Thankful, Day Fifty-Two

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

Know that the Lord, He is God;

It is He who has made us and not we ourselves;

We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

And His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100, NKJV

What an incredible day was yesterday! And I'm thankful for it, and for all that God is doing.

Thank you Lord, for that powerful word yesterday from Pastor Jesse. Humility is truly the heart of repentance, and Lord, I recognize my need for You and Your grace today. Thank you for giving it.

Thank you Lord, for your healing hand upon me. No offense to any doctors out there, but I'd rather go to one who really knows what He's doing, rather than to someone who is just practicing. Whatever I had is almost gone, and I'm thankful for the rest and the restoration of the weekend.

Thank you Lord, for filling my life with good things, restoring what was lost, broken down, and in some ways forgotten. You certainly know how to give good gifts to Your children, and I am truly grateful for the treasure You have allowed me to find.

Thanks Lord, for being so good!

Thankful, Day Fifty-One

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

Know that the Lord, He is God;

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

And His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100, NKJV

This one won't be long, but I am thankful this morning!

I'm thankful for the rest I got yesterday.

I'm thankful that I feel much, much better today.

I'm thankful that tomorrow is looking brighter all the time!

Thank you God for Your power, Your love, Your plan, Your voice. Please speak and move in me according to Your Divine will!

Thankful, Day Fifty

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

Know that the Lord, He is God;

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

And His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100, NKJV

Technically, this should be Day Fifty-Six, but I missed a few days blogging. I have not, however, missed a day of giving thanks. When I started this journey seven weeks ago, I had no idea where it was going to take me, or what it might accomplish. As a reminder to those who may have missed my initial explanation, a friend of mine suggested journaling through Psalm 100 every day for 100 days and giving thanks for three things each day. Since I'm a blogger, I decided to take my show on the road--the information superhighway, that is.

I have to admit that when I started this exercise, there were lots of days where I had to think long and hard about giving thanks. There were days I didn't feel like giving thanks, days I didn't think there was anything to give thanks for. But can I tell you this. The first month was an effort, sometimes a chore, and some days I just had to fake it to make it. I hope you don't mind honesty. But I truthfully gave thanks to God. And then came day thirty-one. And my world was changed, rocked off its axis when God stood up for me and did the unimaginable. Never mind what it was; just trust me. It was great, completely unexpected, and life changing.

Today, I'm weak in body, sick again with something that will eventually go away if God doesn't provide and instantaneous cure. But in the Spirit, I am strong and gaining more strength every day. And I truly do feel like praising Him, and giving thanks.

God, thank you for every method and means you employ to get my attention and communicate your heart to me. You are patient and long-suffering, loving and merciful, compassionate and gracious. You poke and you prod, you speak, and speak, and when necessary you speak again. But Lord, I just want you to know, I'm listening. And I'm thankful that I can hear and obey.

God, thank you for those you bring along side to help me. You sent the Holy Spirit as my comforter, teacher, and guide, but you also brought companions to join me in the journey, friends who will give me a little lift, a little boost with their love and encouragement at critical times. Lord, thank you for the prayers of the saints, making intercession for me today. I need all the help I can get!

God, thank you for the courage and boldness that is mine because of the indwelling power and presence of your Holy Spirit in my life. I know that all the promises you've made are mine, and they are yes and amen. They are faithful and true. They are good enough to take to the bank. And you have given me the ability to persevere, persist, pursue, and overcome in every circumstance and situation of my life. Thank you Lord for your help in time of trouble!

God, just...THANKS!

Thankful, Day Forty-Nine

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!

Serve the Lord with gladness.

Come before His presence with singing.

Know that the Lord, He is God;

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting;

And His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100, NKJV

The Lord is good. That much is certain. He is good at His job as Master of the Universe. He is good in the sense of being Almighty and Most Holy. He is so very good to us, much better than we deserve, to tell the truth. He can do anything, He can do everything, none of His purposes are withheld from Him, and whatever He does, He does well!

Thank you Lord for your goodness toward me, demonstrated especially in Your exceeding patience and mercy toward me. Because I don't always walk where I should, and your sufficient grace is what keeps pulling me back in line and setting me straight. You have been forgiving and compassionate, and continue to call me Your child, correcting, gently guiding, communicating Your love and Your will to me.

