am always so Thankful for quiet alone time when I can clear my mind, as best I can, read scripture and listen with a still and silent heart to what God wants to tell me. I think that most of you, like me, have so many things swirling around in your mind that it is so very hard to clear it long enough to hear any words that God is trying to teach you. Life changes constantly, work, family, miscellaneous life maintenance steals away even the smallest of moments we have for ourselves. Prayer and asking God to help me manage my time, to bring prioritization of all my duties and that He gives me the determination to make time for Him won’t go unrewarded trust me.

Lamentations 3:25-28 “The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. It is good for a man to bear the yoke while he is young. Let him sit alone in silence, for the Lord has laid it on him.”

Sitting in silence, concentrating on God’s word, listening for direction and peace from Him is so restful. It rejuvenates, strengthens and clears the clutter that attaches itself to us at every turn. Even though quiet time may be short with great gaps in between, any time humbly and selflessly given to God will not return void.

Matthew 6:6-8 “When you pray, go to your room and close the door. Pray privately to your Father who is with you. Your Father sees what you do in private. He will reward you”.

Jesus understood the need for quiet alone time with God, to help Him minister, to strengthen His compassion and to help Him overcome satan’s constant pressures to make Him turn away from the cross.

Luke 5:15-16 “Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”

Luke 22:39-45 “And he came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him. And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation. And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.

Find a special quiet place or two where you can escape and pray. Find God’s presence as often as you can. Draw strength and renewal, find peace and rest, find hope for what is before you. Be still and know that He is Your God and He is your deliverer

 Day 43:

Today’s Thank You is for, well remembering all of the things we’ve already thanked Him for so far. They are not just one time thanksgivings but Daily reminders of His grace and awesome presence that follows us always Let’s look back over the last 42 days and see if any of these things carries a special place in our day today.

Day 44:

Today’s Thank You is continuing to be reminded of the things we’ve already thanked Him for so far. They are not just one time thanksgivings but Daily reminders of His grace and awesome presence that follows us always Let’s look at another 15 days of thanksgiving and see if any of these things carries a special place in our day today. Day 16: I thank The Lord for Family Day 17: I thank The Lord for Forgiveness. Day 18: I thank The Lord for Hope. Day 19: I thank The Lord that He is my Refuge. Day 20: I thank The Lord for even the Smallest of Victories. Day 21: I thank The Lord for Believing in Us. Day 22: I thank The Lord for Restoration and Rebuilding. Day 23: I thank The Lord that He creates within us Strength to have Determination in our Lives. Day 24: I thank The Lord for Refreshing Coolness in our weather to start our day. Day 25: I thank The Lord for Purpose. Day 26: I thank The Lord for Comfort in our Soul. Day 27: I thank The Lord for His Calming Spirit.Day 28: I thank The Lord for The Blessings of Teachers of all Kinds. Day 29: I thank The Lord for Memories Day 30: I thank The Lord for The Amazing Creation of The Stars. Lord please keep reminding us that our lives are full of Thankful moments. Let us not be weighed down by negative events and allow those to take us away from our worship and joy of having you in our everyday life. We are so blessed and humbled by your presence, our souls are lifted and filled with hope and peace, Thank You Have an awesome Day Everyone for God is our Strength and our Salvation who shall we fear. More “Thank You” to come Tomorrow !!! Peace Out

Day 45:

Praising God for His Wonderful Mercy and Grace today. When we get to heaven, if we even care to know, God may show us how many times His Mercy rescued us, releasing us from being condemned by our actions and attitude, and how often Grace reminds us that it is nothing we have done to earn salvation but it is a wonderful gift from God. The past couple of days we’ve been looking back at the things we are thankful for. Here are the last few to refresh our hearts Day 31: I thank The Lord for Healing. Day 32: I thank The Lord for Love Day 33: I thank The Lord for Always being with me. Day 34: I thank The Lord for thoughts of Eternity. Day 35: I thank The Lord that He is always on call so I can lift needs up to Him. Day 36: I thank The Lord for the Freedom to be Thankful anytime and anywhere. Day 37: I thank The Lord for My Mom and her influence in my life Day 38: I thank The Lord for God’s Strength. Day 39: I thank The Lord for His firm foundation on which to build our lives. Day 40: I thank The Lord for the Heart of a skilled craftsman. Day 41: I thank The Lord for His acceptance of me just as I am. Day 42: I thank The Lord for Quiet Alone Time with God. May God place all of the things we are thankful for into our hearts everyday. Because everyday we can look back at the day before, and the day before that and on and on to continue in strength to build upon the history of God and His Mercy and Grace to continue this fight, to keep our faith and to win these battles. God grant you strength and confidence for tomorrow and to give you hope that will never falter. God’s rest and peace tonight.

Day 46:

Good morning again everyone. We are enjoying some much needed rain right now, slow and calming at the moment, but we may get a bit more later due to the hurricane. So we will be watching that as well as praying for those in the path where it will be the strongest. Today’s Thank You Is for The Lord providing the income we need to take care of life maintenance. I’m pretty sure that each one of us is different in the area of what we need daily to meet our needs. Yet God isn’t limited by way of only using one type of currency, or one credit card or only one type of barter system, He is universal (since He did create the universe). There is no lack with God, no shortage of material, no back order because He ran out, no run on His bank, no broken or missing parts, He is a provider of our needs in whatever form they appear. Luke chapter 12 is full of verses that encourage us to consider how aware God is of our needs and for us to not be anxious over any of them.

Luke 12:27 Consider how the lilies grow: They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory was adorned like one of these. 28. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith.

Financial worry is one of the worst things plaguing a vast majority of people today, with that worry over your head you struggle to make ends meet, you struggle with relationships, and feel trapped. It’s a very hard thing to overcome and even if you want to be giving to others it’s hard when you don’t have enough for yourself.

Luke 12:29-34 29. And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. 30. For the world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.32. Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. 33. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

God will provide for us, sometimes through a second job or another shift that no one wants. Perhaps by way of selling some things we don’t need or scaling back on what we drive. He always provides a way. Look at your needs and also the needs around you. Pray over giving, over helping with your time and with your talents. When we reach out to others in need, not only are they blessed but our needs are met as well. Love you everyone, God loves you and will provide what you need because He cares for you

Day 49:

Today I am thankful for Music. What an amazing creation music is. How it reflects what is going on within us, it conveys all types of emotions, desires, everyday happenings and can truly touch the very heart of God. Psalm 96 encourages us to do this..1. O sing unto the Lord a new song: sing unto the Lord, all the earth.2. Sing unto the Lord, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day.3. Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people.4. For the Lord is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods. I have been blessed to take part in sharing the gospel through music and have seen firsthand how it can break down walls between people. It can bring people who are proud or shy or broken, rich, poor, strong or weak all to a place that puts aside differences to stand in God’s presence and sing His praises. Hearts can be changed, fears removed, sadness destroyed, love multiplied and worries dissolved. Psalm 95:6-7 O come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before The Lord our Maker. 7. For He is our God, and we are people of His pasture, we are the sheep under His care. Psalm 100:1-2 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Psalm 95:1-2 Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise. There are so many great songs that have been written giving praise to God for the things He has done in the lives of people and that sing of His glory and worth. Even in the face of hardship and disaster God has anointed individuals to write songs of praise for God’s strength, comfort and provision. Those songs can uplift our hearts because we are praising His worth not our hurt or our need. We remove the focus from ourselves and we place it on Him. This week sometime, find time to sing praise to God from your heart. It doesn’t matter if your voice is awesome or if it’s not on pitch, the important fact is you are celebrating Him and His glory. Sing unto the Lord a New Song for He is worthy of our praise.

Day 50:

I thank The Lord today for people who have a Humble Heart. So many today are proud and arrogant, feeling they are above others yet scripture says in Proverbs 3:34 that God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. When we think we are of more importance than others, that we deserve a higher position, that only our life or our belief or our rights matter over others, we have allowed pride to take over our hearts and God is very outspoken on how He feels. The proud believe that they can gain anything because of their importance yet once again God’s ways are not ours.

Matthew 5: 5-15 has a lot to say on who God will bless because of the purity of their hearts. 5. “Blessed are the humble, for they shall inherit the earth. 6. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled. 7. “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. 8. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

I have known some wonderful, talented, wise and very humble people who have influenced my life over the years. These people could have been famous in the eyes of the world but chose humble lives that helped others with their love and talents. Those are the models we should follow. God can use those of humble hearts placed into kings courts or places of fame or managers of great wealth and He can use their humble hearts to soften those of the proud. To pray for brokenness and eyes to see their worldly conditions, bowing before God and asking forgiveness and humbleness. Our prayers should be Lord help me everyday to be humble, to understand that anything I have or anything I am is all because of you. Please give your servant eyes to see himself as you see him Lord and if there be any pride or selfishness within me, replace it with God’s heart for others and prayers of thanksgiving for all that I have here on Earth.

Day 51:

This morning’s Thank You is for having a dry place to call home. Very thankful a for roof that doesn’t leak, windows that keep out the rain and cold, and doors that don’t allow water to sneak in under them. Tons of people don’t have these things. Perhaps their homes are old and in need of many repairs that they can’t afford. Perhaps they are homeless and live on the streets finding whatever shelter they can to help keep them dry, warm and protected. For, what seemed a long time, we fought with a leak in an area with skylights. It would leak, then it wouldn’t. We sealed, patched, repaired and thought ok good it’s done…then it would leak again. Finally removed the windows, replaced the decking, sealed along the adjoining roofline, put in new shingles and now (always praying it lasts) it is dry. As good as men and women are at building and repairing, weather, materials and flaws will find a way to remind you that nature is very fluid with movement, wind, rain, snow, ice and pounding of what we choose to live in. Scripture is great about taking life situations, that we understand, and using them in respect to how our lives need God to keep us strong and directed. Matthew 7: 24-27 relates how we build our spiritual lives to keep us secure and firm when the storms hit us.

24. “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

Sometimes we have a leak in our lives that we don’t think is so bad and we put a pan under it and let it go because it will stop raining soon and the leak will go away. But the little leak begins to destroy the foundation underneath that we don’t see. It weakens the structure, it becomes worse the next time it rains until a great crash can happen. God knows that rains and wind and storms come, He wants us to be prepared when they happen and if water comes in He wants us to focus on why. Where is the weak area, how can we repair it so that it doesn’t cause disaster. He is always ready and able to bring repairs to our weaknesses, to our troubled areas. He is a builder much greater than we are, a restorer of the broken and weak.

