Thursday, September 17, 2009

Count Your Blessings

One of my favorite hymns tell us to “Count your blessing, name them one by one,
County your blessing, see what the Lord has done.” We are a people God has rewarded.

Do we have a roof over our heads?
Do we have a source of heat for our homes?
Do we have clothes to protect us from the elements?
Do/did we have a spouse that loves/loved us?
Do we have the means to pay our debts?
Do we have at least one friend in whom we can confide, if necessary?
Are we able to enjoy God’s fall display of color?
Do we have enough to feed our families?
Can we travel freely, if we choose to?

If we can answer ‘yes’ to most of these questions, then we are a blessed people.

WE ARE NEVER ALONE.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Blessings

God blesses his children in many different ways. When a believer receives certain spiritual gifts to be used to advance the Kingdom, we recognize that person as being blessed.

A believer can be granted good health, athletic capability, musical talent, creativity, strong faith, God blesses people when he gives them children. He bestows jobs to allow us to care for our temporal needs.

We should not take for granted anything He rewards us with. His son gave us our greatest blessing-our salvation.

The change of seasons we experience in the Midwest is a blessing. The colors of fall are so vibrant and beautiful. The winter’s snow allows the ground to rest from it’s time of work. The spring shows us new life, the colors bright and cheery bring us joy to our souls as the earth awakens from it’s nap. The colors of summer help us enjoy the bounty of the crops grown in God’s earth.

Monday, September 14, 2009

Heaven Is Richer

Heaven is richer because Mark Shreves is there. While his family will miss him, we can rejoice that he’s with God. He loved his family. He always smiled when he saw his friends. If it had been a long while, he made you feel that it had been a few days since your last conversation.

Seeing him in church with his one granddaughter on his knee told me he was a happy man who enjoyed his family.

I picture Mark being let into Heaven and looking around and saying, “Wow, so this is my real home. It’s far more beautiful than I expected.”

Mark gets to talk to God, face to face. He tells Him about his wonderful family, his sweet mother and father, his darling wife, his children and his very delightful grandchildren.

Next he tells about the people at his church and how they loved him through these last 22 months. Mark tells God how he missed his family and asks the Father of us all to stay very close to them.

God then wraps His loving arms around Mark and says, “’You have fought the good fight.’ Welcome home.”

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Honoring God

As I drove home one evening, I thought about honoring God. I remembered the ways we are to accomplish this command.

When we worship God we celebrate Him. Our focus is taken off of ourselves and placed on the Creator.

Our Praises recognize His action in our lives. We receive His blessings and we give praise.

We obey God’s Word and He sees it as a way we give Him respect.

Following God’s direction as He guides us through thorny issues, trials, and tribulations allows us to honor Him even when we feel we can’t.

We honor God when we do small things for those we meet. A smile, a ‘thank you’, helping a friend find where she is supposed to be, alerting people of a need for special prayers for a family who has suffered a loss. Being available to listen to someone in need. Opening a door for another person, male or female, healthy or impaired.

In all that we do we are to honor God.

God Alone

  Jesus and the children at our church's prayer walk.          I will both lie down in peace and sleep;  For You alone, O LORD make ...