The Day After!

The Thanksgiving holiday has officially ended!  Men have returned to their places of employment, women have started again on their diets and exercise programs, and Black Friday shoppers are crowding the stores!  Even though the holiday has ended, I trust our giving of thanks will be never-ending!  Let us determine that we are going to make every day a day of "Thanksliving" as we walk with Jesus in the joys and the sorrows of every tomorrow!

I like this poem, "Beyond Our Asking" by Helen Steiner Rice --

     "More than hearts can imagine or minds comprehend,
God's bountiful gifts are ours without end --
      We ask for a cupful when the vast sea is ours,
We pick a small rosebud from a garden of flowers.

      We reach for a sunbeam, but the sun still abides --
We draw one short breath, but there's air on all sides --
      Whatever we ask for falls short of God's giving,
For His Greatness exceeds every facet of living!

      And always, God is ready and eager and willing
To pour out His mercy -- completely fulfilling
      All of man's needs for peace, joy and rest,
For God gives His children whatever is best!

      Just give Him a chance to open His Treasures,
And He'll fill your life with unfathomable pleasures --
      Pleasures that never grow worn-out and faded,
And leave us depleted, disillusioned and jaded --

      For God has a "storehouse" just filled to the brim
With all that man needs---if we'll only ask Him!"

And Jesus said:
     "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.  For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened."  Praise the Lord!

Thanksgiving Eve!

The little children sing -- "My cup is full and running over!"  That is how I feel when I start counting my blessings!  My heart is full of praise and thanksgiving as I try to contemplate the goodness of God.  First and foremost, I am so grateful for God's Holy Word and the wonderful plan of salvation which included me!  So I trust that as we continue through this Thanksgiving week, we will remember to -- "In everything, give thanks."

Very soon, wonderful aromas will be filling kitchens all across America as Mothers and daughters prepare wonderful desserts, delicious salads, yummy sweet potatoes with lots of butter and brown sugar, turkeys, ham, and all the Thanksgiving traditions your family enjoys!  But the best part will be to have all the family gathered together around the table; taking time to bow our heads and our
hearts to our wonderful Lord and thanking Him for His great love and tender mercies throughout the year.  So as you work in your kitchens today, make sure you take some little prayer breaks to praise the Lord!!

And tomorrow, on Thanksgiving Day, as you enjoy the fellowship of loved ones around the table, perhaps you would like to share this poem by Helen Steiner Rice --

     "Thank you, God for everything -- the big things and the small,
For every good gift comes from God -- the giver of them all;
      And all too often we accept, without any thanks or praise,
The gifts God send as blessings each day in many ways.

      And so at this Thanksgiving Time we offer up a prayer,
To thank you, God, for giving us a lot more than our share --
      First, thank You for the little things that often come our way,
The things we take for granted, but don't mention when we pray.

      The unexpected courtesy, the thoughtful kindly deed --  
A hand reached out to help us in the time of sudden need --
      Oh, make us more aware, dear God, of little daily graces
That come to us with sweet surprise from never-dreamed-of places.

      Then thank You for the miracles we are much too blind to see --
And give us new awareness of our many gifts from Thee.
      And help us to remember that the key to life and living --
Is to make each prayer a prayer of Thanks, and every day Thanksgiving!"

God bless you, and from my home to yours -- Best Wishes for a very blessed Thanksgiving!



                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Thanksgiving Week!

As we begin this special Thanksgiving week, may we take time each day to "give thanks with a grateful heart"!  As we go about our daily tasks, may we often find a hymn of praise and thanksgiving springing forth from our hearts until we are lost in wonder, love and praise!  May we be like the Psalmist in Psalm 150.  After 149 Psalms, he is still praising the Lord and seems to want us all to know that our wonderful Lord is still deserving of our continual praise and thanksgiving!

     "Praise ye the Lord.  Praise God in His sanctuary: praise Him in the firmament of His power.
      Praise Him for His mighty acts: praise Him according to His excellent greatness.
      Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet: praise Him with the psaltery and harp.
      Praise Him with the timbrel and dance: praise Him with stringed instruments and organs.
      Praise Him upon the loud cymbals: praise Him upon the high sounding cymbals.
      Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord.  Praise ye the Lord."

And by the time you finish reading and meditating upon these praises, no doubt your heart will be so full and overflowing you will find yourself singing --
                           "Praise God, from whom all blessings flow.
                             Praise Him, all creatures here below.
                             Praise Him above, ye heavenly host.
                             Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost."
                                                                                   Amen!

Thanksgiving Sunday!

If Jesus tarries, and lends me breath, I am greatly looking forward to being in the house of the Lord this coming Sunday!  What a wonderful day to bring an offering, and enter into His gates with Thanksgiving and His courts with praise -- to be thankful unto Him and bless His name!  I read the 148th Psalm this morning, and my heart was thrilled and blessed!!  I wanted to share it with you, and as you read this glorious Psalm, I trust that your heart will be thrilled and blessed also!