Hebrews 3:3 3. For Jesus has been counted worthy of greater glory than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. 4. For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything.

Psalms 147:3 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

Thank you lord for a place to stay dry, a place of refuge, a place of rest. Thank you for your place of healing repairs, your safe haven, your firm foundation in which to weather all of our storms. Prayers for my friends and family during your times of storm, that God’s refuge will keep you strong and safe underneath His wings.

Day 52:

Today I thank God for knowing that God is more than enough for my needs. He really is all that I need. I think this year gives us a very clear picture of some things we thought we couldn’t live without and yet here we are, without them. We have come to realize, although we don’t want to accept it, that so many things were just not as needed to fulfill our wholeness. One thing remains as our constant, our peace of mind, our hope, our strength, our rock and that is the fact that nothing can take us away from God’s love.

Romans 8:38-39 38. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39. neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

That verse proves to us that no matter the losses we may face, the changes that come, the separation that isolates us or the forces that seem to be against us, There is nothing that can be imagined that can separate us from God’s love in Christ our Lord. Tonight and through each day, rest in that promise, hope in that promise, sing to God in the loneliness because of that promise. For each day His love is greater than all of our fear, all of our loss, all of our anxieties. For God so loved the world ( that’s all of us) that He gave His one and only son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life. Never separated from God’s love and never alone.

Day 53:

Today’s Thank you covers several things. First off a visit to the doctor as a follow up on surgery was a good report, Thank you Lord. Then a busy visit with my daughter and granddaughters with laughs and shopping and other various stuff, Thank you Lord. Then home tonight, evening walks, relaxing and looking forward to a good night’s sleep, Thank you again Lord. Wonderful, simple yet blessed things to thank God for. Time rushes past us so very quickly and we often don’t enjoy those hectic yet blessed moments. If we can see God’s presence in the everyday things, giving praise for allowing us to breath in those moments and Thank Him for them, perhaps they can be the epic blessings that we have been looking for and have walked past way too many times. As Paul so beautifully describes “I have learned that in whatsoever state I am, there in to be content.” God’s peace, rest and Thankfulness be in your heart tonight. Prayers for a wonderful and spirit filled day tomorrow. What awesome things lay in store. Thank you Lord.

Day 54:

I thank The Lord today for the kindness and compassion of people that have blessed my life and my family. There have been many over the years who have blessed us in so many ways. It is amazing to see, in today’s world, that others, with even less than what we have, give to touch and help someone who is in need. Kindness looks at a life and gives out of a desire to help better the situation they are in. They want to help ease the worry, the loss, the loneliness, the depression and the hopelessness that can take the life out of a person. God’s compassions and kindness puts self aside and gives out of a depth of understanding that it is only by God’s Grace that we are saved from finding ourselves in the same hopeless condition. Matthew 10:8 part of this verse says…”freely you have received, freely give”. Jesus had sent the disciples out to reach the lost sheep of the house of Israel and told them to heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers and expel demons. They had freely been given these gifts by way of God working through them. Freely, compassionately with kindness they gave to those in need.

Hebrews 13:16 “And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” Even the smallest act of kindness can make a huge impact in someone’s life.

John 15:12 “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”

Matthew 5:42 “Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.”

Oh that can be hard, yet if we pray for wisdom in how we give to those who ask of us, God will honor it and we will be blessed doing it out of a clear and humble heart.

Proverbs 19:17 “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done.”

Romans 12:13 “Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.”

God wants us to share the gifts we have been given with others that they may be blessed.

Matthew 5:16 “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

We have been blessed by God’s kindness through the hearts of other compassionate people and we can share that same kindness in turn with others. God help us to see and take advantage of every possible opportunity to share your kindness with others, that they can see God working through us and give You praise.

Day 55:

Morning, it was a busy then late day yesterday so today will be a double, playing catch up Thank You day I thank The Lord for the beauty of His night sky displaying a gorgeous Harvest moon with the Planet Mars looking over it’s shoulder. God’s wonders in creation always amaze me. Knowing that He shows us His power, creativity, love for detail and perfection and that all things reflect who He is.

Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

As the moon reflects the brilliance of the sun, our lives reflect God to a world that doesn’t see or know Him. We also reflect Him to His children that have forgotten, turned away or perhaps have had tragedies that have caused them to lose faith. All of us can reflect Christ to our world. We may have become tarnished and dull because of our environment or through tragedy but God can restore us to new life. None have gone to far away, none have fallen so deeply that God cannot find and restore if we let Him.

Isaiah 60:2b but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.

God loves to shine through us to all those around. We are His hands and feet, we are His light into the darkness, we are a city set upon a hill.

Matthew 5:14-17 14. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Father may we always be a light that is clear so that people May see you, not us, and give praise to you for your wonders, your mercy, love and hope. May your salvation be known that your light may spread into every dark corner of this world.

Isaiah 60:1 1 Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.

Have a blessed and renewing, recharging day in The Lord everyone

Day 56:

This Thank You Lord, is for having the opportunity to be able to visit with real life people not wearing masks ( we all wear masks metaphorically speaking) seeing them smile and laugh and enjoying their company. I know it sounds rebellious, but it was relaxing, and encouraging. As in any time in our lives there is always the unknown. There is always the possibility of accidents, illnesses, a heart attack or stroke, life is full of unknowns. Life is also full of hope, trust, faith, love, encouragement, stepping out of the boat onto the waves and keeping our eyes on Christ to keep us from sinking into those murky depths.

Matthew 14:25-33 25. Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. 27. But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”28. “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” 29. “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31. Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” 32. And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

I know we have been urged to be cautious and safe, to take care of where we go and the distance of ourselves with others. Yet let us stay in contact with one another, don’t forget about each other because there are those who desperately need communication with others more than ever before. Let’s keep in contact as much as possible as well as praying for all of our friends and family. God’s touch is without boundaries, without walls, without limitations and without fear. Take time this week to touch a life, call them, FaceTime them, stop by and see them to let them know they are not forgotten and they are not alone. God’s touch is right there with you, fear not, you are loved and you are His

Day 57:

Thank you today Lord for the refreshing wind that was softly blowing while I was working. It’s amazing how even the smallest breeze can refresh you when it’s hot and humid. The winds are amazing things, you don’t see them, most times, but you hear them and feel them. You see the winds blow the trees or flowers. You see the clouds carried along by the wind. The mighty sailing ships sailed around the world by their power and hurricanes have blown away buildings and trees, and have driven huge ships onto dry land. The winds can be gentle or they can be mighty. God’s voice can be like the winds, strong and powerful or a still small and gentle whisper. Being attuned to Him determines our ability to hear His voice no matter the form it takes and then to respond here I am Lord. Thank You Lord that you can move us with your winds of refreshing, or with powerful direction, or with your winds of change. We can be ordered by your gentle whisper to say be still and know that I am your God. Close your eyes, feel the wind of His spirit, listen to His voice and say yes Lord here I am, stay with me and guide me.

Day 58:

I want to Thank The Lord that He is above all things, the creator and maintainer of our human bodies, our Earth, our Universe, the molecules, atoms and all the infinite creations so small that they can only be seen with the most powerful microscopes. Yet He is there keeping them together and set within their paths. All of nature lifts it’s head and gives glory to your name. Not a single thing that exists was made without Him. He is more glorious than the most beautiful soul, the most majestic mountain, the most powerful burning sun. He sits among the heavens and keeps watch on every action, every breath that is taken, every heart that beats, every brain as it processes billions of electrical activities it is monitored and loved by Him. He is the first, the last, the beginning and the end. He holds the rising sun in His hands, the countless stars circle about His head as He surveys the wonders of His creation. I am awestruck at His love for me, a simple spec, a moment of existence, a fleeting whisper that passes and is gone. He is our hope, He is our light, He is our salvation because He sacrificed for us and He Lives and is worthy of our praise. I thank you Lord For Who You are and Who You Make Me To Be

Day 59:

Today’s Thank You is for children I have always had a special place in my heart for children. It seems I have always enjoyed hanging out with kids more than adults. Probably because I think more like them and it’s ok to be goofy around them most of the time. But I love their vision of things around them, their questions, their explanations about things they don’t quite understand but are trying too. And I love that they absorb so much, they want to learn things and do things.

Matthew 19: 13-14 13. Then the little children were brought to Jesus for Him to place His hands on them and pray for them. And the disciples rebuked those who brought them. 14. But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them! For the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.

Jesus knew the purity of children, He saw their heart that was quick to accept people and love them. He knew they were hungry to learn and Jesus said that His heavenly kingdom belonged to those who had the same desires and qualities.

Matthew 18: 1-6. 1. At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2. He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. 3. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. 6. If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.

Jesus has a very high regard for children and they are one of the great examples of what type of mindset we should have, what humility, what simple and devoted love. Humble hearts before God, pure love before others and before God. Lord help us to learn the characteristics of children that we may find grace in your sight. May we love others without question, desire to learn from you and walk in faith to please you and grow in your purpose.

Day 60:

Today’s Thank You is for…wait for it…Rocks. Who would think that rocks would be something you could be thankful for. But let’s think for a minute. Throughout history some of the most impressive structures have been built out of stone. The Pyramids, Castles, The Great Wall of China, these are just a few structures that have stood the test of time and I believe the workers who built them were very glad that they had enough rocks to finish their creations. Rocks are such strong things, they stay out in the elements unaffected by rain, cold, ice, snow and only a few things within nature can move, disturb or break them in their journey through time. Where I live the soil is very rocky, we say that every time it rains more of them grow. Digging holes is a challenge. You dig a little then break up the rocks or dig them up. They are used for strong foundations, reinforcing walls, changing the flow of streams or rivers, holding back landslides and they can be paving stones, driveways, or mixed with other elements to create concrete. We can see how these great and strong items can represent God’s personality.

Isaiah 28:16. Therefore thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, A costly cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed. He who believes in it will not be disturbed.