Thank you Lord for your goodness toward me, demonstrated especially in Your faithfulness to hear and answer my prayers. I have laid my petitions and requests and intercessions before You, and I have believed You to answer me according to Your great goodness, and You have never failed me. You haven't failed me yet, and I know You never will. Please speak, Lord; I'm listening. But thanks for hearing and for already doing. You're way is definitely better, even if it might be harder on me.

Thank you Lord for Your goodness toward me, demonstrated especially in Your love and care for my heart, my life, my dreams and desires. You are the one who has saved me and set me on the rock of You salvation. You are the one who continues to unfold Your will plan and purpose for my life. You are the one who has given dreams and visions, who has given me the desires of my heart...both the desires and their fulfillment. You have been good thus far, and I can't wait to taste and see the future goodness of You, Lord!

Thank you Lord, for being so good!

Thankful, Day Forty-Eight

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

Know that the Lord, He is God;

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

And His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100, NKJV

I bless the name of Jesus Christ this morning, for there is no other name given under heaven by which we can be saved. His name is a strong and mighty tower; the righteous run into it, and they are saved. His name bids the darkness flee, opens prison doors, sets captives free. His name is faithful and true. His name is higher than any other name, and at it demons tremble and obey. At His name, every creature in heaven, on earth and under the earth will one day bow in adoration of the King of kings, and the Lord of lords. His name is Jesus today, and that means salvation! All who call upon His name shall be saved, and will in no way be put to shame.

Thank you Lord for the power of your name in bringing salvation to my life. You extended your grace to me when I was in need, your favor and blessing to me as a gift that I did not deserve. You found me as a wretched and worthless sinner and said, "I'll save you anyway, because I want to." You washed me in the blood of Calvary's cruel cross, covered me with your limitless love, and blotted out the written accusation that had been leveled against me. You have saved me, and redeemed me, and called me by your name! I belong to you, and I am forever grateful.

Thank you Lord for the power of your name in bringing healing to my body and my heart. Again today I am in need of a touch; you can make my body work the way it is supposed to and fight off the sickness that threatens me, or you can supernaturally touch me and take the sickness away. Either way, you are my healer. By your stripes I am healed. By your Spirit I am quickened and brought again to life. By faith in your name I am made whole.

Thank you Lord for the power of your name in bringing deliverance to my enslaved soul. You came to bring liberty to the captive and sight to the eyes of the blind, to bring freedom to the oppressed and proclaim the time of God's favor. You break the power of cancelled sin, you set the prisoner free, so that no bonds can hold me, no power can break me, no demon or devil of hell can defeat me. No sin can conquer me, and nothing shall separate me from your love.

Thank you Lord for the blessings of your name that you have delivered to me.

Thankful, Day Forty-Seven

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with thanksgiving.

Know that the Lord, He is God;

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

and His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100, NKJV

Remember Andre Crouch's My Tribute? No? Let me sing it for you...well, let me tell you the words.

How can I say thanks

for the things you have done for me?

Things so undeserved,

yet you gave your own life for me.

The voices of a million angels

could not express my gratitude.

All that I am, and ever hope to be

I owe it all to Thee!

To God be the glory!

Everything I am, everything I have, is because of the grace God has given me. Every breath I take, every move I make, every heartbeat, every step--everything is due to God's matchless favor and limitless love.

God, thank you for what you're doing in my life. Thank you for answered prayer, for new vision, for more compassion. Thank you for doing what I could not do, what I didn't think could be done, what I thought would never be done. And you're not finished yet, but thanks in advance for seeing things through to the end. This is a great day to be serving you!

God, thank you for what you're doing in the the lives of others. Thank you for continuing to work, for being faithful to complete what you started, for allowing me a glimpse and sometimes even a part in the things that are taken place in others.

God, thank you for what you're going to accomplish in the days ahead, because you're people have prayed and petitioned, submitted and surrendered, interceded and waited upon you. I recognize that prayer doesn't move you, it moves us to where you are. But because of our continued efforts to move toward you, we experience more and more of what you are doing, and receive more and more from you. God, let it always be so. And please God, don't stop until this is done.

Again...thanks.

Thankful, Day Forty-Six

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with thanksgiving.

Know that the Lord, He is God;

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

and His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100, NKJV

It's been my observation that if kids are whiny and complaining, begging for something or throwing a tantrum to get it, I am less inclined to give in to their requests. Of course, those are other people's children, but still. I think if I had kids of my own, if they came to me with a smile and a hug and some sweet words like "Daddy, you're the greatest Dad ever!" my heart might be softened to give them whatever they want. If it's good for them.

