THANKFUL

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Good morning, Jesus.

As numerous as the stars in the heavens, so great are your blessings, Lord God. Your storehouse of blessings is never shorted. As we look to you in faith in all our circumstances, we understand and trust that you are working behind the scenes to bless us and increase our faith. Today we list a few blessings we take for granted.

Thankful for:

• Even though in this fallen world those who follow you will have troubles (no kidding!) we have peace and take heart since you, Lord Jesus, have overcome the world (John 16:33).
• People who have stood by us when life’s stuff unexpectedly hits in all its furor
• Our kids and grandkids excitement waiting in line to speak to Santa Claus.
• Sitting on the beach with our loved one watching the kaliedoscope of colors of sunset
• The convenience of text messages
• Friday night high school football, drill teams, and marching bands
• Watching your child take their first step
• Service animals
• Reruns of Hee Haw that even though we’ve seen them numerous times, still give us a belly laugh.
• The blessing of taking a deep breath without coughing.
• The amazing skills of the paramedics who once on the scene administer life-saving aid.

Thank you for still healing your people in body, soul and spirit. Thank you for the peace we find in your promises found in your word, which is the same yesterday, today and forever. Thank you that amid the storm we are in, we see you walking to us on the waves to calm the storms, bringing your peace.

Thank you, Lord, for allowing us to live in this wonderful country, that even though flawed, is still the greatest country in the world. Thank you for the spiritual revival coming to our country as we your people humble ourselves, repent of our wrongdoing and return to you. Thank you for calling people to you in repentance to return to our first love—Jesus.

Thank you for loving us, Jesus. Amen.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Good morning, Jesus.

Your blessings, O Lord, are endless, In good times, the blessings are obvious. In difficult times, when our world seems to be caving in around us, your blessings are still there, but our plight works overtime to blind us to them. Whether by a foolish life choice, or when in this broken world and life’s stuff hits, we know you are faithful in all things. Headlines may scream panic, news may make us anxious about the future, but in you, Lord God, we have peace, trusting you are in charge.

Today, we are thankful for:

• Your comfort when we cannot understand why trials and troubles come our way, but we have your promise that those who place their faith in you may be hard pressed, but not crushed, knocked down, but not destroyed.
• Anyone, regardless of what they have done, who in repentance places their faith in you, Jesus, will be saved.
• The rejoicing, crying, jumping up and down praising the Lord when we hear, “Ring the bell. Congratulations. You’re cancer free!”
• Sitting in the sunshine coming through the blinds when it’s too cold to go outside.
• The joy of seeing the pounds are dropping off when you step on the scales
• Blue Bell ice cream, probably the reason the pounds were put on in the first place.
• Jewish humor
• Living in America with the greatest medical care in the world
• Grocery stores with the shelves overflowing with merchandise
• Firemen who take risks to save family pets

Thank you, Lord, for your unconditional love, even when we act in ways that do not honor you. Thank you for going to all extents to draw us to you in repentance. Thank you for saintly people who put others ahead of themselves. Thank you for your holy word, the Bible, which is translated by holy men in all languages so all can understand who you are. Thank you for the simplicity of the Gospel.

Thank you, Jesus, for being you! Amen.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Good morning, Jesus.

On this day, we salute our veterans who wore the uniform, left family to deploy to hostile areas, and fought oppression and evil for those not capable of defending themselves. They know sacrifices that we who never served do not know. From sleeping in tents, huts or foxholes, to cold meals to steaming hot or bitter cold weather that would send us civilians seeking shelter, their sacrifices are immeasurable. The missed holidays, anniversaries, kids’ birthday parties, children born while they were deployed, and other sacrifices make the times now spent with family more meaningful. From a grateful heart, may we sincerely thank every veteran we know or happen to encounter today. May God bless each one.

Our prayer today, Lord, is all veterans will have the finest health care in the world, affordable housing, food and clothing and have their needs met. May the governing bodies over the vets do the right things and keep their end of the agreements they made when the men and women signed up to serve. God bless them all.