In relation to architecture, a cornerstone is traditionally the first stone laid for a structure, with all other stones laid in reference. This ensured that remains of the building’s original content were preserved with the structure throughout its life, until demolition. Scripture refers to Christ as the chief Cornerstone. He was the First stone of our Spiritual foundation, everything references off of Him for direction and truth. As the Chief Cornerstone, Jesus ensures the stability of the whole system of our salvation. Jesus was and is the only plan of salvation.

Isaiah 28:16, “Therefore this says the Lord God: ‘Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation.

I am thankful that these Earthly rocks remind me that Jesus is our firm foundation, the rock on which we stand, true and solid that cannot be shaken no matter what is thrown against us. May God encourage you by letting you see His strength, His solid foundation that You can stand and trust in. He will keep you, give you rest, give you peace in knowing that your life can be unshakable when your trust is in Him. We thank you Lord for the rock of our salvation a strong and mighty fortress built upon your hope in Glory

Day 61:

Today I thank The Lord for all of the Brave and Courageous Men and Women who lay their lives on the line to Protect, Rescue and Give aid to Anyone in Need every single day. They are life giving in so many ways. This day reminds us of the Rescue/Police/Fire Fighters/EMT’s who gave their lives during the terrorist attacks of 911. What Heroes and living Examples of true Love and Compassion they Had for individuals they did not know.

John 15:13. 13. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Not adding to scripture, but I believe that great love is also seen when someone puts their life in danger to rescue and protect someone they don’t know. Prayers go out today for all of the families whose lives were changed that day. So many innocent lives, of all ages, were taken. Lives that didn’t get to grow and become something amazing for this world. Lives that were expecting children or grandchildren. Lives that had just married or were about too. Young, middle aged and older. All cut short in an instant. May we remember all of the victims, the families left behind, the heroes and the injured. God is still healing and holding those affected. God grant them peace, healing and strength as they continue Daily to press forward with your Help and compassion. May we not forget those who were lost, those who were left behind, those still in mourning. May the God of peace and comfort be there to shine His light of hope that one day they will be reunited with those who are gone ahead.

Day 62:

Today I thank The Lord for His daily reminders of His love and presence. Yesterday was one of those days where I was down, no singular reason but a combination of things. Yet I knew God was with me, still loving me, still guiding, still being my rock and fortress. Today was much better. No major outward changes, no events that lifted my spirit but more calm and peace about decisions and ways forward. As I took a walk on our gravel road I looked down, I always love looking around as I walk, and my eye picked out a piece of gravel standing out from the rest. A little grey rock, like the hundreds of other little grey rocks on the road, except it had the shape of a heart which was part of another black rock inside of it. I know God was reminding me, with this small and simple act, that His love is continuously around me, reminding me that He cares about every aspect of our lives. That He plants random items, people, things of nature, sometimes in small ways and sometimes in large ways to let us know we are not alone. That He is near to us, that He hears and understands our needs, that He is our arms of comfort to wrap around our weary hearts.

Psalms 145: 17-20 17. The LORD is righteous in all his ways and loving toward all he has made. 18. The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. 19. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them. 20. The LORD watches over all who love him.

May we be reminded every day how much God is watching, loving, providing, healing, protecting and encouraging us, that we stay watchful, prayerful and thankful for His love. He will never leave us or forsake us For He is Here to give us Hope and Rest.

Day 63:

I thank The Lord today for always knowing my heart. He knows that way too often I don’t have all the right words to say and the few I do say seem to come out wrong. Yet He is patient and compassionate, listening to the inner man who loves Him deeply. I thank Him that in those times of mental and emotional silence, His spirit within me communicates far more intelligently with God than I ever could.

Romans 8:26-27. 26. In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

There are many times that I have Writers Block. I have an idea but shortly after starting it my mind goes in another direction and I become stranded. The beauty of God being connected to us through His Holy Spirit, living in side of us, is that it brings to life God’s understanding of what is going within us without having to say a word. We see it as we see people who have been together so long that they can easily read the other’s expressions and know what they are feeling. They finish each other’s sentences, they know what makes each other uncomfortable or anxious or sad. God’s spirit in us speaks to God by way of knowing our inner self and steps in to bring our needs to Him when we don’t know what to say.

Psalm 139:23-24. 23. Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: 24. And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Thank you Lord for knowing me, May my heart and your spirit be joined so that I may praise you clearly and humbly all my days. Praise to you for you are our strength

Day 64:

I’m a day behind again but still very Thankful that our God has the ability to touch any life no matter the background, the personality, how they were raised or the state of their mind and emotions. It’s amazing how God can go deep into the heart and mind of someone and change their whole outlook on life and the situations around them. I struggle with getting along with some people, their personalities and mine don’t click, though I try to be kind and understanding, more often than not it’s hard for me to be around them. But God, on the other hand, is so patient and compassionate knowing everything about them and knowing just how to reach and touch them. Because He is not willing that any should perish but all would come to know Him. (2nd Peter 3:9) God has chosen us as His tools with which to work and reach the lost. His hands and feet to touch a world filled with people who don’t know Him in a personal way. It is an awesome thing that God has designed people of all types, personalities and dispositions to reach this world. Folks I can reach may be entirely different from those that you can reach, yet I still need to portray Christ to them whether we click or not. Paul showed his struggles and leading by being flexible in his outreach yet solid in his walk and his foundation in Christ.

1 Corinthians 9: 19. Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. 22. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. 23. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

Thank you Lord that you used someone to help us see you, please help us to be your hands, feet and voice to touch another life and bring them into your family

Day 65:

Good morning Everyone. Today my Thank You to the Lord is that Every Day Can be a new day. A new Day of Hope, of Peace, of Purpose, of Healing both Physical and Emotional, A New Day of New Life. Yes our lives are full of past history which plays a huge part of who we are, yet be don’t have to be a slave to it, we don’t have to pull it up and dwell on it every day. We can determine today to start the day with a new attitude, a new outlook, a new purpose with Christ as our focus. It takes work and determination. All the things in our lives that are important take time, energy and hard work to develop them into valuable useful skills and life changing attitudes.

2nd Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

I’m not saying it’s an easy thing to change our lives, it’s a struggle changing a lifetime filled with hurt or anxiety, but it is possible. It takes prayer, study, faith that it can happen, asking other solid friends or pastors to pray with you, believing that what Christ has said and offered to us is possible.

Mark 9:23 Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”

May God strengthen your mind, heart and determination today to believe you can change, to trust God to help you change, to heal and to feel His love and hope for you. Today Can be a Brand New Day with God at the Start, at the Heart and Through until the End of it. Each Day being stronger and full of Confidence that He is Able to Complete what He has started in you. Give Him your Day because He wants to Be With You through it All

Day 66:

Today is a special Thank You for having friends and family who bind together in times of need and Pray for one another. God’s word says the Prayers of a Righteous Man means much to God. We I initially wrote this I included a special request for our friends Erik and Hope who’s little son Tripp was going in for heart surgery that morning. I asked friends and family to join us in prayer for God’s presence to be with them. The surgery was a success and Mr. Tripp is doing wonderfully, growing and getting into everything. God does hear the prayers of His people, no matter the severity of the need, He hears and understands all of the details no matter how large or small. We can, and need to, lift up the needs of others. God remind us daily of others needs for our prayers reach your heart and you answer in love for whatever the need may be.

Day 67:

Good Cool Morning to everyone I thank the Lord this morning for all of my friends who prayed yesterday for Little 3 month old Tripp who had heart surgery. Notes from their family are very encouraging, that all went well and expecting recovery with no complications. We will continue to pray for them during this recovery time. I am thankful, and pray blessings on all who prayed, who took time out of their day, to ask for God’s hand on this family’s need. We can say, often times, that we will pray for someone, their situations, their needs but get sidetracked, busy and don’t follow through. I’ve done that and later are reminded that I didn’t take it as seriously as I should have. God is very interested in every aspect of our lives and wants us to be interested and sincere about the needs of other lives as well. Throughout scripture we see people who were called on by God to change situations, free captives, turn great groups of people around, stop rain, part water, move walls and strongholds. These people listened and prayed. Not just once but daily, sometimes complete days, years of going to God in prayer to see these things take place. It took sacrifice and putting self aside to listen to God and to believe He would do what was promised. If there is a need you have, something you face that is painful, difficult, oppressive or consuming of all your thoughts or energy, God can make a way through it by prayer and faith. Don’t give up, have faith and believe. Find others who are faithful and determined to join with you in prayer. You will see an answer and those who pray with you will be blessed and their confidence will be strengthened to see answers for future needs. Have a great day in the Lord with Hope, Confidence and Determination that He loves you and will be with you in everything you face today.

Day 68:

Today’s Thank You to The Lord is for Wisdom.

James 3:17 “For the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere”

I will admit that my wisdom is far from perfect. I have made many decisions based on my own foolish wisdom and regretted the choices I’ve made. But there is a better way to forge ahead by seeking God’s insights and greater wisdom whatever the task we are working through.

James 1:5 5. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. God wants us to be wise in all that we do. To make wise decisions, to speak wisely in every situation, to be seen in the eyes of others as someone who walks honorably and wisely in love.

Proverbs 3:13. Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding.

Proverbs 19:8. The one who gets wisdom loves life, the one who cherishes understanding will soon prosper. May you desire God’s wisdom and be blessed by having it all of your days. Seek it in all you do, He will not fail you when your heart and motives are pure.

Ephesians 5:15-16. 15. Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16. making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.

Prayers that during these time we are wise in everything we do, to be strong and grounded in God, to be a portrait of wisdom just as He is.

Romans 11:33–36 33. Oh, the depth of the riches and the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgements and how incomprehensible are his ways! 34. “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor? 35. Or who has given in advance to him, and it will be paid back to him?” 36. For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory for eternity! Amen.

Day 69:

Today I Thank the Lord for having a place of quiet where I can find rest, solitude and refreshing in Him. To draw strength, to listen to His voice, to be inspired, to create and to thank Him for all of the Wonderful and Amazing things He has blessed me with. In our lives, many times, a place of quiet doesn’t exist. So many things clamor for our attention. Our thoughts are not our own, so God encourages us to find a place of stillness to get away from even the necessary things and be alone with Him to rejuvenate our spirit and secure our minds and hearts. Jesus on many occasions stepped away from His disciples and found a place to pray. It wasn’t that He was tired of being around them, tired of His ministry but needed to find God’s extra special voice to continue His work, continue His representation of God to the people He was leading and to face the huge task that was ahead of Him. We need that too.