Do you think God is the same way?

The Bible tells us to make our requests known to him, but it says to do so with prayer, supplication, and thanksgiving. The Bible also tells us to rejoice ALWAYS, pray without ceasing, and in EVERYTHING give thanks. Sometimes we only rejoice or praise or give thanks if things go our way. But the Bible tells us that we should be content in whatever state we are, and give thanks for it. Whether we like it or not. And starting from the premise that God is a good God, and He gives good gifts to His children, we might want to realize that whatever He does He does for our benefit and blessing, and not for our destruction.

So if you want something from God, or need something from God, start with thanksgiving. Start with some praise, like Daddy, you're the best daddy ever! Start with some rejoicing over what God has done, an even over what He hasn't done. And see how much farther that gets you. Even if you don't always get what you want, you'll feel a whole lot better about it!

Father, thank You for Your Word this morning. It is truly everlasting, living and powerful, and honed with precision to do Your work. It is life indeed, sweeter than honey, more valuable than gold, and the power of God unto salvation to the that believe! Thank You for not leaving us to our own devices, but instead you gave us Your Words of live to guide and direct our lives.

Father, thank You for Your great and precious promises. I may not have received everything I desire, nor even everything that I believe you have promised me. But I know that You who promised are faithful, and You will perform everything that You have said. You will complete everything You have begun.

Father, thank You for Your answers to my prayers. You're into details, and I can't get over how detailed this is getting. I've waited a long time, I'm willing to wait longer still, but I'm thankful that You were moving even when I couldn't see it, and working when I couldn't feel it. I'm thankful that You have finally given me a glimpse of what You're doing, and I am content.

I'm rejoicing over here! I'm thankful! And I'm gonna keep on praying and believing...because I shall receive all that God has for me.

Thankful, Day Forty-Five

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

Know that the Lord, He is God;

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

And His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100, NKJV

I missed a few days blogging, and that's okay. I'm not going to be religious about this. ;) But I could not end this day without giving thanks again for the goodness of God. He truly knows how to give good gifts to His children.

Can I just be honest here, and say that there have been recent days when I felt like I was stumbling around all alone in the dark? There have been days when I felt like God wasn't hearing my prayers, and even if He was, He wasn't answering me. There have been times when I could not detect one single move of God in my life, when it seemed like He wasn't doing anything in me or for me. But of course none of those things were true.

God always hears our prayers. And God always answers, even if He doesn't answer it our way. God is always moving, always working, even in the quiet times. And God never leaves us, nor forsakes us. I knew those things in my mind; but now I know them in my heart. Because that light at the end of the tunnel was NOT the train. I have come into the daylight, and it is bright and clear. I have come into the open, and looking back I can see what looked so bad to me was really the best time for God to work out some important things in my life.

Thank You God, for showing up in church today. You're always there, because Your Word says Your Spirit dwells within us, You inhabit the praises of Your people, and where two or three are gathered in Your Name, Jesus Christ is also there.

Thank You God, that You knew what we needed before we even knew that we needed it, and You sent the answers on their way before we even began to ask. You are our help in time of trouble, our rest when we are weary, our relief from the heavy burden. You are our comfort, our healer, our redeemer, our friend, our fortress, our shelter, our strong and might tower, the glory and the lifter of our heads. You always know what to say, and when to say it; You always know what to do and when to do it. God please keep meeting us in the moment of our need and proving Yourself faithful!

Thank You God that You still speak through Your people, through Your servants, through any who will hear your voice and heed it. You don't have to have a preacher in order to talk to us, and I'm always happy to get out of Your way and let you move, or to change my words to communicate Yours.

Thank You God for all that You are and all that You do! We love you!

Thankful, Day Forty-Four (sort of)

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

Know that the Lord, He is God;

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

and His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100, NKJV

Be thankful is not difficult. I am truly thankful everyday. I just don't take the time to sit down and blog about it. My bad.

I'm on my way to church this morning. I'm dressed. My message is written. I've already been talking to the Lord this morning. I know that good things are about to happen, and it is exciting. It is also very humbling, to know that even when I don't think God is moving at all, or hearing me at all, He is always working on my behalf. I've preached it before and known it on an intellectual level, but to understand it at a heart level is a whole different story. I can look back now and see the handiwork of God in me and my life, and I'm so thankful that He was there! I try to look ahead to see what's coming, but uncertain, the future is. Always emotion. :) And there God is, working, working, working. And frankly telling me to keep my hands off it. He doesn't need my help, which believe it or not is something I have to remind myself of occasionally.