Today, we are thankful for:

• God’s blessings on our men and women in uniform, who put their lives on hold to serve us to fight for our liberties
• For our fathers, mothers, grandfathers and grandmothers, uncles and aunts, members of the “greatest generation,” who went off to war in Europe and the Pacific. Thankful for the folks on the home front who made sacrifices to support our troops.
• The Korean veterans, the Vietnam vets, Kosovo and Croatia vets, Iraqi and Afghanistan vets.
• The old Berlin Wall no longer stands.
• The lump we get in our throat when we hear John Philip Souza’s Stars and Stripes Forever
• The gratefulness watching a WWII veteran struggle to stand and salute the flag as it passes in a Veterans Day parade.
• The spectacular aerobatics of the Navy Blue Angels and the Air Force Thunderbirds
• The stark realization that freedom is not free when we visit Arlington National Cemetery.
• The dozens of American cemeteries that dot the landscapes of Europe and the Pacific Islands, the final resting place of thousand of mostly teens and 20s-years-old boys who paid the ultimate price.
• That a majority of Americans love and appreciate our men and women who currently serve or served in our armed forces.
• That your heart, Lord God, cries with the families where a gold star hangs in the window.

God bless all veterans, amen.

Friday, November 08, 2019

Good morning, Jesus.

All the accountants in the world cannot come up with a sum total of your blessing, Lord God. You bless all mankind, everywhere on earth. Forgive us for not giving you the credit and glory for all these blessings from your storehouse. Thank you, Lord, for the eternal inheritance you give all who place their faith in Jesus sacrifice on the cross for our sins (1 Peter 1:4–5).

Today we are thankful for:

• No matter how badly we mess up, how far we fall, we have redemption from sins and a new lease on life when we place our faith in you, Lord Jesus.
• The taste of chocolate, especially when the craving hits
• The character lessons children learn by their parents support for them even if they may come in last in the race, or strikes out with the game on the line, or whose team seldom wins,  
• The excitement of children dressed in funny costumes, going door to door trick-or-treating
• The creative ideas you give people who can turn what we call “junk” into a work of art
• For sign language so people hearing impaired can communicate with us. Thankful for those who interpret for us.
• Finding a close parking place at the mall
• Turning on a switch without worrying if the lights will come on.
• Hot coffee, biscuits and gravy with bacon, leisurely enjoyed on the back porch.
• That stirring in your heart when your “heart throb” finally says hello to you.

We’re thankful for the medical advances you given us, for the researches who tirelessly experiment to find cures to diseases that have plagued mankind since the fall of man in the Garden. Thank you for good health care professionals, lovingly caring for the sick and afflicted regardless if they have the means to pay or not. Bless those who place their faith in your healing power, no matter how you choose to heal and restore.

Forgive our sins as we forgive others. Only you can change our hearts so that our nation can be healed. In our humanity, let us see we all are made in your image, Lord God.

Open our eyes to see all you do for us, Jesus. Amen.

Good morning, Jesus.

Thursday, November 07, 2019

How grateful we are for your blessings, Lord. All the data centers in the world cannot hold all our thanks for your blessings. When we take time to count our blessings, the blues that try to take up residence in our hearts are replaced with gratitude for your kindness. We have hope in you, Lord God, and we’re reminded these troubles are only temporary, and that in the end, those who know you come out fine (2 Corinthians 4:17).

Today, we thank you, Lord God, for:

• The hope we find in you, the peace we receive amid the storms of life
• The smell of gingerbread that reminds you of your childhood visits to grandma’s house
• Texas A&M football
• You don’t give us what we deserve for our sins, but give us grace, which we don’t deserve
• Sunday school teachers who make lifelong impressions on children by making Bible stories come alive
• Poverty-stricken African children jumping for joy finding a new pair of shoes in their Christmas box from Samaritan’s Purse
• Compassion of soup kitchen workers feeding the homeless and not judging them for their conditions
• When the kids are finally asleep, and mom and dad have some well-needed quiet time.
• Watching deer graze early in the morning as you drive to town
• Fireplace cuddling on a cold winter night

Thankful for the brave men and women who have put their lives on hold and volunteered for our armed services. May your protection hover over them and bless their efforts against evil and oppression. Bless those in our families who currently serve and bring them home soon.

