Saturday's Snippet

Acts 17:28

 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

Good morning, and a Sweet Saturday to everybody!

Today, I am thankful to be alive, and to have health and strength. What a blessing all of us have been given to see a new day with the ability to move about. Many do not have strength in their bodies as their health is failing, or they are suffering from a serious illness. For those people, I pray. 

Right now, I am viewing the sunrise here in AR, all because of the blessing of eyesight. I can smell the coffee brewing, and soon I will taste it, all because of the blessings of smell and taste. My ears pick up the small sounds here in our motor home. Fingers move across the keyboard. Feet propel me across the floor. I have a sound mind. But for God, none of this would be possible, and I want to say, "Thank You, Lord, for all of these blessings."

Many days I fear that I take the blessing of health for granted, so today I am focusing on being grateful for it. And, while I am showing gratitude, I will be praying for those less fortunate than myself. 

Here's a sweet song that goes along with today's blog post:

Thank You, Lord

by The Easter Brothers

Verse One

While the world looks upon me

As I struggle along

They say I have nothing

But they are so wrong

In my heart I'm rejoicing

How I wish they could see

Thank You, Lord,

For Your blessings on me 

Chorus

There's a roof up above me

I've a good place to sleep

There's food on my table

And shoes on my feet

You gave me Your love, Lord,

And a fine family

Thank You, Lord, 

For Your blessings on me

Verse Two

I know I'm not wealthy

These clothes they're not new

I don't have much money

But, Lord, I have You

And that's all that matters

Though the world may not see

Thank You, Lord,

For Your blessings on me

May your Saturday be filled with sweet blessings from the Lord, especially good health and the ability to move about!

Lord willing, I'll see you again tomorrow for another spoonful of thankfulness!

Friday's Footnote

                                                      Psalm 119:11

Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

Psalm 119:105

¹⁰⁵ Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

Good morning, and a Fabulous Friday to my family & friends!

Today, I would like to blog regarding my thanks for the Bible, God's Holy Word. The two verses I chose are some that I memorized when I was quite young, but they remain very precious to me. There is no book on earth that I treasure more than my Bible. 

To me, the Bible is a book bursting with stories of creation, details about all the patriarchs as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob; psalms of praise to God, warnings from the prophets; the birth of Jesus Christ along with accounts of His ministry on earth; the beginning of the church in the book of Acts; concluding with prophesies regarding the end of time and Christ's ultimate return to earth. 

I have also found it to be a journal of love letters from my Lord directly to me. A love for the Bible has brought me countless experiences when it has held just the right word of encouragement for me. Strength has come to me during my weakest of days, all because I have chosen to feast upon it. Many times I have wept as I read of the mighty power of God in David's days, yet realizing that the never-changing God still shows His power in my day.

Words in one blog post cannot fully convey how much I love the Word of God. This centuries old children's song seems the best way to end today's post:

The B-I-B-L-E

That's the book for me

I stand upon the Word of God

The B-I-B-L-E

Let's take more time than usual to read from God's Holy Word today. A precious, wonderful treasure awaits us within its pages!

Enjoy this Fabulous Friday with Our Father, as we pore over the scriptures. As a footnote, I'll leave one last scripture:

2 Timothy 3:16

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

See you tomorrow, Lord willing.....

Thursday's Thought

1 Timothy 6:8

And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.

Good morning, everybody!

Continuing to blog about being thankful, today's spoonful of gratitude will be about food, raiment, and shelter. For all these three blessings, I am truly thankful. Without them, I would be hungry, naked, and homeless. 

In the great Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6, specifically), Jesus admonished the listeners against fretting over food. 

Matthew 6:25-26

²⁵ Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

²⁶ Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

He further taught them against worrying over their clothing:

Matthew 6:28-29

²⁸ And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

²⁹ And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

Jesus cares about His children. He taught us to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, then all these things will be added to us. (Matthew 6;33) 

I just want to thank God today for all the food in my cabinets; all the clothes in my closet; and for the warm, dry, nice places I have to live (whether at home in MS, or on the road). I'm abundantly blessed but, more than anything in this life, I want to have a grateful heart. I do not want to take the blessings of the Lord for granted.