I'm thankful today for the presence of God wherever I am, so that I can worship and fellowship with Him at all times. The kingdom of heaven, Jesus said, is within. The Holy Spirit abides within. When I need to go to the courts of God, and enter through the gates of God, I have no further to go than within me, because He is with me, and in me, and all around me. Thank you God for being my constant companion.

I'm thankful today for the ability to worship and fellowship with God at all times. That there is nothing separating me from God except my transgressions, which are quickly dispatched when I call on the name of the Lord. I have no need of a preacher, a priest, or a patterned prayer to bring me to God. I don't need a saint or a mother to go to God on my behalf. I can go to God myself, because the only veil we have is that of Christ's flesh. We enter God's presence through Jesus Christ, and knowing the Lord gives me the boldness and the ability to go to Him whenever, wherever, whatever.

I'm thankful today, for the communion of the saints, the oneness that I have with the body of Jesus Christ, my local church. I may be the pastor, but that only makes me the mouth of the church, not the head. I am a member of the body of Christ, the family of God, the congregation of faith, hope and love. I am about to share the love of God among friends, among family, who are coming together from all over this city to do the same, and I rejoice in that. I love my brothers and sisters and Christ, and I am thankful for the fellowship we are about to have.

Thank you Lord, for your presence, your provision, and your people.

Thankful, Day Forty-Three

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with thanksgiving.

Know that the Lord, He is God;

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

And His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100, NKJV

We are the sheep of His pasture. And I cannot think of being a sheep in the flock of the Good Shepherd without thinking of the great 23rd Psalm and all the good things He does for me. He provides for my every need, he leads and guides me and gives me rest and restoration. He is always with me, and always comforts me. He feeds me and ministers to me and fills my life with all kinds of goodness. And like the Psalmist, His house is where I want to be.

I'm thankful tonight that Jesus has prepared a place at His table for me. Though enemies encamp about me, plotting my demise, Christ has given me the victory through faith, through His own precious blood, and through my testimony in Him. And when He starts blessing, He sits me down in the presence of my enemies and sets His blessings before me as if to say, thanks for trying, Casey gets the good stuff anyway!

I'm thankful tonight that Jesus anoints my head with oil, soothing my wounds, my aches, my pain with the sweet presence of His Holy Spirit. He eases my discomfort, He lifts me out of my discouragement, He soothes the trouble of my soul. His name is ointment poured forth, His words are sweeter than honey, His virtue is the healing balm for my soul. I may be hard pressed at times, perplexed, persecuted, and downcast, but Christ in me is the hope of glory--God's guarantee of manifested excellency!

I'm thankful tonight that Jesus fills my cup--not halfway, not three-quarters, not almost all the way to the top. Jesus fills my cup to the top and lets it overflow. When His blessings begin to come, there is nothing that can contain them. He pours out of Himself, His riches, His grace, without measure, opening the windows of heaven to heave His blessings through. O how wonderful are the benefits and blessings of serving the Lord, better far than I can think or ask, abundant over and above my wildest dreams and fervent requests.

Thank you Lord, for your blessings on me!

Thankful, Day Forty-Two

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!

Serve the Lord with gladness.

Come before His presence with singing.

Know that the Lord, He is God;

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

And His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100, NKJV

We are not our own; we belong to God. His hands shaped us in the wombs of our mothers. His Spirit transformed us when we yielded our lives to Him. His Son paid the purchase price for our souls. To use words from one of my favorite books of Scripture, I am my beloved's and he is mine; His banner over me is love!

Thank you God, for creating me and making me like you did.

Thank you for redeeming my life from destruction, and making me your own.

Thank you for being my own, my personal Lord and Savior, my very own God.

This may not be a long blog, but I am happy I belong to Him. He sure knows how to take care of me. And I am truly thankful!

Thankful, Day Forty-One

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

Know that the Lord, He is God;

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

and His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100, NKJV

I'm forty days into this exercise, and I continue to be thankful. In fact, my gratitude increases with each passing day. Since starting my 100 days of thanks, I have experienced a change in my attitude toward life and toward God. I've experienced many great and wonderful blessings. I have experienced a personal spiritual breakthrough, and received some pretty incredible answers to my fervent prayers. And for those things, I am so very thankful!

