A little bit of encouragement goes a long way. Am I right? Definitely.

Those of us who have ran in races know that this is true! Anyone who competes in any type of sport..knows this to be true. When you are feeling as though you can’t go any farther, and you hear cheers…your spirits lift and you know for a second that you can!

Our minds. our thoughts,  and the way that we talk to ourselves really play a huge part in our success or failure.

 If we believe that we can, then we will. If we tell ourselves that we will, then we can. It’s our inner voice that hold us back.

The Bible tells us that We CAN do ALL things through CHRIST who gives us STRENGTH!

It doesn’t say that we have to do anything on our own strength…

It doesn’t say that we can do SOME things through the strength that is given to us by Christ.

Paul says it best..when referring to his ability to make it through ANY situation:

Philippians 4:12,13 ~ I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

We are our own worst enemy at times. Why? Because of the way that we talk to ourselves. Who cares what others may say about your abilities! God made you…and HE loved you before HE even made the world. As believers and followers of God, we need to remember that our FATHER (GOD), doesn’t talk ugly to us or about us. HE loves us. HE is not capable of sinning. HE is LOVE. AND HE does NOT talk to us the way that we tend to talk to ourselves.

If you are a believer in Jesus, then this is YOU that HE is talking about:

Ephesians 1:4, 5 ~ Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.

See how much HE loves us!!!

While we are on the subject of talking nice to ourselves, it would do us well to remember that we should only speak words to others as well, that edify and build up.

Ephesians 4:29 ~ Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

What does this have to do with talking in a  positive way to ourselves (our inner voice)?  Everything!  The reason being, what we repeatedly hear..we start to believe. If all we ever hear about ourselves is negative..then how easy it is to think that way about ourselves. Now, this doesn’t mean to go around giving out meaningless flattery all day. (That’s another blog for another day.) This simply means to be an encourager and think before you speak, because as Ephesians 4:29 says (and I am paraphrasing of course) : If it doesn’t help someone, and if it isn’t nice, and if it doesn’t build the other person up, then don’t say it. 

I love this little acronym :

THINK, is what I am saying, texting, or typing…

True

Helpful

Important

Necessary

Kind ?

Everybody can use some kind of encouragement… Talking kind to ourselves and others is something we all struggle with at times. Let’s build up instead of tear down.

            Until Next Time,

I decided to start posting these “Thankful Thursdays” again. See, it is easy to get out of the habit of practicing thanksgiving, and I need little reminders from time to time. Maybe you do as well.

While doing one of my morning daily devotions, One Thousand Gifts Devotional by Ann Voskamp, I just really became convicted of my lack of daily thanksgiving. I mean, it’s easy to give thanks in the exciting and good things that occur on a day to day basis. Yet, we are commanded to give thanks for the not so good stuff too.

Believe it or not, I actually found myself thanking God today for the not so great things that I face …and it wasn’t that hard after all. When we thank HIM for the yuck, we realize that HE is greater than any circumstance that we may face. We are truly TRUSTING God to be enough. And, isn’t HE really enough?

These words in my devotion today really stuck out to me:

I’m not sure how my life stands. How my inner and outer walls stand, how I make a home. Unless we make it a habit to give thanks, we habitually give our family grief. Unless we consistently speak praise, we consistently speak poison. Unless we are intentional about giving God glory throughout the day, our days unintentionally give way to grumbling. ~ Ann Voskamp (One Thousand Gifts Devotional..Devo 40)

It takes being intentional in order to bring God glory. Gratitude must be continuous. Our words are either pleasant or like poison. POISON. Convicted.

Matthew 12:35-37 really hit home this morning..and really made me want to be more intentional about my giving of thanks to God. Read it and really think on it…This is JESUS talking..

Matthew 12:35-37 (NLT) ~ “A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgement day for every idle word you speak. The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you.”

May our words be words of grace…and thanksgiving..bringing glory to God. May we always give thanks in everything..even the yuck. May we think before we speak..and not use words carelessly.

 I am thankful for the sweet friends that God has blessed me with..who send me random messages and let me know that they love me and are praying for me. I am thankful for the gift of prayer and that I can pray for others and talk to God anytime and anywhere. I am thankful for healthy children.