Matthew 14:23 After He had sent them away, He went up to the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came He found himself alone.

Mark 1:25. Early in the morning while it was still dark, Jesus got up and slipped out to a solitary place to pray. Luke 6:12. In those day, Jesus went out to the mountain to pray, and He spent the night in prayer to God.

May you find a place of refreshing today, a quiet place to pray, to rest your spirit in Him, to listen to His voice, to find strength and wisdom and hope. If you feel you have lost those things, God is willing to refill you with all the valuable things you need to continue on, to love your family, to reach the lost, to encourage those who are down, to lift up the broken and lonely and bring life back to the weary. He is there in the midst of all the noise, He is your all, your salvation.

Day 70:

Good Morning Again ( Thank You Lord for Another Day) It is sooo nice and refreshingly cool again Today I Thank The Lord that each day can be a day of Learning. We have no idea what things we will face today, But God can teach us something by way of our experiences today as well as being open to all the things around us. Learning and applying is up to us.

2 Timothy 2:15 Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

We should never come to a place where we believe we have learned all there is to know, to stop striving for growth, to be the “Old dog that can’t learn new tricks.” Even as we age and get slower to grasp things mentally, I believe working at study helps to keep our minds fresh. Memorizing even small things, short verses of scripture, helps to keep our minds active and can retrace new pathways in the brain, helping our memories last longer. I found 100 references to learning in scripture and there are probably more sprinkled throughout. That tells me God wants us to know that it is important to continue learning all of our lives. Here are a few:

Proverbs 1:5 Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance,

Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Proverbs 18:15 An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.

Proverbs 9:9 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.

2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

May we learn more from God today, to be ready for whatever comes our way, for whom ever we may meet to share Him with them and to always be willing to learn new and exciting things. Have a Wonderful and Blessed Monday

Day 71:

Today I am thankful for God’s Word again, reminding me that I Do not need be conformed to this world.

Romans 12:1–2: 12 Therefore I exhort you, brothers, through the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, so that you may approve what is the good and well-pleasing and perfect will of God.

I am so thankful that I don’t have to Conform to the mindset of this age. A mindset set on destruction, hatred, violence, selfishness, slander and everything opposite of what Christ reflects. Setting our minds on Christ and His example, His teaching, filling our minds with His like mindedness, pushes out all of the sinful nature and fills our hearts and thoughts with God leaving now space for the negative and destructive thought of this present age.

Philippians 4:8 8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

Father may we be turned to your truth, hope, love, peace, kindness, encouragement and servitude before everything, let that be our first responses, our constant prayer, our gifts to you Lord for your mercy to us. Let us fill the air with your cleanliness and not the dark and choking attitudes of death, only life. We pray this in your name Amen. Rest in Christ tonight my friends

Day 72:

Thank You Lord That your Mercy Endures Forever Today the rains have stopped and the cool morning is filled with hope and possibilities. God’s Mercy is always ready to be applied to our lives, ready to encourage and bring strength.

Ephesians 2: 4-5 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. Knowing God is full of Mercy, Compassion, Forgiveness and Grace, encourages us that no matter the past, present or future He is ready and willing to act on that Mercy whenever it is needed.

Psalms 25: 6-7 Remember, Lord, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old. Do not remember the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you, Lord, are good.

2nd Chronicles 30: 9 For the Lord your God is gracious and compassionate. He will not turn his face from you if you return to him.

We are such fickled creatures. We are happy then sad, forgiving than angry and holding grudges. Because we are like that we often think God is that way too, unforgiving when we mess up, not wanting to have anything to do with us. But He is entirely opposite. He is quick to forgive, quick to encourage, quick to lead, quick to have compassion always wanting to spend time with us.

Nehemiah 9: 31 But in your great mercy you did not put an end to them or abandon them, for you are a gracious and merciful God.

Today let us be reminded of His Mercy and apply it to everyone we have dealings with, to show Mercy and Forgiveness just as Jesus has toward us. Be led by His spirit today.

Psalms 23: 6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Day 73:

Thank you Lord today for your touch upon our hearts to share the gospel in ever changing ways in this ever changing world. Our world is constantly moving and stretching us to adapt to change. It keeps us looking to God for His new and fresh vision of how we can show His love and truth to those around us. The unchanging Word of God has reached countless billions of people from its beginning, it’s delivery methods flowing over generations, touching hearts and changing lives. As history changed God found new people with new vision to spread His word. With change there were new challenges, new mountains, new obstacles, new blessings and new hope. Today many lives have been changed due to our world situations changing and with it God gives new insight, new opportunities to stretch ourselves and bring back joy and hope again to those who have lost theirs.

1 Corinthians 9:22 “To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.”

Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”

Paul shared the gospel with Jews, Greeks, Idol worshippers, non believers, all types so his delivery methods changed between the ones he was talking to but the Gospel did not change. Same plan of salvation, same loving God, same instruction for prayer and giving of ones whole life to follow God.

Luke 19:10 “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” By all means.

Proverbs 11:30 “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and whoever captures souls is wise.”

Life and it’s contents change, ministry changes, delivery changes, but God is unchanging and He gives new vision and new insight with creative ways to share His gospel. Be open, be willing, be faithful. We are His hands and feet. Father give us a new vision and willingness to try new things. For you are with us Always

Day 74:

Today I thank The Lord for my Children What an Awesome gift it is to have children in our lives. Gifts of laughter, learning, growing, crying, teaching for all of us. I missed National Daughter’s Day on here (But I did tell her how blessed I am to have her in my life) and today is National Son’s Day!! How much I have grown to love them over these years, they are so awesome in their own special ways. May you continue to be blessed with love, health, wisdom, peace and hope as this life continues. May God’s grace, mercy and presence be yours every day. You both have filled me beyond anything I could have imagined and I thank God for you always I give God thanks and lift up your lives to Him every day that He walks with you and you walk with Him through every challenge and know He will always be there to keep you strong

Day 75: Today I am Thankful that God is always seeking us, looking for us when we wander off the path. How strong The Lord’s love is for us, spending every moment of time watching, listening, protecting and loving us. I think about my pets, how if one of them is missing I look everywhere I can for them, calling them, going out of my way to find them, praying for their safety and spending whatever time I have to until they are found. That doesn’t even compare to God’s love and how He constantly seeks the lost to find them and bring them into His safety and give them rest. Ezekiel 34:16 “I will seek the lost, bring back the scattered, bind up the broken and strengthen the sick Luke 19:10 “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Matthew 18:12“What do you think? If any man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go and search for the one that is straying? God is always on the lookout for His lost children, His missing family, that is everyone. Jesus died for all that we will have forgiveness for our sin. There are no special ones who receive it, no cursed ones who cannot be forgiven. I am very thankful for that, because we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Thank you Lord for Always seeking me, Always looking for me and Always finding me. May I Always want your presence and your safety to be my desire. Help me to seek and love others who are lost that they may find your hope of salvation and all that it brings

Day 76:

Thank You Lord that Life is Adjustable. We don’t have to live in the past, we don’t have to stay stuck in sadness and desperation, because You make changes and hope possible every day. Working on my building project yesterday we discovered a problem with the material we had being varied length, even though it was a half inch off, it threw a whole wall off and we have to go back and dismantle what we built to make it right. It’s frustrating, time consuming and disappointing to see the progress going backwards. But it is fixable. Our lives are fixable with God. Those fixes have to happen when we build our lives with the wrong material. What we build sometimes may look good in the beginning but if it isn’t sound, if it isn’t done with the right material, God’s floor plan, God’s correct measurement, then our lives will be out of wack!

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

When we use our own mind set, we often follow patterns and plans set up by others or watch how the world around us builds lives and that can easily be disastrous. So we have to be careful and double check everything according to God’s plans and design. If not then we have to tear down those walls and spend the time and energy rebuilding and making sure that the true and solid plan of God, in His wisdom, is what we rest on.

Romans 12:2–Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Thank you Lord that even if we have built our lives on wrong things, you have the abilities to repair the damages we have caused and return us to your solid and true design. God give everyone a blessed and Encouraging Day of Life Construction Happy Building

Day 77:

Thank you Lord for giving us Your gifts to reach others. A lot of the time we don’t think we have anything special to be used by God, so we don’t try. We feel so insignificant. But I think all of us have abilities that are perfected by our growth in God. We don’t have to be great teachers, or artists, singers, musicians, but we all have special creative ways to share Christ with our world.

1 Corinthians 1:26–31 26 For consider your calling, brothers, that not many were wise according to human standards, not many were powerful, not many were well born. 27 But the foolish things of the world God chose in order that he might put to shame the wise, and the weak things of the world God chose in order that he might put to shame the strong, 28 and the insignificant of the world, and the despised, God chose, the things that are not, in order that he might abolish the things that are, 29 so that all flesh may not boast before God. 30 But from him you are in Christ Jesus, who became wisdom to us from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, just as it is written, “The one who boasts, let him boast in the Lord.

Every good and perfect gift is from The Lord and like everything we learn in life it doesn’t start out perfect. We are rough and unsteady, words and actions aren’t very well thought out, but the more we see, Through God’s Eyes, and feel His direction we become more fine tuned. Not to be made proud and boastful, but to remain humble and to remember where we came from always thankful for His touch on our lives.

Colossians 3:23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.

Believe that The Lord has placed in your life the abilities it takes to share Him, being a living example of God to everyone your life touches. He will bless your love for Him by touching others that He loves. You can do it!! God is with you. Have a great Day

Day 78:

I Thank The Lord today for His truth that tears down strongholds and destroys imaginations. Imagination can be an amazing and creative thing yet it can also be very destructive when it turns to imaginary conversations, thoughts about someone’s intentions or unknown actions, all of those can be so damaging to ourselves and others.

2nd Corinthians 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

How many times have we been angry with someone or seen their actions or have been told something they have done, then instantly started letting thoughts run through our head about why they are doing what they are doing or saying or how they are acting when we have no real knowledge of what is actually going on in their lives. We don’t have the truth but we plant seeds of doubt and questions by way of conversation and then it spreads and changes and becomes a wildfire out of control that can endanger other relationships. Father forgive me when I let those thoughts grow and let them explode in my conversations because those things are not from you.