Let's take time today to thank the Lord for just these three blessings of food, clothing, and shelter.

God bless you all this Thursday. Hope to see you again tomorrow!

Wednesday's Whisper

Colossians 2:2

That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;

Good morning, one and all!

On this Wonderful Wednesday, I am thankful for love!

First of all, the love of God - the vast, unconditional, immeasurable love of God Almighty!

Secondly, the love of family; my parents, and two brothers, who were the first humans on earth that I felt love from, and to whom I gave it. I was truly blessed to be raised in a home full of love.

Then, came the love of my life, my husband of forty-one-plus years! The love of a spouse is a very deep, precious love. Again, I am one blessed woman to have the love of a mate who loves God and truly loves me, and I love him dearly.

Next, the love of my children, which has grown to include their spouses. God blessed us with three children, two boys and one girl. These three were entrusted to us to raise in the fear of God, and we tried to the best of our ability to do just that. I love my children, and feel their love in return.

Going on, to the "grandest" love of all - the love of grandchildren. Oh, my, what a love! And, especially today as I write this, I miss them all so very much. God truly blessed me when he allowed me to become a grandmother (I am a Mimi - smile). 

My grandparents all passed away at fairly young ages, so I didn't get to enjoy their love long enough, but I treasure their memories.

Both my in-law parents have been gone for quite some time. I loved them both, and thank God that He blessed me with two who loved me in return. I have quite a few brothers-in-law   and sisters-in-law for whom I am truly grateful.

I've known the love of aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews throughout my years.

Friends - thank God for the love I've received from and given to my multitude of friends!

Then, there's the family of God - brothers and sisters in Christ. No, we do not share natural blood, but we all have royal blood flowing through our veins. Our Father is the King of kings and Lord of lords!!! 

I sincerely hope I haven't left anyone out but, after writing this blog post, my heart is full as I remember how very much I am loved, and I hope that I convey love to all who are special to me.

As I close this blog post, I am reminded of a cute definition my Dad always gave for the word love:

Love's a little thing

Shaped like a lizard

It runs around your heart

And tickles your gizzard!

--Bishop Casey Jones, Sr.

Pause today to thank God for the blessing of that one great virtue - Love! 

Here's one more verse that just came to my mind:

1 Corinthians 13:13

And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

Join me again tomorrow when, Lord willing, we'll share another spoonful of thankfulness tonic!

Tuesday's Tidbit

Isaiah 45:21

 Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the Lord? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.

Good morning, family & friends!

Continuing along the vein I've chosen for November blogging - thankfulness, today's subject is God. I am thankful for God, for one God - Creator of all, my Deliverer, Provider, Savior, my King, and the list goes on and on. 

Many scriptures are going through my mind right now that I've read and been taught since I was young:

Genesis 1:1

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

John 1:1

 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:14

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Isaiah 9:6

 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Luke 1:35

And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

1 Timothy 3:16

 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

I love God and so glad I know Him! How sad it would be to follow the belief of some that He does not exist! This song will convey more of how my heart feels about being thankful that there is a God:

Lift up Holy Hands

Written by Darren Thomas, recorded by Bishop Norman L. Wagner & The Mount Calvary Concert Choir

I'm going to lift up holy hands in the presence of the Lord

Lift up holy hands in the presence of the Lord

I'm going to lift up holy hands in the presence of the Lord

Lift up holy hands in the presence of the Lord

In the presence of the Lord, ooh (I've found the fullness of the Lord)

In the presence of the Lord, ooh (I've found the fullness of the Lord)

Holy, holy, holy, holy

Holy, wonderful, marvelous, glorious,

omnipotent, righteous, and mighty

Lord, we praise You, we lift You up

We magnify, we glorify, we exalt You,

We extol You, we adore You, Hallelujah

Come lift Him up, come lift Him up, come lift Him up

Come lift Him up, let's lift Him up

Oh, let us rejoice today because we serve one God! He was manifest in the flesh to dwell among men; to be the sacrifice for our sins at Calvary; and when He ascended back to heaven, He sent His spirit, the Holy Ghost, to dwell in us. Praise God for this beautiful revelation!

Have a terrific Tuesday! Hopefully, we'll meet again tomorrow for another spoonful of thankful tonic!