And today I want to give thanks for some simple things.

I'm thankful for my friends, both old and new, who have come into my life at this juncture, and I'm thankful for their many wonderful contributions to my life. I have spent today with some incredible men and women of God, all of us seeking to be better Christians, better servants, better ministers, and better friends. I am forging some great relationships, and look forward to what those friendships will yield in days ahead.

I'm thankful for I'm thankful for the joy of the Lord, which has given me great strength in dark days of the past and provided the necessary hope to make it through until the sun could shine again. Even at times where I have wanted to throw in the towel, to give up in the race, it was the joy of the Lord that kept me going. Even when I didn't feel it, I still kept living it. I've got the joy joy joy joy down in my heart, and it's down in my heart to stay!

And I'm thankful for something else, too. You know who you are, and you know why.

Thankful, Day Forty

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

Know that the Lord, He is God;

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

And His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100, NKJV

It's late, and I have been told to put myself to sleep, but I wanted to take a few moments to thank the Lord for some things.

This morning in church, someone brought our attention to a passage of Scripture in Hebrews Chapter 10. They were looking at verse 19, which talks about the boldness that we have to approach God because of Jesus Christ, but as my eyes swept through the following verses I saw some words I had marked: Let us... Three times, it says Let us.

Let us draw near...in full assurance of faith. Thank you Jesus that I have that blessed assurance, that I know in whom I have believed and am persuaded! My faith has been tempted and sorely tested, but it has never failed me. Actually, it is You who have never failed me. And because You never have, I know that You never will.

Let us hold fast our confession of hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. Thank you Jesus for the promises You have made to me, the fulfillment that I have seen, and the expectation and anticipation I have in what you have promised but have yet to do. I know that You are not a man that You should lie, and there is no shadow of turning with You! What you have promised, you will be faithful to complete.

Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works. Thank You Jesus for the company of saints, the fellowship and communion of believers, the church in which you live and move! Because of your body, today I have had opportunity to minister, and have received ministry back. I'm so glad that others can hear Your voice and communicate Your words to us, so that we might be encouraged.

Thankful, Day Thirty-Nine

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

Know that the Lord, He is God;

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

And His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100, NKJV

Here I am. I'm 38 years old. I stand five-foot-six-and-three-quarter-inches in my sock feet. I weigh two-hundred and fifty eight pounds soaking wet. I have wavy (or curly if it gets to long) mousy brown hair. I have blue eyes. I have a big nose. I have crooked bottom teeth that look like fangs. I have freckles and moles all over. And I am made in the image and likeness of God.

In nine months, I'll turn 39. In forty years, I could be shorter--but I'll never be taller. I could conceivably lose weight, and I want to. I dyed my hair one time and swore never to do it again. I could wear colored contacts, pay for a nose job and braces, and have ever blemish removed or bleached from my body. But why mess with perfection?

After all, it's comforting to think that God reflects Himself in a short, middle-aged, fat man. If I'll let Him.

We cannot by worrying add one measure to our stature, nor change the true color of a hair on our head. This is who we are, this is how we are put together. There are alot of people who spend alot of their time worrying about their appearance. I'm not denying that I'm one of those people, although I don't spend ALOT of time doing it. And I think, if I just do this or that, I could look a whole lot better than I do now. But I have learned not to hate myself because of my physical formation.

Do you know why?

Because it is the Lord who has made us, and not we ourselves!

Thank You Lord that you formed me, in the inward parts of my mother, and You called me by name. You have been active in shaping me with Your Almighty hands from the moment of my conception, and I am gratefully overwhelmed by the knowledge that I am fearfully and wonderfully made!

Thank You Lord that you formed the inward part of me, that through the new birth of salvation through Jesus Christ You have given me new life. For though you shaped me physically and made a place for Yourself in me spiritually, I was still born lost in the sinfulness of my race, in need of salvation, spiritually dead. But when I put my faith and trust in Jesus Christ, You brought me into everlasting life!

Thank You Lord that You continue to work on me, molding me and shaping me into the image and likeness of Your Son, Jesus Christ. You love me just as I am, but You love me too much to leave me this way. Everyday is a new process, taking me higher, deeper, farther in You, until the day when I measure up to the full stature of Jesus. Lord, until then, please keep working on me! For I must decrease, that He might increase.