Psalm 19:14. Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.

May we not give in to those things, may we stop in mid sentence when we see the direction the conversations are going. Father help us to not be sucked in to destructive communication but fill our words with your light and life, let all of our words be seasoned with salt that we may know how to answer every man In olden days salt was a preserver for food, without refrigeration the meats needed something to prevent them from spoiling so quickly. Our words can spoil and destroy others, God wants our words to preserve others to help their lives to be increased and not destroyed. Help us Lord to always sow words of life by your Grace

Day 79:

Thank you Lord for Multiple things today. Thank You that I enjoyed worship to you this morning with family. Thank you for your Word that always brings truth and hope and direction, that it reminds us You are Always with us. Thank You for a beautiful and cool morning with lots of time to walk and consider the beauty of your creations. Thank You Lord that you brought to mind friends and family and provided time to lift them up in prayer for your touch and strength with new direction in their life. Thank you for peace and direction in projects that we have begun. Thank you Lord for Wonderful Time spent with my Sweet Granddaughters this weekend. They are always a Blessing to be around Thank you Lord for the little visit from a stray dog who was passing through and shared her calm and sweet spirit with us. Thank you for your calm and restful presence inside that lets us know we never have to face anything on our own, that You are here and you understand all of our workings.

Psalm 95:6 O come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. 7 For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, the sheep under His care.

May we rest in knowing that we are The People, His Flock, The Sheep under His Care and He will protect, provide and guide us by His hand. May all of my family and friends sleep with His arms of protection around you and every aspect of your hearts and minds be full of His Peace. Good NightI Love You

Day 80:

Thank you Lord for another Day to give Praise to you for being everything I need. Absolutely nothing can come along, nothing I will have to face that you are taken by surprise about. Your hand is upon my day way before i open my eyes. You have been beside me through the night, you give me breath and give my heart the strength it needs to keep beating. We are surprised often by unexpected things and become overwhelmed by things we don’t know how to overcome or to repair. You O Lord are always our ever present help in time of need. Your peace, wisdom and grace carries us through each trial, giving us your wisdom and a spirit of calm that can take away worry and doubt. May Your vision of the day be my strength and confidence. May each plan I imagine be lain at your feet to be blessed and weighed out in it’s importance to your plans. Thank you Lord for clearing my mind from all the chatter and chaos which comes and goes there throughout my day sometimes making it hard to concentrate on you. May your presence be more real than my reality filled with Earthly frenzy. Shelter my family and friends with your Holiness, guard their hearts and minds, give them physical and spiritual health and healing. Walk with them through their days for you are our hope and courage. Blessed is Your Name above all Names, our Salvation, our Life

Day 81:

Morning y’all I thank The Lord today that no matter the world’s situation or the things that face us in our corner, the promises of God are not determined by the atmosphere around us. Our Hope is not in things or how smoothly our plans go, it is determined by our faith, our knowledge that God is in control and that what He has said can be counted on to be exactly what He said it would be. So many things people read or hear that are taken as truth, are not. We place our opinions on things that have no basis, we become discouraged by what is shown to us with disturbing videos, when we should ground ourselves in the Words and actions of Jesus. The world that Jesus arrived in was one of Roman rule, slavery, sickness, famine, poverty, imprisonments, crucifictions, and Christ represented hope in all of it. He brought the possibility of life in the midst of death. He brought peace into a world of chaos, salvation into a lost and bound lifetime of misery. He still brings those promises today. The wonderful thing about His promises is they are for everyone. Not just the rich, or famous, the beautiful and proud but the least of these. The unnoticed, the poor, the doubting, the plain, the hard working, the common everyday ordinary person who is struggling to get by.

Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

The deeper we dig into God’s word the stronger we become. The more time we spend in prayer the more confident we become, the more stable our minds and lives become. Trust God’s words when you are desperate, trust Him that all He promises are true and lasting. Lift Him up today and see what you get in return. His presence is waiting to fill and encourage, to bring light in the darkness, hope to the hopeless, rest to the weary, peace to all. Have a blessed and wonderful day for He is our rock

Day 82:

Thank you Lord for Old Things that remind us of our History and What we have experienced in our journey as well as where we are going. I love old things, I love their look, their history, the lives they lived and the people they have touched. I love the rusted and worn look to old machinery and old vehicles. The work they have seen, the hard working hands that have touched them and the memories of the men and women who worked diligently to support their families and communities. I love weathered wood and old furniture. I love to restore furniture and see it have life again. All those things bear the marks of history and lives who were supported by them. I also love to build and make things out of nothing, there is a feeling of accomplishment when you are creative in those ways. Many people today want to erase history, to forget our past and what changes have taken place over the centuries before us. And though there are painful memories, there are also human victories that lay within those times that would have to be erased as well. Times of compassion, sacrifice, extreme love, giving of time, food, finances, homes and even physical organs that helped support individuals and families through extreme times.

“And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast” (1 Peter 5:10).

Isaiah 40:31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

God’s restoration and renewal of our lives also contains the history of what we went through and where we came from. He wants us to remember that when our trust is on our wisdom or the world’s wisdom, it can lead to times of pain and a fall into decay and destruction.

Psalm 51:12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

History, heartache, victory, healing and purpose are in our lives, they are a part of who we are and I believe He wants us to remember them to help us be thankful. He has begun a good work within us and has the ability to see it through. Remember God’s promises and victories, have faith in His restoration, He will complete our construction, He will renew our usefulness and We will rejoice in His plans for us when we give Him all the past, the present and the future to follow Him

Day 83:

I thank The Lord that He has created Seasons for our world I love the beauty of the changing leaves, driving through different parts of our state and seeing them as well as various ones here around my place is always wonderful. God sets seasons upon our world for rest in nature, preparing the plants and trees to protect themselves from the coming cold, and then to emerge with new life after the winter has passed. He goes with us through our Seasons as well, some of those times of change can be very harsh and bitter yet He offers protection, shielding us from being destroyed by the winds and cold life can bring to us.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven:

We don’t always enjoy the seasons of our lives, the lean years when it’s hard to make ends meet, or the seasons of loss whether it is through death or divorce or through the loss of job or home. Those Seasons can be very hard to handle and we often feel like they last way to long. The beauty of your life, like a mighty Oak suddenly begins to loose your leaves and you watch them float to the ground and lay in piles beneath your feet leaving your life’s tree with bare branches no longer beautiful as it once was. But God holds life for you if your roots are deep in Him. Rooted and grounded to survive anything that changes may bring.

2nd Corinthians 4:16 Therefore we do not become discouraged [spiritless, disappointed, or afraid]. Though our outer self is [progressively] wasting away, yet our inner self is being [progressively] renewed day by day

Even in change we can find Hope. Each season brings with it learning, strength, laughter and peace. Let God show you His beauty, His life, His promise and His Joy as you trust Him during these changes. You can emerge from your winter with renewed life because you are His and His new Life lives in you

Day 84:

Today’s Thank You is for the Birds… No I mean I’m Thankful for Birds Working outside today I was surrounded by all kinds of song birds sharing their amazing voices. Showing off their gifts of praise to The Lord. There were Woodpeckers and Finches, Cardinal and Wrenn and also several flocks of Geese cruising high in the sky having conversations about their trip or what they were seeing or maybe about getting to see Aunt Mildred and Crazy Cousin Harry. But everyone was happy and filled with song.

Job 12:7-10 7 “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; 8 or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. 9 Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? 10 In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.

Psalm 96: 11&12 11 Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it. 12 Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.

Isaiah 44:20 20 The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen, All of nature gives praise to their creator.

Jesus told the Pharisees that even the rocks would cry out in Praise .

Luke 19:37-40 37 When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: 38 “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”40 “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

Nature in it’s simple yet complex way, continuously gives praises to God for His greatness and love. We should learn from their example that no matter the situations around us, we should lift our hearts to Him daily and give thanks. We forget how truly blessed we are and we focus on the difficulties or sadness rather than the deep and lasting hope of forgiveness and life Christ offers.

Psalm 96: Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth. .2 Sing to the LORD, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. 3.Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. .4 For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise

Day 85:

Chilly Good Morning from the Forest Today’s Thank You is for God giving us Everything we need to Get Through Everything We Can Possibly Face in our Life. I know you’re thinking “I can, and maybe have already, face a lot of stuff in my life!” All kinds of unexpected things hit us and most times take us by surprise, yet God is never put back by surprises that happen in our world. He has made provision, answers for all of the things that can happen to us throughout our lifetime We have the answers for the situations written in God’s word and in the fact that when we believe in God, in Christ and His sacrifice for our salvation, then we have the strong foundation with our lives anchored in what we know is true. If we seek God, pray over everything, trust His promises, learn from our blessings and our pain, then when we face something, we look to Him for what we need. No matter what that need might be.

Matthew 7:7 Shows us the way to find what we need for what we face… 7. Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. 8. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

Philippians 4:6-7 6. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7. and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Whatever is on your plate today, God can help you not only face, but He can bring you through it, bless you with more strength and understanding, and also use that struggle to touch others who are facing the same things. We walk through the shadows and darkness, God provides His light to guide us, His Glorious Grace shines on us so much that we in turn are brightened by His presence and become a light to help others whose paths are in darkness. As the moon reflects the light of the sun and shines in the night sky, so shall we be in the dark world. Let God shine His light upon your needs and show you His answers then pass it on to others and become stronger in your faith.

Matthew 5:14. 14. You are the light of the world. A city set upon a hill that cannot be hidden.

Have a blessed, strong and hope filled day for God is the Answer for our world today

Day 86:

This morning’s Thank You is for being reminded by The Lord of insight and direction that He has given us in our past and continues to give us daily. Whether these are words from other brothers and sisters in the Lord or by what we read or by His Holy Spirit speaking privately to us. I am very thankful for these truths that live on to encourage us.

