Thankful Verses

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Colossians 3:15

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. Colossians 2:6-7

The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy, and I will give thanks to Him in song. Psalm 28:7

This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. 2 Corinthians 9:12

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. Psalm 100:4

I will give you thanks in the great assembly; among throngs of people I will praise you. Psalm 35:18

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy. Philipians 1:3-4

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. Psalm 107:1

I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High. Psalm 7:17

Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. 1 Chronicles 16:8-9

Come let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. Psalm 95:1-2

But thanks be to God who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. 2 Corinthians 2:14

We give thanks to you, O God, we give thanks, for your Name is near; men tell of your wonderful deeds. Psalm 75:1

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. Give thanks to the God of gods. Give thanks to the Lord of lords: to him alone does great wonders, who by his understanding made the heavens, who spread out the earth upon the waters, who made the great lights - the sun to govern the day, the moon and stars to govern the night. His love endures forever. Psalm 136:1-9

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe. Hebrews 12:28.

You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothes me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O lord my God, I will give you thanks forever. Psalm 30:11-12

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6

But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Co 15:57

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! 2 Co 9:15

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18

The Light of Sunrise

I love sunrises.  The golden color of the sun as it peaks above the horizon.  Brilliant.  It happens so subtly at first with the sky brightening.  A patient expectation.  You can miss the first glimpse in a blink.  But to catch a sunrise to me is always breathtaking.  Radiant.

One of my favorite sunrises is on Easter morning.  I love to go, if possible, to a sunrise service.  It makes me feel bursting joy.  As I think of it, every morning has this potential if we can embrace it.

Every morning we might not feel so hopeful of a new day, but it is a fresh start with new merices.  I remember reading a book (''Having Our Say; The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years,'' an oral history told to Amy Hill Hearth) about two sisters.  In their later years one sister named Sadie would wake up every morning at 6:30, smile and say, ''Thank you, Lord, for another day.'' Then she would wake up her sister Bessie, a late sleeper, who would open her eyes and say, ''Oh Lord, another day?''  I tend to be more like Sadie, and I always hope to be.

Why I love Fall Leaves

The crunch as I walk down the road.

The swirl in the breeze.

The fluttering and floating down from the trees.

The warmth of the colors!!!

The rattling of the dry leaves as the wind whips through the trees.

The big piles of raked leaves to run and jump in.

A Family Blessing

Every night when I was a little girl I was hugged, kissed, and sent to bed with a blessing.  A blessing from my mom, my dad, and even my grandparents if they were visiting.  It was short and simple and the same most nights.  And it ended my days with peace and a reminder that Jesus loved me and I could rest in Him.  I am thankful to my parents for this gift of a blessing.

And so I have continued what my parents started by blessing my children each night.  No matter what.

Here are a couple of blessings from the scripture ...

May the Lord bless you and keep you.
May the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious unto you.
May the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.
Numbers 6:24-26

May the God of hope
fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him,
so that you may abound in hope,
through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13

May the Lord watch over you.
May He be a shade at your right hand
  so that the sun will not harm you by day
  or the moon by night.
May the Lord keep you from all harm.
May he watch over your coming and going,
  both now and forever.
Psalm 121:5-8

To this end I bless you in the name of the Lord:
That the Lord may make you worthy of His calling
  fulfilling every good resolve and work of faith,
  by His power.
And may the name of our Lord Jesus be glorified in you
  and you in Him,
according to the grace of our God
and our Lord Jesus Christ,
  to whom be glory forever and ever.
2 Thessalonians 1:11-12

​Jesus bless you and give you peace!

Does your family share blessings with each other?

Almost Every Day

Almost every day my daughter asks me to tell her a childhood story.  Today we were driving in Rocky Mountain National Park and she says, "Tell me a childhood story of when you were in the mountains."  Of course, I've told her that story before because when I was little I only went to the mountains one time.  But she doesn't mind.

So, I tell her about driving all night across Kansas to arrive first thing in the morning at the mountains in Colorado Springs.  I tell her about losing our car muffler on a cattle guard as we were driving up Pikes Peak, and then spending hours at the muffler repair shop later that day.  I tell her about when my brother fell out of the pop-up camper.  He then walked around and knocked on the door to come back inside shocking my mom who never knew he was missing.  And, of course, when we all threw up from bad water at the campground in South Dakota.  We could even hear our camping neighbors up sick all night as well.  Oh, the memories.  Yes, it was a great vacation when I was 9 years old - the same age that my daughter is right now.

I've always told my kids stories about when I was growing up, and it seems to give them comfort.  Comfort knowing that I made mistakes just like they do.  Comfort knowing I remember and maybe understand what it's like to be 9 years old.  Stories are a chance to teach lessons we've learned so maybe they don't have to learn the same way.  Stories can just be fun.  Sometimes when my daughter has a hard day or something funny that has happened to her she will say, "Now I have a story to tell my kids."  I love that!

I love childhood stories.  I guess because at heart I am still the same person I was at 10 years old or 16 years old or 4 years old.  And I love to hear other people's stories, especially those that I love.

Do you tell family stories?  Do you write them down?  Scrapbook?  Keep a journal?