November 25, 2004

Give Thanks

"Ginger Lei" Selvn Chance photo

Give thanks with a grateful heart
Give thanks to the Holy One
Give thanks because He's given
Jesus Christ, His Son

And Now
Let the weak say
"I am strong!"

Let the poor say
"I am rich"

Because of what
The Lord has done!

Give thanks...

Henry Smith 1978

One of my mottos is "Cultivate a heart of gratitude." I try to be grateful for everything, even the stuff that hurts or makes no sense at the time, because it will eventually, I hope. In this world that seems to be hurtling out of control, I know that my God is here. I am thankful for that. I am thankful for friends that care about me and for family that loves me and for you my readers that listen to me.

I hope that you have a wonderful day today and that tomorrow brings you the same sense of thankfulness, and the day after that as well, for the grateful heart is the sure cure for much of the worlds ills. Cultivating that heart would go a long way to heal the pain of many. It is a choice. Let us choose thankfulness, over any other emotion. The words "Thank You" will heal more strife than "I Love You" when spoken with sincerity.

And like Paul, in his letter to the Phillippian Church, wrote...

I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,
always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy,
for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now,
being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace.
For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ.
And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment,
that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ,
being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

be blessed today