Encouragement

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One of the first papers that I wrote for my website on 12-18-04
was entitled 'Christmas, Good Friday and Easter Are Everyday'.

I believe that Thanksgiving is probably honored by more Americans....
than any other holiday.
If this is so, I sure hope that as a holiday, it helps EVERY day to be a 'Holy' day!
Truly 'every day is a better day when you give it to the Lord'.

I'm afraid however, that Thanksgiving may have gone the way of other holidays....
and we 'major on the minors'...even calling it 'turkey day', eating and forgetting to 'major on the major'.
We need to give thanks for vertical blessings from God....
as much or more than horizontal blessings from others.

I love the little chorus:
"Every day with Jesus is sweeter than the day before...
Every day with Jesus, I love Him more and more.
Jesus saves and keeps me and He's the One I'm living for.
Every day with Jesus is sweeter than the day before."

This speaks of the Grace of God and our growth in Thanks-Living and Thanks-Giving.
For example: My wife, La Moyne, has lived with Lupus for over 30 yrs. and during that time, she helped to care for her Mom who was bedfast for 6 yrs.
La Moyne said, "I did get discouraged at times, but Mom's good outlook (in spite of her condition) set an example for me!"

Recently I shared La Moyne's theme for life 'How God Guided and Provided'.
One of her favorite hymns is 'Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah'....
written by a Welsh pastor, William Williams (1717-1791).

He traveled 95,000 miles by foot, horseback and carriage, preaching the Gospel.
He wrote over 800 hymns in Welsh and over 100 in English.
Many illiterate Welsh people learned to read by using his hymns...
thus giving them hope for life and Heaven.

A poem that La Moyne memorized many years ago, has helped her in her times of 'need' (quoting it when she goes through painful tests, etc.)

'Be still O heart and calm thy fear...
And just remember God is near.
There is no cloud that can bedim
The loving, watchful face of Him.

No night so dark He cannot see,
So that should be enough for thee.
So sweetly rest, O heart.... be still...
Within the center of His Will.'

Over the years I have collected a number of what I call 'Favorites for Thanksgiving...
Everyday'. I'd like to share some with you:

1) "Blessings hemmed with praise won't unravel"

2) "When you have truly thanked the Lord for every blessing sent..
then you'll have very little time to murmur or lament".

3) "Only one day for Thanksgiving? Forbid dear Lord it should be....
may moment by moment Thanks-Living express my thanks to Thee."

4) An editorial in the Texas Baptist paper (11-27-91):
'There is a lot of therapy in Thanksgiving.
Most people need some kind of therapy because most people have some kind of problem.
Behind the smiles and frowns of most people, lie some kind of problem, lending itself to discouragement and depression. There is something therapeutic about 'counting your blessings' and 'naming them one by one'.
Also focusing on 'what we have' rather than 'what we don't have'.
There is something humbling in giving self 2nd place and bowing humbly before the Sovereign God.
There is something lasting in completing the sentence, 'I thank God because.........'

5) My Mom and Dad had several crop failures due to lack of rain...
but their attitude was like that of Habbakuk 3:17-19.
"Although there is crop failure, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Sovereign Lord is my strength and makes my feet like the feet of a deer. God enables me to go on to new heights and He gives me joy and a song."

6) Count your blessings as well as your bruises!

"If we ask God 'why me' about our troubles...then
we should ask 'why me' when blessings come." (Arthur Ashe, the great tennis star)

The first time that I saw my Mom after she had a stroke, I really struggled seeing her in that condition.
God reminded me that she could have died 20 yrs. earlier when she had a terrible infection....and that I needed to be thankful for the additional years we had with Mom.

7) Psalms 116:12-14 is one of the greatest questions in all of the Bible:
"What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits to me? I will take the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord; I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all His people."

8) Psalms 103 is a tremendous study of God's Blessings and our Thanksgiving.
It gives 18 reasons for blessing the Lord. Do your own study and name these blessings, one by one.

9) "Unless the vast music of Gratitude rolls through your years, life will become a mournful monotony or jangling discord and you will miss life's central melody."

A WORD OF THANKS TO YOU READERS~
I would be remiss if I did not thank each of you for logging onto
our website each week!
Some of you have done so from the very beginning (2 yrs. ago).

This is week #111 and I have been so encouraged by your responses.
(Please share with others if you feel led to do so.)

I am most thankful for La Moyne because without her skills at the computer, I would be helpless. She is the best in so many ways.

(Ok...since I am doing the typing, I'll add 'my 2 cents' about MY feelings and thoughts about Travis!
I could type all day long and never come up with the insights that God gives Travis! So....I'm just thankful to be here to help him as he shares from his heart....and from God's Heart. And I too, am SO thankful for each of YOU!!!)

Now, all Praise be to God.
Join Thanksgiving and Christmas together every day of your life...
and you will be amazed at God's Amazing Grace.

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