     "Praise ye the Lord.  Praise ye the Lord from the heavens: praise Him in the heights.
      Praise ye Him, all His angels: praise ye Him, all His hosts.
      Praise ye Him, sun and moon: praise Him, all ye stars of light.
      Praise Him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens.
      Let them praise the name of the Lord: for He commanded, and they were created.
      He hath also established them for ever and ever: He hath made a decree which shall not pass. 
      Praise the Lord from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps:
      Fire, and hail; snow, and vapours; stormy wind fulfilling His word:
      Mountains, and all hills; fruitful trees, and all cedars:
      Beasts, and all cattle; creeping things, and flying fowl:
      Kings of the earth, and all people; princes, and all judges of the earth:
      Both young men, and maidens; old men, and children:
      Let them praise the name of the Lord: for His name alone is excellent: His glory is above the earth and heaven.
      He also exalteth the horn of His people, the praise of all His saints; even of the children of Israel; a people near unto Him.  Praise ye the Lord."

Praise the Lord!!  What a mighty God we serve!!  Let us prepare our hearts for the coming Lord's Day, and on this Thanksgiving Sunday, may we Praise Him and Give Thanks with a grateful heart!

Give Thanks!

I love the blessed Thanksgiving season!  I am thankful for many material blessings; but this morning I just want to sing -- "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 full and free."

As we anticipate the Thanksgiving holiday next week, may we keep our hearts full of praise and thanksgiving as we go about our daily tasks, and remember to --"In everything, give thanks"!
The last five Psalms -- 146-150 -- each begin and end with "Praise ye the Lord"!  So let's keep our hearts filled with praise and thanksgiving as we count our many blessings and name them one by one!

There are several Thanksgiving songs in our hymnal, but one that we don't often sing is entitled, "For the Beauty of the Earth", written in 1864 by Folliott Pierpoint.  I trust the words will be a blessing to you as we meditate on them through the week.

     "For the beauty of the earth, for the glory of the skies --
For the love which from our birth, over and around us lies.
      For the wonder of each hour, of the day and of the night --
Hill and vale, and tree and flower, sun and moon, and stars of light.

      For the joy of human love -- brother, sister, parent, child;
Friends on earth, and friends above -- for all gentle thoughts and mild.
      For Thy Church that evermore lifteth holy hands above,
Offering up on every shore, her pure sacrifice of love.

      For Thyself -- best gift divine, to the world so freely given;
For that great, great love of Thine -- peace on earth and joy in heaven.
      Lord of all, to Thee we raise, this our hymn of grateful praise."
Amen!

Meeting the Master --

I found these words on a piece of paper, now yellowed with age, that my Mother had written down many years ago.  They still speak to my heart today --

     "I had walked life's path with an easy tread,
And had followed where comfort and pleasures led.
      And then, by chance, in a quiet place--
I met the Master, face to face!

      With station, and rank, and wealth for my goal--
Much thought for the body -- but none for the soul.
      I had entered to win in life's mad race--
When I met the Master, face to face!

      I had built my castles and reared them high,
Until the towers had reached the blue of the sky.
      I had sworn to rule with iron mace,
When I met the Master, face to face!

      I met Him, and knew Him, and blushed to see
That His eyes, full of pity, were fixed on me.
      I faltered, and fell at His feet that day --
My castles all melted and vanished away,
      And in their place, I saw nothing else but my Master's face.
I cried aloud --'Oh, make me meet to follow the marks of Thy wounded feet!

      My thought is now for the souls of men --
I had lost my life to find it again,
      Since alone, in that hallowed place,
My Master and I stood face to face!"

And because I met the Master, and belong to Him, I have the blessed hope that one day --

                              "Face to face I shall behold Him,
                                       Far beyond the starry sky.
                               Face to face in all His glory,
                                       I shall see Him by and by!" 

Kindness!

Kindness is a wonderful virtue that, perhaps, we too often take for granted.  In Romans 12:10, we read:  "Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another."  In the last chapter of Proverbs where we find a beautiful word picture of a gracious woman, verse 26 says:  "She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness."   I read these words in a little article by Merton Rice:   "One of the surest signs of high character in men will generally be detected in kindness and mercifulness." 

     "If I knew that a word of mine -- a word not kind and true,
Might leave its trace on a loved one's face,
      I'd never speak harshly--would you?

      If I knew the light of a smile might linger the whole day through,
And brighten some heart with a heavier part,
      I wouldn't withhold it -- would you?"

Many in our world today are lonely and long for someone to show them just a simple act of kindness.
Jesus, our wonderful Lord, is the expression of God's infinite kindness and love to our lost and hurting world.  I wonder -- can the world see Jesus in you and me?  