Monday's Moment

2 Corinthians 9:15

Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.

A Marvelous Monday to you all!!

I had planned to blog each day of November about something in my life for which I'm thankful, but I forgot about it yesterday. So, from now until November 30th, I plan to dedicate my spoonful each day to thankfulness. 

Today's spoonful of thankfulness is about salvation. What does salvation mean? I like these definitions that I found: "In Christianity: the act of saving someone from sin or evil: the state of being saved from sin or evil: something that saves someone from danger or a difficult situation." (Merriam-Webster Dictionary)  I am truly grateful for the act of repentance and the washing away of my sins through baptism in the lovely name of Jesus Christ; and the infilling of the Holy Ghost, speaking with other tongues. Such a simple plan of salvation but it works! 

I like the definition, "something that saves someone" - the Psalmist David wrote in Psalm 27:1, "The Lord is my light and my salvation...." The Lord Jesus Christ came to earth to seek and save that which was lost, and I can say along with David that the Lord is MY salvation. He is the One and only One that cleanses us from all our sins and iniquities.

So many today do not know about Bible salvation, and they are still wallowing in their sins and unrighteousness. I pray for a deeper passion to reach out to those who need the Savior that I have known for over fifty years. I want someone else to know about this unspeakable gift; I want them to know and experience salvation for themselves.

During pre-service prayer time last evening, I was reminded of probably the very first chorus I ever heard about being thankful. When I searched for the artist who wrote this song, I was surprised to find out there were verses. Not only am I sharing the chorus today, but I also like the verses that I did not know about:

Thank You, Lord

by Seth and Bessie Sykes

Verse One

Some thank the Lord for friends and home

For mercies sure and sweet

But I would praise Him for His grace

In prayer I would repeat

Chorus

Thank You, Lord, for saving my soul

Thank You, Lord, for making me whole

Thank You, Lord, for giving to me

Thy great salvation, so rich and free

Verse Two

Some thank Him for the flow'rs that grow

Some for the stars that shine

My heart is filled with joy and praise

Because I know He's mine

Verse Three

I trust in Him from day to day

I prove His saving grace

I'll sing this song of praise to Him

Until I see His face

May our Monday be truly marvelous as we reflect on the great gift of salvation; and let's be thankful!

Until tomorrow when, Lord willing, we'll share another spoonful of thanks!

Sunday's Specialty

Philippians 4:6-7

⁶ Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

⁷ And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Good morning, one and all!

Why are Sundays so special? For me, this day is the highlight of my week; the day where I receive strength for my spiritual journey. It's a day to offer to God my very highest praise. It is also a day to see the great things the Lord will do during the worship services we attend. I love the praying, singing, music, worship, and preaching that takes place on this day. But, what I really love is witnessing the effect of the gospel on a hungry soul.

Prayer is a vital part of our every day lives, and is the beginning of each of our services. We are instructed by the Apostle Paul's letter to the Philippians to be careful for nothing (in other words don't be anxious about anything), but to pray about everything. But prayer is more than just asking for things we want or need, it is a time to offer thanksgiving to God for all He has already given; to thank Him in advance for answering the prayers we pray.

When we pray and make our requests known to God, then the peace of God, "which passeth all understanding", is going to keep our hearts and minds through Him. We pray, giving everything over to the Lord in full trust, and then His peace keeps us. Jesus knows our every need but He wants us to ask Him for those needs. 

In conclusion, here is a beautiful song that I'd like to share with you today:

Cover me

by Mark Condon

Peace of God cover me

Cover me, cover me

Peace of God cover me

Through the storm, cover me

Only in You I am safe

Only in You I'm secure

Only in You I find peace

So cover me, cover me

Cover me when I am hurting

Cover me when I'm not strong

Cover me when I am going through the storm

Cover me when all seems hopeless

Cover me when my faith is gone

Let the peace that passes all I understand

Cover me, cover me

Paul's instructions were written long ago yet they are still relevant today, so let's follow them: Avoid anxiety, turn everything over to the God in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, then feel the peace of God covering us and keeping us.

God bless you all with a Special Sunday. If He's willing, I'll see you tomorrow for another spoonful!