What are some things that you are thankful for today?

 Colossians 4:2 ~ Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.

              Until Next Time,

Puddle Jumping

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

It’s been raining..raining…and raining some more in our “neck of the woods”. Puddles everywhere. As we were getting ready to leave one of the buildings at the women’s retreat that I was at this weekend, the bottom fell out. Yuck. No umbrella….

That’s when one of my dear friends reminded me of something. She said we could play in the rain..have fun..enjoy it. Me, being the spontaneous person that I tend to be…said, “OKAY”! So, four of us took our shoes off..rolled up our pants..and commenced to playing in the rain. We ran straight to the biggest puddle that we could find. We got WET..and it was so much fun!

We are back home now, and it is STILL raining. So, this morning, I chose to have a good attitude about the wet weather. I threw on my rain boots and embraced the rainy weather. I don’t always do this. Some days I complain about it. I’ll let you in on a little secret….Enjoying the rain is so much better than complaining about it.

I enjoyed splashing in the puddles outside. (If you don’t have a pair of rain boots, you should really consider getting some. They don’t have to be expensive..just rubber boots…so you can play in the water. )

It’s all a choice. Perspective. How you look at things…

Every single day..In every single circumstance, we have a choice to make. Find the good or dwell on the not so good.

Back to puddle jumping…

On the way home from school and appointments, I shocked my girls. See, a few minutes earlier it was the typical not so joyful car ride home..that some of us parents are blessed with at times. All day I kept thinking about how fun it was to “play” in the rain this weekend. So, I just blurted out: “I want us to put on our rain boots and jump in puddles when we get home!” 

My youngest just smiled really big and giggled and said: “OKAY!” Not so sure that my oldest was quite as excited at first..(she may have thought that her Momma had finally lost it)….BUT, she did it. We all had the best time. Just being. Just puddle jumping. Water splashing. Fun.

Our youngest having fun!

Because…….sometimes, we forget to just be.

   We forget to play.

   We forget that the simple things are the best things.

   That memories made are precious.

   That just jumping and splashing in the rain can make you feel pure joy. 

   Perspective.

   Changes everything.

Making Memories…

I’m quoting my dear friend now: “Sometimes it’s nice to forget all our cares and be little again” 

   (Thank you, Amanda..for reminding me of this truth.)

So, I am challenging you to “be little again” every now and then. AND…if you’ve been looking at something in a negative light, to try to find the “good” in it. Maybe, just maybe, it isn’t so bad after all.

         Until Next Time, 

Maybe you’ve heard of Dr. Gary Chapman’s book, The 5 Love Languages. The first time I heard of it, my husband and I were on a church couples retreat. Wow, it was eye-opening. Basically, I learned what my husband’s and my own love languages were. {You know, like what makes you feel loved by your husband/wife.}

Acts of Service
Words of affirmation
Receiving Gifts
Quality Time
Physical Touch

Here is the website that you can go to at your convenience and take the quiz…
www.5lovelanguages.com

It says to give yourself 15-20 minutes to take it. May not take you that long..

My primary love language is WORDS OF AFFIRMATION . Makes sense.. Because even though it shouldn’t matter, words of affirmation ARE very important to me. I hate to admit that.. Let’s be real clear though..I am not talking about empty words or words that you know are not sincere..I’m not talking about flattery..

I love to GIVE them and yes, it makes me feel good to receive them.

It’s one of the reasons why writing words are important to me. WORDS.

It’s one of the reasons that hearing that I’ve done a good job at something makes me feel good.

Words.

It’s one of the reasons that I’m compelled to encourage.

Words.

Why does it even matter, though? Why does it hurt sometimes?

Isn’t God enough? (YES)

Why is it important that I “hear” the words of mere man?

I don’t know the answer to all of those questions. I do know this.. One of my spiritual gifts is encouragement. And because words of affirmation mean a lot to me, I “love” others in this same language. Or, I try to. I still fail. I do need to listen more and talk less.

So, maybe my love language goes along with my gifts. WE ALL HAVE A SPIRITUAL GIFT if we are authentic believers in Christ Jesus. He didn’t skip over you. But, that’s another topic for another blog post on another day.