His Mercy Endureth ---

Are you breathing a deep sigh of relief because it is Friday?
Do you feel overwhelmed with the cares of life?
Do you see no answers to the problems and burdens pressing on your mind today?

Well -- I am happy to tell you that I have just the "medicine" you need!  It is sure to calm your spirit, and you will soon find a little river of sweet peace trickling into your soul! 
So, instead of taking a coffee break this morning, get your Bible and take a little break in the Word of God!
Let's take our break in the 136th Psalm.  This is such a blessed and wonderful Psalm, and I especially love it because each verse ends with these sweet words -- "for His mercy endureth for ever."  This Psalm has 26 verses, so by the time I read this promise---"for His mercy endureth for ever" 26 times, I am ready to "Give thanks unto the Lord for He is good -- He doeth great wonders -- He made the sun to rule by day, and the moon and stars to rule by night.  He led His people through the wilderness, and He giveth food to all flesh."

And, to add a little icing on the cake -- we are entering the Thanksgiving season, so let us:
     "Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name. 
      For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endureth to all generations."

Which Way Are You Leading?

In the 18th chapter of Matthew, we read -- "For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.  How think ye?  if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?  And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.  Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish."
Yesterday, I found this poem by an unknown author and it challenged my heart.  May God help us as sheep to walk humbly with Him -- to follow where He leads and pasture where He feeds -- to grow in grace -- to dig deeper and climb higher -- to trust and obey -- to cherish the "Old Rugged Cross" -- to live a holy life so that the lambs following behind will not be led astray.

     "It was a sheep, not a lamb, that strayed away,
In the parable Jesus told;
      A grown-up sheep, that had gone astray
From ninety and nine in the fold.

     Out on the hillside, out in the cold,
It was a sheep the Good Shepherd sought;
      And back to the flock, safe into the fold,
It was a sheep the Good Shepherd brought.

      And why for the sheep should we earnestly long,
And as earnestly hope and pray?
      Because there is danger!  If they go wrong,
They will lead the lambs astray.

      For the lambs will follow the sheep, you know,
Wherever the sheep may stray;
      When the sheep go wrong, it will not be long
Until the lambs are as wrong as they.

      And so for the sheep we earnestly plead,
For the sake of the lambs today;
      If the lambs are lost, what terrible cost
Some sheep will have to pay."

                            

My Shepherd

The 23rd Psalm is widely known as one of the most familiar and best-loved passages of scripture in all the Word of God.  The first verse says --"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want."  What blessed assurance -- what sweetness -- what comfort --  and what wonderful peace is found in those familiar words!  As we begin a new week, I'm so very thankful that I belong to the Good Shepherd who knows His sheep.
I like this beautiful little story --

     "Dr. Forsyth has told how a friend of his was on a sheep farm in Australia and saw the owner take a little lamb and place it in a huge enclosure where there were several thousand sheep whose bleating, together with the shouting of the sheep shearers, was deafening.  Then the lamb uttered its feeble cry, and the mother sheep at the other end of the enclosure heard it and started to find her lamb.  (Praise the Lord)!
      'Do not imagine that you are beyond the reach of the Good Shepherd,' said the preacher.  'He sees you, He hears you -- every good desire of yours is known to Him, and every secret longing for better things.  He sees you as if there were no other child in the whole world'."  Amen!

And as you live this week for Jesus, don't forget the wonderful promise in I Peter 5:4 --
                         "And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that    fadeth not away."
 

Keep On Praying!

A couple of days ago, I put a poem, by Harper Welch, on my Blog about our prayer life.  Since today is Friday, and we are looking to the coming Lord's Day, I wanted to continue with some thoughts on prayer.  The songwriter said --
      "Just keep on praying until light breaks through --
The Lord will answer; He'll answer you!
      God keeps His promise -- His Word is true --
Just keep on praying until light breaks through!"

I like this quote that someone has said --
     "You have not really prayed until your heart has talked."
And the Psalmist said --
     "They that sow in tears shall reap in joy."

I found the following quotes a few days ago in a Bible my husband gave me in 1976.  They spoke to my heart, and I trust they will to yours also.

     "The winning quality in prayer is persistence."
     "Men may spurn your appeals, reject your messages, and oppose your arguments, but they are helpless against your prayers."
     "Prayer is our highest privilege, our gravest responsibility, and the greatest power God has put into our hands.  Prayer, real prayer, is the noblest, the sublimest, the most stupendous act that any creature of God can perform."  (May God help us to see it as we should).
      Dwight L. Moody has said --"Behind every great movement of God, there is a kneeling figure."

And the Lord said in Jeremiah 33:3 --
     "Call unto Me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not."  Praise the Lord!!