Hebrews 12:1 reminds us of those who have seen God’s work in their lives and in others and are worth looking at and being encouraged by. 12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,

Ephesians 2:4 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

I am encouraged by the string of events that are in my life that have brought me to where I am today. They were not all wonderful, pleasant things yet they have taught me how awesome God is in His patience, His comfort, His wisdom, His guidance and Strength, to work and bring about the life He wants for all of us. The Lord brought this old song to my mind that I haven’t thought of in years, a simple reminder that God wants us to remember what has been done for us and He continues to work in us! “I once was lost in sin, but Jesus took me in, and then a little light from Heaven filled my soul. He bathed my heart in love, and wrote my name above. And just a little talk with Jesus made me whole.” Have a blessed day walking in God’s strength and Hope. He will always have you in His Hands. May we always be reminded of His Presence

Day 87

Today’s Thank You is for having Faithful Friends and Family who can be called on in a moments notice for prayer needs and they always come through. Thank You to all who have prayed for Melinda and Mark, we see the positive results of your humble and precious prayers.

James 5:16 16. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

Three great things can be seen here. 1. God hears the prayers of His people, 2. God gives us a way of communicating our needs to Him and 3. That truly humble and compassionate people still exist and are ready to seek God, sacrificing their time to enter into conversations with Him for the needs of others. We are blessed to have people in our lives who will stand with us in times of need. That encourages our heart, to know that no matter when or where or the degree of need, those who are called of God with sincerity in their hearts are there.

Psalm 73:26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Isaiah 43:29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.

2 Corinthians 12:9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

When Jesus was on Earth telling the Good News of hope, He was followed by great crowds of people. In those crowds He had compassion on them for their physical conditions as well as their spiritual ones. He always reached out to those who were sick, healing their bodies and giving hope to them. God is always ready to touch and heal, offering Life and restoration.

Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is on Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and release from darkness to the prisoners,

Thank you Lord for your physical healings, for your compassion, for your spiritual restoration and giving of hope. Thank you for friends who pray, who know the value of prayer and that you are a God of your word of promises

Day 88 :

Morning Everyone My Thank You today Lord is for remembering, being reminded of things I’m daily Thankful for. I wrote this a couple of years ago and it still holds true and I am very glad that it does… Don’t know about you guys, but i take so many blessings for granted. Take hot water for example. It’s right here, i don’t have to build a fire, tote the bucket to the creek and fill it with water, pour it into a pot over the fire, wait for it to heat up, quickly upon heating it pour it into a basin or a tub and use it before it turns ice cold again. How awesome is that?? Hot water is one of the greatest things to enjoy after working or getting up with stiff sore muscles, it helps to relax them and get the freedom of movement back. It is so much like the power of God in our lives. Because of problems, worry, fear, stress, pressure by satan’s co-workers, we need the heat of God’s word and Holy spirit to free up our movement within the body of Christ. We start taking life and normality so for granted and we let slide our relationship with God because we don’t seem to “Need” Him as much. But when the pressure is on, we cry out to Him to apply that much needed Heat of His Presence. We need it applied everyday while living in this world. The World puts stiffness and soreness in our spirit from what we fight. Help us everyday Father to apply your warming, soothing life to ours, that we may flow in your spirit with all of the flexibility you want us to have. To listen and know that He is God and we are His children. Have a Blessed and refreshed Day living in God’s Hope and Peace.

Day 89:

Today’s Thank You is for my pets I love them, they are great companions, they are entertaining, they are crazy sometimes, messy and wild and even frustrating but I love having them around. My relationship with my animals, and theirs with me, is so much like our relationship with God. I want to always keep them safe and close to me, to provide for their needs, to take care of them when they are sick, to make sure they know I love them and to give them the longest and best life they can have. Even though all their needs are taken care of, they are safe and fed and loved, sometimes they want to break out of the fence and look for more adventure. Surely there is more freedom out there, more stuff to find, more than what we have, even if it is unknown and dangerous we have to look and touch and feel for ourselves.

Psalm 139:9-10, “If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast”

We all have wandering hearts, some more so than others, but no matter how far we wander or how long we are gone, God keeps an eye on us, He calls our names and is never out of our reach although we may think so. The enticing things of our world can draw us out of our protection under God’s wings, away from Love, Peace and forgiveness. They can make what they sell sound so good and so wise and it may be good for a season, but the way they lead can leave us empty, alone, sad, starving and ultimately leave us in the shadow of death. When any of my pets wander away, I look for them calling their names, searching everywhere I can imagine, not giving up until they are found. How much more does God seek our wandering heart. How much more does it sadden Him when we leave His care to find something else we think is better.

Luke 19:10 10. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Thank you Lord that you Seek us, you Want us, you Love us, you Desire us more than we can imagine. Don’t wander away, keep your eyes on Jesus for He always has your best interest in mind. He cares for you

Day 90:

I Thank The Lord today for Conversations With Children I love how their minds learn and how everything is new and exciting. I was walking with my Granddaughter Colyn this week, she will be 4 in January, and she was talking about stuff we were seeing and things she had done with Cody’s mom and dad, and with it being chilly on our walk she said “Poppy my shirt has a pocket and I can touch my fingers together “. I said yeah you can hold your own hands and keep them warm in there. She says .”My fingers have bones in them. When I eat bananas it goes in my mouth, down my throat, in my tummy and out and out down to the bones in my fingers!” I said, that’s so cool how God made our bodies to grow strong when we eat good things. I was reminded how important that not only do we stay healthy and strong when we eat well but also how our spiritual and emotional bodies are strengthened when we stay in scripture, pray, listen to uplifting teaching by Godly leaders and worship Him in all we do. Jesus reminded His disciples that it wasn’t what they eat that defiles them but what comes out of the mouth, what is spoken and dwelt upon.

Matthew 15:10–11. 10. And summoning the crowd, he said to them, “Hear and understand: 11 It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth—this defiles a person.”

Philippians 4:8 8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

If we will fill our hearts with these things, they will bring life and health to our bones. Our spirits will find strength and peace, our minds will be anchored in hope and find stability. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. What will we eat today that will bring strength to us? God’s Life be In You Today

Day 91:

Thank you Today Lord for a desire to be Watchful and Prepared Throughout our lives everything that we do, even the smallest of things take thought and preparation. When we are little we learn routines, what it takes each morning to get up, dressed and ready for school or to get ready for bed at night. As we grow we understand that preparation becomes more complicated and time consuming for our work days and then as we go into families and children the preparations become even more complex. I have been blessed to have taken part in so many things in my life through so many forms and all of these took time, thought and preparation to come about. Jesus speaks to us about the preparation we need to grow, to share the truth of the gospel, the daily need of time spent with Him preparing ourselves in His wisdom and truth.

2 Timothy 2:15 Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman who needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Studying scripture, learning God’s words and direction will prepare us for what we face daily as well as what we will see in our future. It also guards our hearts and minds so that we won’t lose faith, or be tricked by satan’s lies. The time we have here is really very short, and after that we meet the Lord face to face and answer for our lives here. We need to be prepared for that day. Jesus loved to tell stories as He taught His disciples. One of those stories showed them that they always needed to be watchful and prepared. It was a story about a wedding and those who thought they were prepared.

Matthew 25:1-13. 1. Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. 2. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them, 4. But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.6. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. 7. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. 8. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. 9. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. 10. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. 11. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. 12. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. 13. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

Father help us to prepare our hearts daily for you, being ready always to live and breath your gospel to those around us. You are our hope for eternity. Help us always to watch for you, listen for you and prepare for you God be with all my friends and family, be blessed

Day 92:

Very Thankful that I get the chance to Vote A Liberty that many people do not have. Helping to shape our country is not something I take lightly. God gives us the opportunity to pray for changes, directions and peace during our lives here.

1 Timothy 2:1-2 I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people. For kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.

1 Peter 2:17 Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor. (king, ruler, president)

Although we may not agree with the ways our countries are governed, we have the God given direction to pray for those in power that their leadership would not be selfish ambition guided by greed. May every day of our lives be guided and consumed by living lives acceptable to God in all things. Including the governing of anyone under us, whether in higher offices of government, work force and especially our homes and families.

Galatians 6:9 Let us not grow weary in doing god, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Father God give us determination guided by you, love from your heart and compassion for all people that we may guide those around us into your kingdom of hope and eternal life.

Day 93:

I am Thankful Today to know that God can and does Set the Captive Free. When we think of someone who is captive, most of the time, we think of someone who is in prison or held hostage and unable to escape. Yet all of us, at one time or another, have been held hostage to all types of things that bind us and keep us from having a life that is free.

Luke 4:18–19 : 18. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because of which he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to send out in freedom those who are oppressed, 19. to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.”

God can release us from so many things that hold us bond, things that keep us from a full and complete life in Christ. Anxiety, stress, hatred, fear, low self esteem, guilt, debt, and the list goes on. He shows us that the strongholds of these things are not physical but spiritual and our battles are fought in His realm, the spiritual world. When we see and understand that, God then shows us we can turn around those things that held us and with His power we can hold them captive!

2nd Corinthians 10:4-5 4. The weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of the world. Instead, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5. We tear down arguments and every presumption set up against the knowledge of God; and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

When we are captive by thoughts, or actions, by things seemingly unchangeable, we don’t have to be lost in them. I think of Paul and Silas who were imprisoned for their faith. The were physically bound in chains but their spirits, their thoughts and their hearts were free in Christ and they sang praises and all the other prisoners heard it too.

Acts 16:25. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.

No matter the things that hold you, the past that comes back to bind you, the frustrations and fears that keep you bound, God can release you, restore you, strengthen you, fill you with hope and joy and peace. You can be alive in Him and sing praises in the night to our Most Worthy God and Father. He is is the one who brings release and sets our feet upon His pathway Home

Day 94:

I am thankful today for Faith that can move mountains In talking with the Lord yesterday I asked Him. ”Lord, how can I, just one person, make a difference in the world? In it’s thinking and actions?” He reminded me of what Jesus spoke to His disciples when they questioned about why they couldn’t deliver a man who was possessed and tormented by evil spirits.

Matthew 17:19-20. 19Afterward the disciples came to Jesus privately and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” 20“Because you have so little faith, He answered. “For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there, and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you”

He also reminded me of what so many single individuals have done through history.