I really do believe that by knowing your spouse’s and even children’s and friends love languages, that you are learning how to make the ones you love actually “feel loved” by you.Makes life a lot easier and helps you to understand why you are the way you are and why others are the way that they are. Helps you to tune in to the needs of others. Doesn’t mean that you have to walk on eggshells, but it will make you aware. Who doesn’t want to feel loved? We all do…

Yet, we must remember that GOD is enough. GOD IS LOVE. HE really IS enough for me. Abundance of WORDS or a lack of WORDS is NOT where my JOY is found. Sure, they make me feel loved ( when they are sincere)…and sometimes happy..But, I don’t depend on them to bring me the JOY that can only be found in HIM.

Happiness and JOY are not the same.. Happiness is based on circumstances but Joy is based on the LORD. Happiness is like exchanging gifts and having fun at Christmastime..Joy is really GETTING and knowing what Christmas is all about. Happiness is if the line is short in front of you and JOY is finding peace even in a long line of waiting. Happiness is not falling in a mud puddle and JOY is falling in it and brushing yourself off and not letting it ruin your day.

Philippians 4:19 ~ And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

Even if others aren’t meeting our love language needs..God can and does! God never changes. He’s the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. People are fickle. People DO change. But, GOD NEVER DOES.

Hebrews 13:8 (NIV) ~ Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

God created us to be relational. Relational with HIM first and then relational with others. To do this, we have to know how to relate to others.

Ecclesiastes 4:9,10 ~ Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!

So…if you want to..take the quiz.. You can even comment on here and let me know what you discovered about yourself! I would love to hear from you!

                 UNTIL NEXT TIME,

Recently, someone asked me a question.

HOW DO YOU TELL SOMEONE ABOUT JESUS? Someone who doesn’t want to hear about HIM..someone who has chosen to reject HIM..

My answer: You live it. They simply need you to SHOW THEM JESUS. They don’t need for you to hit them over the head with The Bible..they don’t need your condemnation. They just need to SEE JESUS.

Sound simple enough?

LIVE IT. BE A DOER..NOT JUST A HEARER.

James 2:17 (NIV) ~ In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

It can be so hard to hold our tongues…we just want them to know HIM. We want them to have what we have.

It takes patience. It takes intentionality. It takes perseverance. Time. Prayer. Obedience.

Patience, because of the many times you may hear “no” or “not interested” or “I’ve tried that”…

Intentionality, because when God calls you to do something HE is calling you to give it your all.

Perseverance, because it may not be easy..and you may feel like giving up. DON’T. GIVE. UP.

Time, because not everything happens fast. God’s timing is not our timing.

Prayer, because we need to communicate with God..we need to listen to HIM.

Obedience, because our obedience to God’s call will lead to blessing..and if the one we are witnessing to is obedient..it will lead to them knowing our God.

One more thing: Don’t take rejection personally. They aren’t rejecting you. Sadly, they are rejecting God.

What an awesome question that I was asked! Made me smile inside. Just knowing that the ones asking desired to share God with others.

Remember the saying…YOU may be the ONLY BIBLE that some people ever read.

We as followers of Jesus Christ, are called to ACTION. We are called to LIVE IT. To let our light shine..so that others may see Jesus in us!

Matthew 5:15, 16 (NIV)~ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Keep Shining my friends! Don’t. Give. Up.

UNTIL NEXT TIME,

P.S. ~ stay tuned for more posts about sharing Jesus.. Because not only do you need to Show them Jesus, but you have to KNOW His Word and know HIM..so that you can shine for HIM!

I woke up really early this morning. If you know me very well, then you know that 4:45 a.m. is very very early for me. My dog woke me up first…she’s a 6 year old toy poodle that occasionally likes to wake me up so that she can go out and graze like a horse.

Usually I go take her out, but being that my husband was going to be getting up shortly to go play basketball, I asked him nicely to take her. I thought I was going to go back to sleep. God had other plans.