Thank you Lord, for making me as I am. I am your handiwork.

Thankful, Day Thirty-Eight

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

Know that the Lord, He is God;

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

and His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100, NKJV

He is indeed God. No one else could possibly be. There is one God, and only One! He does not reveal Himself by many names, but rather He is the eternally existent I AM, the everlasting God. He is the Elohim, Jehovah, God to be praised. He is El Shaddai, the Almighty. He is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He is the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. And He is my God, personal, powerful, ever present and active in my life and on my behalf. Who else would I serve? Who else can I trust? Like the preacher of old I can say: He has never done me anything but good!

Thank You God that You are in control, in charge, and unconquerable. You truly do work out all things for good to them that love You and are called according to Your purpose. And none of Your purposes are withheld from You. As You have determined, so shall it be. Thank You God that You have included me in Your plans, even if You don't always reveal them to me.

Thank You God for hearing my prayers, and for answering them. Even when the answer seems a long time in coming, even when the answer doesn't sound like I thought it would, and even when I still don't know the end of the matter, I know that You have heard my prayer. You know my every care. You give to me the blessed victory!

Thank You God for the little things in life, for orchestrating things I could not possibly control, for doing what I thought impossible, and for being into the details. And for answering the questions that I haven't had the courage to ask, showing me the things I didn't want to see, and for giving me the heart I didn't know I lacked.

And now to finish the song...

Oh yes, I feel Him now!

My loyalty I vow!

I know the Savior heard my prayer!

The enemy has said

that my faith in God was dead,

and if the way got rough

He did not care.

Thank God, it is not true!

He thrills me through and through!

I know the Savior heard

my earnest prayer!

Thankful, Day Thirty-Seven

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

Know that the Lord, He is God;

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

And His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100, NKJV

Okay, so I've been bad. I missed two days of blogging, but I have not missed a single day being thankful. Our God is so wonderful, so marvelous, so extraordinary and outstanding! There is no one like Him anywhere in the cosmos, and there is nothing that compares to serving Him. I continue to be amazed at the goodness and the greatness of God.

I'm thankful that His presence has been so sweet these last eleven days. Even though I know that He is always with us, that He never leaves us nor forsakes us, there are simply days and sometimes seasons in which it is not so easy to sense His presence. We have to walk in faith, believing that He is there because He said He would be there, even if we're not feeling it. But then there are times when the presence of God is so tangible, so wonderful, so overwhelming. And I thank God that at last my season of not feeling it is over, and that I can sense His wonderful presence in my life again.

I'm thankful for the song in my heart in response to His presence. I've been singing all day. First it was Sweet Fellowship from my old Acapella days; then it was Let the Healing Waters Flow; then it was Jesus Paid it All; then it was How Great Thou Art & I'll Fly Away. When I got home, it was God's Unchanging Hand. Then it was Blessed Assurance. And now I don't have a particular song in mind, but there is singing in my soul, in my heart, for the joy of knowing Him and knowing that He is at work, even if the project isn't finished yet.

I'm thankful for the love that God's presence fosters within me. Because of God's love for me, I am overflowing with love for people. He has entrusted some wonderful people into my care, and I was loving them this morning in prayer. I had some great fellowship today with several wonderful people of God, and know that the love I have for them is from the Lord. And there is all kinds of loving flowing out and flowing in, all because the love of God is greater far than tongue or men could ever tell!

Thank you Lord for being in my life!

Thankful, Day Thirty-Six

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

Know that the Lord, He is God;

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

And His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100, NKJV

There is no use grumbling in the service of the Lord. The Bible gives us several examples of whiners and complainers, and it never turns out well for them. Over a million Israelites died in the wilderness during the 40 years of their complaint, consigned to die without a homeland because of their dissatisfaction and distrust of God. So we might as well serve the Lord with gladness.

Think about this: The joy of the Lord is our strength. Laughter is good as medicine. A happy heart produces a bright countenance. The Lord loves a cheerful giver. Happy is the man whose God is the Lord. Serving the Lord with gladness can only be to the benefit of our health and our life.

I'm happy to be serving the Lord, and thankful because there is no better satisfaction to be found than in hearing the the "well done" of the Lord.

I'm happy to be serving the Lord, and thankful because there is no other work that is greater or more rewarding than this one.