1 man ,Elijah in 1 Kings 17, prayed that the rain and dew would stop and it did for several years to prove to Ahab, the king over Israel, that he should turn from his evil ways and serve God. Mosses, in faith, lead the nation of Israel out of Egypt, prayed and parted the Red Sea, prayed and God provided food daily for them for 40 years. Jesus told His disciples that the miracles He did and even greater would they do if they had faith. Today we can make a difference in our world, our neighborhood, our city, our state, our Nation and our family when we come humbly to God and pray for His will to be done. When we follow after the example of The Lord’s Prayer, understanding that God is with us through every change, every hardship, every blessing, every decision, every battle and will bless our going and coming when we put all of our lives into His hands. Pray for our Nation Today!

The Lord’s Prayer: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

Day 95:

I thank The Lord today for giving us daily reminders of His Love for us. He gives Everything we need to encourage us in our travels through this life. He tells us in His word that His grace and strength are here for us exactly when we need it to take us through and strengthen us in whatever we face.

2nd Corinthians 12:9 9.But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Ephesians 3:16 16.that according to the riches of his glory He may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being,

Today and every day we have to revisit our relationship with God. One day we are up, the next day down, our emotional roller coaster sends us over the edge so many times and we seem to have to start all over again. God knows us and is soooo long suffering and patient. His hope for us is that we don’t forget what He has brought us through, that we don’t forget our past struggles, He doesn’t want us to go back there and lay in that history but remember His abilities to pull us up and restore us. We need to remember every day that He wants us to Head Forward, there will be more blessings and there will be more struggle, but each day we should approach Him with praise and Thanksgiving that He is available, reliable, compassionate, exalted, our salvation and the lifter of our heads. The same yesterday, today and forever no matter what is in front of us. He has the strength to help us scale ever wall, fight every battle, shine His light in the darkness, apply His peace in the chaos and be His example to a world who needs Him desperately. Remember His love for you Today. For This is The Day The Lord has Made! Let us Rejoice and Be Glad in It

Day 96:

Very thankful to The Lord for so many veterans who have served and those who are serving our country today. Thank you for the sacrifices you have given to protect and serve our country. I have been blessed, having had the opportunity to meet and work alongside so many great men and women of the Arkansas Army National Guard. We can not imagine the times of danger, fatigue, harsh conditions and struggle that countless military personnel have seen during their times of service to our country. May these families find rest, comfort, hope, peace and protection for giving themselves in the line of this duty. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13)

Day 97

My Thank You Today is for God’s Grace that helps us to be adaptable to the fluid changes of our lives. Life is ever changing and some have a very hard time adapting to the sudden changes life can throw our way.

Scripture encourages and supports us by saying in 2 Timothy 4:2 2. Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.

We need to be consistent in our showing of our Christianity, by our Fruit men will see how deep our relationship is with God. When it’s popular and when it’s not, when it’s convenient and when it’s not, when we are comfortable and when we are taken out of our comfort zone. If we can be a walking, talking, living, breathing, humble representative of Christ then others will see how truthful and pure living for Christ can really be and lives, that need Him, can be changed. Our lives can be put on the spot at any given moment. How will we react? Sometimes, when we are uncomfortable with the moment, we start looking for ways out, ways around what we are asked to do, rationalizing the reasons why we can’t perform. When we walk in an imperfect world we will often be put into uncomfortable situations to meet those needs. It’s not easy, it may not turn out the way you hope, yet Christ can be seen even in our simple gestures to help someone in need.

Philippians 4:13 13. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Matthew 10:42. And whoever gives to one of these little ones [these who are humble in rank or influence] even a cup of cold water to drink because he is my disciple, truly I say to you, he will not lose his reward.”

Luke 10:33-35 33. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

Sometimes being a servant of God isn’t comfortable, or fun but will be a reward for seeing a rescued and restored life. Being instant in a fluid and changeable world can be hard, but God will bless our actions when we follow His example of kindness and compassion to those who need a true example of Love

Day 98:

I Thank The Lord Today that my Self Worth is not determined by anything the world has to offer but it is found in Christ Who I am, the peace I have, the hope I have, the joy I have is totally and completely centered on Christ giving His life for me upon the cross. Who I am is not determined by my Net Worth, my position in society, my fame, my good looks (that’s for sure), my physical strength, my talent or any other thing that the world holds stock in. The very bottom line is that God so loved the world, where I live, that He gave His one and Only son that whoever ( that’s me and that’s you) would believe in Him would not perish, but have Everlasting Life. (John 3:16)

How many in this world would be willing to give up their lives or value for us, to prove that we are worth that kind of sacrifice? No matter what the world says about you or tries to do to you, spreading lies and rumors to question your character, God knows the truth in your heart and you can stand strong on that foundation

Romans 8:38-39. 38. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39. neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Ephesians 6:11-18 11. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14.Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15. And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16. Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

Have faith in yourself, God has faith in you. Be strong in the Lord and stand fast in knowing God is with you, your worth will always be important to God. Lift up your heart, press on, share the gospel, be a light in the darkness, show your worth that God is your Father and He believes in you Don’t Lose Hope

Day 99:

Good morning Everyone Going into the Holiday Season I am always Thankful for the Excitement of children and youth this time of year. Thankful for children, grandchildren, youth and young adults because they all are holding on to that wonderful gift of excitement for life. Learning and laughing and being excited and adventurous…all the things that so many of us (mature) old adults have seemingly lost because of the weight of this world. Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. With prayer, confidence in God’s abilities to give us the strength to overcome anything, we can lay aside all weight and worry and hustle and bustle and work and stress and press on toward the mark…so i am blessed and encouraged by seeing that love and enthusiasm that still lives in the heart of the young. That we may absorb that once again into our hearts and live with hope and determination to be examples of the never changing always living God, no matter what our age. Have a blessed and joy filled day

Day 100:

May our hearts stop beating for the lesser things in life and fill to overflowing with Gods desires. Let us fill the air with praises and with thanksgiving. It will be a sweet sweet savor to heavens high. Give God praise, thank Him everyday for every breath we take, every sight, every sound, every touch. Tell those you love how much they mean and do not rest until this candle’s flame from here is passed. There will never be enough time nor words to show completely the blessings we have been given. We are of all creation the ones to whom God has given His most precious gift!!

Day 101:

Morning Everyone I am Thankful today that God is a Specialist in All Things. Because every day can hold so many variables we can surely use the abilities of a God who is able to touch Every aspect of our lives.

Hebrews 4:15–16: For we do not have a high priest who is not able to sympathize with our weaknesses, but who has been tempted in all things in the same way, without sin. 16 Therefore let us approach with confidence to the throne of grace, in order that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

God can cover a multitude of events in our lives. He is a Specialist in the fields of human nature, both mental, spiritual and physical concerns. An expert in financial stability, relationships, future planning, parenting skills, health care, aging and anything that appears upon the horizon that you will face. Verse 16 gives us hope in all things when our faith becomes the first thing we think on in the face of our struggles..” Therefore let us approach with confidence to the throne of grace…” When we have normal life needs we look for people who are experts to fix the problems. We need car repairs? We look for someone who is trusted and will take care of the need. House repairs? Experts! Financial questions? Experts! Surgeons? Experts! God is our Expert in all things concerning our lives and He is able to address any variables that show up unannounced ! We can approach Him in Confidence that He knows and is well skilled, having faced all things concerning All issues. So what kind of results can we expect when we seek help from the Expert? ”in order that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need”! Whatever your need there is an Expert, a Specialist who is available to give grace and mercy, peace and rest, comfort and hope. He loves to be Available for His children. Trust Him to know what to do with what you need

Day 102:

Lord how could we not Say Thank You for so many Blessings on Thanksgiving In the midst of our Nation being at odds over so many words, upset with so many others, against so many things, perhaps, if only for a short moment, we can stop and take a breath. We can think in that moment not on our differences or anger, but see the things big and small that bring us a glimmer of hope and light up the Thanksgiving blessings that we have lost in our frustrations. There has to be something that you are thankful for. Look closely, find it, savor it, love it again. Those moments of joy when we were young, the family and friends coming together to share love and laughter, fun and food, conversations and memories. Those relatives who we loved so much who have gone on to be with God. Those examples of kindness, sharing, compassion, giving of their time, energy and essentials to bring hope to those less fortunate. We have so much to be Thankful for. Father help us not to dwell on hatred or bitterness, loss or need, loneliness or heartache. Let us pray ..

Psalms 51:12 ”Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.”

Psalms 13: 5. But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation.

Psalms 85:6-8 Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?

Psalms 54:4. Surely God is my helper; the Lord is the sustainer of my soul.

Father Thank You for the Blessings of our families, the memories of your presence, the laughter in our hearts that sustains us in hardship. Thank you for Hope and Healing, for Good years and Lean years for you have Never forgotten us. Thank you that even when our eyesight fails we can still remember the faces of our loved ones and we can see you in our Spirit. Thank you that when our homes may be shaken You remain our Solid foundation unmovable and secure. Though my hands become feeble and my feet unsure you steady me and write your love upon my Heart. Father Bless each Family member and Friend with your Everlasting Promises and Strength to secure them until our time to find our place in your presence. Happy Thanksgiving to All and to All a Good Night

Day 103:

I am Thankful today for the picture God has painted of Who He is within me. I believe God is so very much a One on One creator, that He comes to each of us and relates on our level the pure reflection of exactly who He is and how He understands everything about us. I am a very simple person from a very simple background. I was not born wealthy, or famous. I didn’t grow up in a large home or in a big city. I am very blessed by what I grew up being taught by my mother of God’s love, truth, hope, blessings and expectations. I’m not a scholar or someone who knows original Hebrew or Greek, haven’t traveled to the Holy Land or visited the lands where Jesus walked. Yet I believe scripture, in every way, is true and can be taken at every word to represent facts and accounts that have taken place in History and the promises that will take place including our hope for Eternity with Christ. Standing outside tonight, the air is cold, the stars fill the sky, the moon’s illumination casts shadows along the ground and I feel His presence as if it were the night the shepherds stood watch over their flocks. So still was the night, yet the angels and all Heaven were anxiously awaiting the birth of The Redeemer, The Counselor, The Prince of Peace. I am so Thankful that the Great God of Creation humbly revealed himself to the simple, the average, the plain, the poor, the needy, the hungry, the thirsty, the beggars, the thief, the outcast. To me He brought Hope, possibilities, love, trust, peace, mercy, grace, forgiveness, compassion, kindness all rolled into the story. A Love Story for time eternal. What does He paint for You? Look into Your Canvas

Day 104:

Morning Everyone Today I am Thankful for my most favorite time of the year. I love the feel of Christmas Not the hype of buying stuff you don’t need, but the air of giving, loving more, forgiveness, hope and compassion that comes alive again even in the midst of chaos. More than any other time, men’s hearts seem a little softer, their words a bit kinder, their hands a little more giving, their eyes a bit brighter and their step more relaxed while taking in the joy of what this season holds. Some might think it’s because of the decorations, the lights, the laughter, the celebrations, the food or the presents. But to me it’s the spirit of The Christ Child, the birth of hope, the story of hearts that were open to listening and answering God’s call to bring Light into The World. Salvation was born in a humble place, in hard times, to bring Peace on Earth, Light into Darkness, Love to those without, Promise to the Hopeless.

