Thankful 9...

I am thankful for simplicity. 

Life can get so terribly complicated. 

Today, I am thankful for simple pleasures.



Family.

Home.

Good food.

Good company.

Simple pleasures.

Thankful 8....

I am thankful for music.     ♪♫♫♪♫♪♫♫♪♫♪♫♫♪♫♪♫♫♪

I think every year when I count down to Thanksgiving, I again am deliberately thankful for music.  (...several other things are regularly on the list...)    ♪♫♫♪♫♪♫♫♪♫♪♫♫♪♫♪♫♫♪♫

There is power in music....power that can unleash all sorts of emotions, or change them. 

Music communicates love, praise, worship     ♪♫♫♪♫♪♫♫♪♫♪♫♫♪♫♪♫♫♪♫
 Fear, anxiety, anger.    ♪♫♫♪♫♪♫♫♪♫♪♫♫♪♫♪♫♫♪♫
Joy, laughter, pleasure.       ♪♫♫♪♫♪♫♫♪♫♪♫♫♪♫♪♫♫♪♫
Submission or rebellion.      ♪♫♫♪♫♪♫♫♪♫♪♫♫♪♫♪♫♫♪♫

If you don't agree....try watching a movie without a soundtrack.  (...if you can find one, I doubt you can....)

I am thankful to have learned what little I know about music. I am thankful to be able to play instruments the little I can.  I am thankful to be able to 'carry a tune in a bucket'....to sing with the limited talent that I have.        ♪♫♫♪♫♪♫♫♪♫♪♫♫♪♫♪♫♫♪♫

Most of all, I am thankful to have learned how to channel the power of music and direct it in positive ways.  Praising the Creator God who is the Master Mind of it all....it was all His idea. 

And what a great one !! 

♪♫  ♫♪♫♪  ♫  ♫♪♫  ♪♫♫♪  ♫♪♫ ♫♪  ♫♪♫    ♫♪♫♪♫   ♫♪♫ ♪♫  ♫♪♫♪   ♫♫♪ ♫♪♫   ♫♪♫♪♫   ♫♪  ♫♪♫ ♫♪ ♫♪♫♫   ♪♫♪♫♫  ♪♫♪♫♫♪♫   ♪♫♫♪ ♫♪♫♫♪♫♪    ♫♫♪♫♪♫ ♫♪ ♫♪♫♪♫ ♫♪♫♪♫♫♪♫♪ ♫♫♪ ♫♪ ♫♫♪♫

Thankful 7...

I am thankful for my citizenship. 

I was born in the state of Washington.  I am a citizen of the United States of America.

I was re-born in Jesus Christ.  I am a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven. 

Hallelujah. 


My hope is in Him.
He has changed my life.
He is still on His throne today.
I am still His child, a sheep of His pasture.
Nothing surprises Him.
Nothing robs Him of His power.
His will is accomplished.  In His time.

Hallelujah.


My faith is not in man.
My faith is not in government.
My faith is not in a nation.
My faith is not in an army.
My faith is not in a society.
My faith is not in religion.

My faith is in Elohim, Creator God Almighty.
My faith is in El Roi, the God Who sees me.  In every detail.
My faith is in El Olan, the everlasting and eternal God.  His Reign does not end.
My faith is in Jehovah Jireh, The Lord Who provides.
My faith is in Jehovah Nissi, and He is my banner.


My peace is provided by Jehovah Shalom, The Lord is peace.  There is no other true peace.
My security and rock is Jehovah Tsuri.  He is unchanging and stable.  There is no other stability.

Today, I am thankful to be a child of the King of glory.
Today, I am thankful to have an inheritance and home in His land of plenty.
Today, I am thankful to be protected and provided for in His kingdom.  I live there now.

Hallelujah. 

Thankful 6...

I am thankful for rest.

Rest for a tired body.
Rest for a weary mind.
Rest for a concerned heart.
Rest for an unsettled situation.
Rest for an uncertain future.
Rest for a yearning spirit.


Rest isn't just about sitting on the couch or snoozing in the bed.  I've often done both, only to get up exhausted.

The only true rest is found in the comfort and safety of the sheep pen, under the care of The Good Shepherd....  "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."(Mt. 11:28)

"There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name." (Rev. 14:11)

 





"Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.   He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.   My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in Him at all times, O people.  Pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge.(Ps. 62:5-8)

Thankful 5...

Today I am thankful for emotion. Even though sometimes emotions hurt...

Ridicule hurts, but I want hearts to stay tender enough to feel the pain.

Love is sometimes so intense it hurts. Especially when those we love are sad, or hurting, or when we are separated. But I want hearts to have an increasing capacity to love.



Emotions are sometimes hard to distinguish from one another. Fear often looks and sounds like anger. Sadness can easily be mistaken for disinterest or disdain.

I purpose to identify and embrace each emotion. It is difficult...

Thankful 4...

I am thankful for make-up.

As I applied my cosmetics this morning, I thought about how different I look with it than I do without it.  I think I look better with....   I think most everyone would agree that I do.

 I battle vanity, and I don't think I'm extremely vain, but I would rather you see me with it than without it.

As I applied cosmetics this morning, my mind turned to how God sees me.

I am thankful today for what He has made available to me to make me look perfect in His Eyes.

The blood of Christ Jesus covers my every flaw.

Hallelujah.

Thankful 3...

I am thankful for correction.

I remember learning to type...way back then.  We had correction tape.  It was a lifesaver.

I keep a bottle of White-Out in my desk drawer.  It comes in handy.  Often.

We are learning to depend on spellcheck. And as we do, we become less cautious and aware of mistakes.

I had my bite corrected in order to be rid of headaches.  My teeth were not lined up correctly, and it caused pain.
Surgeries are performed regularly to correct problems.
I wear glasses to correct vision problems.

The list is endless.

Corrections are often not pleasant but are necessary and beneficial. But corrections are not really corrections if they aren't done with an ideal standard.

Spelling has a standard.  We have dictionaries.
Vision has a standard.     We want 20/20 vision.
Our bodies have a standard. We want them maintained in the original design.

We are wise to be easily corrected.  Behavior. Attitudes. Actions.  There IS a correct way to live, and even though we  choose to deny or refuse it,  it is the standard.  We will all be measured by it eventually.

"This is the nation that has not obeyed the Lord its God, or responded to correction. Truth has perished, it has vanished from their lips." (Jer. 7:28)

"He who heeds discipline shows the way to life, whoever ignores correction leads others astray."
(Prov. 10:17)

"He who ignores discipline comes to poverty and shame. Whoever heeds correction is honored."
(Prov. 13:18)




"Bless is the man You discipline, O Lord, the man You teach from Your law." (Ps. 94:12)


I purpose to hear and heed the first Word of correction.... to be easily corrected. I do not want to be re-taught, yet when I do not learn easily, I purpose to be thankful that He does not give up or allow me to slip further away from Him.