Forgive our sins as we forgive others. Spark a spiritual renewal in each of us so our nation can be healed. Help us see one another as human, just like we are.

Thankful for your blessings, Jesus. Amen.

Wednesday, November 06, 2019

Good afternoon, Jesus.

Calculators are incapable of adding together all the blessings from your great Providence, Oh, Lord. in your great love, you open the spillways of blessings upon all mankind. Although you call all men to come you for salvation, you know not all men will accept your offer of grace and forgiveness, yet you pour out blessings upon them as well. You liberally bless the just and the unjust without reservations (Matthew 5:45).

Today, we give you thanks for:

• Your faithfulness to save all who call upon you with a sincere heart. Thankful your Holy Spirit comes to live within us forever and teaches us how to live for you.
• The look of excitement on a child’s face when you open a gift from them
• The swelling in your heart when you see your children mimicking your good behavior and adopting your character traits
• The smile in your heart from memories of your first childhood ‘crush’ even though their rejection broke your heart
• The lump in your throat while waving American flags watching a Fourth of July parade.
• Witnessing your baby take their first steps
• All the men sleeping in any comfortable place they can find after the big Thanksgiving meal.
• A printer that works every time
• Blessed that we can turn on a faucet and get clean hot and cold water and not have to take a bucket to a creek.
• Listening to a child retell how Moses parted the Red Sea after hearing the story for the first time.

We’re thankful for hospitals and clinics we have whenever we get sick, and for the quality of health care we enjoy. These medical facilities are a blessing from you, Lord God. Thankful for the dedicated doctors and nurses who work endless hours to minister to our physical and emotional being. Thankful for the hospital chaplains, who reach out to all without restrictions. Thankful for your healing power, Lord God,

Thankful you forgive our sins when we confess to you our trespasses against you and others.

Thankful for you, Jesus. Amen.

Tuesday, November 05, 2019

Good morning, Jesus.

Lord, God, the more we count our blessings, the greater we realize how we overlook your goodness in all creation. “As you point out to us your reality is plain enough for all to see. By taking a long and thoughtful look at what God has created . . . his eternal power . . . his divine being” (Romans 1:20 MSG).

Today, we thank you, Lord God, for these blessings that we overlook every day. Help us keep our focus on your goodness to all mankind in so many little ways.

We’re thankful for:

• That someone introduced us to Jesus, where we found true peace, forgiveness and a newness of life in him,
• The stories—some true, some embellished—of the good old days we hear from the older members of our families.
• The trust of a child who has fallen asleep in our arms
• Our grandkid’s so excited to show us their stuff at Grandparents Day at their school
• Power company workers who fight nature’s elements to restore electrical power during and after storms
• Firefighters in California who battle the wildfires every year, especially those brave souls who parachute in
• The Salvation Army
• The smell breakfast cooked on a campfire on a crisp fall morning
• For ladies, the good feelings after getting a mani-pedi
• Puppy kisses

We’re thankful for your mercy and healing power, Lord. Thank you for people who are faithful to join our faith in prayer for our needs. We mention this morning a new call for your mercy and kindness for little Abigail, battling a rare bone disease. Hold Abby and her family close to you and comfort them as only you can. Assure them of your love. Strengthen their faith amid this storm in their lives. Your power to heal has not diminished.

Bless and protect our troops stationed around the world. Position warrior angels around them as they serve to protect freedom and oppress evil. Bring all those stationed in harm’s way home safely. We pray their service is not in vain.

Resting in your goodness, Lord Jesus, Amen.

Monday, November 04, 2019

Good morning, Jesus.

Lord God, there are not enough fingers and toes in the world to count all our blessings. Your goodness is boundless, your mercy is great, your kindness draws us to you where we find all we need in our life’s journey. In this Thanksgiving month, we continue to list our blessings, but we fall far short.

We’re thankful for:

• Giving your only Son Jesus to save us from our sins and give eternal life to all who place their trust in him.
• Your guardian angels who what over us, protecting our loved ones, especially our precious children.
• Our brave men and women in uniform, deployed around the world, who fight for freedom and destroy evil
• The police, who protect and serve, even when we are ticketed for speeding.
• Our firefighters, who rush into danger as others run for safety
• Our first responders, who are first to administer first aid, comfort, and hope
• For being born in America, the greatest country in the world, and although we’re flawed, you have blessed us with the most opportunities.
• Wrapping up in a warm towel fresh from the dryer
• The inexpressible joy seeing the big smile of a child who lost their front teeth
• Teachers who love their kids and have their best interest at heart
• The promise you give us, Lord God, for our prodigal child to return home.

