Thankful for...

Forgiveness.

Thank you for teaching me forgiveness by pouring it out into my life first.

"My heart been broken, my wounds been open
And I don't know if I can hear I'm sorry being spoken....
We All Need Forgiveness."


Forgiveness by TobyMac

*and thank you Lisa for playing this song for us tonight!

For cravings...

Thank you Lord for showing me that all I really need to crave in my life is You.

Thankful for...

Beautiful days with perfect weather. The picture says it all: thank you, Lord for making such beautiful days that make me stop dead in my tracks in awe of You.

Beautiful Lord by Leeland

Strength

Today I am thankful not only for the strengths that God has given me but also for him pointing out that my weakness is His strength.

Some of us (I'm not always included... Depends in the mood really!) work towards developing our strengths. Strengths including but not limited to physical, intellectual, emotional, support systems, etc. But what about working on our "weaknesses"? Not so much in terms of working on strengthening them but in terms of asking God to be present in them so He can work through us in them.

Today I am thankful for the opportunity to strengthen myself physically.

Transparency

I was reading earlier a short sermon (http://kevinmartineau.ca/sermon-synopsis-916-being-transparent/) about transparency.

It made me realize how there are aspects of my life that I am very transparent about and a few that I try to hide and guard. What's funny though, is that not only do I fail miserably at hiding it from other people, but I also seem to think God doesn't know about it. I use quite a few defense mechanisms to protect MYSELF and MY feelings and MY image that I don't realize: not only am I not fooling anyone but I'm actually making it HARDER for God to work in my life and through my life.

Today I am thankful for taking a step towards being more transparent.

Being able to worship freely

Today I am grateful because I am able to worship freely; without concern of persecution or hostility. Thank you Lord for blessing us with the opportunity that so many others do not have.

Thankful

Note: this post was intended for Thursday.

We have reasons to be thankful everyday. And here we are living in a free country, where we can do pretty much as we please, with plenty of resources that are readily available; yet we are demanding more as if we were entitled to it.

We wonder why God "doesn't answer our prayers" because God is "good" and "loving". These concepts of God aren't wrong but they're also incomplete. We have so much and cannot find it in our hearts to be thankful for what our all powerful and just God has given his spoiled children that do not merit anything but death.

When we learn to be grateful, we will be one step closer to learning to be the children God wants us to be; children that are humble, loving, kind, courteous, honest, just, honorable, etc.

Since this post was intended for Thursday the titles of the pictures should read:

Be thankful for family.
Be thankful for hole-in-the-wall Chinese places.
Be thankful for enjoying breakfast instead of rushing through it.