My heart began to just ache for those who are going through different trials in their lives. There are so many that I know personally, who are facing difficult times. I can’t just forget about it…my heart actually gets burdened for their sorrow. I think…NO..I KNOW that is how God wants us to be. He wants us to love on the hurting. He uses us to comfort those who are hurting or uneasy.

I know that when I have suffered. When I have been hurting. When I have cried out to God in my lowest times..those times when I felt like I couldn’t go on… God heard my cry. He heard me! AND…He used people to comfort me.

People. Like YOU and ME. Ordinary people to do HIS work.

Back to this morning….

Names were placed on my heart. I began to pray. As I prayed, I weeped. As I weeped, I was overcome with HIS GOODNESS. (those of you who know me..also know that I am not a big “weeper“) Not that there is anything wrong with crying.. It’s just that I am the girl who when my Daddy was walking me down the aisle..and He was crying..I got tears in my eyes too..but I wouldn’t let them fall. Guess I have a problem with trying to be strong. That is another topic, for another day though.

Words to a song also came to my mind. So, I did what most of us do…I Googled some of the words. The song, by Matt Redman…”O This God” is the song that I know God put in my head. See…HE knew that many of you needed it. Songs are a great way to Worship our Savior God. They have a way of just running through our head all day, don’t they?

Then, two passages of Scripture were put on my heart. Read them..Study them. Let them soak into your soul. Believe them. Rest in these words. May they bring comfort to you..whoever you are…

Matthew 28:20 (NLT) ~ Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.

   Psalm 34:19 (NLT) ~ The righteous person faces many troubles, but the LORD comes to the rescue each time.

   I don’t know if you will think that I am sharing too much with you about my time with God this morning. I write. That is what I do. When my heart is heavy or when GOD gives me a “word” ….I write. I share. Because I feel that HE wants me to. So, when I share these personal times with you..It is ONLY to bring glory to my GOD.

Before I attempted going back to sleep, I told HIM that I wanted MORE of HIM and LESS of ME. That even though it hurts sometimes, that I WANT my heart to ALWAYS break for what breaks HIS heart.

   When trouble comes, I pray…I plead with you…Please.. TRUST HIM. Rest in God. HE really does hear your cry.

Here is the song. Listen and enjoy!

10 O This God

   Until Next Time,

I have started several posts and even have 11 in the “draft” or unpublished phase. It’s just not their time to be posted yet. As I was sitting with my family..I felt the urge to write the poem below. I used to write poetry a lot, but it has been a long time.

My hope is that the poem below will make you really think. Really seek HIM. Really look within and ask yourself…

“I am living for HIM or for me?”

“Do my actions match up with my words?”

“Do I need to BE STILL and SEEK HIS FACE more?”

“Am I giving HIM my all?”

A beautiful sunset from God

WHAT IF?

What if…we smiled at a passing stranger and that one small act changed the course of their day?

What if…we took the time to just listen more?

Would we hear something more than before?

What if…we took more time to spend with God and pray? 

Would we make more of a difference with our day?

What if…we gave more of ourselves..to the sick and the poor?

What if…we heeded HIS call to help and to serve, when HE called…not after we went the wrong way?

Would we be able to pass them by anymore?

Would we realize the blessings we had missed along the way?

What if we trusted HIM like never before?

Would we step out into the unknown and feel safe?

What if we gave all we had…like HE gave for us?

Would we be able to show more grace? 

What if… we loved like HE loves…with a merciful heart?

Would we be making our  world be a better place?

What if…we forgave those who once held a place in our hearts?

Would we feel joy and peace in its place?

What if we learned to BE STILL and SEEK HIS FACE first?

Would we keep living our lives “our way” ?

Written by:

Heather Dawkins

2 Chronicles 7:14 (NIV) ~ if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

Psalm 105:4 ~ Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.

The time to seek HIM is now.

Until Next Time,

There’s just something about sharing the deepest parts of yourself with others. The ugly parts that God has turned into something beautiful. It’s a vulnerable place to be in. An out of your comfort zone place. Yet, it’s a place that God is glorified in.