Thankful for your presence when we face medical issues or physical afflictions. You never leave us nor forsake us, no matter how dark the situation. Thankful that you give hope and encouragement when despair tries to set in. Your peace keeps us clinging close to you. We are thankful that when we partner with you, Lord God, nothing is impossible to keep us from doing your will and living the life you ordained for us.

Thank you, Lord, for giving us new life in you. In Jesus’ name and in his authority, Amen.

Friday, November 01, 2019

Good morning, Jesus.

As we enter this month of Thanksgiving, let us remember our countless blessings. In our busy times we tend to overlook our blessings, taking life and events for granted. Help us this month to slow down, take make time to stop and thank you, Lord God, for all your blessings. We’ll never run out of reasons to praise you.

Let us start today to list our blessings and give you thanks, Lord God. Thankful for:

• The sending your Son Jesus to come to us to free us from the power of sin and pay the sin debt we could not pay.
• Our precious family, our spouse, our children and grandchildren. These dear ones are a treasure from you
• The memories we make at holiday gatherings, birthdays, celebrations of weddings, work achievements
• Lifelong friends
• The presence of your Holy Spirit living within us, who calms our fears, gives us hope and peace amid the storms of life
• You are the God who hears and answers our prayers
• The love and acceptance the brokenhearted, the down and out, those who are looking for hope find in you
• That you send your Holy Spirit after those who have lost their way, especially for our loved ones, our kids and spouses who do not know you
• Churches full of sincere, real, humble people, who love others as you love, care as you care, reach out as you reached out to all people
• Let’s not forget a cup of hot chocolate on a cold day or a glass of iced tea on an August day when the sun bakes the Earth.

Lord, the list endless. May we thank you daily, all day, for your blessings.

We thank you for the great health care we have when sickness or afflictions come to town. Thank you for the doctors, nurses and medical workers who serve us with hearts of compassion. Thank you for the hospice workers, for their incredible angelic-like kindness to the suffering. Thank you for great breakthroughs in medicines that bring relief and healing. Thank you for people who always seem to say the right things to comfort and encourage those suffering or facing uncertainties of the future.

Thankful you are our God and still save the lost who come to you, Lord Jesus.  Amen.

Tuesday, October 31. 2019

Good morning, Jesus.

Help me stay close to you, Lord Jesus, I wander so easily from the path you set for me. I don’t stray on purpose, it’s just I get distracted by the events happening around me. Whether it’s my job, or scuffling kids and juggling household duties, or trying to prioritize every voice of daily life calling for my attention, diversions tend to draw me away from you. Before I realize what has happened, I’m looking around and saying. “Jesus, where’d you go?”

“I haven’t gone anywhere,” you say. “You did.”

That is why we must echo daily what the psalmist pleaded, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit in me” (Psalm 51:10). Every day may we submit to your Lordship, Jesus. Our prayer is for you to daily renew in each of us the drive to emulate you in all we do. You know our weaknesses, yet you are so patient with us, faithful to continue the good work you started in each one who has chosen to follow you (Philippians 1:6).

Help us squash our wishy-washy attitudes, our selfishness that hinders the Holy Spirit’s guidance. Show us how to be consistent in our relationship with you and stay focused in your Word, the Bible, Renew the steadfastness of our spirit so the distractions of life will fail to draw us away from you.

Bless our friends facing medical and physical challenges. They realize these issues are greater than they can handle on their own and they call to you for strength, comfort, and faith. Show your power to heal and restore. Demonstrate your grace that enables those who trust you to persevere under difficult situations.

Bless and protect our friends in California affected by the relentless wildfires. Give the firefighters and first responders a strength greater than they possess to fight these fires. And if you wanted, a good soaking rain would be nice too, Lord God.

Desiring to stay close to you all day, Jesus. Amen.