I'm happy to be serving the Lord, and thankful because I have seen the results in other lives of not serving the Lord, and I'd rather take my chances here!

Thank you Lord, for the privilege of serving you.

Thankful, Day Thirty-Five

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

Know that the Lord, He is God;

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

And His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100, NKJV

Have we considered what it means to serve the Lord? This is not merely a nine-to-five job we're working for Jesus here. It's not about punching a clock, doing a duty, fulfilling obligations and responsibilities of employment. For those who have given their lives to Jesus, ours is a life to be lived totally and completely for Him. He is our Savior, our Lord, our Master. The Bible says we who are saved are no longer our own; we have been bought with a price.

Therefore we serve Him. We serve Him in whatever capacity He has assigned us, with whatever talents He has given us. Some are spokesmen, some are supporters, some are instructors, some are encouragers, some are organizers, some are ministers of mercy, some are gifted to help others, but all are servants of the Most High God. We do what we can, with what we have, while we have the chance.

And when the Lord gives us orders, instructions, assignments, those who are serving the Lord with gladness don't care how hard the task or how long it takes. They don't care who gets credit, or what the remuneration may be. All that matters is serving the Lord, and we might as well do it with gladness; to do otherwise is to displease God, make ourselves miserable, and miss out on the blessings of a job done with rejoicing.

I will serve the Lord with gladness, and be thankful that He has counted me worthy to engage in this ministry.

I will be thankful for the people He has entrusted to my care, and see to their needs as He uses them to minister to mine.

I will be thankful for the blessings I receive because of my obedience, continually rejoicing in the grace and provision of God!

Thankful, Day Thirty-Four

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

Know that the Lord, He is God;

It is the He who has made us, and not we ourselves.

We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Give thanks to the Lord, and bless His name.

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

And His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100, NKJV

There is so much to be thankful for today, that I cannot tell it all. And since it's late and I need to get a move on toward sleep, I'm not going to bring a long devotion. I'm just going to give thanks.

Thank you Lord for preachers who will seek you for a message and deliver it with conviction. I heard two awesome sermons today...both of which instructed, encouraged and inspired me. And thank you Lord also for that special little word you added to the end of Martha's sermon. I watered, now let's see what fruit comes from it.

Thank you Lord for the awesome act of restoration and reconciliation that you performed in my life today. You certainly know how to do some really extraordinary things, and you do them so well!

Thank you Lord for your great and precious promises, which are "yes" and "amen", faithful and true, and which you will be faithful to perform according to your own will, plan and purpose. I can't wait to see what you're going to do!

Thankful, Day Thirty-Three

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands.

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

Know that the Lord, He is God;

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

And His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100, NKJV

God made the whole world. Jesus died for the whole world. The gospel was given to the whole world. And the people of God have the responsibility to take that good news into the whole world. So the whole world owes God some praise. There is a passage in Revelation that I love, where it talks about the worship that erupts in heaven and spills over spontaneously onto the earth. Every creature, great and small, sinner and saint, dead and alive, will suddenly and inexplicably burst into an ovation and anthem of praise toward God. Even the Antichrist, under the control of the devil, and even the devil himself will be forced to give God honor in worship and song. What a sight and sound that is going to be!

The true religion of God is neither regional, time-constrained, nor exclusive. Everyone is welcome to believe in Him, and call upon Him for salvation. He will take anybody, and He wants everybody. Unfortunately, lots of somebodies continue to refuse to accept that He exists, much less that He desires to be in relationship with them. They are too busy doing their own thing. But the day is coming...

...And I'm gonna get my shout started here and now!

I'm thankful today for good traveling weather, good friends to enjoy the 14 hour road trip with, and a great worship and word experience in North Little Rock. Thank God we got here!

I'm thankful today for God's bounty and His blessings in many different ways.

I'm thankful today for the several little reunions I had tonight, reunions which are just a foretaste of that great, glad reunion day that is coming!

Thank you Jesus, for all that You do, all that You've promised, and all that You are.

Thankful, Day Thirty-Two

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands.

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

Know that the Lord, He is God;

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

and His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100, NKJV

I just looked up the word shout using the Interlinear Bible tool at my favorite online Christian resource website. In the Authorized Version, the word is translated noise--Make a joyful noise. But in the original language, it has several variations of meaning. Want to hear some?

It means to shout, raise a sound, cry out, or give a blast on a trumpet.

It is a war-cry of alarm or battle.