I am reminded in Acts 22…when Paul asks to speak to the crowd that was accusing him and beating him, of how he used those moments to be honest and vulnerable and give his testimony. He didn’t get up and say, “I am perfect and that’s why you shouldn’t throw me in jail.” NO…Paul told of who he was before he knew Christ as his personal Savior and then he told of his transformation after coming to know God. He was transparent. He was vulnerable. He was unashamed.

How willing are we…as followers of Jesus…to be transparent?

Why is it so hard to just “be real” ?

We are called to “BE REAL” friends. We are called to LOVE. We are called to forgive. AND….we are called to be transparent…honest…to bring God glory.

Matthew 6:15 (NIV) ~ But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Luke 17:4 (NIV) ~ If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, “I repent,’ forgive him.”

John 13:34 (NIV) ~ “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”

1 John 1:8 (NIV) ~ If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

Why is it so scary to be “transparent” ? Well, one reason, is the fear of being judged by others. Let’s be real…we all fear that at some point or another.

If our transparency brings healing and hope to just ONE person, then it is worth it. When we let God use the mess that we made of things and turn it into HIS message, then who cares what others may think! That, my friends, is being obedient and transparent.

I’ll be completely honest with you. I don’t always WANT to be transparent. It is a lot easier to put a “smile” on my face and pretend things away. That doesn’t bring God glory though. I have to be willing to be obedient in sharing my testimony…when HE wants me to. Same goes for each of you.

Truth is, everybody has garbage. Everybody has made mistakes. It is what we choose to do with the mess or garbage that makes the difference.

So, I leave you with these questions.

Is there something that God has asked you to share with someone…and you haven’t yet because of fear of being judged?

Do you believe that God can turn your MESS into HIS Message?

First, I would advise you to pray diligently over it. Pray for wisdom and discernment. Be sure that your testimony points to God. That it only brings glory to God. Then, write it out. It is always changing…as it should be. Finally, pray some more and if you feel that nudge from God..GO FOR IT! Let Him be glorified!

I will be sharing portions of my testimony as I feel led, in the days to come. Why? Because, I know God wants me to. Because, I have been feeling the nudge to be even “more real” than I already am with you all.

Share more with you soon! Very soon..

Here is a link to listen to Mandisa’s song..What If We Were Real?

ENJOY!

02_what_if_we_were_real___

UNTIL NEXT TIME,

Well, it has taken me a bit longer to process these thoughts and truths that have been jumping around in my head. I know that I have shared before, that I take this “writing” or “blogging” thing very serious. AND…Sometimes…that means just waiting and being still. Waiting for God. I have learned patience through this almost year that I have been sharing here on “Simple Truths”. I’ve learned that I am on HIS timeline…not mine.

I have learned that I am at peace when I am patient for HIS time.

I don’t want to mess this up. I don’t ever want these posts to be about ME. Oh no..not at all..I only want to shine for HIM. When I say I want to shine…I mean that HE IS LIGHT and I want to reflect HIM and HIM alone.

It has been a week ago today that I left to go on a retreat for women. We went away for two nights and oh how God touched me at the core of my soul. HIS presence was known. HIS words were spoken through many women (message, prayer, song, testimonies, sharing, etc..)  because of their obedience to HIM. It’s not always easy being truly obedient…because it really does take you out of your comfort zone. This I know. From experience. BUT…..oh at the blessings and complete joy that is felt when you are obedient. Blessings…not just for the other people…but for you as well.

I saw chains loosed last weekend…and chains are still being loosed because of the TRUTH that was spoken to us. GOD”S WORD is TRUTH dear friends. It IS HEALING for the soul.

Most importantly though…GOD’S WORD reflects HIS LOVE for US!! Friends…hear me when I say this…God LOVES YOU! He loves every single one of us!

We have got to start reflecting that LOVE. That TRUTH.

1 Peter 4:8 (NIV) ~ Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

 Deeply…it says. Not surface. Not fake. BUT….DEEPLY.

God’s LOVE….the love of Savior Jesus….covers our sins.

If you ARE a true follower/believer, you are CALLED to LOVE. DEEPLY.

I am called to love deeply. Do I always? No… Sometimes…the love that I show and you too (if you are being honest), is love that may be dependent on my emotions at the moment.