Isaiah 9: 6,7. 6 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7. Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

Oh that our world would wear this covering of God’s spirit of life and hope every day. That we could share this Present on a daily basis and not just once a year. Imagine what lives could be changed if we had daily compassion, daily forgiveness, daily increases of love and humbleness of heart. We could see a World with a changed vision. God’s Day is coming and until then help us Oh Lord to reflect the Heart of God to All people Everywhere no matter their attitudes and actions. God’s grace and Mercy be over you all Seasoned with His Peace and Compassion.

Day 105:

Today’s Thank You is for my Beautiful Daughter who’s Birthday is Today. She has always been a blessing to my heart. Full of life, excitement, action, creativity and loads of love. What makes all of those things more special is her love for God. Watching her grow and experience so many things, you do your best to protect and guide your children hoping for good decisions, good relationships, the influences they are affected by and at every turn you pray and place them in God’s hands. I am so very proud of who she is, a wonderful wife, strong and loving mother to my two beautiful energetic grand girls and a follower and living example of Christ in her life.

3 John 1:4. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

Psalm 127: 3-5 Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.

Isaiah 54:13 All your children shall be taught by the LORD, and great shall be the peace of your children.

I am so very proud of who you are and the life you are following in God’s footsteps. You are a wonderful example of love and hope for your husband, your girls, your friends and all who see you. May this Birthday bring blessings and strength and increased vision for the future. I love you with all my heart and am a very blessed father to have been honored with sharing your life .

Day 106:

Morning Everyone sorry I’ve been falling behind on my days to write my Thank You to The Lord for His goodness. I try to continuously keep a thankful heart and tell Him daily how much He has blessed me and continues to do so. Getting to the computer to write down my thoughts, on the other hand, gets sidetracked pretty easily and before I know it the day is done. So for today I Am Thankful that God’s presence and all of the blessings that surround Him are not a one time offer, but they extend not only to us but to generations to come. Blessings I am receiving are not just because I have received Him but because of generations before me who followed Christ. There have been countless prayers sent up for our family throughout the ages. For that I am very thankful. And because of God’s faithful promises we know that His mercy and grace, His wisdom and hope, joy and peace are not just a one time offer like expecting a Christmas bonus, but they are surrounding us every moment of every day.

Psalm 48:14. For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end.

Isaiah 58.11 The LORD will always guide you; He will satisfy you in a sun-scorched land and strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.

God’s gifts and presence will never leave us. Yes there will be times when the darkness and fog shrouds our vision and it’s hard to see Him, but know He is still there.

Deuteronomy 31:6. 6. 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.”

May we be reminded daily of What God Has Done and be grateful for What He Is doing Now and His promises of What Will Be Done.

Day 107: (Written December 22, 2020)

Good Morning and Sooo Close to Christmas Day What a Wonderful time of year it is, even though it can be hectic and crazy, I love Christmas Time. Thinking of the greatest gift that has ever been given to anyone, came a gift for everyone for all time. And what better gift in Thankful return would be the gift of giving our lives, our actions, ourselves wholeheartedly to God for His gift to us.

John 3:16 16. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

We may think that our lives are so messed up, so full of unforgivable things that we are beyond hope but that is not true.

Psalms 103: 10-12. He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

Through Christ comes hope, freedom, joy, peace, redemption, purpose, eternal life and compassion . His grace and mercy is everlasting and can be yours. This Christmas allow Christ to wrap His loving arms around you, let His forgiveness fill you, His Hope restore you and His mercy transform you. Your gift to Him returns as more gifts upon you than you can imagine. Let the Light of His life shine into your heart and explode into reflections of His Glory throughout the darkness that is trying to consume you. He can deliver all who are feeling hopeless. He is our greatest gift. Be your greatest gift in return to start a new day, a new life, a new light into your world. Merry Christmas

Day 108:

For unto Us, this day in the City of David, is born a Savior who is Christ the Lord! Who has taken on the Sin of the World, a Wonderful Counselor, a Mighty God, an Everlasting Father. Who brings peace to our hearts, hope for our world in the face of unrest. Truth in the face of lies and deceit, Love where there is loneliness, comfort in the depth of despair. May all of my family and friends find a deep comfort in knowing that our savior is not just one of history or on paper that can not be personal and touched by our needs, but is a God who desires to be the center of every part of our world. May your day today, be filled with love of family and friends and the life that Christ longs to place in us to shine into this world for ages to come. Merry Merry Christmas to all!!Love and Peace to all of You

Day 109:

Hey everyone My Thank you to The Lord today is for Mercy, not only For us but also Through us. When we think of the Mercy God has shown to us, He proves His patience and His acceptance of us by not taking our weirdness or our mental and emotional ups and downs as a measure of whether He believes we are worthy of mercy. He gives wholeheartedly to us because He believes we are worth giving constant opportunities to prove we can be used to reach others and encourage them by examples of how our lives have been changed. A lot of times we hear from God about reaching out to others who are off God’s path. And sometimes those who love us and are concerned about us, turn us from reaching out because they don’t want us to be hurt or taken advantage of.

Matthew 5:7 “Blessed are the Merciful, For They Will Receive Mercy”

There have been many times that I have been taken advantage of, through monetary giving, from opening my home to those going through rough times or family situations. Those times, in the physical realm, did not appear to turn out well and often left me doubting and very cautious in stepping out on that limb again. Yet when my heart is in touch with God, humble before Him, trying to show Christ to those in need or away from God, He will use that to change hearts. It might not be today, or a year later but those examples can carry a mighty weight on the hearts and spirits of those searching for Hope.

Matthew 10:42 “And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is My disciple, truly I tell you, he will never lose his reward.”

When we show Mercy and belief in someone, others who doubt can find confidence not only in those under question, but others in their life to whom they need to show Mercy. We all are imperfect, we all need Mercy and Grace. Father God help us, going into this New Year, to show more Mercy, more Grace, more Confidence and Support for those who have a shaky past. That we can encourage and show Your Hope in Them. For They, like us, are in need of your Hope and direction going into what lies ahead for us. We Praise You and Give Thanks for All You Do

Day 110:

My Thank You Today, on this last day of 2020, is Thanking God that He has been with me every step on every day throughout this year. It has definitely been an interesting, strange, complicated year and I am very thankful that He was there and He is here Walking with us across the threshold into another year with all it has in store. I think the Psalmist David wrote so clearly in his view of God’s presence being near to him through his journey and He walks with us through this same life adventure no matter what lies ahead

Psalm 23. 1. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 4. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

May we keep this truth in our hearts, that though we face death, though sometimes we walk among the shadows, and find ourselves in the presence of our enemies, Our God is there preparing a table for us, being not only the Sovereign God, a God of Strength and Endurance, but a God who is a Servant for His Children. He anoints our head, giving us so much more than we deserve. May God’s Goodness and Mercy follow each and every friend and family member All of the Days of your life, and May You Dwell in The House of The Lord Forever. Happy and Blessed New Year from our Heart to Yours

Day 111:

Today’s Thank You is for Being a God of our Unknowns! We have tons of unknowns in our lives. They don’t go away and in some cases they grow daily. I think it is human nature to want to know what is going to happen to us. When we are little, at least to a lot of us, we weren’t sure about going to school for the first time. We didn’t know anyone, we didn’t know if they would like us, where is our class, who is our teacher… it was pretty stressful. And as we grew those unknowns continued to change. What about girl friends or boy friends, what about college, what about jobs. What about families, what about children, what about insurance, what about dependable transportation, what about a house, what about..what about.. what…???

It seems endless. We just journeyed through a strange year of questions and unknowns with COVID, quarantine, working from home, social distancing and it doesn’t seem that crossing the line into another year has cleaned up many of those unknowns. Yet what is clear is that our God continues to be with us in all of our unknowns. A rock, a fortress, an every present help in time of need. A firm foundation, a city on a hill whose light is not extinguished.

Jeremiah 29:11. For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Deuteronomy 31:6. Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

1 Peter 3:12 – “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

Jeremiah 29:12-13; “Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

I have a little plaque on my counter that says “If it matters to you, it matters to God” The unknowns that trouble us and weigh heavy on us matter to God. He wants us to give Him those things, He wants to give us peace and understanding in return. He wants us to ask the unknown questions and wants us to understand His answers. We have another day, another year that is before us with more unknowns, and He wants us to daily bring those to Him. Starting our day giving Him our stresses from the unknowns will bring us peace and confidence. I pray that this new year brings you closer to God’s peace and rest among the unknown and changing life around us. He is here, very near and willing to walk with us no matter the questions. Jesus is the Answer

Day 112:

Today’s Thank You is for a never ending always available Peace that goes beyond human understanding. Along with it comes comfort to heal the hurts and sadness that occur when we have been consumed by disappointment and loss of hope. Our God is a God of comfort and peace, yet He is strong and mighty and one who is ready to defend when we need Him. His love is as the mountains, strong and unchanging. His peace is as deep and vast as the stars in the heavens. He comes to us when we are in mourning, when we feel that all have forsaken us. He sits beside us in silence and listens to our tears as they flow like the swollen streams. He knows our hurts, our hopes, our dreams, our fears, our weaknesses and our strengths. When we feel that none know or understand us, He sees deeply within our hearts and knows us better than we know ourselves. He tells us..

Matthew 11:28-30 “Come, all you who are weak and weary and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me. For my yoke is easy and my burden light.”

May you find His rest, comfort and peace to face all the things that arise in your life every day. And know that He is a God who is touched by everything that affects you. For He cares for you.