It is a signal for war, or for marching.

It is a shout of triumph over one's enemies.

It is an ovation of applause.

It is a cry of religious impulse.

It is also a cry of distress, although I doubt the Psalmist had this particular definition in mind when He wrote, Shout with joy to God all the earth!

I shout my thanksgiving to God this morning, because He has made me more than a conqueror through Jesus Christ who loves me. I am triumphant in Him this morning in every circumstance and situation, because my faith in Him gives me the victory! God is on my side, so none can stand against me. What God has given me, no man can take away, or any woman either.

I shout my thanksgiving to God this morning as a battle cry, a declaration to the world, my flesh, and the devil that my fight is not finished, my war is not at an end. What I have fought for in the past, I will fight for in the future. I'm not giving up, and I will not surrender. I'm in this to the finish, so that when my life is over, I hope it can be said of me, He fought the good fight, He finished his race, He kept the faith!

I shout my thanksgiving to God this morning, an ovation and applause of His worthiness, His supremacy and sovereignty, His ability and willingness to do exceeding abundantly above all that I ask or think! And I can't wait for the moment when my triumph is complete, when the battle is finally over and the victory's been won, when I stand with all the saints of all the ages before the throne of Almighty God and shout His praises that will ring throughout all eternity.

I'm thankful today for victory, and I don't mind shouting about it!

Thankful, Day Thirty-one

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands.

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

Know that the Lord, He is God.

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

And His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100, NKJV

Shout with joy, it says. But have you ever wondered what to do when you don't have joy? What if you don't feel like shouting, or singing, or giving thanks? What happens when it seems like you have nothing to shout about? It has been my experience and observation that if you wait until you feel like it, then you'll likely never feel like it. The devil will see to that.

So when you don't feel like it, shout anyway.

When you think you have nothing to shout about, shout anyway.

And do it joyfully, even if you have no joy.

Like the phrase I love to quote: Act as if ye have faith, and faith will be given unto thee. That is not Scripture, and I don't know who came up with it, but the gist is this: Fake it 'til you make it. I guarantee, if you start acting joyful, it won't be long before you are joyful. If you start shouting for joy, it won't be long until you have joy! So shout!

I shout with thanks today because of the ministry I had a part in today. I hear things went well at my own church, from which I was absent, and I'm here to tell you tonight that things went well where I was the visiting preacher. Not because I was there, but because Jesus was there! There was a freedom of worship and a hunger for the word, a powerful spirit of prayer and response to the word. And I shout aloud about the goodness of it all.

I shout with thanks today because of the great fellowship I always have with my friend Pastor Larry Cox. God made a way many years ago for the two of us to find an uncommon camaraderie, and I am grateful to have a friend like Larry.

I shout with thanks today because God truly knows how to fix things I think are unfixable, to do things I thought were undoable, and to make all things work together for good to them that love Him and are called according to His purpose. I love God, and I'm called...therefore I know, everything is gonna be alright and work out like He wants them too.

Thank you Lord for all of that, and so much more!

Thankful, Day Thirty

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

Know that the Lord, He is God;

It is He who has made us and not we ourselves;

We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

And His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100, NKJV

It's a new decade. We have said goodbye to the Oughties, and initiated the TwentyTeenies. It's a new year. It's a brand new day. Yesterday's gone and we can't get it back; tomorrow may never come. No sense in regrets or worries; today has enough trouble of its own without trying to redo yesterday or preplan tomorrow. And with every new day is a new opportunity to live right, to do right, to choose right.

Today is another opportunity to shout aloud about the goodness of God, to give thanks and praise again for all that He is and for all that He has done.

I shout my thanks that He is God, All Supreme Deity and Divine, Omniscient, Omnipotent, Omnipresent, All Sufficient Sovereign of all that is. And I'm thankful I am not, because I'm just not up to the task.

I shout my thanks that He is good, completely perfect, wholly wonderfully, righteous, holy, just, kind, gentle, long-suffering, faithful and true. And I'm thankful that His goodness is available to assist me in becoming more like Him and less like me.

I shout my thanks that He is here, with me, in me, and for me. He never leaves me nor forsakes me, He never abandons me nor withdraws from me. As long as I walk with Him, He always walks with me. As long as I stand with Him, He continually stands with me. As long as I abide in Him, He abides in me.

Thank you Lord, that you are God, you are good, and you are here!