I am called to love deeply….not just when I feel like it. Not just when everything is “hunky-dory” (pardon the “old” phrase).

I am SO VERY THANKFUL that God loves me ALL the time. In fact, it still blows my mind sometimes that HIS love NEVER CHANGES. Seriously, you should do a search on your Bible app or in the dictionary and concordance in your actual Bible on the phrase “His love”. It’s awesome!

John 15:12~ My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.

We don’t love in this way out of our own ability to do so. NO…that isn’t even possible. IF and WHEN we LOVE in the way God commands us to love, it’s because God is loving the other person through us. IT’S HIM.

1 John 4:19~ We love because he first loved us.

   I am so thankful for all the LOVE that was shown this past weekend at the retreat. Women sometimes have a hard time letting down our walls..and letting ourselves be loved. It has to STOP. We have to stop comparing ourselves and thinking that everybody else must be thinking something “bad” about “me”. It’s a trap. A trap that the enemy wants us to be in. BECAUSE..we can’t possibly love each other if we don’t even love ourselves. GOD LOVES YOU.

I LOVE THESE WOMEN!!!

It’s okay to recognize areas that you have fault…but give those faults and bad habits…bondage..to  GOD (repent and change). THEN and only THEN can you move on. When I say move on..I mean, STOP letting your past mistakes define you. Allow God to love you and in turn reflect that same love to everyone you meet.

1 John 4:8~ Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

It is ALL about LOVE. Isn’t that what we all want anyways?

I’ve got lots more on my mind and heart that I plan on sharing in regards to how my heart was touched during this time away. So, I’ll share again with you soon.

Until Next Time,

   November has arrived. It actually feels fall-ish. The leaves have begun to change here in South Georgia, and long sleeves and boots are emerging as well. Seriously though, what is November really known for? Not just football and turkey…but, Thanksgiving. Right?

   Several of my friends are doing a “30 days of thanks” thing on Facebook. I have to tell you, it is contagious! A friend began doing this and before I knew it…thankful statuses started popping up right and left! I LOVE it! I was already planning on writing something pertaining to “thankfulness” since it is November, after all. Seeing all the thankfulness on social media platforms just sealed the deal though!

   Why do we wait until November to do this? Why aren’t we posting about being thankful everyday? I know I am just as guilty as the next person of posting “whiney” things sometimes, but my goal on a daily basis is to use social media mainly for encouraging others. If I am going to be contagious, I’d rather it be for being encouraging than for being negative!

    I have a fantastic idea!!! Who wants to join me?? More thankfulness…more positive words…more encouragement as posts on social media. Let’s use it as a tool for good! Isn’t it true anyways, that your thoughts become your words..your words become your actions..or something like that? Oh, and your actions become your habits. Let’s not stop with just social media though. Let’s do it in the “real” world too.

   God’s Word tells us to Give Thanks ! Here are some scriptures to back that up. God’s Word also says to GIVE THANKS in EVERYTHING. (yes, that is a little bit harder to do…but it IS do-able)

   1 Thessalonians 5:18 ~ In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

   1 Chronicles 16:34 ~ Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.

   Psalm 107:1 ~ Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.

   Psalm 118:29 ~ Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.

   Ephesians 5:20 ~ Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

   Colossians 3:17 ~ And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

   There are SO many more verses in the Bible that reference thanks-giving.  So, why not make every month a month of Thanks-Giving?

   It makes you feel good when you can “thank” someone. It feels good to be “thanked“. Really though, it reminds you of all of the GOOD in your life…when you take a moment to reflect on what you are thankful for. The GOOD in our life is because of GOD, so most importantly, we shouldn’t  forget to Thank HIM. In Luke 17:12-19, in the story of the 10 lepers who were healed by God, only 1 came back and thanked Jesus. Only ONE.

   I wonder…would I have been one of the 9 or would I have been the ONE? What about you?

   Blessings to you all! By the way, I want you ALL to know just how THANKFUL I am that you take the time to read these posts that God lays on my heart to share. I am so very thankful that my Father God has allowed me to be used in this way. I love HIM SO! I am thankful that HE loves me! Last but not least,my hope is that you all catch the “thankfulness” bug…

   Until Next Time,